Here you go, the trip will soon commence!
Quote: "The only explanation is that Clow may have done something before he died…his magic was pretty incredible…he might have been able to cast a spell that would work after he died." –Kero
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry or Sakura.
Jaded Angels and Silken BlossomsChapter 12: Team Assembled
***
Mid-December, I started to panic. Professor McGonagall had already come around to ask for the students' names who would be staying over the Christmas break. Hermione, who had been planning to go home for Christmas, stayed over when she heard that she was on the top of my list to go to Japan. In fact, I had the Griffindors all sorted out already, and the Hufflepuffs. Now all I needed was a Ravenclaw and a Slytherin.
I didn't want to ask anyone who was already not going to be at Hogwarts to go on such a mission, so I decided to ask the Heads of the Houses if I could see the list of students staying over. My prospects of asking Snape were not my favorite.
Professor Flitwick was the Ravenclaw Head of House, and he quite gladly gave me the list. Not only that, but he gave me a few good suggestions.
"You might want to ask this fine young man, Terry Boot," he said. "Terry is very bright and he is quite interested in Eastern Magic. Sunny Moon is also a good candidate, she is very friendly."
"Thanks, Professor," I smiled. "I will ask them. What about the other one?" The last person on the list was a second year. There would only be three Ravenclaws.
"Oh, didn't Professor Dumbledore tell you?" asked Flitwick. "He only wants you taking first years, like yourself. He said newer students would be better the take along."
"No, he didn't tell me," I said. "Luckily, all my Griffindor candidates are first year. I think I'll ask Justin Finch-Fletchley for Hufflepuff."
"Fine idea," said Flitwick, smiling again. "All bright young men and women. I think you're a fine leader, Ms. Indigo. Have you chosen anyone from Slytherin yet?"
"Not quite," I said, frowning. "I'm going to see Professor Snape and ask to see his list. I don't want to ask anyone to give up Christmas with their families, you see."
"Good, good," he nodded. "Snape is a bit harder to deal with than most, but I think you can handle him."
That was promising.
"Thank you, sir," I smiled. "Must be going, I have to talk to Professor Snape."
"Of course. Both of those Ravenclaws will be in the library tonight at seven-thirty, by the way," he said. "They're normal study time, you know."
"Thanks." I walked away.
***
"Professor Snape?" I poked my head into his dungeon classroom. "Professor Snape, are you here?"
"Yes, I am, what is it?" he said. His mouth was turned in a weird-looking smile.
"Um…I needed to ask you about the list of students who are staying over Christmas," I said, my thumbs twirling nervously. "I'm afraid I don't know that many Slytherin students, and I need to find a first year who is going to be here, you see."
"Yes…yes, you would," said Snape. Okay, he's being too nice. What is up with this picture? Something was wrong. "There is only one, I'm afraid. Blaise Zabini. I do believe…she's in the library at this moment."
"Oh…um…thanks," I said. "Um…see you in class?"
"Good day."
I walked the first few steps, but as soon as I was sure Snape wasn't going to hear, I started running as fast as my feet would carry me. Snape had been nice to me. Nice. What could it possibly mean? Why hadn't he bitten my head off, like he usually does?
"There is definitely something wrong with that man," I muttered as soon as I caught my breath. I was standing outside the library.
Walking in, I walked slowly around. I hoped I would find the Ravenclaws pretty easily, but instead I found Blaise. I remembered her from the Sorting very faintly. She was a timid-looking girl in glasses, with two black ponytails neatly tied with blue ribbons.
"Excuse me, are you Blaise Zabini?" I asked, just to make sure. I could easily have just gotten her switched around.
"Yes, that's my name," she said. "You're that girl. Angel Indigo, am I right?"
"Yes," I nodded. "Um…listen, you're staying over the Christmas break this year, right?"
"Yes."
"Would you like to come with Professor Eriol and I to Japan?" I asked.
Her eyes went wide. "Certainly. But why me?"
My face went a deep, deep shade of red. "I…I…um…"
"You need a Slytherin to go?" she asked, smiling. "I understand. It will be an honor." She bowed and turned away.
"Thank you," I said.
"It's not a problem," she said, smiling again. "I've never been out of England. I think I'd rather enjoy it." And she left.
I walked around and found the Ravenclaw study group pretty easily.
"E-Excuse me," I said. The six Ravenclaws looked up at. Five stared. One started talking.
"Hello! I'm Sunny Moon. You're Angel Indigo, aren't you? I find it so, so cool that you're an exchange student. I've always wanted to try it, but they won't let me go anywhere." She pouted. She was a blond girl, chubby like I used to be. Unlike me, she seemed quite pretty, even though she was overweight.
"Forgive her, she's a bit talkative," said one of the boys. "May we help you, Indigo?"
"Um…yes," I said. "I was wondering…where Terry Boot was?"
"That's me," said the boy. "Is it important?"
"Semi," I said. "Erm…I was told you and Moon will be staying over the Christmas break?"
"Yes," he nodded. One of the other girls smothered Sunny's response. "What of it?"
"Would either of you be willing to go on a trip during that time?" I asked.
"Not me," Boot shook his head. "I'm staying here because I hate to travel."
