Swept From the Past

Chapter 19: Christmas

Later in the evening, everyone had gathered around a single table in the Great Hall to have dinner. It was set for about twenty people. Most of the teachers had left Hogwarts to spend Christmas with their families. As for the students, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were the only ones who stayed at school for the holidays. Hermione thought that with the return of You-Know-Who, the other parents probably wanted their children to be safe at home.

Hermione sat between Mrs. Weasley and Bill. Since Ron had kissed Hermione, she ignored him even more than before. She didn't want to hear about him. Ron ignored her too, so it was fine. Hermione's place was at the middle of the table. At her right were the young people, from Bill, the eldest one, to Ginny, the youngest one. To her left were the parents and teachers: Professors Burns, Dumbledore, Snape, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime. Several other teachers and staff members ended the table: McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick, Trelawney, and Madam Pomfrey. But from where she was, Hermione could not listen to them.

"'Agrid made me a fantastic present!" Hermione heard Madame Maxime exclaim. "A perfume!"

"But Christmas is not until tomorrow," Dumbledore said. He smiled slightly.

"I couldn't wait to have my present, Dumbly-dorr," Madame Maxime replied. "'Agrid made too many mysteries about it!" She giggled. "The perfume smells very good!"

Then she planted an audible kiss on Hagrid's right cheek. She left red lipstick marks on his face. Hagrid blushed. He lowered his head from embarrassment.

"Find yourselves a room," Burns murmured, her eyes focused on her plate.

Everyone stared at her. Mrs. Weasley looked shocked. Burns looked up and noticed her stare.

"Firewhisky?" Burns offered. She lifted the bottle in front of her.

"I don't drink," Mrs. Weasley replied coldly.

"Good," Burns replied. "There'll be more for me!" She took a drink. "Shocked?" She raised her eyebrows quickly and looked at Mrs. Weasley mockingly.

"You are a teacher," Mrs. Weasley replied. "You should be a better example for the children."

Burns laughed. "I'm their teacher, not their mother," she retorted. "And I doubt any of them consider me a model. Quite the opposite!"

"I heard that you had a hangover in class," Mrs. Weasley replied sharply.

"Yeah," Burns retorted coolly. "A great moment! But do you want to know the funniest thing of all? I hate alcohol!"

Hermione was surprised. Burns hated alcohol? But in that case, why did she drink?

"So why do you drink?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Why do you eat?" Burns responded.

"I don't understand," Mrs. Weasley replied.

"Don't try," Burns retorted quietly. Then she stared at her plate again. Her conservation with Mrs. Weasley seemed to be over.

Ron's mother looked dumbfounded. Mr. Weasley threw his wife a quick glance to warn her to drop the subject.

Hermione returned to the Weasleys' conversation.

"And how is Fleur?" Fred asked Bill. "Are you two dating?"

"Well," Bill replied, "Fleur and I really... like each other."

"Watch out, Bill!" George exclaimed, "Or you'll soon be married!"

"Actually," Bill said. He looked embarrassed. "There's something I wanted to tell you. Fleur and I are... engaged."

"Whaw!" Ginny exclaimed.

Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, and Harry's mouths fell agape. Hermione was surprised.

"That was fast!" Fred gasped. Hermione thought the same thing. But after all, it was good news.

"I told Mum and Dad a few days ago," Bill said. "I thought Mum needed a few days to get over the shock."

"That news deserves an announcement!" George exclaimed. He stood up and chinked his glass with his knife.

"Your attention please!" he shouted. Everyone turned his attention to him.

"George!" Bill whispered. "Don't--"

"I'm glad to inform you," George continued, "that Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour are engaged!"

Everyone stared at Bill. His face was completely red. He stood and cleared his throat. "Er," he said, "Fleur's not even here with me..." He rolled his eyes. "Well, thank you, George. You announced the good news before Fleur and I told her parents."

"Oops," George said.

"So would you please keep it a secret until we speak to the Delacours," Bill continued. "Just act as if you didn't hear what my imbecile of a brother said. Madame Maxime?"

Madame Maxime smiled. "I promise I won't tell anyone," she said. "But zat's fantastic!"

A few glasses chinked, and almost everyone congratulated Bill. Professor Burns didn't say anything. Her jaws clenched. She took a drink of Firewhisky. Snape looked at her discreetly. He seemed to be apprehensive. Dumbledore observed Professor Burns.

