Chapter 6: A Gryffindor Goaded

By the time I had made my way into the Great Hall for the feast, nearly all the Slytherins burst out laughing at me. Rinée had seen me clasp my wand, and came over, looping an arm through my own and walking me over to the Gryffindor table.

"Ignore them." She muttered. "I'd like to see them face a Dementor." She said, casting a look of contempt over at Diedrich. I shook my head. Leanne seated herself next to me at the table.

"Are you okay Shanks?"

"I'm fine." I murmured, eating some toast.

"Are you sure Shanks-"

"I'm fine!" I snapped, pulling my arm from her grip. She sat there for a second, looking hurt and rejected. She looked at Rinée, then James, then left the table. I sighed. "I should apologize shouldn't I?" Rinée nodded.

"Hi Shanks." I turned around to see Kat standing there with one of her friends.

"Alright Kat?" I asked quietly, trying not to appear awkward.

"Yeah... I just wanted to check you're okay from yesterday?" I tried to set aside the confusion in my head. Why would she care?

"Yeah." I said eventually. "I'm fine... thanks Kat." She nodded. "You ready Rinée?"

"Yeah, give me a sec." Rinée said, drinking the rest of her pumpkin juice. "I'll see you guys later."

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Revision." Rinée said with an obvious tone.

"Inside? With this weather?"

"We're revising outside actually." Kat's friend said to me. I turned back to my eating.

"So, when's practice?" Rinée asked quickly.

"4ish today." I said, letting her go with Kat. I watched them all exit.

"What was that about?" I asked James opposite me.

"What?"

"The whole asking how I was thing?"

"Just being nice probably." He shrugged, reading the Daily Prophet.

"But she's a bitch..." I scratched the back of my head. "Why would she care?"

"That's not your biggest problem at the moment." James said with a sigh. "Are you ready for this match?"

"Against Slytherin? Of course I am."

"It's just... well, the last time you were around a Slytherin Seeker-"

"I'll be fine." I cut James off. "Why are you asking anyway? James handed me the Daily Prophet, where I read out the headline. "Shanks to follow in father's footsteps?" I looked up at James. "What's this rubbish?"

"It's the press trying to get a statement from a celebrity's son." I shook my head, scrunching up the paper and throwing it over my shoulder.

"Well, they can try but they'll be getting nothing from me." I muttered. I thought for a moment. "Since when were Rinée and Kat hanging out?"

"Since you broke up with her." James said, drinking some juice.

"What? I thought they'd hate each other."

"Kat sort of lost some energy after you dumped her." James said quietly. "Which brings me to my next point - why were you even dating her?" I shrugged in response. "No, you don't get to shrug. Tell me why."

"She's hot." I said simply.

"Yes, but so are a lot of the girls in your fanbase."

"It's not the same." I said, getting from the table and leaving, unfortunately at the same time as some Slytherins.

James continued to persist as we made our way down to the lake, walking a good few minutes away from Kat and Rinée.

"It's exactly the same. She was in the Shanks Fanclub remember?"

"That was years ago."

"Doesn't matter. Come on - why?" I shook my head.

"James." I said, looking at him with that look he so rarely found himself looking at - the one telling him to stop - telling him that no good would come of him asking.

"Fine." He said, shaking his head. I looked up to see Diedrich stand up, saying something to Rinée. Rinée, in turn, stood up and shouted something back at him. Diedrich's grin vanished as the rest of the boys around him took out their wands. James and I rushed over to them.

"Oh, here comes your saviour." Diedrich rolled his eyes at me. "Haven't you got some Dementors to feed?" He winked.

"Much better company than a bunch of ignoramuses like you." Rinée spat at them.

"Love you too Rinée." Diedrich smiled smugly. I took out my wand, and flicked it upwards at him, thinking the incantation once again: Diedrich was spun up into the air by his ankle and was left dangling, his wand out of reach. Rinée laughed at him, as did Kat. I couldn't help feeling a bit brazened by this - it was always fun to jinx people.

