Penny Dredfule

Penny Dredfule Chapter Twelve
The Cat Call

* * * * *

But how would Keef kill the man who had killed his soul when he had no powers? Keef, being the resourceful sort, had an answer. He was, after all, an ex-Enchanter.

Keef searched for Snape and found him the place he least: Hogwarts. Snape had taken on a teaching position at the famous school of witchcraft and wizardry. How very droll, he thought.

Keef watched the school with great interest, for there had to be a way to get to Snape without arousing too much attention. That was the mark of a dark Enchanter.

One fateful day, however, his prayers were answered. An Enchantress had taken up a teaching position at the school as Defense Against the Dark Art professor. Penny Dredfule was her name, and in her lay the key. Although, it looked like a monkey wrench had been thrown into the works before they had started.

She was an Enchantress and with her came her Guardian. Her Guardian turned out to be the Ki-Sheh-Soon, Sheryll Townsend. Surely a powerful Enchantress required a powerful Guardian.

But as Keef watched Penny, he began to realise something. Penny had no idea of what she was, what she was capable of or what she would become. Penny had power in her that even Sheryll couldn't dream of. The mark of the five-pointed star on her left hand attested to that.

Penny Dredfule was higher than the Ki-Sheh-Soon. Penny was prophecy made flesh. Penny was the Goddess Isis reborn, in flesh and body.

And she had no idea what she was.

Once Keef had discovered this, his plan fell into place easily. He began to tap into Penny's powers. With enough determination, anything was possible. By tapping into Penny's powers, Sheryll was none the wiser. By using the form of a "Memory Book" Sheryll had assumed that they were all the same. And you know what they say about assumptions.

He had been growing stronger on a diet of Goddess magic, older than time itself and she had no idea This was something that Keef found most amusing, but that grew tired after a while.

So he turned it into a game. Leaving her the Snape book in her reality, talking to her while in her Memory Library. It had become a game of cat and mouse to Keef who had had nothing left to lose.

As he feasted on Penny's magic, he grew stronger.

It saddened Keef that it was almost at an end, for the final stages were in preparation.

* * * * *

Harry and Ron were sitting in the Gryffindor common room, enjoying a quiet afternoon. Valentine's Day was ending and Harry and Ron were glad to see the tail end of it. They had had enough of giggling girls and pink hearts. Just thinking of love poems made Ron want to gag.

They were discussing their Astronomy homework when Hermione rushed into the room looking excited.

"What are you so hyped up about?" Ron asked, "A book sale at the Library?"

Hermione looked at him. "All you do is insult me. Why can't you be nice to me for a change?"

"I do not insult you."

"Yes, you do. You know what that means, don't you?"

"No, why don't you enlighten me?"

"It means you like me." She paused, "In that special sort of way."

"And where did you learn that? In Hogwarts: A History?"

"No, just girl's intuition. Something that boys don't have."

"Humph." Said Ron.

"Go on, admit it!" Hermione yelled, "You like me!"

Ron looked at Hermione, a serious look on his face. They stared at each other for quite some time, all sorts of emotions running across their faces."

"Oh, Hermione!" Ron said.

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione said.

"Oh, please!" Harry said, "Stop it before I vomit. What did you want to show us, Hermione?"

Hermione composed herself, her face still flushed. "Look!" she held up a record. "I found it on my bed! My parents must have sent it. It's the Beatles' White Album!!"

"The who?" said Ron.

"The Beatles." Hermione replied.

"Like I said, who?"

"You've never heard of the Beatles?" Harry asked, stunned.

"No, what are they?"

"They're a musical group." Said Hermione, not believing what she was hearing.

"Cool." Ron replied. "When are they playing next? Maybe we can go see them in concert?"

Harry and Hermione stared at him. There was nothing they could say.

"Anyway," Hermione said finally, "I want to try something! My mother sent along a note with the record. She said that if we play it backwards, it says 'Paul McCartney is dead'".

