Into the Hands of Fate

Chapter 6

James sighed in dread. Divination was next. "Don't look so depressed, James, it's depressing," said Remus with a playful grin.

Peter smiled. "What's the matter? Girl problems?"

James jumped up and threw one of the couch pillows at him. They laughed. "Hey, where'd Sirius go?" he asked suddenly. Remus and Peter looked around. Peter shrugged.

Remus said, "Hallie said she wanted to talk to him about something."

James' famous mischievous grin sprang to his face. "Ooh, it isn't me with the girl problems now, it's our dear Sirius." The boys laughed and got ready for class.

~*~

"What'd you talk to him about?" asked Lily.

Gwen snickered. "I saw you down the table...looked like you two were getting comfortable..." she taunted.

Hallie sent a glare her way. "It was nothing." Lily noted the clipped edge in the girl's voice and sent a meaningful look to Gwen who didn't seem to take the hint.

"Oh," said the girl.

"I just said thanks and now everything's back to normal."

Lydia looked up from her book. "Normal? It can't be back to normal after what happened!" she protested. Hallie shrugged. "Come on, Hal, you don't really want -"

"You don't know what I want. Now come on or we'll be late for class." She slung her bag over her shoulder and led the way out. Lily and Lydia shared a secret smile before the three girls followed the girl out.

"Hallie, don't tell me you didn't bring your book again..." said Lily with a sigh.

The girl smiled innocently. "I forgot, sorry, Lil, but you don't mind, do you?" Lily grinned and shook her head. "Of course you don't, you're too nice to say so." At this, the other girl swatted at her. "Ok, ow."

"I guess that out rules me asking her for a book," said James with a grin to Sirius. The boy shrugged. "What's eating you?"

The boy shook his head. "Nothing at all."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine," said Sirius with a terminating tone. James looked at him for a moment, then shrugged in defeat.

Professor Sibylline handed out the crystal balls once again. "Mr. Potter, you will inform me if you see anything?" she asked softly so only he could hear her.

He looked up at her evenly. "Er - yeah, sure."

She smiled and nodded. "You may begin." And the students looked into the crystal balls.

"Oh! Hallie, look! It looks almost exactly like your snow globe!" exclaimed Lily in excitement.

Hallie looked at it and her eyes widened. "No way! Hey, guys, look!" She put the ball in James' hands so he and Sirius could look at it.

Their expressions didn't change to amazement, only to confusion. "What about it?" asked James slowly.

Lily looked at him as if it were obvious. "It's practically like Hallie's snow globe! I think you saw it, but Sirius, I know you did!" The two girls were beaming at him now.

He looked at each of their faces in turn. "I - er...sorry to break your bubbles, but I don't see anything...it's only a bunch of gray clouds..." he said cautiously. Their faces slowly fell.

"Are - are you sure?" Hallie asked the two boys. They nodded. She then grinned. "Oh I get it! You guys are kidding us aren't you...some joke or something right?" They looked serious.

"No..."

"I don't understand," said Lily, looking to Hallie. The other girl shrugged. "But you do see it don't you."

"Yeah, I do. It's the redhead and the black-headed girls with the messy haired guy and the silver blonde-headed guy. They're throwing snowballs..."

Lily nodded. "That's what I see too, let me ask the professor. Professor Sibylline?" called Lily.

The professor strolled over and looked at the two girls. "Yes, dears, do you see something?" They shook their heads.

"Look, I think you accidentally put the snow globe on our table instead of a crystal ball," said Hallie with a smile.

Professor Sibylline glared at her. "Oh, you two think you're so funny do you?"

Lily and Hallie shook their heads quickly. "Not at all, Professor! I mean, it's just that it looks exactly like Hallie's snow globe," said Lily earnestly.

The teacher looked at them searchingly before her expression changed to one of curiosity. "What does it look like?" she asked mystically. Hallie described it once more. "And the globe you speak of?"

"It looks the same," replied Lily.

"I see..." said Professor Sibylline, though she didn't look like she did. "Look it up in the book, dears, and write me a report, due tomorrow."

"How rude!" proclaimed Hallie to her best friend on their way out of the classroom. "What an old miserly bloke! Don't you think?"

Lily grinned. "Maybe we did see something in that thing after all..." she told the girl.

Hallie raised an eyebrow. "You believe in that prophesizing stuff?" Lily shrugged. "Well I don't. Seems to me like she's just an old hag pretending she can see things that aren't there," said Hallie.

