AN: Hello! Juz wanted to try this one. I've never done something like this before and I don't know how you'd like it. The only way I would continue this story is well… REVIEWS! Amen? Good.
Summary:
Hogwarts has an underground past-time, a game that only the best and the wisest can play in… Patronus battling. The top dog of the game has a very unique patronus, a dragon. But no one knows who he is. LJ
Chapter 1
"Oi! Quit shoving!"
"Your shoulder is stuck on my rib!"
"Ouch! That was my foot!"
"Will you all shut up? Filch might hear us!"
"Well, according to the map, he's three floors above us and Norris is a feet above."
"A feet above? Sirius, even the common Englishman without education can spot the error on that one."
"Shhh. Gentlemen, I think this is it."
Four 15 year old boys suddenly appeared from thin air in front of an unnamed landscape painting in Hogwarts's ground floor. Just finding the painting was an extremely hard task. Since it was unnamed, it couldn't be found in any available map. Only rumors were heard of this painting, which only appeared at night.
"Lumos."
The boys marveled on the work of art in front of them. Nothing was so great about it. It wasn't a Picasso or Michaelangelo, just common scenery of a waterfall with tropical plants swaying softly around it. A few birds could be heard twittering, although none could be seen.
"So now that we've found it," one of them named Sirius said. "How do we get in?"
"Um… password?" a boy called Peter meekly suggested.
"No," the one called Remus said. "This isn't a portrait so it can't grant entrance through passwords. We may have to do something to it to make it open."
"Just like the pear in the kitchens?" James, the leader, inquired.
"So we tickle something?"
"Not necessarily."
"So what do we do?"
"Shhh. Someone's coming."
They unlit the lighted wand and hid themselves under the invisibility cloak. The footsteps could be heard clearly now. They thanked Sirius's sensitive hearing for saving them. Minutes later, they saw the outline of a hooded figure come closer. Judging by the height and posture, it was a boy. He stopped in front of the painting and just stared at it.
The boys were astounded as the painting slid upwards to admit the figure. Then it closed instantly, only giving the boys a peek of a torched hallway with stone bricks.
Once the figure was gone, the boys revealed themselves once more.
"What was that?" Sirius asked. "All he did was just stare!"
"No." Remus said. "It was Legilemency. Apparently, they only accept those who are adept Legilemens."
"So does that mean we can't enter?"
"No." James said. "We wait for someone else to come and we sneak in. Peter, change into a rat. It's easier to move when there are fewer people in the cloak. Let's cast Silencing charms so no one would hear us."
The plan was formulated. Peter was already in his animigi form, positioned next to the portrait. The boys waited. It was a very long period of time, but an hour and a half was nothing compared to the months they spent trying to find all this out.
At last, a new figure, also hooded made it in front of the painting. For a while, the person stared at it, and it opened. The boys took their chance. Peter was the first to get in. Then the three managed to stumble in before the painting closed.
However, a slight noise was made by the boys due to lack of coordination. The figure turned. Beneath the hood, James could only make out a pair of notorious gray eyes which scanned the area. After a while, it kept on walking. The boys let out a breath and quietly followed the gray-eyed character. As they went farther in, they could hear noises from people, it sounded like someone was fighting from the other end
They walked through the well-lit hall until they reached huge brass double doors which were, fortunately for the boys, open.
"Wow." Sirius couldn't help gasping.
Inside was a circular arena, about the estimated size of the Great Hall. There were bleachers lined up on the walls and in the middle was a cockpit made up of pure marble. The room was lit by a humungous scoreboard at the opposite of the entrance. The scoreboard was not made of muggle electronics, but by magical smoke, which had corresponding colors for each player.
In front of the scoreboard was a marble rostrum, where a tall hooded figure stood. The boys noticed that he was wearing a brass mask, which only revealed eyes in shocking orange color.
The whole arena was filled with hooded and masked figures with eyes of different shades of color. They were shouting, cheering and making various hand gestures at one another. But their attention was focused on the battle ongoing in the cockpit.
