Quick A/N: I have a bit of explaining to do, I already apologised for the scattered updates over this last year but I never really explained myself. This year has been really difficult academically. So much so that I actually strained my wrist and I've been under doctor's orders to rest it. It's almost completely better now.
Hope everybody likes this chapter! Enjoy...
Chapter 28
December
"So?" Asked Blue as James walked into their dorm with Alex, "How did it go?"
"We definitely freaked Lysander Flint out." James informed him, collapsing onto his bed, "Not to mention delivering a shattering blow to the father-son trust between himself and Professor Flint."
"Do you think Flint ever trusted him?" Blue asked with slight scoff.
James shrugged, "As much as any parent ever does, which, come to mention it, isn't much."
"My parents don't trust me." Admitted Alex happily.
"Mine definitely don't." Agreed James.
"No surprises there!" Blue pointed out grinning at his friends.
Alex laughed, "Whatever. The point is, it looks like Lysander is up to something after all."
"You shouldn't get involved," Blue warned them, "If Rangi's looking for trouble, that's his business but you don't need to start attracting it."
James shrugged again carelessly, "What's life without a little trouble?"
December came and brought with it frosty mornings and icy winds. Rangi kept the Gryffindor Quidditch team busy with long training sessions during which the players hovered about, teeth chattering. Luckily for Albus he had prepared for this type of weather and had brought lots of warm jumpers and coats with him to Hogwarts. So, as Rangi gave orders without even flinching from the wind, the rest of the team flew about, so bundled up in hats and scarves and coats that they could barely see.
Willard Dursley seemed to be a permanent addition to Scorpius's gang. Though he wasn't as big as Malfoy's other thugs, his never-ending scowl kept him looking the part. He spent all his time with the Slytherins, only returning to Gryffindor common room to sleep at night. Albus wasn't really sorry to get rid of him but he couldn't help thinking about how his parents had wanted himself and James keeping an eye on him. Somehow, letting Will fall in with a crowd like that made him feel like he had failed.
Rose kept writing to him frequently; mostly about classwork and the projects she was doing. He tried to keep his replys cheerful though he still missed her. He had already missed her Birthday. He had sent her a long letter and a big box of her favourite Honeydukes chocolates but he couldn't help thinking about how it was the first time in his life he hadn't been with her for her Birthday and that made him feel unsettled. He kept reminding himself that it would be Christmas soon and they would be together again.
On the second last day of the school term Albus received a letter from his dear cousin outlining her return plans. She had been invited by her friend Jasmine to visit a small village called Rochemort on the west coast of France before returning home. There was a museum there, apparently where she could learn some interesting things for the History of Magic project she was working on. Her friend Jasmine had an aunt who lived nearby so they were staying there for the day before getting a portkey back to London. On the same day, Albus himself would be traveling back to London on the Hogwarts Express. He would see Rose that night when they had both arrived at his Grandparent's house in Devon. It was so bizarre that finally, after two months of being apart they would be back together in less than three days time.
Rangi and James had filled himself and Philip in on their attack on the Slytherins but only after they had carried it out, in order to avoid their pointless arguing. So far, it seemed they had managed to get away with it. Lysander had hovered around intimidatingly for a couple of days recently though. More than once Albus had spotted him studying James and his friends suspiciously but their hadn't been any confrontations yet. James seemed nervous but neither Lysander nor his dad had made any accusations against James or Rangi.
Personally, he was doing whatever it took to keep out of the Slytherins way. Since their clash in Herbology he had been taking extra careful to avoid Scorpius Malfoy though the Slytherin continued to hang around with Will.
Meanwhile, James had taken to bringing his new snake, Valkyrie, all around the school with him so Albus was staying well out of his way too. He had noticed James had started whispering to it in public now and it completely creeped him out. He even seemed to be using the snake to send messages to his friends or fetch things now that he had it so well trained. Albus was secretly hoping that it would escape or even get eaten by an owl. Usually, at the burrow, all the cousins camped out in front of the house to save space. He couldn't bare to think of living with the snake over the holidays at such close quarters.
Philip would be returning to Ireland for his holidays after spending the first couple of days, including Christmas with his grandparents in Diagon Alley but Albus was unlikely to see him as he would have left by the time Albus returned to London in the new year.
He was also looking forward to spending time with his little sister Lily over the couple of weeks they had off. Lily was eleven now but would have to wait until next September to attend Hogwarts which she had decided was completely unfair. Albus knew that, with both of their parents working and himself and James away at Hogwarts she found it awfully lonely back in London by herself.
Schoolwork had begun to die down, most teachers weren't bothered with homework this close to the end of term. Professor Longbottom was doing his best to come up with fun, exciting Christmas games for Herbology and they had concocted a new potion in Ebullio's class which smelt of cinnamon and made the drinker feel warm and cosy. Everyone took a vial each. Albus planned to drink his after the inevitable snowball fight which would break out after the first snowfall at home - provided it did snow, of course.
One person who did not seem to be keen on returning home was Willard Dursley. He had received some shocking news a few weeks ago which made him even more grumpy than ever - and Albus hadn't thought that was possible. He had received a letter from his parents, forwarded by Harry as usual (the Dursleys couldn't seem to grasp the concept of Owl Post). It had contained the news that his parents were expecting another child. Used to being a spoilt only child for the last eleven years, Willard seemed to be truly horrified.
