TBAY: Filch's Double-Cross

[Risti]

No: HPFGUIDX 46017

Unseen to the rest of them, a young woman had been sitting in a dark 
corner by herself, listening to the whole conversation.  As the door 
to George's Pub closed, Risti couldn't contain herself anymore.  For 
awhile she had been completely content to just sit in the corner of 
the room, sip her butterbeer, and just bask in the presence of not 
only Jo Rowling, but *the* Captain Cindy as well, but as the young 
girl had sulked, completely dejected out the door, she realized she 
had to step in.

"Excuse me," she dared to approach Jo Rowling, keeping in mind that 
despite what her mind may hold, she was still just human.

"Yes?" Jo asked, trying to figure out why all these strangers kept 
coming up to her.

"Not another greenhorn," Risti heard Cindy mutter, but decided to 
ignore her.  She'd encountered Cindy before, and seen that she could 
be faced up to.

"I was just wondering how many of those you've had tonight?" she 
gestured towards the nearly empty glass in front of Jo, "Because I 
think our dear Captain Cindy might be taking advantage of your state 
of mind."

"What?" questioned Jo, confused.

"What!" shrieked Cindy, quite perturbed.

"Captain, really, I'm ashamed of you," Risti said, knowing her words 
were going to only antagonize the prideful captain more, "I know 
you're scared your ship won't survive through the storm, but I didn't 
think that even you would sink so low as to try and influence the 
creator of the storm to avoid your corner of the bay."

"I hardly think that that's what was going on," Cindy protested.

"Oh really?" Risti asked, her eyebrows raised, "George," she called 
behind the counter, "Sorry to bother you when you're all cleaned up 
and everything, but do you think you could bring me a canon?"

"A canon Miss Risti?" George called from the back, "Why don't you try 
this for now, I'd just made it up for myself, and I'll get right on 
that canon."

"Thank's George.  I think this might just hit the spot," Risti said 
with a wink to the bartender.  It hadn't taken her long to realize 
just who she needed to know in this port.  Taking a sip, there was 
suddenly a large bang.  Cindy will enjoy that, Risti thought, right 
before the voices started filling the room.

"And she told you that your predictions were `scarily close,' isn't 
that right Mattie.  So what kind of things did you predict?"

The voice then changed from the artificial woman's voice with a 
twinge of fake British accent to that of a young boy.

"Well, I heard that the next book is called Order of the Pheonix.  I 
figure, what with Voldemort coming back and all, crazy things are 
going to happen.  Muggles are going to get into the wizarding world."

Risti took another sip of her drink as the other two around her tried 
to comprehend what had just happened.

"So?  Your point?" Cindy asked, obviously trying to sound sure of 
herself, but Risti could detect the shakiness creeping into her voice.

"Tell me Cindy," Risti drawled, "Where does the little boy mention an 
invasion?"

"Well, maybe he doesn't use the word invasion, after all, he's just a 
little kid, but he said clear as day that Muggles are going to get 
into the wizarding world.  Clearly that means that they're going to 
come in as an army that Flich organized and-"

"Miss Risti," George interupted Cindy's argument, "Here's your 
canon.  All ready now."

"Thank you George, you've always had perfect timing," Risti told him 
with a smile.  She noticed that both Cindy and Jo held their breath 
as she took the first sip.  Just like before, there was a loud bang 
before voices suddenly filled the air.

"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" said Mr Weasley 
indignantly, buyt he was distracted almost at once by the sight of 
Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that 
ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to 
introduce them.

"But you're Muggles!" said Mr Weasley delightedly. "We must have a 
drink!  What's that you've got there?  Oh, you're changing Muggle 
money.  Molly, look!' He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in 
Mr Granger's hand


The voice died out for a moment before continuing again

But it was a subdued group who headed back to the fireside in the 
Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, the Weasley's and all their shopping 
would be travelling back to The Burrow using Floo powder.  They said 
goodbye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle 
street on the other side.  Mr Weasley started to ask them how bus 
stops worked, but stopped rather quickly at the look on Mrs Weasley's 
face.

"Mmm, Chamber of Secrets, pages 47 and 52, British edition, very good 
choice George," Risti said as if nothing had happened.

