Agents of Discord

by KittyrinnAiko

Chapter 30: Start of the Winter Holiday

The Yuletide Feast was perhaps the most elaborate to date. The tables were covered in roast turkeys, hams, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, roast beef, red currant jelly, Yorkshire pudding, pigs in blankets, red cabbage, crispy shredded Brussels sprouts with bacon, bread sauce, game pie, sourdough buns, and of course there was plum pudding. Oh, there was more, but that’s about all Aerie could remember or identify. They also had Christmas Crackers that exploded almost as big as the ones Pinkie Pie made. Aerie and Aurora pulled one apart between them delighting at the things that came out while giving each other a knowing look. They’d experienced better in Equestria.

Both girls ate an alicorn’s share of the food.

The next morning Aerie boarded the train wondering if she was making a mistake by not staying. She also worried about the mirror. Riddle could have that damn stone for all she cared. Not that he was going to get it. Still, though, the mirror was an issue. She’d thought about leaving her trunk, but was informed that it’d be loaded onto the train. Why leave the trunk? Her apartment key for the basement flat opened up the apartment in the trunk. In truth, the trunk was nothing more than a movable alternate entrance to the flat.

“Aurora, are you going to be with family?” Aerie asked as they boarded the train.

“Just me and my mom.”

“Maybe you and your mom can come over. I’m sure Flora wouldn't mind.”

“Oh, maybe you can come over to my house too,” Lavender offered as they made their way to the first year’s car.

“That’d be fun,” both Aerie and Aurora answered.

“You sure you two aren’t sisters?”

“Sisters from different mothers?” Aerie asked. “Not likely. I just don’t picture Snape as the type.”

“Come again?” Lavender asked nearly coming to a stop.

“Apparently I’m only a Potter by virtue of marriage. Don’t ask me, I haven't any details. Granted the announcement came from Lord Flint. Though he did seem rather adamant that it was true, and Dumbledore didn’t exactly say it wasn’t.”

“Wow.” This time it was both Aurora and Lavender who spoke at the same time.

“You think it might be true?” Aurora asked as they came to their car.

“Whatever generates the most chaos I guess.”

“Chaos?” Lavender gave Aerie a funny look.

“It’s complicated.
“Hi Justin, you got room for three girls?”

“Sure, why not,” Justin offered. He then introduced them to Wayne Hopkins and Ernest Macmillan. Two boys in his house and year. Both were just a smidgen on the pudgy side. In an odd sort of way they reminded Aerie of Draco and his two friends, save in that these three were much more personable. They had friendly genuine smiles and didn’t seem the sort to look down on anyone.

“Well, there we are,” Aurora offered as their trunks popped into the overhead. They’d just got seated. Moonie was in her carrier as well.

“I was wondering about that. I suppose we have to get them down ourselves though,” Aerie said just as Draco walked past.

“He seemed a lot nicer at the beginning of the year,” Lavender said as she watched the three Slytherin boys head down the hall.

“Ron didn’t exactly help,” Aerie lamented. “Those boys have been taught to hate each other just because of their family and house affiliations.”

“Maybe he’s sweet on you?” Justin offered.

“Seriously?”

“And there’s a rumor going around school.”

“People do like to gossip,” Lavender offered. “I wouldn't worry about it.”

“Can I join you?” Hermione asked from the door.

“It’s the boy’s compartment, you’ll have to ask them,” Lavender offered only for Hermione to start to turn away.

“Hermione? I’m sure you are welcome,” Aerie offered.

“Yes, come on in,” Justin called.

“It’s a bench seat, we can squeeze four girls in here,” Aurora offered.

“But the compartment is full?”

“Always room for more,” Wayne Hopkins offered.

Hermione entered, sat down, and sure enough, there was plenty of room. Even the overhead rack had room for her trunk.

“Hogwarts Express,” Ernest offered. “There’s always room.”

“Right, magic,” Hermione stated with a big smile.

“So, did you find anything on Nicolas Flamel?” Aurora asked.

“No.” Hermione sounded a bit depressed.

“I’m guessing that you dismissed what I told you because the person I told you about is not contemporary and the source of the information was a book that came from a muggle bookstore?”

“It can’t be the same person? Can it?” Hermione asked.

“I’ve found from going to a muggle school that the non-magical world actually knows quite a lot about the wizarding world,” Lavender offered.

“But wouldn't that violate the secrecy accords?” Hermione asked.

“It’s not what they know, it’s whether or not they believe it. That is beyond the occasional eccentric,” Ernest offered. “What we have to do is not provide proof by our actions.”

