99 Decision Street, 99 ministers meet.
To worry, worry, super-scurry,
Call out the troops now in a hurry.
This is what we've waited for,
This is it boys, this is war.
The president is on the line,
As 99 red balloons go by.
99 dreams I have had.
In every one a red balloon.
It's all over and I'm standin' pretty,
In the dust that was a city.
If I could find a souvenier,
Just to prove the world was here...
And here it is, a red balloon,
I think of you and let it go.
- "99 Red Balloons" Goldfinger
Rachel returned to the Gryffindor commons after her shower. She walked down the stairs wearing a pair of faded low-rise jeans and a snug white with long black sleeved baseball tee and black sandals on her feet. She may have been in Hogwarts in January, but she was gunna dress like Santa Barbara. She waked down the stairs and spotted Harry and Ron playing a game of wizard's chess. She pulled her hair up absently as she walked toward them, fastening it with a hair tie and sat down next to Harry on the couch. "Hello," she said brightly to the boys.
"Hullo!" Ron replied cheerily as he commanded a piece on the board and proudly announced, "checkmate!"
"Urgh," Harry groaned as he lost yet another game, "Hi," he said to Rachel.
"Aww, poor baby," she said pouting and patting Harry's back slightly.
"So Rachel," Ron began, "you going to Hogsmeade today?"
Rachel gave him a funny look, "Hogsmeade?" She looked between Harry and back to Ron. She laughed nervously, "Umm.. What's that?"
Ron looked at Harry and Harry glanced over to Rachel then back to Ron, who had a look of sheer horror on his face. "She's from the States remember Ron, she's never been here."
Ron's face softened, and he looked at Rachel, "It's a small wizard town, you came through it whenever you got off the train."
"Oh the train," Rachel started. "I didn't ride the train."
"Well then how'd you get here?" Ron asked.
She presented the fireplace with her right hand and smiled, "The Floo Network."
"Ah yes, well are you two finished? I promised to meet Sarah Harris at Three Broomsticks in half an hour," Hermione said as she stood beside the group.
"Sure," the boys said in unison as they ran up to get their coats.
"You don't mind if I come along do you?" Rachel asked Hermione as she stood up and backed towards the stairs.
"Not at all," Hermione said with a slight smile.
"Great, thanks," Rachel said as she turned and heading up to the girls' dorms where she grabbed socks and slipped her Converses on, grabbing a dark gray sweatshirt that said 'Santa Barbara Vikings Football'. She had had the shirt for a while, and it still fit comfortably. She jogged down the stairs and meet up with the trio. "All ready here."
"Great. Let's just not miss the train," Harry said as they walked towards the portrait hole.
The group walked down the hall in an uneasy silence. Rachel knew it was because of her, but she didn't want to make things worse. As they reached the stairs that lead down to the Great Hall they jogged down and Rachel sighed behind them and her eyes turned from light gray to a misty white.
"Oh crap," she said.
Hermione stopped. "Oh what crap?"
Rachel took her first step down the stairs and tripped on her shoelace. She tumbled forward doing and somersault and then landed on her butt and slide down still about three more steps before she finally stopped. "Ow," she groaned as she stood up. Stopping she looked ahead of her to see most of the fifth and sixth years standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at her. "Some one really must hate me today," she said exhaling and taking another step only to fall on her backside and slide down the rest of the steps.
Hermione and a fifth year Sarah Harris rushed over to see if she was okay. Harry and Ron held back with the rest of the crowd and tried not to laugh.
Rachel looked around and glared at everyone, "Oh, go ahead and laugh. You British are so stiff sometimes." She stood up and everyone broke into laughter. She dusted herself off and faked a laugh. "Ha, ha, ha. I bet that was so funny from your side," she said crossing her arms under her chest and leaned back on her right hip.
"Let's go," Hermione said pulling her and Sarah out of the doors and towards the train.
"Ow," Rachel said as she examined the bruise that was now forming on her elbow. "Like I haven't been mentally scarred enough!" she exclaimed thrusting her arms upward.
"Come on," Sarah said, "Let's grab a compartment before they're all taken."
The three girls now headed onto the train and moved quickly to find a compartment where they knew no one would come past and bother them.
"Sorry for the lack of introduction," Hermione said when they had seated themselves. "Rachel this is Sarah Harris. Sarah meet Rachel Rivers," Hermione stated.
Rachel looked at the girl across from her; her long brown hair was straight and hung about halfway down her back. Her large blue eyes were warm and she smiled at Rachel. "Yeah," she continued for Hermione. "I'm a fifth year, I'm on the quidditch team. I play chaser."
"Cool," Rachel responded. "I'm a sixth year, I just transferred from Santa Barbara Academy in California, and I love quidditch. I'm a chaser myself too," she smiled at the younger girl, her eyes warming up to a blue from the earlier incident.
"Are you really okay though?" Hermione asked, she was sitting beside Sarah and Rachel sat by herself staring out the window.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, just as long as I'm not tortured for it. Gods, it would really suck if I got a nickname from this," she sighed in half laughter.
"Well, don't be surprised either way, it happens sometimes," Sarah said as she pulled down on her black v-neck tee shirt over her jeans. She leaned back and tried to get comfortable in her seat.
Hermione stood up straightening the jacket over a blue long sleeved shirt, "I'm going to go see the if Harry and Ron made it onto the train," and walked out.
"And if you don't mind me, I'm going to take a nap," Sarah said leaning her head on the window.
"Don't worry," Rachel yawned. "I'm sleepin' too." She rested her head back onto the soft seat and shut her eyes.
