SPOILER!!: My other FFs

Character: Bitter Sweet - Sa13+
Other: A Death Eater Party — Enter if you Dare! - Sa9+

Hello everyone! I would love to hear your feedback about this fanfiction since I'm really excited about writing this story and I don't want to get discouraged. I would love to hear some feedbacks and please feel free to leave comments (I don't bite)! Constructive criticism is indeed welcome.

Note: Just as JK. Rowling created the most fantastical magical story out there but herself does not believe in magic, I do not believe in the doomsday predictions and such. It is all part of the drama of this story and makes for an interesting plot.

The chapter guide provided on the first page gives you the opportunity to directly view the links to each chapters plus skimming through the synopsis which may give you a brief idea of each episode. Also some selected chapters contain a fantastical work of art by some the best digital artists such as Kagaya and Takaki. I've slightly altered them by adding some of the most memorable quotes by our favourite Harry Potter characters and JK Rowling herself! These images truely capture the mood of this magical story and glue you to the computer screen as you continue to read. I hope you'll enjoy!


Overview:

I'm sure we've all heard of various theories about the ending of our world. We've been warned about the approach of the year 2012, though as much as many came to believe the concept of "Doomsday," others however have strongly opposed that view. All in all, with some use of imagination we can twist the story. This is where magic comes in and this time it is the Wizarding World that awaits the near future. Our favourite heroes leading the rest of the magical population have come together in the most troubling times to save us muggles from a possible global disaster. Beware, time is impatient and the hands of clock are ticking away...

Disclaimer:

I would like to give credit to author JK Rowling who has created the wonderful world of Harry Potter which has been a source of entertainment and inspiration for generations to come.

Genre:

Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Action

Chapter Guide:


Chapter 1: The End Will Come?

“Ok now this isn’t funny. What?! Seriously? No... no... Grace, wake up right now. This can’t be for real!” Grace was saying to herself panicked as she looked down at her own body lying on the bed. She was being lifted towards the ceiling. It seemed to her that her soul had been separated from her physical body and it was now being elevated. Was she dead? No, she couldn’t be, at least not this way. She had given thought to how she might die in the past though this ending was the last she had expected. But this situation seemed to become more real as she continued looking helplessly down at her own body.

Her luggage lay open on the side of her bed. She still had not finished packing for her departure to Hogwarts. The clock struck 12:00. It was now officially September 1st 2012 and she had to get packed to leave for the Hogwarts Express before 11:00 am. But that could wait for later. What was she going to do now?

She felt light as if all her weight had been lifted. It seemed to her that the force of gravity was not keeping her rooted to the ground and instead she was being pulled by another force that dragged her up… up Grace realized. If gravity was not affecting her and she was detached from the material world, would that mean that she could pass through objects unaffected? If that was the case would she continue elevating and pass through the ceiling? No, she couldn’t let that happen.

As she continued elevating Grace looked around for her wand panicked. At last she found it lying beside a book on the floor. With all her effort she pushed herself forward. It looked like she was swimming in the water. She was glad to find that she could move forward though her feet were still pointing towards the ceiling while her upper body was hanging upside down above her bed. If this was not a serious situation then otherwise she must have looked funny in this position. Ridiculous, Grace thought to herself. She tried with all her effort to reach for her wand though as she had expected her hand went right through it as if she was a ghost. But she was a ghost Grace admitted to herself.

“Ok now calm down,” Grace kept repeating aloud as if that would make things easier.

“I’m not dead ‘cause I’m still sleeping here in my room. This is all a dream and as soon as I wake up I’ll…” Grace was momentarily distracted as she looked back down at her wand. A book lay open beside it.

She then realized that it was the same book about Nostradamus’ prophecies. Grace received it as a birthday gift by an unknown young man who had come knocking on the front door of her house on the day of her birthday. To her rotten luck, her younger brother Justin had to be the one to open the door. Naturally, she became the target of his stupid jokes ever since. To her surprise, even her parents could not be convinced that she had absolutely no idea who the guy was nor what his intentions of giving this book to her were. They must have thought she was on a secret date and that she was still too shy to admit it.

To be honest with herself, she actually found the book quite entertaining. She always liked mysteries and solving riddles but what was most intriguing about it was the fact that it was first written in 1555 by a real man known as Nostradamus. Muggles had in fact gotten hold of his prophecies many years ago and those who had seen the result of his predictions, came to believe that he was a true psychic.

Many wizards however were not much pleased with this fact. There are always those who think that muggles should not get hold of objects relating to the Wizarding World and that his prophecies should be kept safe in the hands of high ministry officials instead of being interpreted by muggles worldwide who were kept in the dark about the existence of magic or the community of witches and wizards that evolved around it. Others however have disagreed with this idea since they believed both muggles and wizards alike are all human beings and if tragedies happen in the future, they should all be warned beforehand if there is a chance to alter them. After all if the world is about to end, there is no point keeping the existence of magic a secret, especially if it comes down to the survival of human race and the duty to save this planet from destruction. That struck Grace as she floated there pointlessly like a moron. She looked back down at the page the book was open to. The passage Grace had been reading before she had fallen sleep read:

“After there is great trouble among mankind, a greater one is prepared. The great mover of the universe will renew time, rain, blood, thirst, famine, steel weapons and disease. In the heavens, a fire seen.”

