A/N: Hey all. So I may be a little bit rusty in writing Hagrid's accent, and I'm not sure if the conversations with him here flow as smoothly as they did in the first story. If it's an issue, it will be something to work on next time.
None of my OC's are POV characters in this chapter, which I know some of you will appreciate. Albus, James and Dominique tell the entire chapter between them. I did, however, take some liberties with the way shield spells and shield-breaker spells work, which made this chapter particularly fun to write. I had so much fun writing the students in this chapter that Harry and the other adults got left out completely, and instead will get plenty of attention in the next chapter.
Anyway, enjoy!
Disclaimer: Same as always
Chapter 11: Illusions and Hidden Things
"Don't you dare curse me, Rose!" Albus pointed his wand at his cousin, though he wasn't planning on using it.
"Come on, the professor said to practice." Rose's wand was aimed at his legs. "It's not a harmful spell."
"Cast it on me." Albus turned as Scorpius came up behind him.
Rose's eyes narrowed. "You followed us out here?" Having a free period after Defense Against the Dark Arts, the cousins and Allison had decided to pay a surprise visit to Hagrid, and were already outside the castle.
"Guilty," said Scorpius, drawing his wand.
"Shouldn't you be on your way to Charms?"
"Strumthort ended class early again. I've got time."
"Locomotor Mortis." She cast the spell without warning, and Scorpius's legs snapped together. He keeled over backwards.
"Good." He lifted himself up on his elbows, but she was already proceeding down the hill towards Hagrid's hut. "Locomotor Mortis." The spell struck her, and she fell forwards, then began rolling down the slope. "Oops."
Albus's eyes widened. "Yeah, she won't thank you for that."
As soon as she stopped, she undid the curse on herself and stormed back up the hill. Her hair was a mess, and with the furious expression on her face, she looked downright frightening.
Albus briefly considered undoing the curse on Scorpius so that he might defend himself, but he didn't want to be on the receiving end of any of his cousin's wrath. As she reached the poor Slytherin, she pointed her wand down at him, looking murderous.
"Rictusempra!" Scorpius let out a strangled groan and grasped his sides, doubling over on the ground and shaking. Albus and Allison watched in horror, neither knowing the spell that Rose had used.
Rose turned and began stomping down the hill again. As soon as Albus was sure she wouldn't be able to hear him, he aimed his wand down at her poor victim and whispered, "Finite Incantatem." With another groan, Scorpius fell still.
For a long, terrifying moment, Scorpius didn't move. He lay on the ground limply, his eyes closed. Then he looked up at Albus and gasped, "Thanks." Trying to move, he realized his legs were still locked, until Allison quickly undid that curse as well.
He got up and wobbled for a moment, and Albus grabbed his shoulder.
"Thanks, mate." Scorpius looked after Rose, then back at Albus. "I really didn't mean to do that."
"I know."
"I've got to get to Charms." Without any further farewells, he hurried back into the castle.
Albus and Allison caught up to Rose outside Hagrid's hut. "What did you do to him?" Albus asked immediately.
Rose rolled her eyes. "It was a tickling charm. That's it."
"Tickling?"
"Yes."
"That must be quite a charm if he reacted like that," said Allison.
"Some people are more ticklish than others. Like Albus." She gestured towards him with her wand, and he hopped backwards.
"Really?"
"Don't tell her that," Albus muttered.
His cousin looked at him innocently. "Why not? Got any pranks in mind for her?"
"Of course not." With a huff, he turned towards Hagrid's door and made to knock on it.
"He's not in there. I already tried."
"Oh."
"I forget sometimes that he's a professor. He's probably teaching right now."
"Right. Well, he'll be in between classes in a moment. We can probably say a quick hello."
A sound like a shriek came from the far side of the hut, and they quickly made their way around it. A large group of fourth-years were huddled around the half-giant. The second-years couldn't see what creature they were studying.
