Hellfire in New York

Hellfire in New York

Chapter 20: Cyclops Holds Down the Pillow

Encouraged by Harry's message, Cyclops held his team together for a few more minutes, but he could see the demon horde was still growing. He was on the point of ordering a retreat anyway, when a different voice sounded in his ear.

"Black Bishop to Cyclops. We're coming in on your left flank. Warn your people we're on their side!"

This must be the help Hawk talked about! Scott knew from overhearing Rookwood and Pierce that there was dissension in the Hellfire ranks. It seemed Leland was loyal to Shaw, and prepared to fight off Selene's demons.

Scott switched to command frequency. "Attention! The forces coming from the left are on our side!"

Then, with a roar of gunfire and a hail of spells, a mixed force of wizards and mercs stormed into the room, once again throwing the demons into confusion. The massive form of the Black Bishop approached Cyclops, shouting, "Get your people back behind mine, they need a breather!"

Scott complied, relaying the order through his communicator before turning to Professor McGonagall, who had been fighting with a skill and cunning he wouldn't have expected of her. "Come on!" he shouted, grabbing her hand and pulling her back into an area of relative quiet.

Minerva stood panting, one hand on her chest. "Are you OK?" asked Scott. She flashed him a quick smile. "I'm fine. Just not as young as I once was, Jean-Paul!"

"Jean-Paul?" Cyclops asked, puzzled.

McGonagall, to his surprise, went slightly pink. "I do apologise, Scott. Jean-Paul was an old...friend...with whom I shared some exciting times, once. He was much like you, and the situation rather took me back!"

Surprising Scott even more, she gave the hand she still held a gentle squeeze before releasing it and saying, "To my mind, Mlle Delacour is a very fortunate young woman, as I once was."

Rather flattered, Scott turned to find himself facing Fleur. The two embraced fiercely, then Fleur looked over his shoulder and remarked with a smile, "I suspect zat if Professeur McGonagall were younger, I would 'ave - 'ow you say? - a fight on my 'ands."

Leland made his way over to them. "Cyclops, here's the situation. Sebastian had a run-in with Hunter and came off worse, but Mrs Lestrange managed to untie him. They've gone to the control centre. Sebastian is trying to override the programming on the Sentinels, so they'll attack demons rather than Mutants. Once they've done that, we should have an edge."

Cyclops nodded. The Sentinel robots, with their high-tech weaponry and sophisticated combat programming, would be more than a match for most demons. Still, there was a problem. He turned to the group of X-Men and wizards who now surrounded him.

"That's fine, but we need an overall plan. What are we doing here?"

"Holding Down the Pillow," said Ron quietly.

"What?" Cyclops stared at the young wizard.

Wolverine spoke up. "It's a term from Musashi, the Japanese strategist. It means to lead the enemy around, impose your will on him and encourage his useless actions, while discouraging his useful ones. You want to explain that better, Hunter?"

Ron said, "We know Hawk's heading for Selene's Temple. The best thing she could do is put everything she has into stopping him, but instead, she's wasting time and effort flinging all these demons at us. So, we keep attacking, keep her fixed on us, and give Harry his chance!"

Sunfire looked at Ron. "I was not aware you had read A Book of Five Rings, Hunter-san."

Ron grinned. "Logan gave me a copy for Christmas."

"It's the only book he's ever read cover-to-cover more than once," put in Hermione. "I can't make head nor tail of it!"

"Surprised as I am to hear that young Ronald here has actually read a book," supplied McGonagall, "I must admit that his analysis seems an accurate one."

Ron blushed. "Thanks, Professor!"

"Minerva, please, Ronald!" McGonagall told him. "You are no longer my student, and at the moment, we seem to be comrades in arms."

Ron went even redder. Cyclops allowed himself a grin at the way this huge, tough young man suddenly turned into a shy, embarrassed kid. Then Scott made up his mind.

"Hunter's right, people. Let's just keep doing what we're doing. If the demons retreat, we follow them. Whatever happens, we keep attacking, because the longer we keep Selene occupied, the more chance Hawk's gonna have. Let's go!"

