Why did everything have to be so confusing?...Trying to understand what to do...But I can't...It's a cold night...Can you take me somewhere new?...Away from this place...Though my life was turned…I still try to take it one at a time...Trying to do everything I can...For who knows...We could die someday...We don't want to regret anything...Regret nothing in life...Not while we live...
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Vixen groans with dread as she lands on Harry's Seamus' bed in the fourth year Gryffindor boy dormitory. They had just found out that there was a formal ball to be held just before lunch for fourth years and above, the younger children being able to come if an older year asks them to the ball. She had wondered about the formal dressing when she had to get her school supplies but that was the only thing that the Wiccan witch didn't get the dressing and now she needed to go to her Head of House to get permission to go to Hogsmeade so she can get a formal dress.
Or she can just get Navis to go dress shopping for her and video chat the dresses before giving him her size. Vixen scoffed at the idea, for she knew her brother would groan and complain, then do it some more when he's in the shops. Maybe she should just have Pyxis do it as he would do anything for her–she can already hear Navis telling her, "Of course Pyxis would say yes! You're the baby!"–but she wouldn't do that to him. She loved her older brother to not make him go through that.
"How did you not get your formal dress?" Hermione questioned confused, as she sat on Ron's bed, while both Harry and Ron sat on the former's bed.
"I was too busy with my No-Maj classes and not to mention fighting demons!" Vixen tells them, placing her right arm over her eyes, "Honestly, if it wasn't for Harry, my ass would be going back to sunny side California during the holiday!"
"How about you get your ass off my bed, instead!" Seamus Finnigan tells her teasingly, not really minding.
The boys were used to having the Wiccan witch on someone's bed until she falls asleep on Harry's or leaves to go back to her own House. "Sorry Irish, but I'm way too comfortable to move," Vixen grins, peeking from underneath her arm as she felt Seamus sit near her legs at the end of the bed. "Besides, you know you love my ass on your bed."
"Well," Seamus started, only to stop at Harry's warning.
"Watch it!" he growled, glaring at the other boy.
Seamus immediately held up his hands as the other three boys laughed, Vixen shaking her head and Hermione rolling her eyes. Dean Thomas then moved and jumped on to Seamus' bed right near Vixen's head, making her grumble with annoyance as she bounced on the bed, while Neville sat on his bed instead. Harry wanted to talk to Vixen about using the spell that she had made to find the Horcruxes at lunch when she went on a rampage about the formal ball and not having a dress.
Harry actually wished that they had gone to the Room of Requirements instead of the boy's dorm so that they can talk more privately and bring up the spell she had made. If it wasn't for Professor McGonagall intercepting them on their way to the Room of Requirements last night, they could have found the Horcrux and destroyed it already!
Then all day they've been busy by everyone interrupting them to talk about the Yule Ball happening on Christmas. The whole time Harry and Vixen grumbled to each other via-mind link, which also irritated not only those around them for not paying attention but also Ron and Hermione, who were not able to get into their private conversation with them. Sometimes, though, Harry did like the fact that he was only able to speak with his sister without the others listening or putting in their two cents.
"Well, the worst part is finding someone to go to this stupid ball!" Vixen complained, rolling her eyes as she sat up.
Everyone stared at her in surprise, Vixen moving a bit further up the bed before laying her head over Dean's lap and placing her feet over Seamus' as well, before Hermione exclaimed, "I think it's awfully romantic to have a winter ball!"
Vixen snorts, "Romantic if it was a masquerade ball, not a formal ball! I would be more excited if it was a just a regular dance like we have in San Fran."
"I swear you were born to be a boy, Vi!" Dean tells her with a raised eyebrow, "You might be the only girl at this school who doesn't want to go or care about this ball!"
"Well, I don't!" she tells them honestly, "Maybe it is a good thing that I didn't get my dress when we got the supplies."