Not wanting to disturb the class, they made their way back to the front of the hut. "It's going to be fun taking his class next year," said Albus.
Rose gave him a dubious look. "You think so?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"
Rose shrugged. "It's hard to imagine a course with Hagrid being very rigorous, or sophisticated."
Albus simply looked at her.
"But okay, by your definition of fun, which shouldn't be applied to a class, yes, maybe."
Albus shook his head. He wasn't fond of trying to understand Rose when she talked like this.
Soon the fourth-years were passing them on their way back up to the castle. Rose was suddenly grabbed from behind, and found herself lifted over James's shoulder. She pushed hard against him, only to wind up on the ground once again.
"Hey!" She pointed her wand up at him.
"Expelliarmus," said Albus, quickly sparing his brother the humiliation of having the other fourth-years, and specifically Michaela, find out how ticklish he was. However, he regretted this as soon as he saw the look Rose gave him.
"What are you kids doing here?" asked Daryl, reaching down to help Rose up.
"Visiting Hagrid," Allison replied.
"Care to join us?" asked Albus.
"Nah," said Shane, appearing behind James and Daryl, "we just spent a while with the guy."
James looked down at his cousin. "Sorry about that, Rose. You weren't supposed to resist."
"Are you serious?"
"Don't worry," said Shane, "I'll hex him for you. Or, better yet, I'll tell Michaela."
Albus saw James wince, and quickly looked around to make sure his rival was nowhere in earshot. He found her already well on her way back to the castle, talking with Sarah Anderson and paying no attention to them.
"Alrigh' you lot." Hagrid appeared from around the hut, carrying a crate on his shoulder. Seeing the trio of second-years, he raised his bushy eyebrows. "What are ye' doing 'ere?"
"Just saying hello," said Rose. "Do you have another class now, or can you chat?"
"I'm done fer the day," said Hagrid, grunting as he set the crate down near the pumpkin patch.
James leaned down close to his brother and cousin. "Don't ask what's in there." Then he straightened and said loudly, "Well, we're off to our next class. See you later. Great lesson today, Hagrid."
"Thank ye'." As the fourth-years set off back to the castle, Hagrid opened the door to his hut and beckoned to the second-years. "Come on in. I'll get some tea an' rock cakes ready."
Rose cast one last glare in James's direction. "I'm going to get him back for that," she said to Albus.
"Just don't get Michaela involved."
Hagrid chuckled. "Yer brother's got 'is hands full wi' that li'l crush o' his, don' he? Much more blatan' than 'e thinks 'e is."
"He knows it's no secret," said Rose.
"I heard ther on the quidditch team together now. Can' wait ter see tha' firs' match."
"Right now, I can't either," Rose agreed. Albus grimaced.
As the tea was served, all three second-years declined the rock cakes, citing the large lunch they had eaten. Instead, Hagrid set the plate down beside the sleeping Fang.
"Do you teach about thestrals?" Allison asked suddenly.
Everyone stared at her. "Thestrals?" Hagrid repeated. "What's got yer thinking 'bout them?"
Allison shrugged. "Just wondering."
"Well sure I teach abou' thestrals, to the fifth-years. But it's a bi' difficult, considerin' mos' o' the students can' see them."
"Thestrals are invisible," said Albus. James had warned, or rather teased, him about them before he first came to Hogwarts the year before.
"Not to everybody," said Allison, once again earning herself a trio of stares.
"Can ye' see them?" asked Hagrid, with a somber look on his face.
"No, but…"
"But they're what pull the carriages," said Rose. It wasn't a question, and Albus realized just a moment after she did that it made a lot of sense. In fact, his father had hinted at that, that day on Platform 9¾. "That boy, Andrew…" Rose continued.
"Who?" asked Hagrid.
"Andrew. He's a Ravenclaw fourth-year. I saw him leaving your class, just before James grabbed me."
"Mr. Walker? What abou' 'im?"
