Chapter 11

The Firecracker

KIARA

I didn't have a clear idea of how I managed to get back into The Sugarshack's cellar, through the tunnel and into the castle once more. All I knew was that the return trip seemed to take no time at all, and that I hardly noticed what I was doing, because my head was still pounding with the conversation that I had heard.

I wondered, why had no one told me of this before? Crighton, Mina, Mr Dawson, Cornelia Sweets - my own grandmothers, for crying out loud ... why hadn't any of them mentioned to me the fact that I was separated from my parents was because the Pride-Landers had betrayed us?

Chris, Sian and Chrissie watched me nervously all through dinner that night, not daring to talk about what we'd overheard, because Perdy was sitting close by us. When we went upstairs to the common room, it was to find Tanya and Geri had set off half-a-dozen Dungbombs in a fit of end-of-term high spirits. I didn't want Tanya or Geri asking me whether I'd reached Dragsmede or not, so I sneaked quietly up to the empty dormitory, and headed straight for my bedside cabinet. I pushed my books aside and quickly found what I was looking for - the leather-bound photo album Mina had given me towards the end of my first year at Dragon Mort, which was full of wizard pictures of my mother and father. I sat down on my bed, drew the hangings around me, and started turning the pages, searching, until ...

I stopped on the picture of my parents' wedding day. There was my father waving up at me, his fringe and mouth (not mouth size) I had inherited from him. There was my mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with my father, her hair and beauty I knew because I had inherited them from her. And there - of course that was them - I had never given them a thought before. Timon, short, thin and with less grey hairs than he had now, and Pumbaa, tall, stout, with a round, cheerful, friendly face and long, wavy black hair with a quiff.

I didn't know what to think at that point, because after the conversation I had heard, I kept wondering whether they were my parents who'd escaped, or different people with the same last name, because I was in the conversation with them. Mind you, if I hadn't known they were the same people, I would never have guessed they were the Pride-Landers in this old photograph. Their faces weren't sunken and gaunt, but handsome and beautiful, and full of joy. The woman had already been working for Zira when this picture had been taken. Was she already planning to destroy everything she and her husband had tried to protect? Didn't she realise that she and her husband were facing thirteen years in Azkaban, thirteen years which would make them unrecognisable?

But the Stingers don't affect them, I thought, staring into their faces. They don't have to hear my father's voice if they get too close -

I slammed the album ahut, reached over and stuffed it into my cabinet, took off my robes and got into bed, making sure the hangings were hiding me from view.

The dormitory door opened.

"Kiara?" said Chrissie's voice uncertainly.

But I lay still, pretending to be asleep. I heard Chrissie leave again, and rolled over onto my back, my eyes wide open.

A hatred such as I had never known before then was coursing through me like poison. I could see the Pride-Landers looking at me through the darkness. as though somebody had pasted the picture from the album over my eyes. I watched, as though somebody was showing me a piece of film, Simba Pride-Lander blasting Alan Abster (whose face resembled Nikita Bore's), and Nala Pride-Lander blasting his wife, Alice (who resembled Professor Darbus, but shorter and squatter) into a thousand pieces. I could hear (though I had no idea what Nala's voice sounded like) a low, excited mutter, "It has happened, my lady ... Crighton has declared me as mine and Simba's Secret-Keeper ..." And then came another voice, laughing shrilly, the same laugh that I heard inside my head whenever the Stingers drew near ...

0000

"Kiara, you - you look terrible."

I hadn't got to sleep until daybreak, seeing as there were a lot of confused and angry thoughts flying around my head. I had awoken to find the dormitory deserted, dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to the common room, that was completely empty except from Chris, who was carving something near the fire, Sian, who had spread her homework over three tables, and Chrissie, who was eating a Peppermint Toad and was massaging her stomach.

"Where is everyone?" I said.

"Gone!" It's the first day of the holidays, remember?" said Chris, watching me closely. "It's nearly lunchtime; Chrissie was going to go in and wake you up in a minute."

I slumped into a chair next to the fire. Snow was falling outside the windows. Lucifer was spread out in front of the fire like a large, black rug.

"You really don't look well, you know," Sian said, peering anxiously at my face.

"I'm fine," I said.