~ ^ ~
There was a crash, the lights flickered. Rachel's eyes shot open. She looked around, she was still on the train, but Sarah wasn't there. "Sarah? Hermione? Harry? Ron?" she asked quietly. "Is anyone there?" she said again weakly.
Silence was her reply.
There was laughter. Evil, wicked laughter.
Behind her.
She spun, only to meet a dark void. She reached for her wand, and pulled it out of her pocket. Looking down at it, it wasn't hers. 'Wait, this isn't mine.. It's Veela hair, Oak 13ins?' "What?" she asked.
"Come," a voice hissed from the void. "Come my child."
She followed, but it really wasn't her. It was her body, or maybe it was her mind. Stealing a side-glance to the windows, she saw the reflection of a blond haired girl. 'That is so not me,' she thought.
"Come," the voice commanded. "Come Chris-"
"Rachel!! Rachel!! Rachel wake up!! RACHEL!!"
~ v ~
"Rachel!! Come Rachel wake up!! RACHEL!!" Harry continued screaming as he shook her slightly.
Rachel's eyes shot open and she was temporarily was blinded by the new light around her. "AAAGGHH!!!!!!!!!" she screamed grabbing onto whoever was shaking her. The beads on sweat that had formed on her face were now on her rescuer's shirt.
"Rachel! Rachel are you okay?" Hermione asked as Rachel loosened her grip on Harry.
She looked up blushing slightly in the position that she was in. "Sorry Harry," she whispered. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine I swear," she pleaded.
"I brought these two over to apologize and you must have been having a nightmare," Hermione concluded.
"Yeah, a nightmare." 'But it seemed so real,' she thought.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ron asked again just to be sure.
"She's not going to be if you keep asking her!" Hermione yelled. "Now come on, Sarah went ahead and told me that we'll hang out next weekend."
"I'm sorry," Rachel said looking down.
"No, it's fine," Hermione said smiling.
"And besides, we wanted to get to know the new girl," Ron said.
"Really? There's a new girl?" Rachel asked playing along.
"Yeah," Harry said helping her up. ~ And I think she's really hott, ~ he thought.
Rachel blushed, and asked, "So where's the cool hang out around here?"
The trio looked at each other, "Three Broomsticks," they replied in unison.
Rachel looked at them strangely, "Now that was weird," she laughed as the four of them got off on the train and headed for the pub.
"So what was your nightmare about?" Ron asked before Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
"Um, well I was on the train, and the lights were flickering, and none of you guys were there. So next I heard this really creepy laugh, so I turned around and there was this, ah, dark energy or something."
"Whoa," Harry said.
"Yeah, and then a voice called out to me, it was like 'Come here, come here my child.' It was almost like a hiss."
Ron looked to Hermione than back to Rachel.
"And I was being pulled towards it. But it wasn't really me," she finished.
"Who was it?" Hermione asked.
"Dunno," she said. "Some blond haired chick named.. ahh.." she trailed off thinking.
"Narcissa?" Harry offered.
"No," Rachel replied. "Christine or Kristen, C or K something."
"Oh," Harry sighed as they continued walking.
"Harry, do you think that this has anything to do with You-Know-Who?" Ron asked gulping.
"Oh for Gods' sake, Ron! Just say he's name!" Hermione commanded.
"I don't think it wouldn't," he replied.
Rachel snapped her fingers together next to them, "Yeah! I knew Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were working together! But throwing the Dentist in? Whoa! What a twist ladies and gents," she said sarcastically.
They all looked at her strangely, and she rolled her eyes.
"Guys, I'm kidding. See this is what you get when you leave me out of the loop," Rachel commented.
"We're were talking about," Ron looked around to make sure nobody was listening and then whispered, "Voldemort."
"Valor-what?" Rachel asked.
"Ssshhh!!" Ron hissed.
"Voldemort," Harry said.
"Ah yes, that big fluffy bunny," Rachel said.
Hermione looked at her incredulously, "You.. You don't know who Voldemort is?"
Rachel shook her head, "Nope, never heard of the guy," she replied.
"We'll explain inside," Harry said opening the door to Three Broomsticks and heading for a booth in the back.
They ordered four butterbeers and sat down, Hermione on the inside next to Rachel, and Ron on the other inside next to Harry.
They sat in silence all thinking until the butterbeers got there. Rachel took the glass in both hands warming them and took a few gulps before setting it back down again. The others taking sips from time to time.
"So what's up?" Rachel broke the silence, aside from the occasional sip or two.
Harry sighed and pulled his messy black hair out of the way to reveal a lightening bolt scar on his forehead.
"So it's a scar, I have a few of those too," Rachel stated.
"Not like this," Ron pointed out.
"Wanna bet?" Rachel challenged reaching for her left sleeve.
"This is from being hit by an Unforgiven Curse," Harry said. "Voldemort killed my parents and then tried killing me, but the curse back fired," he finished.
Rachel sighed loudly, "Who the hell is Voldemort?!?!"
"Shh!!" Ron silenced her.
"Voldemort was the most powerful dark wizard." Hermione started, "although he was a halfblooded, purebloods worshipped him, and he despised muggleborns."
"The Death Eaters," Rachel growled.
"That's right," Hermione said.
After a short silence, Harry continued, "He's coming back into power."
"This is all starting to make a lot of sense," Rachel said as she began pulling up her left sleeve. Beneath her shirts shone a jagged scar up her forearm.
"How'd you get that?" Harry asked.
"Unforgiven Curse, my fourth year," Rachel started. "I was playing in a quidditch game and someone tried to curse me. I saw the curse and a bludger both coming at me, I avoided the curse, but they both ended up hitting my broom, the curse resounded through the broom and the bludger shattered it. A piece went into my arm and I fell," she sighed.