Lily elbowed her. "Hallie..."

The other girl put up her hands in defense. "I'm just being honest!"

"Good, but can you not be honest in such a blunt way?" asked Lily.

"I guess."

"Hal, there's a question I've been meaning to ask you," said Lily after a while.

Hallie looked at her expectantly. "What is it?"

"Well...it's about Rogue and the Alloy Child. Is that real?" she asked.

Hallie looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure...Sirius said it probably is. Otherwise Rogue was a fake. But he wasn't, so I guess it is real...I have no idea."

Lily said, "Well, why don't we ask Professor Greggors then? He's the one with the amulet said to hold Rowe..."

"Yeah, let's." They stepped into the classroom but were both replied to see that it wasn't Professor Greggors at the head of the classroom, it was someone else.

"Professor Jenkins?" exclaimed Sirius in incredulity. "What're you doing here?" She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Professor Greggors has fallen ill so I will be teaching in his place. Is that all right with you, Mr. Black?" she asked.

He grinned. "Of course it is. Any extra class I have with you is a gift from heaven," he replied sweetly.

She rolled her eyes again and began the class. Everything seemed normal through the rest of that month and before anyone knew it, it was time for the Christmas Holidays. "I know you'll miss me, but try to behave, won't you?" said Gwen with a smirk. She winked at them before they all gave her hugs and waved her off.

And then it was Lydia's turn. She smiled. "I'll see you guys soon, and please pay heed to what Gwen said, and behave?" she directed this comment with an edge and then glanced at the two boys waving behind the girls. "But I guess it's pretty useless to ask at all, isn't it?"

Lily and Hallie laughed and looked at each other. "Pretty much, yeah." They each gave her a hug and then waved her off too.

"Well, it's just you and me now I guess," said Hallie.

Lily chuckled. "You're forgetting two notorious boys..." she replied pointing her thumb behind her.

Hallie looked around at the two boys following them and sighed. "Maybe I didn't forget...maybe I was trying to pretend that they don't exist..."

Lily laughed and put her arm around the other girl's shoulder and Hallie did likewise. "Just enjoy the holidays, we'll be here for a while..."

~*~

The girls were sitting in their dormitory. Lily was catching up on a book she was reading called "Witch Week". "Hey, Hallie, look. In this book, they burned witches!" she exclaimed.

Hallie turned and looked at her with wide eyes. "Who would write about that?" she wondered.

"Personally, they should just get rid of all those books. It gives the muggles ideas."

Lily laughed. "But you know that they really used to do that, don't you?" she asked.

The other girl nodded. "But I heard it was fun. This one witch, I don't remember her name, but she used a little charm that made the fire tickle her instead."

"Really?"

"Mm hmm."

"Whatever you say."

Hallie looked at her snow globe. "I'm bored, let's go do something, something fun."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like...play in the snow!" said Hallie with a bright smile.

Lily laughed. "But there's not snow outside," she protested.

Hallie sighed. "Lily, Lily, Lily, have you taken a look out of our window lately?" At this, the girl jumped up and looked outside her window to where snow was falling heavily.

"No way! Let's go!" They rushed to put on their thicker robes to go outside. Then they went to Professor Jenkins' office.

"Professor, can we go outside and play in the snow?" asked Hallie.

The teacher looked at them for a moment before nodding. "All right, but don't stay out too long, we don't want you getting sick so early during the holidays," she warned. The girls nodded and walked out.

Hallie started to hum:

"Powdery flakes of white snow

Are flowing to the ground

Christmas carols are being sung

To make the winter sound.

People always wonder what they should do,

To make their loved ones love them too -"

But then applause interrupted her song. "Bravo, bravo! Encore!" yelled Sirius and James.

She turned around and glared at them. "What do you want?" she asked them.

Lily laughed and then she too turned around. "We're just going outside," replied Sirius.

"Yeah, did you guys see how hard it's snowing?" exclaimed James.

Lily nodded. "It's like a blizzard out there!"

"Oh, damn it!" yelled Hallie. They looked at her. "I forgot the tune!" She glared accusingly at James and Sirius.

Sirius said, "Don't worry, I remember it!" He started to sing, "People always wonder what they should do, to make their loved ones love them too..." The other three burst into rounds of laughter. He looked around in confusion. "What, didn't I sing it right?" he asked looking at them in puzzlement.

