A/N: Hey everyone! Before I begin my Author's Note, I would like to wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS! AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS, AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TOO! I have been incredibly busy this month, so I haven't been able to post until now. But then again, this is a really long chapter, and a lot happens, so I hope that makes up for the long wait. We're on Chapter 6 now. It takes place in the month of January. There will be Quidditch, pranks, a little on the past of Charlie Hunter, and more pranks. An ancient artifact is uncovered by… well, read on to find that out. Maybe another cryptic message too. I'm not sure where I'm going with this chapter yet. Well, enjoy!
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MY2 ~ The Great Prank War
By: Noelle
Chapter 6: War Reinstated
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Bella Figg could be found pacing around the door to the Infirmary day in and day out. Lily was still recuperating, and had been for the past week and a half. Bella didn't know why -- nothing happened, right? Yet, no visitors were allowed to see Lily, and Madame Pomfrey was there around the clock, or another teacher.
"Bella!" someone shouted. James Potter was running toward her. He stopped several feet away. "Is she all right yet?"
Bella shook her head silently. Bella felt that if she said it aloud, it would come true, and Lily would never be all right.
James walked over to Bella, sensing she was about to go into a mental breakdown. He gently laid his hand on her shoulder. "She'll be all right," he whispered. Just the way he said it made it seem true. Bella nodded gruffly before beginning her chronic pacing.
The door to the Infirmary suddenly opened, and Professor Dumbledore stepped out. "Miss Figg, Mr. Potter," he said. "If you would please come to my office, I believe you shall receive some explanation to Miss Evans' condition."
Wordlessly, the two Second Years followed him to his office. They arrived at the stone gargoyle in no time. "Chocolate Frog," said Professor Dumbledore. The passage opened, and he led them to his office.
Normally, Bella and James would examine his office, and tinker with his possessions. But not today. They sat down docilely, and awaited his explanation.
"Now, you don't know what happened that night, do you?" he asked, his blue eyes not holding his usual merry twinkle. Of course, they weren't grave or sad; they just didn't twinkle.
Bella and James shook their heads, not daring to speak. With a sigh, Professor Dumbledore continued on. "Well, the Evans were preparing for dinner, when Lily noticed a figure outside. She realized that they must have been a Dark wizard, or else they wouldn't be sneaking around. She ran upstairs, and grabbed the floo powder you had sent her, Miss Figg. Well, she ran downstairs, and pushed her parents into the fire. Her sister, however, refused to go. By then, the Dark wizards had broken into the house. When Miss Petunia Evans realized what was going on, she was in shock. Lily acted quickly, and pushed her sister into the fire. She transported her family to the Gryffindor Common Room, as you both know."
James nodded, while Bella twiddle her thumbs. "But, sir. What happened after that?" she said shakily.
"The group of Dark wizards weren't normal Death Eaters. They were Elites."
At once, James' jaw dropped, and her turned white. However, Bella didn't show recognition of the name. "Elites?" she questioned.
Professor Dumbledore bowed his head briefly. "The Elites are a branch of the Death Eaters. They are the most skilled in certain areas, one having to be Dueling. They are committed to Lord Voldemort. They are powerful and intelligent. That is what makes them such a terrible group. They will use any means to get what they want. They are the ones sent to kill the powerful families--the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts, the Davises, the DaVillas."
At this, Bella's jaw did drop. She used to know the DaVillas. They were good people, and powerful wizards. And for the Elites to defeat them, they would have to be powerful…
James looked down. "Professor Dumbledore -- er… this may seem rude."
"Go on," Professor Dumbledore said.
"Well… if they could kill so many powerful families, how did Lily ever survive? She only has a year and a half of wizarding education -- "
"James," Professor Dumbledore interrupted. "You do not have to have a proper education to be powerful. Of course, it helps; but you do not need one. Miss Evans is a powerful witch."
"Don't I know it," James said, nursing his wounds from the Christmas present Lily had gotten him.
Dumbledore chuckled. "May I continue?"
James nodded his head.
"Well, we know that an attack of some sort took place. Madame Pomfrey believes that Lily attacked them, but an Elemental put a spell on the fire, to harm her. Luckily, it didn't work properly, and Miss Evans is well, and recovering. She should be in classes once they commence. Now, why don't you two go get some dinner?"
"Thanks Professor D," Bella said, jumping out of her chair. She had grown happy as soon as she heard the words "Lily is well."
James stood up wordlessly, and turned to Professor Dumbledore. "She's powerful, eh? As in powerful enough to get better soon? I need someone to fight with!" he whispered.
Professor Dumbledore chuckled once again. "I thought of anyone, Mr. Potter, that you would know that."
James grinned, before chasing after Bella.
"You did not tell them everything, Albus," said one of the portraits on the wall.
"No, I did not," Professor Dumbledore replied. "They are too young to understand."
"Oh, cadswallop," tutted the portrait. "They can understand plenty, as long as they can distinguish good from evil."
"Well, my friend," he said, "they may be able to understand from the surface. But they shall never truly understand the depth of that attack. Nor will they ever cope with it, if they did know. They shall know, I promise you, before they are of age."
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Charlie Hunter burst into a fit of giggles as she watched the Third Year Gryffindor Girls dance around, screaming. She had put invisible firecrackers in their robes. The effect was quite amusing.
She ducked further into the alcove, as the girls marched around, searching for the culprit. Charlie bit her lip. It was all she could do to cease her laughter.
