Ridiculuosly long A/N: I'm back! Wow, it feels so good to be here again; I didn't realize how truly I would miss it! Before me get started I just really, really want to thank everyone who stuck with it through my elongated absence. Thank you so much for coming back. Sadly my plans to find time to write in my new schedule has been a total fail – Finding a time to write these days is like trying to find a knut in the room of requirement! So much so that I went on a crazy deprived writing rant and wrote the first chapter to a whole new new story in the middle of the night! Take a look at it if you haven't already. It will be a sort of side story to this overlapping slightly. But this, this is where I truly belong! ^_^
So no guarantees of regular updates but for tonight I'm back, I've settled back to school to a degree but my teachers keep going all-Lord-Voldemort on me!
Recap (you can skip this if you like but just thought it might be helpful):
-The last dare Al gave Scorp backfired in his face. Now it's Scorp's turn to give Al a challenge and Al is nervous.
-James, Alex, Blue and Letitia found a clue in the Great Hall but Blue hasn't cracked the puzzle yet.
-Meanwhile it's James's B-day and time for the traditional "Birthday Prank" which is to be played on Albus.
-A long, colourful package has just arrived at Gryffindor table for James.
Chapter 52
Surprises of All Shapes and Sizes
James stared at the package which had just landed on the table in front of him. It was almost six foot long, narrow and wrapped in blue and red tissue paper. Fawkes was looking at him curiously, he gave him a quick scratch and he ruffled his fiery feathers happily and took off again.
"Open it James!" Grinned Alex excitedly.
James thought for a moment. He hadn't written to his parents since the disastrous Quiditch match, so how did they know about his broom? Unless...
He felt a sudden pang of guilt.
"Hurry up James! Let's take a look!"
James looked at the parcel and pushed all other thoughts to the back of his mind. The prank was only for fun anyway; no need to get so worked up.
He tore his way through the light wrappings and the gleaming wood shone out at him; within a moment Rangi was at his side. He gave a low whistle.
James turned the browny-gold handle over in his hands, "Flaming Phoenix" was carved into the wood in delicate yet powerful gold letters. James stared at the broomstick, this was one impressive broom; the latest in the Phoenix brand which made broomsticks specially suited to Seekers, the fastest and most agile brooms in the world apparently, a lot of professional seekers had Phoenix brooms but he had never seen one up close before.
The wood seemed to glow softly like a phoenix and it felt warm beneath his eager hands, it felt almost as if it was buzzing in anticipation at his touch and yet it was still so hard to register that it was his.
"That is one hell of a broom." Smiled Rangi in awe.
Alex was gaping with his mouth shut and even Blue looked a little speechless.
"Let's go try it out!" Exclaimed James suddenly.
"Careful James, we've only got five minutes before we should get to class."
James rolled his eyes, trust Blue to be practical even at a moment like this!
He jumped out of his seat clutching the broomstick tightly. He spotted Tybalt Tyne gaping at him from across the hall. He grinned and gave him a quick wave and he quickly shut his mouth and turned away scowling.
James, Alex, Blue and Rangi hurried out of the hall and all the way out to the grounds. As soon as they were in open air James jumped onto the broomstick and took off.
He was a little too enthusiastic at first and found himself wobbling uncontrollably as the broom sped off at ferocious speed. He could hear Rangi yelling various advise from below but couldn't comprehend the words. He flew higher and higher and the wind rushed around him in a chilly swirl. Faster and faster and round in circles. The feeling was only magnified after having been using a crummy, school broomstick. He felt as free as a bird, as free as a phoenix and as magnificent!
He descended towards his friends on the ground below. He spotted Tybalt Tyne and his cronies watching too from near the school doors but who cared about them, Tyne was just jealous anyway.
"James, James, wanna let me have a go?" Gushed Alex.
"Not now, class starts in five minutes and we're all the way in the greenhouses this morning!" Blue protested, "You can come back after school-"
"What about me? Can I have a go? Please, please, Potter!" Mimicked Tybalt jumping up and down with his hand in the air.
His ring of friends guffawed around him.
James sank sharply to the ground trying to wobble as little as possible on the unfamiliar broomstick.
"Careful Potter!" Called Katherine Burke, "Don't want to hurt yourself. Sure you can handle that broomstick?"
James scowled but his pride was already injured.
"Shut it, Burke!" He snapped.
"You still riding that pink, "Fairy Dust" your daddy bought you when you were three?" Asked Alex.
