Bones to Bones

Bones to Bones

Chapter Six: You're in the Army Now

Early Wednesday morning, Susan was alone, sitting on her bed thinking about the meeting in Hogsmeade the previous weekend. She had already given up hope that there would be any more meetings. Nobody was really sure who had been the snitch, but it seemed clear that someone had tipped off Umbridge about what was going on. It was pretty obvious with all those signs everywhere, banning just about every student group under the sun. Just the knowledge that someone had betrayed them was enough to send an angry shiver up and down her back. However, it wasn't the betrayal, or even the lost chance of practicing spells that bothered her. It was the way that Harry and Hermione seemed so sure that the Dark Lord was back. He still hadn't given his story, but there could be no doubt that he believed it.

Susan reached into the trunk at the end of her bed and pulled out a large photo album. Opening it, she stared at the pictures on the first few pages. Some of the people in the pictures she knew very well. Others, she couldn't remember, as she had been so young when they were killed. After a few moments of staring at the pictures, she opened the album to a page towards the back. It looked like old, yellowing paper with no pictures on it. Tapping it with her wand, the pictures on the page appeared. Looking at those pictures, tears began to well up in Susan's eyes, until she closed the album, and hugged it to her chest, letting the tears flow freely.

After putting the photo album away, she rummaged around for her Herbology textbook and leaving for class when Dody appeared on her bed with a letter from Aunt Amelia. Susan looked at the Diricawl in surprise, as she had only sent her own letter with Dody the night before. "It must be important for Aunt Amelia to send her already," Susan thought, as she untied the letter.

Dear Susan,

I was most unpleasantly surprised to hear that Dolores Umbridge is still trying to get you to spy for her. Please, don't get any idea of trying to play games with her, feeding her incorrect information. She is more clever than she looks, and she has a fine nose for conspiracy. Simply continue to tell her nothing. It won't make her happy, but it should be safest for you.

Thank you for your observations regarding young Mr. Potter. They fit most of what I am hearing here at the office.

Things here at the office keep getting more and more complex. I believe I may have mentioned that there was a prankster who was exploding Muggle toilets. Well, we finally caught him, but before we could begin to prepare charges against him, I was informed that the Minister of Magic himself was going to oversee the case. Fudge is up to something, that is the only explanation for his interference in such a minor case. I'd like to say that I miss the old days, where I could just do my job without all of the political drama, but the old days were just as bad most of the time.

So, how are things going with Justin?

Love,

Aunt Amelia

Susan snorted at the mention of Justin. Sometimes she thought that everyone other than the two of them had them pegged as a couple. Glancing at the time, she rushed out the door, hoping she could make it all the way out to the greenhouses in time.

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. She made it to Herbology with barely a second to spare, but the class itself was something of a waste. The storm was so bad that she couldn't hear what Professor Sprout was saying. They might as well have been wearing their mandrake-muffs. Still slightly deafened by the constant noise, Susan sat down for lunch with Hannah and the boys.

"Susan, why were you so late getting to class?" Justin asked.

"Oh, I was just reading and lost track of time."

Hannah shook her head. "Susan, what are we going to do with you? Anyway, Potter seems to have figured something out for the Dark Arts thing. He wants to meet tonight."

Susan looked down at her plate, idly picking at her sausages and mash with her fork. After an uncomfortable moment she said without looking up, "I'll pass."

The others looked at her in confusion, until finally Justin spoke up "What? Why?"

"Didn't you read what that notice said? Expelled! You know, kicked out? No one knows who told Umbridge. It's not worth the risk."

"Granger has given me her personal assurance that it wasn't one of the people at the meeting who passed the word on," said Ernie. "I say that it was no more than a coincidence, and I myself have no reservations about going."

Susan looked at her friends a moment, but found that she was unable to look into their eyes when she repeated, "I'll pass."

The meal continued in awkward silence for a few moments until Rose sat down next to Susan. "Hi Susan!"

"Hi Rose. Where are the rest of the first years?"

"Oh, they decided to go back to the dorms for a nap," Rose said, while trying to stifle a yawn of her own.

"All of them?"

"Yeah, Astronomy last night, and Binns this morning."

"Maybe someone should tell Madam Pomfrey to go check and see if they're still alive after all of that!" said Justin.

Susan glanced at Justin, glad to see that he didn't seem to be upset with her decision not to go to the Dark Arts meeting. Turning back to Rose, she asked, "So, why didn't you go take a nap then?"

"Too dangerous," answered Rose.

"Since when is taking a nap dangerous?"

"Since it would be risking showing up late for Potions."

"See Justin, I told you she was smarter than you!"

"Um, Susan, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Of course not Rose, what is it?"

"Someone was saying that your mother is important in the Ministry, is that true?"

"Oh, not my mother. She helps my dad with the farm. My aunt is head of Magical Law Enforcement though," Susan answered with obvious pride in her voice.

"Ooh, does that mean she was an Auror?" Rose asked excitedly.

"Not everyone in the MLE is an Auror. She actually was an Accuser before."

"An Accuser?" asked Rose in confusion.

"Yeah, she would prepare cases and then interrogate the suspect and any witnesses at the trial."

"Oh, that sounds cool. When did she become head of the MLE then?"

"A little over a year ago. The old one retired after the Quidditch World Cup, and that's when she took over."

"So, is that what you want to do, Susan?"

