Rating:: PG
House:: The Dark Arts
Genres:: General
Era:: Multiple Eras
Spoilers:: Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix Quidditch Through the Ages Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Stats:: Published: 10/04/2003

Updated: 04/27/2004

Words: 41,543

Chapters: 14

Hits: 7,332

Bones to Bones

Ashtur

Story Summary:: When Susan Bones went back to Hogwarts for her Fifth Year, she had no idea that she would be drawn into the beginning of the Second War. (Order of the Phoenix from her point of view). Hufflepuff pride.

Chapter 08

Chapter Summary:: The Death Eater's have broken out of Azkaban. What revelations will this bring out of Susan's life?

Posted:: 11/27/2003

Hits:: 464

Author's Note:: A/N: It is highly suggested that you read “Losses and Gains” before you read this chapter. It is a side story of Justin’s trip home for Christmas. Special thanks again to Zsenya for her great betas.

“We thank you for all you have given us. We ask that you bless this meal, and those who partake of it.” Looking up after the blessing, Susan saw that everyone looked more serious than they had in past Christmas celebrations. Somehow, they all sensed that before next Christmas, things were likely to be very different in the world. It was a small gathering, just Susan, her parents and Aunt Amelia around the small table.

“I wanted to thank you again for inviting me Becca. Christmas dinner here is always so good,” said Aunt Amelia.

“You say that every Christmas Amelia. You know you’re always welcome,” replied Susan’s mother.

“Well, I’m saying thank you for this year then,” said Aunt Amelia with a twinkle in her eye. They had playing this little game as long as Susan could remember, and Susan thought that they would likely play it as long as they were all alive to enjoy the holidays together. Everyone always thought that Aunt Amelia was so stuffy and formal, but few realized that it was as much a part she played as it was her true nature, and that she could have fun when she wanted.

It had been a very typical and traditional Bones family Christmas. Susan’s mother had broken out her old recording of “A Christmas Carol.” She had always said that her own family had listened to it every Christmas before she had any clue there was such a thing as wizards, and she wanted to keep the tradition in her own family. Susan didn’t mind in the least. While she’d heard the story often enough that she could almost speak along with the actors, it was still a powerful and compelling story. Idly, she wondered if she might not be able to talk the Fat Friar into playing the Ghost of Christmas Present, Nearly Headless Nick into playing Marley, and the Bloody Baron into playing the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. It might make for an interesting Christmas celebration at Hogwarts.

“Susan? Susan! Are you listening?” said Susan’s mother, cutting into her consciousness.

“Huh? Oh sorry Mum. What did you want?”

“Your aunt asked you a question Susan.”

“Susan, I was wondering if anything unusual had happened at Hogwarts before you left,” said Aunt Amelia.

“Well, actually yes. I think so, though it’s hard to be sure. The day we left, we got up and all the Weasleys were gone, and so was Potter. Nobody seemed to know where they were, though there were rumors that Harry had gotten sick overnight.”

“I see,” said Aunt Amelia with a small frown. “Well, that night Arthur Weasley was badly injured at the Ministry, so it’s no mystery where his family went. I guess that Dumbledore sent them to him as soon as he heard. Maybe Potter too, he’s close with them.”

“How did he get injured at the Ministry? Some kind of spell accident?” asked Susan’s father, looking rather nervous.

“We don’t know, Irving,” said Aunt Amelia. Susan knew her aunt well enough to see that she was trying to hide something, though Susan had no idea what it could be.

When she had gotten home a few days earlier, Susan had been shocked at the way her father looked. He’d been thin and drawn as long as she’d known him, but it seemed to be far worse than she remembered. His hair was thin and scraggly, and there was a wild, haunted look in his eyes.

After that, the dinner conversation seemed to go back to “safe” topics by common consent. Susan’s father announced that the Kneazlenip crop was looking extremely good and that the farm promised to be more profitable than usual.

After a time, the meal was finished, and Susan was ready to help her mother with the dishes when her father put his hand out and told her to sit back down.

