Disclaimer: I own most of the Ravenclaw and the entire Hufflepuff quidditch teams, Polynesian Blagidli Palms, and Fluffernutters. JK Rowling owns Hogwarts and the rest of its inhabitants. (But she let me put a suit of armor outside the Hufflepuff dormitory.) She also owns Azkaban, its inhabitants, and the Lestranges. Finally, I am proud to announce that I do NOT own the Macarena.
The Thrill of Victory
There was a moment of stunned silence, then the Hufflepuffs roared as Hex pulled Maeve out of her dive, holding the Snitch high above her head. "Final Score — 250 Hufflepuff, 80 Ravenclaw!" Justin cried, voice breaking. "HUFFLEPUFF WINS!"
Hex helped her clamber back onto her broomstick. "Don't you ever do that again!" he yelled.
Maeve smiled cheerfully and showed him the Snitch, like a child who had just found a pretty rock. "But we won!"
"Next time we won't win that way, you hear me?" he screeched as the rest of the Hufflepuff team joined them, torn between joy at their victory and astonishment at Maeve's death-defying move.
"We did it! We did it!" Robert cried, pounding Hex's back. He snapped out of his high long enough to look dazedly at Maeve. "You are insane, you know that?"
"It's a good thing Hex caught you!" Bridget said, her face pale.
Presently, Professor Sprout arrived on the scene, dragging Madam Pomfrey in her wake. "Where is she?" she squawked. "Oh, my child…"
"She's fine, Professor," Samira shakily assured their Head of House.
At the sight of Maeve, alive and well in Hex's arms, Professor Sprout fainted dead away. Madam Pomfrey gave Maeve a cursory examination, scolded her briefly for her recklessness, and went on to tend to the unconscious teacher.
Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw captain, was arguing with Madam Hooch. "She wasn't on a broomstick when she caught the Snitch—"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Davies. It was a highly unorthodox move, but the victory holds," the flying instructor replied. "Hufflepuff wins."
"One down, two to go," Hex said as the tuba blasted again over the Hufflepuffs' cheers.
Maeve wriggled to be let down. "Can you let go of me now?"
Hufflepuff House was on a high for the rest of the weekend. There was a celebration the likes of which had never been seen in the Hufflepuff dormitory, with plenty of Honeydukes sweets, music and laughter, as well as the sight of Professor Sprout and the suit of armor learning the Macarena.
The suit of armor was still dancing that snowy Monday morning, when Hex and his friends left the dormitory for breakfast. "I reckon it must be boring standing around, guarding the entrance all day," Peter said. "It must be happy to have something else to do."
In the Great Hall, they were greeted warmly by everyone at the Hufflepuff table. "Ladies and gentlemen, our Most Valuable Players!" Justin announced, applauding as Hex went around the table, slapping high-fives.
"Enjoy it while you can," Malfoy said snidely from the Slytherin table. "That victory is going to have to last you a long time."
"Well, Barf-boy, if you want to jump off your broomstick to catch the Snitch, we're not stopping you."
The pale boy flushed pink as the Hufflepuffs laughed. "Getting too big for your britches, aren't you, Finch-Fletchley?"
Justin grinned good-naturedly. "Maybe I am…which is more than I can say for you, eh?"
When Hex entered Potions well before the start of class, he was greeted by cold stares from the Ravenclaws. Padma Patil wasn't batting her eyelashes like she did every time she saw him. One boy, whom Hex recognized as a Ravenclaw Chaser, looked as if he was reaching for his wand.
Fortunately, Peter's arrival stopped them from zapping Hex with a curse or two. The big boy looked mildly from Hex to the Ravenclaws, most of who looked like they were managing to curb their anger. Finally, when Maeve walked into the dungeon and smiled cheerfully at everyone, the Ravenclaws nodded at her with grudging respect. She may be one of the evil Hufflepuffs that beat them at quidditch last weekend, but she was also the lunatic who jumped off her broomstick and fell over a hundred feet to do it.