"Well, you're in luck," Harry starts, getting her attention. "We have two weeks before this stupid ball. You might just get special permission to go to Diagon Alley," he tells her honestly, scratching his head.
Vixen groans at this idea before muttering, "Goddess, I hope not!"
"You can always take your Whit–" Ron started only to have Harry, Hermione, and Vixen make noises to make him not say the full word.
The other three boys stared at them in suspicion, especially since Vixen had quickly gotten up and was now off the bed to glare at Ron. Vixen, however, sighs and mentally agrees to Harry that Ron was right about taking Trent if she didn't get special permission to go to Diagon Alley this or next weekend. The group then started to talk amongst themselves when Vixen turned to the peeking sound at the window and saw Notus. She quickly opened the window and took the letter he was holding, cooing at him before snatching a few owl treats to give to him.
"Hey! Those are mine!" Seamus complains to her.
Notus screeches and ruffles his feathers in annoyance of how he yelled at his mistress, making her laugh–especially when Seamus almost fell off the bed when he moved back. "Sorry Irish, I'll pay you back if you want me to," she said while fluttering her eyelashes at him.
Seamus mutters in Celtic, looking away with a slight blush on his cheeks. Vixen laughs and tells her owl to go to the owlery before watching him go into the darkness and closing the window against the cold wind. She frowned when she noticed it was snowing again, although not as much as it was earlier, and wonder if she should go back home for the holidays as she never truly liked the cold or snow.
'Don't even think of leaving me alone!' Harry tells her irritated.
Sighing, Vixen turns and glares at Harry before moving over to Neville's bed and falling back, bringing the letter she just got up to her eyes to see who it was from. A large, cheesy smile spreads widely when she saw Charlie's scratchy writing of her name before she ever saw the return address. Not wanting to wait to read the contents inside, she quickly opened it, ignoring the others conversing with each other about the ball and classes.
My Water Bearer,
Mom is overly worried for Harry, believing that Dumbledore could have done something to help Harry get out of the contract. Me, dad, and Bill have tried to tell her that there was no way to break a binding contract but she didn't want to listen. I've been hiding out in the woods in the back yard, enjoying the outdoors and away from mom's nagging! I love my mom, don't get me wrong, but sometimes she is just a bit overbearing in being protective.
Maybe it's a mom thing as I remember you telling me how your father and brothers were with you. How are your brothers, by the way? I know that you said Paxton was trying to get things in order from a large number of people coming into America after what happened at the Quidditch World Cup but how is Perseus? Is he going to be starting this game with the Meteorites? I wouldn't mind seeing him play in an actual game, playing a Beater that wasn't my twin brothers.
How are your Housemates treating you still? Times like that I don't miss being a teenager! There's always drama, especially when girls are involved but I know it must be worse for you as the drama is worse than something so trivial. Don't you worry about them too much as they might be jealous at the fact that you're so close to one of the champions! Just continue to ignore them, as well as threatening them with those special spells that you are very talented in doing! And if that doesn't work, give me their names and I'll send them howlers on your behalf!
I also noticed that Rita Skeeter had stopped writing false stories with the Daily Prophet after you had given her a warning when she tried to get her photographer to take a picture of us hugging after the first tournament. I still wonder, though, what kind of spell you had used as I think it might be a good spell to take a bit of revenge on my friends who continue to tease me whenever I get your letters. At least tell me your secret?!
Well, love, I have to go back home, I hear mom calling for me worriedly–I probably stayed out here writing to you longer than I thought. Stay safe and I can't wait to get your next letter, they always bring a smile to my face.
Your Red-head Dragon Tamer
Smiling as she folded the parchment, Vixen swings to sit up and noticed that everyone was staring at her with a cheesy grin–especially Harry. She rolled her eyes and got up from the bed, muttering to them about how she needed to go back to her common room to get her books for Astronomy; while secretly telling Harry to get their two friends and to meet in the Room of Requirements at one in the morning. Entering her House common room, Vixen was surprised to see Professor Sprout about to walk out and holding a parchment in hand.
