Seeker Coins

After we ate breakfast I went back to my room and prepared the presents for my other friends. Shy got a bit of a workout going to and from people's houses for the entire afternoon.

After getting the presents out I decided I should go and give Sis her present. I knock on the door to hear music coming through the door.

Hey Jude, don't make it bad...

Take a sad song and make it better

Remember to let her into your heart

Then you can start to make it better

Hey Jude, don't be afraid...

You were made to go out and get her

The minute you let her under your skin

Then you begin to make it better

She doesn't open the door so I knock louder. After another few seconds, the music stops and she finally opens the door.

"So you finally came to give me my Christmas present?" She has a big grin as she rests against the door frame.

"Heh, yeah but first why aren't you listening to Christmas music on Christmas?" I ask inexplicably confused.

She ponders for a second "Because I've never really liked to idea of Santa Claus and Christmas music doesn't really do it for me."

"To each their own I guess… Alright to give you your present we have to go into the backfield, I don't want Auntie to find out." I check the hall then lean over to peer down the stairs making sure Auntie isn't around.

"Ooooo still so secretive… but do we have to go outside? It's still snowing." She pouts a bit in a childish manner.

"Yeah, there isn't enough room in here."

"Is my present that big?"

"No, but I have to show you something as well."

Her brows raise at my words "Is it about how you know reducto? Because I know damned well I didn't teach you it."

"Ehhh. You heard about that?" I shrink back a bit a little.

"Yup, heard about it for about an hour from Mom. Caught it in between her ranting about how irresponsible I am and how bad of an influence I am." She gives me a glare.

"Sorry Sis.' I put my head down. "But you know how well it would have gone over if I told Auntie I practiced offensive magic by myself without permission."

She sighs and rolls her eyes "It's fine, let me go get my jacket." she leaves the door open as she goes back into her room to get her jacket from the wardrobe.

I let out a sigh of relief seeing that she isn't mad. I pat my pocket to make sure I have the coins in my pocket.

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As we make our way out back I can see Sis is getting more and more curious about her present. Once we are around 200 feet away from the house I stopped and turned to Sis Dora. I see her hair has now turned a bluish-white like the snow surrounding us.

She raises an eyebrow at my sudden stop. I reach into my pocket and walk up to her as I pull out the coins.

She looks at the coins confused "Enchanted coins?"

I clear my throat "To be more precise they are called 'Seekers Coins', they are a pair, just hold onto it tightly and say my name and I'll know where you are. It is meant to be a safety net in case you get hurt on the job, you graduate to be an apprentice Auror soon and I want to make sure you are safe." My face is a bit red as I am speaking.

She has a big funny grin on her face until she seems to realize something. "How is this a safety net if it just tells you where I am?"

I realize I got ahead of myself "Oh, because I can do this." I take out my wand and apparate a few feet away.

When I reappear I see her eyes have gone wide and her mouth is hanging open in awe. "Sis?" I ask apprehensively.

"How do you know apparition?! It isn't taught until 6th year and even then I'm not even that good at it, you didn't even make a breeze!" She is basically yelling at this point. She holds her head as she begins to mutter. "My 3 years of hard work were for nothing."

I rub the back of my head "I kind of just felt like I could do it so I tried and it worked first try. That's how a lot of magic is for me… except for Transfiguration I for some reason have a bad imagination."

"That is just downright cheating! It took me weeks to be able to even apparate a few feet! Not to mention to be able to do it safely!" She genuinely seems upset.

I just keep my wry smile and continue "And as to why it would be a safety net is because of this." I point my wand towards a tree where the field and forest meet 30 feet away.

"Confringo" A ball of fire spews out of the end of my wand in a straight line at the tree. It hits the tree and the flames creep up the trunk splintering the wood as the flames travel. In only a second the once 15-foot tree is a pile of wood chunks and the path leading to the tree is clear of snow.

Again Sis is starting wide-eyed baffled at what just happened. As if to push the point I cast again "Reducto" a red beam flies from my wand striking the charred just above my first hit. From the point it hits the tree trunk is reduced to a fine mist of wood about five feet down to the ground and well up into its branches.

With a soft thud, the branches fall on the snow-covered ground. After a second or two she snaps out of it and mumbles "Maybe you are the next Dark Lord."

"Heyyyy that isn't even a good joke," I say exasperated looking at her with a bit of concern.

She laughs at my reaction "I'm kidding." she walks up to me and gives me a hug.

"Thank you, for being worried about me." She grabs one of the Seeker Coins from my hand. "If I get into trouble I'll think about it." She gives me a wink and starts walking back towards the house.

I give a sigh of relief that it went well.

I hear her yell from in front of me "And don't tell Mom you can apparate, she will KILL you!" her concern makes me smile.

I look around and reminisce in my memories, this is where Sis first taught me Incendio just a few months ago. Thinking about that I remember the article talking about me, the one calling me the next dark lord.

It mentions in great detail me practicing magic right here before going to Hogwarts. Rita Skeeter, the woman who wrote that article, how could she possibly know Sis and I were practicing out here? I mean it's not hidden but we aren't in sight of any other houses.

On a whim I decide to close my eyes and look for souls, just to make sure no one is spying on us. With virtually no expectations I focus on my enhanced 'vision' but I'm quickly shocked.

There is a moderate-sized pure white human soul not even 40 feet away from me in the forest. But the forest isn't very dense I would for sure see someone there. Especially since my eyesight should be near the limit of a normal human. I open my eyes once again and walk in the direction I saw the soul, it doesn't move as if it knows I can't find it. It is wrong.

As I enter the forest I look around and see absolutely no one. I am currently standing in front of the tree I saw them at so I close my eyes and check again… THEY ARE LESS THAN A FOOT IN FRONT OF ME. I open my eyes but all I see is a tree, a very normal tree. I closely scan the tree until I notice a beetle is sitting on it, a beetle… in winter?

I pick it up, it struggles but I don't let it go, "Rita… Skeeter... Really? ON CHRISTMAS DAY!?" It stops struggling as if confirming my suspicion.

"Wow, how lucky of you to be an insect animagus and a journalist… man, I really don't know what to do with you. I don't wanna kill you since I'm not really into killing innocent people." I say to myself conflicted as to what to do.

"How about this, I won't let anyone know you are an unregistered animagus. In return, you can't make up stories saying I'm the next 'Dark Lord'. Deal?"

The beetle buzz's as if accepting the offer.

I nod and as I'm about to let go I say "If I see an article about me I'll feed you to my owl." I let her go and start walking back towards the house. The beetle quietly sits on the tree where I left it with its head looking up at me. I ignore it as it's ruining my festive mood.