Eventually, the girls gave up. Charlie waited several minutes before emerging from her hiding spot. She grinned broadly, wondering whatever she should do next. Charlie decided to go to the library. She had heard a rumor (She had been receiving notes for the past few weeks) of some ancient pranking book (around 20 years old) that was floating around. Hogwarts students had made the book, and kept it a secret. Until now that is…
Skipping to the library, Charlie stopped and entered quietly. She went to the back shelves. Q had told her that there was a secret room around there. Of course, Q wasn't exactly sure where, but that was Charlie's job.
For the past week, Q and Charlie had been receiving messages giving clues to the book's whereabouts and the password. Q managed to figure out the password. The rest was up to Charlie.
'Secrets are not fun. They are for everyone!' Charlie whispered, as she searched the dusty shelves. She traced her fingers over the books, tingling their spines. Charlie continued on, despite the eerie atmosphere of the books.
"Secrets are not fun. They are for everyone!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" barked a voice. Charlie whirled around to find Sirius Black, high and mighty Gryffindor supreme.
"Well, a secret isn't fun," Charlie said.
"Then what do you mean by 'They are for everyone?' I mean, wouldn't that be fun?"
"Of course it would," Charlie said. "For most secrets."
"You lost me," Sirius commented, leaning against a shelf. A cloud of dust cascaded on his head.
"Well, if everyone knows," said Charlie, "then it's not a secret, is it?" She then walked away, to the shelves on the other side of the library. Sirius chose to try to follow her.
Thinking quickly, Charlie backtracked, and ran along the shelves, saying the password. She then heard a click.
Charlie ran back, and entered the room she had opened. She shut the door behind her. She could still see into the library, even if they couldn't see her. She laughed as Sirius scratched his head, trying to figure out where she went. She closed her eyes, and leaned against the door, sliding down to the ground.
She glanced around the room. Shelves covered the room, in a maze like fashion. There were outer shelves, inner shelves, and center shelves. In the very center of the room, there was a stone podium. Charlie then closed her eyes once again, remembering her close escape.
"Hello Charlie," a voice said. Charlie opened her eyes, and saw the last thing she would have expected to see…
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Noelle Charrier tapped her quill on her paper.
Tap. Tap Tap Tap. Tap Tap Tap. Tap. Tap Tap Tap. Tap Tap Tap. Ta-
"Will you cut it out?" barked Michael Barnette. He pushed her quill toward the table.
Noelle offered a sneer in response. She still had to pretend to be 'normal'. Or who knows what would happen…
Michael sighed in exasperation, and buried his head in his hands. Noelle also sighed. She hated to be like this, but she wasn't ready yet. She would be soon though…
As soon as Professor Hawkins assigned them an essay to write on Cornish Pixies, Noelle ran out of class. She had a meeting, and couldn't be late. Noelle ran throughout the corridors, pushing people out of her way. She didn't bother to apologize. She turned the corner, and almost bumped into --
"Professor Dumbledore! I'm not late, am I?"
Professor Dumbledore looked solemn. "No, you are not. Now, let's go to my office, and we can talk."
They walked together, not speaking, to his office. As soon as the door closed behind them, Noelle whirled around.
"Professor Dumbledore, I need help."
"Is that so, Miss Charrier? What would this help be of?"
"I need to be trained. I don't want to be a Death Eater. Especially after what those gits did to me!"
"What did they do to you?" asked Professor Dumbledore curiously.
Noelle answered, "What didn't they do to me is more like it! And it wasn't just me. They did it to a lot of other people in this school!" Noelle then went on to explain what happened over the past year.
After she was done, Professor Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I shall have Professor McGonagall and Professor Hawkins instruct you. But until you are ready, would you be willing to be an inside link for us? A spy?"
Noelle gulped. She knew it would come down this somehow. "Yes," she said calmly.
"And I expect you to keep up the façade of being under the spell."
Noelle nodded. "When will I be ready?"
"You should be ready within a year," said Professor Dumbledore.
"Thank you, headmaster," Noelle said, standing up. Not knowing what most people would do, she held out her hand, and shook hands. She then turned on her heel, and walked out of the office.
"You know," said a portrait of Argonious Vanderbilt, a previous headmaster, "your office is the most interesting place to be around here."
"Don't I know it," said Professor Dumbledore, taking a leaf out of James Potter's book. "Don't I know it."
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
"Hello Charlie."
Charlie whirled around, and saw the last thing she expected to see.
Charlie's jaw dropped as Kiana Walters stood before her, hands on her hips. Kiana looked threatening, all right. Not very friendly.
"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked, getting her spunk back. She too put her hands on her hips. "Follow me?"
"You prat," Kiana said. "I was here first!"
Charlie shrunk back sheepishly. "Oh. That's right…" She remained silent for a bit, which was a first.
"So, you were following me!" Kiana accused.
Charlie's jaw dropped once again. "No I wasn't! I wouldn't stoop that low! I am a proud follower of the Pranking Code of Conduct, you know!"
"I doubt it," huffed Kiana. "How else would you know where this was?" she screamed.
"I WILL NOT REVEAL MY SOURCES!" Charlie screamed back.
Suddenly, the door creaked. Kiana froze in horror, but Charlie grabbed her as they pressed against the wall, attempting to hide in the shadows.
A figure entered. Charlie couldn't make the person out -- although it appeared to be female.
