The Legend of Chime

Chapter twelve: Reluctant Good-bye

She was awake. She was reluctant to admit it because that would mean getting up, and getting up would mean leaving Hogwarts for three weeks, and that was a reality she preferred not think about at the moment. She lay there with her eyes closed for several more minutes, listening to the faint rattle of Crookshanks purring and the ticking of the clock on her night stand, her body desperately trying to convince her brain to go back to sleep, but it was no use. She could see the faint light from the window growing brighter behind her eyelids and she groaned as she peeked one eye open then immediately shut it again. Why did time seem to be on fast forward whenever you were dreading something? She kicked off her blankets, trying to jar her body into gear with a blast of cold air. I didn’t work. Now she was just cold.

Crap!

 She lay there for several more minutes until she started to shiver.

Come on, Elizabeth. Up you go!

She slowly sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes then peered lazily around the room. She fought the urge to flop back down when she saw she was again the first one to awake.

Why am I cursed with an early internal timepiece?

Well, you don’t have to get out of bed, said that little voice inside her head.

Oh yes, I do! I have to pack.

Come off it. You can pack in two minutes. Remember. You’re a witch!

True, but I also have to hand in my essay to Snape before I leave.

So, you can do that later.

Not if I would like to spend any time with Harry before I go.

Damn!

She stopped arguing with herself as she swung her legs over the edge of her bed and pushed herself up. She walked slowly over to the vanity and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She grimaced at what she saw. Don’t you look lovely?

Her hair was a tangle of knots and reminded her of a bird’s nest she had once come across while climbing trees as a child. She hadn’t braided it before going to bed and she now deeply regretted the fact. It was definitely going to take some time to look presentable. She absently picked up her brush and pulled it through her hair.

Something sparkled as it caught the light from the window. Her eyes focused on the ring on her finger, shining back at her from its reflection in the mirror. She looked down at her hand and smiled.

You have truly lost your mind, Elizabeth. Engaged at sixteen years of age. Both you and Harry should be admitted to the mental ward at St. Mungo’s! You’ve committed yourself to a dream that has very little chance of becoming reality if either of you are caught by Death Eaters. Which more than likely will happen if this war gets any worse. You can’t stay safe forever. Neither of you can. Face facts, Elizabeth. Your life never was and never will be a fairy tale. So stop feeling so happy that he asked you. You’re not fooling anyone.

Her smile became wider as she looked back up at her reflection. “Yes, you’re probably right, I am slightly mental, but I love him as much as he loves me,” she whispered, “and who knows what the future holds. I definitely won’t pretend to. But I do know one thing, I can live in the moment and pretend we are just two normal people in love. And be happy. If only for a little while. Maybe we’ll have a chance to spend our lives together someday and if not . . . we’ll always have forever.”

“Whatever you say, dear. That sounds lovely,” chirped the mirror, trying to sound sympathetic. “But I’d get to work on those knots if I were you.”

The mirror’s voice jolted her back to the present. Elizabeth shook her head, wondering what had gotten into her. She wasn’t usually one to argue with herself. She went back to concentrating on the tangles in her hair. After about an hour, she finally set her brush back down, happy with the image that looked back at her.

There. Aren’t you glad you got up when you did?

“Much better, child. You look wonderful,” complimented the mirror cheerfully.

Elizabeth gave the mirror a resigned look and sighed. “Let’s just hope my grandmother thinks so.”

She pushed herself up from the vanity then strode to her wardrobe. She quickly discarded her night gown then pulled on her school uniform and robes. She glanced briefly in the mirror to make sure she hadn’t skewed her hair as she smoothed out her skirt then pulled out her wand and with a wave, started to pack quietly. When she had magically folded the last piece of clothing and tucked it inside her trunk, she picked up the looking glass Harry had given her the night before. A grin spread across her face as she tittered back and forth on whether to test it or not. Finally, she whispered into it, “Harry.”

She waited. For several minutes nothing happened, but just as she was about to gently fold it inside one of her jumpers for safe keeping, Harry’s face appeared looking very much like he had just woken up.

“Merlin’s beard, Elizabeth. You’re up early,” he muttered groggily.