However, it didn't stop them from retaliating in a small way while Snape wasn't looking. Quite a few Hufflepuffs had to shake a few newts' eyes off their robes and out of their hair on the way to Herbology.
Professor Sprout greeted her students warmly as they entered the greenhouse. "Before we begin today's lesson, an announcement," she told the class after they were in their places. "Owing to the great success of the Yule Ball last year, Hogwarts has decided to hold another formal dance this year—"
Shrill giggles from Lavender, Parvati and quite a few Hufflepuff girls as well. Hermione and most of the boys in the class groaned softly and rolled their eyes.
"—before the start of the Christmas break," Professor Sprout continued. "It will be held in the Great Hall on the 20th of December, the day before students are allowed to go home for the holidays, beginning at eight o'clock in the evening until midnight. Dress robes will be worn. Just like last year, only fourth years and above may attend, although you may invite a younger student to come along if you wish."
Quite a few of the students were blushing by now, and it wasn't because of the heat in the greenhouse.
With the announcement done, Professor Sprout turned to the day's lesson. "Today we will be repotting our young Polynesian Blagidli Palms." She gestured to the small, turquoise blue plants on their tables. "Can anyone tell me the properties of this plant?"
Maeve's hand shot up in the air before anyone else's could.
Professor Sprout looked pleasantly surprised. "Miss Moondaughter?"
"The Polynesian Blagidli Palm is useful from its leaves to its roots," Maeve said as Hermione put down her hand, disappointed. "The leaves, when used as a fan, can create a breeze strong enough to propel a raft lost at sea. The wood is used in the making of wands, a well-known example of which is the one used by Honi-Tiki the Magnificent to rid his island kingdom of tropical pixies in 1965. The dried leaves, fruit and roots are all used in the making of potions that can keep a person's body temperature normal even in extreme heat or cold, heal burns and heatstroke, and even reattach limbs lost to frostbite."
"Excellent, Miss Moondaughter," the teacher said with a broad grin. "Take ten points for Hufflepuff."
The Hufflepuffs all grinned at her and Peter patted her back. "Good one, Maeve."
"I reckon we ought to keep Hermione away from you, Maeve," Ron said. "She's a bad influence."
"Come off it!" Hermione said as Professor Sprout asked why the palms needed repotting in the special mulch piled in one corner of the greenhouse. Maeve's hand beat hers and Neville's again. "Now look what you've done! You made me miss the question!"
"Blagidli Palms are tropical plants," Maeve said when Professor Sprout called on her. "They're used to damp and heat. Our soil does not have the same properties as the areas where the palms naturally grow."
"Excellent! That is correct. Take ten more points for Hufflepuff. Now, let us get to work. Will one person come forward to get enough mulch for his or her table?"
After watching skinny Seamus Finnigan struggle with a sack full of the soggy black stuff, Peter volunteered to get the mulch for their table. "Heard about your victory last Saturday," Ron said. "Did Maeve really jump off her broomstick to catch the Snitch?"
"Yes, she did," Hex said flatly. "Took ten years off my life. I almost didn't catch her."
"Well, you did," Maeve said with a serene smile even as Harry violently plunked a Blagidli Palm down in front of her, splattering her with dirt.
"Watch it, Harry!" Hermione said, brushing off some that had gotten on her robes.
"Someone sure has his underwear in a festival," Hex observed dryly.
"He's just mad because Maeve beat Cho Chang," Ron teased. That earned him a particularly large splatter of dirt as Harry gave him his plant. "Come off it, Harry. Just because she lost doesn't mean you can't ask Cho to the ball anymore."
"Sorry," Harry said, blushing when Hex and Ron chuckled. "I am acting rather childish."
Just then, Peter returned and set their sack of mulch heavily on the table, and a nice glob found its way onto Harry's robes. "Guess we're even now," Hex said, as everyone laughed and began repotting their Blagidli Palms in a much lighter mood.