James nodded, still laughing and Hallie said, "I've never heard you sing before!"

Lily agreed, "It was priceless!"

He shrugged. "Did it blow all that badly?" he asked.

James shook his head. "Actually, it wasn't that bad." The girls nodded in assent.

Hallie clapped a hand onto his shoulder. "I never thought you had it in you."

Snow flakes falling to the ground

Children doing their very best

To make their parents proud.

Chilled air flowing, rushing by,

Birds singing songs,

Flying high in the sky.

Laughter, cheer, happiness and glee

Families hanging ornaments

On their Christmas tree.

There was never another season, people say,

That was ever happier

Than Christmas Day.

~*~

They walked out into the snow leaving imprints of their feet behind as they strolled to the middle of the grounds. "You know, Sirius, your voice isn't half bad," said Hallie evenly.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

She stuffed snow in his hood. "It was...cool." He shivered and threw snow at her. She shrieked and ran behind Lily.

Sirius who was aiming at Hallie accidentally hit Lily square in the face. She stood stock still for a few seconds before wiping the snow from her face. "Sirius Black, you had better run!" She bent down to pick up a ball of snow but before that, a snowball hit the back of her head. Slowly, she turned around.

"Er -" she laughed tensely "...sorry, Lily...you - you got in my way," said Hallie with an angelic smile. "I - I was aiming at Sirius and -," but Lily had thrown her snowball at the girl. "Lily! You're my best friend!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

The other girl grinned and then the smile faded when Hallie picked up an arm-full of snow. "I - I was just playing around, Hallie...my best buddy..." but the lug of snow was already hauled at her. James was standing by a tree watching them have their little snowball fight when Sirius came up beside him.

"Funny sight, isn't it?" the boy asked with a small smile.

James grinned back. "Yeah." He didn't notice the look of mischief in the other boy's eyes. And then he was covered in snow. "Oh boy, Sirius, you had better run because you're going to be stuffed in your grave at any moment!"

Sirius laughed. "That was very creative, nice one, James."

"Why thank you, Sirius, but you're not off the hook." They joined in the snowball fight.

It seemed as if the heavens opened, willing to share their wonderful gift of snow for the powdery white flakes fell more rapidly. The drops were soon the size of walnuts and fell so thickly it was hard to see through it. Somehow, the air seemed to turn frigid and menacingly cold. The clouds seemed to rumble and move over Hogwarts making the sky turn gray and black as if the night had come early. They shivered unwillingly and stopped throwing their packs of snow.

"Oh, no," said Lily. She looked around and put her hand forward. Through the falling snow, she could barely see it in front of her face. James, who was looking at her, grinned.

"Come on, we should go back in now. Let's look for the others," he told her. Taking her hand, he led the way to where he saw Sirius last. There was no sight of them. "Sirius! Hallie! Where are you guys?" he yelled.

Lily looked around and called out their names as well. There was no reply. "Where could they be?" she asked James with worry starting to build inside her.

He looked around. "They have to be here somewhere, they probably can't hear us. Sirius, Hallie, where are you guys!" And that was when they struck the wall. James helped Lily up and put his hand on the transparent wall. "What is this?" He looked at Lily who seemed to be as puzzled as he was.

She touched the wall and felt it's glass-like texture. "This isn't right." She felt her stomach drop as something came to mind. "James, it's the weather, it's all the weather, just like last time," she told him with fear running up and down her spine. He looked at her questioningly, and then it dawned on him.

"Oh, no."

~*~

Hallie balled up another pack of snow and was about to throw it at Sirius when she found she couldn't see him. "Sirius?"

She looked around and suddenly there was a yell of, "Eat snow, Hallie!"

Someone had jumped on top of her and her face was buried in the snow. When she finally was able to lift her head, she glared at him. "I'm cold, get off." He smirked and dumped snow on her head. She tried to push him off but he was bigger than she was. Sirius suddenly stopped smiling and looked around. He couldn't see anything a foot away. Standing, he looked to the sky where the gray/black clouds were coming in. He held out a hand to help Hallie up. She took it and brushed the snow off herself. Then she looked at him. "What is it?"

"I - I'm not sure...something's just not right," he said.

She looked at him sharply when he said this and looked around. "Sirius," she whispered. He didn't hear. "Sirius," she said more loudly this time. The wind started to howl and brush past them, leaving the feeling of pine needles prickling them. The two shivered from the cold because their robes were weighed down and soaked to the bone with melted snow. She tugged on the sleeve on his arm. He turned to her. "It's like how it was on the mountain," she told him.