Elizabeth brought her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh. “I’m sorry, Harry. I shouldn’t have called you,” she whispered into the glass, trying to appear apologetic. “I was just packing and I couldn’t resist. You can go back to sleep now. I promise I won’t bother you until the rest of the house is awake.”

“No, that’s okay. I’m already awake now,” Harry said rubbing his face under his glasses and stifling a yawn. “Are you done with your packing?”

“Almost, I just need to pack this and my hairbrush and a few other things.”

“Well, when you’re done meet me in the common room and we’ll go up to the Owlery and I’ll introduce you to Cap,” Harry said, sounding a little more awake.

“All right. See you downstairs.”

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“Aren’t you a handsome owl?” Elizabeth whispered when her eyes fell on Caprasius.

 His large golden eyes gleamed back at her as if to say, of course I am, you silly girl.

Elizabeth laughed. “I’m going to call you Caprasius, Cap for short. How does that sound?”

He studied her for a moment as if sizing her up and trying to decide whether he would allow it then hooted dolefully. She lifted her hand and softly ran it down his back. He scooted closer to her seeming to enjoy the sensation. A subtle movement of white caught her eye. She turned her head slightly to the right and noticed Harry’s owl, Hedwig, shifting back and forth, slowly inching her way toward them. “Looks like you’ve already made a friend,” she whispered to the owl. Cap ruffled his feathers importantly as he hooted a response. Elizabeth smiled and gently scratched his neck.

“I think Hedwig has met her match. He’s definitely full of himself,” Harry said as he avoided a quick peck from Hedwig. “Sorry, Hedwig. I don’t have anything for you today. Don’t look at me like that. You just want to show off for Cap.”

Hedwig promptly clicked her beak then turned her back and Harry laughed.

 “She’s always had sort of an attitude. But she has never failed to deliver a letter. Have you, Hedwig?”

Hedwig ignored him and fluttered to a nearby rafter.

Cap eyed Elizabeth once more, seemingly reluctant to leave her gentle administrations, before also fluttering up to follow Hedwig.

“He seems to think they are mates already,” Elizabeth said as she watched Cap saunter close to Hedwig who seemed to be ignoring him, though she didn’t move from her position. “But it seems Hedwig might be playing hard to get,” she said with a laugh.

“I was hoping they would like each other. They will be seeing a lot of one another.”

Elizabeth glanced back down at Harry. He was staring at her lost in thought, a frown making his face look harsh in the early morning light. She moved over and entwined her fingers in his and his face softened as he smiled half-heartedly.

They both turned to look toward the door as it suddenly creaked open. Hermione and Ron walked through.

Hermione smiled as her eyes fell on the couple. “I thought we’d find you two up here,” she said walking toward them as she searched the rafters above. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” she said spotting the two snowy owls. “Harry was clever to get you a snowy owl as well. They tend to only tolerate others of their kind for long periods of time. Hedwig barely puts up with Pig as it is. Another species she probably wouldn’t allow in her cage.”

“Well, that’s not saying much. I barely tolerate Pig and he’s my owl,” Ron said as a fluffy ball of feathers came down to twitter around his head making excited high-pitched hoots that almost sounded like squeaks. Ron grabbed him roughly out of the air and thumbed him gently in the head. “Stop acting like a git. I don’t have anything for you so clear off,” muttered Ron, throwing him toward the nearest perch.

Pig seemed not to mind and hooted excitedly as he was tossed. He recovered easily and zoomed off wildly toward Hedwig who eyed him warily. Cap ignored him altogether.

Elizabeth laughed as she watched the little owl’s antics. “He’s a cute little feather duster, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is. But he enjoys taunting Crookshanks. I’m afraid he might fly too close to him one of these days and then Ron will never forgive me,” Hermione said glancing down from the rafters to look at Elizabeth. “Well, don’t you look lovely? You’re wearing your hair down. You don’t do that very often.”

“Thanks, Hermione. I didn’t realize anyone noticed how I wore my hair,” Elizabeth said smiling. “Well, besides Harry.”

“Your grandmother should be pleased,” said Hermione.

“Good, that’s what I’m hoping for.”