"Whoa," Ron said.
Hermione examined her arm and then asked, "Who did it?"
Rachel turned to her, "A Death Eater. Never found out which one though," she trailed off.
"You play quidditch?" Harry asked.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Figures. The only thing he got out of that was Quidditch."
Rachel laughed and turned back to Harry, "Yeah, I'm a Chaser, since I was seven."
"Why don't we go back to Hogwarts and you show us what you've got," Harry suggested.
"Alright," she winked, downing the rest of her butterbeer and stood up.
The four headed out, Harry then Rachel followed by Ron and Hermione brought up the rear.
~ ^ ~
Rachel pulled her red cloak over her undershirt and began strapping on her pads. Ron stood around the corner doing the same, as Harry gave him a pep talk. "All you have to do is play around a bit, think of it as extra training."
"Uh-huh," Ron gulped reaching for his broom.
"You boys ready?" Rachel asked as she leaned on her broom facing the two.
"Yeah," Harry replied for the both of them, and reached for the ball truck, lifting it up and puffing out his chest.
As they headed out Hermione was moving down the stands and rushing out onto the pitch. Harry set down the truck and opened it up; he pulled out the quaffle and began stating the rules. "Okay, first one to five wins. You have to score five goals before he blocks five of yours," Harry said handing Rachel the quaffle.
"Okay," Rachel replied mounting her broom. "And Ron?" she asked.
"Yeah," he croaked out.
"Don't hold back," she said in a low sweet voice as she kicked off the ground and began a small warm up.
Ron turned back to Harry, "That shouldn't be too hard," he said gulping and kicking off.
Ron flew over to the hoops and started flying around them quickly; he stopped and nodded to Harry then watched Rachel.
Rachel stopped about 20 feet from Ron and nodded back to Harry.
"Alright! BEGIN!" he shouted up to them.
"Harry!" Hermione said as she came within range of them.
"What? What's wrong Hermione?" he asked concerned.
She smiled and turned back to the stands and pointed up, "Looks like they have an audience."
Harry squinted up to see Professor McGonagall and Professor Wood sitting in the stands watching the two Gryffindors.
Rachel looked over at Ron, he gulped and she charged the largest hoop. He stood his ground and she smirked. She underhanded it off to the lower hoop on the right. Ron didn't react as soon as he had hoped and the quaffle floated through.
"One – nothing," Rachel said as Ron tossed her the quaffle back.
She tossed it between her hands, back and forth and then tossed it up. Ron jumped forward a bit then still watched her. She smiled and didn't move, catching it again she hand faked up a through and whaled it towards the left hoop. Ron lunged to the side and caught it with his palms. Rachel smiled, slightly amazed as Ron tossed it back to her with stinging hands.
"Ow," he mumbled to the wind.
She flew to the left and cut a hard right, she wound up and faked towards the right hoop, then threw a short fast ball to the far left, the ball grazed Ron's finger-tips but still went in.
"Two to One," Harry commented below.
She retrieved the quaffle and headed down the pitch in the opposite direction, gaining speed she turned sharply and flew back towards Ron. Leaning forwards on her broom she rushed at him and he dove out of the way and she slammed the quaffle through the center hoop. Releasing her gripping on her broom she grabbed the center hoop's pole and slide down and around it until she slowed then remounted and flew back up.
"C'mon Ron! Toughen up!" Harry called from the ground.
Hermione looked at him sideways then shouted, "Let's go Rachel! Keep it up!"
Harry looked at her amazed.
"What?" she asked. "If you're cheering for Ron, then I'm evening it out."
He smiled and shook his head and continued watching the mini-match.
"Three to One," Ron said.
"Yeah," Rachel replied through chattering teeth.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's freezing up here!" she yelled pulling her cloak tighter around her.
Ron laughed and Rachel scowled, throwing the quaffle to the right hoop. Ron moved in front of it and caught it, "You're losing your edge," he laughed.
"Hardly," came her bitter reply.
"Three to Two," he announced proudly.
She caught the quaffle and underhanded in it under her legs and then behind her back. She smiled spinning it on her finger tip, then she tossed it up in the air, setting it ahead of her she stood keeping her balance on the broom, waited and then jumped spiking towards the hoop. Ron bewildered from never seeing this kind of attack, watched intently, but reached too late and the quaffle went sailing through the center hoop.
"Don't get too smug," Rachel said as she swung her leg around over the top of the broom again, after she had pulled herself up.
"Speak for yourself," Ron replied.
"Game point!" Hermione shouted from below.
"Last one," Rachel said. Cocking her head to the side she smiled, "Ready?"
Ron didn't flinch as she threw the quaffle high into the air. She pointed towards the right hoop. Waiting for it to come down she gripped the broom tightly and then spun her broom around and sent it flying towards the left hoop. Ron, who had been leaning towards the right hoop, dove.
But he was too late. The quaffle soared through and Hermione celebrated below.
Rachel smiled and did a small victory lap around the hoops as Ron landed by Harry.
~ v ~
"Hmm, she's not half bad Wood," McGonagall commented.
"Not too bad, but Ron's only been playing for three years," he replied.
"And? She's quite good."
"I guess, but.." Oliver trailed off.
"But what Oliver?"
"She's a bit too cocky, and obsessed with the game. Not to mention she's quite defensive about it," he said.
"So what Wood? Ms. Rivers is a lot like you," McGonagall said standing up and heading down to the open field to talk with the young Gryffindors.
Oliver sighed to himself. He stood up and followed Minerva down to the pitch.
~ ^ ~
When Rachel landed Hermione walked over beaming, "That was amazing!" she said.