Katherine made a rude gesture at him and Alex feigned surprise,
"No need to get so offended Burke! I was talking to Tyne."
James laughed and touched down on the grass. Tybalt gave a low growl and James saw him clench his wand beneath his school robes. Sensing trouble he shrugged his shoulders, "We should probably get to class. We're already late right?"
Blue nodded, he had clearly seen the movement too; not much got past Blue. Blue nodded,
"Yeah. What about you Rangi, what class do you have?"
"Hmm, good question." Said Rangi and turning their backs to the Slytherins they headed off for class.
Something hot shot past James's ear. He spun on his heal to see Tybalt standing with his wand pointed directly at him,
"I'm not finished with you yet Potter!"
"What's that? Firing a spell at a turned back! Oh yeah, Tyne! Well, I'll show you some real spells!" Raged Rangi moving towards the younger boy with his back straight and shoulders held strongly.
It would be lying to say that Tybalt didn't look a little intimidated but he didn't let much show and he certainly didn't back down.
The two boys faced each other for a moment and then with a jab of his wand and hiss of his lips Tybalt let a curse fly at Rangi.
The older boy blocked it easily. Tybalt tried again but before he could even mutter his spell Rangi hit him square in the chest with a powerful "Expelliarmus!"; Tybalt flew backwards through the air his wand soaring high into the air and landing a good twenty feet away.
The Slytherin second years looked gobsmacked and they hurried around Tybalt and avoided eye contact with Rangi. James smirked and the four Gryffindors went back into the castle before Tybalt and his cronies could cause any more trouble.
Albus sat down in his seat in Potions class next to Philip. He had become pretty fnd of Potions lesson and he felt cheerful, at breakfast he had actually managed not to fight with James and he didn't have to fear Scorpius while he was in this class.
Professor Ebullio was swaying at the top of the classroom, a thin purple smoke was drifting up from a decorated glass bottle. When the class had all arrived and settled into their places he rapped his wand on the desk and cleared his throat a little,
'Today we will be brewing a simple sleeping draught." He said.
"Ah, that explains the swaying." Thought Albus.
"Now I have a sample up here for any of you to take a look at but so long as you-" The Professor took a deep yawn, "As long as you follow the instructions in your books hopefully there will be no major mishaps."
Albus pulled out his book and turned to the right page immediately he started sorting his ingredients and setting up his cauldron.
"Right you are," Yawned the tiny Professor again, "Off you go!"
It wasn't long before the room was filling with the sound of pestles grinding on mortars and the sweet smell of sleepy lavender. Albus was pleased to see that he was ahead of the rest of his class. Philip was sticking to the grinding and cutting side of things while Albus ently heated the mixture. He could see Rose and Amanda preparing their own potion nearby. Professor Ebullio was moving between desks inspecting the students work and giving a few pointers here and there.
"Well that looks just splendid Alan." He said to Albus as he approached their cauldron, a sweet warm mist was starting to rise slowly from the mixture and it was starting to make Albus feel a little drowsy himself.
The Profeesor gave it a quick stir as Albus checked the temperature.
"A little watery but that's no harm really- don't be afraid to be a little more liberal with the flobberworm mucus though, okay?"
Albus nodded and the little old man pottered away again shuffling in what looked like slippers. He popped the lid off his vile of green flobberworm mucus and gently added a little to the potion. The mucus wasn't really necessary but it helped thicken the potion and it didn't do any harm.
"Turn up the heat a little." Albus told Philip as the gooey substance stretched slowly down before 'plopping' into the Potion.
Next there was a tremendous bang and one second later Albus found himself covered head to toe in slimy, green gunk. He blinked and rubbed his face on his sleeve. He looked around bewildered. The class had turned to stare at him and Professor Ebullio had finally snapped out of his previous drowsiness.
Philip was peering up from his crouched position at the base of the cauldron a thick layer of green stuff plastered across his head and dripping down onto his robes.
"My, my, my, Aaron - what's this?" Asked the Professor as the rest of the class got back to work, "Hmm..." He poked some goo with his finger and frowned, "Doesn't look like this will come off too easily. Don't worry m'boy. Pop up to the caretakers office and borrow the 'Practical Potion Remover' will you?"
Albus nodded.
"You there, Philibert. Better go with him." Professor Ebullio stated and the two boys hurried out of the room wiping the goo from their hair as best they could.
Sorry it's so short again. I'll be back with more as soon as possible! Please review!
P.S. Poll on profile. Uniforms or no uniforms?