"Kiara, listen," said Sian, exchanging a look with Chris and Chrissie, "you must be really upset after what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."

"Like what?" I said.

"Like trying to go after the Pride-Landers," said Chrissie.

I could tell that they had rehearsed this conversation while I had been asleep. I didn't say anything.

"You won't, will you?" said Sian.

"Because the Pride-Landers aren't worth dying for," said Chris.

I looked at them. They didn't seem to understand at all.

"D'you know what I hear every time a Stinger gets too near me?" Chris, Sian and Chrissie shook their heads, looking apprehensive. "I can hear my Dad screaming in anguish at what happened to me, just after Zira attacked me. And if you heard your Dad screaming like that, screaming in agony that you had been attacked, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out that someone who was supposed to be our friend and sent Zira after him -"

"there's nothing you can do!" said Sian, looking stricken. "The Stingers will catch the Pride-Landers and they'll go back to Azkaban, and serve them right!"

"You heard what Sweets said. The Pride-Landers aren't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for them like it is for the others."

"So what are you saying?" said Chrissie, looking very tense. "You want to - to kill the Pride-Landers, or something?"

"Don't be silly," said Sian, in a panicky voice. "Kiara doesn't want to kill anyone ... do you, Kiara?"

Again, I didn't answer. I didn't know what I wanted to do at that moment. All I knew was that the idea of doing nothing, while the Pride-Landers were at liberty, was more than I could stand.

"Malty knows," I said abruptly. "Remember what she said to me in Potions? "If it was me, I'd want answers ... I'd want to find them quickly and find out why they did what they did to leave me like that when I was a baby"."

"You're going to take Malty's advice instead of ours?" said Chris furiously. "Listen ... you know what the Abster's parents got back after Simba and Nala had finished them off. Dad told us - the Order of Merlin, First Class, and a finger from both of them in boxes. Those were the biggest bits of them that they could find. The Pride-Landers are mad people, Kiara, and they're dangerous -"

"Malty's mum must have told her," I said, ignoring Chris. "She was right in Zira's inner circle -"

"Say She-You-Know, will you?" interjected Chrissie angrily.

"- so obviously the Maltys knew the Pride-Landers were working for Zira -"

"- and Malty'd love to see you blown into a million pieces, like the Absters! Get a grip, Malty's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before she has to play you at Quidditch."

"Kiara, please," said Sian, with a look of desperation on her face, "please be sensible. The Pride-Landers did a terrible, terrible thing, but don't put yourself in danger; it's what they want ... oh, Kiara, you'd be playing right into the Pride-Lander's hands if you went looking for them. Your parents wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for the Pride-Landers!"

"I'll never know what they'd have wanted, because thanks to the Pride-Landers, I've never spoken to them," I said shortly. Of course, I know that my father has spoken to me through my dreams and in his spirit form, but that was private - until now, of course.

There was a silence, in which Lucifer stretched luxuriously, flexing his claws. Chris' pocket quivered, and Felix, who was sitting by the window, eyed him darkly.

"Look," said Chris, obviously casting around for a change of subject, "it's the holidays! It's nearly Christmas! Let's - let's go down and visit Mina. We haven't visited her for ages!"

"No!" said Sian quickly. "Kiara isn't supposed to leave the castle, Chris -"

"Yeah, let's go," I said, sitting up, "and I can ask her how come Grandmother Sarabi never mentioned the Pride-Landers when she told me all about how I got this scar on my head!"

Further discussion of the Pride-Landers plainly wasn't what Chris or Chrissie had in mind.

"Or we could have a game of chess," Chrissie said hastily, "or gobstones. Perdy left a set -"

"No, let's visit Mina," I said firmly.

So we got our cloaks from our dormitories and set off through the portrait hole ("Stand and fight, you yellow-bellied mongrels!"), down through the empty castle and out through the oak front doors.

We made our way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow, our socks and the hems of our cloaks soaked and freezing. The Black Forest looked as though it had been enchanted; each tree smattered with silver, and Mina's cabin looked like an iced cake.

Chris knocked, but there was no answer.

"She's not out, is she?" said Sian, who was shivering under her cloak.

Chrissie held her ear to the door.

"There's a weird noise," she said. "Listen - is that Gnasher?"

Chris, Sian and I put our ears to the door, too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans.

