The Battle For The Cards

The Firey

Draco sighed and returned his attention to the TV that he was watching in the room connected to Madison's. The black-haired new reporter was announcing some baseball result. Draco found this very boring. It has been three days since all five arrived in Japan. It has also been three days since the Nine were united but nothing had happened so far.

"Draco," announced a sweet voice behind him.

Draco shifted so that he could see behind him. Sakura was standing behind his chair, hands resting on the back of it. Since everything had been sorted out, they all had become good friends.

"Hi Sakura," Draco replied.

"Have you seen Madison?" she asked panning around the large room, filled with sunlight.

Draco frowned and thought back. "No, sorry."

"Oh well," she sighed as she exited the room.

Draco returned his attention back to the TV. The reporter was now talking about politics. There was a shuffling noise behind his chair, so Draco turned around to face the person.

"Hey Harry," greeted Draco, shifting so that his neck wouldn't get sore.

"Hi. Have you seen Ron?" he inquired.

"You've lost Weasley?" Draco drawled.

"Uh huh," Harry answered, panning the room.

"He's not here," Draco answered.

Harry nodded and strolled out of the room. Draco yet again returned his attention to the TV and stared, mouth wide open.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Sakura had been looking for Madison for the past ten minutes. She was nowhere to be found. Sakura had only checked half the house so there were many rooms' left to check. As she was walking down the corridor, she saw Harry coming down the opposite end. She decided to ask his.

"Hey Harry," she called

"Hi Sakura," he replied.

"Have you seen Madison?"

"Have you seen Ron?" they asked at the same time.

"They're both missing?" they inquired at the same time.

There was a loud crash. It came from the room nearest to the two confused fifteen-year-olds. They looked into each other's green eyes and shrugged. Sakura crept up to the door and, very quietly, pushed open the door. Both looked in with surprise.

Madison and Ron were sitting on a couch in the room. There was an assortment of light objects floating around the ceiling. Ron had his wand out and Madison was giggling. But that was not why Harry and Sakura were surprised. The thing was that Madison was sitting with her back against the arm of the couch, with her legs draped over Ron's lap, who was sitting straight and moving the objects around.

Sakura quietly closed the door. She and Harry straightened up to look at each other. Wide grins spread across both their faces. Both started to chuckle and turned to walk down the corridor to Madison's room which contained Hermione, Li, Ginny and Meilin. Suddenly there was a loud shout and a pair of feet could be heard thundering down the corridor. Harry and Sakura turned to see Draco sprinting down the corridor, paler than usual.

"Harry! Sakura!" he called, loud enough to bring Ron and Madison from the room.

"What's wrong, Draco?" Sakura asked.

"Come…TV…Fire…Clow…Now!" he panted, breathlessly.

"Let's go," Harry ordered.

The five bolted back down the corridor to Madison's large TV. It was showing Penguin Park, but everything was on fire. Trees, grass and even some of the rides. It looked out of control. Meilin, Li, Ginny and Hermione were already there and they were equally as shocked as the other five. Suddenly there was a yelp. Everyone turned to see Meilin wide-eyed.

"What is it, Meilin?" Ron asked, concerned.

"I saw a figure," she replied, shakily, "It was as dark as a shadow, but unmistakably The Firey."

*~*~*~*~*~*

The Nine bolted down the streets of Japan towards Penguin Park. It was definitely The Firey that was at the park but couldn't have been Sakura's because she still had hers. It must be one of the cards that Voldemort duplicated. If anyone was tired and in pain, they didn't show it. They all sprinted down the streets, determined to check out its appearance. As the Nine approached the park, it became hotter. Scattered bushes were alight and burning. Trees, shrubs and flowers that were on fire became more common.

Soon they reached Penguin Park, which was filled with firemen and fire trucks. All the trees, bushes and flowers were on fire as well as the grass. It was like being inside a hoop of fire. Reds, yellows and oranges were dancing gracefully, intertwined in hot flames. The Nine just stood; dumbfounded, staring at the dance that was fire. The fire hadn't looked so bad on the TV. It was raging now.

"There!" cried Ginny, pointing towards a figure dashing off through the woods.