"Back to doin' what we do best, Padfoot?" Logan said with a grin.

Sirius kissed Ororo and took his arm from round her waist. "Coming, Wolverine! Are you with us, darling?"

Storm's smile was both serene and dangerous. "I'll be right on top of you, dearest."

"Nothing new there!" Sirius replied with a leer, as she sprang into the air, and the three advanced as a unit.

Banshee rose into the air. Nearby, Bill and Tonks kissed hastily, then mounted up and kicked off. "We've got your six, Sean!" called Tonks.

Ariel stepped away from under Colossus' arm. "OK, Petey, you knock 'em down, and Firebird and I will make sure they stay down."

Then she turned to Ginny, realising that they could die here today. Kitty suddenly wanted no more of what she now understood to be a silly, pointless feud. Impulsively, she darted forward and hugged the young English witch.

"Stay safe, Ginny," she whispered. "I don't want to have to give Harry bad news."

Ginny, who'd been thinking similar thoughts, stopped her with a squeeze. "Same goes for you, Kitty. We've both been silly cows, haven't we?"

"We can talk later," Kitty told her. "Right now, you watch my back, and I'll watch yours."

"And we can both watch Peter's bum!" added Ginny with a cheeky grin.

"That could get a little distracting," Ariel noted with a chuckle.

The X-Men plunged back into the fight. Scott advanced, Havok on his right, Fleur and the redoubtable Minerva McGonagall on his left, while Polaris guarded them from the air. Remus, Emma, Beast and Nightcrawler wreaked havoc among the minor demons. Rogue had absorbed the power of a Hell Guard, and now used its scythe with deadly efficiency, while Iceman backed her up with his own formidable powers. Seamus, Dazzler, Psyche and Wolfsbane teamed with Charm and Hunter to form a fast, powerful assault team. Sunfire darted here and there above the melee, raining down fire on the enemy. Even the Black Bishop, no man of action, bore his part; positioned between the lethal Cole and the viciously effective Grimslade, he used his power over mass to bring down demon after demon to where his comrades could deal with them.

Casualties among the American wizards and Hellfire mercenaries were lighter than Leland had feared. Much persuasion and haranguing from Cole and Grimslade had borne fruit, and the disparate groups had learned to work together. The wizards provided shields as well as a variety of curses and hexes that confused, slowed or paralysed the demons. This rendered them vulnerable to the heavier firepower of the merc units, armed with Uzis, M16s, grenade launchers and flamethrowers.

The battle was at its furious height when a sudden, unnatural chill filled the air. Then there was another burst of the familiar violet light, but a much larger one. The figure that appeared from it was shaped like a gigantic gorilla, at least fifteen feet tall. Its fur was a dead, greenish-black and its glowing, red eyes gazed around, full of a malign intelligence.

"Oranguerra!" gasped Remus. "Jupiter! Selene must be getting desperate."

Oranguerra focused on one of the wizard-merc teams, and howled at them. His cry took the form of a blast of compressed air that scattered the team, killing some and leaving the others easy prey for the charging msira. But the larger demon did not repeat the attack. Instead, he began to growl and chatter. The other demons seemed to understand him, and fell back towards him. It was clear they were massing for a charge.

Hermione made a decision. She knew she was the only one who could do anything now. "Cyclops!" she barked into her communicator. "Get everyone back behind me!"

Cyclops obeyed, but came running up to her. She said quickly, "I don't know how long I'm going to be able to hold my spell so you must keep everyone well clear until I stop. You'll know when that is."

With that, she set off toward the centre of the clear space the mutual retreat had created. Hermione regretted she'd not spent more time perfecting the spell she was about to cast. She had crafted it herself from an idea given her by Ron's interest in Muggle science, but she hadn't yet discovered how to make it self-sustaining. It took energy to maintain it, and Hermione knew her physical reserves were not great.

