A TALE OF RIVALS
By Elk99
Chapter 22
A/N: Sorry for the long wait in this chapter. I'm going to do my best to ensure updates are more regular from here on out.
The days following Sirius Black's break-in at Hogwarts proved interesting, as news spread around the more politically minded in the Castle that Edmund and Sullivan Fawley's mother had taken a stand against Fudge to enormous popular support from the Wizarding Public and the Wizengamot. There was little else to do but discuss the rising political tensions as the Scottish Highlands faced a torrential storm the like of which hadn't been seen in years. Orpheus Hadley's article in The Daily Prophet was read repeatedly, and some of the older students asked family members to send them transcripts of the speech, which subsequently were wildly circulated.
Rita Skeeter had also written a hit-piece on the Fudge Ministry, elaborating more on the Fawley speech, and going into detail on every Fudge mishap, which only served to make the Minister, and donors such as Lucius Malfoy incredibly unpopular. Any sway that Draco may have been attempting to regain was lost, as the typical bluster of throwing his father's name around was immediately associated with the man Skeeter had termed 'Flailing Fudge.'
The cherry on top for both of the Fawley brothers was the news that their father had been named Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. All things considered, it had been a good week for the Fawley parents: Elodie in the spotlight in the Wizengamot, and Ned as the latest star to rise on the Ministerial level. Ned Fawley was suddenly a very professionally attractive connection for upper-year Hogwarts students who wanted to go into a career in the Ministry's second-largest department. The exposure of such fame would trickle down into the school world, and both Sullivan and Edmund reaped the benefits of arguably unnecessary boosts on the social ladder.
The brothers were subsequently much friendlier to each other then they had been in the past. While their relationship had mended the prior year, the two had kept their distance from the other while at Hogwarts. After the increased scrutiny was placed on their family, and a new puff piece on Sullivan from TeenWitch, seeking out family became a coping mechanism and a way to stay grounded, but only somewhat. Edmund new he was flaunting his new fame in the Common Room, but things could truly not be better. He was first in his year, and was one of the House's top point-earners in classes. Not to mention his status on the Quidditch Team, even as Flint drilled him to the point of exhaustion every night.
The torrential downpour and gusty gales had done little to curb the Slytherin Quidditch Captain's zeal to train and beat Gryffindor in the opening match of the season. Every night for at least an hour, they did drills, to the best of their ability, on the practice grounds, and spent another 45 minutes in an abandoned classroom in the dungeons going over strategy, doing everything in their power to ensure that this year, they kept the Cup not only from a formidable Gryffindor team that they had only barely managed to trick last year, but also a Hufflepuff team that promised to be gunning for the top spot under the leadership of their Captain, Sullivan Fawley.
"Gryffindor is going to have prepared for us bludgering Potter to pulp this time," Flint said on Thursday night, only two days from the match. "And if this weather is keeping up we can't rely on them so high in the sky anyway, which means we have to focus on the Chasers and Wood. Mathews and Fawley, I want you both in sync. Fawley, I want you to aim on offense while Mathews takes defense."
"You want me on offense?" Edmund asked, surprised. "Harlan has a stronger punch then I do."
Splitting the beaters up on offense and defense was an American tactic developed by Roger Fleming, one of the few American players that gained fame in Europe, in the 19th Century. Fleming later went to play and then manage the Falmouth Falcons, where he put into practice splitting up his beaters. One beater would focus on strengthening the offense of their own team, flying with the Chasers, while the other beater supported the team's defense, notably protecting the Keeper.
An avid Falmouth fan, Marcus Flint knew the Fleming Playbook by muscle memory. "No Fawley," he said. "Mathews stays with Bletchley. The importance of strength lessens in weather like this."
Properly assuaged, Edmund nodded as he began mentally preparing to transition. Flying offense 'Fleming style' would require him to fly in sync with the three chasers. He had experience coordinating with Adrian before, in his first year when they used the Adolar Attack on Sullivan, ensuring a Slytherin win, but he would have to ensure that he kept pace. Adrian tended to zig-zag, as did Warrington, and Edmund was not as nimble on his broom as they were, typically not involved in the fray of chasers clashing together and instead looking at it from afar, sending down bludgers on the opposing team. It would be a challenging transition whether the weather held up or not.
Saturday would be difficult.