A massive rooster (one-storey tall) of teal color was viciously clawing an equally large misty pink mink which was desperately fighting back. But it was obvious that the rooster was in advantage.
On each end of the arena stood a figure each. One was short and a bit plump while the other was tall and beefy. IT was obvious that the first one was a girl.
The three boys watched in awe and admiration. They made it. They were finally watching the famous Patronus battle. Most people thought that the fights were only rumors. But through endless research in the Restricted section and a bit of blackmail, they had finally seen the reality of it all.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened. The mink bared its sharp teeth and bit the rooster on the neck, pinning the teal animal onto the ground. A painful wail came from the defeated animal as it vaporized into teal smoke and returned to its owner's wand.
"Finally, this match has come to a conclusion." The boy behind the rostrum announced in a strong and clear voice. "As the Patronus of the honorable Talon had fully dissolved, the winner of this challenge is no other than Minstrel!"
The mink approached its owner and united with her wand, disappearing from the applauding crowd. The scoreboard grew pink and revealed the mink's smoky features and some stats concerning the match.
"This is brilliant!" James quietly muttered.
"Yeah."
"And now," the speaker continued as the crowd silenced. "Minstrel will name next her desired challenge."
The girl whispered something to the speaker. The speaker stared at her a while, skepticism flashed in those fiery irises. The girl nodded.
"Very well." he cleared his throat. "Minstrel would like to challenge the reigning champion, The Dragon."
------------------
Gasps filled the room a green-eyed figure quietly stood up from place in the bleachers and elegantly "floated" to an end of the arena.
"As we all know," the speaker said. "The Dragon is currently held as the most supreme of all Patronus. It has been undefeated ever since it joined the Patronus Fracas. If the Minstrel would be able to defeat the Dragon, it would be hailed as the new Laedan after seven years."
The whistle sounded and the opponents released their Patronuses. The mink fearlessly bared her teeth at the opponent.
The Dragon seemed to sigh before releasing a magnificent creature. It was a magnificent long dragon of emerald smoke.
The fight did not last a minute. The mink disbanded after 38.56 seconds.
The Minstrel lost. But it was satisfied in breaking the record of 37. 45 seconds. Cheers broke up in the arena. Unlike in Quidditch, the cheers here are more polite and there was no hooting or screaming. After all, they were all competitors in there.
The announcement of the winner was interrupted by a shrill squeaking sound from the other end of the arena. There was some sort of ruckus at the marble bleachers. A rat seemed to have entered the vicinity.
The Dragon stared at the source of the noise. A rat? There was supposed to be no such thing in a magical school, devoid of impurities (unless the impurities were of Death Eater blood). No, it wasn't just any other rat.
The Dragon caught a glimpse of cloth running beside the rat as it escaped through the hallways. No, it was definitely not an ordinary rat.
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"What were you thinking Pete?" James cried as they arrived in the dim and empty Gryffindor common room.
"I'm sorry." Peter whimpered. "Someone stepped on my tail."
James breathed deeply. Even though Peter ruined a sacred moment for him, he knew it wasn't his friend's fault. "Fine." he said. "At least we know the Fracas exists."
"Isn't it illegal though?" Sirius asked, plopping down on a sofa. "I mean, do the teachers know about it? And besides, isn't it against the rules?"
"I didn't know you ever thought of the rules Padfoot." James said jokingly, before dodging a throw pillow. "But I don't think that they're breaking any rules except passing curfew."
"I think the teachers know about it." Remus said, sitting down with his friends. "They just permit it. The Fracas has been going on for centuries now. They say that even Dumbledore played in it. I reckon that some of our teachers played in it too."
"How do you enter the Fracas?" Peter asked.
"I don't know." Remus answered. "But I do know that you have to be a great wizard. We've just seen everything with our own eyes: Legilemency, Patronuses… these are stuff that can only be done by the best. I think that immense training is needed for it all."
"But we're only in sixth year! Who the heck has the bloody time to train for all those?"