Hermione made one of those sounds that people sometimes make when they suddenly understand. Outside the train, snow began to fall in great gossamer feathers. Only now did they realize that it wasn’t much warmer on the train than it had been outside.

“Hey, Sun-butt, how about warming it up in here a bit,” Aerie teased.

“Sun Butt?” Aurora replied, and then laughed.

“Does she have tats too?” Justin asked, and then turned red as a beat on realizing he should have kept his mouth shut.

“Justin,” Aerie prompted.

“I overheard mom talking about them,” He admitted sheepishly.

“They aren’t actually tattoos,” Aerie offered, sounding just a little bit annoyed. “They are a manifestation of Akkadian magic. So what was that rumor that you wanted to tell me?”

“Well,” Wayne started in real slow. “Normally when a witch is adopted into a wizard family it means she’s being betrothed to someone.”

The train started forward in dead silence.

“I see.”

“Hey, how’s everyone doing?” Bill Bones asked from the corridor.

“A bit cold. Is there anything that can be done about it?” Hermione asked.

“Short of getting these two a little hot under the collar,” Lavender teased.

“Aerie?” Justin asked. “Are you OK?”

“So everyone thinks that you and I are…”

“Betrothed.”

“Ah, I guess that could explain Draco’s behavior.”

“So it’s true?” Bill asked.

“I don’t think so,” Aerie offered. “The non-magical English government has no such thing. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn that it’s prohibited by law. So even if such a contract does exist it’s not legally enforceable unless we both want it and then we’d have to be of age.”

“Ah, right, and your parents are only part of the wizard community by a technicality,” Bill offered.

“On the other hand, I see no reason to correct the rumor.”

“Seriously?” Justin asked. His skin tone had just begun to go a little less bright pink and was now right back to a deep crimson.

“In an odd sort of way it might protect me from anyone wanting to wrangle me into a marriage, not of my choosing.”

“Oh,” Justin said and started to relax.

“Wizard law doesn’t prohibit it outright,” Bill offered. “But, anyone wanting to do it would require permission from your guardians.

“Right then, let's do something to warm things up a bit.” Bill pulled out his wand and cast a warming spell on the floor.

“Better already,” Aurora offered. “Thank you.”

“Is there going to be any problems getting back to London?” Hermione asked. Outside the snow was coming down fast, the passing trees well covered.

“Oh, it’ll be fine. The front end is spelled to blast away the drifts,” Bill informed them. “And if it gets too bad we’ll have Percy go out on the front of the train.”

“No Percy though, he had to stay at Hogwarts,” Aurora reminded him.

“In that case we are doomed.”

The Scottish highlands were blanketed in snow, snow that persisted into England, the Midlands, and even into London.

It had grown quite late by the time they emerged from Platform nine and three-quarters. London was in a state of near gridlock due to power outages and slick conditions. For those of proper wizard families, it just meant trudging through the snow to some location where they wouldn't be observed and either apparate home or use a port key. For the individuals from non-magical homes, they were about to experience an adventure.

“I could just fly home,” Aerie muttered as she looked out at the gridlock.

“Ya, that’d go over real good at the ministry,” Hermione offered as her mom pulled up to the curb.

“Aerie, Justin!” Flora called as she approached. She’d just come from the St Pancras Station across the road. “Welcome home. The streets are a mess but the tube is running. I hope you don’t mind dragging your trunks.”

“Aerie, I don’t see my mom,” Aurora called as Aerie gave Flora a hug. Aerie broke from Flora, and rushed over to Aurora, retrieved her phone, and offered it to Aurora who wasted no time in calling her mom.

Mrs Summers was still at work.

“But it’s a Saturday?” Aurora protested over the phone.

“Say, why don’t you come with us, spend the night even,” Aerie suggested as Aurora talked to her mother on the phone.

“End of Quarter exams,” Aurora explained. “Lost track of time. … Mom, yes, I know, you are sorry. Aerie’s invited me over to her house. For the night. Look, my alternative is to sit at a train station until you get here. By myself. And it’s downright cold out.”

“Here, let me talk to her,” Flora offered.

Moments later they were on their way, luggage on carts, across the street, and into the Pancras. Where they were promptly stopped by three officers of the local Transport Police unit. It wasn’t the fact that they were taking carts from one station to the other. No. It was the big trunks. No one used trunks anymore. And that made it suspicious. Inside the trunks, they found only books and clothing. Aerie and Aurora had chosen to leave everything they either didn’t need or couldn't use behind with the exception of their wands. Those they had safely in their handbags. As for Justin, they didn’t seem too interested in the contents of his trunk as they proceeded to rifle through the contents of the two girl’s trunks.

