Punkette-Witch: Okay, so this chapter is short 'cuz I say so. Well, actually chapter 5 was too long and I figured making it shorter would help a little. So here it is. Enjoy, and review Kids.
Chapter 6 The Night of Plotted Plans
Most of the tables were empty by the time all of us were on the other side of the Hall doors. Scanning the room, I could see that there were a select few Slytherins present. As far as I could see, Jen was the only Hufflepuff in sight. Ravenclaws were all congregated around one small section of the table towards the door. I came to the conclusion that most—also the loudest—of the students were Gryffindors. The two ex-Durmstrang students in Gryffindor were further away from the rest of the Gryffindors.
Looking over at where Frank and Andrea had gone, I saw that they were sitting across from each other at the Ravenclaw table. Jon had sat down next to Frank on one side and Jen on the other. Patti was sitting next to Andrea, while giving Frank warning glares. I guess everyone wanted to sit together, not that I minded the least little bit. Sitting down, I caught only part of the last sentence of what Andrea said.
"…so anyway I just figured that with all of us sitting here and talking we could scare the crap out of the Ravenclaws as well as the other students some. You know?" Andrea said, looking at me, as I was sitting down on her other side, as if I should know exactly what she was talking about.
I just looked at her for a second. I guess I was just going to have to give her the same response I always gave her when I had no clue what it was she was just talking about. Nodding, I looked at the others then back at her saying, "Sure, I get it, but are you sure it's a wise thing in the long run?"
Ok, so the statement was stupid and shouldn't be able to work as much as it does, but hey the thing is… it works. For as long as I have known her and said that same sentence so often enough, I'm surprised it actually works nine times out of ten. That last one time it didn't work and she had caught me on it…well…hasn't yet.
"Well…I'm sure it will be ok. Come on, who here doesn't want to scare these guys?" as she asked the question, everyone raised their hands in agreement, well, except me of course. I wasn't about to get caught being a mild hypocrite. "They probably don't know that much about being freaks," Andrea finished, muttering under her breath.
As we all laughed at probably how true a statement that was, I looked over at Frank and Jon. They still hadn't cleaned the wounds I had created on their arms. As I looked up to meet Jon's eyes, before telling him so, I came to the realization that they had sat down across from Connor and Ace Ramirez. They were huddled together, talking in soft tones. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but then again I wasn't sure if it was smart for me to know.
Andrea started to talk about how she so despised the color scheme of the Ravenclaw Common Room. That she was already sketching out designs for the new and improved common room. I didn't pay attention to many details, but I managed to catch the words "black" "velvet" "pentagrams" and "bats", so I was pretty sure I didn't want to know anyways.
Every once in a while, Connor or Ace would look up and scowl at my friends and I. Though, I'm not quite sure they realized I was sitting there until I got up. They both looked slightly shocked or something when I did, as though I had just appeared out of nowhere. I just shrugged it all off as I turned back to my friends, ignoring the Ramirez freaks completely. Okay, so I still didn't know if they were brothers or cousins; so for now its freaks, because I say so. I told them that I wanted to go crash for a bit and that I would see them later. I so needed to crash for a bit. But, I guess everything was back to normal, even if I wasn't personally…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
No one's POV…
For the next day and a half it was pretty peaceful for the exchange students from the Academy. So peaceful, that a few things were to be forgotten, misplaced, or not mentioned again among the group. Luckily for the rest of the students and faculty, they hadn't caused any trouble through pranks. But…that wasn't suffice it to say that certain people weren't plotting any. They all received their schedules the morning of Sunday during breakfast. Andrea finally got the Ravenclaw Common Room looking normal…or at least her version of normal.
The poor little Ravenclaws were left to just deal with it to. Even with all their intellect and studies, not a one could find a spell or counter-curse to fix what the little vampire did. The décor was made permanent by the residential vamp. Anyone who tried to change it back, erase, or alter in anyway; wound up with a shock. They would wake up in the Hospital Wing with pointy ears, a bushy tail, iridescent wings, and being shrunk down to gnome size.
During Sunday, Andrea was so happy to see all these gnome sized, pointy eared, bushy tailed, winged Ravenclaw students running around; that her personality did a completely one-eighty for the whole day. Really who in their right mind would fault her for it? She was actually surrounded by people shorter then her for once. Though, in all honesty, they could fault her for one thing. She really did try to be the 'Muggle Queen of all that is Magical'…
Of course, one could argue that the double-detentions she received from that McGonagall woman for pulling such a stunt might have dampened her spirits…but really, she seemed to be happy that an adult was finally recognizing her for the troublemaker she really was…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sunday Night before the first day of classes…
Mystery POV…
I sat in front of the Slytherin Common Room fire. It was close to midnight and the others still hadn't arrived as of yet. As I sat in my usual plush green chair, waiting, I rechecked the silencing charms I had placed on all of the doors before heading downstairs to wait for the others. Satisfied that all the charms were securely in place and hadn't been tampered with, I set my wand back into my robes pocket. I had sent three of my fellow Slytherins out to get the rest of us nearly an hour ago.