"Think we'd better go and get someone?" said Chris nervously.

"Mina!" I called, thumping the door. "Mina, are you in there?"

There was a sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Mina stood there with her eyes red and swollen; tears lashing down her face.

"Yeh've heard!" she bellowed, and she flung herself onto my neck.

With Mina being at least twice the size of a tall woman, this was no laughing matter. I was about to collapse under Mina's weight, but I was rescued by Chris, Sian and Chrissie, who seized Mina and with my help, the four of us heaved Mina back into her cabin. Mina allowed herself to be steered into a chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, her face glazed with tears which dripped down her face.

"Mina, what is it?" said Sian, aghast.

I spotted an official-looking letter lying open on the table.

"What's this, Mina?"

Mina's sobs redoubled, but she shoved the letter towards me, and I picked it up and read it aloud:

Dear Miss Wickes,

Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Crighton that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

"Well, that's OK, then, Mina!" said Chris, clapping Mina on the shoulder. But Mina continued to sob, and waved one of her gigantic hands, inviting me to read on.

However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mrs Nerissa Malty, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to represent yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee offices on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.

Yours in fellowship ...

There followed a list of the school governors.

"Oh," said Chrissie. "But you said Noelani was a good Hippogriff, Mina. I bet she'll get off -"

"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" choked Mina, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!"

A sudden sound from the corner of Mina's cabin made Chris, Sian, Chrissie and I whip around. Noelani the Hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor.

"I couldn' leave her tied up out there in the snow!" choked Mina. "All on her own! At Christmas!"

Chris, Sian, Chrissie and I looked at each other. We had never seen eye to eye with Mina about what she called "interesting creatures", which other people would call "terrifying monsters". On the other hand, there didn't seem to be any particular harm in Noelani. In fact, by Mina's usual standards, she was positively cute.

"You'll have to present a good, strong defence, Mina," said Sian, sitting down and laying a hand on Mina's massive arm. "I'm sure you can prove Noelani is safe."

"Won' make no diff'rence!" sobbed Mina. "Them Disposal devils, they're all in Nerissa Malty's pocket! Scared o' her! An' if I lose the case, Noelani -"

Mina drew her finger swiftly across her throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forwards, her face in her arms.

"What about Crighton, Mina?" I said.

"She's done more'n enough for me already," groaned Mina. "Got enough on her plate, what with keepin' them Stingers outta the castle an' the Pride-Landers lurkin' around -"

Chris, Sian and Chrissie quickly looked at me, as though expecting me to start berating Mina for not telling me the truth about the Pride-Landers. But I couldn't bring myself to do it, not when I saw Mina so miserable and scared.

"Listen, Mina," I said, "you can't give up. Sian's right, you just need a good defence. You can call us as witnesses -"

"I'm sure I've read about a case of Hippogriff-baiting," said Sian thoughtfully, "where the Hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Mina, and see exactly what happened."

Mina howled more loudly. Chris whispered something to Chrissie and she nodded.

"Er - shall I make a cup of tea?" said Chrissie.

I stared at her.

"I do it whenever someone's upset," said Sian. "Good thinking, Chrissie."

"Thanks, Sian."

At last, after many assurances of help, with a steaming mug of tea in front of her, Mina blew her nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and said, "Yer right. I can' afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together ..."

Gnasher the boarhound came timidly out from under the table and laid her head on Mina's knee.

"I've not bin meself lately," said Mina, stroking her face with one hand and mopping her face with the other. "Worried abou' Noelani, an' no one likin' me classes -"

"We do like them!" said Sian at once.

"Yeah, they're great!" said Chris, crossing his fingers under the table. "Er - how are the Flobberworms?"

"Dead," said Mina gloomily. "Too much lettuce."

"Oh, no!" said Chris, his mouth twitching.

"An' them Stingers make me feel ruddy terrible an' all," said Mina, with a sudden shudder. "Gotta walk past 'em every time I want a drink in the Flying Owls. 'S like bein' back in Azkaban -"

She fell silent, gulping her tea. Chris, Sian, Chrissie and I watched her breathlessly. We had never heard Mina talk about her brief spell in Azkaban before. After a brief pause, Sian said timidly, "Is it awful in there, Mina?"