At the top of the page the title read, “The end will come.” As Grace read those words, the ground began shaking and the picture frames began falling down one by one. Her lifeless figure lay there motionless like a doll as pieces of shattered glass flew everywhere and debris covered her body. The only object standing straight, unaffected was the clock on the wall, only this time as Grace looked back at it, the hands of the clock spun clockwise with full speed as if time was speeding up. What was its hurry? In desperation Grace looked around for a source of help to save her own body before the house collapsed on top of her when she suddenly noticed a figure floating above.

“Give me your hand,” the boy offered as he extended his own hand towards hers.



-Ava. Gharaei-

Welcome to Epic and Adventure, be sure you read the rules, post often and have fun!

Hi, this seems very well written so far other than your paragraphing. One giant slab of text really can turn a reader off.

Remember the rules of paragraphing-
You start a new paragraph every time a new topic sentence is brought up.
You start a new paragraph whenever a new person speaks.

I hope this helps! Fantastic idea BTW!

Thank you for your advise. Actually now that I think about it I usually turn away from stories that seem to have an endless paragraph. It throws me off. I just fixed my first chapter and I hope it is easier to follow. Also I'm happy that I have a new reader. I hope this story will satisfy you all and please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any concerns. Afterall, your attention to detail is what makes this fic so much better.

OMG Dun Dun Dun , So far it has a very good start to it post again soon

Ava!!!!

Told you it would be a great success! Now, just a few questions... I don't think you'll answer them, but I figure it's worth a try!

Who ws the guy at the door? Is it the same one who came for Grace at the end of the chapter? And if she goes with him, what's going to happen to her human form? And lastly... the boy at the end seems like a really nice guy... Is there to be an upcoming romance?

Great first chapter Ava! I can't wait until chapter two!

Katie

Hey! I don't usualy like stuff to do with the end of the world(it freeks me out :p) but i am strangly Intrigued by your story and by the boy who gave grace the book so keep posting I'll be watching for more.

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Ok everyone, so here is my second chapter. I decided to continue today since you guys have been such patient and good readers. Please keep the comments coming.


Kagaya

Chapter 2: Through the Eyes of a Child

A moment of hesitation, then she took his hands into hers. Together they watched as the scene around them began to blur. The surrounding image reshaped into a room not much smaller than the one they were in, though this room seemed to be much more colourful.

The walls were coloured in a peachy pink paint and covered in colourful drawings of a child. A small bed with bright pink and yellow checkered patterned pillow case and blankets was placed on the left hand side while a comfortable rainbow coloured mini sofa was pushed carelessly against the wall on the right. A giant heart shaped cushion imprinted with the word love in bright silver was positioned in between two large tatty teddy bears on the sofa. The wardrobe’s door at one end of a room was half open with a pink sparkly tutu picking through the opening and tiny ballet shoes that hung by the door handle from the straps. A stack of clothing lay on the floor while a pile of toys and large Lego blocks were thrown here and there, leaving hardly any room to walk.

“Natalie, it’s time to go. We have no time. You don’t want to keep your dad waiting. He’s plane will arrive in an hour,” called a woman’s voice from a distant.

The small girl looked out of the window on the north end of the room at the beautiful scenery of the crimson sunset. The sky was bright scarlet and it seemed to darken as time progressed. The girl seemed to have gotten an idea as she suddenly jumped up from concentration and ran towards a drawer placed beside the mini sofa. She threw out objects hastily and at last she found what she was searching for. Carrying a coloring book, she laid it open on the window shelf.

She opened to a page with a black and white drawing. Grace looked curiously down at the page though the small girl did not seem to notice anything out of the ordinary as she continued gazing down at her own drawing. She got up again but only this time she took out a pencil case and began searching through it for coloured pencil crayons.

“Mom… mom have you seen my blue and green pencil crayons?” the girl yelled while still keeping her head down.

“No honey. What do you need it for? You can look for it later but for now get dressed. We’ll be leaving soon,” her mother called back from another room in the house.

Looking frustrated the girl took out a red marker and began to paint in the picture. As Grace observed the drawing she noticed that the girl had drawn a man holding a hand of a small child which seemed to be a vague attempt to resemble the artist. The man in the picture seemed to be her dad. In the middle of the picture a faceless figure stood in between the two holding a large umbrella with dispersed whole coin sized opening gaps. Rain was pouring down from the dark raining clouds. The girl seemed to have given up for the hope of finding other colours so she took the red marker and coloured in the rain drops in red. Her petite round face in deep concentration with her dark hair tied up in a ponytail.