The apprehension Edmund had felt about the match had not abated by the time Saturday had come around. He had never played a match in poor weather before, and he was honest with himself enough to admit he was nervous about his own abilities. Sure, he was a good player, on the better end of the spectrum comparatively of the all the House Quidditch players. He also was not arrogant enough to think he had a shot in the professional leagues. He couldn't hold a candle to Sullivan, Flint, Cedric, or Harry Potter. He was just as prone to mistakes, and many of his successes had been built on surprise. Today, Gryffindor would be on guard.
He went down to breakfast with the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team. The normal excitement that filled the Great Hall for Quidditch matches, especially the season opener, was dampened by the acknowledgment that watching said game would mean braving the downpour that had not lessened in the past few days. The Gryffindor team was already there, decked out in their red and gold robes. In his second year, the Slytherins had been met with jeers from the other three Houses as they entered and left the Hall. Today while there were a few looks from the Gryffindors, it appeared as though Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were split on who to support. Gryffindor was the favorite to win this match, and both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were likely to enjoy seeing Slytherin trounced after taking the Cup so many years in a row, but there were a few in each house showing their support for the green and silver. Edmund was shocked to see both his brother and Cedric Diggory sporting green and silver face paint as they waved at him when he came in.
"Maybe things are looking up for our relations with the other Houses," Adrian said as they sat down.
"People are fickle," Harlan responded, sitting down next to Edmund. "Give them a few days and we'll be public enemies No. 1 again."
"Oi," Flint said, sitting down across from Adrian. "Less talk and more focus. Eat up. We have a match to win."
#$
"AND GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"
Rats Edmund thought to himself as he strained to hear Lee Jordan's commentary on the match, his only knowledge about what was happening on the other end of the pitch. The gales of wind and heavy rainfall made it almost impossible to see very far at all. How Jordan was able to tell who was making what plays and scoring at what time was something Edmund would have loved to investigate had he not been under pressure himself to help Slytherin keep scoring.
He raced his broom forward, barely keeping control as the wind battled for domination of both his broom and his bat. The match had been going on for some time now, and Slytherin was up 50 – 20, only because the Gryffindor team was caught surprised by Flint's usage of the Fleming Playbook. Gryffindor Chaser Katie Bell had been particularly surprised to see Edmund racing forward alongside Adrian, and had only just managed to avoid a bludger, only for it to crash into Oliver Wood, allowing Adrian to sneak the Quaffle past the opposing Keeper for the first goal of the match.
Harlan had had similar luck, circling Bletchley had allowed him a direct and unexpected shot at Angelina Johnson, letting Warrington intercept. The one advantage was that the dark Slytherin green was much harder to see under the dark clouds, whereas the Gryffindor players stuck out as easy targets for both Slytherin beaters. Gryffindor had quickly caught on however and had sent the Weasley twins after Edmund, tiring him out and making his aim even worse when it was only the wind throwing him off.
CRACK Edmund gasped in pain as one of the Weasley's sent a bludger into his arm, and he knew without a doubt that the bone was broken. Another bludger shot right past his face, forcing him to bring his bat hand up to shield his face and consequently losing control of his broom and forcing him to spiral towards the ground.
"AND IT LOOKS LIKE FAWLEY IS HEADING TOWARDS THE GROUND AFTER DODGING A BLUDGER FROM WEASLEY WHILE FLINT PUSHES FORWARD WITH THE QUAFFLE – WAIT! INTERCEPTION BY SPINNET AND GRYFFINDOR IS BACK IN POSSESSION! MEANWHILE, IT LOOKS LIKE POTTER AND HIGGS ARE COMPLETELY LOST UP THERE!"
Edmund regained control of his broom, aligning his bat to the handle to direct it while gripping the shaft with his injured arm. Risking a look up as he raced back to get into the fray of the game, he could make out small blurs of Terrence Higgs and Potter racing around seemingly at random.
"AND GRYFFINDOR HAS CALLED A TIMEOUT!"
Thankful for the reprieve, Edmund flew down to where Flint had gathered the rest of an exhausted team on the Pitch.
"What is happening Fawley?" the captain asked, hissing angrily at him through clenched teeth. "One moment you were with me and the next you lose control of your broom? Beaters need to be able to handle bludgers being thrown at them."
"Fawley got slammed by a bludger on his broom arm right before that," Warrington cut in, giving him an appraising look. "I watched it happen, looked like it would've broken something at that speed."
"It's broken," Edmund grimaced, confirming the news. "When the next bludger came I lost control because my bat was keeping my broom in line. It won't happen again."
"Better not," Flint said as he turned to Higgs, who having the farthest distance between himself and regular play had arrived last. "And what in Merlin is wrong with Potter up there Higgs?"
