Xenith
'For a moment he contemplated her, as one who had fallen out of heaven. He saw radiant joy in her face, he saw the flowers beat against her dress in blue waves. He stepped quickly forward and kissed her.'
-E.M. Foster
Chapter Ten
"Why so glum chum?" Ron said, coming up behind Harry and elbowing him in the side. "How were the Quidditch trials?"
"Good. I made it."
"As if there was any doubt." He beamed. "Ask me about the journalism class." He prodded.
"How was it?"
"It was GREAT! I never thought I'd ACTUALLY like writing that much! And I'm good at it! I guess all these years with Hermione in the library have finally paid off."
"Talking about me behind my back Mr Weasley?" Hermione nudged between the two boys with her usual armful of books.
"Always." Ron grinned tenderly down at Hermione causing her to flush softly.
"There was an attack." Harry said randomly, taking not notice of his two friends.
"WHAT!" They snapped together, shattering their reverie.
"Yeah, they don't know where yet, but there defiantly was one."
"Harry," Hermione pulled them aside. "How do you know?"
"I was testing for the QE class, yeah?" They nodded in unison. "Well, this massive invisible thing crashed into the stadium."
"Was anyone hurt?" Hermione broke in.
"Ginny was---"
"Ginny was hurt! Harry, why didn't you tell me?!"
"Ron! She's fine. She fell off of her broomstick and I dove underneath her. She hit me. Not the ground."
"Good. I'd've killed you otherwise."
"Back to the attack Harry." Hermione broke in, dragging them back to the conversation.
"Yes, well, when everyone was on the ground I looked over to Hagrid's cabin. There was this group of students and, believe it or not, dragons. There was blood everywhere."
"That's terrible."
"I know. Well then the two Ravenclaw Prefects came running up to us. They said that Dumbledore would explain everything at dinner."
"What kind of place would need a dragon to guard it? And then, why would the dragon come here for help?"
"The new substitutes for the Care of Magical Creatures class watch over 'em." Lee said coming up behind them.
"Eaves dropping Lee?" Hermione spun on him, eyes sharp.
"No. Just walking by, looking for Gred 'n Forge. Don't know where they've gotten off to."
"Well we haven't seen them. Sor---" Hermione started.
"I thought they only took care of _small_ dragons." Harry broke in. "What was that MASSIVE thing doing at Hogwarts?"
"Not to sure on that one mate." Lee admitted. "But they obviously trained the thing. You should have seen them jump at it when it fell. I've never seen anyone so worried over a lizard before."
"Was it okay?"
"They said it should be. But all that blood was defiantly nerve wrecking. You'll have to ask them about it in your lesson."
"It was that bad?" Hermione looked dreadfully anxious.
"You couldn't possibly imagine how gory their lives must be. Tending to monsters like that."
"Have you seen your brothers by the way?" He added as an after-thought to Ron.
"Sorry." He shook his head.
"Oh well. See you at dinner?"
"Yeah." Hermione nodded him off as he entered the Great Hall, leaving the three in quiet contemplation.
"We should get to dinner ourselves." Hermione said, finally breaking the silence.
"Should I go see Ginny?" Ron seemed torn between the thought of leaving his sister alone and going to hear what Dumbledore had to say on the attack. He'd let Hermione decide.
"Come with us Ron. We'll all go to see Ginny after dinner. I want to find out what happened." Ron nodded and followed Hermione and Harry into the Great Hall.
"Harry?" Colin came up timidly behind Harry halfway through the meal.
"Yes Colin?" He didn't even turn.
"Harry, can you help me?"
"With what?" He sighed, turning around on the bench.
"I know something's going to happen, Harry."
"What do you think's going to happen?"
"Please don't talk to me like I'm still eleven Harry. I'm nearly fifteen."
"Alright." Harry looked much taken aback at this statement. He'd never really thought of Colin as anything except the little eleven year-old boy that'd always followed him around.
"I know we're at war Harry, and I want to make sure Dennis'll be safe."
"He'll always be safe at Hogwarts Colin. We'll all be." He said, trying to convince himself as much as he was Colin.
"I want to be sure though. Please Harry."
"I don't understand what you want me to do."
"I want to help you Harry. Help keep you safe---"
"I don't need any more protection." He turned sharply away from the younger Gryffindor.
"We all do Harry." Colin said quietly. "I want to protect my brother Harry. I'm sure you'd do the same. That's why I want to protect you too. I figure if we're all protecting one another we're all much better off."
Harry didn't answer for quite a long time but Colin stood diligently behind him, eyes glued to a bird-shaped blotch on the stone floor.