"Who?" Ron said.

"Never MIND Ron!" Harry said, fed up.

"Anyway, I want to try it and see what it says." With that, she took out her wand and set to work.

"How are you going to do it, Hermione? We don't have a record player."

"That's okay, I learnt a new spell this afternoon in the library." She balanced the record on the tip of her pointer finger and aimed her wand at it. "LEVATUS!" She said. The record was suspended in the air.

"Okay, now what are you going to do?" Harry asked.

"Easy. Just two more spells: one to make it rotate and one to make it rotate backwards. Watch. ROUNDUS!" The record began spinning clockwise. "COUNTERUS!" and the record began spinning backwards.

They watched the record spin for a while before Ron spoke. "How're we going to hear what it's playing?"

"That's easy!" Hermione replied, eager to show off the new spells she had learned. "Watch!" She pointed her wand at the spinning record and whispered "Play."

Harry looked smug. "I should have guessed that one."

There was nothing at first, just the crackling of the record. But then they heard something: a voice. They listened.

" ..help .Penny .trouble ..Temple Isis Penny dying ..help ..Penny ."

Then the record stopped.

"I don't think your parents sent you that record, Hermione." Harry said quietly.

"Who cares who sent it!" she screamed, "Professor Dredfule is in trouble!"

* * * * *

Who they found was Snape. Or, more to the point, Snape had found them. He was wandering towards them, a hurt look on his face. He had make-up smeared on his face and mascara was running down his cheeks. He looked like a psychotic raccoon that had been hit by a lightning storm, as far as the hair was concerned.

As he approached the trio, they heard him muttering: "Loves her doesn't love me sweet, sweet Penny my little Goddess of Smut ."

Hermione approached him. "Um, Professor Snape?"

Snape jumped, almost as if he was shocked to find someone else in the halls of the school. "Oh, Miss Granger. How are you?" he said softly.

"We're not doing to well, Professor." She proceeded to tell him what they had heard on the Beatles' White Album.

Snape snapped to attention. "The Temple of Isis? Are you sure that's what it said?"

"Yes, Professor," Hermione replied, "What are you going to do about it? We have to help her!"

"You stay here, children, stay right where you are. Stay in the common room, yes, I think that's best. I shan't be long, stay right here, alright children?"

* * * * *

Snape entered the Temple.

On the altar he saw a giant black book. Beside the altar was the Living Goddess. She had a terrified look on her face, which seemed to be telling him to stay away.

"Penny?" he said, quietly.

"Not quite," said a voice from the shadows, "but close enough. PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" The voice roared.

Snape felt himself go rigid, much as Dinah had only hours before. Snape watched the figure from the shadows step into the light and gasped. "Who would have thought that spell would have worked twice?" The man smiled.

* * * * *

Sheryll was in her room, enjoying a cup of tea. Her nerves were on edge and she wanted to talk to Penny very badly. But she knew Penny wasn't finished the book yet and until then would not go to see her.

She wanted to help Penny, but there were things that Penny had to first. Sheryll, of course, knew what Penny would become, but Penny must discover that, and her powers, on her own. Sheryll could not push her. This much she knew.

But the waiting was killing her. Her tea wasn't calming her and her new book "It's Me! Gilderoy Lockhart! I Know Who I Am!" wasn't holding her attention either. She wished Penny would hurry up and finish reading so they could discuss what they would do.

As well, Sheryll knew who Keef was. She just wasn't sure what he was planning. That is where Penny could help her. Together they would stop him before it went too far.

Whatever "it" was.

Sheryll was pulled out of her thoughts by her cat, Poly. He was meowing incessantly, clawing at the door.

"What is it, Polly? Is mommy not paying enough attention to you?"

Poly continued to claw at the door. He then turned to face her and gave her what was unmistakably a look of impatience.

"What is it, Poly?" Sheryll whispered.

Poly pawed the door, and looked at her.