"Thanks!" Rachel smiled back slapping Hermione's hand. She turned to Ron and stuck out her hand, "Nice match man."
He smiled back and shook her hand, "Yeah, but as soon as the weather breaks, I'm calling a rematch."
She smirked and shouted, "You're on!"
"Congratulations," a voice said behind them.
The four whirled around to see a smiling McGonagall and a distant Wood behind her. She stuck out her hand to Rachel and said, "Welcome to the Gryffindor Quidditch Team."
~ v ~
Rachel sighed as she sat down against the locker, "That was great," she smiled. "There is no rush like a quidditch rush."
"Agreed," replied Ron as he sat down on a near by bench.
Hermione started walking towards the two when Rachel stopped her.
"Hey," she paused. "You might want to watch for that puddle of water by the showers."
"What puddle?" Hermione asked stopping and looking at her strangely.
Rachel sighed, "Ah, the one you would have slipped and broken your wrist in," she pointed towards a pool of water on the floor.
Hermione stared at her than walked around a set of benches cautiously, "How did you know that?"
Rachel paused, unsure and then continued, "The same way I know that you don't talk to Krum anymore, and Ron's secret crush, oh and how Professor Wood is going to walk in the door to 'check up' on us," she pointed towards the door.
Oliver Wood walked into the locker room smiling at the Gryffindor Four and stated, "Just checking up on you guys," and then headed towards a wall to which he leaned on and waited for them to continue their conversation.
The original trio stared wide eyed and gapping mouthed at Oliver, then back to Rachel. "What?" the two asked.
Rachel rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "And its not like I did my research now, come on. You guys can't be flipping out on me.. Please?" she looked desperate.
"Yo-you-you're ah.. a psychic!" Ron exclaimed with much difficulty.
Oliver looked bewildered from across the room.
Rachel smiled weakly, "I kinda prefer the term 'latent telepath'."
"So, you mean. That you can move things with your mind?" Harry asked.
"No," she shook her head. "That's telekinetic."
"You mean you can read minds?" Hermione asked.
"Well, kinda. Only if I'm touching the person, or if they're projecting their thoughts loud enough," she looked towards Ron and raised an eyebrow looking at him skeptically.
He blushed and Harry laughed next to him.
Oliver stood silently across the room taking the new information in.
Rachel leaned back against the lockers and drew her right knee up and planted it on the wall behind her. "Anything to add Professor?" she asked.
After a thoughtful silence Oliver responded, "Maybe, maybe you four should just keep this information between yourselves. Anyone else that finds out could take advantage of Rachel," he said. "'s powers. Rachel's powers," he caught himself.
Rolling her eyes and glaring slightly she mumbled, "Thank you Captain Obvious."
After a few moments of very uncomfortable silence Ron's stomach rumbled. He blushed a deep red and then a quietly apologized. Harry laughed.
"Dinner time," Hermione sighed, walking out at heading up to the castle with the boys in tow.
Harry and Ron followed towards the door and Harry turned around, "You coming Rachel?"
She beamed, "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute," as she began putting her uniform into her locker.
"I'll save you a seat," Harry said and walked past Oliver. "C-ya around Oliver, I'll see you up there Rachel," he smiled and left.
She blushed, her eyes turning a dark blue as she shut the door. Turning around she saw Oliver still standing there; she frowned, her former dark orbs turning a gray. Lowering her head to avoid his eyes she headed towards the door.
He grabbed her arm and spun her back around, "Rachel," he started looking into her now black eyes. He stared for a moment confused and then continued, "Be careful, I don't want anything bad to happen, nobody does," he tried.
Glaring at him she replied, "I can take care of myself Oliver." Venomously she almost spat on him, "I'm a tough girl. I'll handle it." She ripped her arm from his grasp and sprinted out the door and towards the castle.
She busted through the doors and slowed her run down to a stride. Ripping through the halls she spotted the Great Hall and walked towards it.
"And what is a Gryffindor such as yourself doing outside so late?"
She growled and turned towards a tall boy with slicked back platinum blond hair and cold gray blue eyes. "I was on the pitch if you must know," she glared.
"Really? Why am I finding that hard to believe?" the boy's eyes shown with a mischievous intent.
"I don't know, maybe because you're Dense!" she screamed stalking towards the hall doors when she was whipped around and was slammed against a wall. "Urgh," she groaned as he pinned her arms at her sides. "Lego!"
"Not until you learn some respect," he spat.
"A Slytherin like you doesn't deserve any respect Malfoy!" she hissed.
He stared at her strangely.
'Opps,' she thought, 'I should not have said that. Oh well playing confuse the ferret should be fun anyway.' "Oh and Malfoy," she began, "any previous intentions would be considered rape," she added.
"More like incest," he countered.
"Wha?" she asked looking at him, a confused look spreading across her face. "What are you implying?"
"My aunt was psychic," he stated.
"And what does that have to do with me?"
"Read my mind. You'll see Rivers," he said taking her hand.
She looked into his eyes and hesitantly laid a hand on his cheek, shutting her eyes she concentrated. Memories came flooding into Rachel's mind. There were pictures, burning, unburning. A graveyard, a little boy and a blond woman. There were little girls, two little twins.
"What's going on?"
~ ^ ~
Yeah so there is chapter two.. Now I wrote this one out over the week and there are about 4 more pages that I need to type, but I'm just going to put them in the third chappie..
Thanks to - SugaQuill03 and arallahmenorah
Rayne –Thank you so much.. I read you're review and I was like 'Whoa, I feel loved.' Lol, but really thanks, I hope this fic lives up to what you hoped, but I definitely have it all planned out.
Well now that you've read, make me a happy little girl and review please!