"He was petting the thestral, at our carriage. And then he…" She looked at Allison. Hagrid followed her gaze.
"I flew on it," she said. "The thestral. Even though I couldn't see it. It was… amazing."
"How?"
"He lifted me on to it."
Hagrid's face darkened. "He lifted ye' on ter a creature ye' couldn' see? A flying one, no less! Why, 'e…"
"They're not dangerous," said Allison. "He likes them, and they like him."
"Them? They?" Hagrid's voice was getting louder. "I suppose 'e knows where the herd has gone off ter? 'Cause ther sure not livin' in the forest no more. Been worryin' sick abou' them." There was a snarl from Fang as Hagrid's yelling disturbed his slumber, briefly.
"I'll show you," said Allison. Again, three stares. "This weekend."
"Alrigh', ye' better," said Hagrid. Then he sat back and relaxed a bit. "Alrigh', this weekend."
James watched his team's first practice from above. Nathan had not yet released the snitch, and instead seemed far more occupied with the play of the chasers. While Michaela was still flying and handling the quaffle well, she was slow to integrate herself into the strategies that Nathan and Mackenzie tried to engage her in. She still had to learn to lead them on passes, and know where they were even when she was focused on the hoops.
Cliff was keeping her on her toes, keeping the bludgers flying her way frequently. Alan, however, was clearly not paying much attention, and on more than one occasion, Nathan cast a frustrated look in his direction.
Leaning forward impatiently, James wondered if he should fly down and release the snitch himself. He watched as Michaela ducked a bludger and fired the quaffle past Shane. James took the opportunity to swoop down some, hoping he would catch Nathan's attention in the interval between plays.
It worked. Nathan saw him and quickly looked back at the ball case, where the snitch still rested. With a sheepish look, he flew down and released it.
"Alan, keep a bludger coming at me," called James, snapping the distracted beater out of his reverie. Alan nodded and looked for the nearest bludger, and James set off after the snitch.
Even while dodging Alan's shots with the bludger, he still made quick work of chasing down the snitch. It was always easier to do it without the competition. Letting it go again, he envisioned Carla Warrington flying next to him, and raced her after it. Still, he caught up to it quickly again.
Turning his attention back to the chasers, he allowed himself to watch Michaela for a minute, until he saw a bludger soaring towards him. Quickly dodging, he waved towards Alan, showing him the snitch. "Alright, Alan, I've got it."
Alan looked flustered for a moment and looked away. Something was definitely off about him.
Cliff's bludger, meanwhile, was once again flying towards Michaela, and James winced as she barely dodged in time. As she slowed down, she looked towards Shane. James knew that she should have passed it here, but instead she shot, and Shane blocked it easily.
Frustrated, Nathan decided to end the practice there. As James reached the ground, he saw a somewhat glum look on Michaela's face.
Mackenzie quietly reassured her. "You did fine. This was just the first practice. We'll work on the plays."
"Alan and Cliff, a word. The rest of you, head for the showers." Nathan's voice was sharper than James had ever heard it before. As the beaters hung back, James left the pitch with Shane, Mackenzie and Michaela.
The word 'showers' stood out in James's mind as he entered the locker room. He chanced a sideways glance at Michaela. He hadn't thought about this part…
The boys and girls had separate showers, of course, though the wall between them was just wide enough to accommodate the pipes, and could probably easily be destroyed with any blasting spell. James had wondered once whether the wall was protected against that sort of spell, but while the structure of Hogwarts itself was brimming with magic, the stadium around the quidditch pitch did not seem to have much.
Michaela briefly studied the layout of the locker room, then followed Mackenzie around the corner. As soon as she disappeared, James glanced uneasily towards the wall that would separate them.
As he showered, he couldn't help but study the wall once more, and listen to the sound of the showers running on the other side.
"So close, and yet so far," said Shane.
"Shut it, mate."