Hermione thought she was probably going to die. Unless she could eliminate all the demons, which she doubted, she was sure none of her friends could reach her before any survivors tore her to pieces. But this was for Ron, for Harry, for everyone she loved and cared about, and it was the only way.

When she realised Ron was beside her, she turned on him fiercely. "You go right back right now!" she told him.

He shook his head. "No," he said, and his tone told her there was nothing she could do. "I know what you're planning, 'Mione. You'll need me to keep them off you afterwards till the others get here."

He won't be able to do it, she thought. Ron was brave and strong, but he wasn't a powerful enough wizard to hold off a horde of demons single-handedly. He was planning to die for her, she realised, fighting back tears. Well, if her man died, she resolved, then she, Hermione Jane Granger, would die with him! They'd go down fighting together!

They reached the centre of the hall. In front of them, the demons were massed, the giant Oranguerra in the middle of them. Hermione didn't waste time on words; she simply raised her wand and invoked, "Singularius!"

A tiny speck of absolute darkness flew from the tip of her wand to hover just in front of Oranguerra. For a moment, nothing happened, then the air around the speck seemed to distort. Oranguerra began to reach out, and was suddenly pulled forward! As Hermione watched, his arm seemed to stretch out, becoming at once thinner and smaller, as if he were vanishing into the distance. The demon howled. The rest of him began to move, undergoing the same change as his arms. Then, like water draining from a bath, Oranguerra began to twist, swirl and disappear into the black speck. Around him, other demons were suffering the same fate. By ones and twos, then dozens, they were sucked in.

Ron had spent hours with Hermione, trying to grasp the concept of Black Holes, which fascinated him. From those talks, she had conceived the idea of magically creating a tiny spot of matter so massive, so dense, that it became in effect a miniature Black Hole, with a gravity field intense enough to capture anything within range. Hermione called it the Singularity Charm, though Harry had suggested 'Black Hole Hex', and Ron had christened it the 'Rift-Ripper Curse' because it effectively created a rift in normal space and time.

Hermione was in a quandary, now. She could feel her strength waning, and knew she couldn't sustain the spell much longer. Should she keep going, trying to suck in as many demons as she could, or save some of her strength for what she was sure would be her and Ron's final battle? Beside her, she could hear Ron. He obviously knew she was nearing the end of her endurance and yet he seemed to be...singing!

"The minstrel boy to the wars has gone,

In the ranks of death you will find him!

His father's sword he hath girded on,

And his wild harp slung behind him."

I will never understand men! Hermione thought. Then her vision blurred, and she had to release the spell. She fell to her knees beside Ron, hearing the howls of the remaining demons as they charged, and Cyclops' barked commands ordering his people forward. There was a puff of smoke, and Kurt was there - in her fatalistic mood, Hermione had forgotten about Nightcrawler. He tried to grab her, but she summoned what strength she had to fight him off: She would not leave Ron!

Then there was heat, and a roaring of flames, and demons screaming in agony! Hermione looked up to see a wall of flame stretching from one side of the hall to the other. Demons were charging into it to be burned to ashes. Nightcrawler gasped, "Mein Gott!" Hermione looked toward Ron towering above her. His wand was levelled at the fire, and a wolfish grin lit his face.

"Welcome to Big Ron's Barbecue, arseholes!" he bellowed. "No rare, no medium. Everybody gets well done!"

Now tears were streaming down Hermione's face, even as she beamed up at Ron. I should have trusted you! she thought. She knew Ron! For seven years, she had lived alongside him, helped him with homework, played games with him, quarrelled with him, fought beside him, and loved him. She knew his moods, his whimsies, his virtues and his faults. She had made love with him; her hands and mouth knew every inch of that superb body. But after all this, he could still surprise her! Hermione would never have believed Ron capable of casting so powerful a spell, and yet, there it was.

As she struggled to her feet, three powerful homromsira demons that had somehow avoided the flames leapt at Ron. Nightcrawler moved in a blur, taking one down. Before Hermione could gather herself, there was a shimmering in the air, and two figures appeared. It was not Apparation, or a Portkey, she realised, but the TransMat device Ron had told her about. The newcomers were the Black King and Bellatrix.