"That," Risti turned back to the group at the sound of Jo 
speaking, `That's my voice!" she said in disbelief.

"Yes, it is," Risti told her with a comforting smile.  "See?  You 
didn't write yourself into a corner.  You left room for Muggles to 
come into the wizarding world."

"I suppose I did," she trailed off, still sounding unsure, "But I 
really hadn't planned on it happening."

"Well, not that I wouldn't love to see Arthur Weasley's Muggle loving 
nature turn out to save the day because he thought to involve Muggles 
in the fight against Voldemort, but you really don't have to.  Oprah, 
surprisingly, left you a scape-goat."

"She did?" Jo asked incredulously, "How
?"

"Well, all she ever said was that you said Mattie's predictions were 
scarily close.  I don't know if you actually did tell the kid any 
lies, or what your definition of scarily close is, but in my opinion, 
and probably that of most fans, it means that what Mattie sprouted 
out on national television could be mistaken."

"You're right!" Jo said excitedly over top of Cindy's grumbles.  "I 
don't have to do anything that little kid suggested to me.  I can 
easily get out this one.  That may not have been the case if the kid 
had decided to mention-"

Both Risti and Cindy's ears perked up to pay close attention to what 
Jo was about to say.

"Oops, almost spilled the beans there," she said with a sheepish 
grin, "Wouldn't you have just loved that.  Well, thanks for the fun 
ladies, but I'd best be going.  I have a lot of writing to do, you 
know."

"But Jo, what about the Bang?" Cindy suddenly erupted as if she 
couldn't hold it in anymore.  "There's no bang in dismissing what 
that kid said.  After all, isn't that what the whole series is 
about?  The Bang?"
Jo stopped and looked at Cindy, carefully thinking out her next 
words.  "Captain Cindy, I think that no matter what I write, you at 
least will be able to find `the Bang' in it.  That is, if your ship 
survives."  Her last words were laced with a hint of threat.

"What do you mean?" Cindy asked warily.

"You know exactly what I mean, Captain Cindy.  The storm is coming.  
Your world will change.  I can feel it the water, see it in the 
earth, smell it in the air.  Much that once was will be lost, for few 
shall live to tell the tale."  With that she turned to leave.

"Wait, Jo, will you ever come back to Theory Bay again?" Risti asked 
hopefully.

"I think I just answered that question," said Jo, and with that she 
walked out the door.

"Alright ladies, I kept the place open a bit late due to our special 
visitor, but I really should get home to the Missus before dawn," 
George told them from over the counter.

"We understand George," Risti told him, ready to drag Cindy out of 
their if she wouldn't go herself.  She followed quietly however, and 
the two walked in silence until they reached the point where Cindy's 
massive ship was docked.

"Who do you think you are, anyways?" burst Cindy in a tone that made 
Risti think she had been wanting to say it all night.  "You come 
here, just to convince Jo that she doesn't have to follow our 
theories?  You don't even have a boat of your own, you don't belong 
here!"

Risti looked at the heavily fortified boat that Cindy was about to 
board.  "She really does have you scared, doesn't she?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cindy snapped at the young woman in 
front of her.

Risti decided that a change in topic might be best.  "You know, I 
really do think that muggles coming into the wizarding world, or even 
invading it as you might call it would be a mighty cool thing.  I 
thought so as soon as I heard the kid mention it, and I wondered if 
it would come up here.  I just don't think that we need to add any 
stress onto Jo's life by trying to force her to write the book our 
way.  The storm's going to come, and no matter how well we prepare 
for it, no one knows who's going to survive, and who's going to 
drown."  Risti paused for awhile.  She had a feeling that underneath 
that image as a confident Captain, Cindy was as scared, and at the 
same time in anticipation of the coming storm as the rest of 
them.  "No, I don't have my own ship.  One of these days, when I get 
one built sturdy enough I might venture out onto the sea, but for now 
I prefer to just visit other people's ships, and make some friends 
there.  Maybe one day, if the winds are right, I might even take a 
visit aboard your ship.  I really do enjoy a good bang as much as the 
next person, you know."

~Risti, who is quite proud of her second foray into Theory Bay, and 
hopes that she won't get yelled at too much for daring to challenge 
*the* Captain Cindy...