"Potter can't see in the rain, Captain," the Seeker smirked. "He has to follow me when I dive because he can't risk that I have seen the snitch."
Not sure that will be working for much longer, Terrence," Harlan said, looking over to the Gryffindor huddle, where the team could see Hermione Granger waving her wand at Potter's eyes.
"Blasts!" Flint swore loudly. "Get a grip Higgs, because you are catching that snitch. And Fawley! Switch with Mathews. You'll have less flying to do and can focus more on actual beating if you're by the goalposts."
"Any advice?" Harlan asked Edmund quietly as the team prepared to mount their brooms and take to the air again.
"You'll want to stick with Warrington," Edmund said. "He's bigger and has provided a much-needed buffer from the wind."
"Thanks, Edmund," Harlan said with a slight grin as he pushed off into the air and raced to join the offense while Edmund hightailed after Bletchley to the Slytherin goalposts.
The game progressed slowly. Mistakes were a constant as the rain and wind only grew in their constancy, and the sky got even darker. Mage light was lit up on the stands to provide some light but did little for long-distance sight across the pitch.
Slytherin scored four more times to Gryffindor's two goals, changing the score to 90-40 for Slytherin. Edmund was beginning to feel more and more confident that Flint's strategy was working before Lee Jordan's magically amplified voice cut through the wind.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE POTTER HAS SEEN THE SNITCH! HIGGS IS IN CLOSE PURSUIT BUT HE IS NO MATCH FOR GRYFFNDOR'S QUIDDITCH PRODIGY! POTTER CONTINUES TO BUILD DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO AS THE SNITCH IS LEADING THEM HIGHER AND HIGHER INTO THE AIR – THEY'RE ALMOST OUT OF VIEW….
A cold feeling had begun to seep through Edmund as he circled the goalposts that had absolutely nothing to do with the weather. He noticed other people had begun to feel it too as play on the pitch ceased and the cheering slowly but surely began to lessen across the stands, the excitement giving way to apprehension.
Wiping the rain from his wind-tangled hair, he looked up to the sky where Potter and Higgs had disappeared into the eye of the storm. He realized that the dark clouds moving circles really were not clouds any longer.
Dementors
A scream that broke the silence in the stands as a heap of scarlet robes plunged out of the sky, a small flicker of gold barely scrutable as panic commenced.
The Hospital Wing was a gloomy place, particularly as the evening deepened so that even Madam Pomfrey had retreated deep into the recesses of her chambers adjacent to the main wing. This was Harry's third overnight visit in the Hospital Wing since had started at Hogwarts – his second Quidditch related. He was beginning to think that the bed he was laying on, indeed the same one from prior years had been designated by Madam Pomfrey as his own.
As sleep eluded him, he thought back on the events of the day. The Gryffindor and Slytherin teams were well-matched, even if Flint played a bit too rough when Madam Hooch was not looking. Last year's opening match had been horrendous. The first and only Quidditch game he had ever lost at Hogwarts to-date. Today's match had been more than made-up for it. The look on Oliver Wood's face had lightened the mood considerably from Harry's dourness at losing one of the School's Nimbus 2001s.
The door to the Hospital Wing from the hallway opened with a soft click. Recalling the last time in his second year, Harry ducked his head down, feigning sleep, but tensing as the single pair of footsteps made his way to his bed.
"Please don't tell me I came all this way for you to be asleep, Potter."
"Fawley?"
"Ten points for Gryffindor," the Slytherin's voice dripped with such sarcasm, that Harry could hear the smirk before he looked up to stare at his year mate.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. It was a question purely of curiosity. Edmund Fawley was a Slytherin, and certainly was stuck up enough to drive anyone barmy, but he wasn't the bad sort, not like Malfoy at the very least.
"I came to wish you congratulations on a match well played," Edmund said. "You were a bit preoccupied after catching the snitch and you really seemed to uh... zone out."
The two boys chuckled together for a moment before descending into an awkward silence. Harry was confused as to why the Slytherin had snuck in, after curfew, but he certainly did not mind his company. Edmund Fawley had always been decent to him, and Hermione had reported back to him and Ron that Sally Anne was simply gushing after her trip to Hogsmeade with the Slytherin.
Harry and Ron both had been shocked to hear that Dean, Seamus, and Neville held a very decent conversation with him in The Three Broomsticks. Lavender and Parvati had of course been spreading gossip around the Common Room about it – that is before Sirius Black tried to get in – but the point was that Fawley had endeared himself to Gryffindor House, not an easy task considering how poorly liked Malfoy and his cronies were amongst the lions.