"Stop staring at me, Headmaster," Burns interrupted sharply. "I've enough of your pity."

The Headmaster sighed. "Pity is a good thing, Professor Burns. Pity is the first step on the path of forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?" Burns asked. She laughed. "Is that what you told him? It's not surprising he died!"

Was Burns talking about Grindelwald? Dumbledore stayed impassive.

"I wish he had not died," Dumbledore replied.

"Don't," Burns retorted. "He was lucky to be freed." She took her glass and had another drink. Dumbledore didn't respond.

"Er," Mr. Weasley said. He cleared his throat. "By the way, Professor Dumbledore," he continued, "I heard you made the students see... what is the correct word...? Yes... movies. I guess that's the word the Muggles use."

"Indeed," Professor Dumbledore replied.

"How does it work?" Mr. Weasley asked. "I have always wondered how people's imagines could be projected on a screen..."

Hermione turned her attention back to Fred and George. They were laughing until they had tears in their eyes.

"... so," Fred said, breathlessly, "George's skin turned completely red! For a whole week!"

Ginny, Harry, Ron, Bill, and Charlie laughed.

"Do you know that a few dragons are sensitive to red?" Charlie said. "They're like bulls! You're lucky you didn't meet one of them in Diagon Alley!"

"Well," George replied, "I met one of them! I was harassed by this horrible girl, Roberta. She looks like a Magyar!"

"Roberta?" Ron smirked.

"Yeah!" Fred laughed. "She comes to the shop everyday. She has a crush on George. She says he's the most handsome guy she ever met."

"On George?" Hermione asked. "Not on you?"

"Fortunately not," Fred said. "Strangely, she says we don't look alike. I remember when she tried to kiss George with the Kissing Lipstick. He screamed and ran out of the shop. He came back a few hours later."

"Yeah," George said. "She ran after me! Scary! But I managed to lock her up in a shop on Knockturn Alley."

"You ran away from a girl?" Bill asked.

"She's terrifying!" George exclaimed. "She's taller than me--"

"Much taller," Fred commented.

"And she's enormous!" George continued.

"Really enormous," Fred said.

"And she's ugly," George uttered.

"Really ugly," Fred added.

"But," Hermione said, "that's not her fault! And maybe she's kind! Maybe she has a good heart!" That wasn't fair to that poor girl. After all, she had feelings too!

"Hey!" George exclaimed. "That's easy for you to say. She's not harassing you! I think she's going to have me for lunch one day!"

"And do you know who she is?" Fred said. "Umbridge's niece!"

Ron, Ginny, and Harry gasped at the same time. Hermione grimaced. All right, maybe George had reason to avoid her.

"She said she has relatives within the Ministry," George continued. "That she would help me to find wealthy partners for business. The condition was that I take her out on a date."

"What did you tell her?" Harry asked.

"Technically," George replied, "I said no."

"Actually," Fred added, "he screamed loudly and said he preferred dating men."

They burst into laughter, even Hermione. Imagining Umbridge's niece was rather scary.

"They featured an article on Umbridge in the Daily Prophet," Bill uttered. "They said she has had hallucinations since she's left Hogwarts.

"Yeah," Charlie replied. "But it didn't prevent her from getting her job back in the Ministry. She helped so many Death Eaters to go free!" He grimaced.

"By the way," George said, "that reminds me. There's something I want to ask Captain Burns."

"Yeah," Fred continued, "we read something interesting in the Quibbler, and we wondered if it was true."

What were they going to ask? Hermione observed Burns discreetly. The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher filled her glass again and drank its contents.

"Captain Burns," George called. Hermione didn't know if Burns had heard George speak. She didn't turn her head to him. "Is it true that you dated one of the Hogwarts teachers?" George continued.

Professor Burns swallowed the wrong way and choked violently.

One of the Hogwarts teachers? Hermione's mouth fell agape. She frowned. She thought immediately of Snape. But it couldn't be... Hermione cast him a quick glance. He stared at his plate indifferently.

"What?" Burns asked with effort. She turned her head to George. "Who said that?"

"The Quibbler," George replied.

"That's rubbish," Burns retorted. She calmed her breathing. "I never dated any Hogwarts teacher," she snapped.