"Yeh've no idea," said Mina quietly. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thoguht I was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind ... the day I got expelled from Dragon Mort ... day me mum died ... day I had ter let Norberta go ..."

Her eyes filled with tears. Norberta was the baby dragon Mina had won in a game of cards.

"Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd just die in me sleep ... When they let me out, it was like bein' born again; ev'rythin' came floodin' back; it was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the Stingers weren' keen on lettin' me go."

"But you're innocent!" said Sian.

Mina snorted.

"Think that matters to them? They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn as to who's guilty an' who's not."

Mina went quiet for a moment, staring into her tea. Then she said quietly, "thought o' jus' letting Noelani go ... tryin' ter make her fly away ... but how d'yeh explain ter a Hippogriff it's gotta go inter hidin'? An' - an' I'm scared o' breakin' the law ..." she looked up at us, tears leaking down her face again. "I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban."

0000

The trip to Mina's, though far from fun, had nevertheless had the effect Chris, Sian and Chrissie had hoped. Though I had by no means forgotten about the Pride-Landers, I couldn't brood constantly on revenge and answers if I wanted to help Mina win her case against the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. Chris, Sian, Chrissie and I went to the library the day after, and returned to the empty common room laden with books which might help prepare a defence for Noelani. The four of us sat in front of the roaring fire, slowly turning the pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when we ran across something interesting.

"Here's something ... there was a case in 1722 ... but the Hippogriff was convicted - urgh, look what they did to it, that's disgusting -"

"This might help, look - a Manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the Manticore off - oh - no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it ..."

Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, despite the fact that hardly any students were there to witness them. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armour, and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Claws poked his nose out of the shelter of Chris' pocket, and Felix had slowly started edging her way towards the portrait hole, both hopefully sniffing at the air.

On Christmas Day, I was awoken by Chrissie, who threw her pillow at me.

"Oy! Presents!"

I reached for my lamp and switched it on, then looked at the foot of my bed, where a large heap of presents had appeared. Chrissie was already ripping the paper off her own presents.

"Where's Sian?" I asked, noticing her bed was vacant.

"Dunno," said Chrissie, shrugging. "She didn't come up here last night. Ma must've done something."

Chrissie and I then grabbed our presents and went to see Chris in his dormitory. We found him opening his presents, already wearing his aqua-marine jumper.

"Merry Christmas!" he said cheerfully when he saw us, grinning from ear-to-ear like a Cheshire cat.

"Merry Christmas, Chris!" Chrissie and I said in unison.

"Why aren't you wearing your jumper, Chrissie?" Chris teased, as Chrissie and I dumped our presents on a couple of beds and sat down to open them.

"I'm opening it now!" Chrissie snarled. "Give me a chance, bro' ..." she opened it. "Yes, green again! Thank you for listening to me, S.D.! Open up yours, Kiara!"

I did. Sian had sent me a scarlet jumper with the Lion-Heart's Lion knitted on the front, along with another cushion, which had the same writing embroidered around the edges as always, and a picture of my grandmother's cottage in the middle. There was also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake and a box of nut brittle from Mr Dawson inside, too. As I moved all these things aside - including the presents from the rest of the Dawsons, Chris, Ben and Dave - I moved on to my grandmothers. They had both sent me some home-baked mini apple pies and a few large vanilla sponge cakes - which I did share with Chris, Sian and Chrissie, in case any of you are wondering. I then moved these aside, and saw a long, thin package lying underneath.

"What's that?" said Chrissie looking over, a freshly unwrapped pair of green socks in her hand.

"Dunno ..."

I flipped the parcel open and gasped as a magnificent, gleaming broomstick rolled out onto the bedspread. Chris dropped her sweets, and Chrissie her socks, jumped off their beds, and came over to me for a closer look.

"I don't believe it," they said hoarsely in unison.

It was a Firecracker, identical to the dream broom I had gone to see everyday in Brickabon Alley. Its handle glittered as I picked it up. I could feel it vibrating, and let it go; it hung in mid-air, unsupported, at exactly the right height for me to mount it. My eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined oak twigs that made up the tail.

"Who sent it to you?" said Chris in a hushed voice.

"Look and see if there's a card," I said.

Chris ripped apart the Firecracker's wrapping.

