Authors Note: Yo, (I want to be like Fang for a while), as some people may know I changed the name of the story from The Ultimate Challenge, to Magical Mayhem. If you're just reading this now and you haven't read before you don't have to worry about my little warning, lol. Anyways this chapter is dedicated to IggyLuver8, who has reviewed every chapter and well. . . ok the pen name is just flipping sweet, because I honestly think no one appreciates Iggy enough. He is totally awesome even though he is blind. I know I would date him, lol. Enough of that though. Let us commence, ONWARD!
Chapter -:Four:-
And I Thought We Were A Weird Bunch. Mhm, Guess I Was Wrong. That Would Be A First.
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There was a bright searing light and then I swear to you I saw this stag like, looking thing start galloping through the air. Twisting and turning in between the hooded creatures. It looked like it was made out of light itself. It had this sort of blue, iridescent brilliance about it that had all of us bird kids gawking at the sight. That wasn't the only surprising thing though. No, it was the fact that as those weird words, Expecto Patronum or something, were spoken and that stag shot like a bullet through the crowd of monsters they instantly fell back, retreating quickly into the instantaneous cover of trees.
When they were all gone the flock and I turned our heads simultaneously towards the direction in which that beautiful stag had come from. With this thought I realized it was no where to be seen anymore. In its place stood a boy that looked to be our age with black hair and piercing emerald green eyes. He wore glasses and had the strangest sort of sign on his forehead. It was right smack dab in the middle, but that wasn't the strange part. It was really the shape of the mark that caught and held your attention.
It was in the perfect formation of a zigzagged lightening strike.
After a few moments I realized that I was probably making him uncomfortable, staring at his scar like that, but it was mesmerizing somehow. I just couldn't look away and I don't think any of the flock could either. Except for Iggy maybe, but I bet Angel was sending him a mental image of the boy because I heard him mutter "Whoa" under his breath.
The boy shuffled his feet awkwardly and then in one swift shake of his head his hair fell over his forehead, concealing the mark on it and our trance was broken. My head snapped down a little and I noted for the first time that he clutched a very smooth and perfectly articulated stick in his hand. Holding onto it like it was a life line of some sort. Well wasn't he a bizarre one? Even more so than us mutant bird freaks. Maybe he had some tests done on his DNA by evil, wacko, crazy scientists like us. I guess there was only one way to find out.
"Hel- Hello." I stuttered. Dang, when the [insert swear word of your choice here] did I start stuttering? When you almost died apparently, I said to myself. Then that made me realize that I had literally almost died and I had also been contemplating that idea of gratefully succumbing to that action.
What I did next was utterly horrifying.
Tears welled in my eyes and before I could stop them they over flowed. Suddenly I felt like I didn't have the strength to stand any longer. I crumpled to the ground but Fang caught me and held me close to him. I buried my face in his chest and he stiffened for a moment before holding me closer. Angel ran over and hugged my legs, sending me soothing thoughts and I couldn't help but think how wrong this picture was.
I should not be the one bawling my eyes out, while Angel, who is six years old, is trying to calm me down! If anything the whole scene should be flipped around, but none of us hardly cry anyways. I was Maximum Ride, and I did not cry!
"Is. . . Is Max crying?" Iggy asked incredulously and I wanted to hit him so bad, but I didn't have enough strength left in me to reach my arm out and smack him upside the head, so I settled for saying in a weak, withered voice that surprised everyone, "Shut up Iggy, or I swear I will kill you!"
"Ohhh scary." He chuckled and I lurched towards him but stumbled in the process.
Someone caught me and I looked up to see a face shrouded by black hair. It wasn't Fang's dark eyes though. No these were brilliant green irises that I was peering into.
"Are you alright?" The boy asked.
"I think so." I said slowly. I felt alright, except for the major headache that was wracking my brain from the utter exhaustion I was feeling. It wasn't as bad as one of my brain attacks though, so I was grateful for that.
"I'm an idiot, of course your not ok!" He exclaimed and helped we straighten.
"What do you mean she's not ok?" Fang questioned him.
"Well, she just survived a Dementor attack and man it's very exhausting. After all they do suck the life out of you. I should know." He grimaced a little as he said this and got this glassy look over his eyes like he was remembering something from the past and it did not look like it was a pleasant memory from the horrified expression that now masked his face.
"Yes well. . . Was that you? You know, that made the. . . Dementors as you call them go away with. . . with that stag thing?" I tried to form a reasonable sentence without him thinking I was crazy for coming up with such an absurd question.
"Oh that. Yeah that was me. Pretty sufficient Patronus if I do say so myself." In saying this he neither sounded vain nor overly proud.
"What's a-?" I began.
"The time for questions is later." He cut me off and I decided to say something different.
"I guess I should thank you then." I said.
