The Serpens Order
Chapter 6
CAUGHT IN THE FIRE
Alexis sole purpose after that morning was to find out what the Book of Phantom was, and she was sure she could get the information from the restricted section at the school library. But that librarian watched over the place night and day like a hawk, and it been a week and she hadn't been able to get in. She couldn't fool a teacher to give her permission either, she had to much of a reputation as a troublemaker. So one night when she, James and Fred where curled up in some chairs at the corner of the common room, all of them ignoring their homework lying on the table in front of them. She decided to ask her friends for help in desperation.
"Guys, I need your help" She stated out of thin air, making them both give her suspicious looks.
"Whit what?"
"I need to get into the restricted section at the library"
"What do you need there?" Fred leaned forward eagerly, but still narrowing his eyebrows.
"My secret" She mused.
"Then we won't help you" James pouted at her, Fred nodding beside him.
"You mean you can't" She knew her friends well, they wouldn't back down from a comment like that.
"Of course we can!" They both exclaimed offended.
"Prove it!" She leaned over the table, and snapped the books in front of them shut, smiling challengingly. The boys shared a look before turning back to her.
"Okay then"
"Good" She leaned back in her chair, satisfied with their answer, but yet having an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She was sometimes very good at playing people, it was a virtue of hers, and she knew it was a Malfoy treat that was well used in the pureblood community, and if you didn't have it, you weren't going to make it. But using it on her friends, it wasn't her intentions, the secrets where piling up inside of her, but she couldn't help it. She knew now that the knowledge was dangerous, that was why heir parents had kept if from her and her brother. And that was also the reason she hadn't even told him about it, and not her friends either. The less they knew the better, she had a distinct feeling that Preston knew that this was between the two of them too, by the way he glared at her in the corridors.
"What's the plan then?" She asked the boys, pulling herself out of her dark thoughts, James smiled as his face lit up, a certain sign that he had an idea.
"The invisibility cloak!" He exclaimed, and then looked around at some third years sitting further away and lowering his voice. "I remember uncle Ron telling me about how he, Dad and Hermione used it all the time to get around the school"
"That's brilliant!" Fred grinned "When do we do it?"
"As soon as possible, can you go tonight?" She whispered to them, because the third years where giving them disgruntled looks now.
"Yeah sure, meet us down here at midnight, everyone will probably have goon to sleep them" James whispered back to her, Fred nodding beside him.
"You sure?"
"Yes of course Alex, we don't back down from a challenge" The boys smirked simultaneously. And she rolled her eyes in return.
"Then I'm going up now, see you soon" She jumped of the chair, gathered her books and strode away to the girls staircase and up the stairs to her dormitory. She entered quietly, since all the other girls where already fast asleep. She bounced down on her bed fully dressed, and pulled the curtains on the bed around her. Laying completely still in the darkness, now and then glancing at the clock beside her bed. When she couldn't take it anymore she pulled out her wand and her charm homework, muttering 'Lumos' and the wand lit up with a soft glow. But of course she couldn't concentrate on that either. Her mind crept drifting of in other directions, trying to avoid the 'war' thingy Preston had talked about she finally settled on the strange behavior from the boys. The blushing and the strange looks, what did they mean? She sat in her bed thinking for a long time, and then the clock finally showed that it was midnight. She carefully sneaked out of the room, making sure she didn't wake any of the others up. And then hurrying down the stairs to meet the boys, they where already sitting on the floor by the fire.
"Hey, got any sleep?" She thumb down beside them, both of them shrugging, she wasn't sure if it was a yes or no. "So, you've got it?"
"Here it is" James held out a quilt like thing, and then when she was about to say it looked like any quilt he threw it over himself, and she gasped as he disappeared from sight.
"Wow!"
"It's cool right?" James voice came floating from the spot beside her.
"And creepy"
"We can see each other when we're under it" He said and his head popped up, floating in mid air with messy hair sparking in all direction.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Fred grabbed a hold of the cloak and threw it over him and Alexis, and suddenly they where all huddled under the cloak.