"Nothing. Blimey, who'd spend this much on you?"

"Well," I said, feeling stunned, "I'm betting it wasn't Grandmother Sarabi. I mean, I know she said in the last letter she sent me that I would be getting another broom "sooner than I thought" ... but if it was from her, she would've sent me a note, wouldn't she?"

"I bet it was Ma," said Chrissie, now walking round and round the Firecracker with Chris, both taking in every glorious inch. "She sent you the Invisiblity Cloak - not anonymously exactly, but still ..."

"That was my parents', though," I said. "Crighton was passing it on to me. She wouldn't spend hundreds of Galleons on me. She can't go giving students stuff like this -"

"That's why she wouldn't say it was from her!" said Chris. "In case some cow like Malty said it was favouritism. Hey, Kiara -" Chris gave a great whoop of laughter, "Malty! Wait 'til she sees you on this! She'll be sick as a pig! This is an international-standar broom, this is!"

"I can't believe this!" I said, running a hand along the Firecracker, whilst Chris, along with Chrissie, both sank onto the floor, laughing their heads off at the thought of Malty. "Who -?"

"I know," said Chrissie, controlling herself. "I know who it could've been - Meers!"

"What?" I said, and even I started to laugh then. "Meers? Listen, if he had this much gold, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes."

"Yeah, but he likes you," said Chris. "And he was away when your broom got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Brickabon Alley and got this for you -"

"What d'you mean, he was away?" I said. "He was ill when I was playing in that match -"

"Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing," said Chrissie. "I was there, cleaning out bedpans on that detention from Triphrom, remember?"

I frowned at Chrissie.

"I can't see Meers affording something like this."

"What're you three laughing at?"

Sian had just come in, wearing her dressing-gown over her indigo jumper and carrying Lucifer, who was looking very grumpy, with a string of thistle tied around his neck.

"Where've you been?" Chris asked.

"I fell asleep in front of the fire doing homework, and I've just given Ma her Christmas present," said Sian simply.

"Oh. Well, Merry Christmas, S.D.!" cried Chrissie.

"Merry Christmas!" said Sian brightly.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas, Sian -" Chris began, but stopped at the sight of Lucifer. "Don't bring him in here!" he said, hurriedly snatching Claws from the depths of his bed and stowing him within his pyjama pocket. But Sian wasn't listening. She dropped Lucifer onto his bed and stared, open-mouthed, at the Firecracker.

"Oh, Kiara! Who sent you that?"

"No idea," I said. "There wasn't a card with it or anything."

To my great surprise, Sian did not appear either excited or intrigued by this news. On the contrary, her face fell and she bit her lip.

"What's the matter with you?" said Chrissie.

"I don't know," said Sian slowly, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?"

Chris and Chrissie sighed exasperatedly.

"It's the best broom there is, Sian," Chris said.

"So it must've been really expensive ..."

"Probably cost more than all the Snake-Eyes' brooms put together," said Chrissie happily.

"Well ... who'd send Kiara something as expensive as that, and not even tell her they'd sent it?" said Sian.

"Who cares?" said Chris, impatiently. "Listen, Kiara, can I have a go on it? Can I?"

"And me, Kiara? Please?" begged Chrissie.

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" said Sian shrilly.

Chris, Chrissie and I looked at her.

"What d'you think Kiara's going to do with it - sweep the floor?" said Chris.

But before Sian could answer, Lucifer sprang from where he was on Chris' bed, right at Chris' chest.

"GET - HIM - OUT - OF - HERE!" Chris bellowed, as Lucifer's claws ripped his pyjamas, and Claws attempted a wild escape over his shoulder. Chris seized Claws by the tail and aimed a kick at Lucifer, which hit the trunk at the end of his bed, knocking it over and causing Chris to hop up on the spot, howling in pain.

Lucifer landed back on the bed again, glowering at the rat in Chris' hand.

"You'd better get that cat out of here, Sian," said Chris furiously, sitting on his bed and nursing his toe. As this was happening, Sian strode out of the room, Lucifer's yellow eyes still fixed maliciously on Chris.