“Do you like fingering little girl’s panties?” Aerie chastised.

“We have to inspect everything that looks unusual.”

“I think you’ve inspected enough to know there’s nothing in there that concerns you,” Flora suggested rather forcefully.

“Hey, sorry to bother you,” Aerie said into her phone. “Any chances you got connections that can get us past the pantie-sniffing security guards at the Saint Pancras station? They saw our trunks and insisted on inspecting them, half my stuff is all over the floor.”

“Oy, give that here!”

“Hey!” Aerie protested as her phone was snatched away by an officer.

Moonie was presently growling from her carrier, and it was entirely possible that the only reason she hadn’t done anything was the restriction that had been placed on them. If she used magic, the girls might get blamed. She wasn’t too worried about Justin.

“Now what would you be doing with something like this?”

“I go to an exclusive private school, what do you think?”

Moonie was doing plenty of hissing and spitting at one of the officers who had decided to harass the cat in the carrier.

And then he made the mistake of opening it.

Moonie the wild cat sprang out in a flash, clawing, and scratching one man and then the next in lightning-speed fashion. Nor was she above the occasional crotch grab while the three men frantically attempted to fend her off.

“Moonie!? What are you doing!?” Aerie called frantically. The fact that the three men hadn’t gone for a radio to call for support or pulled out either a taser or pepper spray hadn’t registered at first.

When a wand was produced it all clicked. These men were wizards. They’d probably assaulted the real officers only moments before.

Aerie let her body drop to gain momentum faster as her feet pushed off. Suddenly one of the men’s wands was in her hand followed by a foot finding a groin hard enough to drop the man. Aerie grabbed his head and slammed him down hard. Sure, wizards were made of tough stuff and he had a helmet on. Even so, it’d be a while before that man was sensible again.

Another wand came out only to be snatched by Aurora who lost no time joining into the fray.

Boots could be heard hurrying to the location now even as Aerie snatched a wand from the third man. He was dropped by a taser that had belonged to the man Aurora had gone after, he not even trying to stop her from taking it. A moment later the group was surrounded by Transport Police. At least one of them snatched away the taser in Aurora’s hand.

The next thing that happened appeared to be some kind of strange feedback from the taser as the two men still standing were enveloped in arches of electricity. Moonie satisfied that her work was done went back to her carrier even as the remaining impostors dropped.

Aerie looked about and picked up her phone.

“OK now, everyone can relax,” one of the real officers offered. There were about a dozen men and women.

“These guys were fake,” Aerie announced. “Yes, detective,” Aerie said into the phone. “We are going to need the special task force.”

“We just found three of our officers stuffed in a maintenance closet,” Offered another officer.

“They were rifling through the girls' things, and then the cat, just went nuts,” Flora informed the officers who'd responded to the scene. She was still at a bit of a loss as to what had just transpired.

“Officers,” Nova Silverwood said as she approached. She’d a rather sharp gray suit on. She flashed an identification and badge and then stuck it in a shoulder pocket with the badge hanging out just above the right breast. Nova's read New Scotland Yard. She was also accompanied by another Selena who went over to Moonie, gently pulled the cat out of the carrier, and made like she was comforting the kitty. In reality, the two were doing a bit of fast catching up on what had just transpired.

“Looks like we have three perverts intent on harassing the girls,” Selena offered a moment later as Aerie quietly handed off the three wands to Mrs Silverwood.

The three were taken into custody, statements taken and about an hour later Flora, Aerie, Aurora, and Justin were finally on their way. And this time they’d been assigned an escort. Light blue line to Victoria Station, where Flora had her car out in the car park. Flora was after all a practical woman. They thanked the escort and started loading the boot. Aerie’s trunk first.

“How were you planning on getting…” One of the wizards asked just as Aerie opened her trunk. In went the other two trunks. Both wizards started laughing at the sound of the two trunks sliding down the stairs.

“Having at least one enchanted trunk has proven a blessing,” Flora offered. “And to be true, up until Professor McGonagall arrived with Justin’s letter I’d thought this sort of thing was just part of family legend.”

“Well, in that case, welcome back.”

Comments

[badninja]

So what idiot ordered this I wonder?

[harts fire]

HO boy Nova Silverwood is there. this is not going to end well for those three.

[alexme7cer]

Yeahhhhh