"Okay." Harry finally answered. "I'll keep an eye on your brother."
"Thank-you Har---"
"But I don't know how much good it'll do. I'm not the best wizard here you know."
"It can't hurt though." Colin finished, a quiet, pensive, smile playing across his face as he made his way back to his seat by Dennis.
"That was very big of you Harry." Hermione said softly from his right.
"Humph." He snorted. "So what else is new?"
"Shhh," Ron said from across the table. "Dumbledore's standing up." They both quieted.
"I'm sure many of you have noticed the damage that has been done to our Quidditch Pitch," There were many gasps and stunned groans from the school's avid Quidditch players. "The pitch, I assure you, will be restored to its former grandeur in no time. Worry not." There was more then one sigh of relief. "But there has been an attack. I have been informed of an assault on one of the Gringotts buildings. Bulgarian branch. The building was being guarded by, in addition to its normal security, a pair of dragons. The building in question was obliterated. There was only one survivor. One of the dragons. As you can probably all imagine, this is an absolutely devastating occurrence. Only powerful magic is able to destroy something like a dragon. The beast managed its way back to its masters, our new Care of Magical Creatures substitutes, but in the course of doing so our pitch has sustained a significant amount of damage."
"This attack is the first definite move of a newly re-empowered Voldemort." A terrified murmur ran through the quiet. "The Dark Mark was found over the ruins of the building. Process this information as you will. I have no doubt it will be in the Prophet tomorrow morning for any of you who choose not to believe me." He surveyed the students sadly. "But please do believe me when I say this: we are at war. Fight or run. The choice is yours, not your parents and not your professors. Make sure you choose wisely." Dumbledore sat back down, hand running though his silver beard as he stared determinedly at the back of the Great Hall.
---
"Where'd all the dragons go?" George said as they came upon Hagrid's cottage.
"Where'd all of the Professors go?" Fred's question was answered almost immediately when Chris jumped out of nowhere.
"I JUST said I was going up there! Don't you guys EVER listen?!" she shouted into the nothingness over her shoulder. "I'm sixteen! I can take care of SOME things you know!" she turned around, jumping at the sight of the two boys. "Where'd you two come from?"
"We could ask you the same thing." George said, backing up a tad at the sight of her.
"Cloaking spell's back up."
"Oh, what happened to your face?"
"Dragon blood." She offered no further explanation as she conjured a towel with her wand. Chris took the towel out of the air before her, and slid her wand into a long, thin, specially designed, pocket at the side of her trousers. She strode past the two Weasley's and started the trek up to the castle, working the blood off her cheeks and hands as she went.
"Your hands!" Fred said, shocked. "And your mouth!"
"Yeah, completely burned, right?" She smiled painfully over at him.
"I'd say so." George replied.
"Why are you guys down here anyway?" Chris stopped walking and started digging around in her pockets.
"Fred?"
"Wanted to see how that dragon was." He said loudly, kicking his brother in the shins. "Didn't we George?"
"Yes, yes! I remember now!"
"He'll be fine. We were able to stop the bleeding in time." She finally managed the orange burn cream out of her pocket and began applying it haphazardly to her chin and hands.
Fred and George made half an effort to cover their laughter.
"I'd like to see either of you get this ruddy stuff on nicely without a mirror."
"Here," Fred took the tube from her already orange coated hands. "Let me." Fred took up position in front of the dragon girl and ran his orange coated fingers softly over her face. "Why do you do that anyway? If the blood burns?" He said quietly. His thumb stopped movement over her lips, her dark eyes catching his own icy blues.
"The human tongue heals quickly." She said softly. "`Specially with magic. A worm might—might not s-stop bleeding, even with magic. Human saliva has certain . . ." She trailed off.
"Certain?"
"Healing properties . . ." She whispered.
"Um-hmmm?" Fred's hand moved beneath her chin, trailing orange goo as he lifted it to meet his own.
"Yes . . . healing prop. . ." She began before her orange coated lips were moving gently against Fred's.
"Ahem." George cleared his throat loudly. The two sprang apart---both faces pink through the orange burn cream.
"That was wrong." Chris said, taking a huge step back from the Weasley. "That was very, very wrong."
Fred just stood there, orange covered mouth hanging slightly open.
"Shouldn't you two be up to dinner?"
"Yes, yes!" George said, stepping up to the professor. "Dinner. Come Fred!" He pulled his idiot brother away from the girl and dragged him up the castle steps. "Bye Professor!" He called over his shoulder. She gave half a wave before turning her back on the two. "And what, may I ask, was that?" he addressed his brother when the doors of the castle entrance were shut firmly behind them.