"Vixen, I was wondering where you were at," she starts a bit stiffly. "I was just writing a list of students that were leaving for the holidays, however, I figured that you might be staying since Harry Potter has to stay."
The Wiccan witch raises an eyebrow, which did have the older professor squirm just the slightest. However, before Vixen can say anything, another voice spoke up, immediately quieting the entire common room. The younger witch was frowning when Cedric Diggory came close to the two of them, a frown of his own as he stared at their head of House before looking at the rest of their Housemates.
"Vixen may be a Hufflepuff but she has a right to stand behind whoever she wanted to stand behind!" he tells them all, before looking at Professor Sprout, "She and Harry grew up together. Just because they're on different Houses doesn't mean that she's not part of our family anymore."
The other teens muttered with each other as Professor Sprout sighs, nodding and looking to Vixen, "Cedric is right and I am sorry for the way I have been treating both you and Harry."
Vixen shakes her head, "We've had worse and, yes, I'll be staying. However, I was not able to get my dress robe during the summer with all my No-Maj classes so I was wondering if there was any way for me to get permission to go to Diagon Alley?"
Professor Sprout frowns, "I will need to speak with Headmaster Dumbledore but I can tell you now that it might be a hard request as no student is allowed to leave Hogwarts grounds except for Hogsmeade on weekends."
"I understand," Vixen tells her with a nod. "I was going to write to my older brother to see if he's able to go shopping for me but I'm not going to hold m*y breath."
Professor Sprout nods, "I'll see if I can speak with the Headmaster tonight, otherwise you might have an answer tomorrow." Vixen nods in agreement, "Go on, I know you have Astronomy in a few hours."
Nodding herself, Vixen rushed towards the girl's dormitory as she wanted to get to the tower early so she can write back to Charlie first before classes. Dressing in her warm coat, beanie, and gloves, she gathered her messenger bag after shoving her book and notebook inside and rushed out. She can feel the atmosphere to be a bit lighter after Cedric had made his speech as no one was really glaring towards her anymore as she walked by them. Not giving them a second thought, Vixen hurried over towards the entrance, jogging up the stairs on the right then walked down two corridors length before she reached the Astronomy Tower.
Once she was outside of the iron gate that leads to the opening, Vixen sighed when she saw that it was locked and was about to sit down when it magically opened for her. Smiling, she thanked Hogwarts and entered the tower, walking over to the pillar facing the front of the castle and exhaled at the beauty that never seemed to phase her. Despite the ground covered with white snow, which was no longer falling with the clouds parting to let the stars and the first quarter moon–which she figures would be full in eight days–the picture it made took the Wiccan witch's breath away and she had to right away and take a picture of it with her phone.
After taking a couple of them, she goes and sits down with her back against the pillar and pulls out her notebook first, taking the pen from the side and placing it between her teeth, then a piece of parchment. Exhaling softly, Vixen took the pen and paused with the tip at the top, hesitating, then started her letter to Charlie.
My Red-head Dragon Tamer,
First, I wanted to tell you that despite how much I hate the cold and snow, the view from the Astronomy Tower is breath-taking. I had to take a couple pictures with my No-Maj phone, though I know that it won't do it justice when I revised them later. The white snow in the very limited light from the first quarter moon shown almost like a million diamonds shining on the untouched ground. The snow, itself, looked like a light blue color and just…there's no words, truly, to how to describe them. When we meet up, whenever that is, I will show them to you to give your own opinion.
Anyways, both of my brothers are doing well and Pyxis does have a large number of people coming through from the UK but he doesn't mind. He says it keeps him busy from worrying about me and Harry, so he doesn't mind all that much. Also, Navis won't mind if you ask him for tickets to one of his games, as he gives them to our uncle, aunt, and cousins to go whenever they were able to go. Plus, he figures if the more people go to his games, the better he plays–as he's always been a show off in front of family, women, and fans.