"They said that you dated Gilderoy Lockhart," Fred replied.

Gilderoy Lockhart? Burns with Gilderoy Lockhart? Impossible!

"Bloody, stupid papers," Burns uttered. "Next time, they'll probably say I dated Filch! Gilderoy Lockhart? Jesus!" She looked disgusted. "The first time I met him, it was in the Ministry of Magic. He wanted to give me an autograph. I cursed him."

"Well done," Fred retorted.

"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.

"What?" Fred asked. "Lockhart was really an awful prat. He kept staring at his reflection each time he passed a mirror!"

"Actually," Professor Burns said, "I transformed him into a mirror. I probably made his day."

The Weasleys' children and Harry burst into laughter. Mrs. Weasley threw them a reproachful stare. Hermione didn't laugh. Indeed, she was still rather fond of Gilderoy Lockhart.

"What did you do the second time you met him?" Harry asked Professor Burns. "You said in class you met him twice."

"I didn't do anything to him," Burns replied. "The second time, he didn't approach me." She smiled ironically. "That time, it made my day." She paused. "Did that stupid paper say more? I'd like to know what people say behind my back."

"They said you were engaged once," Fred continued. "Not with Lockhart. They didn't say with who."

"Really?" Burns hissed. Her features hardened.

"Who was the fiancé?" George asked.

"There was no fiancé," Burns spat.

Hermione noticed Snape blanched. No fiancé? Hermione knew Burns was about to be married. Did she mean Sirius didn't make it back for the wedding? Hermione was more and more convinced that her theory was right. That Sirius had gone to search for Pettigrew. That Burns had been attacked by the Death Eaters and Snape, while she waited for Sirius. That Sirius had finally been taken to Azkaban.

"Professor Burns," Madame Maxime said, "I've 'eard a lot of things about you. I'm very interested in you. Is zat true zat you are Lord Grindelwald's granddaughter?"

Everyone suddenly kept silent. They stopped eating and stared at Professor Burns. Hermione felt awkward for her. But she was happy to know her reasoning was true. At least, her suspicions had been confirmed.

"Yeah," Professor Burns replied. She yawned. Hermione felt proud of herself. "My grandfather was Lord Sigurd Grindelwald, the Second," Burns said. She paused. "I wonder how you can call your child 'Sigurd'," Burns commented. "That's just like calling him 'Merlin' or 'Jesus.' Hard to live up to the name," she said coolly.

"Whaw!" Ron exclaimed. "Impressive! You're lucky!"

"Why are you so impressed, Master Weasley?" Burns asked sharply. "You shouldn't be. I didn't do anything to become his granddaughter. Lucky?" She snorted.

"But it's Grindelwald..." Ron replied, "He was very powerful! And so are you!"

"Never wish to be so powerful," Professor Burns retorted. "I never asked to have those powers. I didn't even know I had them when I was your age. Master Weasley, just wish to have a normal life. Like your parents have. They are lucky people."

There was a pause.

"Who wants turkey again?" asked Mrs. Weasley, to relax the atmosphere.

Several long seconds passed.

"Er," Mr. Weasley said, "the meal is really good, don't you think so, children?"

"I haven't eaten that much in a long time," Fred replied. "At the end of the meal, dress me in red, give me a white beard and I'll come down the chimney!"

George laughed. "By the way," he asked, "why do you wear gloves when you eat, Captain Burns?"

Hermione hardly breathed. Couldn't George shut up?

"I had a little... accident many years ago," Burns replied without looking at him. "With a knife. Cooking is dangerous. Anyway, I don't want everyone to see the scars. They're not pretty."

There was a heavy silence. Hermione cast Snape a quick glance. He still stared at his plate. He looked absorbed.

"How did you..." Ron asked. He stopped in mid-sentence. Everyone looked at him, their eyes wide opened.

"Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

Hermione was shocked too. It was not polite to ask Burns such a thing. But it was not Ron's first big mistake today.

"Because I wanted people to ask me awkward questions," Burns replied coldly. "Anyway..." she scanned the faces at the table. "You almost all wonder the same thing. But that's none of your business!" she snapped. She snorted again. "I'm not an example to follow, Master Weasley," she said. "You should admire your mother. She's a lucky woman. She has everything." Professor Burns stood up.