Remus shrugged. "Honestly, I 'm a bit shocked. I mean, I don't know anyone around here who can produce the Patronus except for James here. And I don't know any Legilemens in this school but Dumbledore.
"The people in there must all be prodigies to have all that natural talent in them. Rumor has it that every wizard and witch in the Orders of Merlin have been in the Fracas. They say that Albus Dumbledore was once a Laedan himself."
"Never knew Hogwarts had that much talent in here."
It was very late already, so the boys decided to go to bed. They went up to their dormitories and went to sleep, the Fracas not getting off their minds.
(--)
James Potter woke up in the chaise lounge of his father's Head Auror office. He rubbed his tired eyes as he sat up slowly, trying to remember what happened before he dozed off.
At eleven years old, James was first introduced to his father's workplace. It was his father's attempt in making James understand why he could not be around so much, and perhaps even make James interested in following his footsteps. It was a feeble attempt though, for James found it's boring. Before that, James thought that it was all exciting, being an auror, much more being the Head. But all his father did was sit on a desk at the top of the building for the Magical Law Enforcers, approving stuff that James was either too young or too naïve to understand.
James got up after realizing that the seat behind the desk was empty. His father wasn't around the room. The window behind the desk, which showed the view of the rest of the ministry outside was highlighted orange by the setting sun. How late was it already?
The door opened and James turned to see one of the tall Aurors that was under his Dad's command.
"Young Master Potter," the Auror named Dawlish said. "Your father has instructed me to take you home to the manor."
"Why?" James asked. "Why can't he take me home?"
"There has been an attack in a Muggle area of Switzerland." the Auror said in a professional tone. "That is all he permitted me to tell you. He had to get there immediately. We shall go back to the manor. Your mother is expecting you."
They went out of the building to the Ministry's apparition zone. However, the two came to a halt when they reached the fountain of the different magical beings. There seemed to be some sort of ruckus going on in front of it and a crowd had gathered around it.
"You will pay for what you've done!"
"Mum, let's go---"
"No Sirius! Not until I have finished with this son of a bi---"
"Mrs. Black, I think it is wise for you to follow your son's request."
"Don't you mock me Namon, you blood traitor! Bring Andromeda back!"
"Mrs. Black, please keep your voice down. You're causing a scene. Perhaps we can---"
"No! You bring her back to us right now, you idiotic blood traitor!"
"MUM!"
"Let go of me, you little wrench!"
James couldn't see due to the amount of people surrounding the scene. But through the spaces between the people, he could make out a man with mousy brown hair in an argument against a black-haired woman who was being dragged away in vain by a handsome boy at his age.
"Mum, let's just go! Dad and Regulus are waiting!"
"Didn't I tell you to stop whining?"
"But we're making people stare, Mum."
"Get out of here, you pathetic boy!"
A very audible "smack" sounded in the middle of the crowd. People gasped. James was sure the woman had hit the child.
"Now that is something I cannot permit, Mrs. Black." The man's voice sounded. "I shall take Sirius home with us tonight."
"Oh no you won't, Tonks. You've already stolen our Andromeda. She's engaged to someone else already!"
"I am fully aware of that! That is why I took her away, to save her from being someone as indespicable as YOU!"
The woman shrieked in rage and began to come towards the man, whom James saw was holding the boy in his arms. Before she could reach them, the two figures disappeared with a loud 'pop'.
Mrs. Black, upon realizing what had happened, shrieked once more and tore against the crowd in fury. Dawlish had covered James's ears for Mrs. Black had been letting out loudly a string of violent swear words under her breath.
"Shouldn't she get arrested for that?" James asked Dawlish as they walked to the manor entrance later. "She hit her own son."
"The Blacks are a dark and powerful family, Young Master." Dawlish answered. "Imprisonment of a member is not that easy. They've been accused of doing violent things before, but they always find away to make things turn out for them. They are very powerful. I suggest you stay away from them."
Luv it? Hate it? Tell me what you think. If you want to rant then that's okay. I listen to all kinds of criticism so feel free to REVIEW. I'll only continue this if someone likes it.