Chapter 14- Out of Reach

The details of his punishment came to him after the transfiguration class as he walked alongside Scorpius (Violet fell prey to Gabby in the back). "First, McGonagall said she'll stop your meetings until further notice", Brennan informed him once they were out of the professor's earshot.

"Secondly, you're not allowed to go anywhere except for the classes, library, and dining hall and back to the common room". Albus, who expected that not all news will be good, just continued advancing in silence, too mad to respond. "How are you going to make sure of that?", Scorpius asked, and he had to hold himself back from pushing him like he did to Patricia.

"Great question, he'll have to sign the librarian or inform Snape's portrait at any free period he got…", the prefect answered, leaving Albus to imagine how delighted his oily name giver would be by that. "…And if it takes you more than ten minutes you will be given additional penalties", Brennan got in front and tried to stop him.

"I took care of it myself, so you can at least say 'thank you'. This is the second time this year that you have evaded any serious punishment thanks to me". Albus dodged him and almost ran forward, knowing he wouldn't be able to control himself if he opened his mouth.

If Bren thought he was denied of punishment he was gravely wrong. He could have handled points deduction, letters to home and all slew of boring and disgusting tasks. But what he got prevented him from doing the two things he really wanted- going to the pool and checking out what was beyond the secret hatch.

No, there's no reason he shouldn't get to the hatch at least, he would just finish eating early and stop by there. "And don't think you can just dodge the dining hall", Brennan angrily shouted after him, "Pechman ordered the prefects to follow you in there". Now Albus really ran to get away from him.

"There is a potion that can change your appearance, right?", he asked Scorpius, who struggled to keep up. "Yes, but it takes approximately one month to prepare, the ingredients are almost unattainable and there is a chance that it will not work at all, now that Fort invented...", "No matter", he ended his rambling as they entered their common room, "I'll find another way to…".

"No, you're not!", unlike Brennan, Desdemona Campbell's voice was cold as ice, standing with Aelia Farley next to the crackling fireplace. "Don't you get it yet? You'll get us into trouble with all of your nonsense", she said, "So stop it, at least until you're finally kicked out of here".

She advanced until she stood in front of him, taller than him in almost a head, "And", her mean face came close to his, "You should really be thankful for Brennan, he's the only reason you've had such a smooth sail so far…". Albus stared at her, unwavering, "Is this supposed to be a threat?", he coolly asked.

"Now you get it", she wickedly smiled, revealing her crooked teeth, "Don't try us!". She turned and left the common room, Alaina following suit after her, nervously playing with her heavy blonde hair. Albus couldn't believe this injustice, "I just went out when it wasn't permitted", he shook his head in disbelief, not understanding why everybody made such a big deal out of it.

"You think she's right, don't you?", he angrily turned towards Scorpius when he didn't answer. "She shouldn't have threatened you like that", he looked at the flickering fire, "But whether you like it or not you are part of our house, with all the implications that entails…".

"I didn't ask for it", Albus erupted. "Neither many of us", the pale kid quietly said, the flames reflected in his grey eyes. "We really are a united house, aren't we? Just like a second family!", Scorpius didn't know how to answer that, "I'm going to work on the Herbology essay", he instead waddled away in low spirits and opened his books under the silvery curtains.

Albus exhaled in frustration and headed to the dormitories, facing the fact that this would be the place where he would stay the most in the near future. On his way he passed Snape's portrait as usual, only instead of the ugly oily person stood a familiar bearded figure, wearily leaning on his cane.

"Wait a second!", Albus stopped on his tracks and faced the picture, "You're Merlin, aren't you?". "The one and only", it spread its arms and almost lost balance, "Well, not really, I'm his painting, and probably not an accurate one- I was told the beard is too long…".

"Why are you here? I thought Snape was supposed to be here", he looked around, nearly expecting the oily portrait to just stroll in. "He said something about how it's beneath his honor to follow hoodlums around. His words, not mine…", the painting raised its trembling hands, shaking off any guilt, "So, given that only Slytherins can get inside here he asked if I could do it…".

