Quest of the Seekers: A New Haven

Year Three at Hogwarts

(-)

Chapter 22: Big Plans and Small Kisses

Jacke was sitting in the Arithmancy classroom waiting for Tyler to show up and was surprised that he wasn't there when Professor Vector came and started the lesson. Jacke could barely concentrate on paying attention through most of the class.

'Did something happen to Tyler? I wonder what's up. Honestly, can't I concentrate for one second without having to feel like I'm missing out on something?'

He resisted the urge to shout "Thank Merlin" when the bell rang. He headed over for Charms with his head still in wonder but with relief as he could concentrate better in his favorite class.

'I'll talk to Tyler later, I just hope he appreciates the notes that I have for him since they aren't really good.'

(-)

"He skived off Arithmancy?" Reggie said to Jacke as they were practicing their Cheering Charms.

"Yep," Jacke said happily as Reggie just fired a Cheering Charm his way. "He didn't even give me a warning or anything. That's what got me a little worried."

"Why? What could possibly happen to him?"

"Well, he is still feeling a little on edge from what that git Lestrange said about him regretting something. I just hope he wasn't cornered by him."

"Nah, I'm sure he's in Transfiguration right now with Brad telling him some new thing he wants to show us. Think about it, everytime this sort of thing happens, Tyler comes back with a powerful secret."

"For his sake, I hope it's your theory then mine," Jacke said frowning now that the Cheering Charm's effect had evidently worn off.

(-)

Brad was noticing that Tyler was picking up on Transfiguring his pigeon into a traveling bag faster then Brad usually mastered new transfiguration. Tyler had a big smile on his face and his eyes had a hint of excitement to them.

"What's with you Tyler?" Brad whispered as Professor McGonagall was on the other side of the room commenting on how Zack Moore's bag still had feathered wings.

"Oh, I found out something that can help us just a half hour ago."

"Half hour ago? Shouldn't you have been in Arithmancy with Jacke then?"

"Look, I'll explain it to you guys after dinner. Trust me, you'll like it."

(-)

"Wow, this is amazing." Reggie commented as he looked around the dusty corridor.

It was after dinner and Tyler had brought the Seekers and also brought Regulus and the others. He thought that if they were included in some of the excitement then he might better guarantee their trust. All of them had their wands lit making the whole corridor completely seeable.

"Yeah, a big dusty, dank corridor. You're too easy to impress Reggie," Jacke said fighting the urge to snort in laughter.

"Ha Ha Jacke. I just talking about how this is a good site for us to make our secret portal. It's very well hidden and from how it looks, no one has been here for centuries."

"How did you find it Tyler?" Brad asked looking at one of the paintings.

"I can't take credit for anything. It was all Chaos here." He said pointing to his snake next to his feet. He hissed a little while bringing himself up.

"What did he just say?" Hawkster Jones said looking at the snake nervously.

"Oh, he just said "Don't you just like my work" and "Please give me some applause."

Everyone laughed while Tyler shook his head at his familiar's humble attitude. (extreme sarcasm) After that, everyone started to wander while the Seekers stayed close to keep talking.

"Chaos is starting to get a big head and I wonder how that is," Jacke said directing his eyes very unsubtlely to Tyler.

"No idea," Tyler said shrugging his shoulders in a joking tone. "Anyway, what do you guys think. Is it good enough?"

"I say it's too good," Brad said switching over to look at another portrait.

"Yeah, and I've already got the perfect place for our portrait portal to go," Jacke said calling them over. He was right in front of the portrait canvas that was vacant. "This one is empty and the whole thing is already set up so all we have to do is just make the portal here."

"Great, but what should we make the portrait of?" Reggie said stroking his chin.

"We'll decide that later. That way we have more time to know exactly what we're going to put there. It may be a cover but it shouldn't be stupid."

"Hear Hear," Jacke said raising his hand like he had a goblet in it.

"This deserves a celebration." Brad said coming up to them and now made it that the four of them were in a circle.

They put their hands in, gave their traditional "Seekers" chant as they raised their hands and brought them down with grabbing clenches like each just caught a snitch. Then they laughed between them and Tyler checked his watch. While he did however, Brad and Jacke noticed that the others were watching them in a stupor but Reggie and Tyler couldn't notice since their backs were to them.

