Lucy Snape and the Return of Lord Zuc (Book Four)

Last Minute Tension

Chapter 41: Last Minute Tension

At the start of summer, Hogwarts couldn’t have been quieter. The kids where still locked in classrooms, desperate to get out. When they heard the bell, the hallways exploded everywhere.

Children sprinted and laughed as the last ever lesson ended, summer had come and was going to stay as long as possible. Seventh years thanked they’d survived potions and they also had a summer prom to look forward too while everyone else was going to enjoy the sunshine.

All except Lucy.

She came out after everyone else. She walked silently down the stone corridor and past the garden that had swarms of black. She had a couple of hours before the train had to leave, she might as well see her friends and then pack, she’d rather Snape pack first, so she didn’t have to face his sorry looks.

Lucy sped past some rowdy boys and to the black lake. She shuddered as she remembered the coldness and density of it all, the mermaids and…

“Lucky Lu!” George snorted as he sat underneath the tree. Lucy faked smiled and trotted over quietly “Fredrick’s been looking for you.”

“I’ve been studying the wonders of pool dragons,” Hermione said through her book, not looking up to her. George whistled a tune while Lucy sat down next to him.

“George, where is Fred exactly?”

“Right here!” he jumped from behind a hedge. This didn’t amuse Lucy, looking like smacked arse.

“Give it up, mate,” George mumbled as he tried to make her laugh, until he fell into the lake. This caught everyone’s attention, but they all turned back after he spluttered back to life.

“I’m not looking forward to summer,” Harry moaned and banged his head. “I’ve got loads of potions homework.” But Lucy knew this wasn’t the case a all. It was because Voldemort had risen. He knew what he was facing now, and Lucy did too. Zuc was more terrifying than she’d ever thought, politely quiet but everlasting bathed in sin.

“I’m up in this tree,” Shona said simply as she swung from a tree branch. Lucy waved to her as she tossed herself about, mumbling the mission impossible theme tune.

“I’m doing nothing this summer, well, panicking really, so,” Lucy mumbled

“You’ll be fine, Lucy, you’ve only got to save the entire race of wizards in the whole wide world from some master knight who wants to destroy magic,” George said calmly.

“Thanks, George,” Lucy mumbled, not feeling any better.

“Why you anyway? You’re just like Harry, how are you going to stop a full six foot man with an ingenious brain from wiping wizard kind out completely?” Hermione sighed.

“I don’t really know,” Lucy sighed again, Shona still mumbling until she fell out the tree.

“Don’t feel so bad! So what he saw you! He can’t get us yet! Can he?” Shona asked from a dirt pile.

Shona had a point; there was no way for Zuc to touch them or anyone else without Merlin’s orb. As long as they had it, no one could touch them. Maybe Kingston could come through because he was not a knight, he wasn’t the big deal, the army that awaited was a more serious matter.

After an hour of messing around they were all sent back to their rooms to pack. Lucy walked down to the dungeons in silence, the kid’s screams floating away above.

Lucy opened the steel doorknob carefully, but the door creaked open, spoiling her entry. Snape heard her and looked up from his desk.

“How can you still write at this time?” Lucy said to him. Snape put the quill back into the inkpot and looked up to her.