Shaw tackled one demon, grasping it with superhuman strength and breaking its neck with a savage twist. Bellatrix exorcised the other, then turned to Hermione, saying, "Get up, you stupid Mudblood! We've no time for shilly-shallying."

Then the other X-Men were round them. Shaw told Cyclops, "Hold position here! Bella and I have cooked up a little surprise for this scum. Hunter, well done, boy, but you better drop your spell now." Ron did so, sagging a little, and he and Hermione found themselves being pushed back to the rear, out of harm's way.

Hermione flung herself at Ron, crying and laughing at the same time. "Oh my darling! I'm sorry...I never...I should have..." Hermione fell back on the only coherent sentence she could form. "Oh, Ron, I love you so much!"

She kissed him deeply, urgently, passionately, trying to show with that gesture everything he meant to her. Then she leaned back to gaze up at him.

He smiled down gently at her. "Steady on, pet," he admonished. "People will talk, you know!"

"Oh, you!" Hermione laughed in spite of herself. It was another of Ron's gifts to make the extraordinary suddenly commonplace. "Let 'em talk! If they haven't sussed how I feel about you by now, we'd better start handing out guide dogs and white sticks."

"'Sussed'? Did you say 'sussed'?" he asked. "That's not a Hermione Granger word! Hermione would say, 'In the event that our acquaintances lack the inherent perspicacity to elucidate the intensity of our mutual emotional involvement, we should consider supplying them with suitable paraphernalia for the visually impaired', now wouldn't she?"

Hermione howled. Then she burst into tears and clung tightly to Ron as he murmured, "That's it, my lover, get it all out."

Meanwhile, the battle had taken a bad turn for Selene's forces. Hermione's spell had eliminated fully half of the demons, and Ron's firewall had decimated the survivors. Now, as Shaw pressed a button on his wrist unit, the unique shimmer of the TransMat heralded the arrival of a phalanx of Sentinels. The robots advanced relentlessly on the demons, destroying them with laser bolts, HE grenades and poison gas, or simply tearing them apart. Demonic flesh is still only flesh, and these armoured titans were more than the Hellspawn could handle. Within moments, the last of the demons fell.

There was no cheering, no celebration. Cyclops shook hands with Shaw and Leland. Cole slapped Grimslade on the back and sent him staggering. Friends embraced, assuring themselves that those they loved were unharmed. Lovers held each other with fierce tenderness. For a moment, old animosities were forgotten as a mutual threat was vanquished.

Cyclops led Shaw and Bellatrix over to Ron and Hermione. Emma joined them, flushed and bright-eyed because in the moment of victory, Remus had responded to her eager embrace and deep kiss. Tonks was also making her way over, eyes on Bellatrix.

"Charm, that was spectacular!" Cyclops told her. "But if I'd known the risk you were taking, I'd never have let you."

"Of course not!" Hermione responded. "That's why I didn't tell you." She moved away from Ron a little, putting out a hand to Cyclops. "I'm sorry, Scott, but it was the only way to make a big enough dent in them - and to get rid of the big one."

Scott sighed. "I know, Hermione, just don't ever scare me like that again, girl!" He took her hand, then pulled her close and hugged her hard.

Tonks confronted Bellatrix. "Bellatrix Lestrange, you are under arrest for crimes against your fellow wizards. You will surrender your wand and accompany me to a place of detention, where you will await trial."

"Hold it!" barked Shaw. "Mrs Lestrange is now the Black Queen of the Hellfire Club. If you want to take her, Miss, you'll have to take on all of us!"

"I have no choice, Mr Shaw," Tonks said formally. "Mrs Lestrange is a known associate of the late Tom Riddle, known as Lord Voldemort, and stands accused of practising the Dark Arts, torture, murder and other criminal acts including the use of Unforgivable Curses."

"Just a moment Miss...?" Grimslade interrupted, coming up with a group of others.