Mackenzie caught up to them on the walk back to the castle. Leaning close to James's ear, she whispered, "She is quite a looker."
"Sorry, Mack, I don't think she swings your way." As long as he had known her, she had never been private about her preferences, and her openness about it had made it easy for her to be like one of the guys on the otherwise-all-male team the previous year.
Most of the boys at Hogwarts liked to think that every lesbian in the school knew every other lesbian in the school. James found it awkward to speculate about Mackenzie that way, but now he couldn't help but wonder what attention she had paid to Michaela in the girls' showers. After all, it was in those exact same showers that Mackenzie had first made the discovery about herself, back during her first year on the team.
"I know. Pity."
"Did you tell her?"
"Of course."
"And?" The word was blurted out before James could stop himself.
"And she said that she was straight. But she didn't try to cover up or hide in any way."
James shut his eyes tightly against the image. He knew that Mackenzie had begun this conversation just to torture him a bit.
"You've definitely got something to look forward to," she said with her cheekiest grin.
Shane coughed loudly, and they both looked over at him. "Don't mind me. I'm just walking here, pretending I can't hear this conversation."
They found Dominique and Molly on the landing of the currently-uncooperative Grand Staircase, watching the movements with frustration. As they caught up to the yin-yang, Mackenzie, who was clearly in a cheeky mood, shifted her conspiratorial tone in Molly's direction. "Nathan's in a bit of a huff after that first practice. He might need some comforting later."
Molly frowned at her.
"Why? What happened?" asked Dominique.
Mackenzie shrugged. "He's never had to try to lead a new chaser through the plays before. Plus, Alan's play is clearly off." She gave Dominique a knowing look as she said this.
Dominique grimaced. "Too bad for him." James frowned at the surprising tone.
"You're going to have to say something to him at some point, you know," said Mackenzie. "And preferably before the next practice, or Nathan might send some heads rolling."
"What?" asked James. He had known about Molly's interest in Nathan, but he didn't know about anything between Dominique and Alan.
All three sixth-years looked at him. "Don't worry about it," said Dominique. Then she looked at Mackenzie. "Fine, I'll talk to him, but I won't make him feel any better."
A stairwell came racing by, and the girls stepped on, but neither of the boys reacted quickly enough.
Shane sighed, and James looked at him. "Don't look at me. I'm still pretending I can't hear anything."
Later that same day, Albus found himself sitting beside Rose and Allison on one of the stairwells, waiting for it to move where they needed it to. "Honestly, did someone confound this bloody staircase today?" It was the second time that day that they'd been stuck.
Below, they could see Hagrid waiting for them on the first floor landing. He was looking around at the staircase impatiently.
Once they finally reached him, he remarked. "School's havin' a bad stair day, I see. Ruddy thing don' wan' ter move right."
"Can the staircase be confounded?" Rose asked.
"No, this 'appens e'ry now and then. Usually on a weeken' like today, when the students aren' in no hurry."
Albus frowned, trying to remember any day when he had seen the staircase so uncooperative the previous year.
Hagrid looked at Allison. "So where're the thestrals?"
"Um." Allison looked back towards the moving stairwells, and pointed up to the third floor landing on the right.
Hagrid sighed. "Ther in the castle?"
"On a balcony."
"O' course." Once they reached the third floor, he frowned in the direction Allison was leading them, and started muttering about something fluffy.
Allison unlocked the door at the end of the corridor and led them through. They looked around at the high-ceilinged corridor with the trapdoor.
"Wait a minute," said Rose. "Is this…"
"Yes," said Hagrid. "This is where yer parents' adventures began."
Albus had heard the story. He shuddered at the thought of the massive, three-headed dog that had once occupied this corridor, guarding the trapdoor.
"So where is Fluffy now?" asked Rose.
"I sent 'im back ter his kin. 'E likes bein' with them. I still visit 'im each year, though. 'E's an ol' pup now."
