Chapter 12
After everyone had finished shopping, Lucius apparated Calypso to Azkaban. "I'll be back in an hour"
Calypso nodded as she wiped up the dripping ice cream and followed the guard to her mum's cell.
"Hi, mum."
"Ice cream!" Her mother yelled and took the cone from her hand. "You remembered this time, dear."
Calypso rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I did."
"Well…" Bellatrix prompted. "Anything exciting happens? Any boys?"
Calypso rolled her eyes, "yeah, me, a twelve-year-old, dating all the boys at Hogwarts…" she said sarcastically.
"Really?"
"No…"
Her mum crossed her arms, "Any REAL boys?"
"NO"
"Anything exciting then?"
She thought for a minute. "Yeah, we almost got Dumbley and the half breed fired, but the Nicholas Flamel stepped in...And I met the Dark Lord!"
Her mother almost dropped the cone. "HE'S RETURNED?!"
"Yeah…"
"I KNEW IT! THE DARK LORD HAS RETURNED!" she shouted. Most of the prisoners turned to look at her, some with a newfound gleam in their eyes, and some just stared like she was crazy. "HE'S BACK! AND WE ARE HIS MOST LOYAL FOLLO-"
"Mum shut it. I have more to say."
Bellatrix's eyes snapped back to her. "What?"
"He said that you have his gratitude"
"Really?" Her mother hung her head.
"Yeah"
Bellatrix pulled her daughter in for a hug. "Oh, I love you, dear." and she took a deep breath. "Tell your father that. I KNEW I was his favorite. He owes me ten galleons. And have you told Cissy about him? He needs all the help he can get if he's going to make a comeback and-"
"Chill mum. You break out first and then we'll see" Calypso joked, but her mum certainly didn't take it as a joke.
"Yes...I will. Off you go now"
Calypso uncertainly stepped away…" Er- bye"
The guard nodded suspiciously at her before leading her to her father's cell.
"Is it true?" Rodolphus asked excitedly once the guard was out of earshot.
"Well, I saw him at the end of the school year so I reckon it is."
"Alright, any word from Lucius about the diary?"
Calypso shook her head, "No, but he did hint something about mudbloods getting what they deserved this year. And it would be the year that Dumbledore lost his job"
Her father nodded. "Cool."
I glared at him, "That's all you have to say?"
"Yea, and you didn't bring me ice cream"
Calypso tapped her fingers impatiently on the bars, "I gave it to mum. Anything I should know?"
"No"
"Bye then dad"
"See you later"
…
On September first, Calypso boarded the Hogwarts Express with Theo and Daphne. Fortunately, Potter was not there. Maybe he really was in Antarctica after all.
Everything was great as the Sorting began, Potter was still absent. Though Professor Snape was as well, and Calypso was quite worried until he came in halfway through sorting and called McGonagall out with him. Soon later, Dumbledore also went into the door through the left after sorting had ended.
The whole hall erupted in whispers as the feast appeared, Dumbledore had not given his opening speech, but it didn't matter anyway to her, Calypso was starving and dug into the feast.
But of course, the famous 'Boy-Who-Lived' was not freezing in the south pole, but instead, had somehow escaped and had apparently flown a flying car to Hogwarts with Weasley.
The next morning, it almost made the disappointment of Potter being alive worth it. Weasley had gotten a howler!
"— STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE —LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU AND HARRY COULD BOTH HAVE DIED —ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED — YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."
After that pleasing episode, a ringing silence fell in the Great Hall before most of the Slytherin table burst out laughing. Maybe Dumbledore wasn't fired but perhaps would be.
But they didn't have much time to goad, however, as Professor Snape came around with their schedules. When he got to her, she interrupted him. "Sir-"
"Yes, Miss Calypso?"
"Can I sign up for Quidditch team tryouts?"
He looked surprised, "Er- that is 's job." he pointed to a burly sixth year that Calypso had only talked to a few times.
"Thank you, Professor"
Professor Snape gave her a slight nod before moving along the table.
Daphne looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you crazy?"
"No, I just wanted to try something new"
"NEW?!" demanded Daphne. "You could get yourself killed on a broomstick, do you know how dangerous it is? My mother's a healer and she's told me that most-"
Calypso patted Daphne's arm. "I know, I know. Now be quiet"
Daphne looked miffed and returned to her scrambled eggs. "Fine, but if you get injured, I feel entitled to tell you 'I told you so'"
"Go ahead" promised Calypso, as she accepted a large package from Artemis.
Their morning lessons were quite boring, they mostly reviewed things in charms, then pulled little babies out of the dirt in Herbology. But after lunch, oh Merlin that was a story worth telling.