My eyes dropped once again to the papers that sat in front of me on top of the mahogany table. They were plans of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and small parts of the Ministry. None of the plans were complete as of yet, but they were close to being done. By the time Graduation rolled around that year, preparations for the attacks would be underway and the day of Graduation would be for more of a celebration for many things, not just graduating.
Smirking at the fire in contemplation of these thoughts, the Common room door opened to reveal six boys all wearing white masks, in its entrance. Each one of them had a crest upon their robes, whether it was Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor. Like I would have a Hufflepuff within my ranks. As for the Gryffindors…well…each great ruler has have spies within the ranks of the enemy. Seeing them, I motioned for them to sit in the vacant chairs around both the table and the fireplace. As each boy sat, I shuffled through the stack of plans, spreading them out along the whole surface of the table.
"Report," I said curtly.
"It would seem, my Young Lord, that our plans have both become easier as well as more difficult." The man said, sitting across from me, with the Ravenclaw crest upon his chest.
"Explain."
"Well…my lord, it would seem that with the presence of these new exchange students, it is both a good and bad thing. You see, we have finally figured out what has happened to two of our potentials, but their friendship with their friends might cause problems. It has come to our awareness that…"
"That the preparations made years ago concerning these two have created very useful qualities in both of them. The thing is, their close ties of friendship…might interfere with our plans of getting them onto our side, my lord." The younger of the Gryffindors said, interrupting the Ravenclaw.
Nodding in understanding of the problem, I thought it over. Those friends of theirs' would create a lot of problems if not handled quickly and in the best way. Andrea's father had worked along side with all of ours and our old Lord. He had proven his loyalty many times. His final declaration of loyalty was to hand his only daughter over to our old lord and to our cause. Though, his attempt did fail; by making her a hybrid, he had unwittingly made her more useful, if controlled correctly. Hmm…though turning her over to our side finally probably wouldn't take that much effort, with how she is. Her becoming one of mine could wait 'til all the plans were done. Besides, I had watched her…she was devious, and perfect for us…
My thoughts then turned over to the other potential. She was supposed to be mine long ago. She barely just slipped out of my grasp back then. Her father turned out to be a spy. He was part of the old Lord's inner circle stationed in United States. His true nature was only found out after the old Lord's death. I had found out later that he had been a spy from almost the second he was brought within the ranks. As for the girl's mother, she was a completely loyal—like all the others in her family—'til almost the very end. He had turned her against our old Lord. Now their daughter…there was a distinct possibility that she could have some abilities that not even she knew of. The dark magic that, at one time, had run through her parents' blood could have affected her, their child, in strange ways…or it might not have at all. She could be normal, or even below so. It was unsure, for now. She would take longer to bring over then Andrea. For this would take a lot of precision.
"Alright, Then I believe that the best way to win both of them over is either by their greatest desire, or their greatest weakness," I said, looking from one boy to the next.
"Well…Andrea's greatest weakness is her father, and her greatest desire is to have the security that he is dead and won't ever be coming back." One of the Slytherin boys said thoughtfully.
"Then what do you suggest?" I ask, smirking at him.
"That, my Lord, that you send some people to go visit her father, and eliminate him. Or bring him into hiding and make the rest of the magical world believe him dead."
"Both dually noted, and under advisement to be decided by next we meet." The Slytherin nodded and sat back, waiting for other suggestions as well as I was. "And for our other vixen?"
"Well when it comes to her…it seems that we can't use her greatest desire, for we do not know it. As for the other…well…seduction maybe?" the older of the Gryffindors stated their suggestion.
"Hmm…it might work. Though, pray tell, why seduction?" I ask smirking at him one eyebrow rose mockingly.
"Well…it would seem that she fears it, as well as off balanced by it. If some thing is off balanced enough, it falls, right? So if she becomes that far off balanced, she will fall. Which means someone must be there to catch her." A very smug tone could be heard through his mask.
"So you mean to say is that one of us should be there to catch her, not if she falls, but when?"
"Exactly my lord."
"Agreed. Now on to the construction of these plans…"
XXXX
They sat up the rest of the night, adding and correcting their plans for each area, as well as figuring out the next time they would meet to discuss the progress of their plans. Their main target being the newest female member of the Gryffindor house…