"Huh?" He turned slowly to George.
"Hallo?" He smacked the back of his twin's ginger head.
"What was that for?" Fred turned angrily on his brother, rubbing the back of her head.
"`What was that for?' 'WHAT was that FOR?' What do you think that was for you blithering idiot!"
"Oh."
"All you have to say is 'oh'? You should be glad that I was the only one out there you fool. In broad daylight! What ever possessed you to do that? AND you have a GIRLFRIEND!"
"Oh, yes. Well. . ." He stammered.
"She's a professor, Fred. A professor."
"She's younger then the two of us. You heard her."
"That doesn't change her position Fred."
"Odd."
"What?"
"This whole sensible thing on you."
"Shudd-up."
"Bullocks." Fred muttered.
"What?"
"Dinner's out. Look." Everyone was flowing out of the Great Hall rather somberly.
"Hey Fred." Angelina called to Fred, her whole face lighting up as she bounded over to him. "Why weren't you at dinner?" she stood on tiptoes, wiping the orange off his face before pecking him quickly on the lips. "And why is there burn cream all over your face and hands?"
"Oh, you know. . ." George answered suggestively.
"More trouble I suppose." Fred draped his arm over the short Quidditch player's shoulders as they headed up to the Gryffindor common room.
"You could say that." George hinted. "Eugh!" George grunted as Fred elbowed him in the stomach.
"Did you hear about the attack?"
"Yeah. A dragon was injured. Right, Fred?" George prodded again.
"That's what I heard."
"It's terrible though, isn't it? All those people killed." Fred just nodded as they approached the portrait hole.
"Shnookums." He addressed the Fat Lady.
"Exploding Snap Fred? George?"
"We've gotta go work on something. Right George?"
"Yeah. Something." He eyed his brother queerly.
"Come on."
"What do we have to work on?" George pulled on the back of his brother's jumper, stopping him half-way up the stairwell.
"The mistletoe. You want it done for Christmas, don't you?"
"Hmmm, and I wonder what made you think of MISTletoe right now?"
"We need to get it done."
"Was it Angelina. . .?" George ignored Fred as they made their way up seven flights of stairs to the seventh year boys dorm. "Or was it Ch---"
"Of course it was Angelina you lunk."
--
¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ ·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- tbc -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
'For a moment he contemplated her, as one who had fallen out of heaven. He saw radiant joy in her face, he saw the flowers beat against her dress in blue waves. He stepped quickly forward and kissed her.'
-E.M. Foster
Chapter Ten
"Why so glum chum?" Ron said, coming up behind Harry and elbowing him in the side. "How were the Quidditch trials?"
"Good. I made it."
"As if there was any doubt." He beamed. "Ask me about the journalism class." He prodded.
"How was it?"
"It was GREAT! I never thought I'd ACTUALLY like writing that much! And I'm good at it! I guess all these years with Hermione in the library have finally paid off."
"Talking about me behind my back Mr Weasley?" Hermione nudged between the two boys with her usual armful of books.
"Always." Ron grinned tenderly down at Hermione causing her to flush softly.
"There was an attack." Harry said randomly, taking not notice of his two friends.
"WHAT!" They snapped together, shattering their reverie.
"Yeah, they don't know where yet, but there defiantly was one."
"Harry," Hermione pulled them aside. "How do you know?"
"I was testing for the QE class, yeah?" They nodded in unison. "Well, this massive invisible thing crashed into the stadium."
"Was anyone hurt?" Hermione broke in.
"Ginny was---"
"Ginny was hurt! Harry, why didn't you tell me?!"
"Ron! She's fine. She fell off of her broomstick and I dove underneath her. She hit me. Not the ground."
"Good. I'd've killed you otherwise."
"Back to the attack Harry." Hermione broke in, dragging them back to the conversation.
"Yes, well, when everyone was on the ground I looked over to Hagrid's cabin. There was this group of students and, believe it or not, dragons. There was blood everywhere."
"That's terrible."
"I know. Well then the two Ravenclaw Prefects came running up to us. They said that Dumbledore would explain everything at dinner."
"What kind of place would need a dragon to guard it? And then, why would the dragon come here for help?"
"The new substitutes for the Care of Magical Creatures class watch over 'em." Lee said coming up behind them.
"Eaves dropping Lee?" Hermione spun on him, eyes sharp.
"No. Just walking by, looking for Gred 'n Forge. Don't know where they've gotten off to."
"Well we haven't seen them. Sor---" Hermione started.
"I thought they only took care of _small_ dragons." Harry broke in. "What was that MASSIVE thing doing at Hogwarts?"
