All disclaimers apply. Harry Potter and co. belongs to the wonderful goddess – Ms. J.K. Rowling and all its publishers' etcetera.
Note: this is the first part of chapter 14, thus, it's chapter 14.1 =)
The Awakening of a RoyalSilverDawn
Chapter 14.2: Quidditch TrialsFeeling vastly rejuvenated, Silverdawn ran towards Hagrid's hut in a pace that could have matched those of the birds flying above. Within a minute, she had arrived at the designated area, not even feeling slightly tired.
Hagrid smiled when the black-haired girl arrive, motioning her to enter the class. Silverdawn returned his smile with one of hers, and went into the ranks of Slytherins, between Draco and Nikolai.
"Good ter see ya all." Hagrid started in a friendly tone, urging them to come forward, "but ter translucent young spiders sired by Aragog had been killed in last week's lightning storm."
::More like mage storm.:: Ashteroth added sourly, earning a glare from Harry. Ron shuddered at the thought of interacting with spiders… giant ones in fact, and Hermione looked at him sympathetically before mind-speaking to her friend, ::We aren't going to see them, Ron.::
Ron gave a violent quiver, mumbling, ::Thank Merlin!:: Hearing this, Hermione grinned, directing him to listen to what Hagrid has to say. The half giant looked a little sad, but he shook it off, continuing in a very enthusiastic manner, "But I've got even rarer models for all of you. Silverdawn, can you call Shadownight and the others?"
Silverdawn looked mildly surprised. Raising an eyebrow, she felt amused, inquiring, "You managed to talk him through?"
"Yes." The giant of a man looked smug, and Silver had to give it Hagrid for his ability. Mentally, she called to his guardian, receiving a familiar assurance in her mind – a touch that was tinged black-silver. Instantaneously, five dragons, each of a different color, appeared at the clearing in front of the class. This sudden emergence shocked many students, and most of them were screaming, prepared to run away. However, Hagrid stopped them with a bellowed, "STOP!" The alarmed students were stunned by his holler, and slowly, they went back to where Hagrid was standing. The giant glanced at the dragons apologetically, a gesture that the dragons acknowledged with full understanding.
In a patient tone, Hagrid started explaining, "These dragons have agreed to be our models for this term's classes. I want all of you to interact with them in both human and dragon form. Take notice of the colors of their scales, and do ask them about what those colors mean to them. Remember, you are to write a report based on them for this term's report work."
"Human form?" Neville Longbottom echoed in confusion, causing Hagrid to knock his own head for his forgetfulness. Ruefully, he continued, "These dragons aren't the average ones that are being under Wizarding control. They have attained such a high level of wisdom that they are able to change into human forms. Average dragons have a high intelligence level, but these are considered the eldest of the senior, each a royal by their right."
"You are flattering us, Hagrid." A deep voice chided. This voice, one that was so unfamiliar to many, made the entire class look at the dragons, especially the black one, in disbelief. For all of them were sure that it was him who had spoken.
"Maybe yes, maybe not." Hagrid laughed it off, causing the same dragon to sigh. It closed its silver eyes, forming a black, semi-transparent mist around the five dragons. In a fluid motion, their dragon bodies started shrinking, forming human ones that were clothed in rather formal outfits – the men were dressed in medalled uniforms (think of those white uniforms worn by army generals and majors) whilst the ladies were clad in medieval gowns that made them look very regal. In just seconds, three men and two women emerged from the mist, looking rather surreal. Hermione smiled at her guardian, before grinning at the fact that Shadownight was causing several of the girls to swoon despite the obvious unwelcoming demeanor he had.
"Now, all of you. Go talk to them, in groups if you are nervous. They look dangerous, but they're actually quite friendly." Hagrid encouraged but Shadownight begged to differ, "Pardon, Hagrid. I am not dangerous to people whom I know that I can trust, but that doesn't mean that I don't kill all together." Many flinched at this, but Pearlsong gave him a look to hold his tongue, intervening before the situation gets tenser, "Children, it is all right. I guarantee that all of you are safe." With a smile, she charmed the entire class, making them feel as if they had entered paradise. Immediately, a group of students flocked over to her, whilst the black-haired dragonkin shook his head in defeat.
The other students went over to Foreststar, Nightshade and Sapphire (the other lady), happily chatting about all sorts of things. No one dared to approach Shadownight, and this only pleased him further. Like a panther, he slipped away to nap under one of the cherry blossom trees that hid him well, enjoying the chirps of the sparrows, and feel of the soft breeze against his skin. However, Silverdawn noticed this, and with the accustomed unanimity of the one another, the members of the Court went over to where Shadownight had hid himself, with the princess plopping her head gracelessly on her guardian's lap. There, Silverdawn relaxed visibly, enjoying the gifts nature showered on her. The soft rustle of leaves and the sounds made by the insects blended in visible harmony, soothing one and all that heard it, and the sakura tree that they were sitting under settled her branches in such a way that they sheltered the people under her.
