The Dias Club
Atari Zeller stared at the judge, her eyes wide and
unblinking. How could this be happening? The fat little judge wiped his
sweating brow with a chubby hand. He
hated cases like these!
"A-Atari Z-Z-Zeller," he sputtered nervously,
watching Darius Prince eye him with contempt. " Y-you have been f-found guilty
in a number of c-cases, including terrorizing Albus Dumbledore's emergency
m-meeting, resulting in, in the d-d-deaths of Messrs. Samuel B-Braxten and
C-Clyde Witherstom. These are r-really serious c-charges, Miss Zeller. Other
l-lesser accusations include the n-numerous injuries caused to aurors
d-d-during your capture, and the many r-robberies you and your h-heinous
friends have c-committed."
At the word 'heinous' Darius Prince made a rude
gesture at the stuttering judge, and grinned evilly as a guard walked up and
handcuffed him, clearly upsetting the already shivering official.
"A-as I w-was saying," the judge continued. "As I
w-was s-saying…. uh as I-I w-was-oh hell, somebody tie him up and take him
away!" the judge broke down, and glared at the troubled youth.
Darius smirked. "Can't take it, sir?"
"Get him out of here!"
Darius was led away laughing. The judge sat down
again, breathing heavily. He looked at his papers.
"Now. W-where was I? Oh. Y-yes. Miss Z-Zeller, I
b-believe we were d-discussing your p-p-punishment. As you are under the a-age
where you w-would be c-considered an a-a-adult, you cannot go t-to A-Azkzban.
Instead y-you shall b-be inducted into H-hogwarts School of W-witchcraft and
Wizardry, incidentally the v-very h-headmaster whose e-emergency meeting you
s-sabotaged. You a-are t-to be watched c-constantly by an A-auror. T-that is
all."
Atari nearly fainted at the verdict. She would rather
have gone to Azkaban! Instead, she was to be dumped into Hogwarts, the very
last place on Earth that she should be! ******
Dragon Parker stuck his hands into his pockets and
tried desperately to think of something to say. "It's not that bad, Star. I
mean its school, how bad could it be?"
"You never went to school."
"Well I had my reasons."
Atari rolled her eyes at him. Dra looked away. The
Hogwarts Express emitted a puff of steam.
"Well I guess this is goodbye?"
"Sure."
"Lighten up, Star! It's not that bad! At least you're
not rotting in Azkaban with Darius and Tevon! Or on the run, like Dmitri! Just
count whatever blessings you have, and thank the lucky star that you must have
been born under!" Dra paused, completely out of breath. Atari frowned.
"And you? What about you Dra? You're not in Azkaban,
you're not running, and you're not under constant supervision! From my view
you've got it pretty good!"
Dra winced. "Star, Come on! Use your brains! I'm not
exactly free. Everybody will know who I am. Not under constant supervision?
Star, I bet that stuttering bloke has got ten Aurors following me everywhere!"
"I have to go now Dra. I'm going to miss the train."
"Bye Star."
"Bye."
Atari boarded quickly, trying to hide the tears that
were coursing down her face. She
collapsed in a seat and buried her face in her arms, letting every little thing
that had gone wrong in the past two weeks, from the capture to her last
argument with her best friend come out in torrents from her eyes and heart.
"Why are you crying?"
Atari jumped, startled, to
find three kids about her age standing around her, looking confused.
"What do you mean?" she asked, frantically wiping her
eyes.
"Why were you crying?" The speaker was a girl with
bushy brown hair.
"I wasn't."
"We just saw you!" a tall boy with bright red hair
exclaimed.
Seeing that she was defeated, Atari shrugged. "It was
nothing."
"Ok. Whatever." The three looked at each other. Atari
drifted off into the dream that she had been having every time she slept for
the past two weeks.
Crash.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know. Where is Zekk?"
"I don't know…"
"Run!"
"Why?"
"Just run!"
Atari stumbled down the stairs, and hurried towards
the emergency exit at the back of the house. Darius was already there, his eyes
darting around frantically. "Where are Zekk and Cal? Everybody else is
waiting!" Atari cringed as another burst of light illuminated the hallway
behind them.
"Wake up."
"W-what?"
"We're
here. We're at Hogwarts." The girl with bushy hair was leaning over her. The
two boys were standing at the door, looking impatient. Atari groaned and got up
and walked over to the door, feeling dizzy. Hogwarts Castle loomed in the
distance, large and black and threatening. ***