It must have been missing a discourse buddy, Albus thought as it began to rattle off, "…Not that I mind, of course, it's an upgrade over where I was before, there's a limit to how much you can observe mold spread around...". "Are you aware of any secret hatch in here?", he tried stopping the rumbling in the kindest way he could.

"I'll take it that you're in a hurry", the portrait twirled his white beard, "I familiar with one that is unknown to many", Albus heart raced in excitement, "Behind the grey knight on the second floor...". "No hatch in the dungeons in front of a shield with twelve headed snake?", Albus asked, his heart calming down again as Merlin shook his head from side to side, "Sorry, I'm not familiar with one. It's probably from before my time, I was drawn only a hundred years ago...".

In the following weeks Albus didn't come any closer to finding new details about the hatch, frozen on his trail, and in more ways than one as January came around. It brought an almost constant snow and freezing winds that always managed to penetrate the corridors. So cold that students begun wearing thick winter cloaks inside, making Hogwarts seem as if it was taken over by bears.

And he suffered more than most as Pechman and Brennan made sure he followed his punishment without exemptions, basically creating for him a consistent schedule between the classrooms, common room and the library, which was the closest thing to an open space he could enjoy as the flying lessons were canceled and the herbology class was held inside.

It bothered Albus more than he liked to admit, making him feel like a combination of a caged animal and a prisoner, with no route for escape. He felt it all to be exaggerated, and the letters he received from home, saying he should comply with the penalty even if it seems a little excessive, only strengthening his assertion.

They probably thought so, Albus thought in frustration, crumpling the parchments, because they themselves had violated many more rules during their time as students. In addition, he still received invitations for meetups from Hagrid and Longbottom, but refused them all, not wanting to open up about his studies and school life.

With that, the fact that his wand acted only as a simple stick in his hands bothered him less than before. It may have come because of his success in classes such as astrology, herbology and potions- a lesson in which, despite Pechman's displeasure, he was undoubtedly among the best in, third to only Scorpius and Rose.

But for the most part, it probably came due to his candle training, still with the same one he got from Doyle. The Professor seemed more impatient as of late, somehow being even less expressive than before. And while the rest complained about it, Albus himself begun to understand him.

After all, no amount of explanation would have helped them until they at least tried to figure it out on their own. Something, he noticed, that was lacking among the students, who only recited the spells and memorized the material given to them, with no comprehension attempt beyond the one demanded.

Albus, on the other hand, got up early in the mornings as usual, only now replacing his swimming routine by putting out the candle. Something in which, despite his considerable improvement, still required a great deal of energy from him. He managed to suffocate the flame immediately by this point, but still miserably failed in reigniting it.

Rumors that James was a bully kept reaching his ears now, and he didn't know what bothered him more- that he was the last to hear about it or whether it really happened. As far as it came to him his brother still ignored him, though Albus noticed that his eyes were beginning to resemble those of Brennan, reflecting constant sleepiness.

"Maybe it's because of their team's training", Scorpius guessed, "Violet said they only gotten worse, if it's even possible". "Shhhh...", Miss Hill, the librarian, passed behind them, holding a book stack so carefully that it could have been mistaken for a fine porcelain. "Sorry", Scorpius returned his concentration back to his sky map, focusing on Mars, his face red as the planet (He usually was the one to follow rules as if they were sacred, but the upcoming match excited him too much to do so).

By now Albus developed resistance to the discussions between him and Violet whenever it came to quidditch, automatically shutting his brain to it. "You're drawing Jupiter instead of Mars", he whispered back. While appreciating Scorpius' companionship he believed the silvery-blond kid needed more time outside, preferably with Violet, observing the teams' training.

He bent to tell him that, when he noticed nearly headless Nick hovering between the book avenues, thoroughly surveying his surroundings. At this point probably all of the inhabitants at Hogwarts were inquired by the ghost for the location of the fat friar. But, just like Albus, no one seemed to pay much attention to it- after all, what could really happen to someone who was already dead…

He didn't want to be re-interrogated by the ghost, "Let's finish here", Albus told Scorpius, who somehow begun drawing Saturn, with all its planetary rings. "You saw Nick, he sure was in a low spirit", he joked as they left the library, but his friend didn't listen to him.