Noticing their intrusion, the black-haired dragonkin opened his eyes, silver ones staring into the identical pair of his ward. Absently, the dragonkin patted her hair, allowing her to rest as he transferred energy from the surroundings into her. Silverdawn sighed blissfully at this, mumbling softly, "I really like having you here Shadow. Makes me feel safe." She then snuggled closer to the man, falling into a light slumber. Shadownight chuckled, soothing the girl, "Go to sleep, honey. All of you too, get some rest. Those last few nights must have been tough."
Thinking back to the mountains of paper that have been left in the conference table in the Information Halls itself, Nikolai shuddered, "Those papers will last us till next month."
"Finish up some of it. Then, we'll be able to go to San Marie with a light heart." Azrael advised, walking over to sit beside the healer. After settling down, he proceeded to lie on the fragrant meadow grass, saying, "Guys, listen to what Shadownight say. I'm off to sleep."
With that, he promptly dropped dead, sleeping in a fetal position. The other members snickered at the Prince's action, but complied and made themselves comfortable on the ground. As if hypnotized, they also fell asleep when they touched the ground. Shadownight sighed at their exhaustion, setting up a shield that made them invisible to the class. This would allow them to gain a short period of rest – something they needed quite badly.
Then again, one of them wasn't asleep.
Draco crept stealthily to where the dragonkin was seated, leaning against the man in a manner that showed the trust he had for the dragonkin. Shadownight gave a small smile at this, and, careful not to interrupt Silverdawn's rest, started quietly, "What is bothering you, Draco?"
The platinum-haired boy looked at the girl in Shadownight's lap, his expression clearly indicating the matter of his heart. As usual, the ever-perceptive dragonkin noticed it, in bemusement no less. Setting the mind-speech into private mode, he told the boy, ::Silverdawn has had a turbulent childhood Draco. It would not be easy to open her heart.::
::I know. But why can she trust Azrael so easily?:: Draco complained, a tone that bordered on whining. Hearing this, Shadownight had to fight the urge to laugh aloud, but instead, continued in a solemn tone, ::That's because she had known Azrael since young. The bond was built with years of trust and love. Furthermore, Silverdawn had been the reason why Azrael was late in his schooling.::
Draco was perplexed by the elder's words, but did not ask further. Instead, he confided to the man, ::I have a feeling that father is going to blow should he know that I like a muggle-born.::
Knowing that the 'muggle-born' was referring to Silverdawn, Shadownight agreed, ::Lucius will be furious if you were in love with one who isn't pure blood.:: The Slytherin snorted resentfully, countering sarcastically, ::He would be furious if I were to marry one who isn't part of his cohort.::
The Death Eaters, Shadownight thought to himself, and once again, he found himself wondering how Draco was able to stay untainted when the environment he's in was so… negative. In a fatherly manner, Shadownight continued, ::Those thoughts aside, I'm still your guardian Draco. The bonding we had during your 1st year in UWIM does not change when you leave UWIM.::
::…Thanks.:: Draco smiled gratefully, but frowned when he saw Silverdawn struggling against some unknown nightmare, looking very distraught. She was mumbling something in her sleep, silent tears streaming down her face.
"Mommy, wake up! Those sounds, many people... Mommy, colors, all over the place. Daddy, make mommy come back! Riley, I'm scared!" The black-haired girl was blabbering nonsensically, and her face contorted into expressions of fear and distress. This made Draco's heart wrench, and he reached over to pull the girl into his arms. Patting her back in slow strokes, he hugged the girl comfortingly, whispering words of reassurance to the sleeping, hoping that she would calm down. Thankfully, it did, and as the trembling abated, the girl went back into her fretful slumber, whilst Draco questioned Shadownight, "This happens often?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Shadownight sighed, looking at the girl in Draco's arms. It was strange that someone other than Azrael or the four guardians could soothe Silverdawn out of her nightmares, stranger still that it was someone who was completely unrelated to her.
Not exactly unrelated. He will be related in time to come. Shadownight mused to himself before explaining to Draco, "Silverdawn is a seer, or specifically, a black robed one. Her dreams are vivid and the dream world is another plane of reality to her. Also, she's an empath, so she senses the feeling of people very strongly. In her dream, there was a certain degree of desperation, thus her fear." He trailed of, not being able to explain Silverdawn's past without revealing her true identity.
Draco looked at the girl who was still in the protection of his arms, pained by what she felt. Never had there been a person who could draw such feelings from him, and this new experience alarmed him. Nonetheless, the now peaceful face made him smile tenderly, and he took the opportunity to gaze at her openly. Yet, an amused Shadownight interrupted his reverie, "Go to sleep Draco." His voice was tinged with a bit of magic, and Draco felt tired all of a sudden. It was only when he was about to give in to sleep when he realized something, "You've spelled us to sleep, didn't you?"
Shadownight chuckled at this, pleased that the boy was able to figure out what he did. In a magnetic tone, he answered Draco's question, "I did, but then, if I hadn't, would all of you sleep?" Draco shook his head, causing Shadownight to sigh, "See? Now go to sleep."