Kiana fingered her wand. She then jumped out, faintly visible to the intruder. "Stop it, right there! I'll be a certified witch in a little while (Charlie began coughing, and her coughs sounded remarkably like 'Yeah, in 5 years!'). Yes, and I know how to use this! Don't make me now!"
"Kiana, put the wand down," said Jules Potter, as she stepped into the light. "I should've known it was you in here. I could hear you from the corridor!"
Charlie slowly stepped from her hiding place. Kiana was still holding her wand in front of her. Jules Potter stood with her hands on her hips.
"What are you doing here? Did you follow me?" Charlie smirked at Kiana. "See, that's true. I was here before her!"
Jules rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me that you two dunderheads believe you are the only ones who got notes," she held a familiar note into the faint torchlight. "I've been getting these for the past week."
Now, both Charlie and Kiana looked sheepish. Kiana then grinned. "First one to the book gets it!"
"Not fair!" Charlie pouted. "It's two on one. And besides, do you actually expect to find it today? The notes said that it only appears every year on the first day of three."
Kiana frowned. She had clearly not considered this. "Well, what do you propose, Miss C.A.H.?"
"Well… I don't know. What about little Miss Smarty Pants over there?" she jerked her head toward Jules.
Jules looked thoughtful. "How about a deal?"
Charlie and Kiana narrowed their eyes. "What kind of deal?" they asked, at the same time.
Jules bit her lower lip. She always did that when she was thinking. That was rare, but consistent, nonetheless. "We help each other find the book. And we share it. But there has to be an agreement first."
"And that would be?" Charlie said, getting rather impatient. They were losing precious time here, and Potter's little sister was just standing around, 'thinking'.
"You can't use the books against the Venustians. We won't use the book against C.A.H. But the Marauders are free game for all! So is everyone else too," Jules said, staring Charlie down. Charlie was petite, and unbelievably, young Jules was taller than she was.
Charlie considered this. But the good outweighed the bad, and she soon found herself saying, "Let's start looking".
Jules grinned. "Okay. Charlie, you get the shelves on the right. Kiana you got left. I'll take the center."
Charlie walked to the shelves on the right, and began running her fingers along the spines. This secret library was much better than the Restricted Section!
For hours, the three girls searched the shelves. However, the book could not be found. At five until midnight, the girls met in the center.
"It's not there," said Charlie.
The others nodded their heads, as if to say they didn't find it either.
Jules began to bite her lower lip. Charlie and Kiana weren't paying attention.
"What if," Jules began, "the book is not in the shelves?"
"It's not," Kiana said. "Remember, we looked for it."
"No. I mean, what if it never was in the shelves?"
"Where else would it be?" Charlie asked.
Jules didn't answer her. She stood up, and walked to the stone podium. "What is the purpose for this?"
Kiana opened her eyes. She then frowned. "I'm not sure."
Charlie stood up, and stood next to Jules. Kiana followed the suit.
"There," Charlie said, running her fingers along the cold stone. "There is an inscription. It's some form of Runes."
Kiana reached out her hands, and ran her fingers across it. "I can read a little."
"Me too," said Charlie.
"I. Swear. Solemnly. To… I can't get that next word," Kiana said.
Charlie focused on it. "Use. I swear solemnly to use this book to wreck havoc upon this school. To use for…"
"Pranking others, especially Slytherins," Kiana finished the line.
"Secrets are fun, for everyone; especially pranksters supreme," Charlie said.
The book appeared on the podium, in an eruption of sparkles. Gingerly, Jules reached out and picked it up.
The book had a brown leather cover. It wasn't falling apart, but it wasn't stiff. Jules read the title:
The Original
Pranksters Supreme
Jules clicked the roof of her mouth with her tongue in satisfaction. "Ladies," she said, flipping through the pages. "I have no doubt we will put this book to use…"
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Remus, Sirius, Estella, Thomas, and Toria sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express. They had gone home for the holidays. (Toria went to her grandmother's house in Kent.)
"And then, Uncle Bob put the fork of dog food in his mouth. He began to chew it as we watched disgustedly. And then he said 'This is delicious. Christine, you will have to give me the recipe!" Toria told her companions. They all laughed uncontrollably.
"You are telling me that Bob Smith, your uncle and the Minister of Magic, ate dog food?" Estella asked, through her laughter. "That is too… eugh!"
The laughter stopped when the food cart worked its way into the compartment. The three ran over, and bought off the rest of the cart, so the Slytherins wouldn't have anything.
As Toria worked her way through the large stack of Peppermint Toads, Remus told them about his Christmas holiday. He was interrupted, however, by a rather loud knocking on the door.
Thomas went up to go answer. As he reached out to open the door, he popped a brown Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Bean into his mouth.
"Bleugh!" he said, spitting the bean out. He spit it right into the face of Severus Snape.
Severus stood there, not moving. Behind him, Lucius Malfoy jumped up, trying to see what happened.
Toria and Remus remained silent. They couldn't use words to express the look on Snape's face. Sirius and Estella were laughing so hard, they were emitting no noise.
Snape took a small piece of the bean out of his mouth. It had flown in there when Thomas spit it out. "Mud," he said frostily, throwing it to the ground.
This was enough for the Gryffindor passengers. They burst into a fit of laughter, and one that could not be ceased. Severus gave up trying to threaten them, and ushered Lucius and himself out.