"Let's go" She murmured and they walked to the portrait hole, having a little problem climbing through it, and finally she poked out her head looking that the coast was clear, and then she took the cloak and the boys followed her quickly, and sliding in under the cloak again as soon as they where through. The fat lady gave them disapproving looks.
"You are just like your fathers boys" The portrait muttered, before going back to sleep. And Alexis was glad she hadn't seen her, but wondering what the fat lady had said about her father?
"Don't scuff" The boys hissed at each other from behind her, as they tried to make their way to the library without making to much sound, which proved to be quite difficult with James and Fred bickering all the way behind her, just outside the library she stopped to give both of them a stern look, glancing at each other the boys seemed greatly amused at the look on her face.
"What's so funny?" She hissed at them annoyed when they wouldn't stop smirking like idiots.
"The look on your face, you're kind of cute when you're angry" Fred grinned, then seemed to realize what he'd just said, and his eyes widened in shock at his owns word, James was staring at him too, a disbelieving look on his face.
"And scary" Fred added quickly, just when Alexis was about laugh to take it as a joke, and she forced herself to poke her tongue at him before turning her back on them again. She heard James whisper something to Fred angrily, but she didn't hear what, and she didn't care for the moment either.
They had reached the doors and she opened it carefully, peeking inside to see that it was empty, then dragging the boys with her in and closing the door behind her. The portraits on the walls looked for the sounds they heard from them, but of course they couldn't see them. She led the way to the restricted section, where she threw of the cloak at the dark row.
"Lumos" She whispered and her wand lit up immediately.
"I'll be look out" Fred whispered and stationed himself at the end of the row, peering around the bookcase, still wearing the cloak.
"What are we looking for?" James hissed in her ear.
"A book called the Book of Phantoms" She answered and James narrowed his eyebrows.
"I haven't heard about it"
"Have you heard of any book not involving quidditch?" She asked, with a raised eyebrow, and he pouted but started ruffling along the books closest to him. Alexis did the same, and soon they where systematically looking through the bookcase book by book. She tried not to think of the fact that there was books there that was seriously dangerous, and many of them containing dark magic.
"This is a waste of time, why are you even doing this?" James muttered to her.
"I told you I can't tell you"
"Why not? Don't you trust us?" At the last words he turned to look at her for a moment, she was surprised that he had a sincere look that she hadn't seen on him before.
"Of course I do, it's just… complicated" She shrugged and avoided to look at him, even if she could feel his eyes burning in her back.
"Shhhh, someone's coming!" Fred's voice heard from a few steps away, and they could hear him scrambling towards them. Then they heard footsteps closing in on their row. Fred threw the cloak over her and James the same second as the librarian came running around the corner.
"Anyone there?" She asked harshly into the dark, panting hard and clutching her wand in her hand. They all held their breaths. She walked into the row, and they had to press against the bookcase not to be in her way. And in the narrow alley between the bookcases that was hard. The books cracked slightly behind them as they backed into them, and the librarians head shot around immediately. Staring at the spot where they stood. Walking closer she was feeling in the air just over Alexis head, she squirmed her eyes shot and didn't dare breathe even if her lungs where hurting madly. Finally the librarian snorted and turned around swiftly, and stalking past them out the alleyway and then they heard her footsteps echo until a door slammed shut.
"Puh" Fred let out a breath at the same time as the other two, and Alexis had to take another deep breath before being able to think straightly. Then she looked sideways and saw James looking at her with a wondering look, and then glanced down, she followed his eyes down to their hands. She had grabbed his wrist without noticing it. Blushing she withdrew her hand quickly, not meeting his eyes. She slipped out from the cloak once more, grabbing a book she'd noticed earlier 'Magical Books and their origin' Maybe she could find anything about the Book of Phantoms in there,
"Lets go" She hissed eagerly as she slid back in under the cloak, and all three of them hurried back through the library, through the hallways, where they only met a prefect strolling around looking rather sleepy. And back through the entrance whole, where they all threw the cloak off.