With a wave of his hand, Draco went into deep slumber, with Silverdawn circled in his arms. Shadownight stared at the two sleeping figures, whispering in the language of the angels to no one in particular, "The future looks bleak, children. We are on the edge of a knife… one mistake, one wrong step, and we might lose one of you in the course of his defeat.. This, I have no wish to come true…" The elder dragonkin then looked at the sky as if trying to decipher some message sent from above, before closing his eyes, attempting to get some rest before the class ends…
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By the time Care of Magical Creatures ended, all the members of the Court of Twelve had felt even more refreshed than usual, and Silverdawn rushed back into the Kadamon suite to prepare the food required for the mock picnic and dinner. Amber, Nikolai and Hermione helped out too, and the kitchen within the Kadamon suite was very boisterous with laughter and humorous chatter.
The boys (save Azrael) were in the main den of the Suite, counseling Ginny on the moves that were more suitable for dodging flying bludgers whilst holding on to the quaffle, with Hideaki being the most enthusiastic among them all. Having had directed Ginny in the training she had in the past few days, he was able to point out the redhead's weaker areas, and train them up to perfection. For that alone, Ginny had been grateful.
The precious time passed quickly, and all of them made way for the Quidditch pitch fifteen minutes before the trials started, where they parted ways. Ginny went to the waiting room, Silverdawn went to somewhere unknown whilst the others took to the bleachers at the professors' corner which was empty at that point of time.
There, there spread out the mat, and placed all the food (kept warm by a spell) on it before settling down comfortably, watching Harry, Ron and the other team players prepare for the trials. The Quidditch pitch was decorated with the customary red and gold color of the Gryffindor house, with the Gryffindor lion prowled around the flags that were swaying with the wind, and almost the entire Gryffindor population (majority comprises of the boys) was present, seating at various areas of the bleachers.
Hermione smiled at these decorations, adding some tuna filling into her butter croissant. The others were always attacking the food in front of them, and the brunette frowned, "Hey! Leave some for Harry and the others!"
"Yeah, you had better leave some for Azrael too, he'll blow his top if you guys don't." An all-too-familiar voice intoned as five pairs of footsteps entered the group's view. All of them looked up, and found the grinning face of Mikael, Prince of the Universal Royal Family, the amused one of Salazar Snape and Shadownight, the smiling one of Pearlsong, and the aloof one of Severus Snape.
All of them were surprised by their appearance, but Ashteroth found his voice first, asking curiously, "Uncle Severus, what's with you taking down the Glamourie more often than not?"
Severus Snape raked a hand over his now-soft hair, commenting wryly, "I've been pulled by Salazar and Mike to watch this trial. And coming here as 'greasy-git' Snape is going to be top gossip for the entire student population." The group laughed at this, but agreed with what the Potions Master had said. Moving closer to make space for the five adults, Hermione asked, "Your highness, why is it you say that Azrael will blow his top?"
Mikael, who had settled beside Blaise, took a bite out of a flaky pastry offered by Hideaki, saying smoothly, "Hermione, call me by my given name. It seems weird to be termed 'Your Highness' by a person who is a good friend of my siblings. Also, Silverdawn's culinary skills were honed for Azrael's stomach, who's known to be overtly choosy on his food when he was young. During his earlier years, Silverdawn was the only one whose cooking could match Azrael's stomach, though this symptom of only eating Silver's cooking has mellowed throughout the years in UWIM."
"That explains his addiction to Silverdawn's cooking." Draco remarked dryly, causing the others to laugh. Mikael agreed with what the platinum-blond haired boy said, replying regretfully, "Father should not have sent him to Assiah since Mother died… the angels there spoilt his stomach far too much."
"Why is that so?" Tristan asked, wondering how the angels could have done such a thing. Ashteroth shook his head at this, explaining, "The food found in the planes where the angels live can only be termed as… minastesqirre." He then turned to Severus and Mikael, asking, "How do you put that in simple terms?"
"Hmm… the nearest word in English I can find should be heavenly." Mikael said whilst Severus nodded in concurrence. This time, it was Hermione who turned curious. Caramel brown eyes reflected this, and, turning to the Potions Master who was seating next to her, she asked, "The food there is so good?"
Severus nodded, coal-black eyes looking distant, as if trying to remember something. Finally, he sighed, replying his student's question, "Yes, it can be termed the best. Even the Elven fare couldn't be better, though they would give the angels some competition."
"However, Elven fare can prove to be very good, though it might be albeit too formal at times…" Pearlsong mused, remembering one of her visits to one of the more 'stuffy' Elven forests.
"Still, Anael's cooking is the best. I miss hers so much and the wine she keeps, it's simply delicious." Nikolai said wistfully, thinking of the dark-haired angel who was Silverdawn's teacher in the culinary arts. Ashteroth looked longing too, and Hermione suddenly wished that she could try it. The others, all of whom with the exception of Draco and Blaise, were also deep in the thoughts of their trips to the Angelic World, of how splendid and carefree the entire place was.
Looking at all of their reflective faces, Blaise felt as if she were a stranger to all of them. All of them seem to share something in common, the girl mused sadly, something that I can never have… Melancholy slowly set into her heart, causing her shoulders to droop silently, and she did not touch any of the food.
