An Unlikely Savior ~ (Edit) COMPLETED

Chapter 28 ~ The Broom Hits the Fan

“I can’t believe this!” Hermione exclaimed to Ron as she read the owl post delivered from Hogwarts. Ron looked up from his supper.

”What’s it say?” he asked.

”It’s from Hugo. He says that Eileen invited him on a broom ride with her, and Rose came and tried to make him go back to the castle, and when he wouldn’t she told the other Gryffindors that Eileen kidnapped him and sixteen of them went after her, while Hugo was still on the broom—“

”What?” Ron exclaimed.

”Yes,” Hermione said nodding, “and there’s more. James and Albus knocked both of them off the broom and Eileen was surrounded and everyone started shooting hexes at her. She barely managed to get away after hexing James.”

”My word. She must be good to get past that many Gryffindors,” Ron said with a low whistle.

”That’s not the point. I can’t believe Rose would set the whole house on Eileen when she was just trying to bond with Hugo. What’s wrong with her?”

Ron shrugged.

“Maybe she just doesn’t trust Eileen,” he said.

”Even so, that doesn’t warrant what she did, Ron. Eileen is her sister. You don’t set people on your own flesh and blood. Honestly.”

“Well, as long as no one was hurt,” Ron said, returning to his meal.

”Rose is going to have to answer for this,” Hermione fumed. “She’s making Eileen feel unwelcome. I don’t want her doing that.”

Hermione walked over to her writing desk and took out a piece of parchment. Scowling, she began writing furiously. When she was finished, she pulled out her wand and hissed a spell. The parchment folded into an envelope, then turned bright red.

Ron walked into the living room and looked at the letter she held in her hand.

”A howler, Hermione?” he asked her, paling a little. He had hated getting howlers when he attended school.

”You bet your bum it’s a howler,” Hermione replied, her eyes narrowed. “And she’ll get it first thing in the morning.”

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Rose had a restless night, tossing and turning in her bed, dreaming about Eileen and Hugo surrounded by Gryffindors—big Gryffindors like giants, roaring at them and pointing their wands as they huddled close to each other. It was awful.

She woke up several times in the night, knowing that it was her conscience bringing the unpleasant dreams. She was going to have to apologize to Eileen for what happened, even though she kind of brought it on herself by taking Hugo the way she did. Still, no one would have gone after her if she hadn’t said what she did. But she was mad when she said Eileen kidnapped Hugo and just venting her frustration. But Albus took it to heart, and no one listened after that.

Rose couldn’t have defended Eileen adequately without saying who she was, and her parents told her not to do that. Besides, she still didn’t want anyone to know. It would come out eventually, but she’d rather it happened later than sooner. Maybe at the end of the year where there’d be a two month break and she wouldn’t have to hear all the questions people would have.

She’d apologize to Hugo too, if he’d accept it. She was sure Eileen wouldn’t, but she could at least make the effort and tell her she wouldn’t interfere any longer, as long as she was careful with Hugo.

She dressed for breakfast and waited for Hugo as usual. When he descended the stairs, he walked right past Rose as if she were invisible. She knew he saw her by the stiff way he was walking, but she didn’t say anything. She just followed him down to the entrance hall and into the Great Hall.

Eileen was seated at the Slytherin table and saw Hugo walk in, his face in a scowl. Rose came in afterwards and cut her eyes toward Eileen, who was buttering toast. She didn’t look up although she was aware of her sister’s glance.

Rose waited for Hugo to sit down, then sat across from him as she usually did. The little Gryffindor pointedly stood up and moved down the bench. Rose sighed.

The other Gryffindors filled up the table. Hugo wasn’t speaking to any of them either. When his roommates asked him what happened, he muttered “nothing,” and went to bed.

Eileen saw Hugo seated away from his sister. He was still mad at her. Eileen didn’t blame him. Make her suffer, Hugo.

As Rose pulled plates from her, the owl post arrived, owls dropping letters, newspapers and packages down on the student. A letter fell in front of her, and she went pale as did the students sitting around her.

”That’s a howler,” a first year said, pointing at Rose’s letter.

Hugo looked up with interest now. Good. Mum sent Rose a howler. He hoped it was good and loud.