A distant sound of buzzing reached her ear as it grew louder. She looked up from her work with her beady eyes and was suddenly blinded with a bright light that shone from a distance. The girl opened her eyes again and saw a huge mushroom shaped cloud that looked like an umbrella. A deafening sound filled her ear almost shutting down the sound of her mother’s scream.

Then glass shattered and the girl was thrown back. The disturbing image blurred out as Grace and the boy took a last glance at the scene and took eachother's hand once more to leave. Yet time carried on indifferent, unseeing, impatient, and enduring.



-Ava. G-

Ava!

I really enjoyed this chapter; it was well described and easy to imagine. So, the rain drops...? Natalie, out of necessity coloured them red... does this symbolize tears of blood? Doom? The impending death of her mother and/or father? Grrr... will we ever find out what happens next?

What I really enjoy about this chapter is that the reader, in a very short period of time, is able to get a full picture of a certain important situation... from this little glimpse, the reader is then able to visualize and ponder what happens next.

Excellent chapter once again... I might even like it better than the first... can't wait for your next post!

Katie

All i can say is...WHOA....i loved it

Cant wait for the next chapter

Hey, Ava!!!!!! Sorry I didn't post sooner but I was out of internet for the last couple of days!!!! This is going great, keep it up and hopefully you know the world won't end PAMS!!!!
-Angie-

Katie you are absolutely right. I was hoping that the readers would get alot more out of the story. I'm hoping that readers like you would pay close attention to my descriptions since everything is there for a reason. Rain drops coloured in red does resemble blood and it symbolizes the upcoming death of the innocent child and her parents. It shows the story from the innocent eyes of a child. This image of a colourful childhood is in contrast to the world of adults in constant battle. Humans can be destructive to their own planet though it all comes down to the choices we make.

Hey! I'm so glad you are reading my fic. Your's is one of my favourites. And don't worry I still have lots of plans for my future. I'm not that pessimistic!

I loved this. Is this goin to become more Harry Potter in later chappies?

Oh yes! I have lots of events coming up! This is just the beginning. It is meant to show you the overall picture and set the mood for my story. Also yaaaay I have a new reader!!!


*** Third chapter coming up very soon! Stay tuned!!!

Here is the third chapter. I hope you all enjoy. Also, as you guys have asked for it, magic is included!



Chapter 3: Meet me by the lake

They were standing in an outstretched field. Two lonely trees stood side by side though it seemed that everything had gone dry. There were no leaves on its branches and as Grace looked down, hard cracked mud was extended beneath her feet. It went as far as the horizon line in the distance. It was dawn.

Grace only realized that she wasn’t standing there alone as she came to her senses. The boy turned his head towards her as she made out his appearance. He was slightly taller than her. He had broad shoulders, hard chest and an average weight. The boy’s face lit in the new daybreak. He had dark black hair, honey brown eyes, small pointy nose and a strong jaw line. Grace stood there observing his appearance for a while as it was the first time that she was truly paying attention to her unexpected company. He appeared to be not much older than her. Grace was seventeen and she was going to start her seventh year at Hogwarts. Well at least when she was alive, Grace thought to herself as a side note.

As she continued gazing, the boy cleared his throat and looked at her expectantly. Only then did Grace realize how stupid she must have looked, standing there staring at the boy. She must have been blushing, though they were something less than alive and more than a ghost. Her face was as pale as his. They’re bodies were not transparent though a dim haze surrounded them.

“Who are you?” Grace asked the boy, not breaking eye contact.

“You tell me,” the boy replied with a smile.

“Why did you bring me here?” Grace continued ignoring his response.

“I didn’t,” he replied simply.

“Ok now I’m not in the mood to play a guess and tell game. You got to give me some answers.” Grace said aggressively.

“You were the one hanging there in your room, throwing your arms and legs around like crazy, not me. I’m only here ‘cause you seemed to be looking for help,” the boy said matter of factly.

“But you didn’t help. My body is probably buried beneath rubble by now. My entire house was about to collapse on top of me. You were there, didn’t you see?” Grace asked the boy though deep down she was hoping he was right. That she wasn’t dead.

“You’re not dead. Only your spirit was brought here. Though as for me, that’s a whole different story. See I belong here, you don’t,” he explained and his smile faded. He had a sad look in his eyes. His whole face became solemn as if ice cold water was poured on his head. Grace didn’t need more explanation since she immediately understood what the boy was referring to.

“I’m sorry to hear that. But did you say I’m not dead? But if I’m not dead then why am I here? Let me remind you, I didn’t ask for it this time. Come to think of it, I must be dreaming. Yes that’s it. I’m dreaming all this right?” Grace asked excitedly with wide eyes.

“Sorry to disappoint you but even if your body is sleep, your soul always remains awake. And I mean that literally since you seem to be on the alert mode,” he went on and looked relieved as Grace seemed to catch something in his words.

“On the alert mode? What do you mean by that?” Grace asked confused.

“Now we’re getting somewhere! Well you see, you seem to have this… let’s call it a talent. An ability most others don’t seem to have or they can only dream of possessing,” the boy explained and opened his mouth to continue but Grace interrupted again.