It all started when Calypso followed Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle to DADA since she had lost Daphne and Theo.
No sooner had they walked up, however, did they bump into a first-year begging for Potter's autograph and picture. "-maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, could you sign it?"
Draco smirked and pushed himself forward. "Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Potter?" Calypsoglared at Potter, "Did you enjoy your little trip in Knockturn Alley?"
"Wha-" Potter was interrupted by Draco who roared to the courtyard, "Everyone line up! Harry Potter's giving out signed photos!"
"No, I'm not," said Potter angrily, his fists clenching. "Shut up, Malfoy and Lestrange"
I smiled sweetly, "Oh but I didn't say, anything Potter"
"I-"
Potter was again interrupted but this time by his fan, "You're just jealous"
Draco laughed harshly, "Jealous?", who didn't need to shout anymore: Half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself."
Crabbe and Goyle were sniggering stupidly as always while Calypso was smirking as she saw Lockhart coming nearer.
."Eat slugs, Malfoy," Weasley said angrily.
Crabbe stopped laughing and started rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way.
"Be careful, Weasley," sneered Draco. "You don't want to start any trouble or your mommy'll have to come and take you away from school." He put on a shrill, piercing voice. "If you put another toe out of line —"
A knot of Slytherin fifth years nearby laughed loudly at this and Calypso joined them. "How's your father Weasley?"
"I swe-"
"Weasley would like a signed photo, Potter," smirked Malfoy. "It'd be worth more than his family's whole house —"
"What's all this, what's all this?" Gilderoy Lockhart was striding toward them, his turquoise robes swirling behind him. "Who's giving out signed photos?"
Calypso smirked and stepped back into the crowd as Lockhart flung his arm around Potter's shoulder. She found Theo and Daphne at the back of the crowd, both of whom looked like they couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Come on then, we can't be late to the fraud's class can we?"
Daphne shook her head, still giggling, "No...no we can't" she gasped. "Let's go"
They clattered into the classroom with the rest of the students and when the whole class fell silent, Lockhart began to speak.
"Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award — but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"
He waited for them to laugh; a few people smiled weakly.
"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books — well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about — just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in —"
When he had handed out the test papers he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes — start — now!"
Calypso looked down at her paper and read: 1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color? 2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition? 3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date? On and on it went, over three sides of the paper, right down to 54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?
Calypso looked disbelieving at Theo who seemed to be smiling and filling it out with rather rude answers. Then she looked left to Daphne who was also watching Theo with a weird fascination. Calypso sighed and crumpled the quiz up before throwing it into the rubbish bin.
Daphne grinned and softly clapped. "My turn!" Daphne missed on her first try but instead hit the back of Lockhart's head. Resisting the urge to laugh, Calypso ducked her head down and pretended to be busy by mimicking writing with an air quill.
Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.
"Tut, tut — hardly any of you remembered that my favorite color is lilac. I say so in Year with the Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully — I clearly state in chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples — though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky!"
He gave them another roguish wink.
Many now, were shaking in silent laughter.
Nobody it seemed, except for some witches and the mudblood, was listening to Lockhart with rapt attention and gave a start when he mentioned her name.
". . . but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair-care potions — good girl! In fact" — he flipped her paper over — "full marks! Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"
The mudblood raised a trembling hand. "Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor!" Then he rifled through more papers, stopping presumably at Theo's. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh my...no, no, no. ?"
Theo raised his hand, laughing. "Yes?"
"I know you're jealous...but not everyone can be as good-looking as me, eh?"
Most of the Slytherins were looking furious, Theo was easily the best looking one in this class, INCLUDING Lockhart. Even some of the Gryffindors looked like they wanted to agree but Lockhart ignored them.
"And so — to business —" He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it. "Now — be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm."
He paused for a dramatic effect, Calypso presumed, but after being in Professor Snape's class, this was nothing.
"I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them."
As most of the class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.
"Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies."
The Slytherin's couldn't control themselves, they snorted with laughter that even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror.
"Yes?" He smiled at them.
Daphne raised her hand, "Well, they're not — they're not very — dangerous, are they?" she choked.
"Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Daphne. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"
The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voices so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing.
In other words, less threatening than Draco Malfoy.
The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.
"Right, then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage.
It was pandemonium. Like when Draco couldn't find his hair gel.
The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Longbottom by the ears and lifted him into the air. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from the walls, up-ended the wastebasket, grabbed bags and books, and threw them out of the smashed window. Yep, JUST like Draco when he couldn't find his hair gel.
Within minutes, half the class was sheltering under desks and Longbottom was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling.
"Come on now — round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted. He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"
It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too.
Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk, narrowly avoiding being squashed by Neville, who fell a second later as the chandelier gave way.
The bell rang and there was a mad rush toward the exit. Calypso grabbed her school bag and the three of them ran out of the classroom, almost suffocating from laughter. "Oh- oh my god" Calypso gasped. "He- he really is a- a fraud isn't he?"
"Yup" agreed Theo. "What's our next class?"
That weekend, Flint found her and immediately told her that she was on the team as Chaser, having kicked someone else off. "We'll get more support if there's a girl on the team" he explained. "And Lucius recommended you and Draco, he gifted us all Nimbus 2001s," he said proudly.
Calypso weakly smiled ."Alright"
"Good, practice is Saturday morning, we're going to interrupt the Gryffindors"
Sure enough, at about seven-thirty, Calypso was walking down the pitch with the rest of the Slytherins. When teh Gryffindors had spotted them, the captain, Wood, speeded to teh ground, landing with a heavy thump.
"Flint!" Wood bellowed, "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"
Flint grinned cunningly. "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."
But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"
"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Chaser and Seeker.' "
"You've got a new Chaser?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?"
Calypso grinned at him, "You thought I was just here supporting these guys?"
"But-but! You lied about the chaser" spluttered Wood.
"That can be fixed"
The team parted to revel Draco Malfoy.
One of the twins, Fred, looked furious. "Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?"
"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."
All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun.
"Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. Even McGonagall can't beat you now"
None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment. All Calypso knew was that Draco was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were probably reduced to slits already.
"Oh, look," said Flint. "A field invasion." Weasley and the mudblood were crossing the grass to see what was going on.
"What's happening?" Weasley asked Potter, "Why aren't you playing? And what're they doing here?" He was looking at Draco and Calypso, taking in their Slytherin Quidditch robes.
"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, and she's the new chaser, Weasley," said Draco, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team." Technically, Calypso bought her's herself, leaving a spare Nimbus 2001 in her trunk but she wasn't going to tell anyone that.
Weasley gaped, openmouthed, at the seven broomsticks in front of him.
"Good, aren't they?" said Draco smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. Maybe raffle off your old Cleansweeps. I suppose a museum would bid for them"
The whole Slytherin team roared with laughter.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said the mudblood sharply. "They got in on pure talent."
Calypso sneered at her and spread her hands. "Talent can speak for itself. Have you ever gotten on the broom, you filthy little Mudblood?"
At once, there was an instant uproar, one of the Weasley twins tried to jump on her while the Gryffindor chaser's cried, "How dare you!" and Weasley had pulled out his wand.
Smirking, she pulled out her own wand. "Not going to run again are you, Weasley? Leaving Potter behind like that...what a GOOD friend"
"You'll pay for that one, Lestrange!" and pointed it furiously under at Calypso's face. She was just about to shout 'Protego' when a loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Weasley's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass.
"Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed the mudblood.
Weasley opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap.
The Slytherin team were paralyzed with laughter. Flint was doubled up, hanging onto his new broomstick for support. Malfoy was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist. Daphne, who had just come up the field, probably to tell her the dangers of flying, was also doubled over laughing.
The Gryffindors were gathered around Ron, who kept belching large, glistening slugs. Nobody seemed to want to touch him.
When Potter and Granger had left, the Gryffindor captain spat angrily on the ground and trudged away dejectedly. "No point in playing if we haven't got a seeker..."
After they had finished for the day, the team all walked back to eat dinner, when they bumped into the Bloody Baron.
"Hello," he said stiffly as he floated past them.
Calypso thought he looked a little bit miffed but the rest of the team gave no prevail and kept walking. "Er- sir? Is there anything we can do for you?"
He shook his head angrily. "No...unless of course, you want to come to a Deathday party. Word has it that the Gryffindor ghost is inviting live humans to his party! An outrage...I won't be the center of attention anymore. But if you three come?"
Daphne shivered but Theo shrugged. "Yeah, let's go"
"Thank you m'boy! Thank you. Halloween night, I'll meet you right here."
When the Bloody Baron had gone, Daphne glared at Theo. "Are you crazy? You really want to go to a Deathday Party?"
Theo shrugged, "Yeah, I'm crazy. What's next?"
"Why in the world do you want to go?" complained Daphne.
"Because every Halloween, something bad happens."
"So you're just helping the process by going to a party with DEAD people?"
"Yep"
Daphne crossed her arms. "I'm sure luck will be REALLY grateful for your kindness" she said sarcastically.
"Yeah maybe"
"Whatever"
Calypso sighed at her bickering friends and took out a book from her school bag. She might as well try to get some homework done.