Rose stared at the red letter as smoke began to waft out of the edges. Suddenly, it rose, forming a mouth and yelling at her in Hermione’s voice, amplified several times so it rang through the Great Hall.


“ROSE JEAN WEASLEY! HOW COULD YOU? YOUR BROTHER HUGO OWLED ME LAST NIGHT AND TOLD ME WHAT YOU DID! HOW COULD YOU INTERFERE LIKE THAT, KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW? THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN VERY BAD, AND YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF SETTING YOUR HOUSEMATES ON A SINGLE PERSON!”

Rose reddened and sank down in her seat as everyone heard her mother’s chastisement. Most people didn’t even know what was going on. Eileen was watching and listening with raised eyebrows. Mum didn’t waste any time, did she?

“YOU WILL SEND YOUR FIREBOLT HOME IMMEDIATELY AND IT WILL REMAIN HERE UNTIL THE START OF THE NEXT TERM. I EXPECT YOU TO CONDUCT YOURSELF PROPERLY, ALLOW HUGO HIS SPACE AND ABOVE ALL TO APOLOGIZE TO EILEEN FOR HAVING HER ATTACKED WITHOUT REASON!”

She was going to apologize to Eileen anyway. Oh, this was just awful. All she could feel was eyes on her, from the teachers, to the students to the house ghosts. Hugo was nodding in agreement with his mother’s lecture. The howler then slowly spun as if focusing on everyone else seated at the table.

“YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES, EVERY ONE OF YOU, INCLUDING JAMES AND ALBUS. YOU ARE RUINING THE GOOD NAME OF GRYFFINDOR WITH YOUR ANTICS AND BULLYING! THINK ABOUT THAT! ALL OF YOU!”

James and Albus also reddened as Hermione identified them. In fact, every Gryffindor that had surrounded Eileen the night before was good and red. The howler then turned toward Hugo, its voice lowering a few decibels.

“And Hugo, feel free to associate with whomever you choose. Luv mum.”

The howler turned back toward Rose and exploded into ribbons. Then laughter erupted from the other tables at Rose getting a howler from her mum as the witch wished she could just disappear without leaving. She looked over at Eileen, who was looking down into her plate and shaking her head slowly.

That had been highly embarrassing. She might have felt sorry for Rose if she wasn’t such a jealous prat. Well, the good thing was it seemed her mum wasn’t going to play favorites. Eileen went back to eating. No doubt Rose would be slinking around waiting to give her an insincere apology. She might as well save it. Giving an apology because your mum said to, was worse than not giving one at all.

From the Ravenclaw table, Alsop was looking at Rose with narrowed eyes. He hadn’t heard anything about what happened yesterday because he was busy studying for an upcoming test and hadn’t yet talked with Eileen. But that howler suggested something went down very bad between Eileen and Gryffindor house involving James and Albus as well as Rose. It centered around Hugo.

It had taken a few hours for Alsop to absorb what Eileen told him. She was aunt Hermione’s daughter. That was amazing. She was kind of a part of his family. Alsop was glad it wasn’t by blood however, because he was sweet on Eileen and determined to be her boyfriend one day. It didn’t matter that they were cousins by marriage to him.

They’d just have to be “kissing cousins.”

He was going to find out what was going on right after breakfast.

When Eileen left the Great Hall, Alsop followed her, and exited just in time to see James storm up to her. He had three inches on Eileen, who frowned up at him.

”What do you want, Potter?” she asked him.

”You hexed me,” he stated.

”Are all you Potters stuck on stating the obvious? It’s annoying,” she said, making as if to walk around him. He blocked her way.

”Hey, what’s going on here?” Alsop hissed, hurrying up to the pair.

”Your cousin seems to have a bone to pick with me. I hexed him last night after dodging about fifty fired at me by his housemates,” Eileen said evenly, not taking her eyes off the scowling wizard.

”Fifty? What’s she talking about, James?” Alsop demanded.

”She ran off with Hugo on her broom and we went after her,” James informed his cousin.

”We?” Alsop inquired.

”Sixteen Gryffindors,” Eileen said. “James knocked me off my broom and they surrounded me. I got away, of course, but I had to hex your cousin to do it.”

