Chapter 21

Kelsey was happy. This day was the last in this wretched hospital. He had never been so bored in his whole life. The only thing that had saved him from going mad was his chats with James. Kelsey had really enjoyed the conversations with the wizard, who must have been just as lonely as he was.

The boy could barely imagine how hard it must be to be cut off from everybody and to live with the fact that his wife could die any day... and this for over 14 years. The mere thought made him shiver. A knock on the door startled him.

"Come in" he called. Kelsey smiled widely when he watched his father entering the room.

"Hey son, ready to leave tomorrow?" his father hugged him tightly and sat down next to the bed.

"Can you explain why Kayla asked me about dried vampire blood and moonbell root?"

"And I assume she also asked you about Aquarius scales and bark of holy oak" "How do you know Kelsey? What is going on here? What are you two up to?" Floyd asked sternly. Kelsey grabbed his wand from the nightstand and flicked it. "What is the silencing charm for?"

"I don't want anyone to eavesdrop on us"

-----

Zara was up before the sun rose. Sitting on her four-poster bed in the Ravenclaw girls' dorm with her journal in front of her she called "Gabriella.... Gabriella come on girl, don't let me hanging"

The little mermaids head appeared, her blond her drifting on the waves. "Do you know how early it is" Gabriella pouted sleepily.

"Yes I know and I'm awfully sorry, but it's very important. You need to go and get dad for me. Now!" Zara insisted.

The mermaid yawned loudly and disappeared between 2 waves. The pretty Ravenclaw opened her journal and waited. All of a sudden the empty page was glowing and golden letters appeared, then the letters formed words.... her father was there.

The conversation was quite brief because Zara knew perfectly well that her father had to go to work. She had informed him that she needed an Aquarius scale for a school project and if he could send her one. At fist her father was a little suspicious, but in the end he gave in. He just couldn't resist his only daughter. Zara closed her journal.

It had been a present from her father when she started at Hogwarts. Whenever she needed to talk to her father she only had to call Gabriella. The mermaid could travel freely between all the books through the enchanted covers. Her father had the same book in his study where she spent almost all day so she could contact him anytime.

The mermaid Gabrielle had become her best friend after a very short time and they had spent a lot of great times together. She got up and dressed; before she left the dorm she had a last look in the mirror. Tomorrow Kelsey would be back.... she could barely wait. The shy Ravenclaw really liked him and she slept with his letter under her pillow. There was nothing she wanted more than to get to know him better and see him more often... but she had no idea how.

Everybody went down for dinner. The enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall was dark grey covered with black storm clouds.

Please no thunderstorm tonight Kayla thought and the mere thought made her shiver slightly I HATE thunderstorms.

While her friends sat down at the Gryffindor table, she walked up to the Ravenclaw table. Zara was chatting animatedly with a red-haired girl when Kayla tapped her on the shoulder.

"Kelsey is coming back tomorrow and we're having a little welcome-party. I thought you might want to join us" she whispered.

"I'd love to" Zara replied turning the same shade of red as her neighbour's hair.

"Ok then; we meet tomorrow morning before breakfast in front of the hospital wing" After dinner they went up to the common room to do some more homework. Kayla had almost finished her essay on dementor's for Professor Stone when suddenly Fred and George burst in.

"DRAGONS....DRAGONS..... this is so cool they got DRAGONS" the twins yelled. Everybody was on their feet instantly, gathering around the Weasley twins.

"What are you talking about? Dragons? That's nonsense.... where should they come from", Angelina shouted.

"We're serious" George panted "We were down at the quidditch pitch to have a quick ride on our brooms, when we watched Charlie walking to Hagrid's hut."

"Charlie? What's Charlie doing here?" Ron asked, obviously confused.

"Who's Charlie?" Kayla wondered.

"Charlie is another Weasley brother. He works with dragons "Hermione explained "You know you shouldn't have been out on the grounds after dark" she continued firmly. Her mouth was so thin she could have competed with McGonagall and the look in her eyes was pure disapproval. Nobody was paying attention to Hermione's comment.

Everybody wanted to hear more about the dragons, which apparently were now on the school grounds next to the Forbidden Forest.

"We tried to sneak up to Charlie and Hagrid to see what was going on, but Charlie caught us when we tried to hide behind the cabin. Just when Hagrid wanted to take us back to school we saw them.... they are huge ... huge I'm telling you" the twins explained to their fellow Gryffindor's who were looking at them in awe.

"So do you want to tell us that Dumbledore engaged Charlie and his dragons to protect the school?" Hermione asked, still not believing what she just heard. "This is exactly what happened" Fred confirmed.

-----

Kayla was up early; she woke up Hermione in the bed next to her and the girls got dressed quickly. They met Harry, Ron and the twins in the common room. Kayla recognized the brown box Fred was carrying but she decided not to say anything.

When they arrived at the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was already waiting for the transport from St. Mungo's. The house-elves had prepared a nice breakfast table with pumpkin juice and tea, rolls, bacon and eggs, porridge and a lot of other delectability's, while balloons were floating around the bed, indubitably Zara's work.

Then the doors opened and 2 ambulance wizards came in with Kelsey on a stretcher. Paracelsa Dante, the healer, went to greet Madam Pomfrey while Kayla ran to her brother.

Kelsey, who was sitting on the stretcher already, was thrown backward by the force of Kayla's wild welcome-hug. Kelsey was stunned when he saw the wonderful banner over his bed.

It was huge, the bright and colorful letters switched position spelling not only "Welcome home Kelsey" but all kind of nonsense that made him laugh. Everyone got settled, Zara found a place right next to Kelsey, and they started eating the delicious food the house-elves had provided.

Kelsey enjoyed being back among his friends he felt secure and salvaged. He glanced shortly at each of his friends while Zara and Kayla filled him in on what had happened during their advanced potion lesson and his deafening laughter got them a disapproving frown from Madam Pomfrey.

They were all chatting animatedly when George nudged Fred and mumbled something, then they both got very busy over the box they had with them. After a minute George and Fred grinned widely and called "ATTENTION!"

The little box started shaking and rattling and then with a loud BANG a miniature firework started.

At first everybody was diving under the table, kneeled next to their chair or just dropped flat on the floor their arms over their heads. Then Kayla and the others slowly raised their heads and admire the spectacle in awe.

Tiny, sparkling dragons were whizzing over their heads, roaring and spiting ruby flames and big silver stars, which exploded into tiny golden ones, before they spelled out "MALFOY SUCKS".

The Weasley twins stood there looking very pleased with themselves when Madam Pomfrey hurried over grabbed them on their necks and chucked them out of the hospital wing.

When the firework started Zara had jumped and grabbed Kelsey's hand for support without even being aware of it. Now that the dragons had roared one last time and everybody watched Madam Pomfrey "dismiss" Fred and George, she suddenly recognized what she was doing.

Zara pulled her hand away so fast as if she got burned. Kelsey gazed at Zara, astonished about the sudden reaction and his eyes became very dreamy when they looked once again in her bright blue ones.

Man I wish she was in Gryffindor he thought she is such a pretty girl and I really like her.

Kayla smiled when she saw the look on her brother's face that exactly matched the one on the face of the shy Ravenclaw.

Hermione checked her watch and said "It's time to go to class or we'll be late for History of Magic". Everybody let out a great sigh of disappointment but Hermione was right. So they all said good bye to Kelsey and left the hospital wing but not without promising that they would come back after classes.