Thomas, Sirius, Estella, Toria, and Remus continued to laugh, until they reached Hogwarts. After all, the incident took place only 10 minutes away from Hogsmeade Station. They exited the train, and entered one of the horseless carriages. They chose not to say anything. Heck, they couldn't even look at each other without laughing. They did laugh when they saw Snape furiously scrubbing his face in another carriage, however.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
The Welcome Back Dinner Feast was spectacular -- not as spectacular as the Start of Term Feast, but spectacular, nonetheless.
Michael was tasting some truly spectacular chocolate cherry cake when a dark shadow loomed over him. Other shadows followed.
He looked up to find Kiana standing in front, her hands on her hips. Her gray eyes flashed, making her look intimidating and foreboding. Michael tried not to gulp, but it was hard! Behind her, Lily and Jules stood side by side. Toria stood on Kiana's other side.
"I," Kiana began, looking at each of the Marauders, who had stopped eating, "Kiana Walters hearby reinstate the Great Prank War."
Michael's jaw dropped. "But we had a truce!" he cried out.
"Not anymore. The Venustians have found other allies."
James Potter stood up. "Is that so? Well, the war is on! But how about we make a… friendly wager?"
Kiana looked at him suspiciously. "Talk Potter. What do you mean?"
James grinned. "An agreement. The losing team has to… er… a little help Sirius?"
Sirius pushed back his bowl of sugared pudding. "There will be several conditions. First, the other team must regard the winners by a title of their choosing. Second, the losing team must publicly admit their defeat, by tap-dancing on the Slytherin table. Thirdly… er… Remus?"
"Thirdly," Remus said, his usually kind eyes flashing dangerously, "the losing team must kiss Snape's feet. His bare feet, mind you!"
At this thought, members of parties got sick.
"And fourthly," Remus continued, "The winning team is the only team that gets to pull the major end of term prank."
Kiana was the first to shake off the thought of kissing Severus Snape's bare feet. Except for Remus, that is. "Deal," she said smiling, holding out her hand. Michael reached out his hand, and they shook hands, confirming the deal.
The girls turned to walk away, when Sirius flicked his wand. "Score 1 - 0, Marauders," he whispered, as the Great Hall burst into laughter at the sight of six girls each with a different colour of hair -- lime green, neon orange, hot pink (That was Lily's), purple, bright blue and a lemon yellow.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Charlie laid in her bed, tossing and turning. She kept having the same dream.
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dream sequence
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'I hate you!' screamed a woman's voice. Charlie strained to see who it was, but all she could see was her silhouette. 'I hate you!'
'I did nothing wrong!' a man yelled back.
The woman burst into tears. 'Oh, so going and sleeping with that Slytherin tramp isn't wrong? I would bet my life she was an Elite.'
The man stopped shaking. 'Take that back,' he said deathly calm.
'Go to hell,' said the woman. 'I gave you my heart -- my love! And you went and slept with that tramp! Kept her as a mistress. I gave you everything you wanted. Love, Money, Shelter, and a beautiful daughter. I did everything for you!'
'We never loved each other!' the man screamed. 'Our marriage was an arranged marriage. It was loveless!'
The woman stopped sobbing. Her breaths were ragged. 'So,' she said, softly. 'So, that's what you think. You think we never loved each other. You think I never loved you. Well, I did love you! But you. You only married me for my wealth, and my name. A trophy wife, eh? Ever think about how I would feel as you pranced around with that slut?'
'She may be a slut,' the man said. 'But she's a damn good slut! And you're right. I never loved you. I loved your money, your power,' he said, his voice cracking slightly.
The woman's fists clenched. 'Get out of my home. Stay away from me. And from my daughter.'
'She is my daughter too!'
'Not any longer. I will not have you or that slut influencing her. I will raise her to live up to her name. I will raise her to live up to the name of her ancestors! She will be kind, and loyal. She will be just and loving. The exact contrary to you, bastard! Now, get out of my home. I never wish to see you again!'
Angrily, the man grabbed his suitcase he had packed, and walked out of the room, not saying goodbye. He did stop by a room, though, on his way out. He stood in the doorway for several minutes, staring at its contents.
A bed lay in the center of the room. A girl of five slept, peacefully. She looked like an angel, with her blond hair encircling her, like a halo. 'She is an angel,' the man reminded himself. He smiled, and sadly turned away, leaving the Manor forever.
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End of dream sequence
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Tears spilled down Charlie's face. She could feel all the pain in the home. She could feel it, burning her heart to its depths. The man and woman loved each other. The only reason was Voldemort. The Elite would kill the woman if the man had not done her requests. Charlie could feel it. Salty tears poured onto her pillow, as she lay to sleep, unpeacefully.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Heaven was vast. It was divided into many different sectors. First, there was the Waiting Room. Next, was the Gate of Heaven. Afterwards, one would go to the Residential Area of Heaven. There were different areas also -- the commercial district, the entertainment district, the factory, etc.
These were available to all inhabitants. However, one area was secluded.
The Garden of the Gods and Goddesses.
There was one true God. He was the creator of all. Everyone knew this. However, he was becoming very busy these past centuries. He could do everything himself, but he didn't want to. So he appointed certain people to be the Gods and Goddesses. They ruled under him. Consider them to be barons, or government officials.
Dawn stood before the 18 Gods and Goddesses at this moment. Each represented a different aspect of life -- love, peace, justice, passion, tranquility, friendship, harmony, knowledge, loyalty, ambition, happiness, kindness, chivalry, humor, death, war, judgement, and courage.