~ Quidditch*16 ~
Call out the troops now in a hurry.
This is what we've waited for,
This is it boys, this is war.
The president is on the line,
As 99 red balloons go by.
99 dreams I have had.
In every one a red balloon.
It's all over and I'm standin' pretty,
In the dust that was a city.
If I could find a souvenier,
Just to prove the world was here...
And here it is, a red balloon,
I think of you and let it go.
- "99 Red Balloons" Goldfinger
Rachel returned to the Gryffindor commons after her shower. She walked down the stairs wearing a pair of faded low-rise jeans and a snug white with long black sleeved baseball tee and black sandals on her feet. She may have been in Hogwarts in January, but she was gunna dress like Santa Barbara. She waked down the stairs and spotted Harry and Ron playing a game of wizard's chess. She pulled her hair up absently as she walked toward them, fastening it with a hair tie and sat down next to Harry on the couch. "Hello," she said brightly to the boys.
"Hullo!" Ron replied cheerily as he commanded a piece on the board and proudly announced, "checkmate!"
"Urgh," Harry groaned as he lost yet another game, "Hi," he said to Rachel.
"Aww, poor baby," she said pouting and patting Harry's back slightly.
"So Rachel," Ron began, "you going to Hogsmeade today?"
Rachel gave him a funny look, "Hogsmeade?" She looked between Harry and back to Ron. She laughed nervously, "Umm.. What's that?"
Ron looked at Harry and Harry glanced over to Rachel then back to Ron, who had a look of sheer horror on his face. "She's from the States remember Ron, she's never been here."
Ron's face softened, and he looked at Rachel, "It's a small wizard town, you came through it whenever you got off the train."
"Oh the train," Rachel started. "I didn't ride the train."
"Well then how'd you get here?" Ron asked.
She presented the fireplace with her right hand and smiled, "The Floo Network."
"Ah yes, well are you two finished? I promised to meet Sarah Harris at Three Broomsticks in half an hour," Hermione said as she stood beside the group.
"Sure," the boys said in unison as they ran up to get their coats.
"You don't mind if I come along do you?" Rachel asked Hermione as she stood up and backed towards the stairs.
"Not at all," Hermione said with a slight smile.
"Great, thanks," Rachel said as she turned and heading up to the girls' dorms where she grabbed socks and slipped her Converses on, grabbing a dark gray sweatshirt that said 'Santa Barbara Vikings Football'. She had had the shirt for a while, and it still fit comfortably. She jogged down the stairs and meet up with the trio. "All ready here."
"Great. Let's just not miss the train," Harry said as they walked towards the portrait hole.
The group walked down the hall in an uneasy silence. Rachel knew it was because of her, but she didn't want to make things worse. As they reached the stairs that lead down to the Great Hall they jogged down and Rachel sighed behind them and her eyes turned from light gray to a misty white.
"Oh crap," she said.
Hermione stopped. "Oh what crap?"
Rachel took her first step down the stairs and tripped on her shoelace. She tumbled forward doing and somersault and then landed on her butt and slide down still about three more steps before she finally stopped. "Ow," she groaned as she stood up. Stopping she looked ahead of her to see most of the fifth and sixth years standing at the bottom of the stairs looking up at her. "Some one really must hate me today," she said exhaling and taking another step only to fall on her backside and slide down the rest of the steps.
Hermione and a fifth year Sarah Harris rushed over to see if she was okay. Harry and Ron held back with the rest of the crowd and tried not to laugh.
Rachel looked around and glared at everyone, "Oh, go ahead and laugh. You British are so stiff sometimes." She stood up and everyone broke into laughter. She dusted herself off and faked a laugh. "Ha, ha, ha. I bet that was so funny from your side," she said crossing her arms under her chest and leaned back on her right hip.
"Let's go," Hermione said pulling her and Sarah out of the doors and towards the train.
"Ow," Rachel said as she examined the bruise that was now forming on her elbow. "Like I haven't been mentally scarred enough!" she exclaimed thrusting her arms upward.
"Come on," Sarah said, "Let's grab a compartment before they're all taken."
The three girls now headed onto the train and moved quickly to find a compartment where they knew no one would come past and bother them.
"Sorry for the lack of introduction," Hermione said when they had seated themselves. "Rachel this is Sarah Harris. Sarah meet Rachel Rivers," Hermione stated.
Rachel looked at the girl across from her; her long brown hair was straight and hung about halfway down her back. Her large blue eyes were warm and she smiled at Rachel. "Yeah," she continued for Hermione. "I'm a fifth year, I'm on the quidditch team. I play chaser."
"Cool," Rachel responded. "I'm a sixth year, I just transferred from Santa Barbara Academy in California, and I love quidditch. I'm a chaser myself too," she smiled at the younger girl, her eyes warming up to a blue from the earlier incident.
"Are you really okay though?" Hermione asked, she was sitting beside Sarah and Rachel sat by herself staring out the window.
"Yeah, I'll be fine, just as long as I'm not tortured for it. Gods, it would really suck if I got a nickname from this," she sighed in half laughter.
"Well, don't be surprised either way, it happens sometimes," Sarah said as she pulled down on her black v-neck tee shirt over her jeans. She leaned back and tried to get comfortable in her seat.
Hermione stood up straightening the jacket over a blue long sleeved shirt, "I'm going to go see the if Harry and Ron made it onto the train," and walked out.
"And if you don't mind me, I'm going to take a nap," Sarah said leaning her head on the window.
"Don't worry," Rachel yawned. "I'm sleepin' too." She rested her head back onto the soft seat and shut her eyes.