“I’m a witch. I already knew that,” she said apparently disappointed by the answer she was given and rolled her eyes.

“No, I’m not talking about that kind of ability. What I mean is your soul can travel freely beyond the boundaries of the present time and observe events as they approach. In other words, you can see the future,” the boy finished and Grace didn’t respond to that. Her face went paler than she already was and her brain completely blanked out.

“But… but does that mean that what I saw, the tragedy with the small girl, will it happen?” Grace asked terror building up in her eyes.

“Yes and no, you can only decide,” the boy replied, confusing Grace even more. “You are slower than I thought,” the boy confessed.

“Thanks,” Grace replied sarcastically.

“What you saw was only a fraction of the overall picture. It’ll be worse, much worse. Do you want them to happen? Do you care about the many lives that could be saved?” he asked her knowing that this could make her realize what he expected her to know.

“What? No, I mean of course I don’t want them to happen and if it isn’t obvious enough, I didn’t exactly enjoy what I saw. It was terrifying. I wished there was a way I could help her but…” Grace cut off her sentence as she finally came to realize what the boy was asking from her. “But that’s why I’m here,” Grace announced, the tone of her voice suddenly tense, understanding. “But why me? I’m just an ordinary girl like many others. Actually Kind of clumsy to be honest. I don’t seem to get anything right. My marks are average grade and as long as I remember I haven’t been awarded for anything, I…” Grace was cut off.

“Grace! Listen to yourself, why do you look down on yourself? When it comes down to saving others when they are in desperation, no one cares about your marks in Hogwarts. Sometimes the things we do that helps others when they're in despair is much more valuable than the marks we receive when we're in school. You won’t need trophies and letters of appreciation to let you know the value of your deed. The greatest award is when you save others when they’re in desperate need for help and in return see them happy and safe. What goes around, comes around. Think about the many children that will be saved, the families that will reunite and most importantly the safety that you can bring to this planet,” he finished, slightly out of breath, though the excitement and the desperate plea in his voice was not hard to catch.

“Are you done? But now tell me this Mr. ‘I know it all’, how am I exactly supposed to save this planet, save everyone’s life, reunite families, bring peace on earth and make everyone live happily ever after? It’s not so easy after all.” Grace said as she crossed her arms in front of her.

“You told me you were a witch. Then let’s see the witch in you! You have an advantage over muggles. They are defenseless and vulnerable. Witches and wizards on the others hand posses magic. For all we know they can dominate the world if they want to, though I’m not asking you to save this entire planet by yourself. Let’s be reasonable. You’re not that much of a superhero and we’re not talking about an action movie. This is reality, not a fairytale. There is no guarantee for happily ever afters. We can only rely on chance and hope,” he said tiredly. He suddenly seemed like a century years old. He looked like he was in some deep internal conflict though he was determined to remain focus and on topic.

“You gave me the book,” Grace said. It was not a question. She was stating a fact.

“Yes,” he replied without further explanation.

“Tell me, so how did you, ummm… die?” Grace asked slightly unsure of whether she should have brought up the topic.

“That can wait for later. For now I think I explained enough,” he answered avoiding to look in her eyes. “I’m Adam by the way. But of course I already know yours. Grace, I think it sounds very… graceful!” he said slightly uncomfortable, while looking down at his own feet.

“Oh um… thanks!” she replied slightly taken aback and not knowing what to say. As their eyes met, grass began to grow from the dry soil beneath their feet. A light breeze ruffled their hair. Light green leaf buds appeared on the tree branches. Soon the field was covered in grass as far as eye could see. Scattered dandelions blossomed profusely amongst the grass. Apples grew from the tree behind them and as Grace looked up at them utterly speechless, one fell down to her feet. She was tempted to pick it up though a feeling held her back. It all seemed surreal. Grace has seen and performed magic many times though this moment seemed even more magical.

“It seems strange, doesn’t it? I mean look at these trees, they’re the only ones seen in this vast field. They’re very close, yet too far. They’re rooted to the ground,” he was saying, his words trialing off. Grace reached out her hand towards his though before they could touch, she already left the scene. The last words that reached her ear were, “Meet me by the lake…”



-Ava. G-

great chapter

Ava!

Another great one and so fast! At least I don't have time to get impatient! I love that Grace is going to be a futuristic traveller rather than one that goes back in time to fix-up mistakes; it makes a change from the mundane.

I love your use of colour; it gives me great hope at a time when thing are looking pretty grim. (in the story). I also enjoy Grace's feistiness. She reminds me of another character that I truly enjoy. She doesn't put up with any "crap"!

I can't wait for your next chapter. Adam seems like a real doll. So, back to my original question... Will Grace and Adam become a couple...?

Great work! Can't wait for chapter 4!

Katie

Finally! Here is my 4th chapter. I enjoyed writing it. Again, please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for being such patient readers.