Chris was moaning in pain and rage, with Claws still huddled in his hands. It had been a while since Chrissie or I had seen him out of Chris' pocket, and we were unpleasantly surprised to see that Claws, once so fat, was now very skinny; patches of fur seemed to have fallen out, too. And now that I think about it, that was how Felix looked, too; and it wasn't jus me who thought that,for Chrissie voiced those opinions aloud, too.

"Our pets aren't looking too good at the moment, are they, Chris?" said Chrissie half-jokingly, a small smile on her face.

"They're not looking good due to stress!" said Chris. "they'd be fine, if that stupid furball would leave them alone!"

But I remember what the witch at the Magical Menagerie had said about rats living only three years, and how cats could live more than ten years; and unless I was much mistaken, I couldn't help feeling that unless Claws and Felix had powers they had never revealed, they were reaching the ends of their lives. And despite Chris and Chrissie's frequent complaints that Claws and Felix were both old, boring and useless, I was sure that they would both be very miserable if Claws and Felix died.

Christmas was definitely thin on the ground in the Lion-Heart common room that morning. Sian was keeping Lucifer down in the common room, but was furious with Chris for trying to kick him; Chris was still fuming about Lucifer's fresh attempt to eat Claws. Chrissie and I gave up on making them talk to each other, and I devoted myself to examining the Firecracker, which I brought down to the common room. For a reason that I didn't know at the time, this seemed to annoy Sian as well; she didn't say anything, but she kept looking at the broom as though it, too, had been criticising her cat.

At lunch we went down to the Great Hall, to find that the house tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for thirteen stood in the middle of the room. Professors Crighton, Darbus, Triphorm, Spud and Winds were there, along with Match, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather mouldy-looking tailcoat. There were only two other students; one extremely nervous-looking first-year and a sullen-faced Snake-Eyes fifth-year.

"Merry Christmas!" said Crighton, as Chris, Sian, Chrissie and I approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the house tables ... sit down, sit down!"

Chris, Sian, Chrissie and I sat down side by side at the end of the table.

"Crackers!" said Crighton enthusiastically, offering the end of a large gold one to Triphorm, who took it reluctantly, and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, black bowler hat.

I remembered the Boggart, and caught Chris and Chrissie's eyes, and the three of us grinned; Triphorm's mouth thinned and she pushed the hat towards Crighton, who swapped it for her witches' hat at once.

"Tuck in!" she advised the table, beaming around.

As I was helping myself to roast potatoes, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Crystals, gliding towards us as though on wheels. He wore green robes for the occasion, with a green scarf draped around his neck, making him look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly.

"I have been crystal-gazing, Headmistress," said Professor Crystals, in his mistiest, most far away voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness ..."

"Certainly, certainly," said Crighton, her eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair -"

And she did indeed draw a chair in mid-air with her wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Triphorm and Darbus. Professor Crystals, however, did not sit down; his enormous eyes had been roving round the table, and he suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.

"I dare not, Headmistress! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

"We'll risk it, Cyril," said Professor Darbus, impatiently. "Do sit down, for the turkey's getting cold."

Professor Crystals hesitated, then lowered himself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a lightning bolt to hit the table. Professor Darbus poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen.

"Tripe, Cyril?"

Professor Crystals ignored her. Eyes open again, he looked around once more and said, "But where is dear Professor Meers?"

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," said Crighton, indicating to the rest of us that we should all start eating ourselves. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

"But surely you already knew that, Cyril?" said Professor Darbus, her eyebrows raised.

Professor Crystals gave Professor Darbus a very cold look.

"Certainly I knew, Deidre," he said quietly. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."

"That explains a great deal," said Professor Darbus tartly.

Professor Crystals' voice suddenly lost its misty feel.

"If you must know, Deidre, I have seen that poor Professor Meers will not be with us for very long. He seems aware himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystalgaze for him -"

"Imagine that," said Professor Darbus drily.

"I doubt," said Crighton, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor Darbus and Professor Crystals' conversation, "that Professor Meers is in any immediate danger. Tiana, you've made the potion for him again?"

"Yes, Headmistress," said Triphorm.

"Good," said Crighton. "Then he should be up and about in no time ... Debbie, have you tried these chipolatas? They're excellent."

The first-year girl went furiously red at being addressed directly by Crighton, and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands.

Professor Crystals behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing our cracker hats, Chris, Chrissie and I got up from the table and he shrieked loudly.

