Dark World
CHAPTER SIX: CLASH OF BLOODLINES
"'You'll be soon finding out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort.' . . .
'I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks.'"
Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter
Finding my grandparents and the visiting Ministry officials boring and the other two pairs of parents discussing arrangements I dragged Jill off to the dormitory where I had left my sketch of Renowa. I pulled out the now colored and frames drawing of Renowa RavenClaw. Jill gapped at the picture. I smiled.
"Renowa this is my friend, Jill Sun." We grinned at Jill.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." She smiled at Jill who's mouth moved without any words coming out.
"Come on, we don't have all day!" I said impatiently and grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the commons room, "We don't have time to go through the halls." I said pushing back the banner and stepping though the bricks.
"SARI!" She screamed and dashed in after me. She clutched my arm tightly. "What was that for?" She demanded. I smiled and backed away and spread my arms.
"Welcome to the highest point in Hogwarts, the Room of Four." I said dubbing it with a name. Renowa giggled from the stand I had made for her. I pulled her over to the Gryffindor banner. We peeked through to find the Weasleys with their children.
"I bet that means your parents will be coming soon." I whispered. She nodded. I hurried over to our banner again but not before taking a really long look at George.
Saying goodbye quickly to Renowa we ducked back through the banner quickly almost a split second before Professor Flitwick entered with the Suns. I smiled.
"I'll leave you alone for a bit." I winked at Jill and slipped through the portal with a quick mumble of apologies. Dashing off towards the tower I picked the frame up again.
"New place, just for me." I declared. Renowa smiled.
"Soon, I'll let you know enough places you won't know where to go to be alone." She chuckled politely. I found myself wishing Renowa was alive, she would have been my perfect choice for a parent. She gave directions and soon I found myself in an old, abandon hall near the RavenClaw portal. A dusty row of gargoyles stood in a row all in different positions. I reached out to brush away the dust and felt the cold stone shiver under my touch. Renowa laughed as I snatched my hand back letting her picture clatter to the floor raising dust.
"What the hell?!" I demanded. She chuckled.
"They're old statues, Sari. They were carved from stone taken from a quarry deep in one of the dragon mountains in Romania. They were surrounded with magic before they were carved and I'm sure the magic level's here don't help any. A magician with his wand carved these statues, in their own way they're alive." Renowa explained. I watched intently as the gargoyle I had touched stretched and shook the dust off its back.
The gargoyle was a small dragon looking creature that was designed to look like an evil dragon in it's middle aged. I looked at the other ten gargoyles. Two old, dying dragons stood at the ends and one baby dragon was in the middle. Each dragon going out from the baby depicted a stage in the life of the dragon. One side was if the dragon chose the side of goodness and the other for the evil side.
"What are they here for?" I asked Renowa curiosity getting the better of my conscious.
"To guard my rooms." I peered at the drawing to see if she was mocking me. She chuckled, "Honestly, Sari, that's what they're here for." She promised.
"Dracon abit." She said in a commanding voice. The Latin words echoed in the dusty hallway before a loud sound of rock against rock grinding against each other as a large opening formed in the wall, "Come on, we haven't got all day!" Renowa said and I clamped my jaw back up.
I passed through the stands of beads that hung from the doorway and heard the dragons and stones grating back into place. I turned and looked around the room. Pillows, mattresses and other comfortable items were placed about the room. They seemed to be made of soft fabrics in deep blues, silvers and whites. A large fireplace had several large mattresses around it as substitutes for couches. A study was to my right across from the fireplace. From floor to ceiling, books crammed every inch of space in the bookcases. A yellowing globe stood in the corner beside a stand that held a book open. I ran my hands over the old bindings of the books.
"Romeo and Juliet, Pride And Prejudice, Hamlet, MacBeth, A Midsummer's Night Dream . . ." I read the book titles I recognized aloud in wonder.
"All original copies . . ." I gapped.
"You were alive then?!?!" I asked in shock running my hand over the leather binding of the King James version of the Bible.
"Not when Pride and Prejudice was written, no. But I had Dumbledore get it for me after a student read it aloud to me one year. He's the only one that knows of our rooms."
"'Our'?" I asked.
"Yes, 'our'. You don't think I got my own room and the other's didn't. Oh no." She said smiling, "We each had our own rooms. We never told each other where they were but we all helped furnish them. Those lovely silver pillows came from Slazar, many of the books Godric gave me, and Helga gave me a lot of the knick-knacks." She said. I picked up a clear crystal ball that held a swirling white mist inside of it. The mist inside suddenly began to swirl at an alarming speed. Colors faded in and out and the mist began to slow down as it flashed between a dark purple and navy blue. Renowa smiled.