It was unmistakably The Firey but black and grey. With wings and hair of fire, long fringe and ears and a normally red but black tiara-type headband. Sakura led the others in a chase into the wood. It was a familiar sector of wood. Sakura came here a while ago, looking for Tori who had been chasing The Mirror card. She also remembered that there was a cliff coming up.

"Be careful!" Sakura called over her shoulder to the others, "There is a cliff coming up. Get ready to fly!"

The sloped cliff appraoched. As they screeched to a stop, Firey had just landed on the ground, fifteen metres below. There were fairly sized platforms of rock, jutting out of the cliff face. They were stable enough to support one person. Sakura turned around to face the Nine.

"Lets fly! Fly, release and dispel!"

Sakura's wand grew wings. Sakura climbed on and beckoned Madison to join her. Madison climbed on and they pushed off. The five Hogwarts students were amazed at first but then started to worry about how they would get down the cliff. They turned to watch what Li and Meilin used.

"Element, Wind!" Li called, lifting himself off the ground of a whirl of wind. He set off down the mountain.

"Jump Card!" called Meilin, striking the card with her whip. Silver wings appeared on her shoes and she began to jump down the cliff.

"How do we get down?" asked Draco, starting to fret.

"I know," replied Hermione smugly, "We can use the Wind Jump Charm."

"The what?" exclaimed the other four.

"The Wind Jump Charm. Just say 'Ventus Tripudio' while pointing at your feet. This will enable you to sort of jump using a whirl of wind to lift you and set you down," she explained. At the looks her friends were giving her she added, "I came across it in a book."

Hermione turned to face the cliff and yelled, pointing her wand at her feet. "Ventus Tripudio!"

Hermione pushed off and was lifted into the air using a small whirl of wind, underneath her feet. She made her way down behind Meilin. The four others shrugged and followed her.

"Ventus Tripudio!" they all shouted in procession.

Sakura and Madison touched down first. Followed by Li, then Meilin and the other five. The Firey was gaining distance, so Sakura thought back to when she and Li first captured Firey. She had used Watery and Windy.

"We have to use water and wind again," Sakura briefed the group, "Madison, you use Watery. Meilin, you use Storm. Li, you use your Element Winds again."

Madison, Meilin and Li nodded. Sakura turned to the two witches and three wizards.

"Do you have any wind or water spells?"

"I know exactly what we need," surprisingly announced Ginny.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"I know two spells that will surround something with water or wind. I once read it in a book," she confessed.

"I am very thankful to have you with us," commented Hermione.

"Thank you, Hermione. Draco, Harry and Ron; you will use the Water Surround spell. Just point and say 'Aqua Coerceo'," she continued, "Hermione and I will use the Wind Surround spell. We also point and then say 'Ventus Coerceo'. Got it?"

They nodded and set to work.

"Windy, release and dispel! Block Firey from going further!" Sakura called.

"Watery, release and dispel!" called Madison, striking the card with her Star Arrow, "Block Firey from going to the right."

"Storm card. Release and dispel!" shouted Meilin, using her whip, "Block Firey from going to the left!"

"Element, Wind!" Li yelled, sending the wind to strengthen the blocks.

Draco, Ron and Harry lined up facing the now blocked Firey. Ginny stepped between Draco and Ron while Hermione stepped between Ron and Harry. The Three boys lifted their wands and affirmed the spell.

"Aqua Coerceo!"

Large jets of water streamed from their wands, circling Firey. Ginny and Hermione raised their wands and pronounced the spell.

"Ventus Coerceo!"

Blasts of wind erupted from the two wands and also circled Firey. Sakura, knowing exactly what to do, stepped forward.

"Firey, return to your power conf…" Sakura started before a dark cloud passed through the spells and the cards.

"Firey, return!" boomed a deep voice from the cloud.

The Nine stared as Firey jumped into the cloud, which disappeared into thin air.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"What happened?" asked Meilin.

The Nine were still in the woods, sitting in a circle after the disappearance of Firey. They were all confused.

"I think," replied Hermione, "that Voldemort called Firey back because we were about to seal Firey."

"That makes sense," commented Draco, playing with a strand of Ginny's hair.

Harry sighed, attracting attention to himself. Seeing the need to explain his sigh, he said, "I think we are going to have a long week ahead of us."