"Right now, we better get back before some of our housemates start seeing we're gone and start asking questions," Tyler said indicating himself, Matt, Morgan, Sam, Lutz and Regulus.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, this a great leap from where we were before. See you later mate," Jacke said shaking Tyler's hand and leaving with Max and Jennifer.

"Until tomorrow," Reggie said leaving for the Ravenclaw common room with Laura.

"Don't forget to close up," Brad said heading out with Hawkster.

Tyler closed the wall panel behind him and joined up with his slytherin friends as they headed for the dungeons together.

"It's amazing that the four of you could make this whole set up at all. This has been the most exciting time out of my whole time at Hogwarts so far," Regulus commented as they started to decend the stairs to the dungeons.

"Wow, that boring huh?" Matt said and it earned him a good smack at the back of the head from him.

"Ha Ha Matt. I'm not that boring you know."

"Not THAT boring." This time he effectively dodged the slap that Regulus sent his way and smirked very smugly. Lutz and Sam were laughing as they kept going at it.

"Hey Tyler, after everything that the four of you were talking about, I'm starting to be very anxious to see this Fecundity Potion of yours," Morgan said twindling her fingers.

"Don't worry, you'll get to see it soon. But, we can't risk anything happening to it even though I'm the only one who can even get to it."

"What, why?" Matt said leaving behind his attention of teasing Regulus playfully.

"It's in the Slytherin Chamber and only I can open it because it's password protected in parseltongue."

"That's right...It's still hard to think of you as the actual heir to our house's founder ya know," Regulus said at him straight in the eye.

"We've known you for this long and it's still hard to see you as our friend Tyler," Morgan said also catching his eyes.

"I personally think that your language is kind of wicked. The way you talk with your snake Chaos is very spinechilling," Lutz said with an encouraging nod.

"Not to mention that you say it like it's a regular second language every time you go from English to parseltongue like what you did in that corridor." Sam added with an impressed tone.

"I am amazing aren't I?" Tyler said a little haughty.

"Jacke was right...can see where Chaos got his humbleness from," Regulus said with a sly smile making the others laugh.

"Okay! Enough!" he yelled which just caused them to laugh harder.

(-)

"Hawkster, you know I came very close to strangling you back there."

Brad was walking with Hawkster on their way to the Hufflepuff Corridor. Brad was very annoyed with Hawkster's actions back in the corridor.

"What I'd do?"

"The way you asked about Tyler's snake made it look like he was a criminal."

"Well, excuse me but you're used to him speaking parseltongue, I'm not. Hearing him hiss like that; he could've been saying anything."

"Hawkster, when I brought you to meet Tyler, he said that he could trust you. Can't you return the favor?"

"Look, it's just that...all my life I kept hearing about evil parselmouths and with You Know Who out there, I can't help but be a little suspicious. I mean, he is his cousin for Merlin's sake."

Brad waited a while so he didn't snap at Hawkster. "Look...I know how you feel. Jacke and Reggie went through the same thing when we found out. Do you know how they got over it?"

"No, enlighten me," he said in a bored tone.

"They looked at the fact that Tyler revealed his deepest secret and risked his safety to save Jacke's life." Hawkster stopped right there and looked at Brad who put up a hard face. "Jacke was going to be bitten by a very poisonous snake and Tyler used his gift to get the snake to go away. Risked his secret to help his friends."

Hawkster didn't say anything after that but just kept on walking. But Brad felt that he wasn't done. He had a little more to tell his friend. "Hawkster, while we're on this little subject, what is wrong between you, Max Longhorn and Samuel Baddock?"

"Please, those gits need a good kick up the arse!" Hawkster said no longer being quiet.

"What is with you three? You've been at each other's throats since the three of you first met."

"Look, it may be easy for you to get along with your out of house friends but that doesn't mean that it's easy for me. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I wouldn't like everyone you like?"

"Fine Hawkster, just forget it. I'm not in the mood for a fight. Let's talk about something else okay," Brad said drawing a breath to calm his nerves.

"Fine by me. Actually, there is something that I wanted to ask you. It's about the trip that you're taking to America in August."

"Oh," Brad had completely forgotten about the summer adventure that he, his fellow seekers, parents, grandpa, and his muggle best friend were going to be taking in a number of months. "What?"