As they hurried down the corridors to meet his time limitation outside, Scorpius again begun to babble about how the Hufflepuff twins could risk their chances of success. Albus shut himself to the words out of habit, however, he had to admit that he too was expecting the nearing game, but for completely different reasons.

Brennan informed him a few days ago that due to good behavior on his part he would be allowed to go and watch it. "…But just the match and back, okay?", the prefect made himself clear once more and Albus just nodded without looking at his face, still refusing to exchange words with him.

Nevertheless, now he couldn't wait for the fresh air, even if cold, to finally wash over him after all this time. And who knows? He thought, Scorpius voice buzzing like a mosquito in his ear, maybe it was a sign that his exhausting punishment was finally coming to an end.

And so, two days later, in the middle of icy February, he made his way with the rest of the excited students towards the quidditch pitch. While the rest froze under the snow, shaking even through their double and triple layers of wardrobes, Albus himself was ecstatic, almost taking off his winter cloak just to enjoy the cool pinch on his bare skin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first match of the mid-games- Slytherin vs Hufflepuff", Albus recognized Kennedy Carrow, who lacked the enthusiasm of the previous commentator in the announcement booth. "Caite is still recovering at home", Albus heard Gabby from the sit behind.

He finished reading the players' names like products from a shopping list and began his remarking on the game. "The Hufflepuff's team remains almost identical to the previous year, except for the addition of Tyler Atkinson in the role of a chaser. Now, some were surprised by this, given that she never seemed to have a special talent for the game, but I'm certain that being the girlfriend of the captain has nothing to do with it".

Loud boos rose from the crowd, though it wasn't clear who they were aimed for- the captain or the announcer. "But the rest of Hufflepuff's team is undoubtedly of high quality- especially the Pines twins", he continued, ignoring the crowd, "Slytherin, on the other hand, though great team players are lacking any special talent in their ranks".

The students in the green stand exchanged confused looks with each other, "I thought he was on our side", said Violet in frustration. "I think he's just being unbiased", Albus quietly replied, unheard under the fuss. "…And the game is on", there wasn't even a hint of excitement in the head boy's voice.

"Hufflepuff with the quaffle- Patel passes it to Mather, who delivers to Atkinson, who drops it… I guess he understands why it was a mistake right about now…", shouts of contempt came from the yellow stand against the backdrop of the Slytherin's mockery. "And now Cameron with the quaffle, passes to Miles, who passes to O'Neil, back to Miles… and score!", all around Albus everyone began jumping in delight, shouting so loud he had to cover his ears.

It seemed that apart from Atkinson the Hufflepuff players were indeed better than those of Slytherin, yet lacked their teamwork. The green team slowly managed to open a gap, but with great effort, not in small part due to the Hufflepuff beaters, who seemed to share a single brain.

There was no power behind Mabel strokes, but her aim was precise, stunning the hit player long enough for her twin brother, who wasn't accurate but had plenty of power, to get close and finish the job. Among their victims were the keeper Wallace Burton, who seemed like he just finished a duel; the captain Theodore Dedworth, who lost focus in the game and the chaser Finneas Cameron, who broke his nose so badly he was needed to be replaced.

The snow, which was gentle at the beginning of the match, got heavier, bringing with it such chill that even Albus begun to suffer. "How's the seeker even supposed to find the snitch in this snow?", he asked Scorpius, but his teeth rattled so much that his answer was incomprehensible.

"And Hufflepuff scores another one, 90-60 in favor of Slytherin, but certainly not a gap that will remain for long", there were boos from Albus' stand, but it was clear Kennedy was right once the gap narrowed to 20 points and soon after to only 10. "Oh no", Violet suddenly called in his ear, all anxious.

In the distance, the Pines twins began closing in on the Slytherin's seeker, the two bludgers in their proximity with no defensive ability from the other side. "Mather scores another one, the teams are now officially neck and neck", the voice of the announcer resounded in the pitch.