Rose walked over to the trapdoor and opened it, looking down.
"Careful now, that ol' plant's probably still down ther."
But Rose was already shutting the door forcefully, one hand covering her nose. "That's a horrid smell. Don't tell me we're going down there." She looked at Allison.
Allison shook her head and pointed, and they saw another door off to the side. She led them through it, and they followed her down another corridor and then another.
"I know where we're goin'," said Hagrid. Albus felt totally lost. "Is tha' crazy ghost still up ther?"
Allison nodded. "Lochius."
"'E better not try ter give me any o' his riddles," Hagrid muttered.
They climbed up a winding staircase and through a trapdoor, and emerged in a round room cluttered with miscellaneous, mostly-broken furniture. Albus and Rose looked around for a moment, but Allison and Hagrid made straight for a black door, and they followed.
On the other side of the door, they found themselves standing on a wide balcony that overlooked the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid looked around, putting his large hands on his hips. "Well, what're they all doin' up 'ere?"
Albus and Rose looked around, but the balcony appeared to them to be empty.
"What question asked! The big man comes at last!" From above them, a ghost swooped down and hovered at Hagrid's eye-level, frowning at him. "And finds his friends at home beyond his gaze. What woes and fretful times he must have faced!"
"Ah, stuff it, Lochius," Hagrid replied, trying to wave the ghost away. "None o' yer riddles righ' now."
The ghost bristled. "My riddles says you, riddles I speak not! My speak is spoke like yours, with better thought!
Hagrid waved off the insult. "What're the thestrals doin' up 'ere with ye'?"
"Per chance they tired ill of your ill speech." The ghost then turned to Allison. "But here, the lioness did speak of elves, whose haze did drive our friends up to my reach."
"Elves?" Hagrid muttered. The Sun had set, and the silver haze could be seen over much of the forest.
"The Sylvar," said Allison. Albus and Rose stared at her.
Hagrid crossed the balcony towards the railing. As he did so, he stepped around what must have been a thestral. The second-years hurried after him, carefully avoiding the same area that he had avoided.
He stood at the railing and stared at the forest, studying the haze. "So tha's why ther here, is it? And yer elf friends are causin' tha'?" They had told him about the Sylvar during one of his visits over the summer.
"The haze isn't harmful," said Rose. "It probably just spooked the thestrals."
With a loud sigh, Hagrid turned back towards the invisible creatures. "Alrigh', well I guess ther not causin' no trouble up 'ere." He reached out and patted a creature that had apparently come quite close to them, and Albus and Rose both took a step back. "An' they can get ther own food, though I'll bring them ther treats once in a while. They'll like tha'." His voice had quieted, and he seemed to be talking to himself now. "So many ruddy stairs in the castle. Oh well." Then he looked at the second-years, and his voice returned to normal. "They can stay up 'ere 'ntil I figure somethin' out. But you lot should be careful around them, especially since you can' see them."
"Oh worry not, big man, for I can see. And when they come to here, eyes I will be."
Hagrid ignored the ghost and returned to the black door. Ducking through the doorway, he disappeared into the tower. Albus and Rose hurried after him, but Allison walked at a perfectly normal pace, her arms outstretched. She entered the tower after them without incident.
Hagrid remained silent the whole way back to the Grand Staircase. He was lost in thought, and shook his head intermittently. The second-years watched and waited for him to say something.
At the landing, he turned to them. "Ye' should be gettin' back to yer common room. I know I can' stop ye' from goin' back ter the thestrals if ye' choose to, but be careful around them, I mean it."
They all nodded. "Goodnight, Hagrid," said Rose.
"Nigh'." He turned and ambled down the stairs, while the second-years went upwards.
The stairwell started moving as soon as they got on. "Not again."
The Gryffindor fourth-years had Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws, which inevitably resulted in James and Laura and their friends sitting over by the wall, while Marcus and Michaela sat in the middle with their Ravenclaw friends. However, on this particular day, there was no room by the walls. Several of the desks on each side had been removed, and two large models of Hogwarts castle, one red and one blue, stretched up to the ceiling.