Ron looked at Harry and rolled his eyes. “All right. Enough girl talk. Let’s head down to breakfast before I go cranky again,” he said leaning over to give Hermione a good squeeze then pulling her toward the door.

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“Elizabeth?” came Professor Lupin’s voice behind her.

She turned toward him, trying not to show her nervousness now that the time to leave had actually come. She smiled up at him from her seat at the table. “Good morning. Are you here to escort me?”

“Good morning,” Lupin said to the group of friends then turned to address Elizabeth. “Only to the courtyard. Professor Dumbledore thought that I would be the less conspicuous one of the group,” Lupin said quietly with a pleasant smile. He subtly glanced around the Great Hall to make sure no one had taken notice.

“Does being less conspicuous really matter? It seems all of Hogwarts knows I’m leaving already,” said Elizabeth seriously as she slid off her seat to stand next to him.

“You’re probably right, but still there’s no need to advertise you’re leaving now,” Lupin said quietly then glanced at Harry as he made to stand as well. “It might be a good idea, Harry, if you were to wait to follow us by a few minutes. That way the students might think I just want to discuss homework or something before Elizabeth leaves.”

Harry nodded his head and returned to his seat grabbing the salt shaker on his way back down, trying to make it less obvious he was about to follow. “Oh, all right.” His eyes locked with Elizabeth’s.

“I won’t leave without saying good-bye,” she promised then turned to follow Professor Lupin out of the hall, without another word.

When they had entered the Entrance Hall and were safely out of hearing range of the other students, Elizabeth enquired softly, “How will I be traveling? I never thought to ask.”

“Portkey,” Lupin said simply as they passed through the main door.

Elizabeth gasped as the icy winter wind cut right through her thin robes to her skin beneath and Lupin conjured her cloak and muff immediately with a wave of his wand.

“Sorry about that. But you understand the need for as few clues as possible,” muttered Lupin against the cutting wind as Elizabeth quickly sought shelter beneath the conjured items and they continued toward the courtyard.

Elizabeth spied five dark figures standing beside her trunk in the blowing snow and eyed them warily, instinctively gripping her wand in her pocket.

Lupin noticed Elizabeth pulling her wand from her pocket and her reluctance to approach the group and he immediately said, “Don’t worry, Elizabeth. They’re your guards for the trip. Come on. I’ll introduce you.”

“Guards? That’s a pleasant thought,” said Elizabeth dryly, stuffing her wand back in her pocket.

“You’re a fair prize for either side, Elizabeth. Best get use to the idea,” Lupin said in a hoarse voice as they came to a stop in front of the group.

“This her, Lupin?” came the gruff voice from the slightly hunched figure as he stepped toward her.

Elizabeth swallowed the urge to take a step backward as his face came into view from under his cloak. The wizard had long grizzled gray hair and a large chunk missing from his nose as if someone had attempted to bite it off, but his most intimidating features, by far, were his eyes. One was dark and small and squinting at her suspiciously. The other was large and electric blue in color, spinning in all directions as he spoke.

“Elizabeth, this is Alastor Moody,” Lupin said after nodding to Moody.

“Looks nothing like him. Are you sure you got the right girl?” he growled at Lupin’s nod.

“Stop being paranoid, Mad-eye,” came a woman’s voice from the slender cloaked figure to the left of the strange wizard. “Of course, she’s the right girl. She’s here at Hogwarts, isn’t she? Besides, she has the look of Rebecca. Same color eyes. I could never forget her eyes.” The witch stepped forward and pulled back her hood revealing bright blue spiked hair and dark twinkling eyes.

“And this is Nymph . . .” Lupin stopped at the witch’s frown, “I mean Tonks.” She stuck out her hand abruptly and Elizabeth shook it, smiling.

“Nice to meet you.”

“And this tall bloke is Kingsley Shacklebolt,” Lupin said indicating the massive black wizard who gave her a wink. “Emmeline Vance.” A dignified witch in a dark green cloak inclined her head. “And lastly, Dedalus Diggle,” he finished indicating the wizard with a top hat perched on top of his head under his cloak, giving the illusion that he had a rather long narrow head.