"Not to sure on that one mate." Lee admitted. "But they obviously trained the thing. You should have seen them jump at it when it fell. I've never seen anyone so worried over a lizard before."
"Was it okay?"
"They said it should be. But all that blood was defiantly nerve wrecking. You'll have to ask them about it in your lesson."
"It was that bad?" Hermione looked dreadfully anxious.
"You couldn't possibly imagine how gory their lives must be. Tending to monsters like that."
"Have you seen your brothers by the way?" He added as an after-thought to Ron.
"Sorry." He shook his head.
"Oh well. See you at dinner?"
"Yeah." Hermione nodded him off as he entered the Great Hall, leaving the three in quiet contemplation.
"We should get to dinner ourselves." Hermione said, finally breaking the silence.
"Should I go see Ginny?" Ron seemed torn between the thought of leaving his sister alone and going to hear what Dumbledore had to say on the attack. He'd let Hermione decide.
"Come with us Ron. We'll all go to see Ginny after dinner. I want to find out what happened." Ron nodded and followed Hermione and Harry into the Great Hall.
"Harry?" Colin came up timidly behind Harry halfway through the meal.
"Yes Colin?" He didn't even turn.
"Harry, can you help me?"
"With what?" He sighed, turning around on the bench.
"I know something's going to happen, Harry."
"What do you think's going to happen?"
"Please don't talk to me like I'm still eleven Harry. I'm nearly fifteen."
"Alright." Harry looked much taken aback at this statement. He'd never really thought of Colin as anything except the little eleven year-old boy that'd always followed him around.
"I know we're at war Harry, and I want to make sure Dennis'll be safe."
"He'll always be safe at Hogwarts Colin. We'll all be." He said, trying to convince himself as much as he was Colin.
"I want to be sure though. Please Harry."
"I don't understand what you want me to do."
"I want to help you Harry. Help keep you safe---"
"I don't need any more protection." He turned sharply away from the younger Gryffindor.
"We all do Harry." Colin said quietly. "I want to protect my brother Harry. I'm sure you'd do the same. That's why I want to protect you too. I figure if we're all protecting one another we're all much better off."
Harry didn't answer for quite a long time but Colin stood diligently behind him, eyes glued to a bird-shaped blotch on the stone floor.
"Okay." Harry finally answered. "I'll keep an eye on your brother."
"Thank-you Har---"
"But I don't know how much good it'll do. I'm not the best wizard here you know."
"It can't hurt though." Colin finished, a quiet, pensive, smile playing across his face as he made his way back to his seat by Dennis.
"That was very big of you Harry." Hermione said softly from his right.
"Humph." He snorted. "So what else is new?"
"Shhh," Ron said from across the table. "Dumbledore's standing up." They both quieted.
"I'm sure many of you have noticed the damage that has been done to our Quidditch Pitch," There were many gasps and stunned groans from the school's avid Quidditch players. "The pitch, I assure you, will be restored to its former grandeur in no time. Worry not." There was more then one sigh of relief. "But there has been an attack. I have been informed of an assault on one of the Gringotts buildings. Bulgarian branch. The building was being guarded by, in addition to its normal security, a pair of dragons. The building in question was obliterated. There was only one survivor. One of the dragons. As you can probably all imagine, this is an absolutely devastating occurrence. Only powerful magic is able to destroy something like a dragon. The beast managed its way back to its masters, our new Care of Magical Creatures substitutes, but in the course of doing so our pitch has sustained a significant amount of damage."
"This attack is the first definite move of a newly re-empowered Voldemort." A terrified murmur ran through the quiet. "The Dark Mark was found over the ruins of the building. Process this information as you will. I have no doubt it will be in the Prophet tomorrow morning for any of you who choose not to believe me." He surveyed the students sadly. "But please do believe me when I say this: we are at war. Fight or run. The choice is yours, not your parents and not your professors. Make sure you choose wisely." Dumbledore sat back down, hand running though his silver beard as he stared determinedly at the back of the Great Hall.
---
"Where'd all the dragons go?" George said as they came upon Hagrid's cottage.
"Where'd all of the Professors go?" Fred's question was answered almost immediately when Chris jumped out of nowhere.
"I JUST said I was going up there! Don't you guys EVER listen?!" she shouted into the nothingness over her shoulder. "I'm sixteen! I can take care of SOME things you know!" she turned around, jumping at the sight of the two boys. "Where'd you two come from?"
"We could ask you the same thing." George said, backing up a tad at the sight of her.
"Cloaking spell's back up."
"Oh, what happened to your face?"