"Well, this is new," said Shane as the Gryffindors entered the classroom. They stopped at the back and stood there. "Where are we supposed to sit?"
Professor Strumthort was standing himself, though his desk was still present. "Though your legs may resent it, Mr. Thomas, you will not be sitting during this class. It would make it more difficult for you to dodge."
"Dodge?" The students exchanged glances. Behind them, the Ravenclaws appeared, and looked around in confusion.
Once everyone was in the room, the professor explained. "Today, you're going to be participating in the first of various simulations that you will engage in this year." He gestured to the Hogwarts models on either side. "For now, the teams will be divided by house, though that will not always be the case."
The Gryffindors moved towards the red model, the Ravenclaws towards the blue one.
"Once inside your castle, you will each have ten minutes to apply whatever defenses you see fit. You will then try to destroy the opposing castle, while defending your own."
The two teams glanced at each other uncertainly.
"The winning team will gain fifteen points for their house. However, please keep in mind that anyone who causes any sort of lasting physical harm to a member of the opposing team will lose twenty points, so it will hardly be worth your while. Now, when you are ready, raise your wand towards the ceiling."
One by one, the students raised their wands. Once all of the wands were pointed upwards, the professor waved his own, and an opaque gray barrier formed all the way down the center of the room from floor to ceiling, cutting the two teams off from each other.
"You have ten minutes."
The Gryffindors quickly stepped inside the red model, and found it to be hollow. The walls were made of a thin material that, while stiff, looked easily breakable.
After studying the wall for a moment, Selina aimed her wand at it. "Engorgio." The walls thickened visibly. "Insulus Pedri." There was a gravelly sound, and when James touched the wall, it now felt like stone. Everyone looked at Selina. "My father is an architect."
"Excellent," said Daryl. "Now, does anyone know wards?"
James looked at Michaela. "You're pretty good at shielding." She had used shields extensively during their duel atop Ravenclaw Tower.
She frowned at him. "Temporary shielding is not the same thing as wards."
"We'll give it a try," said Marcus. He stepped outside, and Michaela followed, still frowning.
"Someone else should go out there and make sure they're not sabotaging us," whispered Pearl. James frowned at her, but Shane nodded and followed them.
"Now what?" asked Laura.
"I have an idea," said James. He turned to Dom. "Remember that prank with your fake table extension in the common room last year?"
Laura rounded on Dom. "That was you?" He quickly stepped away from her, nodding sheepishly. She had ruined an essay when trying to set her inkwell down on a piece of table that wasn't actually there.
James gestured towards Selina. "Can you and Selina do something similar with this?" He looked up at the towers above them.
Dom looked confused, but Selina nodded. "Good idea." She stepped outside, and Dom followed uncertainly.
"What can I do?" asked Pearl.
James frowned, thinking. He looked from Pearl to Laura, and then another idea occurred to him. "Which of you is better at makeup charms?"
Laura gave him a skeptical look. "Makeup charms?"
"Yes."
Pearl grimaced. "She is."
"Come with me." Laura followed him outside, and they watched as Dom and Selina created fake towers and walls around various parts of the castle. "We need this to be convincing. Make it look like the actual pieces are the illusions. Gray them over a bit so it looks like they might not actually be there."
Laura nodded and set to work. James turned towards the twins. Marcus appeared to be teaching Shane a spell, while Michaela was struggling to keep her shield up for as long as she could.
"Protego Totalum!" The shield spread out across the area, but began dissipating after several seconds.
Professor Strumthort's voice boomed across the room, coming from no particular direction. "Three minutes remain to prepare."
James walked over to her. "I know you can do this." She gave him a look, then tried again. No luck. He raised his own wand alongside hers. "On three. Ready?"
"What?"