Another Slytherin pulled out his wand, but I quickly pointed my wand at the boy.

"Ventus!"I shouted, knocking the boy and his friend backwards from the spiral of wind that crashed into them.

One of the Slytherin boys stood up and pointed his wand at me.

"Flipendo!" He cried as the spiral of blue came towards me. Rinée took out her wand.

"Protego Duo!" She shouted, lunging in front of me, and knocking the jinx back at the Slytherin. "Stop!" Rinée ordered - more to me than the other Slytherins.

"Why?" I asked her.

"Because this is stupid and juvenile!" She protested angrily at me. "Jinxing people just because they say something bad about you!" I rolled my eyes, looking away from her. "Put him down." She commanded. "Aiden." I looked at her in the eyes for a moment, deciding whether or not to listen to her. Finally, I waved my wand and dropped Diedrich.

"At least her mummy taught her manners." He muttered. I threw myself towards him, but Rinée stood there, holding me in place.

"Shut up Vreyair!" I shouted at him.

"Or what? You'll faint?"

"Shanks, just calm down-" Rinée tried to tell me.

"You couldn't even handle a bloody bogart!" Diedrich continued, being held back by his friends.

"I could fight off anything!" I bawled at him.

"Oh yeah? Prove it! Go into the Forest!"

"Diedrich! Shut! Up-"

"Fine!" I shouted, moving Rinée's hands off my chest and marching away.

"Shanks! Shanks!" Rinée called after me. "Kat! Do something!" I heard Rinée call. I didn't care - I was going to rip apart that Dementor!

I marched deep into the forest, ignoring the calls of Rinée. I took out my wand and waited for the Dementor to come and find me. I stood there, wand gripped tightly. I could definitely defend myself this time - I was ready!

"Come on..." I muttered, bobbing up and down. "Come on, I'm ready..."

"Shanks?" I looked back to Rinée.

"Just stop Rinée!" I called.

"Shanks..."

"I don't want to hear it Rinée!" I shouted at her, turning back to see a horrified face.

"Shanks!" She pointed in front of me. I turned back to see a team of three Dementors lurking in front of me. I raised my wand at them.

"Stupefy!" I shouted, watching the red sparks fly at the Dementors. It flew into one's head, sending it spinning backwards, then emerge again, in front of the other two. I thought through other spells. "Everte Statum!" I shouted, slashing my wand wildly, to no avail. "Flipendo!" I desperately waved my wand, the blue spirals of wind only blowing their cloaks back, revealing their skeletal bodies. I back up towards Rinée. The Dementors looked at her, and one even began to hover over towards her, however the other two were transfixed by me. "Rinée, run-" I tried to call towards her, but the Dementors came towards me, both of them draining me of energy and hope. As I began to drop down towards the ground, I heard someone - a girl. I saw a man run up towards us, then hold out his wand, shouting some incantation before a magnificent ghost of a creature charged towards the Dementors, scaring them to the point of a scrambling retreat. The man leant down towards me - I could make out the gold frames of his spectacles and the lightning bolt scar carved into his forehead. He asked me something, but I couldn't hear - not him at least; all I heard was the screaming of a small, frightened girl.

This is becoming a habit - ending with a fainting. But, I promise - I'll try not to do it as much. Anyway, leave a review please - it really does help my story get noticed. And also - please submit a character - students more than a faculty, although you can put in a teacher for:

Quidditch Referee:

Potions Master:

Charms Master:

Transfigurations Master:

Care of Magic Creatures:

Astronomy:

Divination:

Muggle Studies:

Ancient Runes:

History of Magical:

Bear in mind - I want more pupils than Faculty... namely, those who play Quidditch... just not Gryffindor as a Seeker or Chaser... or as a Slytherin Seeker...

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Man, I've got to stop writing when I'm drunk... Review!