Personally Albus hoped this would be good for him. In his opinion, Will's parents were making a valiant attempt to support and accept their wizard son despite their clear fear of magic, revealed in Harry's tales of his life growing up with Dudley Dursley. It had always been clear, since Harry had confirmed Willard's magical abilities last winter that all Dudley and his wife wanted was for Will to be safe and comfortable in the magical world.
However, with the news of a new sibling Will had been so bitter that he had immediately started begging to be allowed to spend Christmas with the Potters despite his open aversion to all the Potter and Weasley children. Fortunately for James and Albus, Harry had firmly told Will in another letter that he was not to disappoint his parents who had been waiting for months just to see him again.
So it was that on Saturday morning, still tired and full from the Christmas feast the night before that Albus and Philip made their way down to Hogsmeade station followed by the scowling, muttering figure of Will. They stored their trunks in the luggage compartment and found themselves some seats. Taking momentary pity on his second cousin Albus turned to Will,
"You know, you can sit with us if you like?" He offered.
"No way!" Snapped Will, "I wouldn't be seen dead hanging around with you losers. I'm only here waiting for Scorpius."
"Fine." Albus replied sharply and slid the door of his compartment shut without a second glance at Will.
"Come on Al!" Philip smiled cheerfully, "Let's play a game of exploding snap."
They began to play, soon they were joined by the other boys from their dorm and then the train chugged it's way out of the small station as the sound of small explosions and laughter filled the small compartment.
Further down the train, far from the jovial laughing and chatter, James and his friends found themselves an almost deserted carriage with the last of the empty compartments. James didn't mind the solitude of this part of the train, in fact right now he honestly preferred it. He wanted the chance to discuss things and make plans with Alex and Blue. Now that they knew what the statue could do James wanted to find a good way to use it. So far, he had been sending messages to whichever boy had the statue using Valkyrie but he had yet to up with a plan that would really make use of their new magical tool.
"How about we plant it on someone and freak them out by having Valkyrie give them scary messages?" Suggested Alex.
"N-"
"OR - or we could Valkyrie command them and threaten them with her terrifying power!"
"What terrifying power?" Blue asked looking at Alex like he was crazy.
"It doesn't have to be real." Alex argued, "We get Valkyrie to tell them she's a magical dark creature or a evil sorcerer in the body of a snake and that if they don't obey her she will destroy them."
"No." James said firmly.
"Why not?" Demanded Alex, "It would be awesome!"
"For the simple reason that we are not going to plant the statue on anyone." James told him sternly, "Outside of the three of us, nobody should get to touch this thing. They shouldn't even know about it. We don't know how powerful or how useful it might be, we cannot let it fall into the wrong hands."
Blue nodded seriously.
"We've been taking enough of a risk just bringing it around the castle these last few weeks." James continued, "Now we don't entirely know what it is but the man who wrote that letter that was with it obviously thought it was important so it's up to us to keep it safe."
James looked down at the golden statue that was sitting in his lap. He had taken to bringing it around the school with him, just in case he wanted to communicate with his friends in parseltongue. So far, their greatest use for it was cheating on the class Transfiguration exam their teacher had sprung on them on the last day of class. James and Alex had all been separated way back in September for talking during class but now, James had used this as a test for his new skills.
James told Valkyrie the answers that he knew, then Valkyrie delivered them to Alex who knew next-to-nothing about Transfiguration. To the teachers surprised both of them had passed the test with a reasonable mark and she hadn't got to give them her usual mound of catching up homework for the holidays. Now Alex could happily spend a Transfiguration-free holiday at home getting bossed around by his little sister.
Blue had (typically) disapproved but he didn't bother telling them off or getting involved. James knew Blue was just as enthralled by the statue and it's abilities as he was.
"I wonder what Frankie Forrest would have wanted with this thing anyway." Pondered Alex lifting up the statue and peering at it.
"I know," Frowned Blue, "It's only of use to us because James is a parselmouth. I guess he just liked to collect old things."
"Aren't you worried about being a parselmouth?" Alex suddenly asked, looking at James with a worried expression.
James frowned at him for a moment trying to work out what he meant.
"I mean," Alex began to explain guiltily, "It's usually a gift associated with dark magic."
"Oh. No." James answered casually, "I can only do it because my Dad can." He explained, "He doesn't though. Never really seemed to like being able to talk to snakes - seems like a bit of a waste to me though."
"Parseltongue is a hereditary ability, like metamorphmagism," Agreed Blue, "Though it's extremely rare."
"Okay, whatever, I get it ..." Muttered Alex quickly losing interest.
"The real question is; how do we make use of it and of the statues ability?" James asked reaching over and picking up the statue again from where Alex had put it down.
He studied it carefully although it's shape and texture were so familiar to him now.
It's emerald eyes glinted as the light flickered through the trees rushing past outside the window.
"There has to be some way for us to take advantage of-"
The door of the compartment opened a crack and immediately, everything went black.
Sorry about the cliffhanger! More soon. :)