Sheryll got up and went to him. "Did you want to show me something?"

Poly gave her a look of happiness and meowed loudly. "Alright," she said, "lets go." Sheryll grabbed her wand and opened the door.

* * * * *

Penny had only two more pages to go in "The Book". So intent was she on her reading that she did not notice Morris.

He was pawing at the door and meowing.

Penny Dredfule Chapter Thirteen
It Ain't Over Till Isis Sings

Morris was meowing. And pawing at the door.

Penny looked up from "The Book" when Morris meowed in a particularly irritated way. "What is it baby?" she asked. Morris rubbed the door with his head. "Did you want to show me something, Morris?" Morris meowed again and butted the door with his head. He sat in front of the door and began howling. He looked at Penny with a look that said: "Get your fanny moving, do I have to do everything for you?"

Penny got the hint. She picked up her wand and followed Morris out of her rooms.

* * *

Penny rushed to follow Morris, who was leading her right towards the Temple of Isis. She was so intent on following Morris' small, black form that she did not see Sheryll until she had smacked into her.

"Penny!"

"Sheryll!"

"Temple of Isis?"

"Follow the cats!"

* * * * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione were still sitting in the Gryffindor common room. Three hours had gone by and still no one had come back for them.

"There seems to be something missing." Ron said.

"I know what you mean," said Hermione. "Aren't we usually doing something?"

"My scar usually hurts about now." Said Harry. "And it's not hurting. Something's not right."

"Do you think we should go find somebody?" Hermione asked.

"Probably a good idea. All your ideas are great ones, Hermione." Ron replied.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"Oh, Ron!"

"Oh, Hermione!"

"Oh, for bloody sake!" Harry exclaimed, "Can we get going, please?"

They exited the common room and headed for the owlery. "What are we going to do there?" Ron asked.

"We have to tell Dumbledore!" Harry said, "He went to the Ministry of Magic!"

"Why would he do that?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know." Harry replied.

"Don't we usually know more of what's going on before we charge in blindly?"

"Well," Ron replied, "what you going to do?"

They rushed towards the owlery and ran right into Professor McGonagall.

"Professor McGonagall! You have to come with us!"

"Why, children? What seems to be the matter?"

There was a pause. Then Hermione spoke. "We don't know, really, but we know that Professor Dredfule is in trouble!"

"Penny! Where is she, children?"

"In the Temple of Isis, Professor." Ron replied.

"Lead the way! We have to help her!" Professor McGonagall said.

There was another pause. "We were hoping you knew where it was."

"Oh, for bloody sake!" Professor McGonagall screamed.

"It's not like you to swear, Minerva."

They all turned around. Standing there, looking slightly out of breath, was Albus Dumbedore. "Quick," he said, "what's going on?"

* * * * *

Penny and Sheryll raced through hallways and down stairs, trying to keep up with Morris and Poly. "What do you think we're going to find there?" Penny asked.

"I don't know, Penny!" Sheryll gasped. "I don't know how powerful Keef has gotten, but I have to tell you something! You have power in you that you can not begin to dream of! You have to trust yourself to use it!"

"But I don't know how!"

"You have to find a way! I know you can, Penny! You just have to look within yourself!"

* * * * *

The door opened, as if by Magic. Penny and Sheryll stepped in and looked around them. Dinah, the Living Goddess, was tied and bound, standing to the right of the altar. Snape was tied to the altar. Keef was walking towards them.

"Hello, Penny. Did you have a happy Valentine's Day?" He smiled.

"What are you doing here, Keef?" Sheryll asked.

"Can an Enchanter not take a vacation?" he asked. "Surely there's no rule against that?"

"You don't belong here, Keef."

"I know!" he said gleefully, "That's what makes it so delicious. Now, I'm sorry to get right to the point ladies, but down to business."

With that, ropes flew out of the air and tied Sheryll up from head to toe. She fell to the ground, the ropes cutting off her circulation. "You can do it, Penny." She whispered.