Mikael noticed this, and gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. Blaise managed a small smile at this, but it did not reach her eyes. Diamond blue eyes questioned her, but Blaise just shook her head, not being able to speak her heart out… at least, not in front of so many people. The prince understood this, and tactfully chose not to press further. Instead, he took up a plate of spaghetti, and pushed it to the girl. In a tender tone, he whispered softly, "Don't look so sad, Blaise. I have not come here to see you get all depressed. I wish to see you smile, and be the carefree person I've known in those summers. Of course, I'm not going to torture you with more training. Lucifer has seen to it."
This comment brought about a weak smile from Blaise, but it was a genuine smile nonetheless. Finally seeing her smile, Mikael became contented, but Blaise still could not understand the complicated feelings in her heart.
Surely I'm not having a crush on him! She thought in dismay before chucking that particular thought in the back of her mind, where, hopefully, it would never resurface. Blaise then turned to look at Mikael's soft smile, feeling her insides melt. Mutely, she took the plate of food from the prince, and focused on the Quidditch pitch, where she saw her new friends doing some routine exercises before the trials.
Severus noticed the change of mood between his student and good friend's son. Cautiously, he mindspoke to Mikael, amusement coloring his mind-speech a warm yellow.
::Mike, you have once again, successfully made a girl fall in love with you. Just be careful though, she's my student.::
From the other end of the conversation came nothing, and Severus went somewhat startled by this, ::Don't tell me you harbor feelings for her.::
::Ever observant, Sev.:: came the mild reply from Mikael. Shocked, Severus looked at Mikael, and when coal black met diamond blue, Severus saw the tenderness, mingled with pain, that was evident in the younger man's eyes. Immediately, the Potions Master knew that Mikael had fallen into the bittersweet abyss called love, and he had fallen hard. However, this was something no one would be able to see easily – the innermost feelings of Mikael, save himself, Adam and perhaps, his siblings.
::This is just so wonderful.:: Severus mindspoke dryly, ::first Lucifer falls for Tracy, now it's you with Blaise. What's up with falling in love with your students?::
::I've got no idea, Sev. No idea at all.:: Mikael answered in an equally wry tone. He then looked at Blaise, who was eating mechanically, eyes focused on the competitors who were coming out of the waiting room. His gaze at the girl was one of yearning; of hope that the girl would return his affections he had subtly shown during those times they had training together.
But he knew that it would take time before Blaise accepted his feelings freely. Fervently, he prayed that she would not deny it like Tracy had at one point of time, for it would break his soul…
My rose, how I wish you could just open your heart to me. Is it truly so hard?
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Fifteen minutes ago…
In the waiting room, Ginny felt very uneasy, wringing her hands that were gloved in the pair of chaser gloves that Hideaki had lent her. Calming her nerves, she taught back to the times when she had training with the blond haired boy, and smiled blissfully. Hideaki had been especially nice to him, and the humor he injected into those tough trainings made Ginny become more enthusiastic about Quidditch. She reveled in those after training chats when the boy talked of the Quidditch games they played in UWIM, and of the dangerous stunts they pulled during those games. Ginny had been thoroughly enthralled by those stories, and the bond between them grew even deeper.
Unconsciously, she had gotten used to having Hideaki near her, and the different faces that the boy had shown without thinking made him even more adorable. The times when he was serious, when he was in a playful mood and when he was acting moderately miserable. All these seemed to trigger something inside Ginny's heart, and she hoped that she would not let him down today.
Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice that two persons standing in front of her, seemingly amused by her far-away look. Clearing her throat, Silverdawn joked, "A penny of your thoughts?" This sentence interrupted Ginny out of her revelry, and instinctively, the red head jumped slightly, only to blush when she saw Azrael and Silverdawn standing in front of her, amused looks plastered on their faces.
"Silver, Az." Ginny greeted in an embarrassed tone, causing Azrael to grin even more. Being in a good mood, the prince asked good-naturedly, "What were you doing just now? Astral projection?"
"Nope," Ginny smiled, "just thinking."
"Of a certain blond hair, blue eyed boy whom I know?" Azrael teased, generating an even redder blush from Ginny. Silverdawn lightly punched her twin at the side, chastising him as she passed a drink to the flushed girl, "Riley, she's already embarrassed, don't make it worse."
"I wish that there's a hole where I can hide in." Ginny said wryly, taking the beverage from Silverdawn gratefully. The black-haired girl smiled, motioning Azrael to bring out the thing. The silver-haired boy closed his eyes for a moment, the sign of the omega flared briefly as a broom materialized in his outstretched palm. The wooden handle was polished and glowed with a light of its own, the twigs neatly arranged, maintained in the best order. Ginny sucked in a breath when she saw the words, 'Nimbus Two Thousand and Five' engraved in gold near the top.
Azrael handed the broom to Ginny, and the girl took it gingerly, fearful that she would spoil such a wonderful thing. She took to studying every inch of the broom, and frowned at the wooden handle, "This isn't the usual mahogany handle of the Nimbus series."
Azrael's eyes lighted up at this, and he exclaimed in delight, "You are able to see the difference? I thought I'd be unable to find a person who would find out by himself, or herself."
"What wood is this?" Ginny asked, perplexed.