His eyes widened as his mouth formed an 'O'. He took her hand in his. "Then come on, we have to find James and Lily." They started yelling the names of their two friends but there was no reply.

"Where could they be?" Hallie asked Sirius.

He looked around and bit on his lip. "I have no idea. They were just here so they've got to be around here somewhere." And that was when an immense gust of wind blew by. Sirius felt himself being lifted and let go of Hallie's hand.

"Sirius!" he heard her yell.

He was blown forward and felt his stomach drop. Not this again...he thought in dread.

He made contact with a transparent wall. There was a sickening crunch and then he fell to the slipped to the ground in a limp heap.

~*~

Lily felt the wall vibrate and looked to James with horror filled eyes. He saw a form in black robes fall to the ground on the other side of the wall. "Sirius!" he yelled and started hitting the wall, trying to get through to his best friend.

"James! James, stop it!" She watched in horror as he tried to get through, punching, kicking, anything he could do.

James felt tears of pain come to his eyes and only then did he stop. His knuckles were bleeding with the contact of the wall and his fists. Lily hugged him. "What's happening? Why is this happening?" he asked softly.

Lily touched the wall and then looked to where Sirius lay motionless. "I don't know, I really don't know."

~*~

Hallie watched after Sirius' form until he disappeared in the mass of snow falling from the sky. She ran towards where he was being blown. "Sirius!" she yelled. Fear crept through her and made her shiver in the cold. She slowed and looked around. Where was everybody? She walked forward. Scarcely, a figure in black robes came into view. She raced towards it and knelt by him. "Sirius," she said. She shook him. "Wake up, Sirius!" Tears fell from her eyes. She hastily wiped them away.

He groaned and turned over. "What happened?" he mumbled in a slur.

She sighed in relief and hugged him. "What is it with you and running into walls?" she asked. Her voice broke and more tears fell from her eyes.

Sirius blinked groggily and felt her dark midnight black hair brush against his cheek. "Walls?" he muttered. "Hal, Hallie, you - you're hugging me too tight."

She suddenly let go. "I'm so sorry," she said. She was looking at him with wide eyes. "Are you hurt?"

He blinked at her again. "Well...I just slammed into a wall, but otherwise, I'm perfectly fine." He tried to stand by pushing himself up with his arms but found that his left one hurt severely. "I think my arm's broken." He tried to move his fingers and winced. "No, I know my arm is broken."

"Oh, um, let me conjure a splint," said Hallie. She chanted some words and instantly, his arm was splinted.

He grinned. "Thanks." She helped him stand and then she touched the wall. "What is it?" asked Sirius.

She shrugged and then looked at him. "I think it's glass...but I don't know." And then that was when she heard the banging on the wall. She looked at it and saw Lily and James on the other side.

Sirius followed her gaze and his eyes widened. "James! Lily!" he exclaimed. He saw their mouths moving but couldn't hear a word they were saying. "Speak louder!" he yelled. It seemed as though Lily was screaming something but he couldn't hear her. James was shouting and pointing. Sirius cupped his right arm to his ear. "I can't hear you!" he yelled back. And then he followed where James' arm was pointing. When he turned around, he found a cloaked figure standing behind him. He carried a limp figure. "Hallie!"

The figure held out a hand and a shadow seemed to soar out of it and wrap itself around Sirius. Then everything went black.

~*~

"We have to do something!" said Lily in panic.

James told her, "We have to get Dumbledore." The two students ran into Hogwarts hastily. There, they bumped into Professor Jenkins. "Professor! Hallie and Sirius - some person - wall - gone!" said James in a rush. He was breathing rapidly and bent over with his hands on his knees.

"What is it? What's the matter?"

Lily had taken the time to recover her breath. "There was someone outside who took Hallie and Sirius! They're gone! And it was snowing really hard and the weather was abnormal like it was on the mountain so we couldn't see! Then there was a wall so we couldn't go find them and that was then the person came and took them!" she said. The professor's eyes widened and she told them to follow her to the headmaster's office.

"Ric, Serpise, Rowe, and Elle," said the professor. The statue opened to the office. They raced up and there sat the headmaster at his desk.

"Why, hello, so good to -" he started, but Professor Jenkins broke him off.

"Hallie and Sirius have been taken."