"Nymphadora Tonks, Auror," Tonks introduced herself.

Grimslade inclined his head. "Caradoc Grimslade, Member of the Council of Fifty," he replied.

"Council of Fifty?" Tonks asked.

"The closest thing to a governing body we American wizards will tolerate," Grimslade told her, producing a small parchment and handing it to Tonks. "One wizard from each state. We meet when necessary to discuss matters that affect all wizards in America. As a member of that Council, representing the State of Massachusetts, I have authority to resolve certain matters at my own discretion.

"You, however, as a British Auror, have no legal status here. Now, I understand we had four individuals here who were fugitives from your Ministry of Magic. Greyback is dead, so we needn't concern ourselves with him. I am aware that you have Augustus Rookwood in custody, and as far as anyone here is concerned, you're welcome to keep him! That leaves the question of Mrs Lestrange here, and Mr Pettigrew-"

"Pettigrew's gone," Sirius said.

"What happened?" demanded Remus.

"Somethin' he disagreed with et him," said Wolverine with a grim smile.

"Good enough," Grimslade said. "Now, as to Mrs Lestrange, I must ask this: Bellatrix Lestrange, do you request asylum in this country?"

"I do," Bellatrix replied.

"Then, as a Member of the Council, I grant that request. You are now under our jurisdiction." Grimslade turned once again to Tonks. "I'll prepare a document for you to take back to the Ministry. I expect they'll find it expedient to commute any sentence to lifelong exile from Britain, don't you?"

Tonks nodded reluctantly, handing back the parchment. "This seems to be genuine. And you're right about the Ministry. Exiling Lestrange will save them a lot of time and money, as well as a controversial trial. They won't want to bring up the whole Pureblood versus Half-blood and Muggle-born debate again. Rookwood can be tried on espionage charges - in camera - but Lestrange would have to be tried publicly."

"It will also save them the trouble of having me and my Sentinels tear down every stone of your Azkaban Prison to get my Bella back!" Shaw said hotly.

Bella put a hand on his arm. "Hush, my love," she told him. Then she turned to Tonks. "Miss Tonks, I will also have a document for you to take back - a petition to the Wizengamot to annul my marriage."

"Annul?" queried Tonks dubiously.

Bella nodded. "I was already Voldemort's mistress when I married. The marriage was a political one, and Rudolphus never touched me - I think he was afraid! Now, I would like a real marriage." She smiled at Shaw, who smiled back.

"Well, don't that beat all!" murmured Havok.

"If anyone had any doubts," put in Emma, "everyone here is telling the truth."

"Whatever status Tonks here may or may not have," Cyclops told Grimslade and Shaw, "we X-Men have no authority to arrest or detain anyone. Mr Shaw, we have Jason Wyngarde at the mansion. He was injured. As soon as he's well enough, he'll be free to leave."

Rahne started forward, but Dani caught her arm. If Magneto wanted to spy on the Hellfire Club, it was none of their business.

Hermione stepped close to Emma and asked quietly, "That - outfit - Bellatrix is nearly wearing... You had one like it in white, didn't you?"

Emma nodded. "It's what Hellfire Club queens wear on duty, Charm. Why?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "Shaw offered to make me Red Queen earlier. If I'd accepted, would I...?"

"Yes," Emma chuckled. "You'd have been expected to wear the same, only in red." She looked critically at Hermione. "I think it would have suited you."

Hermione elbowed a snickering Ron in the ribs, and called, "Mr Shaw?"

The Black King looked over. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"About that offer you made me before," Hermione began, "I'm afraid I have to decline. Apart from anything else, you're seriously in need of a better costume designer."

Shaw smiled. "Indeed? We thought that to accommodate you, Hermione, some cosmetic enhancement might not be out of the question."

Hermione stared. "You'd expect me to have a boob job?" she said incredulously.

He shrugged and spread his hands. "Our profilers thought it might make you feel more comfortable with your femininity. Feminine wiles are a large part of a Hellfire Queen's role, you know."