"It's rowan wood, requested specially by Azrael." Silverdawn helped in, eyes twinkling with something akin to pleasure, "Rowans are trees with great wisdom, and when made into brooms, it aids its master to have peace of mind." Ginny gazed at the broom in wonder, never knowing that different trees had traits suitable for making brooms. Azrael smiled at the look of admiration of the broom before pushing the girl to the general direction of the Quidditch pitch.
"Come on, the trials is about to start, Gin." Azrael reminded as he half pushed half directed Ginny out of the waiting room. Silverdawn watched this with a wide smile on her face, and she called to the red head, "Good luck Gin, and don't let Aki down."
"Silver!" Ginny yelled in exasperation, and this did nothing except to widen the smile on Silverdawn's heart-shaped face.
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Leaving the twins, Ginny entered into the Quidditch pitch, startled to find that they had decorated the place so grandly. She heard cheers coming from all areas of the bleachers, with the loudest coming from the bleachers reserved for professors when there were Quidditch matches held.
Then, she went over to where several other competitors were waiting – in front of Harry. Looking at the boy-who-lived, Ginny gave a smile that he acknowledged before surveying the other participants. There were three UWIM students, and seven other Hogwarts students vying for the two beaters and one chaser position. As expected, no one had wanted to challenge Harry for his position as Seeker, much to the chagrin of the boy. Ginny waved on noticing that her fellow year mates – Paul McArthur and Colin Creevey were trying out for the Beater position and Chaser position respectively, grinning on knowing that she wasn't alone.
"Now, there are only three positions today, and I expect all of you to exude sportsmanship when vying for the position. No bullying, cheating whatsoever. We are not Slytherins [sorry Draco], so I expect fair play. Those vying for beater positions, follow Angelina. She will brief you." Harry directed four boys, Kyle (UWIM), Nicholas (UWIM), Paul and Matthew Hugo (a fourth year) to where Angelina was standing in the center of the field, with the trunk containing the various balls.
"You guys," Harry continued to the remaining six competitors, "Split into two groups. We'll have a mock match lasting half an hour, and see how you fair." Immediately, Ginny paired with Faith Windsor, a UWIM student in her year, and Colin Creevey whilst Gerald Polmitus, Lucas Walters and Anthony King, all of whom were fourth year students, formed the other team. Satisfied that the teams were formed so quickly, Harry continued, "The mock match includes the bludgers, so I have to warn all of you. Do. Be. Careful. There will be no seeker, thus the time limit. Any other objections?"
The six people shook their heads, and Harry indicated the Kyle and Paul were in Ginny's team, whilst Nicholas and Matthew went into Gerald's team.
Reaching for a tendril of mindspeech connection, he mindspoke Ashteroth, ::Mate, are you able to take on the Keeper post for this trial?::
::Me? I'm not allowed to play…:: Ashteroth was mildly surprised, and this was evident in his reply, causing Harry to plead with the boy, ::Just a trial? Please!::
::Don't regret, the team who's against me will not be able to win.:: Ashteroth warned.
::No problem.:: Harry complied, grinning when he saw Ashteroth stand up at the bleachers. The blond haired angel shook his head, sea green eyes amused. In silence, he stretched out his arm, muttering a few words that caused a broom to appear in his hand – a simple Firebolt. Azrael (who had came back from the waiting room) looked at him questioningly, causing Ashteroth to explain, "Temporary Keeper."
With that, he flew to the pitch, leaving Hermione puzzled.
"Now, what was that all about?" Hermione asked.
"Harry required his assistance. Now this should be fun…" Silverdawn enlightened, eyes trained on the blond angel. The others all looked interested, glancing at Ashteroth, who had made his way to Harry's side.
At the Quidditch pitch, Harry smiled at Ashteroth before addressing the group, "Ash here will take the other Keeper post for now. Gerald, your group are to go for the hoops that Ron guard, and Ginny, your group will take the ones that Ash guard." Faith, Ginny and Kyle groaned unanimously, knowing that this particular senior was a very good player, and this brought a grin onto Ashteroth's face. With a lighter heart, the boy mounted and flew to the hoops, giving a friendly salute to Ron.
"Remember, it's not the winning that counts. I'm watching your moves, not the amount of points you score." Harry reminded when the moans subsided, before motioning for all of them to mount up. All of them complied readily, mounting on their respective brooms. Harry took the opportunity to look at what broom Azrael had lent to Ginny… and whistled.
"Gin," Harry commented in elfish, "that's a good broom you have there. Don't you agree, Faith?" Honey gold eyes seemed startled when Harry called upon her, but Faith gave her opinion, "It is a good broom, and the maintenance is very good." Ginny beamed at this compliment, replying in French, "Azrael has very good taste."
"Should have known that it's Azrael's." Faith commented wryly in the same language, "He has no need for brooms, but still, he has so many types that I cannot even begin to number." Harry's eyes widened slightly at this, "He has so many?"
"More than you can count. The Court takes pride in their collection of brooms." Kyle said dryly, causing Ginny's mouth to form a small 'o'. They did not have any more time to talk, for Angelina was ready to throw the quaffle. Colin gave a 'thumbs up' sign to the girls who were already in the circle, whilst Angelina took the cue from Harry, throwing the quaffle high up into the air.