"Professor Burns?" asked Dumbledore. "Are you leaving us already?"

"This is not my place," Burns replied. "I've ceased being with the living for a long time. And I hate Christmas. I'm not the best company."

Professor Burns made a few steps. Suddenly, a thin, blond man with an eye-patch entered the Great Hall. He carried something wrapped in a blanket in his arms. Something which cried. A baby.

"Capt'n," he exclaimed. "There was another vampire attack tonight!"

"Why do you bring that thing here?" Burns asked sharply. "Those people don't need to see that on Christmas!"

"That thing?" Mrs Weasley repeated. She looked offended. "This is a baby!" She stood up and went to the man. "You shouldn't hold a baby this way!" she said. She tried to take the baby from his arms.

"No!" Professor Burns exclaimed. She ran to the man and pushed Mrs. Weasley back. Ron's mother fell onto the floor. "Don't touch it!" Burns ordered.

Hermione was startled. How could Professor Burns be that rude and violent?

Everyone stood up. Mr. Weasley went to his wife and helped her up. Professor Dumbledore threw Professor Burns a reproachful stare. Everyone looked shocked. Even Snape seemed surprised.

"You are really a horrible woman!" Mrs. Weasley screamed. She sobbed.

"Calm down, Molly," Mr. Weasley said.

"Do you know what that thing is?" Professor Burns asked coldly. "A baby?" she mocked. "It was a baby a few hours ago. Now, that's not a baby anymore. That's an aberration of nature. There's nothing human in it! You're a mother. You don't have to see it."

Hermione repressed a cry and trembled. She feared to understand. A vampire attack?

"A baby remains a baby!" Mrs. Weasley replied. She sniffed.

"You're right, Mrs. Weasley," she said. "I'm a horrible woman. I'm going to do something that even my crew refuses to do. I'm going to kill that little creature, which looks so innocent."

Everyone gasped. Mrs. Weasley looked really shocked. Most of the people, who had stood up, sat back down. Snape was one of them. He blanched.

"'Destroy' would be the better word, since that baby is already dead," Professor Burns continued coldly.

Hermione closed her eyes. She knew why Burns had to do it. She didn't have any choice.

"What do you mean?" asked Fred.

Burns turned back to Dumbledore. "Must I reply, Headmaster?" she asked. "Must I tell the truth, or keep the secret? In either case, it will spoil everyone's appetite."

Dumbledore didn't respond right away. "Tell the truth," he said finally. "Everyone will know anyway."

"There was a vampire attack tonight," Burns said. "Vampires love babies. Sometimes, they don't content themselves to eat. They love transforming them."

Mrs. Weasley burst into tears.

"That's why I didn't want you to see that thing,' Burns continued. "It is not a baby anymore."

"How did they manage to... to transform him?" George asked. His voice quivered.

Hermione wondered the same thing. The baby had been bitten, but he had to bite the vampire back to become one of them. He had to drink... oh God! Hermione felt disgusted.

"The vampires drank his blood," Burns replied. "Then they made the baby drink their blood. They didn't need to be bitten. They had just to... drop their blood into his mouth."

"Why don't you spare him?" Mrs. Weasley asked between sobs.

"I can't," Burns replied. "If he was an adult, I wouldn't spare him. And what future for that baby? He'll never grow up. He'll just have to be fed with blood. And if he's not fed, he'll suffer a lot from the lack of it. I can't spare him. That's my job."

"Molly," Mr. Weasley said gently. "Go back to your seat. Professor Burns knows what she has to do. That's not a baby anymore."

"I didn't want you to see that," Burns said.

"I'm sorry, Capt'n," Taz said. "We wouldn't have asked you, if Alphonso had been there. But he's on a mission. And we... we didn't find the courage to do it. Lots of us lost children, and--"

"I know, Taz," Burns interrupted softly. "Alphonso and I are the only ones who can do it." She paused. Then she sighed deeply. She leant over and took a stake out of her right boot. "Give it to me, Taz," Burns ordered. "You can leave now. You were right to bring him here. He will not suffer. That's the most important, after all."

"Let me do it," Snape said. He stood up abruptly. He had turned completely white. "I don't want you to do it."

Hermione noticed there was no aggression in his voice. She perceived anguish.