~ ^ ~
There was a crash, the lights flickered. Rachel's eyes shot open. She looked around, she was still on the train, but Sarah wasn't there. "Sarah? Hermione? Harry? Ron?" she asked quietly. "Is anyone there?" she said again weakly.
Silence was her reply.
There was laughter. Evil, wicked laughter.
Behind her.
She spun, only to meet a dark void. She reached for her wand, and pulled it out of her pocket. Looking down at it, it wasn't hers. 'Wait, this isn't mine.. It's Veela hair, Oak 13ins?' "What?" she asked.
"Come," a voice hissed from the void. "Come my child."
She followed, but it really wasn't her. It was her body, or maybe it was her mind. Stealing a side-glance to the windows, she saw the reflection of a blond haired girl. 'That is so not me,' she thought.
"Come," the voice commanded. "Come Chris-"
"Rachel!! Rachel!! Rachel wake up!! RACHEL!!"
~ v ~
"Rachel!! Come Rachel wake up!! RACHEL!!" Harry continued screaming as he shook her slightly.
Rachel's eyes shot open and she was temporarily was blinded by the new light around her. "AAAGGHH!!!!!!!!!" she screamed grabbing onto whoever was shaking her. The beads on sweat that had formed on her face were now on her rescuer's shirt.
"Rachel! Rachel are you okay?" Hermione asked as Rachel loosened her grip on Harry.
She looked up blushing slightly in the position that she was in. "Sorry Harry," she whispered. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine I swear," she pleaded.
"I brought these two over to apologize and you must have been having a nightmare," Hermione concluded.
"Yeah, a nightmare." 'But it seemed so real,' she thought.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ron asked again just to be sure.
"She's not going to be if you keep asking her!" Hermione yelled. "Now come on, Sarah went ahead and told me that we'll hang out next weekend."
"I'm sorry," Rachel said looking down.
"No, it's fine," Hermione said smiling.
"And besides, we wanted to get to know the new girl," Ron said.
"Really? There's a new girl?" Rachel asked playing along.
"Yeah," Harry said helping her up. ~ And I think she's really hott, ~ he thought.
Rachel blushed, and asked, "So where's the cool hang out around here?"
The trio looked at each other, "Three Broomsticks," they replied in unison.
Rachel looked at them strangely, "Now that was weird," she laughed as the four of them got off on the train and headed for the pub.
"So what was your nightmare about?" Ron asked before Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
"Um, well I was on the train, and the lights were flickering, and none of you guys were there. So next I heard this really creepy laugh, so I turned around and there was this, ah, dark energy or something."
"Whoa," Harry said.
"Yeah, and then a voice called out to me, it was like 'Come here, come here my child.' It was almost like a hiss."
Ron looked to Hermione than back to Rachel.
"And I was being pulled towards it. But it wasn't really me," she finished.
"Who was it?" Hermione asked.
"Dunno," she said. "Some blond haired chick named.. ahh.." she trailed off thinking.
"Narcissa?" Harry offered.
"No," Rachel replied. "Christine or Kristen, C or K something."
"Oh," Harry sighed as they continued walking.
"Harry, do you think that this has anything to do with You-Know-Who?" Ron asked gulping.
"Oh for Gods' sake, Ron! Just say he's name!" Hermione commanded.
"I don't think it wouldn't," he replied.
Rachel snapped her fingers together next to them, "Yeah! I knew Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were working together! But throwing the Dentist in? Whoa! What a twist ladies and gents," she said sarcastically.
They all looked at her strangely, and she rolled her eyes.
"Guys, I'm kidding. See this is what you get when you leave me out of the loop," Rachel commented.
"We're were talking about," Ron looked around to make sure nobody was listening and then whispered, "Voldemort."
"Valor-what?" Rachel asked.
"Ssshhh!!" Ron hissed.
"Voldemort," Harry said.
"Ah yes, that big fluffy bunny," Rachel said.
Hermione looked at her incredulously, "You.. You don't know who Voldemort is?"
Rachel shook her head, "Nope, never heard of the guy," she replied.
"We'll explain inside," Harry said opening the door to Three Broomsticks and heading for a booth in the back.
They ordered four butterbeers and sat down, Hermione on the inside next to Rachel, and Ron on the other inside next to Harry.
They sat in silence all thinking until the butterbeers got there. Rachel took the glass in both hands warming them and took a few gulps before setting it back down again. The others taking sips from time to time.
"So what's up?" Rachel broke the silence, aside from the occasional sip or two.
Harry sighed and pulled his messy black hair out of the way to reveal a lightening bolt scar on his forehead.
"So it's a scar, I have a few of those too," Rachel stated.
"Not like this," Ron pointed out.
"Wanna bet?" Rachel challenged reaching for her left sleeve.
"This is from being hit by an Unforgiven Curse," Harry said. "Voldemort killed my parents and then tried killing me, but the curse back fired," he finished.
Rachel sighed loudly, "Who the hell is Voldemort?!?!"
"Shh!!" Ron silenced her.
"Voldemort was the most powerful dark wizard." Hermione started, "although he was a halfblooded, purebloods worshipped him, and he despised muggleborns."
"The Death Eaters," Rachel growled.
"That's right," Hermione said.
After a short silence, Harry continued, "He's coming back into power."
"This is all starting to make a lot of sense," Rachel said as she began pulling up her left sleeve. Beneath her shirts shone a jagged scar up her forearm.
"How'd you get that?" Harry asked.
"Unforgiven Curse, my fourth year," Rachel started. "I was playing in a quidditch game and someone tried to curse me. I saw the curse and a bludger both coming at me, I avoided the curse, but they both ended up hitting my broom, the curse resounded through the broom and the bludger shattered it. A piece went into my arm and I fell," she sighed.
