The Gemini

Chapter Two

Belinda chewed on the end of her pen, schooling her expression so that it looked as though she were thinking hard. In fact she was thinking about Harry. She didn't know why she'd gone to that school of his last night. She'd just been in one of her wild, midnight moods, prepared to dance outside when it occurred to her that Harry could do with something cheery and fun. He'd seemed weary and depressed, and -

"Belinda Woods! What's the answer?"

Belinda gave her teacher a thoughtful look to disguise the fact that she had not a clue.

"Forty two," said Belinda. "What was the question?"

When Belinda finally got out of detention that afternoon she walked slowly home, her mind once more on Harry. Why his friends weren't dragging him off into wild adventures she didn't know. It was obvious that that was the best way to stop him looking so wary and morbid. It had worked wonderfully last night.

Belinda walked into the kitchen (she'd been a latchkey kid since she was old enough to go to school) there was a large white owl sitting on the kitchen table regarding her soulfully.

"Hoo," said the owl.

Belinda regarded the owl doubtfully. It bent and nipped at something on the table. Belinda's eyes widened in surprise as she noticed the letter.

"Did you bring that?" she asked the owl. The owl looked pleased with itself. Belinda reached for the letter and opened it.

A rather messy script met her eyes.

Dear Belinda

Hi. I don't really know why I'm writing this, except that I thought maybe you'd like to know a bit more about my life about me hear how I'm doing after last night.

Belinda grinned delightedly. It was from Harry!

The owl's name is Hedwig, and she'll bring me back a letter if you want to send one. Not that you have to send one, just if you want to. Anyway, just give her something to eat and some water and leave her to have a rest, then send her back to me.

"That's all very well," Belinda told the owl, "but what do owls eat?"

Hedwig let out a hoot.

"Yes. I'm sure, but as I didn't understand a word of that I'm afraid it's not much help," Belinda said politely. She put the letter down and looked in the cupboard.

"Not much in here that looks edible for owls," she remarked. "I hope you like beef jerky."

Hedwig let out another hoot, a rather dubious one.

Belinda left the beef jerky and looked in the fridge.

"Cold chicken left over from dinner last night?" she suggested.

Since Hedwig was apparently fine with that idea, Belinda got out a saucer and put some chicken on it. This and a small bowl of water she placed in front of the owl.

"Here, owl," she told Hedwig. "I'll be upstairs replying to Harry's letter."

Upstairs Belinda sat on the bed and continued reading.

Right now I'm sitting with my friends Ron and Hermione. They're mad at each other right now, which is why I'm writing this letter instead of talking to them. Honestly, they fight like an old married couple.

I have an essay to do tonight, that bat Snape gave us a really hard one, but I don't care. Rather write to you instead. I've been feeling relaxed all day since we did that dancing thing last night. We'll have to do it again sometime.

Harry Potter

Belinda went hunting through her desk for some attractive notepaper. Finally she found some ladybug-themed paper. She grabbed a pen and started writing.

Hey Harry, she scrawled rapidly, it's nice to hear from you. I got detention this afternoon. I wasn't listening and when the teacher asked me what the answer was I said "forty-two.' Well, it was an answer, just not one that had anything to do with what she was talking about. Anyway, so I'm afraid Hedwig might have been waiting for a while. I gave her some chicken. You prat, what do owls eat? You didn't say. Hedwig's an interesting name by the way, wasn't she a medieval saint or something? Got to play less attention in Study of Religion.

If you like we could be penfriends. I had one once when I was twelve, only we stopped writing because the guy liked Star Wars and I didn't. He was always going on about Yoda or some robot and I was just like "dude, you're boring me." So that relationship, I'm sorry to say, foundered and sank.

Where do you live, by the way? I noticed you had a British accent. I live in Australia. Long way away! Maybe I should send you a postcard. I could send you one of those little cane-toad-purses as well, they're made out of real cane toads, but maybe you don' want one of them. I'll find you something nice instead.

Anyway, Hedwig's probably finished eating by now, so I'll send this off.

Yours manically,

Belinda Marianne Woods.

Harry was at breakfast the next morning when Belinda's letter landed in front of him. He quickly hid it out of sight before Ron or Hermione noticed. Not that that was a likely occurrence; they were too busy glaring at each other. Until the newspaper landed in front of Hermione.

DEMENTORS DESERT AZKABAN PRISONERS ESCAPE, the headline screamed. Harry's stomach twisted. He read the first few lines.

Last night the Dementors of Azkaban joined Yo-Know-Who, deserting their posts and allowing the prisoners to escape. Many of those inside were supporters of the famous dark wizard, including Brilliard Mahoney, Kerry Smith -

Harry put the Daily Prophet down and stared into his orange juice.

"Blimey," gasped Ron, going white under his freckles, as Hermione, reading over his shoulder, gasped.

Harry paid no attention. Something stirred snakelike in him, rose - and was promptly squashed by a deep, powerful part of him that was quite different to all the rest of him.

"Lumierenos," Harry muttered. His friends stared at him. He looked stern and grim, and somehow unlike his usual self. He stood up and walked away, heading towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Harry, wait!" Hermione called after him. Harry kept walking until he was in his dormitory. Then he pulled out Belinda's letter for a quick read.

