The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

30. Dangerous Promises

Dioleh was suspended in water, her eyes closed. The decay on her body had stopped, also suspended in place. She opened her eyes, drawing in a harsh breath. She looked around her. There was nothing. It was empty space, the water not moving in any which way. She could tell, however, that she was in ocean water but there were no currents. She turned, looking for anything. She gasped, tears springing in her eyes. "Father!" she cried, rushing toward him. Arran smiled, his eyes also filled with tears as he embraced his daughter. Pulling away, Dioleh saw that he didn't look as he had looked in life.

The white hair brought on by stress was blue and his wrinkles were gone. His eyes were lighter, his burdens gone. Behind him a woman was staring at her with a smile. Dioleh cried harder as she whispered, "Mom?" She nodded, tears in her own eyes. Alurina's long purple hair flowed lower than her waist and swirled around Dioleh as she embraced her daughter. Arran hugged both of them as Dioleh cried, her joy at being with her entire family for the first time in nine years overwhelming her. Arran and Alurina let go and Dioleh saw that there were hundreds of Sirens and Selkie around her. The Sirens were all either from a Hispanic tribe with mostly white hair or an African tribe with pastel coloured hair. The Selkie looked like the ones in the lake.

Looking at her parents, Dioleh asked, "What's going on?"

Cupping her cheek, Alurina explained, "Imani and Andre called upon their ancestors, as did Mucus and the other Selkie. These are them." Dioleh looked around at them all. From Imani's ancestors came a grave man. His hair was in long, light-blue dreadlocks and his eyes were electric blue, standing out against his ebony skin.

"We can send you back," he said gravely. "However, there will be a cost."

"What cost is that?" Dioleh asked, her voice quivering slightly.

"We never want this to happen again," he said. "We will gift you with all of our powers and send you back but you must end the oppression of our people."

"And what if she can't?" Arran asked, moving in front of his daughter protectively.

"Then she will lose her power forever," a wild-looking Selkie said. Dioleh drew in a deep breath.

"How long do I have?" she asked, her voice stronger than she was expecting.

"Five years," the man from before said.

"No, ten," a female siren interrupted. She was clearly from Andre's side with white hair and a grey tail and bronze skin.

Setting her jaw, Dioleh said, "I'll do it."

"Dioleh," Alurina protested, looking at her daughter fearfully.

"Mom, I can do this," Dioleh said. "I'll come back to you one day, but I'm not ready yet."

"Good," another of Imani's ancestors said. Looking down, Dioleh saw the effects of the curse fade away and a cold, bluish light run up her arm and to her chest. Each ancestor sent a ball of light towards her and she absorbed it, taking it in. She felt something swelling in her chest until finally, she found herself emerging from the lake with a harsh gasp. At the other side of the lake, Sirius and Harry were crouched down in front of dementors.

Dioleh had barely caught a glimpse of what was happening when she felt the effect of the dementors rush over her. She felt cold. The lake surface froze around her and she had to quickly go underwater to not get frozen in place. Dioleh, as if on instinct, lifted her hands towards the ice. Instantly, it shattered, exploding all around her and sending waves of water at the dementors. Dioleh felt the water rise around her, lifting her to face them. She had no idea what she was doing as she fought against them.

Her eyes blazed electric blue and she sent powerful waves after them. They retreated, going back wherever they had come from as Dioleh was moved to the shore by Harry and Sirius, who had both passed out. She crashed onto the shore, changing forms. Instantly, she passed out.

⥖✦✧⦽✧✦⥗

Hushed voices reached Dioleh's ears as she woke. "Shocking business, shocking," a familiar voice was saying, but Dioleh couldn't place it. "Miricle none of them died. Never heard the like, by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape."

"Thank you, Minister," Snape replied.

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say," Fudge said. "First Class, if I can wangle it!"

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."

"Nasty cut you've got there," Fudge said. "Black's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, and Granger, Minister..."

"No!" Fudge exclaimed in surprise.

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately," Snape explained. "A Confundus Charm, to judge their behaviour. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape. They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now. I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves and of course, Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of licence by the headmaster-"

"Ah, well, Snape, Harry Potter, you know, we've all got a bit of a blind spot when it comes to him," Fudge replied. "What I still don't understand is the other Granger girl and the other two. What were they doing there? You didn't mention seeing them in the Shrieking Shack."

"I believe Ms. Granger was looking for her adopted sister, possibly in an attempt to protect her. She might have figured out Potter's plan and been trying to help. She has always been close to Kanumba and Rodreguez, that is likely why the two of them were there. However, I believe she sent Ms. Kanumba and Mr. Rodrequez ahead of her as they were in the shack," Snape said. "It is a shame they were so badly hurt." Dioleh opened her eyes at that and looked over for her friends. She sat up with a groan and saw Imani in a bed next to Andre. Andre, it appeared, had been beaten up and Imani had been slashed by something, leaving four long scars along her neck and chest.

"Imani, Andre," Dioleh said, moving over to them, wincing slightly.

"Granger," Madam Pomfrey protested, moving from Ron over to her. "You need to lie down. You broke a rib. It's still healing. Don't worry about Black. They're about to perform the Dementor's Kiss-"

"Madam Pomfrey-" she began before processing what she had said, but before she could speak, Harry shouted, "WHAT?" and the door burst open and in came Fudge and Snape. Harry and Hermione jumped out of bed and Dioleh realized what she had just been told.

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" Fudge said. "You should be in bed. Has he had any chocolate?"

"Minister, listen!" Harry shouted desperately. "Sirius Black is innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's-"

"Harry, Harry, you're very confused," Fudge said. "You've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control-"

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry shouted back. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

"Minister, listen please!" Hermione added, a little calmer. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and-"

"You see, Minister?" Snape said. "Black's-"

"Professor please," Dioleh said. Snape looked up at her for the first time. Harry looked at her with hope. If Snape was going to listen to any of them it was going to be her, since she wad the only conscience Slytherin present. "They're telling the truth! Sirius Black is innocent!"

Fudge yelped, looking at her like she was mad as he said, "He got her too!" The door behind them opened and Dumbledore appeared.