"Whoa," Ron said.
Hermione examined her arm and then asked, "Who did it?"
Rachel turned to her, "A Death Eater. Never found out which one though," she trailed off.
"You play quidditch?" Harry asked.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Figures. The only thing he got out of that was Quidditch."
Rachel laughed and turned back to Harry, "Yeah, I'm a Chaser, since I was seven."
"Why don't we go back to Hogwarts and you show us what you've got," Harry suggested.
"Alright," she winked, downing the rest of her butterbeer and stood up.
The four headed out, Harry then Rachel followed by Ron and Hermione brought up the rear.
~ ^ ~
Rachel pulled her red cloak over her undershirt and began strapping on her pads. Ron stood around the corner doing the same, as Harry gave him a pep talk. "All you have to do is play around a bit, think of it as extra training."
"Uh-huh," Ron gulped reaching for his broom.
"You boys ready?" Rachel asked as she leaned on her broom facing the two.
"Yeah," Harry replied for the both of them, and reached for the ball truck, lifting it up and puffing out his chest.
As they headed out Hermione was moving down the stands and rushing out onto the pitch. Harry set down the truck and opened it up; he pulled out the quaffle and began stating the rules. "Okay, first one to five wins. You have to score five goals before he blocks five of yours," Harry said handing Rachel the quaffle.
"Okay," Rachel replied mounting her broom. "And Ron?" she asked.
"Yeah," he croaked out.
"Don't hold back," she said in a low sweet voice as she kicked off the ground and began a small warm up.
Ron turned back to Harry, "That shouldn't be too hard," he said gulping and kicking off.
Ron flew over to the hoops and started flying around them quickly; he stopped and nodded to Harry then watched Rachel.
Rachel stopped about 20 feet from Ron and nodded back to Harry.
"Alright! BEGIN!" he shouted up to them.
"Harry!" Hermione said as she came within range of them.
"What? What's wrong Hermione?" he asked concerned.
She smiled and turned back to the stands and pointed up, "Looks like they have an audience."
Harry squinted up to see Professor McGonagall and Professor Wood sitting in the stands watching the two Gryffindors.
Rachel looked over at Ron, he gulped and she charged the largest hoop. He stood his ground and she smirked. She underhanded it off to the lower hoop on the right. Ron didn't react as soon as he had hoped and the quaffle floated through.
"One – nothing," Rachel said as Ron tossed her the quaffle back.
She tossed it between her hands, back and forth and then tossed it up. Ron jumped forward a bit then still watched her. She smiled and didn't move, catching it again she hand faked up a through and whaled it towards the left hoop. Ron lunged to the side and caught it with his palms. Rachel smiled, slightly amazed as Ron tossed it back to her with stinging hands.
"Ow," he mumbled to the wind.
She flew to the left and cut a hard right, she wound up and faked towards the right hoop, then threw a short fast ball to the far left, the ball grazed Ron's finger-tips but still went in.
"Two to One," Harry commented below.
She retrieved the quaffle and headed down the pitch in the opposite direction, gaining speed she turned sharply and flew back towards Ron. Leaning forwards on her broom she rushed at him and he dove out of the way and she slammed the quaffle through the center hoop. Releasing her gripping on her broom she grabbed the center hoop's pole and slide down and around it until she slowed then remounted and flew back up.
"C'mon Ron! Toughen up!" Harry called from the ground.
Hermione looked at him sideways then shouted, "Let's go Rachel! Keep it up!"
Harry looked at her amazed.
"What?" she asked. "If you're cheering for Ron, then I'm evening it out."
He smiled and shook his head and continued watching the mini-match.
"Three to One," Ron said.
"Yeah," Rachel replied through chattering teeth.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"It's freezing up here!" she yelled pulling her cloak tighter around her.
Ron laughed and Rachel scowled, throwing the quaffle to the right hoop. Ron moved in front of it and caught it, "You're losing your edge," he laughed.
"Hardly," came her bitter reply.
"Three to Two," he announced proudly.
She caught the quaffle and underhanded in it under her legs and then behind her back. She smiled spinning it on her finger tip, then she tossed it up in the air, setting it ahead of her she stood keeping her balance on the broom, waited and then jumped spiking towards the hoop. Ron bewildered from never seeing this kind of attack, watched intently, but reached too late and the quaffle went sailing through the center hoop.
"Don't get too smug," Rachel said as she swung her leg around over the top of the broom again, after she had pulled herself up.
"Speak for yourself," Ron replied.
"Game point!" Hermione shouted from below.
"Last one," Rachel said. Cocking her head to the side she smiled, "Ready?"
Ron didn't flinch as she threw the quaffle high into the air. She pointed towards the right hoop. Waiting for it to come down she gripped the broom tightly and then spun her broom around and sent it flying towards the left hoop. Ron, who had been leaning towards the right hoop, dove.
But he was too late. The quaffle soared through and Hermione celebrated below.
Rachel smiled and did a small victory lap around the hoops as Ron landed by Harry.
~ v ~
"Hmm, she's not half bad Wood," McGonagall commented.
"Not too bad, but Ron's only been playing for three years," he replied.
"And? She's quite good."
"I guess, but.." Oliver trailed off.
"But what Oliver?"
"She's a bit too cocky, and obsessed with the game. Not to mention she's quite defensive about it," he said.
"So what Wood? Ms. Rivers is a lot like you," McGonagall said standing up and heading down to the open field to talk with the young Gryffindors.
Oliver sighed to himself. He stood up and followed Minerva down to the pitch.
~ ^ ~
When Rachel landed Hermione walked over beaming, "That was amazing!" she said.