…And the game started.
The entire match was rather messy, for most the competitors were unskilled in true matches, and the scene became rather chaotic. They were not very coordinated, but Ginny made it a point not to shoot if she did not have the confidence. Zooming past the others, the red head skillfully maneuvered her broom to where Colin was trapped between Anthony and Lucas, unable to move further.
"Colin!" Ginny shouted in the air, urging the boy to throw the quaffle over. Colin saw her, and threw the quaffle at her, conscious of not allowing their opponents get it. Soaring in the air, Ginny got hold of the quaffle tightly, swerved past Gerald, doing a dangerous three-hundred and sixty degree turn midair, before aiming for one of the hoops that Ashteroth wasn't guarding, thinking that it might get through.
However, nobody expected what happened next.
The boy seemed to apparate, moving over to the hoop in a speed so swift that left the entire crowd stunned before catching the quaffle in a skilled manner. He then threw the quaffle back to his teammates, leaving Ginny shocked beyond the core. She recovered fairly quickly, zigzagging her way through the court, dodging incoming bludgers as she motioned for Faith to pass over the quaffle that she had snagged from a pass that Gerald had intended to make to Anthony.
Holding the quaffle tight, she dodged yet another bludger, and passed the ball over to Colin, who in turn sped to the hoops, intending to shoot. Alas, a bludger appeared from nowhere and hit his hand, causing the quaffle to drop. Ginny saw this, and instinctively, made a dive so fast that she could feel the sound of the wind in her ears. She grabbed the ball when it was halfway to the ground, throwing it to Faith for she knew she would not be able to pass through three chasers at one time.
Thankfully, Faith caught it, and headed for the hoops at a very fast speed. She aimed for one of the hoops, but once again, Ashteroth, who still seemed to be at ease, no even sweating one bit, blocked it.
This continued on for practically the entire game, with Gerald's team winning by 20-0. Ginny was even more exhilarated at having to go against such a strong opponent, and she took to inspecting how Ashteroth reacted to the quaffle. Slowly, an idea formed through her mind, and she mindspoke to Faith, ::Faith, go near the hoops, fake a throw at Ash later, but throw it to me. We'll see how it goes.::
The girl gave Ginny an 'okay' sign, and proceeded to face Colin, telling him to coordinate his movement with hers. Everything set, they started blocking the other team, not allowing them to get to the hoops. Lucas attempted to throw the quaffle at the hoops, but Ron blocked it, throwing it in the general direction of Ginny. The red head took the cue and passed the ball over to Colin, who flew over to the middle of the court. Ginny sped to the other end of the field, awaiting Faith's throw.
"Three minutes left!"
Colin passed the quaffle over to Faith, who in turn dodged several bludger attempts, she went for the hoops, looking as if she was really going to throw into one of the hoops.
"One minute!"
Ashteroth went on guard, forgetting that Ginny was at the other side. Faith then threw the quaffle…
…At Ginny.
Ginny grinned when she caught the ball. In a swift motion, she threw the ball into the unguarded hoop at her side, knowing that Ashteroth would be unable to block it this time. As predicted, the Keeper did not have time to react, and Ginny scored. For. The. First. Time.
Cheers sounded throughout the bleachers as the whistle for the game to end rang all through the area. Ginny hugged Faith ecstatically, shouting, "Faith, it worked! It really worked!"
"Yes it did, Gin!" Faith grinned, laughing at the girl's delighted expression, before shaking Colin's hand, saying cheekily, "Well done, Colin. We couldn't have done it without you."
The boy seemed slightly embarrassed, but he took Faith's hand, shaking it firmly as he eyed Ginny, who looked to be residing in Cloud Nine. Facing Ginny, Colin beamed, "Gin, you were great! I'm sure you'll be chosen as the next Chaser." Colin felt a little down, but he knew that Ginny had the talent, and he had lost willingly, as did the members of the other team.
Ashteroth, Harry, Ron, Angelina and Katie walked over to where all of them were huddled together, expressing their congrats to each and everyone of the competitors. Harry then looked at all of them, starting, "We've chosen for Kyle and Paul to be the beaters, and Ginny to be the next chaser. I hope all of you understand."
Indeed, all of them understood, and they expressed their best wishes to the new team members before heading back to the restroom. On the way there, Ashteroth gave Ginny a lop-sided grin, commenting ruefully, "It's been a long time since anyone was able to get past me. Well done, Gin." Listening to the boy's praise made Ginny smile widely, and they went into the restroom to change before going to the Kadamon suite for a bath.
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That night, there was a private celebration in the main den of the Kadamon suite. All sorts of food were brought out, and all of them – Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Blaise, Ginny, Silverdawn, Azrael, Nikolai, Amber, Lawrence, Tristan, Hideaki, Ashteroth, Mikael, Severus and Salazar had feasted as if there was no tomorrow. The dragonkin were gone for a patrol in Hogsmeade, and everyone felt that it was a waste for them not to be present, for the food was simply heavenly. Even Severus Snape, the infamous Potions Master of Hogwarts, was finding himself at ease with everyone, including Harry Potter.