Penny looked at Keef with malice. "Can I ask a stupid question?"

"There's no such thing as a stupid question, ask away."

"What the hell is this all about? I know about you sucking power out of me, I know who I'm supposed to be, I know why you're doing all this, but what's this all about? Why do you have Snape tied to the altar?"

"If you had bothered to read further, Penny darling, you would have known. But, (take this comma out) I can't put you at fault for being a slow reader. The answer is simple. Revenge."

"For what he did to you? But why here? Why in the Temple?"

"Let me explain. It's really simple when you get to the nitty gritty of it. And I happen to love nitty gritty, don't you?"

He walked over to the altar, (take this comma out) and leaned against its edge, elbowing Snape in the ribs. "When you lose your power, it's a terrible thing, really. But it takes relatively little to get it back."

"You mean that's what's going on here? You're performing a spell?"

"Very good, Penny. You are a bright one, aren't you? Yes, it's quite a simple concept. First, I had to have enough power to do the spell. That's where you came in. Just think, you have a part in what's about to happen. Isn't that ironic?" He chuckled. "And (take out the word 'and') secondly, I have to kill the man who caused me to lose my powers."

There was a pause. Finally, Penny spoke. "You mean I have to save him?"

"That is correct."

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Ah, shit!"

"Well, don't worry about it, Penny." Keef crooned. "I see no way you can save him anyway. It's quite tragic you being the hero. It's such a shame, really." He paused, as if in thought. "Oh well, as they say, it ain't over until the fat lady sings, is that not so?" He laughed at his own joke. "And I don't see any fat ladies here. Such a shame that things should turn out this way." He pulled a long knife out of his robes and went behind the altar.

Penny felt her self-worth wavering. What kind of an Enchantress was she, if she couldn't stop one man? She was supposed to have all this power and she had no idea how to use it.

Penny stared in desperation at Dinah's tied up body, unable to prevent desecration in her temple. The Temple of Isis. The Temple of .

Isis! She was portrayed as being a rather large woman! We DO have a fat lady, thought Penny. She turned to look at Sheryll on the ground. "Trust in Isis, Penny." Sheryll said, "Give yourself to and she will save you."

Isis is the Earth of my Body
Isis is the Water of my Blood
Isis is the Air of my Breath
And the Fire of my soul.

"Isis is the Earth of my Body." Penny said aloud. A hum started to grow in the air around the Temple. It seemed to be coming from the very walls of the Temple, an answer to a long forgotten prayer.

"Isis is the Water of my Blood." Penny said, raising her hands above her head. She blinked her eyes. Her left eye glowed a soft amber colour. Her right eye glowed a sultry purple. The ground around her began to shake, as if it were encasing something that badly wanted out.

At this point, Keef looked up from what he was doing, held sway by the music of the walls around him and the ground below him. He had a worried look on his face.

"Isis is the Air of my Breath." Penny said. Except the voice did not belong to Penny. It was a voice that commanded respect. It was a voice older than time. The walls began to shake with glee, their Goddess was almost here. The very Earth could feel it.

Keef now looked terrified. And he had peed himself.

Penny Dredfule Chapter Thirteen
It Ain't Over Till Isis Sings

Morris was meowing. And pawing at the door.

Penny looked up from "The Book" when Morris meowed in a particularly irritated way. "What is it baby?" she asked. Morris rubbed the door with his head. "Did you want to show me something, Morris?" Morris meowed again and butted the door with his head. He sat in front of the door and began howling. He looked at Penny with a look that said: "Get your fanny moving, do I have to do everything for you?"

Penny got the hint. She picked up her wand and followed Morris out of her rooms.

* * *

Penny rushed to follow Morris, who was leading her right towards the Temple of Isis. She was so intent on following Morris' small, black form that she did not see Sheryll until she had smacked into her.

"Penny!"

"Sheryll!"