Hermione stared for a moment longer, then burst into peals of laughter. For a moment she was helpless, then she shook her head and told Shaw, "You should get yourself some better profilers, mate! I'm engaged to, and madly in love with, the bravest, strongest, sexiest man in the world! Believe you me, I have no doubts about my femininity."

This time, everyone laughed, then again when Ginny called, "Oi! Hermione! Since when did you get engaged to Harry?"

"Or 'Berto?" asked Dani.

"Or Sam?" put in Rahne.

"Or Sirius?" Ororo couldn't resist adding.

Emma was tempted, but caught the tense look on Remus' face and held her tongue. He wasn't ready, yet. Soon, Mr Remus Lupin, she thought, I know it, and you know it - you can run from me, but you can't hide from yourself!

"Speaking of Hawk," said Cyclops, "we'd better check in on him."

"Already done!" said Ginny. "Kitty and I reached him." She held up her locket, and Kitty her bracelet, which she kept in her utility belt when Harry was on the team, just in case.

"He's had a nasty scrap with some dog-type demon, but he's heading into the Temple now. He's got Draco Malfoy with him, of all people!"

Bellatrix nodded. "My nephew has personal reasons for wishing to dispose of Selene. I think he planned to do the same to me, but Sebastian had words with him."

Shaw grinned. "He's not as gutsy or as skilled as Hunter. He didn't want to take me on!"

"Whatever," said Kitty. "There's also another guy with them - demon hunter called Dante. Anyone heard of him?"

Nobody had. Just then, there was the sound of a martial fanfare, and yet another violet flash.

The figure that appeared in the middle of the hall was perhaps seven feet tall and slender. He was clad in blue-black, elaborate armour, including a helmet decorated with curling ram's horns. He carried a massive blue sword, with a blade nearly six feet long.

The newcomer saluted them and spoke in a deep, musical voice. "Greetings. I am Angelo Nelo, herald and general to the Empress Selene."

"She's promoted herself? Arrogant bitch!" Bella muttered to Shaw.

Angelo Nelo continued, "I commend your valour and your skills. I come to tell you that your Champion, the Man Who Won, in company with the valiant Son of Sparda and the cunning First of the Knights of Walpurgis, even now does battle with my Empress.

"On the outcome of their battle, all of our fates rest, so I am commanded to call truce between us for this time. Do you accept?"

"Hawk can handle himself," Wolverine pointed out, and everyone had to agree.

Rogue looked around their forces, and said, "Cyke, we're all tired right now, and some of the mercs an' other wizards are pretty banged up. If somethin' goes wrong, an' Hawk loses, or if this guy's pullin' some kinda scam, we're gonna be no help if we're all tuckered out. Ah reckon we should take the chance for a breather while we can! Anyways, Ah'm bettin' on Harry."

Cyclops looked at Shaw. "Any thoughts?"

The Black King shook his head. "I can't fault Rogue's assessment, Cyclops. I'll go with whatever you say."

"Other opinions?" Cyclops looked around.

Remus raised a finger. "I've never heard of this Angelo Nelo," he said, "but that armour and sword of his mark him as a Demon Knight. They're unique among demons in that their word is their bond. If they commit any breach of honour, they revert to msira - the lowest rank of demon. I think it's some kind of geas that was laid on them at their creation. Is that any help?"

"Might be more help if I knew what a geas was," said Cyclops ruefully. "No, Hermione, don't explain, my head's hurting enough as it is. I'm going to take Remus' word that we can trust this guy's word."

He turned back to the Demon Knight, saying formally, "We accept your truce. We will await the outcome."

Angelo Nelo bowed, then rested his great sword point down on the floor, and seemed to go into some kind of trance.

The oddly assorted group began to go about the business of 'taking a breather'. The mercs had medics among them. Some of the wizards were Healers, and these started to tend the injured. Fleur, Dani and Marie went to help. Hermione was still exhausted, so Ron settled himself on the floor, and she dozed beside him, her head in his lap. The others sat or stood around, talking quietly.