It made him smile for a moment. He sat down and penned a reply, telling her about the Prophet's news. Then he headed off to the Owlery to post it, sending it by a Hogwarts owl.

He met Ron on his way down. His friend looked frustrated.

"Why'd you walk off like that?" Ron demanded. Harry shrugged, himself again.

"Dunno."

Ron made a cross noise.

"Well, c'mon. We've got Potions."

The first thing they heard was naturally "twenty points from Gryffindor." Harry scowled. Snape was in an even worse mood than usual and seemed positively gleeful at being able to vent it on Harry. Harry just gritted his teeth and kept working. By the end of class his mood was as sour as Snape's own.

"Greasy git," he muttered.

He didn't feel better later in the day; rather, he felt restless and uneasy, and prone to snapping at people. His scar prickled in an unsettled way. He was at dinner when the flash of rage hit him. With a yell Harry fell off his chair, clutching his scar and writhing as high, cold laughter echoed in his head...

Harry woke to find himself in the hospital wing. An owl was regarding him reproachfully. He blinked fuzzily at it. The owl flew over to him and dropped a letter on his lap. Harry reached for his glasses and put them on.

What happened? I felt you last night. Since we met I've been aware of our link and last night WHUMP, pain came ricocheting down it. Was it those Demontor Dementor things? The big dark evil dude? What happened?

Sorry about the news, but right now I'm more concerned about you.

Belinda

P.S. Tell the owls to wait in my room. I'll leave my window open. Otherwise Mum'll wonder why there's feathers all over the place.

Harry sighed and unsure how to reply. He stowed the letter out of sight, wondering how Belinda was doing. A moment later Ron and Hermione walked in.

"You're awake," Ron greeted him.

"Oh, well spotted," Harry said acidly. He felt irritable, and his head hurt.

"What'd I do?" Ron asked indignantly. Harry lay back and glowered at the ceiling. Carefully he felt deep down into his own mind until he reached the thin, shifting thread he knew was there. Emotions pulsed down it. Right now Belinda was bored. Harry sent a reassuring blip down the connection. He pulled away to find Ron and Hermione looking fixedly at him.

"What?" asked Harry.

"Well," Ron said slowly, "you went all glass-eyed for a moment there, mate. It was weird."

"I was thinking," Harry told him. He closed his eyes. He felt sleepy, and warm...

"AAARRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

Harry sat bolt upright as the person who had jumped on him leapt out of range.

"Oh, shut up, Harry," said Belinda. Harry collapsed back onto the bed, his heart still thumping wildly.

A moment later her face came into view, her eyes bright and curious. Harry brushed her hair off his face irritably.

"So what happened?" Belinda asked him.

"The scar," he told her shortly.

"Ah," Belinda remarked. She stared down at him for a moment, then, without warning, dove at him. Harry rolled sideways in alarm and fell out of bed.

"OUCH!"

Her eyes peeped at him over the edge of the bed, full of laughter. Harry leapt up and made a grab at her, but with a squeal she went skidding sideways. Harry followed. There was a breathless chase, Belinda dodging and ducking until Harry made a dive for her ankles. Belinda went down with an oof! of expelled air. She rolled onto her back, gasping.

"Infidel," she said. Harry grinned. She hesitated a moment, then reached for his hand. This time there was no explosion of light; the two merely began to glow.

Lumierenos sat back.

"Hello, twin," she smiled.

"Greetings, sister," Luthanthros retorted. "Tired of being in a body yet?"

Lumierenos wrinkled her nose.

"I hate not being able to access myself," she complained. "I can only fit a tiny bit of myself in at once unless we link, and afterwards I always feel exhausted."

Luthanthros grinned sardonically.

"What's going on here?"

The Gemini whirled to see Madam Pomfrey standing there, gaping. The luminescent beings glanced at each other with faces full of guilty laughter.

"Fare thee well, Luthanthros," said Lumierenos, her hair gleaming palely in the dark. "I shall see you later."

Her eyes glowed at him for a moment, before she vanished with a crack.

Harry stopped shining, but as before, some of Luthanthros lingered. He looked at Madam Pomfrey a moment - she was still standing open-mouthed - and turned back to his bed.

"I'll be telling the headmaster about this," she said. Harry shrugged.

"It is of no importance," he replied. He rolled over and went to sleep.

Some time later Harry was woken up again by someone shaking him gently. Belinda smiled.

"Dancing time," she whispered.

They snuck outside and once again danced crazily in the moonlight. Afterwards, lying in the grass as before, Harry turned his head to look soberly at her. After a moment she seemed to sense his gaze and turned her head to look back at him.

"What will I tell them?" he asked her. "They saw... us... tonight. They're going to ask me questions."

Belinda regarded him seriously.

"Tell them as little as you can," she responded. "Lie if you have to. You know what is at stake. We can't have people knowing stuff about us."

He nodded slowly.

"I'll try."

When he went back to bed, he spent a little while thinking about tomorrow. He sighed. He'd better be able to come up with something.