"Have you told one how to break Night's spell?" asked Judgement. Judgement had to be the most intimidating God. He was tall and muscular, with gray hair and gray eyes that bore into you.
Dawn nodded, wringing her hands behind her back. All of the Gods and Goddesses were intimidating. "Yes, I did. I told one of the formally trapped about the ring, and that it must be destroyed. But I did not tell her how to destroy it, or where to find Night. If this person was the one meant to do so, she would know."
Knowledge stood up. "I have given the girl the knowledge to find Night, when at her throne. But that is the only place I know she sometimes inhabits. Night is powerful, and the locating charm wore off before we could find her other residence."
Next, Passion stood up. She cleared her throat. "I gave the girl nothing. She already had the passion to destroy the Dark. That was enough."
Knowledge stood up once again. "The girl has the knowledge to destroy the ring, even if she does not realize it at the moment."
Dawn nodded, smiling slightly. Most of the Gods and Goddesses were quite agreeable people. However, some weren't. Passion was a toss-up, for example. Today, she was kind, luckily for Dawn.
"I thank you, Gods, Goddesses. I am sure that the girl has the power to destroy the reign of the Dark."
The Gods and Goddesses nodded, and Dawn turned around, and walked out of the Garden. She then went to Heaven's Elevator, and traveled down to Earth. She then took a mortal form. She would have to check up on the progress of the girl, and of the Dark Side.
For days, Dawn would reign by the Sun, and take mortal form during the Moon. She found nothing, however, and gave up. She went back to her normal life, for the time being. That would eventually change, though…
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
"Welcome to the Quidditch Pitch! Today, it is Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor! We all know that Gryffindor is going to win! By the way, place your bets with Mundungus Fletcher if you have not already done so!" Lily shouted into the enchanted megaphone.
"And here are the teams! Gryffindor comes out first -- Andromada Black and Sirius Black are the unbeatable Beaters! Molly Fitzgerald and Gwyneth Baker are the superb chasers! Potter is just a chaser! And Arabella Figg is the unstoppable Seeker, and my best friend! Give it up for the Gryffindor Lions!"
The crowd burst into applause, minus the Slytherins and Ravenclaws -- but they don't count, do they? Hufflepuff was cheering for Gryffindor because they were playing Ravenclaw next.
"And here is the Ravenclaw side. They don't matter much, so on with the game!"
"EVANS!" McGonagall shouted.
Lily groaned in the Commentating Booth. "Davis, Marks, Ritchie, Ellis, Chang, Alben and Zaminski," she said unenthusiastically. "Now, on with the game!"
Lily covered the microphone and turned to her friends who were in the booth with her. Kiana was lying on a bench, sleeping. Toria lounged in a chair. Estella and Jules sat by Lily, so they could see all the action.
"Madame Hooch has entered the Pitch!" Lily shouted. "LET THE GAME BEGIN!"
After the captains shook hands, Madame Hooch blew her whistle. Immediately, all 14 Quidditch players rose into the air. James grabbed the Quaffle. He then threw it neatly to Gwyneth Baker, who quickly handed it off to Molly, who had circled closely around her. Molly raced toward the goalposts, and passed it to James, who scored.
"GRYFFINDOR, 10 - 0!" Lily screamed, not acknowledging whom scored. James gave her a dirty look, before intercepting the Quaffle from Emily Zaminsky. He flew down the field and scored easily again.
"Another 10 points for Gryffindor," Lily called out to the crowds. "20 - 0".
Sirius and Andromada were having the time of their lives. It's not every day that you can chuck big heavy balls at peoples' heads and not get in trouble for it. Especially Alan Marks, who was an insufferable git.
"Well, nice bludger work there. Kept the Ravenclaw Chaser from scoring. Potter with the Quaffle. Speaking of Potter…"
"EVANS!"
"He sleeps with a teddy bear named Mr. Tiddleywinks!" Lily blurted out. "And Gryffindor in possession of the Quaffle. Molly Fitzgerald by the goal. She SCORES!"
Molly grinned and waved to the crowd. A bludger sent by the Ravenclaw Beater also nearly beheaded her.
"That was a close one. Nice corkscrew, Molly!" Lily screamed. "The score is… 40 - 0, and Gryffindor is winning. No thanks to Potter, of course. His ego is bigger than the Quidditch Pitch!"
James flew by, screaming, "Thanks Evans. It means so much to hear you say those words!" Lily waved sarcastically.
Suddenly, two of the Quidditch players went into steep dives. The Snitch had been spotted! Bella was ahead. She tumbled toward the earth, a look of concentration evident on her face. Chang, the other Seeker, was not far behind.
They descended lower and lower. Soon, they were 5 feet from the ground. Then, Bella quickly straightened her broom, and ascended into the air. Chang plummeted into the ground.
Lily gasped. "That was a Wronski Feint, the latest move from the Seeker of the World Champion Team! And what a Feint it was!"
Bella reached out and grabbed the Snitch that was dancing above her head. "And Gryffindor wins, due to excellent Seeker work by Bella. Final Score is 190 - 0!"
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Noelle Charrier tentatively opened the door to the History of Magic classroom. "Hello?" she called into the darkness. She took a small step into the room. "Is anyone there?"
Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her arms, rendering her helpless. A wand was pointed into the back of her neck. Her captor poked the wand a little harder. "Lesson One," she croaked, whispering in Noelle's ear, "Constant Vigilance."
Noelle stomped on her captor's foot, and knocked the wand out of her hand. "Lesson Two. Never underestimate your opponent, especially when she is a Slytherin."
Someone began applauding and the lights came on. The attacker was Professor Hawkins. Professor Dumbldore applauded. "Very good, Miss Charrier. Very good."
Noelle grinned. This was amateur stuff. She wanted to do the hard stuff!
"Professor Hawkins here is one of your trainers. She excels in the Martial Arts. That is where you shall begin. After all, sometimes no magic is involved," said Professor Dumbledore. "I will now leave you be." He turned and walked out of the room. However, he pauses once he reached the doorway. He turned around, and said, "Good luck." He then walked out of the room.
"Well," said Professor Hawkins, as soon as he left. "It seems as if you have a knowledge of Martial Arts. So, why don't we see how much?"
"Sure, Professor Hawkins," Noelle said.
Professor Hawkins wrinkled her nose. "Can we stop the 'Professor' stuff? Call me Tiffany or Hawkins, either one is okay."
"Er, all right Hawkins."
Hawkins smiled. "Much better. Now…" She swung her let toward Noelle, performing a low kick. Noelle jumped over it. "We begin."
Kicks, Punches, and Chops were exchanged. Noelle was much better than Hawkins had anticipated. She had imagined a spoiled little Slytherin who would have her servant do the fighting for her. But Noelle was clearly a hard worker.
This was more apparent when Noelle cornered Hawkins, and flipped Hawkins over her shoulder. Hawkins lay on the mat, stunned.
"Well, Miss Charrier, it looks like you passed the Martial Arts training. We'll have some practices every now and then, but I don't think they'll make a difference. You're already at an expert level."
Noelle, who was flushed from the exhilarating workout, nodded. She was slightly breathless.
"So… our next meeting will be… how about February 2?"
Noelle once again nodded, as she gulped down water.
"You might want to save some for the fishes, kiddo. Well, off you go."
Noelle thanked Hawkins, and exited the room.
Hawkins turned around, sighing. She then gasped when she saw Professor Dumbledore appear from seemingly nowhere.
"What? How? You can't apparate at Hogwarts!" Hawkins said accusingly.
Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "Indeed, you cannot. Invisibility Charm."
"Oh," Hawkins said, rather stupidly. "I see."
"Miss Charrier is quite the expert, isn't she?" he said.
"She has to be, to beat me. You know, I was the European champion once."
"Yes. Miss Charrier will be a great asset. She is quite talented, and bright."
"Yes she is," Hawkins said, looking out the door. "Yes she is."
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
"Okay," whispered Kiana. "Did anyone follow you?"
Charlie shook her head. She was panting. "I ditched Sirius Black on the 5th Floor. For some reason, he thinks I have a conspiracy against him."
"Well," Kiana said, rolling her eyes, "you sort of do."
Slapping her forehead, Charlie muttered, "Oh, that's right."
"Okay, so here is the book. Let's see what delicacies these 'Original Mischief Makers' have cooked up."
Kiana opened the leather cover gently, as if it was a baby. "Uh oh," she muttered. "There is an official warning and copyright."
Charlie hunched over Kiana's shoulder. "I swear, those things should be banned. Let's see… 'Abandon hope, all ye who read, for you shall be corrupted for life.' Well, they're too late, I already am."
Kiana swatted at Charlie, and told her to go read over someone else's shoulder. "The following material may be punished with points subtracted from you house, detentions, and other less pleasant things… however, these punishments are rewards for a prank well done. You'll do good to remember that."
Grabbing the book out of Kiana's hands, Charlie began to read. "Warning: Chaos and Havoc will ensue for 1,000 of the 3,789 pranks." She turned to Kiana. "3,789 pranks! I think that I have died and gone to heaven."
Kiana sighed impatiently, and grabbed the book. "Official Disclaimer: We own the creation of 3,000 of these marvelous pranks. The rest are credited to their inventors. If you do not give us credit for ours, we will sue!"
Charlie once again grabbed the book. "Prank 1. Oohh… this one is good!"
Kiana took the book and read it. "That's good. Now, I think that's more of a prank to play on the Marauders. Agreed?"
Grinning, Charlie agreed. They then ran off to get the ingredients to concoct the necessary potion.
*******(time change)*******
Kiana sat at Gryffindor Table that night, barely able to contain her excitement. The prank was all set up, and it would take place very soon! Charlie was going to put the potion in the Marauders' pumpkin juice.
The food appeared on the table with a 'POP'! Kiana couldn't stop fidgeting. She was sure that her motions and her big grin would give it away. But the Marauders took no notice of her. They were hunched over a piece of parchment and conversing in low whispers.
Lily elbowed Kiana in her ribs. "What are you so antsy about?" she asked.
Kiana just shook her head, and continued jiggling her feet. The Marauders hadn't even looked at their food and drink.
Surely, James reached out for his pumpkin juice, and took a rather large swig. Sirius followed the suit. Soon, the rest of them dug into their food and drink.
Rather suddenly, Sirius stood up. "Hear ye, hear ye!" he called out. He ran over to a Hufflepuff at the next table. She was talking to the person across from her, but stopped when Sirius approached her. "See how she leans her cheek upon her hand?" Sirius called out. "O that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!" **
Applause, laughter, and several catcalls followed this proclamation. Sirius took no notice, and continued to quote Shakespeare.