Chapter 4: Destiny Chooses You

September 1/2012

Life is but an endless journey on a never-ending road. To where it leads, or better to ask if it leads to any particular destination, you will never know. It is infinite and unpredictable. The unpredictability of it all is what makes it challenging, meaningful or even threatening. After all how would one come to test his abilities and prove himself against life’s difficulties if everything was achieved with ease? How one would understand pain, suffering, difficulty and lost to truly appreciate the value of happiness, victory, health, wealth and love? Without trouble life would be meaningless. There would be no determination to achieve anything. Your mind would be deficient and naïve.

Sometimes inexplicable events happen in your life which broadens your view on a matter. Certain events may even change the course of your life. You may be a survivor, and then you become the fighter. You may be insignificant, and then you become the centre of attention, or rather destiny chooses you. Destiny… can these odd events possibly be predetermined? If so, am I unwillingly drawn in something much greater than me, something beyond my capacity?



As Grace wrote the last words her hand became numb as tear drops fell down on the smooth surface of the parchment one by one. All along she was not aware of the tears she was holding back or the lump that had built up in her throat. It was 7:00 am and she had spent the night wide awake, lying there on her bed, wrapping her head around the surreal events that had happened the previous night. It all seemed like a dream, a fraction of reality from another world, separate from the world of reality as she understood it. Yet as she remembered the picture, everything then seemed more real than reality. It was him, more specifically his touch that made it true. This tangible feature could not possibly be an invention of her mind. She never knew such a feeling existed, to be so attached to this sense, to this warmth that made everything more real than reality. It was distinctly his hold on her hands that served as proof for the reliability of what she had experienced that night.

Grace’s soul had returned to her physical body as soon as she separated from Adam. It had been a minute before the clock stuck 12:00 so she was rooted to her bed nervously awaiting the earthquake to hit, though to her surprise the night went by peacefully without any disruption. The silence on the other hand was intense. Grace was usually annoyed by any sounds that interrupted her sleep though last night she was strangely hoping to hear a noise, some form of interference that would break the piercing silence. The ticking sound of the clock positioned on the wall was the only sound that could be heard.

Grace got up from her bed, slightly unsteady as she stood up on her legs. She held on to the bedside for support though her head was light with dizziness and she felt drowsy. She was still wearing her favorite polka dot blue pajama that went down her svelte body. Her shoulder length straight black hair was as dark as the night. Her delicate skin was as smooth as a flower petal and as radiating as the sun.

Carefully making sure not to wake up the rest of her family members she tiptoed out of her room, shutting the door behind her. Her younger brother’s room was right across her own and her parent’s master bedroom was positioned at the end of the hall on the second floor. A semicircle wooden staircase led down to the first floor from the middle of the hallway. Grace made her way across the hallway to the washroom on her left.

She was vacantly looking at her own reflection in the misty mirror for about a minute. Her exquisite beauty was concealed beneath the worry that was evident in her eyes. She had black bags under her eyes and her face was as pale as the blank wall behind her. The wetness of her eyes were still apparent. Her mystifying, grey eyes were one of her only physical feature that she was proud of. Other than that she considered herself ordinary and plain. She had a heart shaped face, a long, straight nose and full, red lips. One feature that always got on her nerves was the fact that she could blush easily. It often gave her away when she was lying or when she got embarrassed.

Deciding that her scruffy appearance would leave a bad impression on the first day of school, she undressed to take a quick morning shower that would reduce her drowsiness. She stood there beneath the cold pouring water for at least five minutes, gradually becoming more awake and conscious.



Grace was the last member of her household to sit by the round breakfast table that was positioned in the middle of their kitchen, in front of large glassed sliding doors that opened to their backyard garden. For now the curtains were drawn to both sides and bright daylight brightened their breakfast table. Murmuring an inaudible “good morning” to everyone sitting at the table, she sat down on her usual chair across the stove and poured some maple syrup on her pancake without looking up.

Barely paying any attention to her pancake she took five full minutes to cut it in six slices and patiently chew the first slice as she played around with the gush she created by pouring carrot juice in her brothers tea cup.

“Grace dear, are you okay?” Grace’s dad, Mr. Wilson said concerned as he studied Grace’s face.

“What? Oh yeah of course. Why?” Grace asked innocently as she quickly cleaned up the spill on the table.

“If you ask me she’s love sick!” Justin said teasingly while smirking beneath his fork.

“Can you ever shut up?” Grace asked him irritated.

“Grace, be nice! How many times have I told you guys not to speak while eating? It’s rude,” Mrs. Wilson said turning towards Grace.

“Yeah Grace, it’s incredibly rude to speak while…” Justin blurted out and was cut off by his father.

“That includes you too Justin!” Mr. Wilson insisted, taking a serious tone at Justin. At that they both became quiet until Mr. Wilson took out a copy of the Daily Prophet and began skimming through the headlines.

“That’s strange! Third powerful earthquake in a week and this time it’s in Liverpool. Apparently it struck 40 km east of the city centre on Thursday afternoon. The death toll is estimated to be 150 while the injured bodies are still being recovered,” Mr. Wilson continued as he turned the page.