As for Rita Skeeter, let's just say the spell I placed on her would be tenfold if she should do anything to harm or falsified stories about anyone. The spell, actually, won't be lifted until I say so and I think I might leave it on her for a bit longer until she remembers why she wanted to be a journalist in the first place. Plus, I never liked her and I think this is a good reminder that if she falls back on her ways, I'll be there to put her in her place.
My Housemates are treating me better now. Before going to the Astronomy Tower before class, Professor Sprout had started to speak with me stiffly and Cedric Diggory had intervened and put everyone in their place. Though, for them to have treated me the way that they did from the beginning tells me just how small-minded they really are and why I don't have any friends in my own House. Or as many friends at all.
Plus, the girls my age only care about boys and their looks! It makes me nauseous even thinking about it! And speaking of, I had to ask Professor Sprout to get me permission from the Headmaster for me to go to Diagon Alley to get dress robes. I was busy this summer with No-Maj classes and other things that I didn't think anything about it, especially since I figured I will be home during the cold season. If it wasn't for Harry being a stupid champion and being stuck here, I wouldn't be here for the Yule ball on Christmas!
I also figured, if the Headmaster doesn't give me permission, I'll probably still go with Trent, as he's able to sneak me in and out of Hogwarts without anyone the wiser!
"Miss Black," Professor Aurora Sinistra, the Astronomy Professor, begun, starling the teen and having her scribbling after the last sentence. "On time as always, however, it's a bit cold out here."
Vixen shrugs, thanking her when she placed a warming spell on her cold body, "I had a letter to write and I figure I'll do it here, otherwise I would have forgotten about class."
The slightly older witch smiles softly as she knew how Vixen has been when writing the letters or even reading a book, "We still have a few more minutes before class starts, go ahead and finish your letter. The clouds should be parting completely soon."
With a smile in thanks, Vixen returned back to her letter, her smile larger as she finished it, thinking of taking the letter to Notus before meeting with her brother or friends. Or after, depending on how she was feeling. She heard the rest of the class coming up the stairs and the fact that the Tower was now warmer thanks to Professor Sinistra, who no doubt had placed a warming spell around the Tower. Folding the letter and placing it in the front of her notebook, Vixen quickly stood and dusted her pants, smiling softly when her classmates greeted her.
Sorry for the scribble, my professor startled me. I will have to keep this letter short today but I hope you have a wonderful day and, don't worry, your mom just loves you so much that she is happy to have her boy's home. I also hope to see you soon, my red-headed dragon tamer, I just seem to be relaxed and comfortable whenever I'm with you.
Your Water Bearer
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–Room of Requirement–
"About time!" Ron grumbled when Vixen came around the corner.
"Sorry, sorry," she tells them, sighing as she leaned her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "Class went on a bit longer than usual. Come on, let's see if the new spell will work, and if not, let's hope my cousin's come to help out again!"
"We won't since I've got a tooth from the Basilisk," Harry tells her, holding up a sharp tooth.
Vixen nods as she stands up, her hands going to her hips, "What are we waiting for then?"
Walking forward, the Wiccan witch walked in front of the plain wall and closed her eyes, asking Hogwarts to let them enter the room holding an item that is full of evil. A pair of doors started to form as Vixen opened her eyes and smiled, thanking Hogwarts as her brother and friends came to stand on either side of her. Once the doors fully formed, Vixen pushed them opened first and walked through to see piles and piles of old school items like chairs, desks, broken items like cauldrons, jars, instruments, etc., and just piles of items that students seem to had forgotten for many years throughout Hogwarts.
Taking a deep breath, Vixen opened her notebook that her pen was placed and looked down at the spell she had written yesterday, "Shine bright the item that was tainted evil, That which is hidden in plain sight, Brighten the path so that we may destroy it infinity."