Dedalus rushed forward to shake her hand, smiling brightly. “Your accomplishments are legend already down at the ministry, Ms. Fairchild. Quickest study in the history of Hogwarts and only the third Chime to ever attend. It gives me great pleasure to meet you,” he said shaking her hand vigorously, rattling her teeth in his enthusiasm.

“Merlin’s beard, Diggle. Don’t wet yourself, man,” Tonks said incredulously. “And let her go before you do her damage.”

Diggle dropped her hand immediately but his smile remained.

“There are three people headed this way from the main entrance, Lupin. You expecting anyone?” said Moody as he pulled his wand out of his pocket.

“Put your wand away. That will be Harry, Ron and Hermione coming to say good-bye to Elizabeth,” responded Lupin.

After a moment, the crunching of snow met Elizabeth’s ears and she turned to find Harry, Hermione and Ron a few feet away, bundled under their cloaks. She smiled as Harry’s face became visible through the blowing snow.

He slipped his hand in hers as he came to stand in front of the group and greeted each person by name, which again thrilled Diggle.

“I don’t care for being out in the open like this. The snow isn’t providing enough cover,” growled Moody, his magical eye spinning again in all directions. “Need to move to a safer spot.”

“You can leave from greenhouse two. No students are due to be in there today,” informed Lupin glancing around.

“Let’s get going then,” said Moody gruffly and the group trudged through the rising snow to the nearby greenhouse, her trunk hovering in midair traveling in their wake.

As they reached the greenhouse and stepped through the doorway a loud crash resounded and everyone swung around with their wands drawn.

“Oops!” Tonks chuckled, kicking a broken plant pot to the side. “My fault.”

“Bloody hell, Tonks! Keep it down. Someone could be stalking her right now and you just gave away our position,” Moody seethed as his magical eye went into a frenzy of whirling.

“Come off it, Mad-eye. It was an accident and no one has dared to breech Hogwarts yet. We would know if they were here now,” said Tonks, rolling her eyes as she shut the door behind her.

“This girl is always in danger. Dark wizards would gladly kill for one drop of her blood,” growled Moody.

Elizabeth squeezed Harry’s hand absently and he put his arm around her protectively.

“That’s enough, Moody,” said Lupin. “No one’s stalking her while she is still at Hogwarts.”

“Things have changed, Lupin. We don’t know that for sure. Best to be prepared for everything,” Moody said gruffly.

“Constant vigilance,” muttered Ron under his breath with a hint of sarcasm.

“That’s right and don’t you forget it, Weasley,” growled Moody. His magical eye gazed at Harry for a moment. “You still got both buttocks, boy?”

Harry suppressed a grin. “Er-yes, sir.”

Elizabeth peeked up at Harry with a puzzled look as Moody grunted.

Harry gazed down at her. “He was concerned last year about where I keep my wand,” he mumbled into her ear.

“Oh,” Elizabeth said, a smile creeping across her face. “Well, I understand. I wouldn’t want you to lose a buttock either.” She subtly patted his bum.

Harry chuckled as Elizabeth realized that all eyes were watching their interaction. She became slightly uncomfortable under their intense scrutiny and dropped her arm. Harry hugged her to him once more before also dropping his arm.

“Awful hands on, aren’t they?” whispered Emmeline stiffly to Tonks.

“I think it’s sweet,” responded Tonks, sporting a silly grin.

Lupin cleared his throat and glanced at his watch. “Elizabeth, it’s just about time. We’ll need to go over a few instructions with you.”

“Come, girl,” grunted Moody, beckoning Elizabeth forward with his wand. “You’ll need to wear this,” he pulled an invisibility cloak out of his robes and handed it to her, “and when we arrive you need to stay in the middle. If one of us is killed, the others will close rank, but always remain between us for cover.”

“Is someone likely to be killed?” she asked apprehensively.

“It’s always a possibility, girl! This is war!” barked Moody.

“All right, Moody. No one’s going to die,” said Kingsley calmly stepping forward. “I’ll be on your right, Ms. Fairchild. Tonks will be on you left. Moody will be in the front, Emmeline will be behind and Dedalus will cover from a distance behind her. Have you ever traveled by Portkey before?”

“Yes, Remus brought me to Hogsmeade by Portkey.”