It became clear that without Dedworth's direct command the Slytherin team didn't function effectively. Plus, the snow fell so heavy now that Albus was amazed at how the players even managed to tell where they were flying to. If it gets any worse than that, he thought, even the students in the stands won't be able to see what's going on.

"And Gold noticed the snitch", the call suddenly came up, and indeed the Slytherin's seeker hurried on something not quit seen in the poor sight. But as he advanced Mabel hit him with a bludger, not enough to distract him from his trajectory but enough so he wouldn't notice Mason approaching from the other side.

Even Albus got to his feet, it wasn't fair, they were so close…Mason sent the second bludger, which would have hit the skinny seeker directly in the head, had Dedworth not burst from below, unseen under the heavy snow, absorbing the full force of the impact and spinning down without control.

"Gold grabbed the snitch! What an amazing move!", the head-boy fervently shouted and then caught himself, returning to his usual tone, "Sorry about that, 240-90 in favor of Slytherin, go back into the castle before you'll get sick". Ravenclaw applauded politely as Hufflepuff and Gryffindor began their journey back to the castle as if they were at a funeral.

But around Albus there was a real celebration as the Slytherins went to pick up Dedworth (who didn't seem to know where he was), carrying him on their shoulders in open joy, looking like a giant green caterpillar piercing his way on a white leaf. Yet the only thought on Albus mind now was how it will be a great opportunity to check out the secret hatch.

"You think I'll be able to...", he started asking Scorpius, and then noticed the prefect Campbell glaring behind him, "...Lend me your quill? I lost mine", he finished, stammering. Has she been staring at him all this time? He did the rest of the way in silence, trying to behave in perfect innocence as Violet and Scorpius enthusiastically rehashed the game.

However, as they approached the castle their excitement died down, officially ceasing when they entered the dining hall. "Let's eat there", Albus pointed to an area that was far away from the Slytherin team. Scorpius weakly nodded, but Violet caught him firmly by the arm and boldly advanced towards them.

Albus followed as well, wondering whether she genuinely thought she could face off against the senior students. He uneasily stood beside her, ready to neutralize the situation, watching Scorpius face turn white as the snow outside, frozen like a deer in the headlight.

The team noticed them, and again it was Ubel Miles who stood up to greet them, "What do you want?", he rudely asked. "Where's the captain?", Violet asked with false confidence (Albus noticed her wringing her hands). "Not here", his bend face twisted into a cruel smile, "Go away". And indeed, unlike last time, neither Dedworth nor Brennan were present.

Albus was about to turn around, not needing to be told twice, but Violet repeated her question, Scorpius stable as a ragdoll in her hand. "He's in the hospital wing, the healer is dealing with his concussion, making sure it's not too bad", Nethanel Gold, the skinny seeker replied, ignoring Ubel' furious scowl. "Can you tell him it was a great game?", Violet asked.

"Of course", he answered, "Thanks by the way", he waved, still holding onto the small golden snitch. "Well, that wasn't too bad", Albus said as they walked away, checking back as the team begun to passionately quarrel with each other, especially the tall chaser and small seeker. "I thought it would work, because of you to be honest", Violet said as they sat down.

"You see", she answered his questioning look, "It's the same as when you dealt with Patricia- the only way to beat a bully is to stand up to him". Albus, who wasn't able not to feel a little flattered still had to find out, "But what if it would have ended like before?". "So at least we tried", she smiled, "Right Scor?", the pale boy weakly nodded.

From that moment onward his attitude has undoubtedly improved, even his punishment (that unfortunately continued after the match) bothered him less than before, the secret hatch almost forgotten from his mind. He filled his agenda with so much studying and candle training that at the end of each day he was completely spent, falling asleep as soon as his head met the pillow. Thus, he learnt about the connection between the depth of his sleep and the rarity of his nightmares, which aided his mood even more.

The lessons swirled before his eyes- one moment he stared at the wall during transfiguration, another he aimlessly waved his wand in charms and in a further instant he laughed at Gifford with Violet when a thorny shrub spanked him in herbology. "It's not nice to laugh at others", Scorpius told them at the end of the class, "Who cares?", they both replied in sync.