"Temple of Isis?"

"Follow the cats!"

Before him, floating a few feet above the ground, was a beautiful woman. It was indeed Penny, but her beauty was enhanced by something that came before time. Her hair seemed to blow in a wind all her own. Her eyes, which before were only glowing, were now a blinding mix of purple and amber.

And her hands. Her hands glowed as well. Her left hand purple her right hand amber. The star on her left hand seemed to burn the atmosphere around her.

"WHY DO YOU PLAN TO DESECRATE MY TEMPLE?" Isis said. Her voice seemed to stroke the air around her, which whispered in response.

"Um, duh?" Keef replied.

"I REPEAT. WHY DO YOU PLAN TO DESECRATE MY TEMPLE? IT IS OLDER THAN TIME AND YOU PLAN TO DEFILE IT WITH YOUR WORTHLESSNESS! I ASK YOU, WHY!"

Keef, apparently, could come up with no satisfactory response.

"BE GONE FROM MY SIGHT! YOUR EVIL ENDS NOW!" The Goddess Isis thrust out her left hand.

A bolt of gold light shot out of the star on Pennys left hand and hit Keef squarely in the forehead. He fell backwards, stunned.

And Penny fell to the ground.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Hermione, McGonagall and Dumbledore flew into the Temple of Isis, only to find Keef stunned, Penny out cold on the ground, and Dinah untying Snape and Sheryll.

"Is everything alright here?"

"They will be fine." Dinah replied. "There is nothing to worry about."

McGonagall caught site of Penny on the ground and ran to her. She held her still form and rocked her slowly. "What happened, will she be alright?"

"As I said, she'll be fine. She is the Goddess Isis, and used her powers for a short time to stop Quirrell. That can take a lot out of a person. She just needs time to rest."

Dumbledore, in the mean time, had secured Keef with the very ropes he used to tie up Dinah and Sheryll. There was also a protection spell put on the ropes to stop Keef from escaping. There was a sound and Penny opened her eyes.

"Oh, Minerva!"

"Oh, Penny!"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other and flew into each other's arms.

"Oh, Ron!"

"Oh, Hermione!"

"Oh, Bloody Hell! Can't you people give it a break!" screamed Harry.

Sheryll and Dumbledore shared a good laugh, while Sheryll picked up Poly to give him a belly rub. Dumbledore, however, had stopped laughing. He was looking at Harry's right hand.

"Harry," he said. "Where did you get that ring?"

THE END?

* * * * *

Well, first of all, thanx to all of you who have read my story to the end. I never thought I would write an entire fanfic and I have. All because readers like you have liked it and encouraged me to continue. I only hope it lived up to your expectations.

Now, it's time for the thank you's.

First of all, thanx to my Beta-Reader, Sheryll Townsend. Couldn't of done it without you, and your ability to correct spelling and grammar is astounding. HUGS TO YOU SHERYLL!!!!!! Your dedication to reading and editing my story means a lot to me.

Secondly, I would like to thank Dinah for letting me use an effigy of her in my story. As well, I would like to thank her for letting me use her poems and sending me that delightful Smut Song. As well for encouraging me to keep writing. I would have lost motivation a long time a go if it weren't for her. Thanx Dinah. HUGS TO YOU DINAH!!!!

And I would also like to thank Wanda. Your friendship means a lot to me, and it's nice to have a good friend, even if she does live in the States. . Your friendship means a lot to me and so did your badgering for chapters. It told me that I was doing a good job writing this story and it kept me going.

I would also like to thank everyone at HP4GU for giving me a place to show off my obsession and be proud of it, and I would like to thank all of you who have read it. Without you, there would be no fanfic and no Penny Dredfule.

But, I can hear a lot of you asking .WHAT ABOUT HARRY'S RING??!?

Well, for that Dear Readers, you will have to stay tuned. The first chapter of "BONDS OF FATE" will be coming out soon.

Hugs to all,
Jamieson