"Thanks for the help guys" She smiled, she was disappointed that she hadn't gotten the book. But somewhere deep inside she had already known that it wasn't an item you just could walk into a library and find on a dusty case.
"No worries" Fred grinned as James reached down to pick up the cloak, folding it carefully over his arm.
"No, I mean it, really" She said sincerely, knowing that the comment would make the boys uneasy so then turning around to walk up to her dormitory, waving goodnight to them over her back. When she slid into the bedroom she felt that she was really sleepy, and placed the book she had been clutching against her chest carefully in her trunk, under some of her clothes. Before falling onto the bed fully dressed, falling asleep in an instant.
The next morning she was so tired from the lack of sleep that she actually fell asleep during potions. But then kept herself awake at charms because Stanley kept sending her menacing glances and she just had to return them. During lunch break she took a quick nap, planning to go through the book after school ended, but then Ted showed up and told her that she had extra quidditch practice since they had a match soon, and if they won that much they would be facing slytherin in the final. So instead of lying down on her bed and look through the book she grabbed her broom and went down to the pitch with James, he looking just as tired as she felt.
"What's up with you two?" Ted asked them when they came into the changing rooms, dumping down on the bench. None of them answered since they where interrupted by their yawns, and Ted rolled his eyes.
"Look, we have to win over Ravenclaw, in other case we don't have chance on the house cup, and we're not losing under my watch!" Ted said to the team, eyeing all of them. "I know we can do this, Victorie, Danielle and Alexis, you have a few good tricks up your sleeves, I won't you to practice them and use them. Brandon and Philip, you only have to keep those damn bludgers away from the rest of us as usual. And James, the faster you catch the snitch, the better" He finished his speech and everyone fell silent for a moment, before Philip jumped up quickly, the rest of the team following him out on the pitch.
The air was cloudy and windy, making it hard to concentrate on the quaffle because she had to hold on to the broom hard. But Ted cheered as she, Vicky and Danielle pulled a spectacular move. Victorie caught the quaffle, and was blocked by Brandon (playing offence) so she dropped the quaffle to Alexis who caught it, throwing it to Danielle on the other side of the pitch, near the goal, when everyone thought she would try to score she passed it back to Alexis who dunked it through the middle ring with a quick snap from her broom. They kept going until the dark was beginning to fall, and Victorie started to complain at her boyfriend, Danielle and Alexis joining in next and the guys shortly afterwards. Teddy gave up trying to get them to play more when they all started shouting at him, and they went back to the changing rooms. James hanging back, waiting for her.
"It's all right Jamie, I want to have a word with Alexis" Teddy smiled, when it was only the three of them left.
"About what?" James asked suspiciously as her breath got caught in her throat, did he want to kick her off the team? Maybe she wasn't good enough…
"Just go James" Teddy ordered his god brother who reluctantly left through the door, she glanced up at Teddy shyly. She'd gotten to know him a lot better since she joined the team but this was the first time she was alone with him, and she was wondering what he wanted.
"Are you going to kick me off the team?" She asked abruptly.
"What? No!" Teddy exclaimed, laughing out loud. "You're the best chaser on the team since I started here"
"Really?" Her eyes widened in astonishment.
"Yeah, the way you fly you could probably be a seeker too" He said holding up the door for her as they strolled onto the yard, starting to walk against the castle.
"But James is the best seeker. And I like scoring goals much better"
"I know you do, and that's actually what I wanted to talk with you about" He smiled, she looked up at his tall frame wonderingly.
"About goals?" She asked disbelievingly. He laughed again in return.
"No, about James, well, more exactly James and Fred"
"What about them?" She asked curiously.
"Well, you must have noticed…"
"Noticed what?"
"They like you" He said, avoiding to look at her, and his face getting a darker look.
"Of course they do, we are best friends" She said frustrated.
"I mean they like you"
She stopped in her tracks, and Ted turned a few steps ahead of her.
"What?" Her voice was high pitched and didn't sound at all like her own.