"I'd love to!" shouted Sunny. "Um…where are we going?"
"I'll tell you when the time comes," I sighed in relief. I had my seven. Four Griffindors, and one each from Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. "Thank you all for your time." I walked away.
***
"So you've decided?" Syaoran said.
"Yeah," I said. "Hermione, Ron, Harry, Neville, Blaise, Justin, and Sunny."
"I still don't understand why you're taking Neville," Hermione said.
"Well…" I shrugged. "He's a good kid, just not as strong as usual."
"Isn't Neville in your House?" Syaoran asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"I think something's going to happen," said Syaoran. "Remember? In the dream, there were only three others with red crests. Two had green."
"But that would mean…" I murmured. "Something's going to happen to one of my Griffindors. And I'll have to choose a Slytherin. That doesn't make any sense at all, why would I choose a Slytherin? And besides, Blaise was the only Slytherin staying over Christmas."
"It is strange, though," Syaoran said. "There have been too many coincidences for my liking."
"So where's Sakura?" Hermione asked.
"Still trying to get her magic power up," Syaoran sighed.
***
The day before holidays were to start, I found out just what that something was. Neville had been bitten by a jiggernaut. Jiggernauts are tiny little creatures that bury into your skin like ticks, only instead of just staying on the surface, the sneak into the stomach like a tapeworm and live there.
According to Madam Pomfrey, they don't cause much harm at first, but if they didn't remove the thing as soon as possible, Neville would die. And doubly unfortunately, it's very hard to get a jiggernaut out once it's in the stomach.
This was at the precise time that the carriages made especially for students to get to Hogsmeade arrived to take the students home for Christmas. Draco stopped in the hospital wing to say a few nasty words about Neville, but I stopped him short.
"Draco, I need your help," I said.
"What, now the little half-ling needs my help?" Draco said. "I don't think so."
"Please, I'm desperate!" I pleaded. "Please, Draco, please, just do your stupid little act again and act like the cousin I knew before! Please!"
"What's so important?" he asked. "That you need me?"
"I need another Slytherin for the trip to Japan, Draco," I confessed. "Please, do it for me, please?"
"Japan?" Draco's eyes went wide. Then they suddenly went slender again. "Sure, I'll go with you. On one condition."
"Name it," I said.
"Keep the mudblood away from me," and he turned around and stalked off. What had I done?
***
"You got who to go with us?!" Hermione said. "Malfoy? Why?"
"I was desperate, guys," I said. My head was in my hands. "He was the only first year left in the whole school besides Boot, and he doesn't want to go."
"But Malfoy?" Ron's mouth hung open. "I would have put in a plea to Dumbledore to let Fred and George come instead!"
"Or Heather," Hermione added.
"I know, I know!" I whimpered, squeezing my head. "I wasn't thinking!"
"We leave tomorrow," Ron said. "We'll just all ignore him. All right?"
"Agreed. We ignore him," said Harry.
"Yeah. Ignore him," Hermione murmured.
***
That night, Hermione and I packed our things up for the two-week long trip. Eriol had told us all to pack lightly, including Draco, Blaise, Justin, Sunny, Harry, and Ron. He said to only pack what we could carry easily. I had my school bag, which was actually a Muggle book-bag, for a carry-on and a small suitcase for clothes.
"How will we get there?" Hermione asked, blinking for a moment.
"I dunno," I said. I put three sets of Muggle clothes into my suitcase (all blue jeans and T-shirts), along with socks, underwear, and an extra pair of shoes. Then I started putting essentials in as well. "Probably by Muggle transportation. I doubt we'll be flying a broomstick all the way to Japan. That's further than I flew to get here, and that in itself was exhausting."
"A boat?" Hermione said, packing a book she'd gotten from David in her bag.
"Airplane, I'd wager," I said, zipping up the suitcase. Inside my carry-on, I put a book, a camera, and all of the essentials, which included some of the candy David had been sending. "Actually, if we went by boat, we'd get flipped out on the way over. If we went by sea, we'd take a ship."
"What's the difference?" Hermione asked.
"You know, for how smart you are, you don't know much about the ocean, do you?" I said. "I mean, when I told you about the dolphins I saw, you asked what they looked like!"
"I don't like the ocean."
"What?! You're joking!" My eyes were wider than David's had been when Draco told him he'd never played Playstation. "The ocean is a beautiful place!"
"It's scary to me," Hermione shivered.
"If I can, I'll teach you that the ocean is not scary," I said, sitting down next to her. We were the only people in the Griffindor Tower besides the Weasley brothers and Harry. Neville was still in the hospital wing. I felt bad about him, now that I had time to think. In my panic over my dilemma, I had neglected to feel sorry for him.
I curled up in my bed, leaving the curtain facing Hermione's bed open. "By the way, a ship can hold a boat."
"Cool," Hermione yawned. "Let's go to sleep."
"See ya soon," I murmured.
***
Just a little trivia-type thing there, about the boats and ships. Why is Snape acting so strange? I know why, but it won't come up for another while. ^___^ Hmm…Eriol knows a lot about ancient stuff! How's that for a clue? Hmm?