“Good. You know to bend your knees as soon as you touch the ground then to keep from falling,” said Kingsley and Elizabeth nodded. He pulled out a towel embroidered with a large gold “F” out of his robe pocket. “You need to say your good-byes now.”

Elizabeth slowly turned around, feeling a tightening in her chest. Hermione hugged her neck. “I’ll write so be looking for my letters. Don’t worry. It’ll be no time before we’re all back together. You’ll see,” Hermione sniffed as tears filled her eyes.

“I know,” Elizabeth whispered as she fought the ache that filled her heart. She turned to Ron who looked at her for a moment with a sad smile before pulling her into a bear hug. She laughed quietly as tears glistened in her eyes.

“I’ll keep an eye on Harry for you,” he said gruffly as he released her.

“I’d appreciate that,” she said as she turned to Professor Lupin. She looked him in the eye and smiled. “You take care of yourself until I get back,” she commanded softly, giving him a peck on the cheek and pulling him into a warm embrace.

He accepted her hug without hesitation and whispered, “I will. Have a Merry Christmas, Elizabeth.”

“You too.”

Elizabeth let go and reluctantly turned toward Harry. He reached for her hand and took her a short distance away from the group. She felt a large lump rise in her throat as she looked into his beautiful eyes and a tear escaped her own to roll down her cheek. “God, I hate this.”

Harry said nothing as he wiped away her tear then lifted her chin and kissed her deeply. “Remember, I love you,” he breathed as the kiss ended.

“As I love you. Always,” she whispered.

“Forever.”

“Forever,” she confirmed in a hoarse voice. “I’ll see you soon.” With a sad smile, she gently pulled away from him and walked toward the waiting group, feeling like she was walking away from part of herself, but not daring to look back. Elizabeth stopped in front of her guards and quietly said, “All right, I’m ready. Let’s get this over with.”

Moody handed her part of the towel to grab hold of as she pulled on the invisibility cloak. Kingsley clasped the handle of her trunk as he also took hold of the towel along with everyone else and a moment later, she felt the sensation of being jerked behind her navel as the Portkey activated. The dirt floor vanished from under her feet; the greenhouse, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Professor Lupin all disappeared as a whirlwind of color and sound propelled her upwards in the blink of the eye.

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Harry watched as Elizabeth disappeared under the invisibility cloak and the guard closed in around her and then a second later, a loud whoosh filled his ears and they were gone. The silence that was left behind vibrated through him. He stood there unmoving for several minutes, trying to remind himself that she wasn’t gone forever, only for three weeks. He could handle three weeks. His chest felt tight with emotion as he stared at the spot where he last saw her. He had felt as if a gaping chasm had been reopened inside him as he had watched her walk away from him.

Stop it, Harry! She hasn’t died. She’s coming back. You’ll see her again. It’s not like the way it was with Sirius. You’ll see her again.

Harry pulled his eyes away from the spot as Ron’s voice shook him from his misery.

“Three weeks isn’t that long, Harry. You’ll see,” he said cheerfully. “What’s that old muggle saying, Hermione? Something about being away from each other is good for the heart?”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” Hermione corrected softly, wiping her eyes.

“Yeah, that’s it. Besides, you’ll be leaving next week and spending the Holiday with us. That’ll get your mind off Elizabeth,” Ron said encouragingly.

“Yeah,” said Harry vaguely. He turned to Lupin, “How does Dumbledore know she’ll be safe there? How does he know that her grandmother isn’t a Death Eater?”

Lupin gave Harry a weak smile. “Lady Isabella is known for her extreme protectiveness of her family. It’s true, she prefers the company of purebloods and her views on muggle-wizard marriages are old-fashioned. But she would never knowingly allow Voldemort to come near Elizabeth. She would never lower herself to become a servant for anyone. So would never willingly become a Death Eater. She understands the risk that’s involved in having Elizabeth there and has taken extra precautions to insure her safety. Fairchild Manor has more security wards, charms and curses protecting it than even Hogwarts. Not to mention, Dumbledore has a constant guard assigned to her, just as you have while at the Dursley’s.” He gave Harry a look of understanding. “She’ll be fine except for the fact she’ll be missing you something dreadful.”