"Oh surely you must have seen it, it's very obvious"
"No they don't!"
"Yes they do, and that's a problem. Not your fault though" He added at the scared look on her face.
"What do you mean, they haven't told me, or done anything…" She trailed off as memories of James and her tickling, Fred's arm around her shoulders, James blushing, Fred saying she was cute… but no! This could not be true, they where just friends, they couldn't like like her. Could they?
"Of course they haven't, they are best mates, and cousins. They have probably noticed that both of them have feelings for you. And decided not to do anything about it, because they don't want to fight. You know, that a love can break up the best of friends"
She winched at the word love, Ted didn't seem to notice.
"I don't believe you" She whispered harshly. Finally Ted looked back at her, then putting on hand on her shoulder.
"I know you don't… just be careful okay?" He looked her way like he expected an answer from her, she didn't understand what he meant but still nodded reluctantly just to make him stop bursting out nonsense. They didn't talk the few steps towards the castle, and not on their way up to the common room, where they broke away from each other. He couldn't be right could he? No, he was imagining, older people had a way of interfering in younger people's life's. Just like Ted had just done, she knew he'd meant well but now he couldn't stop thinking about it.
James and Fred had now spotted her and was waving at her to come over, she took a deep breath and went over to sunk down on an empty chair.
"What did he want?" James asked eagerly, searching her face.
"Er, he just wanted to give me a few tips, you know, for the game" She lied, not looking them in the eyes.
"You're lying" Fred peered up from his homework, sending her a surprisingly serious gaze.
"Yeah you've been acting really strange lately" James joined in.
"I'm been acting strange? What about you two?"
"What about us?" The boys glanced at each other, a flicker of concern crossing their eyes.
"Nothing" She mumbled, she didn't want to tell them what Teddy had said to her, that would be like confirming it, and she did not want to confirm it, because it was nothing to confirm, he was wrong.
"Well then at least tell us what you needed that book for?" Fred pressed.
"I can't, I told you!"
"Why?" James snapped.
"Because"
"That's not an answer"
"Just forget it okay!" She said more harshly then she'd intended, but she didn't care at the moment. She stormed off the chairs and up the stairs, the boys didn't call out for her. She closed the door angrily with a slam when she came into her room, Megan winching and looking up from her magazine.
"Alexis what…?"
"I don't want to talk about it" She interrupted the other girl, and slopped down on her bed, drawing the curtains up around her. This was the downside of sharing a room with several girls, you where never truly alone, someone was always near. Usually she liked it but today it was just annoying. Her eyes fell upon the 'Magical Books and their Origins' book lying at the foot of her bed. She snatched it up, coughing at the dust that flew up when she opened it. She started to flap through the book, not finding anything remotely interesting. She flipped back to the first page, and rummaged through the chapters. At first she didn't find anything, but then she stopped at the thirteenth chapter. 'Dark Art Related Books' and quickly flipped to the chapter. Her eyes immediately fell upon the picture, she felt suddenly cold. There was a face staring back at her, a cloudy dead face, without eyes, just big black holes. She forced herself to stop staring into the phantom less face, and to reed the letters beneath.
-:THE BOOK OF PHANTOMS:-
This book is more of a myth than reality, nobody has been aware of it's location for decades. The book was guarded by the first headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when he died no one ever found the book. And it's presumed to be hidden somewhere within the walls of the school. No doubt well hidden, since it's a dangerous object and also weapon. If you where to try to read the book, your soul would be captured within it's pages. The only way to escape is for someone to write the name of the person in blood on the pages. No one has ever tried this, and this is therefore only an untested theory.
She let out a low cry, and slammed the book shut.
Woho, reviews! Happy me, I was beginning to think that the whole world except me had been abducted by aliens when I didn't get any visitors at all for a few days. Now I have to get back to my Swedish book, that by the way sucks, how can anyone write a boring book like that without falling asleep is a mystery to me. But then, maybe the author did and that's why the book suck. School always make you read the most suckiest (hum, not a word?" books.
Let me now what you think of this chapter :D!