At this, Professor Dumbledore jumped up. "Then we must go," he said, and they ran off.

~*~

Sirius opened his eyes. Everything was a blur when he looked around. Then he heard voices. "I told you I don't have it! Why won't you listen to me?" yelled a voice. Was it Hallie's? Yes, it was. He rolled over and blinked rapidly. Slowly, his surroundings came into focus.

He was in a dim dungeon. The walls looked damp as shadows danced in the light of the torches. This place was like no other he had ever been in or had ever seen. Sitting up slowly, he looked to where Hallie was speaking to a cloaked man.

"I don't have it! I thought that stuff was all fake!"

The figure spoke in a low voice. "You have it, now give it to me."

She glared. "I already told you! I don't have it, can't you understand?" The girl sighed in aggravation and turned away from the person. Folding her arms across her chest she said, "I can't speak to you, you don't seem to understand English."

"You have it, and I saw it. You will give it to me." Still, Hallie did not face him. Sirius could tell it was a man by the baritone of his voice. "Look at me, child." She didn't. "I command you to look at me!" She was lifted into the air and rotated around. "My master has seen it in the globes and he will get it no matter what. Perhaps you don't know the importance of the half of the Alloy Child you possess, but it is important to my master."

"Rogue, have I told you that I hate you?" she asked softly.

There was a grin in the man's voice. "You have, many times."

"Good, because I hate you." She paused and then sighed. "You know I don't have it, you were with me all last week, did you see it?"

The man was quiet for a long time. "No, but my master -"

"Well your master is wrong!"

"Don't speak of him so!" he yelled and she was thrown against the wall. Rubbing her head gingerly, she sat up.

"I want to speak to him then," she said in an even and steady voice. Rogue turned on his heels and left. Hallie watched after him for a few minutes before putting her hands over her face. She rubbed her tears away and sniffed, looking around the dungeon. Then she spotted Sirius sitting up against the opposite side of the room. She ran over and sat beside him.

"Sirius, are you all right?" she asked him softly. Concern was etched all over her face.

He forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Where are we?"

She looked around. "In a dungeon," she told him.

He rolled his eyes heavenward and laughed. "No kidding. I mean, where's the dungeon."

"I'm not sure."

He nodded and stood up with her help. "We have to get out of here," said Sirius, but at the same time, the door swung open and Rogue stepped in with a man at his side. The man had silver/blonde hair and amazingly brilliant green eyes. He was tall and seemed to reach the ceiling as he loomed over Sirius and Hallie.

He turned to Rogue. "Is this the child?" he asked. The two did a double take at his voice. It was velvet soft and smooth, though very deep, lower than Rogue's even.

The servant bowed to his master. "Yes, my lord, it is she."

The master turned to look at Hallie and then to Sirius. "You have the half I want of the Alloy Child?" Hallie just looked at him in horror. There was just something about him that would hush a baby's crying because of pure fear. He had the aura of power around him that would make someone race away in terror. "Answer me, child, do you have the silver half?"

Hallie quickly composed herself. "As I've told your worthless good fer naught servant, I do not have any part of the Alloy Child," she told him sternly.

The man laughed. It was like silver bells ringing angelically. "All right, child, I believe you. You may go."

She looked at him with raised brows. "Just like that?"

He grinned. "Just like that."

She still looked at him suspiciously. "You're not going to do anything to stop me?"

"Nothing at all."

She shrugged. "Wow. Ok then, good bye." She took hold of Sirius' arm. As calm as she sounded, he could tell she was trembling with fear at how tightly she gripped his hand.

The man stopped them with his arm. "But the boy stays."

Hallie did a double take. "I - I beg your pardon?" she stammered. "But - he - he can't stay."

At this, the master smiled. It showed all his pearly teeth. "Yes, he can, and until I have the silver half of the Alloy Child in my possession, he stays in this dungeon."

"But - but, sir, you don't understand -"

He interrupted her. "I never said I needed to understand a thing. But he stays. Now go before I change my mind." He stood and watched her.

She turned to look at Sirius with wide eyes. "I - I can't believe what I'm going to do," she said breathlessly. "I hate myself for this."

He looked at her with a glint in his black eyes. "Go on, Hallie, I'll be fine."

She put her hands over her face and turned to the master and servant. She mumbled something incoherently.

"What was that, child? All right, go on, the door is open for you."

She looked up with bright sapphire blue eyes. "You didn't hear what I said. I'm not going without Sirius."