"I have an idea. Just cast on three. One… two… Protego Totalum!" Their shields collided with each other, then seemed to meld together, spreading out all the way around the castle.
"Whoa," said Shane. They waited several seconds, but the shield remained.
"Excellent," said Marcus. "That was cheesy, but excellent."
Pearl and Daryl had emerged from the castle, and Pearl was now helping Laura while Daryl worked with Dom and Selina.
Shane walked over to James. "Now what about destroying their castle? How should we hit it?"
"Leave that to us," said Michaela, glancing at her brother. From within her robes, she pulled out a pair of white headbands. Each headband bore three golden W's, the logo of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.
"What are those?" asked Shane. In answer, Michaela put one of the headbands on her head and vanished.
"My uncle designed those," James explained. "They're part of the line of defensive products he developed during and after the war against Voldemort."
"Or so his uncle says," added Michaela, reappearing as she removed the headband. She handed the other one to her brother.
"Do you only have two of those?" James asked.
Michaela nodded, but reached in to her robes again, and pulled out a pair of Shield Gloves. She handed them to James. "Take these, in case that shield falls."
"Thanks."
"What else you got in there?" asked Shane, only to receive looks from not only both Blacks, but James as well.
"Nothing that you can use," said Michaela.
There was a rumbling sound from the gray barrier, and it began to disintegrate. James called over to the other Gryffindors. "Showtime." They had done their jobs well.
Turning, he aimed his wand over at the far side of the room. The barrier disappeared completely.
The blue castle was gone. As were the Ravenclaws.
"What the…" muttered Shane, looking around. He had also drawn his wand towards where the blue castle should have been.
Selina stepped forward. "Defodio." Nothing happened. She frowned and glanced at them uncertainly.
Suddenly, Larry Turpin appeared off to their right. "Stupefy!" His spell bounced off the shield and soared harmlessly up to the ceiling. Then he disappeared again.
From off to the left, another Ravenclaw appeared and did the same thing, to no avail. That Ravenclaw was gone just as quickly.
Laura aimed her wand at where her cousin had disappeared. "Revelio." A blue rectangle appeared across the far wall.
"It's camouflage," said James. "Reducto." The rectangle exploded, revealing Larry and two other Ravenclaws.
"Be careful," said Laura, watching as her cousin shielded himself from the explosion.
James looked over at where the other Ravenclaw had disappeared. "Revelio. Reducto." Three more Ravenclaws were revealed.
"Now!" The voice was Sarah Anderson's, and she suddenly appeared on the far left. All of the other Ravenclaws appeared as well, scattered around their side of the room. They raised their wands simultaneously, and a flurry of slow-moving, bluish-white bolts appeared and sailed towards the shield. The spells struck with flashes of light and noise, and parts of the shield began to glow orange.
"Protego Totalum!" James yelled, trying to cast another shield behind the one that was slowly breaking beneath the barrage. He looked around, but Michaela was already long-gone with her brother, presumably sneaking over to the Ravenclaw side. That wouldn't help if they couldn't find the other castle.
As James's second shield faded, Shane stepped up beside him and tried, but his only lasted a few seconds. The other Gryffindors followed suit, to no avail.
The center of the original shield, which was being hit hardest, began to disintigrate. James aimed at the hole. "Protego." His shield filled the hole, but another began to open on the left.
Daryl rushed over. "Protego!"
"Spread out!" James yelled. "Seal up any holes as they appear!" The other Gryffindors complied. "Come on, Michaela, do your thing," he added quietly.
"Hold!" yelled Sarah. The barrage halted. She pointed her wand at Pearl, who was directly opposite her on the left. "Expelliarmus!"
"Protego!" Pearl shouted, but Sarah's spell sailed through her shield, and her wand flew over to the Ravenclaw.
The other Ravenclaws followed suit, engaging the nearest Gryffindors independently. James quickly blocked a spell with his free glove, and disarmed the Ravenclaw that had cast it.