"I figured you could use some company," Edmund took the seat next to the hospital bed. "I'm not sure it would be easy for me to fall asleep in your shoes."
"You're right," Harry agreed before fixing the other boy's arm with a look. "How's the arm?"
"Not bad," Edmund looked down at the sling he was currently wearing. "Madam Pomfrey fixed it easily while you were still passed out. By Monday I can take it off."
"Ron told me it looked like it had hurt, apparently it got you while you were by the Gryffindor section."
"I hadn't noticed actually," Edmund mused. "It was a great hit... can't really be too broken up about it."
The two boys chuckled at the Slytherin's pun before falling into an amicable silence.
"Pity about the broom," Edmund said, pushing his brown hair out of his eyes. "But at least you still have a good broom of your own you can use until the Governors' get around to replacing the 2001."
"That's true. I can't believe I still caught the snitch though," Harry chuckled, reflexively clenching his fists.
"Higgs is a good bloke," Edmund said in response, shrugging slightly. "But he doesn't have much on you. If you had been flying against Cedric Diggory on the other hand…"
"You think Hufflepuff's got the winning team this year?" Harry asked.
"I think Ravenclaw has the best quality team," Edmund retorted. "I think Hufflepuff has the greatest number of star players. I think Gryffindor has the top talent in the school, while Slytherin has Flint who is without a doubt, the most knowledgeable and skilled tactician in recent school history."
"You wouldn't think he is much... Flint," Harry mused. "Looking at him, I mean."
"No, he definitely looks a bit like an ogre," Edmund chuckled. "Acts like one too sometimes… but he's got a good working brain on his head."
"He can't be worse than Wood," Harry said, thinking back to his Captain's early morning practices.
"Let's agree to disagree on that one," Edmund chuckled again.
Harry had never seen the Slytherin act so naturally. Around Hogwarts, he was rather cold, although it was obvious that he commanded a great deal of respect from within Slytherin and had never partaken in Malfoy's bullying. In fact, Harry thought that more Gryffindors probably liked Edmund Fawley then Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff's third years combined, particularly since he took Sally Anne to Hogsmeade.
"How are you doing with everything, with Sirius Black that is?"
Harry had forgotten that apart from Ron and Hermione, Edmund was the only other one he knew of who knew about Sirius Black being his Godfather.
"I'm okay," was the answer he finally settled on. "The scores of teachers on my back is a bit much though."
"It's for your protection, you know," Edmund said with a raised eyebrow. "You are our Savior. The Boy Who Lived and all that. It wouldn't do to see you die, especially within the walls of Hogwarts."
"I know, I know," Harry muttered. "Which reminds me, thank you for the tip on Buckbeak. It meant a lot to Hagrid, and Ron, Hermione, and me."
"It was an interesting lesson," Edmund shrugged. "I don't like seeing people with money bully others."
"Doesn't your family have quite a bit of that themselves?" Harry asked, feeling a bit bold.
"Much more then the Malfoys," Edmund agreed. "About as much as the Shacklebolts and Gambols I would think. That being said, myself, Ramsay Shacklebolt in Ravenclaw and Gwenog Gambol in Hufflepuff all come from families who would sooner disown us than let us succeed through monetary fear. I have used my family's money to my advantage before, Potter, but I have never bullied anyone with it, and neither have Ramsay or Gwenog, or my brother Sullivan for that matter."
Harry nodded at the explanation. "Do you know how rich everyone's family is?"
"I know the top ten," Edmund affirmed. "But that's because it is public knowledge published by 'the Prophet' every year. Only five of the families on the list have children in Hogwarts currently. The Malfoys are the tenth family. They used to be fifth before Lucius Malfoy was discovered to have supported the Dark Lord."
"And here I thought the Malfoy's had gotten off scot-free," Harry smiled. "At least Lucius Malfoy had been punished somewhat for following the man who had killed his parents."
"Do note that that ranks five through ten are typically very close together," Edmund warned. "There's really only been two major changes to the overall ten: the Davies after the fall of the Dark Lord when the Lestranges lost their fortune, and the Davis Family who only made the cut a few years ago."
"You follow all this?"
"Well Tracy is a good friend of mine and she couldn't really shut up about it. It did wonders for her mother's business interest."