"Nothing less I'd expect from you." I looked at her suspiciously. She smiled, "You'll find out soon." I raised my eyebrows but just placed the bauble back on the shelf.
"So what am I going to do with this?" I asked her.
"I don't know. You can use it whenever you want." I smiled at her.
"Mind if I redecorate a little?" I asked. She shrugged.
"Don't change it completely." She told me.
"Okay," I gather my wand from the folds of my robe and held it up with my other arm stretched out beside it. Imagining the white purple I cried, "Purpura!" The white suddenly turned a shocking shade of light purple. I smiled.
"Well, certainly your touch I'd say." Renowa said. I nodded and sunk into a large pile of pillows in the small lower, circular part of the room. I sighed and felt my eyelids heavy. I had gotten little sleep the past week, too scared and frightened to go to sleep. I stayed up later than the other girls and then softly cry myself to sleep early in the morning. I felt the calming darkness beckon and I slipped into a deep sleep.
I dreamt of a pale green, ghostly light pressing against a dark green and red light. In a way it reminded me of a war between Christmas and St. Patrick's Day. My mouth curled into a soft smirk for a second before the light exploded and sent me hurtling back into reality. I work up throwing the blankets I had covered myself earlier with, off.
I sat panting heavily at the searing pain that had gone through my veins as the world jolted back to me. Adrenaline pumped through my body, as I shook not sure what to make of the dream. I looked at Renowa who was staring at me curiously.
"What was all the screaming for?" She asked. I looked at her confused.
"What screaming?"
"You kept screaming out before you woke up." She said.
"What was I screaming?" I asked standing unsteadily and walking towards her swaying like a drunk.
"I don't remember exactly maybe 'no not him', 'go away', I think 'not my baby!' was one of them . . ." I looked at her surprised, "Oh yes and the one you screamed loudest and last, 'You heartless bastard.' Quite the American I'd say." I blushed.
"I don't remember anything but pale light against red and green, Christmas-y light. Maybe it was the prediction of a war between Santa and the leprechauns!" I chuckled to myself. Renowa frowned at me.
"Well, you're friends are starting to worry. I suggest you talk to Dumbledore about this privately as soon as possible." She said sternly. I nodded, "Now shoo! Remember the password is 'dracon abit'!" I nodded and hurried out of the room. The wall opened and let me pass through before slamming shut.
"Sari?" I heard an unfamiliar female voice calling me. I hurried down the steps and into a common hall and down again to where the voice seemed to be calling me from.
"OH! There you are! I was so worried!" I smiled seeing the worried figure of Molly Weasley searching every nook and cranny in the hall.
"Hello, Mrs. Weasley." I said giving her a reassuring hug.
"Hallo, Dearie." She said hurrying me towards the Great Hall, "Fred and George have told me much about you. But mostly it's stuff I find annoying such as you working for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes." I smiled and blushed slightly, "Which I will make sure never happens. Those two . . ." I could tell she wanted to rant about them, "But I don't know much about you other than you're a 'swell old gall' and a 'beautiful angel of fun.'" I blushed.
"Who said-?" I started.
"Oh, Fred said you were a swell gal with a great deal of business precision and a load of a good sense of humor. George was barely able to say anything from trying to get his face not turn permanently scarlet, but he managed to say you were a beautiful, talented young lady that has a large sense of humor and wit. In all honesty I find you to sound like the perfect influence for my daughter. But those boys are convinced if you decide to stay with us they'll take up every second of your time with their damned business." I blushed again, wondering if my rosy cheeks would become permanently red, "But tell me about yourself, Sari." I thought for a second before answering.
"Well, I was born in Virginia and grew up there until I was about ten. Then I got accepted into Snowdem and my family moved out there. My father began a small stationary shop in the town to support my mom and my attending the school. I became enthralled in my studies, especially Muggle studies. I loved to learn about the things I had always heard of. I mean spending my early life in a Muggle school system left with plenty of knowledge already, so continuing with normal Muggle studies was expected by myself." I explained walking beside Mrs. Weasley towards the Great Hall, "I studied other languages, I studied Muggle subjects, wizards subjects and over the summer my father would make me help him at his store so I got good business experience. I went overseas last year for an exchange program in Japan. I want to become a diplomat in foreign policy negotiation for the Council of Magic in America and the Society of Magic in Japan or a Japanese animator. I still want to achieve that but it may take longer." I added wistfully, "I admit I love the way Fred and George can drag me away from the books. If I hadn't met them or Jill I'd probably be buried up to my neck in books." I smiled with a hint of admiration in my eyes.