“Susan, we had our present exchange this morning, but you have one more present.” Evidently Susan’s face must have betrayed her confusion, because he explained, “You see, this is something that Amelia and I decided to give you, and she wanted to be here when you got it.”

“We would have given it to you this morning,” Aunt Amelia said, “but sometimes, I can’t get away from the office when I want, even on Christmas.” She then handed Susan a small box wrapped in deep blue paper. When Susan opened it, she found a finely wrought silver necklace, with a small pendant that had a “B” inscribed on one side, and the family motto on the other.

“Gran’s necklace,” Susan said, shocked.

“Yes, we decided it’s time that you have it,” said Susan’s dad, smiling.

Susan couldn’t explain the upwelling of emotions that overcame her. A mixture of happiness and pride, heartache and sorrow.

“What’s wrong dear?” asked Susan’s mother.

“I don’t know Mum. I remember you saying that this pendant has been in the family for generations, it’s so much a part of our history. I can’t help but think that I’m the last Bones. Even if I have children, they’ll be named after their father.”

“Susan, that doesn’t make any difference,” said Aunt Amelia after an awkward silence. “It doesn’t make any difference what name they carry. If you raise them in our beliefs, to know what’s important, they’ll be one of us.”

Smiling, Susan nodded towards her family, happy and proud that she had been entrusted with such an important family heirloom.

Later that day, Susan was sitting alone with her aunt, while her parents were taking care of other things.

“Susan, there is something I meant to ask you.” said Aunt Amelia. “Did something happen between you and young Mr. Malfoy?”

Surprised, Susan answered, “What makes you say that?”

The eye behind Aunt Amelia’s monocle narrowed as she looked at Susan. “What happened? It’s not like you to use strong language when you write me, but you called him that ‘bloody Malfoy.’ You wouldn’t do that if something hadn’t happened.”

Susan looked at her shoes, and answered “Oh, nothing important.”

“Don’t give me that young lady. You know I’ll find out, so you may as well say.”

Still looking down, Susan said in a small voice, “It wasn’t anything important. He just had one of his cronies shove me into a wall.”

“I see. What did Professor Dumbledore do about this?”

“Nothing. I never told any of the staff about it.”

“Oh, really now. Why not?” pressed Aunt Amelia.

“Because I didn’t see any reason for everyone to think that I was some kind of weakling who had to go running off to the teachers every time something happened!” Susan answered irritably.

Aunt Amelia looked at Susan a long moment, her expression unreadable. “You know Susan, every time I talk to you, you remind me more of your uncle.”

“I remind you of Uncle Charles? You think I’m going to become a bartender?” Susan replied in confusion.

“No, not your mother’s brother. My brother, your father’s brother. Your Uncle Edgar. He could be proud and stubborn too. You should be proud, he was the best of the three of us.”

Susan’s face burned at the unexpected praise. “Um, thank you,” she said, as her aunt pulled her into a hug.

Stepping back, Aunt Amelia looked at Susan more closely. “Are you all right? You don’t look well.”

Deciding there was no point in evading the issue, Susan said “Not really. I couldn’t sleep last night. Dad forgot to renew the silencing charms.”

“You know about that?” Aunt Amelia said sharply.

“I’ve known for years. He hasn’t forgotten often, but every time you hear your father wake up in the night screaming, it sticks with you forever.”

“Oh Susan,” said Aunt Amelia sadly.

+++

A couple of weeks later, Susan found herself back on the Hogwarts Express with Justin.

“Justin, what happened to your hand?” Susan asked.

“Oh, this? Nothing. I broke it, and being off with the Muggles, no Madam Pomfrey to heal it right up. So, it’s the Muggle way. Set it, and stick it in a cast. I think I’ll run by the hospital wing tonight and get it fixed up. Otherwise, be rather hard to hold a quill or pour out armadillo bile with this thing wrapped around my hand.”