"It was my own silly fault," Ginny was telling Kitty. "I'd spent so long wanting Harry, ever since I was a little girl. Then I decided he didn't really want anything to do with girls - especially after that thing with Cho Chang - so I sort of gave up on him.

"Then, of course, he comes over here, and the next thing is, Marie's asking us about him because she wants to be sure he's suitable for you! I hated you without even knowing you! I thought, 'What's that Yank cow got that I haven't?' But then there was Peter, and he's so lovely and gentle and sweet, so I let him wrap himself round me, and it was like having a big teddy bear, only better!

"And then Harry came back, and he was so different. He was shy and funny and sweet natured, and I thought, 'This is the real Harry!' So I was smitten all over again, but this time, he was interested in me! So now we're together, and I love him, and he loves me, and it's so wonderful! But I know he still cares for you a lot, and I was scared that you'd just waltz back one day and take him away from me. So I kept on being nasty to you; I couldn't help it. What made it worse was that I actually like you - you're a nice person, and we would've been friends but for my jealousy. That's silly! We love the same man, so what? Hermione loves Harry, too, and so does Marie, and Ororo, and my Mum, and even Dani a little bit - and we all love him in different ways. And I still love Peter, but not the way you do, so why do we have to fight?

"So I'm really sorry, Kitty. Can we be friends now?"

Kitty reached out and grasped Ginny's arm. "It takes two to tango, Ginny! I was being a bitch, too, and for no good reason. Look, when I first knew Harry, he'd been through a bad time. You know that better than I do 'cause you were there. At Xavier's, he had his first chance in years to just be Harry, to forget all that Boy Who Lived crap! He told me once that ever since that boy Cedric was killed in front of him, he'd felt kinda shut off from himself and everyone else. Being away from England, and Hogwarts, and Voldemort and all, he got a chance to remember who he was.

"It was that guy I fell for, the guy who'd been through bad times, like I had, and was coming out the other end. But like I told you before, Harry's dangerous, even edgy, and being with him was too risky for me. It was intense while it lasted, and he'll always be special to me, just like Petey is to you. But it was like riding a roller coaster: It's fun at the time, but you don't wanna do it every day!

"But I worried for him. When he went back to England, he wasn't but half-healed, and then he took up with you. I was scared you'd hurt him, not deliberately, but 'cause you didn't know any better. So I was always edgy around you, and that's what made me bitch at you so much. The fact that you're such a sweetie and you love him so much made it even worse, 'cause then I felt guilty. I'm Jewish, you know - we do guilt a lot!

"So I'm sorry too, Ginny, and yes, I'd like to be friends!"

The two young women embraced, both a little teary, but Ginny still had one question to ask. "Kitty, why did you never sleep with him?"

Kitty sighed and shrugged. "He never asked me to! I kept dropping hints, but...."

"Oh, that's Harry!" Ginny laughed. "You can hint all you want, and just get blank looks! Mind, once he gets the idea, there's no holding the man."

McGonagall was saying to Cyclops and Fleur, "It's something of a mystery, I must admit. I'm afraid with advancing years, I find myself sleeping less and less at night, though I can quite easily doze off in my chair in the afternoon! I had gone down to see if Dobby, one of our House Elves, could furnish me with some cocoa, when I met Jessica wandering the corridor. She told me she'd been troubled with odd dreams of a kind she had experienced many times before, except that these seemed more urgent.

"Then she suddenly said, 'He needs me!' An instant later, she Disapparated. I have a touch of clairvoyance - it is what enables me to distinguish between children with real magical talent and the merely lucky - so I was able to follow her here. She claims Mr Wyngarde is her half-brother, but of that I know nothing."

Perhaps half an hour had passed when Angelo Nelo suddenly stirred. "The Empress requires my presence," he said, and vanished.

At almost the same moment, Ginny started up, shouting "Harry!" She grabbed Kitty by the arm and Disapparated with a boom, taking the young Mutant with her.