The two boys continued chatting, swapping stories about their own Housemates, until they both could feel the heavy curtains of their eyelids closing in, and they bid each other a good night.
The weather calmed down the next few weeks after the Gryffindor – Slytherin matchup. Talk of Sirius Black eventually died down with the exception of Daily Prophet articles with reports of where the Azkaban escapee had been seen last. Edmund had kept his word to Sally Anne and begun helping her with Charms. With all the excitement of Sirius Black's attempt on the Gryffindor Common Room, they had agreed to push their first meeting back to the Tuesday after.
The two enjoyed each other's company, in Edmund's opinion, and they had begun sharing their knowledge, Edmund helping her in Charms while she helped him in Ancient Runes. Sally Anne was, to Edmund's surprise, much brighter in Ancient Runes then he had originally thought, and the two spent a great deal of time weekly going over each other's assignments. He wasn't sure when the next Hogsmeade visit was, but he had already resolved to ask her again.
His relationship with his friends also flourished. He and Daphne were back on speaking terms and it became very clear to the rest of Slytherin House that she was under his protection. The circle of friends that formed the 'Knights of Badb' saw Edmund as their leader; Adrian, Harlan, Theo, Blaise, Daphne, and Tracy. Vincent and Greg stuck around Malfoy most of the time, but as Edmund had taken Oaths of Silence from them, he was not too worried about the Malfoy scion.
Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw duked it out on the Quidditch Pitch in what was one of the longest and closest games in years before Cedric had caught the snitch for the Badgers, leaving the score 300 – 130.
Professor McGonagall had taken the names of the students staying at Hogwarts over the Holidays, and Edmund had been tempted to sign his name on the Deputy Headmistresses parchment before Sullivan had swept over to the Slytherin table and firmly told the Transfiguration Mistress that Edmund would be going home. "You can't avoid mum forever, Ed," he had said before walking back to his House table without another word.
The day before term ended for the Holidays was the Hogsmeade Date. Edmund had asked Sally Anne again and she had said yes, although she had asked if they could spend part of it with Sophie Roper and Seamus Finnegan, to which Edmund had no objection.
Blaise was going with Padma again, and Tracy, Daphne, and Helen were joining Pansy and Millicent on a Slytherin girls outing.
That Saturday found Edmund once again waiting for his date by the Entrance Hall, wrapped in a thicker silver cloak with his family's crest on the right and Hogwarts' on the left.
"Hey."
Edmund felt his face heat up concurrent with the light brush of Sally Anne whispering in his ear. Turning around, he greeted her with a hug. For a moment, he felt distracted by the light scent of lilac before forcing himself to pull away.
"Were you waiting to surprise me?" he asked with a slight smirk.
"Maybe you just aren't as put together as you thought, Mister Fawley," Sally Anne grinned coquettishly.
"I assure you Miss Perks that I am indeed… as put together as the latest edition of TeenWitch would state," Edmund grinned as he gestured towards the main doors.
"Shove it, Fawley," Sally Anne laughed as they made their way down to the village together.
Hogsmeade Village was at its finest, decorated for the Holidays with fairy lights and holly boughs adorning the village shops and houses. Even the Hog's Head had a wreath on the front door.
"Do you have any shopping you need to be doing today?" Edmund asked his date as they walked down the main lane of the village.
"I did all my shopping through owl order this year," Sally Anne replied, bundling her black cloak tightly around her. "Normally I go with my brother in Diagon Alley after term but he's doing an internship with MACUSA since leaving Hogwarts."
While he would never admit this, Edmund knew of Spencer Perks from his father. Graduating from Hogwarts last year, his father had lobbied Barty Crouch to select Spencer for the Department of International Magical Cooperation's Advancement Program – the same program which Ned Fawley and Barty Crouch had gotten their start in – but the then Head of the Department had gone with another choice. Spencer Perks had gone with his second option, one of the exchange programs in Wizarding North America.
"How is Spencer liking New York?" he asked.
"Oh, he adores it," Sally Anne replied. "He obviously wishes he could be working in London, but the American experience has been very eye-opening for him. Have you ever been?"
"Briefly. It's really not to my taste," Edmund recalled the time he spent with his mother and Neville Longbottom.
The two enjoyed a comfortable silence as they window-shopped by Scrivenshafts and Gladrags, talking about their families and their plans for the winter holidays. The Perks spent the Christmas Holidays in Paris, coming back to Britain for the New Year Celebrations hosted by the Dowager Longbottom. Sally Anne was a little tense after learning Edmund would be breaking from his family again and celebrating the New Year at the Greengrass Manor, but he chalked it up to the cold weather and soon steered them into The Three Broomsticks.