Burns turned back to him. "No," she said. "This isn't the first time I've done this. It's not as if this is a real baby. He doesn't even have a soul anymore. And that's my job. No one should have to do it. Not even you."

Snape stared at her, but he didn't insist.

Burns took the blanket in her arms. Taz cast her a quick thankful glance, and left. Burns slowly rocked the baby and sang a soft lullaby for several minutes. The baby calmed down and stopped crying. Suddenly, Burns raised her stake and planted it into the cover. The baby didn't cry. He just disappeared in a pile of dust. Burns let the blanket fall onto the floor and didn't turn back.

"See, Master Weasley," she said, "how lucky I am." She took a bottle from her robes and had a drink. Then she disappeared through the doors of the Great Hall. Hermione was pained for the baby. And pained for Burns. How terrible to carry such a responsibility. Hermione wondered how she would react in Burns' place.

The girl would have probably never found courage to plant the stake. But what else could Burns do? Mrs. Weasley had thought Burns was awful. But the defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had done something very humane tonight. She had refused other's offers to do the terrible deed. People who had lost their own children. She had even refused Snape's offer to get rid of the baby. Yet, she hated the Potions master. She had done something no one wanted to do. Hermione's heart tightened. No, Burns wasn't lucky.

Hermione cast Harry a quick glance. He still stared at the doors of the Great Hall.

"Scary," Ron murmured.

"She was the only one able to do it," Harry replied. "The only one..."

Hermione realised what Harry was probably thinking about. The Prophecy said he would fight against You-Know-Who. That meant Harry had a chance to kill him. Harry was the only one able to vanquish the Dark Lord. But it meant he would become a murderer, although You-Know-Who was evil. Harry had to sacrifice himself for the good of everyone.

***

Professor Burns went out of the Great Hall. She choked back her tears and took off in the direction of the Whomping Willow. Mrs. Weasley was right: she was an awful woman. She had taken the baby in her arms and planted a stake in his heart. No one had ever been able to do such a thing, except her and Alphonso, her second-in-command. And Alphonso had felt very sick the first time he had done it. Yes, she was evil! But after all, it ran in the family. It didn't matter. She was cursed anyway.

She would have wanted to have children like Mrs. Weasley had. To have a big family. To have a loving husband... She felt infuriated. All that she had was a dead baby in her arms. A baby she was forced to transform into dust. She had no loving husband. The only husband she had was not here anymore. And she was dying. Soon, she would be dead. All alone. But after all, she didn't care. It was probably better that way. She just wanted a little more time. Just enough time to make Bellatrix Lestrange pay.

As for Remus... that wasn't fair. Before he was kidnapped, Burns had planned everything. Remus was supposed to inherit from her half of all she had. Remus would be rich. The other half would be shared by her crew. If Remus had known, he would have refused her money. And he would have wanted to stay with her until the end. But she didn't want him to see her dying. It would be too painful for him. He would never understand dying was what she wanted.

Burns had just amended her will. After her death, if Remus wasn't already cured, Dumbledore would administer his inheritance for Remus. The Headmaster would pay the healers and do everything for Remus' health. Then Harry would assume this responsibility after he came of age. If Remus was cured, he would make Harry his heir anyway.

It was cold outside. Very cold. Too cold. Burns had the impression the snowy landscape moved around her. She staggered. She couldn't walk straight. She felt dizzy. She wanted to go forward to reach Remus, no matter where he was. She had to find him. Her eyes dimmed. No, she had to move forward. She lost her bearings. Everything flashed by quickly in her head: Remus who bounded on her to kill her; the vampire's baby in her arms; her bridal gown lying on the bed; her blood dripping from her fists; her own blurred reflection in the mirror; the flames around her; Sirius' own reflection in the mirror.

Then nothing. She collapsed. Conscious thought faded. Where was she? Her body had gone numb. She was just surrounded by coldness. Emptiness. It would be over soon. She finally would be freed from this torment. In just a few minutes...

She felt her chest rise. Arms around her. A warmth on her face. A tender touch. Then the long contact of soft and warm lips on hers. Something agreeable. She wanted to lose herself in that reassuring warmth. She didn't have any strength left. She didn't want to struggle. She felt herself carefully lifted in those arms. Then she fainted completely.

***

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