"For what?" He seemed genuinely confused.
"For saving my life, or are you saying that Dementor wouldn't have killed me?"
"Oh it would have, and the rest of your friends, too." He nodded.
"Well than I really should thank you for saving my life and my flo- family's life also." I corrected myself quickly.
"It was no problem. Really it wasn't." He brushed it aside. He obviously didn't want to be held in the spotlight.
"Well I'm Max and this is Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Angel and the Gasman." I introduced every one in turn.
"It's nice to meet you all and forgive me for saying this, but you do have some strange names." He bit his lip.
"Yeah, well what can we say? We're kind of strange I guess. More than you'll ever know." Fang said icily and I looked over at him to see that his eyes held some emotion other than blank nothingness. I wonder what his problem was though?
"And you are?" I quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, I'm quite sorry. My name is-" He was cut off by a sudden clatter of running feet crashing through the underbrush.
"HARRY! Harry where are you!" A girl yelled. She seemed quite frantic and concerned.
"Harry! Come on mate! Where the bloody hell did he get off, too?" This voice belonged to a male.
"I'm over here!" He turned around and shouted and the calling stopped.
There was more noise and then a boy with bright red hair skidded into the clearing with a girl that had bushy brown locks trailing close behind.
"There you are Harry! We've been looking for you everywhere! You of all people should know it's not safe to go waltzing into the Forbidden Forest alone, let alone at all!" The girl cried out and threw her arms around the boy, who a presumed to be Harry.
"There's no need to over react, and besides it's a good think I came out here when I did, or else these six would have been dead." For the first time the new comers seemed to notice our presence.
"Who are these Muggles, Harry, and what are they doing way out here in the Forbidden Forest?" The boy peered closely at us.
"What did you just call us!" I exclaimed angrily, and let me tell you I do not look pretty when I'm angry, and took a menacing step towards him.
"Be careful Max!" Harry reached out for my arm.
"Why would I have to be careful? He should be the one being careful. That is if he doesn't want his face pummeled in!" I snarled and he took a step back, his eyes widened perceptibly.
"You wouldn't. . . Would you?" He inquired in a shaky voice.
"Oh she would dude, she would." Iggy was laughing hysterically.
"Everyone these are my friends Ron and Hermione. Guys this is Max, Fang, Nudge, Iggy, the Gasman, and Angel." This time Harry introduced us all, but I was still mad. What did he think that puny Ron could do to me?
"You do realize that your friend couldn't even touch me, right?" I turned to glare at him angrily.
"That's not what I meant by my statement Max. I was referring to the fact that you can hardly walk on your own at the present moment." He reassured me and I relaxed a little.
"What exactly happened here, Harry?" The girl, Hermione, spoke up.
"They were attacked by Dementors." Harry said simply, but Ron's face morphed into a mask of shock and Hermione gasped.
"Oh my." She murmured.
"I think we should take them back to see Dumbledore." Harry suggested.
"That's impossible! You've gone crazy mate!" Ron exclaimed.
"Come on guys! She needs help, and I don't have any chocolate right now so I can't help her here and besides I think Dumbledore will want to see them." Harry defended himself.
"I don't know Harry. It seems kind of dangerous. We don't even really know anything about these people." Hermione said uncertainly.
"We're good at keeping secrets. Trust me." I interjected.
"I can't just trust some random stranger!" Hermione replied.
"If we tell you our secret we'll you tell us yours?" I asked and then flock cried out in protest.
"Max what are you thinking!" Iggy said.
"Have you gone loopy from lack of sleep?" Fang asked.
"You can't Max!" Nudge said.
"How do we know if we can trust them?" Angel questioned.
"Are you really going to blow our cover?" Gazzy asked.
"Guys! I'm the leader and I say we show them, and besides. He saved my life, remember? I'm pretty confident in saying we can trust him." I pleaded with them and after a few moments got a range of uncertain, to ready for anything I say, nods.
And with that I shook out my wings and all the nonflock members stared in shock at the feathers protruding from my back.
"Is that what I think it is?" Harry asked in astonishment.
"Blimey." Ron muttered.
"Can you?. . . Can you fly?" Hermione inquired, astonished.
"Well duh." I replied.
"Well then I think it's settled." Harry snapped back to reality.
"Where are you going to take us?" I being the great and almighty leader that I was, had to ask.
"Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Authors Note: This chapter was so, so much fun to write, so I sincerely hope you enjoy it and review as always. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on the story so far, because if I honestly don't get more than five reviews I probably won't be as excited to write as I usually am, so chapters might be a little slow to come out *hint hint* Anyways I seriously want you to review. I mean, I've never been more serious in my life. If you could see me right now (which would be kind of creepy because you'd have to be, like, peeping in my bedroom window, so I'd probably have to get a restraining order) you would know that I wore my serious face.