"My dears? Which person left their seat first? Which?"

"Dunno," said Chrissie, looking uneasily at Chris and I.

"I doubt it will make much difference," said Professor Darbus coldly, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first person who goes into the Entrance Hall."

Even Chris laughed. Professor Crystals looked highly affronted.

"Coming?" I said to Sian.

"No," Sian muttered. "I want a quick word with Professor Darbus."

"Probably to see if she can take more classes," yawned Chrissie as we made our way into the Entrance Hall, which was completely devoid of mad axe-men.

When we reached the portrait hole, we found Knightress enjoying a Christmas party with a couple of nuns, several previous Headmistresses of Dragon Mort and her fat pony. She pushed up her visor and toasted us with a flagon of mead.

"Merry - hic - Christmas! Password?"

"Scurvy Cur," said Chrissie.

"And the same to you, madam!" roared Knightress, as the painting swung forwards to admit us.

Chrissie and I had put all our presents back in our dormitory, so I went upstairs to it, collected my Firecracker and the Broomstick Servicing Kit Sian had given me for my thirteenth birthday, brought them downstairs and tried to find something to do to the Firecracker; however, there were no bent twigs to clip, and the handle was so shiny already it seemed pointless to polish it. Chris, Chrissie and I simply sat there, admiring it from every angle, until the portrait hole opened again, and Sian came in, accompanied by Professor Darbus.

Though Professor Darbus was Head of Lion-Heart House, I had only seen her in the common room once before this moment, and that had been to make a very grave announcement. Chris, Chrissie and I stared at her, the tree of us holding the Firecracker. Sian walked around us, sat down, picked up the nearest book and hid her face behind it.

"So that's it, is it?" said Professor Darbus beadily, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Firecracker. "The Eldest Dawson Girl has just informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Pride-Lander."

Chris, Chrissie and I all looked round at Sian. We could see her forehead reddening over the top of her book, which was upside down.

"May I?" said Professor Darbus, but she didn't wait for me to give an answer before pulling the Firecracker out of our hands. She examined it carefully from handle to twig-ends. "Hmmm. And there was no note at all, Pride-Lander? No card? No message of any kind?"

"No," I said blankly.

"I see ..." said Professor Darbus. "Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Pride-Lander."

"W-what?" I said, as I scrambled to my feet. "Why?" I couldn't believe this at the time. I had only had this gift - the best present anyone has ever given me - for only a few meagre hours, and already it was being taken from me. I was too shocked to move, too stunned to think of anything apart from: This can't be happening ... This can't be happening ... This can't be happening ...

"It will need to be checked for jinxes," said Professor Darbus. "Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Sir Turner and Professor Winds will strip it down -"

"Strip it down?" repeated Chris, as though Professor Darbus was mad.

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," said Professor Darbus. "You will have it back when we are sure that it is jinx-free."

"there's nothing wrong with it!" I said, my voice shaking slightly as I spoke. "Honestly, Professor -"

"You can't know that, Pride-Lander," said Professor Darbus, quite kindly, "not until you've flown it at any rate, and I'm afraid that that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."

Professor Darbus then turned on her heel and carried the Firecracker out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. I stood staring after her, the tin of High-Finish Polish still clutched in my hands. Chris and Chrissie, however, rounded on their eldest sister.

"What did you go running to Darbus for?" Chrissie yelled.

"Yeah, why, Sian, why did you do it?" Chris groaned. "What right did you have, anyway?" he added, as Chrissie nodded in agreement.

Sian threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Chris and Chrissie defiantly. It was Sian's most scariest look, so it was not without reason that Chris and Chrissie backed off.

"I had every right, for your information, because I have Kiara's best interests at heart, care about her dearly and I already mark her as a dear sister and part of our family, you pair of nit witted twonk-heads! And as for the broom, I thought - and Professor Darbus agrees with my opinion on this matter - that that broom was probably sent to her by the Pride-Landers!"

0000

So, that's the end of this chapter. Sorry if I confused your minds a little more here. Felix was away from the boys' dormitory, so that's why Chrissie didn't get involved in Sian and Chris' argument, and Felix was also in the girls' dormitory, which is why Lucifer had to stay in the common room. R&R and I'll be updating soon. Don't be strangers, now!