"Dragon blood." She offered no further explanation as she conjured a towel with her wand. Chris took the towel out of the air before her, and slid her wand into a long, thin, specially designed, pocket at the side of her trousers. She strode past the two Weasley's and started the trek up to the castle, working the blood off her cheeks and hands as she went.
"Your hands!" Fred said, shocked. "And your mouth!"
"Yeah, completely burned, right?" She smiled painfully over at him.
"I'd say so." George replied.
"Why are you guys down here anyway?" Chris stopped walking and started digging around in her pockets.
"Fred?"
"Wanted to see how that dragon was." He said loudly, kicking his brother in the shins. "Didn't we George?"
"Yes, yes! I remember now!"
"He'll be fine. We were able to stop the bleeding in time." She finally managed the orange burn cream out of her pocket and began applying it haphazardly to her chin and hands.
Fred and George made half an effort to cover their laughter.
"I'd like to see either of you get this ruddy stuff on nicely without a mirror."
"Here," Fred took the tube from her already orange coated hands. "Let me." Fred took up position in front of the dragon girl and ran his orange coated fingers softly over her face. "Why do you do that anyway? If the blood burns?" He said quietly. His thumb stopped movement over her lips, her dark eyes catching his own icy blues.
"The human tongue heals quickly." She said softly. "`Specially with magic. A worm might—might not s-stop bleeding, even with magic. Human saliva has certain . . ." She trailed off.
"Certain?"
"Healing properties . . ." She whispered.
"Um-hmmm?" Fred's hand moved beneath her chin, trailing orange goo as he lifted it to meet his own.
"Yes . . . healing prop. . ." She began before her orange coated lips were moving gently against Fred's.
"Ahem." George cleared his throat loudly. The two sprang apart---both faces pink through the orange burn cream.
"That was wrong." Chris said, taking a huge step back from the Weasley. "That was very, very wrong."
Fred just stood there, orange covered mouth hanging slightly open.
"Shouldn't you two be up to dinner?"
"Yes, yes!" George said, stepping up to the professor. "Dinner. Come Fred!" He pulled his idiot brother away from the girl and dragged him up the castle steps. "Bye Professor!" He called over his shoulder. She gave half a wave before turning her back on the two. "And what, may I ask, was that?" he addressed his brother when the doors of the castle entrance were shut firmly behind them.
"Huh?" He turned slowly to George.
"Hallo?" He smacked the back of his twin's ginger head.
"What was that for?" Fred turned angrily on his brother, rubbing the back of her head.
"`What was that for?' 'WHAT was that FOR?' What do you think that was for you blithering idiot!"
"Oh."
"All you have to say is 'oh'? You should be glad that I was the only one out there you fool. In broad daylight! What ever possessed you to do that? AND you have a GIRLFRIEND!"
"Oh, yes. Well. . ." He stammered.
"She's a professor, Fred. A professor."
"She's younger then the two of us. You heard her."
"That doesn't change her position Fred."
"Odd."
"What?"
"This whole sensible thing on you."
"Shudd-up."
"Bullocks." Fred muttered.
"What?"
"Dinner's out. Look." Everyone was flowing out of the Great Hall rather somberly.
"Hey Fred." Angelina called to Fred, her whole face lighting up as she bounded over to him. "Why weren't you at dinner?" she stood on tiptoes, wiping the orange off his face before pecking him quickly on the lips. "And why is there burn cream all over your face and hands?"
"Oh, you know. . ." George answered suggestively.
"More trouble I suppose." Fred draped his arm over the short Quidditch player's shoulders as they headed up to the Gryffindor common room.
"You could say that." George hinted. "Eugh!" George grunted as Fred elbowed him in the stomach.
"Did you hear about the attack?"
"Yeah. A dragon was injured. Right, Fred?" George prodded again.
"That's what I heard."
"It's terrible though, isn't it? All those people killed." Fred just nodded as they approached the portrait hole.
"Shnookums." He addressed the Fat Lady.
"Exploding Snap Fred? George?"
"We've gotta go work on something. Right George?"
"Yeah. Something." He eyed his brother queerly.
"Come on."
"What do we have to work on?" George pulled on the back of his brother's jumper, stopping him half-way up the stairwell.
"The mistletoe. You want it done for Christmas, don't you?"
"Hmmm, and I wonder what made you think of MISTletoe right now?"
"We need to get it done."
"Was it Angelina. . .?" George ignored Fred as they made their way up seven flights of stairs to the seventh year boys dorm. "Or was it Ch---"
"Of course it was Angelina you lunk."
--
¸..· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ ·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ -:¦:- tbc -:¦:-
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*