That way the next two weeks passed quickly as Albus oddly found himself looking forward to the match between the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, even more so than Scorpius and Violet. But his reasoning was different yet again- he was not interested in points or team positions for the end of the year games, but rather wanted to observe his brother, to see him in action up close one more time.

So, on Friday, two days before the match he didn't pay much attention during the last class for the week, and again was asked to stay behind at its end. This time the Professor didn't bother to take him to his office, but rather remained seated in his chair. He scribbled something in his small plain journal before putting it aside and intertwined his thin and lanky fingers beneath his hollowed face.

"You don't seem to pay much attention, boy", his voice whistled long after he closed his mouth. For some reason he seemed bothered that Albus wasn't attentive in his class, though it wasn't clear why- after all, most of the other students also weren't precisely a shiny example for inquisitiveness.

"Sorry, Professor. It's not going to happen again. But I must hurry to my residence after the bell…". "I hope you at least got to practice with the elf wax I brought you", he didn't let him finish, his dark brown eyes staring straight forward. It was out of his control, Albus thought, he would just have to explain why he was late afterwards, and who knows? Perhaps it will even come in handy.

"Certainly sir, I worked on it at every instant I could, at least a few hours every day, in fact", his gaze wandered everywhere but the professor's eyes, "It's still on me, actually", he finally focused on his drop shaped ruby earring. Reaching into his pocket, he almost pulled out the bottle that contained the magical storm, "Sorry, here it is", he really should have stopped walking around with it.

"What are you waiting for, boy?", impatience passed the smooth face as the candle was placed upon the table, "Turn it on!". "Um, I still can't do it, sir", Albus nervously said. "Why did you lie then? I thought you said you worked on it", an angry glimmer passed his eyes.

"I did work on it", now Albus looked straight at Doyle, his outrage from the thought he had lied overcoming any other emotion he had, "I can turn it off right away, look...". He drew out a lighter to light the candle and then effortlessly turned it off in an instant.

Expressionless, the Professor stared at the candle for at least a full minute as Albus impatiently waited, seeing him as if beyond a thin veil. "Interesting…", he said at last, and abruptly lit the candle, creating such a large flame that half of the remaining wax disappeared.

"The thing is…", he concentrated on the flame, which only slightly moved, "…it should be much harder to put out". Albus imagined his mother, who simply suffocated the fire with her fingers. "Are you sure about...?", he began asking. "Don't question me, boy!", the Professor impatiently interrupted him again, but then something in his expression changed.

"Have you seen anything strange lately by any chance?". The thought of the twisted tree and wet green hall passed through Albus head, as for the secret hatch. "Look at me", the Professor said, and his head seemed to rise by itself, directing an eye line between the green and brown.

A huge explosion sounded from the corridor outside and Albus recognized the familiar sound of a 'Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs'. "Damn that boy, I thought the head-girl took care of him", the thin man got up in anger, "I don't have patience for this nonsense anymore", he mumbled, more to himself than Albus, as he left.

"I guess that means I'm free to go", Albus told the empty space as another explosion tore the air. He got out just as the Professor aimed a black beam, which seemed to have swallowed the light around it, at a winged pink piglet firecracker who chirped in terror a second before being hit, disappearing in a quiet poof.

Albus couldn't help but be impressed by this, the deluxe firecrackers were expensive for a reason- they were almost impossible to turn off. The irony of the thing after what the Professor had just stated made him chuckle as he sidestepped to get away from the sparks.

He started heading downstairs when a thought about a detour came to him, but before he could even turn the details in his head he came across Brennan. The prefect curiosity turned to anger as he saw Albus, "Please tell me it wasn't you", he put his hand to his forehead. "I was with Professor Doyle", his honor got hurt once more, "You can ask him if you like".