"Silver, I can never understand how you can cook up such a storm." Tristan murmured as he bit into the tender smoked fillet that was covered in a creamy sauce. Lawrence agreed too, commenting in glee, "It's been far too long when you cooked for us."
"The 'far too long' part doesn't count. I've just cooked yesterday." Silverdawn pointed out in exasperation as Lawrence grinned sheepishly.
"Still, you seldom cook so much food at one time." Lawrence said in his defense, making the black-haired princess heave a sigh of defeat. Azrael grinned at this, but took time to counsel his twin, "Sherry, get used to this, the food you cook can be addictive."
"This I agree." Severus Snape added in, causing the entire group to laugh. It was seldom that Snape would agree to anything that did not pertain to Potions, and this could possibly be the only thing that he was fond of, other than Potions. Hermione took a sip of the butterbeer that was brought into the school by Mikael, commenting, "Nevertheless, the dishes are all very unique, and taste far better than usual. Why?"
"Simple. The cooking comes from her heart. She willed it to be nice, isn't it?" Amber supplied and Silverdawn gave a nod. They continued chatting like this for a long time, enjoying each other's company and making jokes out of all sorts of things, from Trelawny's stupid divination classes to how Severus torture them during Potions. Ron even had the guts to complain to Severus that he was treating the Gryffindors far too unfairly, and instead of scolding Ron for his insolence, Severus even took to explaining that there was a reason for it, one that was clear to all present – Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Conversations continued, ranging from the upcoming Court introductions to the political issues involving the entire world.
It was about eleven when Salazar finally spoke out, "I'm afraid I have to make all of you go to sleep. There's still classes tomorrow, and I believe the fifth years have DADA first thing in the morning."
Most of the groaned, but knew that what Salazar had said was all too true. With a wave of his hand, Mikael cleared the mess of dirty plates and other utensils, leaving the room spotless clean. The group was about to proceed back to their rooms when Azrael started, "Gin, I have something else to give you."
Everyone turned to face the silver-haired prince, who held a broom in his right palm. He handed it over to the Ginny, who was shocked by the beauty of it. The broom was of an even higher quality than the Nimbus Two Thousand and Five she had used earlier on, and the wood seemed different. Sleek was the design, with its streamline handle glowing with its own light, twigs immaculately arranged, made of some kind of light-colored branches. Ginny proceeded to look at the brand… and almost dropped the broom.
The girl opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again.
"A Firebolt II?" Ginny croaked, causing the Hogwarts students to look shocked whilst the others looked on, unperturbed. Silverdawn grinned at her reaction, saying, "Yup, and it's all yours, Gin. It even has your name engraved on it."
"B-but I can't keep this!" Ginny cried, pushing the broom back into Azrael's hand. The prince refused to take it back, countering firmly, "I told you. If you get it into the team, I'll give you a broom. I mean what I say Ginny."
"This broom is expensive!" Ginny gasped, "I cannot keep it!"
"It's on beta-testing, Ginny. It isn't that valuable yet." Silverdawn explained, urging the girl to keep the broom.
"I thought this broom would only be out next year?" Harry asked, remembering the news he'd read on the Daily Prophet a few weeks ago.
"We have our connections." Nikolai said mysteriously, before asking, "However, I thought the type of handle wasn't confirmed yet?"
"I figured out the mixture of rowan and ash at the last minute." Silverdawn clarified, grinning a wide smile as she turned to Ginny, whose mind was still warring on the problem of whether to accept the gift or not.
"Keep it, Gin. Consider it a present from the Court of Twelve." Hideaki encouraged, but Ginny just shook her head sadly, "I still can't keep it…" Azrael sighed at her insistence, and finally spoke out the truth, "Ginny, this broom doesn't cost us as much as you expect it to be. We only paid for the wood and branches."
Narrowing his eyes, Draco asked, "What do you mean by that?" Azrael smiled guiltily, saying, "Er… actually, we, the Court of Twelve, are the producers of Firebolts. We own the company, so by default, the broom doesn't cost us much."
This revelation came as a shock to the Hogwarts students, Draco included.
"You mean that the Firebolts are created by the few of you?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"It was part of our summer project during our sixth year." Silverdawn supplied as Ashteroth added, "It had been for fun only. But it made quite a lot of money in the process."
"That's an understatement." Ron retorted, giving in to their talents.
"Agreed." Blaise murmured, stifling a yawn in the process. Mikael noticed this, and whispered into her ear, "You had better go to bed soon, my rose. You're dead beat." Blaise nodded, almost dozing off in exhaustion, and Mikael, no longer being able to stand it, spoke out, "I'll send Blaise to bed first. She's about to drop dead anytime."
The group stared intently at the couple until they were out of sight, and resumed to the current debate. Hideaki was the one to start, "So, Ginny, say you will accept this, please!" The puppy eyes he gave her made Ginny give in, and in a reluctant tone, she agreed, "Alright. Thank you guys!"
The members of the Court smiled at her, each taking their time to congratulate the girl all over again. They then proceeded to rest, with Silverdawn engaged in an interesting conversation with Azrael.