"So you're going to ask Cho Chang to the dance?" Hex asked Harry. When the dark-haired boy nodded, he grinned at Ron, who was working in silence right across him. "How 'bout you, Red? Who are you going to ask?"
He turned crimson and looked daggers at Hex. "Well," he said slowly, "I reckon I'm going to ask…I'm going to ask—" He turned to Hermione, who was looking expectantly at him, "—Hermione."
Everyone at the table grinned as she blushed. "What?"
Looking like he was about to face a firing squad, Ron mumbled, "Would you go to the ball with me?"
"With you?" she stammered.
He nodded, keeping his eyes on his Blagidli Palm. Hex discreetly nudged him with his foot under the table, prompting Ron to look back up at Hermione. "Uh, if you were planning to go ask someone else, I'll un—"
The table shook violently as Hex kicked him in the shin. "Oof!" Ron bit back an oath glared at him.
"Ron, are you all right?" Hermione asked, her face full of concern.
"Sorry about that," Ron told her. "So…would you?"
She smiled shakily. "I–I'd love to."
"Good." Ron grinned shyly. "I wanted to make sure I had a partner before all the good ones are taken."
Hex and Harry were congratulating Ron on finding a partner when Professor Sinistra, who taught Astronomy, showed up at the greenhouse. "Professor Sprout," the tall, white-haired woman said, looking rather nervous, "may I have a word?"
Professor Sprout nodded, looking confused, and the two teachers retreated to a quiet corner of the greenhouse. Ron, his cheeks still red, frowned thoughtfully at them. "What do you reckon is that all about?"
"Beats me," Hex replied, patting down the mulch around his Blagidli palm.
"It looks serious. Professor Sprout looks like she's been stunned."
"Maybe something's happened to someone fighting Voldemort," Harry said, turning pale.
"Don't say the name," Ron told his friend, paling as well.
"Well, we aren't going to find out if we just stand around here while they're over there," Hermione said impatiently. "Wait here."
They watched as Hermione pretended to return some excess mulch to the pile near the teachers. "Oh, no," Harry murmured when a look of shock crossed his friend's face. "Oh, no…"
"What is it?" Ron asked as Hermione made her way slowly back to their table. "Did anyone die?"
She shook her head, her face pale. "No, no one died." She raised stricken brown eyes to look at them all. "The Lestranges have broken out of Azkaban."
"Who are the Lestranges?" Hex asked Peter during break later that day. They were on their way to Hagrid's cabin near the Forbidden Forest to visit Zippo. The Fluffernutter was now twice as tall as Norman and still growing. He was also growing a nice pair of razor-sharp fangs.
"Death Eaters — supporters of You-Know-Who," the big boy replied. "They're a married couple and they helped recruit more Death Eaters. After Harry Potter defeated You-Know-Who, many Death Eaters came out of some kind of trance claiming that the Lestranges took them over—"
"Wait a minute — Harry defeated You-Know-Who?"
"Why, yes. You-Know-Who killed his parents and tried to kill him, too, but the curse backfired. That's why Harry has that scar on his forehead."
"Whoa." Hex shook his head in disbelief. All this talk about Voldemort and Death Eaters was unsettling enough. Actually knowing someone who had gone through — and survived — an encounter with that kind of evil made it downright creepy. "Anyway, what were you saying about the Lestranges?"
"The Lestranges were the ones in charge of getting more followers and information for You-Know-Who," Peter repeated. "Sometimes all they had to do was convince people to become Death Eaters, but other times the Lestranges put them in a trance and get them to do whatever they wanted — at least that's what their victims claimed when they came back to our side. The people whom they couldn't bewitch, the Lestranges tortured."
"That's terrible. I didn't know they still did that in this day and age."
"You'll be surprised how people can turn into animals — figuratively speaking, of course — just so they can become powerful."
"What happened to the Lestranges?"