"Okay, okay. I just asked", the prefect seemed relieved and to his displeasure started to accompany him, "It was Wildfired Whizz-Bangs, wasn't it? Illi satis pretiosa", he whistled. But Albus himself kept his mouth shut, he was tired from his silly Latin phrases. "You still mad at me, aren't you?", Brennen asked when the silence prevailed.

"Do you think saying things that people don't understand makes you sound smart or something?", Albus heatedly asked, ignoring the question. "Yes, of course. For what other reason would I do it?", the prefect replied, in too good of an attitude for his taste.

"You never broke the rules before?", he inquired with pursed lips, trying to pull out some genuine answers for once. "Oh, lot of times. That's why I know what trouble it can lead to", Brennen said as they enter the hallway that led down, still smiling. "What kind of trouble?", Albus asked, a tingling sensation rising in his right hand.

"Trouble you shouldn't go through", Brennan grinned, "That's exactly why you're not allowed to walk as you please". They left the main corridor that continued to the kitchens and to the Hufflepuff's common room and started descending to the dungeons, enveloped in the usual bone-chilling cold.

"But I'll tell Daisy to calm down a bit", a slight irate tone crossed his voice for a change, and it took Albus a few seconds to understand he referred to Desdemona Campbell, her words that Brennen was the only reason he got along at Hogwarts ringing in his ears.

The secret passage finally neared. "Why would she listen to you? I thought she hated you", he tried to pop Brennan's confidence, his hand tingling so much it hurt. "Hate?", the prefect burst into laughter, rubbing his bloated tired eyes, surprising Albus so much he stopped halfway to the entrance.

"I thought the girl with the pink scarf would find out by now", he lowered his voice to a whisper, "You see, we were a couple. For nearly two years in fact". This piece of information evaporated every trace of anger from Albus, leaving him so shocked he didn't know what to say.

"Duty!", Brennan called, and the entrance revealed itself. "But in the end, we parted ways", he pressed him in, while staying behind himself, "It wasn't her though, it was me. I couldn't stand her anymore". He smiled at Albus' astonishment, disappearing behind the re-created door.

He absentmindedly strolled downstairs, reaching the bottom without noticing. Cullen and Rollo were there, the former's heavy square jaw protruding as he labored over a (rather difficult) potion assignment and the latter's small head once more stuck between 'The Quibbler's pages. The Trollish kid raised his eyes, requesting help as for usual.

Albus sighed, and, while looking over the magazine, pondered why he even cared about the new discovery. "If there is still water and grey sky full of thunderous clouds...", he pointed to the picture, his head busy processing the new information, "...and the birds are fleeing...", he moved his finger in the direction of the animals (who looked more like flying mustaches) that fluttered in panic at the edge of the picture, "What's coming?".

"A hunter?", Rollo asked with his weird gentle voice. "…You need five letters…", Albus again pointed at the clouds, which intensely vibrated in place, and back to the avian creatures. "Birds?", the trollish boy was at a loss, "But clouds and birds have nothing in common...", he frustratingly looked up at him. "Why are they fleeing?", Albus struggled to not roll his eyes, unable to come up with a more obvious hint.

"Birds... Escape… Thunderstorm…", he nodded in approval. Rollo's face lit up with a sudden understanding that would have reached anyone else an hour earlier. "Storm!", he shouted, startling Cullen, making him spill his ink all over his nearly finished essay, finally allowing Albus to continue to his section as both expletives and cheers simultaneously prevailed.

Did the prefect lie to him? He wondered, scratching Umbra (who was unsurprisingly at his hatch) under her chin. It sounded like the kind of thing he would do. Maybe Scorpius knew, but would he tell him anything if he did? If only there was a way to know for sure… But who in his right mind will ever obsessed over people's personal lives so much…

"Where are you going?", Scorpius asked the next day at dinner as he approached the four girls who just entered, leaving him and Violet behind. "I'll be back soon", he said before turning to his target, "Hey, Gabby. Can I talk to you about something?". But it was Megaera that responded, "She has nothing to say to you!", she revealed her crooked teeth the same way as Desdemona, her older sister.