"Well, I don't think I want to be head of the MLE myself, but I hope to become an Accuser someday."

Later that day, Susan was walking back to the Hufflepuff common room after Ancient Runes. "Okay, eihwaz, defense, eihwaz, defense..." she mumbled. Susan's attempt to memorize her Runes vocabulary was interrupted by a very familiar drawl.

"Oh, look at the Huffleduff trying to use her brain!"

"Hello Malfoy. Get lost Malfoy."

"You shouldn't talk to me like that Bones. You never know what might happen," said Malfoy; Crabbe and Goyle chuckled.

Susan started walking down the hallway again, but Malfoy moved to cut her off. "Hey, I wasn't done talking to you Huffleduff!"

"Honestly Malfoy, that's the second time you've said Huffleduff in the last minute. Hire a writer, you need new material."

Malfoy's pale cheeks reddened as he said in a deathly quiet voice, "You need to show more respect, or else!"

"Or else what? You'll do something terrible? Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent you know," responded Susan hotly.

Malfoy turned to Crabbe, and nodded at him. Susan didn't have time to wonder what that could mean before Crabbe turned his shoulder towards her and drove her into the wall. Susan slumped to the floor; feeling like she would never be able to take another breath again, but dimly heard Malfoy.

"You see Crabbe, I told you it would work. No marks to alert the teachers. As for you Bones, sometimes I think that halfbloods like you are worse than Mudbloods. I mean, with Mudbloods, what can you do? Sometimes two animals get together and somehow have a kid with some small talent. But halfbloods? It means that someone took perfectly good wizarding blood and polluted it. Though, from what I hear, calling your father good wizarding blood isn't true either."

Susan sat on the cold stone floor, trying to draw air into her lungs as she watched Malfoy leave. He had barely gotten out of sight when she heard Hannah running up.

"Susan! Susan? Are you all right? What happened?"

Susan got up gingerly, holding her hand up against her side. "I'll live."

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing."

"Susan, don't give me that! Did someone do this to you?"

"I'm fine Hannah, someone decided to shove me into the wall. I'll live."

Hannah kept fussing over Susan as they walked together back to the common room. She wasn't quite sure why, but Susan didn't tell Hannah who it was that had hurt her. When they got to the common room, the boys were even worse if possible, promising extravagant revenge on the culprit.

"Listen, I'll live. Just one thing, maybe learning to defend myself wouldn't be such a bad idea. When were we supposed to get together tonight?"

Getting to the room they were supposed to meet in that evening was an experience in itself. Susan had been up and down that hallway any number of times over the years, but she didn't remember there ever being a door there. She had to admit though, that it made a perfect place to practice.

Harry had just begun to speak when Hermione interrupted him. Susan shook her head. Leave it to Granger to be so obsessed with this sort of thing. Of course Harry is in charge, and who really cares what they're called anyway? So long as the Weasley twins didn't want to call them "Snape's Squad" or something like that, what difference did it make?

Finally, they got past all the nonsense, and Harry got up to speak again. "Right, shall we get practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful-"

"Oh, please," said Zacharias. "I don't think Expelliarmus is going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

Actually, the idea of starting with something basic seemed like a good approach to Susan. She hadn't had a chance to practice any defensive spellwork in months, and a refresher sounded like just the thing. Susan wasn't ready for Harry's reply, "I've used it against him. It saved my life last June."

The Dark Lord? Foiled by the Disarming Charm? That didn't add up, but Susan set that aside to think about later. Maybe there was more to the story that she didn't know.

Harry then told them that they should pair up. Ernie and Hannah quickly paired off. Susan turned to Justin, but found that he was already being led off by an odd looking Ravenclaw girl. Seeing Zacharias heading her way, she looked around in panic for a partner, any partner. She grabbed the arm of a nearby Ravenclaw boy and said "partners?"

The boy looked rather surprised, but smiled and said "Okay. I'm Terry by the way."

"Oh, sorry, I'm Susan Bones."

Terry smiled at her warmly, but seeing the other pairs getting into position stepped back to take his position. It didn't take long for Susan to be positive that starting with something "simple" was a very good idea. She wasn't having much luck disarming Terry, but it was kind of funny to see the glares that Zacharias kept sending towards him.

After a bit, Susan's hand was getting rather sore from having her wand blasted out of it all the time. However, on the good side, she had managed to get a few good shots in on Terry also. Looking around while he went to retrieve his wand from behind a pile of books, she saw that Harry was going around checking up on everyone. When he got to Cho Chang's pair, her nervousness was obvious to everyone. Susan frowned and thought, "Oh? After Harry now? I wonder if she would be comfortable if we stuck her on a rock next to a whirlpool?"

By that time Terry had gotten back, and Susan surprised herself by not only hitting him cleanly with the spell, but bouncing his wand off of one of Gryffindor Chasers.

"Well, that was pretty good," said Harry, "but we've overrun, we'd better leave it here. Same time, same place next week!"

Susan smiled and thanked Terry, and he smiled back. "Any time. It's nice to have a pretty partner. Better than Anthony, I'll tell you that much!"

Susan tried to fight down her blush on the way back to the common room, glad that Hannah and the others were too busy chattering about the meeting to notice.

"Justin, I see that Loony tried to undress you in there!" Ernie laughed, as Susan tried to figure out what in the would that could be about.

That night, Susan had a deep and dreamless sleep, despite her cracked rib.