A few moments later, Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot stuck their heads into the compartment. “You mind if we join you?” asked Terry.

“Not at all,” said Justin. “Don’t tell me you’ve been roaming up and down the halls ever since the train started moving looking for seats.”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that,” said Terry. “We were actually sitting with Cho and Marietta, but…”

“But she’s being a bit insufferable today,” Anthony cut in. “It’s Harry this, and Harry that. I guess she kind of freaked out when Potter disappeared the last day before break. She said she even owled Professor Flitwick over break, and got a curt reply from Professor McGonagall.”

“Oh, isn’t that nice. Didn’t take her long, did it?” spat Susan.

“She’s not that bad Susan,” said Terry. “Yeah, she’s a little hysterical, and about as much fun to be around as a skrewt in heat at the moment.”

“And the only person who can put up with her is Marietta,” added Anthony. “But for all that, she’s not that bad.”

A few moments later, they saw Rose walking down the aisle along with a dark-haired Gryffindor boy they didn’t know. “Who is that?” asked Justin.

“I think it must be Jaeden,” Susan answered. “I know Rose said that he’s been her partner in Potions lately. Another one of Snape’s favorite victims for some odd reason.”

“So, are either of you guys going to join the choir?” asked Justin.

“Choir? What choir?” said Terry.

“Oh, didn’t you hear? Professor Dumbledore decided we should have a student choir,” said Susan. “I wouldn’t mind joining, but with O.W.L’s and everything else, I just don’t think I’ll have the time.”

“Sounds stupid to me,” groused Anthony.

“Oh, I think it sounds pretty cool,” said Susan.

+++

Tuesday morning started off like any other morning. Susan, Hannah and the boys were all down in the great hall eating breakfast when Terry Boot came over to the table with a concerned look on his face. “Susan, are you all right?” he asked.

“Why in the world wouldn’t I be?” she responded, puzzled.

“Oh, I guess you haven’t heard then. Take a look at this,” Terry said, as he handed over the Daily Prophet. It didn’t take her long to find why Terry thought she would be concerned. Antonin Dolohov. Free. The newspaper crumpled in Susan’s clenched hands. Her father was not going to take this well. Not in the least little bit.

“Susan?” She looked up, and found that all of them had been looking at her in concern. “It is your family then?” said Terry, concern evident on his face.

“Yeah, it was my uncle and his family,” Susan said grimly. “Before You Know Who fell, so I don’t remember it. I’ll be ok. I just hope Aunt Amelia doesn’t get fired over this. Fudge is liable to look for scapegoats. Azkaban isn’t really her job, but if she doesn’t catch them soon…”

The rest of the day was more of the same. Susan never realized how many people at Hogwarts knew who she was. Some of them she know, but most of them she had seen around the halls, but had no idea who they were. It was always the same “Is that your family Susan?” A few were like Terry, their questions caused more by concern than anything else, but mostly, it just seemed to be a morbid curiosity. Even in the Hufflepuff common room, she couldn’t get a moment’s peace it seemed. It got to the point that evening that she went and locked herself in her room, just so she could get some homework done without the constant interruptions.

When she work up the next morning, she hoped that just maybe everyone would move on to something new, and leave her alone. Naturally enough, it didn’t work out that way. She’d no more than settled down at breakfast before a sixth year Ravenclaw that Susan didn’t know came up to the table.

“So, you’re Susan Bones, right? Is that your family that was in the Prophet yesterday?” the girl said.

“Yes,” Susan answered curtly.

“Oh, what happened then?”

Susan’s fists were clenched in frustration, and she was about to choke out the same answer she had given so many times already when Ernie spoke up. “So, Susan, did you get that report done for Professor Sprout?”

Susan looked at him in confusion. Ernie knew that she had the report done, as they had worked on it together Monday night. The Ravenclaw girl, annoyed at the interruption began to say something, but before she could, Ernie started talking about the fine points of Screechsnaps. After the Ravenclaw girl gave up in frustration and left in a huff, Susan shot a tight smile at Ernie, who responded with a goofy smile of his own.