“You don’t reckon all these natural disasters are related like the numerous volcano eruptions that occurred during the past months?” Mrs. Wilson asked concerned while pouring some more tea in her cup.

“How could it be? The movement of earth’s plates could trigger volcanic activity though only in rare cases. The earthquakes that were witnessed during the past weeks were scattered and in different continents.” Mr. Wilson explained taking his usual scientific tone. Grace however was not listening to what he was saying. Her mind had wondered to the images she had seen the night before. The face of the small innocent, girl came back to her mind and unintentionally tears ran down her heart shaped face.

“Grace what’s wrong?” her mother asked alarmed.

“Stomach ache,” Grace lied quickly.

“Honey you know you’re not a very good liar so just tell me the truth!” Mrs. Wilson responded while brushing Grace’s hair. She must have been blushing, Grace thought to herself.

“Darn it!” Grace said under her mouth.

“Sorry?” Mrs. Wilson asked clearly offended.

“Mom, really it’s nothing. I think I had enough breakfast. My stomach is really hurting,"

“You want a painkiller?” Mrs. Wilson asked apparently buying Grace’s lie.

“No thanks, I’ll be fine,” Grace lied. Deciding that she can’t keep her emotions under control, she got up to leave the kitchen.

“Actually we should all go get dressed. By the time we get to king’s cross it’ll be 10:00. Grace, Justin, have you packed your trunks?” Mr. Wilson asked the two while they both nodded.

“Already, I’ll take nachos and pickles outside while you guys get ready,” he said more to himself. Then he turned towards his wife. “Sweetheart I’d have to leave you guys early after I drop you off to the King’s Cross. The head of Department of International Magical Cooperation has asked us to arrange a meeting with the heads of International Confederation of Wizards. It requires some paperwork and a month worth of preparation. It’s a tough job. I’m not sure what the meeting is about though. They didn’t give us much info,” Mr. Wilson carried on jabbering while Grace and Justin headed upstairs.

“Grace is love sick, Grace is love sick! So tell me is he in your grade? Do I know him?” Justin picked on Grace while she aimed a good kick at his back.

“Hey watch yourself! What? Am I not supposed to deal with you now that you got a big guy watching after you?” he asked teasingly.

“Justin you’ll either shut up or I’ll let nachos loose on you. You know he likes licking your face!” Grace barked, knowing that this would make his brother stop joking.

“Ok now I’m out of here! Seriously I still don’t understand why you chose a fluffy, lazy cat as a pet. What good will it do other than eat and sleep all day? Now owls on the other hand are smart. Take for example pickles. He can make out the difference between you and a pig…” Justin was blabbering and at that he got a good smack on the back of his head.

“Justin, Grace, hurry up. It’s time to leave for King’s Cross. You don’t want the Hogwarts express to leave without you now, do you?” Mr. Wilson called from downstairs.



-Ava. G-

Wow... that was a great chapter. Keep it up!

great chapter

Ava!

Great chapter! At first, I thought I was at a philosophy lecture, great writng by the way, but once I realized it was Grace's reflections, I was greatly relieved! That was a great way to get a lot of important information across to your readers!

I really enjoyed the interaction you created between Grace and her brothrt, Justin... I guess brothers can be a real pain in the butt? Mine's a love...

I also liked the description of Adam's touch, as Grace feels it. I do believe there is romance in the air...? I can't wait until Grace meets Adam at the lake! How's she going to get there though... Hold on! Is it the lake at Hogwarts? Too cool!

Can't wait until the next chapter. I will be waiting...

Katie

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Sorry everyone for the delay of writing this chapter. I was really busy during the past week, but I hope that all your wait had been worth it. Let me know about what you think. I'd love to hear your comments as always.

Chapter 5: Truth or Lies

September 1/2012 – 10:30 am

“Mr. Potter, this is not the time,” a sturdy, tall man in his fifties spoke through a hollow, frosty tone. His tightened gaze was fixed on the man standing in front of him. He had thick lips, a slightly flat chin and a rounded jaw which resembled a pumpkin. He had rather a long shiny forehead and his ruffled, greasy grey/black hair was parted to one side of his head in an attempt to cover the baldness in the center which would have otherwise been exposed. The most eccentric feature of this man was perhaps the noticeable thin cut that went across his left eyebrow. Although the wound had been healed, it still left a white shaved line across his eyebrow where it was exposed.

Despite his peculiar appearance, he was often treated well by the other ministry members. No one ever dared to argue with him and they often gave in to his demands. Lancaster as he was called was egocentric, bitter and impolite, yet he had his ways of persuading others with his cleverness. Perhaps if it wasn’t for his wit he wouldn’t have been given the position of minister’s top adviser. Yet for now, he was taking pleasure in his temporarily role as the minister of magic.

A minute of intense silence followed the unprecedented disruption. Already for Lancaster as it seemed, the game was lost. No one ever disagreed with their hero, the reason that brought peace to their lives and the boy who lived; Harry Potter.