It didn't help that the Ravenclaws outnumbered the Gryffindors, especially with the twins absent.
"Fall back!" James yelled. "If you still have your wand, protect the castle!" He fell back alongside Shane, Daryl, Laura and Selina.
Sarah turned towards him, and cast a spell that flew above his shield. It flew right through one of the towers, which turned out to be an illusion.
She frowned, and he smirked at her, then yelled, "Expelliarmus!" She blocked the spell.
Several other Ravenclaws aimed for towers, and their spells passed cleanly through.
A loud noise sounded from off to the left, and the blue castle appeared. A chunk of it blew off from the inside out. All five remaining Gryffindors aimed at the castle. "Reducto!" The Ravenclaws attempted shield spells, but they were either too slow or not powerful enough. The spells blew off chunks of the blue castle. Then more of it broke off from inside.
The Ravenclaws quickly fired back. A few of the spells hit towers that were actually there, and bits and pieces broke off, but nothing like the damage that the Gryffindors had done. Selina knew her construction spells.
Finally, the blue castle collapsed entirely, and Marcus and Michaela appeared in the wreckage, removing their headbands. "Yes!" shouted Shane. The Ravenclaws looked at their wrecked castle dejectedly.
"Excellent." Professor Strumthort appeared out of nowhere at the front of the room. "Well fought. Fifteen points to Gryffindor."
The twins returned to the Gryffindor side of the room, and Marcus and Daryl shared a high five.
Once they were outside the classroom, James returned the Shield Gloves to Michaela. "Well done," he said.
"Thanks. You too."
"Come join us at dinner. You're definitely one of us today."
She raised her eyebrows, then gave him a small smile. "Okay."
Dominique reluctantly caught up to Alan on the way to the Great Hall. "Alan!" He didn't turn or slow down. She reached out and grabbed his shoulder, and he jumped.
"What are you doing?"
"I called your name. Didn't you hear me?"
He frowned. "I… yeah." He gave her a strange look.
"Look, Alan…" she hesitated, not knowing how to begin. "I know something's been wrong lately… I mean, I know you haven't quite been yourself."
He frowned. "What?"
"Mackenzie said you were out of it at the first quidditch practice. And she's caught you staring at me, various times."
His eyes widened, and he held up his hands. "It's not what you think."
"Really?"
"I don't have a thing for you."
"Then why…"
"I…" He scratched his head, and looked around to make sure no one was in earshot. "It's really hard to explain."
"We go to a magical school. Try me."
He grimaced. "I've been… hearing things. Your voice, actually."
She frowned. "My voice?"
He nodded. "In my head."
She stared at him.
"You've had a comment about just about everything I do."
"I… it's not me."
"No, but it is."
She stared at him another moment. "And is it just my voice? No one else?"
"No one else. Just you."
Another moment. "We have to go see the Headmistress."
"No."
"Alan—"
"No. Definitely no. You've been saying that the whole time we've been here, and the answer is still no."
"I haven't… never mind."
"I can't… I'm not… I can't be…"
"Crazy?"
"No! Definitely not! Don't say that again!" He gave her a desperate look.
"Okay, but, still, we have to…"
"No!" He retreated back several paces. "You can't tell anyone!"
"Okay. So what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know… deal with it, for now."
She gave him what she hoped was the most incredulous look she could. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. I have been for the past month."
"The past month? Alan, you've been—"
"I'll be fine!" He held up his hands reassuringly.
She sighed. "And I'm just supposed to be okay with someone else hearing my voice in his head?"
"Just forget about it. It's no concern for you. Like you said, we go to a magical school."
"Even for our world, this isn't normal."
"You think I haven't done all of the research? I've looked everywhere for any information on this. I know it's not normal."
"That's why we should—"
"No! Just forget about it." He turned and hurried off to the Great Hall.
"Unlikely," she muttered, staring after him.