"Thanks!" Rachel smiled back slapping Hermione's hand. She turned to Ron and stuck out her hand, "Nice match man."
He smiled back and shook her hand, "Yeah, but as soon as the weather breaks, I'm calling a rematch."
She smirked and shouted, "You're on!"
"Congratulations," a voice said behind them.
The four whirled around to see a smiling McGonagall and a distant Wood behind her. She stuck out her hand to Rachel and said, "Welcome to the Gryffindor Quidditch Team."
~ v ~
Rachel sighed as she sat down against the locker, "That was great," she smiled. "There is no rush like a quidditch rush."
"Agreed," replied Ron as he sat down on a near by bench.
Hermione started walking towards the two when Rachel stopped her.
"Hey," she paused. "You might want to watch for that puddle of water by the showers."
"What puddle?" Hermione asked stopping and looking at her strangely.
Rachel sighed, "Ah, the one you would have slipped and broken your wrist in," she pointed towards a pool of water on the floor.
Hermione stared at her than walked around a set of benches cautiously, "How did you know that?"
Rachel paused, unsure and then continued, "The same way I know that you don't talk to Krum anymore, and Ron's secret crush, oh and how Professor Wood is going to walk in the door to 'check up' on us," she pointed towards the door.
Oliver Wood walked into the locker room smiling at the Gryffindor Four and stated, "Just checking up on you guys," and then headed towards a wall to which he leaned on and waited for them to continue their conversation.
The original trio stared wide eyed and gapping mouthed at Oliver, then back to Rachel. "What?" the two asked.
Rachel rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "And its not like I did my research now, come on. You guys can't be flipping out on me.. Please?" she looked desperate.
"Yo-you-you're ah.. a psychic!" Ron exclaimed with much difficulty.
Oliver looked bewildered from across the room.
Rachel smiled weakly, "I kinda prefer the term 'latent telepath'."
"So, you mean. That you can move things with your mind?" Harry asked.
"No," she shook her head. "That's telekinetic."
"You mean you can read minds?" Hermione asked.
"Well, kinda. Only if I'm touching the person, or if they're projecting their thoughts loud enough," she looked towards Ron and raised an eyebrow looking at him skeptically.
He blushed and Harry laughed next to him.
Oliver stood silently across the room taking the new information in.
Rachel leaned back against the lockers and drew her right knee up and planted it on the wall behind her. "Anything to add Professor?" she asked.
After a thoughtful silence Oliver responded, "Maybe, maybe you four should just keep this information between yourselves. Anyone else that finds out could take advantage of Rachel," he said. "'s powers. Rachel's powers," he caught himself.
Rolling her eyes and glaring slightly she mumbled, "Thank you Captain Obvious."
After a few moments of very uncomfortable silence Ron's stomach rumbled. He blushed a deep red and then a quietly apologized. Harry laughed.
"Dinner time," Hermione sighed, walking out at heading up to the castle with the boys in tow.
Harry and Ron followed towards the door and Harry turned around, "You coming Rachel?"
She beamed, "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute," as she began putting her uniform into her locker.
"I'll save you a seat," Harry said and walked past Oliver. "C-ya around Oliver, I'll see you up there Rachel," he smiled and left.
She blushed, her eyes turning a dark blue as she shut the door. Turning around she saw Oliver still standing there; she frowned, her former dark orbs turning a gray. Lowering her head to avoid his eyes she headed towards the door.
He grabbed her arm and spun her back around, "Rachel," he started looking into her now black eyes. He stared for a moment confused and then continued, "Be careful, I don't want anything bad to happen, nobody does," he tried.
Glaring at him she replied, "I can take care of myself Oliver." Venomously she almost spat on him, "I'm a tough girl. I'll handle it." She ripped her arm from his grasp and sprinted out the door and towards the castle.
She busted through the doors and slowed her run down to a stride. Ripping through the halls she spotted the Great Hall and walked towards it.
"And what is a Gryffindor such as yourself doing outside so late?"
She growled and turned towards a tall boy with slicked back platinum blond hair and cold gray blue eyes. "I was on the pitch if you must know," she glared.
"Really? Why am I finding that hard to believe?" the boy's eyes shown with a mischievous intent.
"I don't know, maybe because you're Dense!" she screamed stalking towards the hall doors when she was whipped around and was slammed against a wall. "Urgh," she groaned as he pinned her arms at her sides. "Lego!"
"Not until you learn some respect," he spat.
"A Slytherin like you doesn't deserve any respect Malfoy!" she hissed.
He stared at her strangely.
'Opps,' she thought, 'I should not have said that. Oh well playing confuse the ferret should be fun anyway.' "Oh and Malfoy," she began, "any previous intentions would be considered rape," she added.
"More like incest," he countered.
"Wha?" she asked looking at him, a confused look spreading across her face. "What are you implying?"
"My aunt was psychic," he stated.
"And what does that have to do with me?"
"Read my mind. You'll see Rivers," he said taking her hand.
She looked into his eyes and hesitantly laid a hand on his cheek, shutting her eyes she concentrated. Memories came flooding into Rachel's mind. There were pictures, burning, unburning. A graveyard, a little boy and a blond woman. There were little girls, two little twins.
"What's going on?"
~ ^ ~
Yeah so there is chapter two.. Now I wrote this one out over the week and there are about 4 more pages that I need to type, but I'm just going to put them in the third chappie..
Thanks to - SugaQuill03 and arallahmenorah
Rayne –Thank you so much.. I read you're review and I was like 'Whoa, I feel loved.' Lol, but really thanks, I hope this fic lives up to what you hoped, but I definitely have it all planned out.
Well now that you've read, make me a happy little girl and review please!
~ Quidditch*16 ~