“Where is Kingsley Shacklebolt?” Harry purposely asked slowly but clearly, all the while his gaze fixed on the figure that he hated so much. Everyone watched in silence as the two men exchanged a meaningful look. Harry was 32 years old. His untidy jet balck hair had turned gray in some spots. He wore his favorite spectacle and a gold wedding ring on his left hand. The troubles and the stress of the years left their mark on his wrinkled forehead.

“You can’t possibly be saying what I assume you’re referring to?” Lancaster sneered. He smiled in disbelief turning back to the others questioningly. Everyone remained silent but a few looked confused at the change in topic.

They had been situated in a room where Harry had grown so accustomed to over the course of his years working in the ministry as the head of the Auror department. He had usually visited this room for one on one interrogation or for observing hearings which took place in front of a crowd of fifty or more wizards and witches in plum-coloured robes marked with an elaborate silver “W” on the left side of their chest. Percey Weasley's face was also apparant amongst the crowd. The circular walls of the courtroom 10 were designed with dark stones. The room was dimly lit and a few torches were placed around the room. The ceiling of this room was fairly high which usually gave the impression of being stuck at the bottom of a deep well to those who entered it.

Harry could vaguely remember once being situated in the same high chair with magical chains that was positioned in the centre of the room facing the ministry members before he began his fifth year at Hogwarts. Back then he was accused of conjuring a patronus in an attempt to scare his muggle cousin, Dudley. It was only then that Harry pitied the accused. Not everyone who ends up in this room under the title “a threat to the ministry” truly deserves this sort of treatment.

Harry let out a prolonged sigh through his nose. He closed his eyes and tried to relieve the stress that vibrated through his nerves. His hands were slightly shaking with anger and disgust. He had been summoned to the meeting that had been arranged at the Wizengamot. He had been positioned to the farthest left side of the row of chairs and now he was facing the judges' elevated balcony. At last he looked back up, staying rooted to where he stood and this time he spoke to the crowd.

“There have been times when the Wizarding World had been in danger. Men had overlooked the possible threats that could have been avoided beforehand. It seemed like only yesterday that Voldemort rose to power. He imposed threat not only on our lives but also a greater threat to the muggle world,” Harry continued as Lancaster let out an impatient moaning sound. Harry ignored that.

“As you all remember, the ministry, particularly in times of distress, decided to overlook these matters and covered up the news in the Daily Prophet,” Harry hinted as Lancaster held up a hand to silence him.

“Perhaps the ministry had been wrong in doing so but let me assure you Mr. Potter that for now nothing of that sort is imposing any threat on the Wizarding World. Everything is under control and we can’t allow a group of young, inexperienced seers to cause a distress in public. Now let me continue on where I left off before the interruption,” Lancaster spoke in a rush and carried on with his speech before Harry could speak another word.

“Ok now, as I was saying, you three ladies claim that you are capable of foretelling the future while record has it that you had not made any significant predictions in the past. You have no rank in what you claim to be an expert at nevertheless you have still decided that it is best to go around in public, warning people of the approach of ‘doomsday’. Am I right in saying so? Answer with yes or no. I don’t want to hear you jabbering on about nonsense,” Lancaster said indifferently as if taking part in a boring conversation. He skimmed through the papers that were placed in front of him and he carefully put on a square-shaped magnifying glasses on top of his fat nose, which made his unfriendly eyes look ten times bigger than their normal size.

“Please sir, we are not claiming anything. It is the truth. I’ve been an indigo child since the age of six. My parents trained me to be raised as a true psychic. What I usually predict, even if it is insignificant, comes true!” The youngest of the witches spoke amongst the three. She had been positioned in the centre of the women. Her long curly orange hair went down to her waist. She wore many beaded necklaces and bracelets though her appearance looked the most normal amongst the other two.

The other women placed at her right was withered and rather skinny. Her wrinkled skin was painted with scattered tattoos on her arms and legs. She wore a large round glasses which also magnified her already large eyes. Harry had a bizarre of image Trelawney, his old divination teacher when she announced Harry’s death many years ago. The old woman also seemed to be in some deep struggle to announce something unpleasant.

“I not good English Monsieur,” the old lady interjected before the minister could speak. He was already turning red, then purple and then a shade of blue with his rising anger.

“I see dead, fire, sick, trouble everywhere. The end, it comes soon. I tell you ze truth,” she shrieked. Harry found her rather frightening if not humorous. She stared into the minister’s face unblinking while licking her upper lip. Harry disliked that woman. She gave him the chills. Meanwhile the last women of the three positioned on the far left hand side remained quite. She wore a dark mascara with a dark brown lipstick. Her whole face was painted in makeup and she wore many earings and three lip piercings.

“You! Amelia Jenks. You have made several false prophecies in the past. Rumor has it that once you scared an old lady to death with your prediction of her death,” Lancaster spoke, this time with a slight smirk on the corner of his mouth. He must have found her amusing.

“Well she did eventually die, didn’t she? So I suppose I was right in predicting this one. No problem she already looked dead if you ask me. Why am I to blame?” Amelia responded in an undertone.