The bustling pub was filled to the brim with Hogwarts students and Hogsmeade Villagers. While unsure, Edmund thought he caught a glimpse of the Minister, Madam Rosmerta, and Professor McGonagall heading towards one of the private rooms upstairs. He ordered two butterbeers from the bartender and brought them to the booth he and his date shared.
"You just missed the Weasley twins," Sally Anne giggled. "They told me if you don't treat me well, they would show you the same treatment they show to Malfoy."
"Maybe the three of us should compare notes on how we treat Malfoy," Edmund responded airily, sliding into the seat across from her.
"You really don't like him do you?" she asked with raised eyebrows.
"I have no reason to like him," Edmund shrugged. "He doesn't contribute to the betterment of Slytherin House."
"He gets points from Snape," Sally Anne countered.
"Snape is his Godfather," Edmund found himself shrugging once again. "I prefer Professor Babbling as a teacher though."
"Why?"
"Well she assigned me a seat next to you," he winked.
Sally Anne covered her blush by taking a large sip of her butterbeer.
"Do you have anything else you want to do in the Village today?" she asked.
Nothing of importance," Edmund answered quickly. "Although if you are interested, we could check out some of the cliffs which have the runic drawings on them."
"The ones Professor Babbling mentioned last class?" she asked excitedly. "Yes, let's!"
Hogsmeade Village had been founded by Hengist of Woodcroft, a Rune Master fleeing Muggle persecution. In his school days, Hengist had attended Hogwarts and thrived in the study of Ancient Runes. The legend, as told by Professor Babbling, was that in his schooldays, Hengist had explored the caves and mountains surrounding Hogwarts and had found runes carved into the stone – runes older than the Norse, or Egyptian runes, and completely undecipherable.
After being driven out by Muggles, Hengist returned to the Scottish Highlands and established the Three Broomsticks, but when not working at the pub, he spent his time studying the runes and even adding his own to the cavern walls. For years they became known as a marvel of magical studies before the magical populace slowly began to lose interest. The runes remained though, and Edmund had a hunch that Sally Anne, top of the class behind Hermione Granger in Runes, would hold be eager to make the adventure.
The two walked down the Village's main lane, passed even the Hog's Head. The day was half-spent, and they wasted no time in climbing the steep path, careful to mind the easily eroded loose sediment which layered the way up.
It took three-quarters of the hour before they finally reached the entrance to what they thought was the first cave Professor Babbling had detailed. Panting slightly, Edmund wiped the sweat from his face before drawing his wand.
"Lumos," he said softly, allowing a bright light to emit from his wand as Sally Anne did the same. Together, they walked into the cavern, wrapping their cloaks tighter as the already frigid air grew colder in the darkness. Edmund cast a warming charm, the same one taught to him by Gemma in First Year on himself and Sally Anne, reveling in the warmth that filled inside him, not in excess, but just the right amount to be comfortable. Thanks to the secrets of Salazar Slytherin.
"What is that spell?" Sally Anne asked, releasing the tight hold on her cloak, letting it fall naturally back into place, obviously comforted by the warming charm.
"House secret," Edmund said lightly with a chuckle. "Sorry."
"I don't get the honor of knowing your coveted sec – Whoa…"
The soft light of the Lumos spell had revealed the walls of the cave, reflecting the light, rendering a much larger portion visible to the eye. Silver lines crisscrossed the cavern, joining with extravagant golden calligraphy mesmerizing the two teens.
"It's beautiful," Sally Anne breathed softly.
Edmund could only agree. "Professor Babbling never mentioned these ruins were still active."
"It is odd though, isn't it?" Sally Anne asked. "More dormant than active really. It is as if they are waiting for something to be activated."
"A trigger," Edmund agreed.
"Can you hear it?" Sally Anne had drawn closer to the walls. "It's singing to me."
"The Ancient Druids were said to be able to transpose their songs into the magic they weaved throughout the world," Edmund said, remembering the words of Professor Shafiq in an earlier Ancient Studies class.
Sally Anne turned to face him, her face shining. "Thank you for taking me here today, Edmund."
Before Edmund had the chance to respond, he found himself in – completely against the Pureblood protocol – the embrace of his date. Despite his initial discomfort, he returned the hug, soaking in the scent of lilac. Returning to the Castle and the upcoming holidays, was farthest from his mind.