"They were caught after You-Know-Who disappeared and imprisoned in Azkaban — that's the wizards' prison. It's next to impossible to get out of there, what with all the enchantments and Dementors guarding the place, but apparently people can manage to escape if they wanted it bad enough."
"So…is there any chance of them coming here?"
Peter smiled slightly. "I don't know if they want anything that's in Hogwarts. Besides, we have Professor Dumbledore here and he's the only one You-Know-Who is afraid of. We should be safe enough."
"I hope so."
They reached Hagrid's cabin in time to meet Susan Bones, who was just leaving. "Hello, Peter, Hex," she greeted them a little breathlessly.
"Hey, Susan," Hex replied.
"Going to see your Fluffernutter?" All of Hagrid's classes had handled Fluffernutters that term; but of all the babies, only three or four had survived. Everyone was now working to make sure that these reached full maturity.
"Yeah. Pete here wanted to check up on him."
Susan smiled shyly at Peter, who turned red and dug his toe into the ground. "I've just been to see ours and I must tell you, Zippo is the liveliest of the lot. He'll be happy to see you."
"Thanks," Peter murmured.
She stood there and looked at them for a moment, her cheeks growing pinker by the second, and finally sighed. "Well, I guess I must be off, then. See you in class."
"See you," Hex said, waving as Susan left. When she was long gone, he poked his friend in the ribs. "You're not going to be able to take her to the dance if you don't talk to her, you know."
"Give me a break," Peter mumbled. "Professor Sprout just made the announcement, after all."
Presently, Hagrid rounded the corner of his cabin with an enormous cabbage in his arms. His hairy face beamed above it. "Afternoon, you two! Come ter see yer Fluffernutter? Righ' this way, then."
The Fluffernutters were housed in an outdoor pen built near Hagrid's chimney to give them room to move around and keep them warm at the same time. At the sight of them, Zippo gave a happy snarl and came forward to have his snow-white head petted. "Bes' one of the lot, this one is," Hagrid said, pleased. "Th' bigges' an' the smartes', too."
"He's big enough for Maeve to ride," Hex chuckled, throwing Zippo the piece of sausage Hagrid had given him and watching the Fluffernutter's mighty jaws snap it up.
They fed him some more sausage and played tug-of-war with a fat piece of rope before it was time to get back to the castle. However, as they were about to leave, Hagrid called to Hex in a serious tone of voice.
Nodding for Peter to go on without him, Hex approached the huge man. "What's up?"
"I jus' thought yeh should know, son — bad times are comin'. Don' know if Dumbledore's explained it all to yeh already, but…have yeh told anyone yer real name yet?"
"No. You told me not to. So no one knows."
"Good, yeh remembered." Hagrid nodded brusquely. "It's more important now to not tell any'un. Don' forget!"
"I won't." Hex paused. "Hey, Hagrid…this whole name thing…it doesn't have anything to do with the Lestranges, does it? The ones who broke out of Azkaban?"
The huge man looked surprised. "How d'yeh know abou' the Lestranges?"
"I, uh, heard some of the teachers talking, that's all. Pete explained to me who they were and stuff. So…does it have anything to do with them?"
"I don' rightly know, son," Hagrid admitted. "Mebbe it does, mebbe it doesn'. All I know is one day, out of the blue, Dumbledore sent me to go get yeh. Yer here fer a reason, son, that much I know. But I ain't the one ter explain it all ter yeh.
"Go along, now, I 'spect yeh still have class ter attend."
Concluding Remarks: Well, I guess this is as good a place to pause as any, don't you? :D We've got the Yule Ball coming (with some R/H – I love R/H), and the bad guy on the loose. Who is Hex going to ask to the dance?…Hang on, we already know who – how is he going to ask the lucky lady? Is Peter going to ask Susan? What's going to happen at the Yule Ball? And what is Hex doing in Hogwarts, anyway? The truth is out there… (yes, I ripped that off the X-Files…) ~ Ara Kane