Attention turned to James, as he ran over to Alexiandra Marsiella, at the Slytherin table. He grabbed her hand, and slowly raised it to his lips. She blushed a crimson red as he began to speak. "Doubt thou stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love." ***
Heads whirled around eagerly to see the next performance. Remus was knelt on one knee, beside Rhiane Richards, a Ravenclaw. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" he said softly, but loudly enough for all to hear. "Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer's lease hath all too short a date." ****
Next, all eyes in the Great Hall turned to Michael Barnette, who stood at the Slytherin table. He stood beside Noelle Charrier. He gently took her hands, and held them to his heart. "Upon thy cheek I lay this zealous kiss, as seal to the indenture of my love," ***** Michael whispered softly, and gently kissed Noelle's cheek. He pulled away slowly, and released her hands. Wordlessly, Noelle reached her hand to her face, and touched the spot where she had been kissed. Michael began to walk away slowly. He then turned to face Noelle once again. "I like your silence; it the more shows off your wonder." ******
He walked over to Thomas, who was declaring his undying love for Lily, and grabbed him. He then went and grabbed Sirius, James, and Remus. The Marauders then exited the Great Hall, which was now silent.
Kiana caught Charlie's eye. 'How was that for a performance?' she mouthed.
Charlie nodded, her mind deep in thought. Something wasn't right…
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Citations for this Section
All quotations used are by William Shakespeare.
**Romeo and Juliet
Act 2, Scene 2
***Hamlet
Act 2, Scene 2
****Sonnet 18
***** King John
Act ii, Sc.1
****** Win Tale
Act v, Sc.2
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Lord Voldemort paced around the corridor. Night had asked to see him, on an urgent matter of business. She had given him a Portkey, which would transport him to her tower. He had come at Night, the only time he could.
The moon hung in the velvet sky, high above the stars. It then rose to it's highest, and Voldemort knocked thrice on the door.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK
"Enter," called out a sultry voice. Lord Voldemort gulped, and threw open the door, putting on his best poker face.
Voldemort was shocked by the sheer size of the tower. And the decorations… well, it was much snazzier than his richest castle.
The tower was circular, and was in the clouds. You could tell by looking out the narrow glass windows. The windows were stained glass, and featured pictures of the day -- dawn, midday, dusk, and night. The décor was lavish. The throne was magnificent. Voldemort noticed a set of easels and paints pushed into a small are of the tower.
Night sat on the throne, looking like a queen. She was the Queen -- the Queen of the Dark.
"Glad you could make it, Voldie," whispered Night. "Don't you like nice."
"Er… was that sarcasm?" Voldemort questioned, wrinkling his nose. He had washed these robes two weeks ago!
Night rolled her eyes. "You think? Well, on to more pressing matters. How is your quest for Fate going?"
Voldemort twiddled his thumbs. "Well… it is better than expected."
"And what was expected?" asked Night.
"Er… that we would never find any clues as to who Fate is."
"What have you found so far?" Night asked, with the air of a mother questioning what her child should know by now.
Voldemort reached into his robes, and pulled out several rolls of parchments. "Well, your Nightness," he said, "we have found several prophecies concerning Fate. And I have men who are searching for more each day…"
"Oh," Night interrupted, "get on with it."
"As you wish," said Voldemort, as he unrolled the first parchment. "Fate shall be the opposite of what is thought."
"Well, that doesn't help. What's the next?"
"Fate cannot be stopped, for Fate alone is the Inevitable," Voldemort read.
"That's promising, isn't it?" said Night. "Any others?"
"Well," said Voldemort. "My men have found some prophecies that relate to my downfall."
"Really?" questioned Night, smiling slightly. "And would you like to share those with me?"
"But of course," said Voldemort. "Ahem," he cleared his throat. "The Mighty shall fall. The Good shall rise. The Lion, the Hunter, the Stag, and the Bird shall bring this. It shall also be brought by Fate, for it is inevitable."
"Well, find these people and destroy them," huffed Night.
"That is not all. There is much, much more."
"Well then, fool, continue on!" Night barked.
"The star shall steer the Stag, Lion, Hunter, and Bird. The bell shall hold the group together. The flower shall make a sacrifice, greater than all. The brook shall give answers to all who ask. The Water shall be the supreme defender of the Light, along with Fate. The Seer shall provide the means to defeat the opposition. The lone wolf can be trusted, no matter how suspicious he may become. If trusted, the rat shall be the downfall of the Light."
"Is that all?" asked Night lazily.
"It is the most recent."
"Well, I shall plan a course of action, and inform you in the next few days. Meanwhile, you will try to find more prophecies -- ones that state how the Dark will fall, and when. Also, find who the people mentioned are. Focus on the bell. You can pull the group apart if you get rid of him. You are dismissed."
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
"Retaliation, my fellow Marauders," said Michael. "That is what we need. Now, does anyone have any suggestions on how to retaliate?"
Sirius bolted out of his seat and saluted Michael. "General Barnette, Sir! I have a suggestion for retaliation!"
"And that would be…?"
"We make their lives a living nightmare, Sir!" Sirius yelped happily.
Michael stopped in front of him, and slammed his fist on the small table. "We understand the objective, private, but how are we to achieve this?"
Sirius looked stumped. "I don't exactly know yet, Sir."