“Yes and here look everyone! As it seems this woman confesses her lack of ability. Which suggests that the other two are also lying,” Lancaster jeered, exposing his ugly yellow teeth. Harry wrinkled his nose in disgust. There seemed to be something unusual about this situation. How can an unknown seer admit to her lie so quickly? Why were the others still staying on their words while she passed the matter so ignorantly? She must have been hands with him, Harry thought. By the look on Lancaster’s face, he seemed to be enjoying the effect he had created. Several witches and wizards surrounding him giggled. The whole situation was taking the wrong turn, perhaps as Lancaster has intended.

“But what about the Mayan Calendar? What about Nostradamus’ predictions? What about the many other famous predictions made by well known psychics? Even some muggles spend years studying these prophecies and all the while the Ministry of Magic had kept these predictions with the Mayan calendar in the Department of Mysteries along with all the other junk that is thrown in there? Minister, why are you so determined to cover up the truth?” Harry asked once again, anger returning to his voice.

“Why, my dear old friend, there is no truth about this to cover up! You can’t possibly believe in all this rubbish! If our world were to end, it would have happened with the return of Voldem…” the minister was cut off.

“So this is your plan? To sit back and watch as someone risks his life to save others? Let me remind you, if it wasn’t for the few brave witches and wizards who sacrificed their loved ones while fighting the Death Eaters, the second Wizarding War would have meant the end of our good old peaceful years, the end of you. Before his mysterious disappearance, Kingsley Shacklebolt arranged a meeting regarding this matter with the heads of International Confederation of Wizards. I would like to see this appointment happening as soon as possible. I insist!” Harry spoke the last words with a trembling tone. He had already pushed the matter too far.

“And remind me again Harry who are you exactly to think so highly of your status and to tell me what to do?” Lancaster hissed, his gaze becoming as dangerous as those faces he managed to put on which often scared the other ministry officials.

“Wizards and witches of the Wizengamot, I leave this whole situation up to your own well judgment. I’m sure you all remember the result of ministry’s ignorance fifteen years ago. I’m sure you’ve all somehow been affected by the devastating war which tore many families as the result of ministries’ lack of nerve to take action. I’m just reminding you. You should know what’s best for all of us and prevent another disaster from happening. This time we may all be vulnerable. This time, it can mean the end of everything,” Harry whispered the last words though his words were heard clearly by every member of the council in the silent room.

“Oh for God’s sake Potter! Stop being too dramatic! All this long I thought you had some fraction of reason left in your mind!” Lancaster blurted out in irritation.

“Tell me minister; if it ever comes down to saving your own pants from what could possibly happen, will you bother giving your muggle neighbor a hand?” Harry asked through greeted teeth as he once again got up to leave.

Lancaster was taken aback at first. Then he remained silent for a few moments, sweat building up on his forehead, he gulped and with the strongest voice he could muster he said, “of course! I mean if it ever does happen which won’t ever happen,” he went on quickly, slightly confused by his own words.

Harry gazed into Lancaster’s eyes for a few moments, detecting an underlying secret which he was so good at keeping. Lancaster seemed to comprehend Harry’s meaningful gaze and stared back into the emerald green eyes of the boy who lived, the symbol of sacrifice and resistance.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile, Grace walked out from the wall that opened as a gateway from platform 9¾ to a train station which would lead her to one of her most favorite places in the world, Hogwarts.

The esteem engine of the Hogwarts Express roared into life and the distant voice of Mrs. Wilson shouted, “Grace get on! Quickly!”



-Ava. G-

Nice chappie! Don't worry about delaying... as long as it's not 2 months!

Ava!

Excellent chapter. That was a lot of information to digest, but I thoroughly loved it! I'm so glad you have incorporated a grown Harry Potter and made him, once again, a fighter for the good-side and muggles alike. I also loved the fact that at roughly 32 years old; Harry is already beginning to lose his hair... it shows that his struggles have affected his life and that he stresses enough to care about what happens in the world, muggle and wizarding alike.

I'll let you know now... I do not like that Lancaster character. Why is it that the blow-hearts and know-it-alls, always seem to wind-up in such positions of power? (Crouch and Umbridge... grrr)

I really look forward to your upcoming chapters. You have really begun to develop a very strong plotline. There is soon to be much going on; I'm sure. I look forward to seeing how you choose to intertwine the different sub-plots. I also can't wait until the return of Adam... I think Grace is looking forward to it too...

Keep up the great writing,
Katie

(oops! A slight misunderstanding over Harry's hair... my apologies to you and Harry!)

Katie! Let me assure you I was describing Lancaster as the one who lost most of his hair. The Harry in my mind is still handsome! But I agree he has gone through a lot of stress so I suppose he must have lost some hair too.

Yes my intentions are to create a strong plot line which involves the whole wizarding wold. It's not just part of Grace's worry. You'll see And yes I think Grace is a little impatient there. Too bad she just has to wait a little longer!!! Muhahahaha