::So, Mike has a soft spot for Blaise…:: Silverdawn confirmed with her twin, who gave the same opinion, ::Looks like it, though Blaise is still unaware of it.::
::This will prove to be fun Riley.::
::We'll just have to see what happens next, Sherry.::
And in Blaise's room, Mikael sneezed. Looking at the sleeping girl, the prince pulled the blanket to under her chin, careful not to interrupt her sleep. Gazing at her tenderly, he kissed her forehead, whispering, "Good night."
With that, he apparated into his own room, where he finally could have some sleep…
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Severus Snape entered his room (in the Kadamon suite) to find a letter on the counter by the bedside. It had no note, no referral whatsoever, but he still tore the envelope open, reading the contents, which was in the language of the devils, with a sense of dread.
Severus,
I need you to be at the raid this Saturday night. Meet me at Hyde Park in London at 2200hrs. Dementors will be there, so I suggest you be careful, for I cannot have the Dementors taking you too. Take this report to Dumbledore if you wish to, I have already told his Highness about it.
Remember, burn this after reading.
Yours,
Belial
Short and to the point, as usual. Snape thought to himself, allowing the trepidation to subside. He reread the letter once again, and threw it into the roaring fire burning in the fireplace. sinking into a couch, he stared at the fire blankly, not wishing to think about Saturday, but thoughts plagued him…
…And he found himself unable to sleep that night…
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End of Chapter 14.2
Sorry!!! I've delayed this again, but I didn't mean to! I've gotten pretty stressed out, but your reviews have really helped me coped =)
Arghh! I failed two of my A-level subjects!!! My mother's pretty pissed with my continuing to write this story while my grades are falling… I am so dead!
Next chapter, San Marie, and maybe the raid too!
mow wow ~ I'm sorry, *guiltily* there isn't much Hermione now…
aries ~ *thoughtful* hmm… I'm not sure what you mean? I'll be proceeding to San Marie next chapter, then the raid will be up…
Aria Starlight ~ *grins* Az isn't with Gin, and Gin isn't with Az. Any other guesses? The others that you predicted are quite right, save the one on Ron =þ
hazeleyez ~ I'm sorry about the constant delay, but things just crop up from nowhere, and I've got no laptop (no $$$ to buy one)
*no name* ~ Yup =) I am pairing those two up. they'll make a nice couple, won't they?
cherrity ~ Too bad Mikael can't be here all the time. I would love to match them up even more ^_^!
Tracy ~ thanx for your inquiry on my health… but I always find that I don't sleep enough!!! *sighs*
arcee ~ *sheepish* Actually, I'm not very sure myself ^^ Romance should start soon, but before that comes tragedy.
April ~ Mikael likes Blaise, but Blaise is pretty oblivious to it. Stupid, isn't it? *heehee*
Madame Padfoot ~ Hope that the part between Mikael and Blaise was enough… though I have to admit that ittiz rather short…
bubblegum*girl ~ *crosses my fingers* I should very much hope so!
Omni ~ Wow! The school research must have been tough! WWI is bad, but I hate WWII, the history notes for my tests last time positively killed half of my brain cells! *lol* Also, thanks for your idea, I might come to use it…who knows?
eden ~ sorry!!! But I dun think that she'll awaken so soon! Many apologies!
pegase ~ by all means, go ahead! I'd like to see it done too, then maybe I could try learning French! *grins widely*
howling wolf ~ you got that half correct. She received a Firebolt. Good guess!
starbrite ~ I currently trying on that =)
Loves_Kiss ~ VK??? I still delayed it in the end… Sorry! Which house was he in? Gahedriel. Luce had been in Sevosia, so he was in Gahedriel =þ
Colibi ~ This chapter is finally up! sorry to have split it into two…
As de corazones ~ wowie! You can do Spanish??? You could try translating, but I don't know if I am able to read it… I don't know Spanish! *albeit embarrassed*
Becky ~ your review made me smile, you knew that? It was fun to see something new everytime!
Orange ~ I know, I felt that the Belial and Severus scene was darn humorous, and the rhyming you made was funny!
Chinamoon-shines ~ I'm sorry, but I'll hurry to it soon… I hope! *lol*
Aemos ~ But it was a fact that I got a C5 for my AO GP paper. *sighs* My parents were pretty upset…
mow wow ~ thanks for the compliment! But I still feel that it ain't good enough, the plot I mean!
KT*CUP ~ Sorry to have delayed this time and again, but I hope you'd still read it! =)
Melodie ~ Your guess is right!
MoonlitPhoenix ~ Heehee, how long did you take to read it? This fic (up till now) is pretty long ^_-
Li-chan ~ Hermione's ability of speech came as a natural talent, so she's pretty used to it, even before the UWIM students arrived!
janmmci ~ once again, I'm so *sorry* for the delay. Hope you like this chapter too!
LILLYBUGGY ~ Chapter's out! *surrenders the chapter with hands on my head* *lol* hope you are not mad with me!
donna ~ yippee, I finally got this chapter out, but for the next one, I can't make anymore promises… Sorry!
That's all for reviews this time!
P/s: Today's my Country's National Day, so Singapore, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Toodles,
SilverDawn