Temira frowned her bushy brow in confusion and Patricia kept silent, observing the black sky seen through the transparent ceiling. "You're probably right...", he guessed something like that might happen, "It's not my business anyway, just a rumor...". He turned and didn't even manage to complete more than a single step before the burgundy haired girl caught up with him.

"What happened?", she excitedly asked, playing with the pink scarf around her neck. "Aren't you mad at me?", he feigned innocence. "Yes, very much. You think you can just silence me and… Stop!", she almost tackled him as he pretended to leave, "It happened a long time ago! Who cares?".

Albus pondered about it for a while, stretching her already thin patience, "You're right", he finally nodded. "You can go, Mia", Gabby waived off the other girls. Megaera growled like a dog, but Temira just shrugged her shoulders, "Come on!", she said in a heavy Scottish accent, "I'm starving!". She pulled her reluctant friend and joined Patricia, who didn't bother to wait for them.

"What were you talking about?", Violet asked Albus as they left the dining hall. "You'll find out tomorrow...", they passed by the Altum Mites' statue, on which head someone had placed a puffy rainbow-coloured wig, "…or even sooner. We're dealing with Gabby here, after all…".

And indeed, the next morning, the confirmation reached him. "I can't believe you sent her to investigate whether Brennan and Desdemona were a couple", Violet stated as she, Albus and Scorpius made their way towards the quidditch pitch, to observe the match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.

"I did nothing", Albus smiled, enjoying the cold air on his face, "I just asked if she knew anything, she did the rest…". "Well, just so you know, it caused her and Mia to fight all night...", "…It's true than, isn't it?", her angry grunt was the answer he needed.

"I still don't understand why it matters to you so much", Violet rubbed her stiff hands together. Albus didn't know how to explain why misunderstanding people to such extent bothered him so much, so he just contented with a non-binding shrug. "And why didn't you tell us first?", she indignantly added, surrounding her head with steam.

He chuckled, "You just said it doesn't matter", now she was the one to shrug. "Let's hope the match will be over quickly", Scorpius tried to distract them, almost camouflaged on the background of the dreary day with his faded coat and silvery-blond hair. "Sure", Albus replied, his lacking reaction making him to strongly suspect that he already knew about it beforehand.

Although the sky was clear of clouds, without a trace of snow around, there was still an incredible cold, which literally froze the students, making everyone look like dragons as they exhaled. "It's finally starting", Violet, who apart for a small slit for her eyes had her whole head covered, said, her voice muffled.

And indeed, the head-boy began introducing the players, "From Ravenclaw- the chasers Zoey Smith, Jennifer Burns, Amelia Stone…". There was fewer applause than usual as many preferred to keep their hands inside of their warm coats. "Here we go… Ravenclaw with the quaffle, Burns passes to Stone, who passes to Smith... it was close, but Longbottom blocked it…", Kennedy Carrow commenced the announcement.

"It recently became known that Smith got scouted by the 'Holyhead harpies', and she seem to already practice for it by creating an only girls chaser team", the captain, freckled with short reddish hair, ignored the commentary, fully focused on the game. "But will their teamwork will overcome Moreno and Potter's raw talent?", the question seemed to stuck in the thick air.

The answer soon turned out to be a resounding yes. Albus heard from Violet how the Ravenclaw team practiced day and night in the freezing cold while Gryffindor took retreats whenever the weather got too dreadful- and it certainly showed. James and his captain were still head and shoulder above the rest, but as soon as they ran into difficulty their cooperation disintegrated, and they again begun to compete with each other instead of the opposite team.

And there were plenty of difficulties to go around- from the cold that blocked any feeling in the body; Smith's teamwork that prevented the ball to fall into the wrong hands in the first place and Gryffindor own seemingly inability to work in attendance with each other. But most of all it was the Ravenclaw's keeper and seeker who put hurdles for the opposing team.

The keeper, Bernard Boot, or 'Barrel Butt', as he was referred to in the stands, lived to his given name. He had a huge body with stubby arms and legs, and while not being proficient in actually catching the quaffle, it didn't matter as he repelled every ball sent his way (including the bludgers) with his massive figure. And, as Albus looked, one of the cannonball-like violent things hit his round stomach- he didn't even flinch.