Harry took a deep breath, feeling a little better hearing all of this. He looked at Ron and Hermione. “I guess we should get back inside before class starts.”

They pulled their cloaks closer around them as they trudged back out into the snow. Harry still feeling as if he’d left part of himself inside the greenhouse.

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Elizabeth’s feet slammed down on a cobbled driveway, her knees buckling painfully but still she was able to keep her balance. The cloak was slightly skewed away from her frame and the hood had fallen back so she quickly let go of the towel and adjusted it as she righted herself then glanced around nervously. The guard was still completely surrounding her, wands out and heads turning in all directions, waiting for any sign of unidentified movement that could be a threat. As she waited for some signal that they were going to move from their position, Elizabeth took in her surroundings.

An immense iron gate stood directly in front of them with an elaborate “F” and “M” entwined creatively in the middle, a ten-foot stone wall stood on either side of the gate and stretched as far as the eye could see with a massive hedge on the other side effectively blocking the view of the estate from prying eyes. A golden nameplate reading: Fairchild * Manor was hung to the right of the gate on the stone wall. The family coat of arms was positioned directly below it depicting a unicorn on two legs pawing the air above a bowing serpent and lion with the words Colere Serenus Hecateius Purus etched directly under in a floating banner. Through the gate, she could see the cobbled drive, untouched by snow, curve through a perfectly landscaped demesne and leading to a magnificent Manor house in the distance.

Elizabeth’s jaw dropped open as she realized this was her grandmother’s estate. Now her home. Her eyes widened as she studied the scene before her, completely forgetting the need for silence. “You’ve got to be kidding,” she whispered, still trying to digest the obvious wealth before her.

Kingsley turned his head in her direction and put a finger to his lips, signaling for her continued silence.

 Moody shot her a scowl then warily shuffled to the nameplate on the wall, his magical eye whirling in his head as he took what looked like a gold star pendant and forced it into the star-shaped accent between the name Fairchild and the word Manor. The iron gate silently swung open. Tonks and Kingsley quickly ushered her in as the others followed close behind. Moody snatched the pendent from the nameplate and shuffled through the gate as it closed automatically behind him.

The guard continued their vigilant stance as they waited just inside the gate. After a few moments, Elizabeth started wondering why they weren’t walking toward the Manor House and was about to venture another question, when the clip-clop sound of horses hooves meet her ears. A moment later, a large, black, scaley dragon- horse creature with black, leathery wings sprouting from each of its withers came into view pulling a luxurious golden carriage. It stopped just short of the small group and circled around bringing the door to the carriage directly in front of Elizabeth. A sprite, little wizard with short, white hair and a curling goatee in a blue uniform jumped down from the front of the carriage and waved his wand. Her trunk glided over to the carriage and secured itself to the top then misty steps appeared leading up to the door. The little wizard opened the carriage door and bowed reverently, muttering, “Mistress Fairchild,” in low dignified voice. Elizabeth was too amazed to move.

“Elizabeth, here.” Tonks handed her a small envelope. “Dumbledore wanted you to have this,” she said.

“Get going, girl,” growled Moody suddenly.

She stuffed the envelope in her pocket then quickly stepped toward the carriage and felt a brief warm sensation as if she had passed through a warm curtain of water. It made her shiver with pleasure as she climbed the stairs. The inside of the carriage was lined in plush, blue velvet seats and was quite warm. As she sat down, she realized none of the others had moved to follow her. She frowned and stuck her head out the door before the wizard could shut it. “Aren’t you coming?”

Moody clunked forward and tapped his wand against an invisible wall. “Haven’t got permission, girl. The woman doesn’t wish to endure our presence beyond this gate which is just fine with me. Now stop yapping and get going!”

She leaned back into the soft seat and the door clicked shut. A moment later, she felt the gentle sway of the carriage as it pulled away. She glanced back out the window and saw Tonks briefly raise her hand in a silent farewell, but before Elizabeth could return the gesture, they were gone. Elizabeth let her hand fall to her lap as she shifted her gaze to the looming Manor House ahead, feeling absolutely alone for the first time in months.

Don’t worry, Elizabeth. How long can three weeks be?