Unfortunately, that didn’t end the inquisition. By the time she got to Double Herbology that afternoon, she’d had enough. Somehow, she ended up at the same work table as Potter, and she started going on while they tried to fertilize their Screechsnaps.

“You know Harry, I think I understand why you always hate getting all of this attention. It just goes on and on and on. And, I just don’t know how you stand it, it’s horrible,” she said, dumping more dragon manure onto her Screechsnaps.

At supper, a crowd of second year Slytherins came up wanting to hear the story. Susan just couldn’t take any more, and stormed out of the Great Hall and headed back for the dormitories. She’d nearly made it to the stairs to her room when a quiet voice called out “Susan?”

Susan turned around and saw Justin standing there, concerned. “What’s going on? I know it gets old, I had the same treatment after I was revived, but are you sure you’re ok?”

“Justin, please. I’m fine.”

“No you aren’t. I’ve known you too long for you to get away with that. What is it?”

“All right. All right. You’re right. It’s more than just that. Give me a second to get something and I’ll explain,” Susan sighed.

“Where are you going Susan?” Justin asked, as she turned to go to her room.

“Oh, I’ll be back, if I try to hide, you’ll just have Hannah pry me out anyway. I need to get something.”

Susan went to her room, and pulled out her picture album, and took it downstairs. She led Justin to an isolated corner of the common room and took out the album. Opening it, she turned to the first picture in the album. In it, there was a young woman, and a man who appeared to be a couple years younger, and then a boy who looked to be quite a few years younger. All wore happy, carefree expressions, and the younger boy kept looking at the older one with adoration in his eyes.

“This is Dad’s family. The woman is Aunt Amelia of course, and the man is Uncle Edgar. He was eight years older than Dad, and Dad practically worshipped him I guess.” Pointing out another picture she said, “These two are my cousins, Erin and Anthony. Erin was in her second year at Hogwarts when it happened, and Anthony would have started in the fall.”

“Who’s the baby Erin is holding?” asked Justin.

“Oh, that’s me,” said Susan, a blush filling her cheeks.

Then, Susan took the album, and turned to a page in the back that looked yellowed, with no pictures on it. When she touched it with her wand, the pictures appeared. The pictures of her father on that page were very different than the ones she had shown Justin before. The older pictures of her father showed a man full of happiness and life. The more recent pictures showed something else entirely. He had lost a great deal of weight, to the point that he was nearly skin and bones. His eyes constantly darted back and forth nervously as if he expected trouble at any second.

“What happened to him?” asked Justin, obviously shocked by the change.

“That’s the story,” Susan said glumly. “It was the summer before You Know Who was defeated. My dad had gotten tickets to see Puddlemere play Ballycastle, and he was wondering if Uncle Edgar might be interested in going along. Dad’s always hated talking by Floo, so he Apparated over there. When he got there, he found the Dark Mark hovering over the house.” Susan paused a moment, trying to gather the strength to go on. She’d never told this story to anyone. “I guess it was pretty bad. Mom and Dad never talk about it, but Aunt Amelia told me once. I guess she thought I should know. They weren’t too hard on Erin and Anthony; they just killed them flat out. Pretty bad huh, when just killing someone is considered not too bad. Uncle Edgar and Aunt Ann though, I guess they decided to torture first. I really don’t know. All I know for sure is that Dad found bits and pieces of them on the walls.”

Susan paused, trying to choke back the sob that was forming in her throat. Justin tried to interrupt her, but she started again. “No, it’s ok. Let me finish. Dad’s never been the same since then. Mum called it a ‘mental breakup’ or something.”

“Breakdown,” Justin supplied quietly.

“Yeah, that sounds right. Anyway, they took him to St. Mungo’s. You know something, Wizard Healers are great at fixing bones, or curing Dragon Pox. But, if something is wrong with your mind, they have no idea. Mum wanted to take Dad to a Muggle doctor, she said they were better, but the Ministry wouldn’t let us. They said it would violate the Statute of Secrecy.”