Shun Abara, the seeker, was the complete opposite, being small and fragile, and would have probably been taken out of commission by even the slightest of blows. That is, of course, if someone could even focus on him, let alone aim his way. He wasn't able to do graceful turns like Albus' brother, but he compared with him when it came to sheer speed, seeming like a smeared blue spot as he made his way around the pitch non-stop in an alarming pace.

The blue team, unlike the red one, seemed almost unfazed by the cold. Violet wondered aloud if maybe they were used to the weather from their windy (and not to mention high in the air) common room. Yet Scorpius stated it was their intensive practice that undoubtedly paid off. But whatever it was it helped them to open a gap of more than 50 points less than half an hour into their match.

"Walker with the quaffle, throw to Potter, is he going to pass to Moreno?...", James continued zigzagging alone between the two rival beaters, ignoring his captain, who was in a perfect position next to the hoops. "Why even ask? And… Close one, nice block by Boot. Still 90-40 for Ravenclaw".

A collective sigh came from the red stand, "And now Potter and Moreno are getting into a shouting match, meanwhile Smith slips another one. 100-40 for Ravenclaw"- their shouting intensified. "At this rate Gryffindor's only chance to win is if the snitch will get caught soon", the announcer added.

The Gryffindors' hope for a quick end to the game indeed came, yet it was Abara who triumphed. With a huge smile on his face, he finally slowed down enough to present the winged golden ball in his hands. "250-40 for Ravenclaw", the head-boy called, "Be civil!", he added, more to the red stand than the blue one.

Any ovation for the winning team was drowned under the jeers the Gryffindors aimed at their own. Albus saw Fred, who was painfully ineffectual throughout the match, flying towards Albus' brother, but he couldn't reach him in time. James landed, almost fell over, and started smashing his new broom into the frozen ground in open rage.

"What a waste", Scorpius quietly shook his head. "Personally, I think it was mercy", Violet exposed her flowing bright brown hair as the sun finally started warming up the pitch, "I'm sorry by the way", she said to Albus. "For what?", he asked, confused, as they as well made their way to the castle.

"Your brother, I know he's on a different team, but it was still hard to watch", she answered in an equal confusion. "I really don't care", Albus dismissed it offhand, peering back just as his brother and cousin exited the field. He didn't feel sorry nor joy. In fact, he hadn't really felt anything at that moment.

When entering the main hall, he suddenly noticed that there was no faculty around, "I'm heading to the loo, I'll be right back", he wasn't about to let this opportunity go to waste. "I'll go with you", Scorpius leapt, and despite Albus' objection remained steadfast in his position.

"Fine then, come on", he would just have to get rid of him later somehow. They circumvented the swarming crowd, unseen under the ruckus, and started to make their way in the corridor that led down. They approached its end when Gifford appeared in front, his hands burdened with a variety of pastries and sweets.

One candied puff fell, and he struggled to keep the rest from following suit, not noticing as Albus disappeared behind the hidden opening in the nearby wall, the same one from which Pechman materialized from before, pulling Scorpius after him. He was about to whisper some excuse on why he didn't want to be seen when another voice came up.

"What is it? You sneaked into the kitchen again? You disgusting pig!", Albus froze in place as he heard his brother's voice. "No, I mean yes. It will not happen again", the round boy replied in tone he never heard before, one combining vulnerability and pleading.

"You said it last time, Giff, but you're still fat enough to block all of the three hoops together", James' voice didn't express pleasure, but it did, in some weird way, resemble a teacher reprimanding his student. "Maybe words can't penetrate all these layers of lard. Depulso!", there was a noise of air abruptly escaping lungs and of soft things dropping to the ground.

"I don't want to see you here ever again!", his brother's footsteps echoed as he continued down the hall. There was a heavy silence for what seemed like an eternity. Time itself seemed to stop- the air, the sounds around, even Scorpius who was still as a statue.

Eventually, the sound of a large body moving came up, but not before a tiny, scarcely heard, sob, escaped.