The group waited a minute or so when suddenly a light blue light had started to glow on a table, hidden just beneath some thick ropes. Both Harry and Vixen walked as one towards the table and moved the thick ropes to see the blue light now fading as they had found what they needed to find. Harry pulled the lid of the wooden box back for them to see a diadem that seemed to be in the shape of a raven as the top had the head of a raven looking to the right with a large blue sapphire shaped in an oval for its body and diamond studded wings. Etched on the surface was the quote: Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure.
"I think this might belong to the House of Ravenclaw," Hermione whispered in awe as both she and Ron move on either side of the two to look down at the item.
Vixen nods, frowning in thought, "Harry, give the tooth to Ron. Ron, if for whatever reason, the spell doesn't work, you're gonna have to destroy the item."
Ron gulps as he takes the Basilisk tooth from Harry and goes just behind the table, as did Hermione just to be on the safe side, "Mione, call out for Trent to bring my cousins just in case something goes wrong."
Hermione nods, "Well do."
Taking a deep breath, Vixen looks down at her notebook where she had rewritten the spell she used on Harry, crossed something and rewrote another word, "Evil spirit hiding in plain sight, Where a soul should not be living inside, I use this spell with all my might, To expel the soul from this inanimate object, So that evil cannot taint this valuable item anymore."
Just like what happened with Harry, a dark stream of smoke came out of the diadem before an apparition with the face of a man with slits for a nose. It was screaming in pain, withering around as though it had an actual body. Harry quickly clasped hands with Vixen and looked down at the notebook that Wiccan witch moved closer for her brother to read alongside her.
"Now that the host soul has rejected your poison essence, I stop your form from fleeing, Ashes to ashes, Take this soul and mark this vanquish, As it seals your fate, Destroying this piece of soul, Without warning the one who parted with it."
The dark soul of Voldemort screamed and started to move towards them quickly but Vixen brought up a wall of ice to stop it only to have the force the soul hit it with knock the two teens backward. Vixen hit against a table full of items that fell on top of her while Harry slammed hard against what looked to be a large black cabinet, both teens groaning in pain. The Wiccan witch slowly scrambled to sit up and brought up her right hand to create a block of circular ice around the soul so it would not escape. This made it angry and tried with all its might in breaking the ice to escape and find another host to live within.
"Why the fuck didn't it work?!" Harry said in an angry concern, moving slowly to sit up, his glasses skewed.
Vixen shoved the rest of the items off of her as she tried to stand, "It's too powerful, the spell won't work without more power!" she tells him, looking at him with wide eyes, "I think we need the Power of Three."
"Wyatt and Chris," Harry whispered with wide eyes.
Muttering a curse herself, Vixen moved to her brother, who was groaning and leaning against the cabinet to help stand up. Once he was on his feet, the two of them turned to see that Voldemort was almost through the ice, which was now cracking all around. Vixen was about to call for her cousins to come–being half Whitelighters themselves, they can hear their names being called–but Hermione quickly ran over to them with her notebook and clasped Vixen's hand.
"If it's more power you need, then let me help!" she pleaded to them.
Vixen looked to her brother, who shoved off the cabinet and clasped her hand, giving her a sharp nod. Nodding in return, they all looked down at her notebook, which Hermione moved closer to them and they started to read it out loud together. Voldemort's soul screamed as pure white light pierced through it from all over before it burst from existence. The teens were quiet then started to laugh as Vixen and Harry turned to Hermione and hugged her, while Ron stared at them with wide eyes.
"Bloody hell, that was awesome!" Ron cried out a second later.
Vixen nods, looking to Hermione, "I guess the more magic together equals close to the Power of Three."
Harry frowns, pulling back, "Then, we'll have to have three of us reading the spells out loud."
"Yeah," the Wiccan witch states, nodding before looking at the diadem. "I suggest we all go to bed and in the morning we'll take the item of Ravenclaw to Dumbledore."
Harry wraps an arm around her shoulders, "Sounds good."
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A/N: I was actually able to finish this chapter and post it just as quickly! Let me know what you guy's think. Thanks for the read!