“Figures, they like that statute more than people I think,” said Justin bitterly.

“Yeah. Anyway, they had him there for almost three years. They kept trying new potions and spells. Aunt Amelia thinks the potions have actually done more damage. Mum finally got sick of it and brought Dad home. I think being out with the plants gives him more peace than anything. He still has nightmares though. Oh, does he have nightmares.”

Susan got up and started to pace, her frustration building. “That’s the thing. All of these people, they just keep coming up and asking, asking, asking. It’s as if they were asking me if I’d really met the Seeker for the Cannons or something! The look on their faces, it’s like they think it’s cool! They don’t get it. They just don’t understand. My family has never been the same. My uncle and his family are dead. My dad is a wreck. Mum has to worry constantly about Dad. Aunt Amelia didn’t go into Law Enforcement until after Uncle Edgar died. And all of these bloody idiots think it’s cool!”

Before she knew what was happening, or could fight them down the way she had so many times before, the sobs that Susan had been holding back most of her life rushed forth from her throat. She wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but she found her face buried in Justin’s shoulder, his robes soaking wet with her tears. His arms were around her in silent comfort.

Susan never would be sure how long she sobbed into his shoulder. Eventually, exhausted, she looked up and saw Hannah and Rose looking at her in concern. “C’mon Susan, lets get you to bed,” Hannah said, as she took Susan to their room, with Rose following behind, Susan’s books in hand. After Hannah had settled Susan into bed, she said to Rose, “Keep an eye on her; I’m going to go down and talk to Justin a bit. If you need me, come get me.” Susan didn’t remember anything after that, as she fell into a fitful, exhausted sleep.

The next morning, Susan woke up to find Hannah looking at her. “Are you ok Susan?” she asked.

“I guess,” Susan said weakly. “Hannah, I’m sorry…”

“Sorry about what? I mean, I never knew what was wrong with your dad, but I can see why it would bother you, especially with all of this.”

“That’s why I’m sorry. I should have told you long ago. It’s not that it was a secret. I just didn’t want to talk about it. I feel so silly. I mean, if you look at people like Longbottom or Potter, they have it much worse.”

“Maybe they do, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t hurt either Susan. I wish you had talked to me, but the important thing is that you know that if you need us, we are here, ok?”

“Yeah,” Susan said, hugging her best friend.

Downstairs, they found Ernie and Justin waiting for them. Susan said, “Justin, thank you. I don’t deserve a friend like you.”

“Of course you do. You’ve done so much for me,” said Justin.

“Oh, helping you in class is nothing.”

“No, you are right, it’s not. You’ve done a lot more than that though. You’ve been a friend to me, and now it’s our turn to be a friend for you.”

On the way down to breakfast, they saw Padma Patil making a beeline towards them. “Susan, I was wondering, about the thing in the Prop…”

Susan couldn’t understand why Padma stopped in mid sentence, until she saw that Ernie, Justin and Hannah had all fixed her with a glare that would peel the grease out of Snape’s hair. Suddenly, Padma turned around and headed off towards the Library. Susan smiled gratefully towards the three of them as they continued on their way to breakfast.

Dear Aunt Amelia.
I hope you are ok. I’m sure the office has been very busy since the breakout. I’m very lucky to have the friends I have. I guess it all finally caught up with me. Everything with Dad. They’ve been so much help, I can’t explain it. Take care.
Love,
Susan

Susan tied the letter to Agatha’s leg, and watched her fly off into the twilight. She didn’t really care if Umbridge read that letter. Maybe she would learn something from it.

A/N (2) Jaeden is the character of my very close friend FurryJackal, and a good pic of him can be found at http://www.deviantart.com/view/1975623/

A/N (3) Canon doesn’t say who slaughtered Edgar Bones and family. For some reason, I like Dolohov, so I’m using him, though it’s more likely one of the unnamed ones.