"Well, I hope you rub off on those two. They need to spend more time with their noses in the books instead of making up stupid inventions." Mrs. Weasley sighed, "They're so bright . . . they should just learn to use the knowledge for something useful."
"Well, they seem to be very self-efficient, its great they can turn something they love to do into a job. Imagine how into their work they'd be." I smiled at her, "they would never complain." Mrs. Weasley sighed, "Don't worry, Mrs. Weasley-"
"Molly."
"Molly, Fred and George will turn out just fine."
"Poisoning our mum's brain with bad things about us?" George asked coming up to us as we neared the Great Hall. I rolled my eyes.
"Of course." I told the twins.
"A! No need to help her there!" Fred chuckled, "Quite a good way to get on her good side. Agree with her." I giggled politely.
"Now boys, I don't want you corrupting that poor girl." Molly said, placing her hands on her hips and looking at us sternly. I grinned as George wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to him.
"No need, for future tense Mum, we've already done that!" I laughed as he put me into a pretend headlock.
"We've been through the process already! She'll never be the same." I laughed as Fred cackled evilly.
"Don't Fred, you remind me of . . ." The mother trailed off, "You-Know-Who." She whispered.
"Oh, terribly sorry 'bout that Mum." Fred said, patting her arm, "Shall we go to dinner?" He asked holding out his arm changing the subject quickly and smoothly.
"Yes, yes! Don't want to be late." She said, taking Fred's arm, "Your father and I will be sitting at the head table."
"Shall we be going milady?" George asked releasing me and sweeping into a large, parody of a bow. I giggled and stepped back looking flattered, batting my eyes furiously.
"Of course my lord." I said, curtseying low to the floor. He offered his arm before we were bumped into each other.
"Honestly, the Weasels don't need to be multiplying especially into a pure-blood descendent of the English Davis line." A disgusted voice came from behind us. I looked over George's shoulder to see a younger boy with icy, blue eyes and platinum blonde hair standing behind him.
"Who are you?" I asked confusion drifting into my voice. The boy took my hand and brought it to his lips.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Draco Malfoy of the Malfoy line, you may know my father Lucius-" He began. My eyes narrowed at the voice.
"Lucius Malfoy?" He nodded. I snatched my hand back.
"If it's any bloodline that shouldn't be continuing it's yours." I stated hotly. The boy's eyes narrowed, "Your father is the most rude, obnoxious, stuck-up man I have ever met! I'll date whom I please." I said taking George's arm roughly and dragging him behind me into the Great Hall, leaving an assortment of gapping inter-house people behind us.
"You mean you'd like to date me?" George asked rather amazed as he caught up and walked beside me, our arms still intertwined. The bridge of my nose turned pink.
"Uhhhh . . ." I looked up and saw Amy and Jill winking at me. They made kiss-y faces and my face went up in flames, "Yes." I said meekly. He suddenly broke out into a grin.
"Well, I think we should talk about it later. I'll meet you after dinner outside the hall?" I nodded dumbly and he kissed my cheek. He left me standing dumbstruck beside my chair and Jill and Amy pulled me into the seat.
"SO?!?!?" They demanded immediately. I looked over at the redhead. I let out a soft moan and buried my head in my arms. The two shrieked with glee and the seventh year girls hammered me with questions.
"Are you official?"
"An item?"
"How does he kiss?"
"Is he romantic?"
"Do you plan on getting him in bed?" The last question wasn't followed up I looked up to see a blushing Janet, a raven-haired young woman that I recognized to be the romantic of the group.
"That's not exactly my intention. . ," I said slowly. She blushed, "Although . . ." I trailed off and we all collapsed into giggles. Some of our housemates stared at the twenty of us as if we had all gone mad.
"To answer the questions," I said sitting up and putting some of the newly appeared food on my plate, "We aren't officially an item yet, because we haven't done anything about our feelings. I don't know how he kisses, but I have every intention on finding out. He seems rather romantic and I don't want to plan on bedding him. I'd rather take things slow." I took a bite of a baked potato to show the finality.
"A Gryffindor . . ." the girls all sighed. I rolled my eyes.
"So day after tomorrow is Saturday, which is the trip to Hogsmeade and I really need new dress robes. Anybody go any idea on where to go?" The girls began to shout out names. I nodded as if I was paying attention just glad to have the subject off the awkwardness of my situation with George Weasley.
I turned and looked out the window as I felt that cool chill run down my spine. An eagle stared straight at me from the owl hatch and took off into the dimming night sky. I frowned. Something about that didn't bode well, not at all.