Michael rolled his eyes, before turning to Remus. "Remmie, buddy, you must have a good idea. Werewolf intuition, and all that…"
Remus looked thoughtful. "Er… how about pranks?"
Michael dove onto his bed, and covered his head with his pillow. Over and over, he repeated, "Why me? Lord, why me?"
Thomas raised his hand tentatively. "Er… I have an idea."
Michael stopped hitting his head against the bed, and looked up hopefully. "Thank you," he said to the Lord above. "Thank you." He then turned to Thomas. "Now, what is this idea of yours?"
"Well… what do the girls hate more than anything?" Thomas asked.
"Spontaneously Combusting?" guessed Sirius.
"No. Well, yeah, I guess they wouldn't like that either. But there's some other things. First, they are incredibly vain, and hate not looking perfect, right?"
The rest of the Marauders nodded. "Yes. But I don't see where you are going with this…" said Michael.
Thomas nodded. "I'm getting there. They also hate to get blamed for something they didn't do, and getting punished. So, we kill two fish with one rock… or is it kill one rock with two birds?"
"Kill two birds with one stone," James supplied. "I have a plan!"
*******(time change)*******
Breakfast in the Great Hall is an everyday occurrence -- no one really pays attention to anything because everyone is exhausted. This would turn out to benefit the Marauders immensely.
It was January, and it was still cold, although not cold enough to snow. And yet, several flakes fell from the ceiling. No one bothered to figure out what was going on, when they had the time to do so. They figured it was just their imagination.
And then, the blizzard came. Snow cascaded from the ceiling, pouring from the clouds. It quickly covered the floor, and moved on to cover the tables.
Many students ran out of the Great Hall, in fear of drowning. Drowning? Yes, drowning in snow. Others decided to play in the snow -- build snowman, make snow angels, and start snowball fights. These people later proved to be the incredibly stupid ones.
The effect was not instantaneous. In fact, it took a good ten minutes. Then, people started to… change. Some people sprouted three extra arms. Others turned hot pink. Others became bald.
Some of the victims included the Marauders, who were having a ball until then. The only people who remained somewhat normal were the Venustians. They only had a faint tint of pink. This was enough for them, however.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" shouted a voice, once they saw the metamorphosis of students taking place. It was dear Professor Minnie. "BLACK, POTTER! WHAT DID YOU DO NOW?"
Sirius waved to Minnie, looking innocent enough. He had gone bald. "We didn't do it, Professor. Honestly, I took no part in this!"
"POTTER!" Minnie shouted.
"Wasn't me!" James shouted jovially, waving two of his five arms.
"EVANS! FIGG! AND YOU TOO VANTER AND WALTERS! WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"We didn't do anything, Professor," said Bella frantically. Bella wasn't stupid, and she knew they were about to become the scapegoats.
"Where were you this morning, Miss Figg? I noticed that you were missing."
"Er… I was in the library!" Bella shouted defensively.
"Any witnesses?" challenged McGonagall.
"No one was in there!"
"Miss Figg, Miss Evans. Follow me. And if you two would be as kind as to bring Miss Vanter and Miss Walters with you…"
The four girls followed Minnie grudgingly to her office. By the way, her office was still hot pink, as were her living quarters. Wordlessly, they sat down.
"Now, this is a serious offense," Minnie said, pulling out several parchments. "There are several rules against enchanted snow. Now… you will all have detention for the next two months. And you will all lose 25 points each for your house. Plus, I would like an essay from each of you on the effects of enchanted snow, and why you should not make enchanted snow -- "
"Minnie -- " Kiana froze at the look on the professor's face. "Sorry. Er… Professor McGonagall. With you saying 'I would like', well, does that make the essay optional?"
Minnie began to turn a brilliant shade of fuchsia. "Out," she said, in a strangled voice. "OUT!"
The girls scrambled to their feet, and ran out the door. Actually, they attempted to run out the door. At the same time, that is. Lily pushed her way through first, and ran through the small corridor. Kiana and Toria followed, with Bella in the rear. Bella took the opportunity to turn this corridor hot pink.
Once they reached Gryffindor Tower, the girls collapsed onto the overstuffed armchairs by the fire.
Most of the students still had the effects of the enchanted snow. That is, all but the Marauders. Sirius was no longer bald, and James had two arms. "How was your meeting with Minnie?" James said snidely.
"It was you!" Bella said. "It's WAR!"
"Er… Bella? It has been war. Remember, you declared it earlier this year…" Michael said.
Bella mentally slapped herself. "Oh yeah. That's right. Well… consider this to be World War lV!"
"Er… Bella?" said Lily. "There hasn't been a World War lll yet."
"Oh. That's right. Just get out of here, before I hex you! Mundungus taught me a good one last week!"
The Marauders looked at Bella strangely, before walking off.
Meanwhile, Bella smiled angelically. Her friends looked at her quizzically. How could she be smiling in a time like this?
"Er… Bella? Are you all right?" asked Kiana, putting her hand on Bella's shoulder.
Bella continued to smile angelically. "They're toast," she said simply. "Burnt toast."
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
A/N: Once again, I am incredibly sorry for the long wait. So… if you have any questions or comments, or criticism, well, let me know! REVIEW! It only takes around thirty seconds, and the author enjoys feedback! I'm not sure when the next post is going to be. I'll say sometime in January, but probably before the 20th. Hopefully before the 20th. Well, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!
~Noelle