”It was a dirty hex. She was Disillusioned. I didn’t have a chance to defend myself, “ James growled.

”Are you nutters? Sixteen Gryffindors on one Slytherin? All of you deserved to be hexed if you ask me,” Alsop snapped furiously, his fists clenched.

Eileen looked at Alsop with an annoyed expression.

”I can handle this, Alsop,” she told him before turning back to James. “So, want to duel one on one so you can have a sporting chance at me? I’m perfectly willing to face you without your pack backing you up.”

Alsop’s face contorted.

”I—I don’t think you want to do that, James,” he said to his cousin as Eileen looked at him steadily. Hugo exited the Great Hall and quickly walked over.

”What’s going on here?” he demanded, scowling at James.

”Your cousin and I are setting up a duel date, Hugo,” Eileen said shortly, not looking at her brother.

Albus came out, then Lily, who stared at everyone with wide eyes.

”What’s going on?” she piped up.

Then Rose exited, her eyes also wide as she ran up to the gathering. Eileen looked at her for a moment.

”I see the gang’s all here, now,” she said witheringly

”What’s happening here?” Rose demanded.

”James is trying to duel Eileen,” Hugo said, standing by Eileen’s side staunchly.

”Duel Eileen? Why?” she gasped.

”Because I got the drop on him last night,” Eileen replied. “It seemed sixteen to one wasn’t good enough odds to protect him, now he’s out for revenge, the twit.”

”What did you call me?” James snarled at her, pressing forward. Alsop inserted himself between them.

”You’re not going to touch her, James. Back off,” he said evenly.

“Or, what? You’re going to stop me, Soppy?” James sneered at him.

Soppy was Alsop’s nickname. It was only used when someone wanted to piss him off. Alsop shoved James back as hard as he could, his brother staggering.

”Why you—“ James hissed, running up and grabbing Alsop. They began to fight.

”Stop it! Stop it!” Rose cried, trying to pull them apart. Little Lily tried to help but got pushed to the floor. She started crying. Eileen silently pulled her to her feet and moved the little witch behind her as Hugo and Albus tried to break up the two brothers. People exiting the Great Hall were forming a circle around them, chanting “Fight! Fight!”

”Stop it!” Rose screamed as Alsop hit James squarely in the nose, blood bursting from it. “Please, just stop it! None of this is necessary. Please!”

But they kept fighting, Alsop’s lip bleeding now. Rose looked at Eileen desperately. Her sister looked back, seeming unaffected by all the mayhem, although she wanted to help Alsop. Rose blinked at Eileen, then looked back at her battling cousins. She had to stop this once and for all. Sorry, mum.

“Stop it! There’s no sense fighting about Eileen! James, you can’t duel her. She’s—she’s my sister!” Rose yelled at the both of them.

Her words stopped them cold. In fact, they stopped everyone cold. They all looked at Rose, grapplers and audience alike.

”She’s my sister, and Hugo’s brother. She had every right to be with him yesterday. I was—was just mad at her. At both of them,” Rose admitted.

James wiped the blood from his nose and stared at Eileen.

”Are you sure, Rose?” he asked her.

”Yes, I’m sure. I’ll tell you more later—in private. So, just stop fighting. Both of you,” Rose said tiredly, very aware of the shocked, silent students around them

Rose looked at Eileen.

“Eileen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to get out of hand,” Rose said to her sister, who looked at her stonily.

”Well, it’s out of hand now, isn’t it? Have fun explaining. I’m off to Slytherin,” Eileen said coldly, turning and shouldering her way through the crowd around them, heading for the dungeons.

Hugo stood staring at his sister.

”Rose,” he said in a low voice. “You told.”

”I had to Hugo. This was going to get worse before it got better. I’m really sorry about what happened yesterday, but I really was concerned about you,” she told her brother. “I know I’m not the best sister in the world, but I still love you.”

Hugo blinked up at her.

”I’m glad you told me this now, rather than later, Rose,” he said to her softly.

”Why, Hugo?” she asked him, her eyes shining.

”Because,” he said soberly, shaking his head. “Mum’s going to kill you, that’s why.”

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A/N: Thanks for reading.