"Is there a chance I could see some pictures? I've never seen America so I want good shots. Shame I can't go..." Hawkster was invited but his mother put the foot down and said no since she didn't like the idea of him being across the world with all this chaos around.

"Sure..." Brad said relieved that they were being civil again.

(-)

"Well, that place was surprising," Jacke said in a red armchair in a far off corner in the Gryffindor common room. "I can't believe we actually found the perfect place."

"Your portal plan is sure to go off in a two shakes of a broom," Jennifer said while writing a letter home.

"Thanks for support Jenny."

"Still...I can't believe what we saw back there." Max said all of a sudden.

"What do you mean Max," Jacke asked intrigued.

"I mean how the four of you were. The four of you throwing your hands in the air like your friends."

"Max, you don't seem to be fast on the uptake. I told you that we've been friends ever since we met on the first day in our first year."

"Yeah...It's just...different to actually see it with you guys."

"Is that a problem," Jacke said narrowing his eyes.

"No...it's just weird."

"Weird...how?" Jacke said started to grit his teeth.

"After everything the Slytherins put us through every day, it's weird that one of them could be so...nice like."

"One of them? Max, Tyler isn't the only Slytherin who I happen to call a friend. Regulus happens to be a guy I really respect."

"Black is okay I guess. The others I'm not so sure about, especially Baddock. Outside those two slytherins, I don't think I can go one second without punching one if I were alone with them."

"Max?" Jacke said suddenly getting an idea between his rising impatience and anger. "Do you like Professor Squall?"

"Yeah, he's the greatest. But what does he have to do with this?"

"Did you know that he was in Slytherin here too?"

Max had an expression of pure shock while Jennifer made a double take.

"He was?" she asked. "How do you know?"

"He told Tyler and Tyler told us. Maybe that should get you to think about things Max. I don't know why you, Sam Baddock and Hawkster Jones are at each others throats but keep that between the three of you and don't use it to judge Tyler or Regulus."

"All right," Max said surrendering. "Look, it's just been a long day and I'm really tired." He went on his way up to the dormitory stairs before he said one last thing. "Good night you two."

Jacke noticed that his tone seemed very strange and when he looked around, he noticed that he and Jennifer were the only two Gryffindors left in the common room.

"You know," Jennifer suddenly said snapping him out this thought. "He does have a point. It is strange to actually see the four of you behaving like best friends. Seeing the four of you in that group chant...it was weird."

"Doesn't feel weird for me. By the way, how long do you plan on making that anyway," Jacke said pointing to her letter. Jacke was trying very hard to keep talking and not think or come close to talking about the fact that they were alone.

"Well, my parents don't hear from me much so I make sure that every time I do write them that it's nice and long. Also, they write long ones back to me. It's nice sometimes to get long letters. They're sometimes like you're having a coversation when they're like that. I also worry about my mom in all this since she's in the Magical Reversal Department and they're being put on a 24/7 watch for Death Eater activity so I don't hear from her alot. Dad is still there but he worries about mom too and wishes that he was a wizard too so that he could protect us better." She was shedding a few tears and Jacke went to hug her.

"Oh...you know Jenny...Tyler wishes that Voldemort wasn't his cousin sometimes." She flinched at the name but didn't make any other movement. "We sometimes have to get him out of his depressing hexes by reminding him that it's not his fault that this is happening and he's dead set to wishing this was all over. Maybe if we all do wish just as hard, this will be over faster and you could have more time with both your mom and dad."

"I hope so...Thanks," she said as they let go.

Jacke looked at Jennifer and right then and there he couldn't explain how he became brave enough to do it but he leant in and gave her a kiss on the cheek close to her lips. When he pulled back he suddenly found himself lose feeling in feeling in his stomach and betted that he was starting to blush. She also looked down but saw that she was getting redder in the cheeks and had a grin.

"Er...I better go. It's late," Jacke said starting to get up.

"You don't have to." She said holding his arm.

"No, I do feel a little tired so I better get to bed."

Jacke got to his bed and collapse there without changing into his pajamas. He had his mind completely on what happened between him and Jennifer. He didn't know what he was thinking. How could he just kiss her like that. Just thinking about it was making blush creep up on his cheeks.

'I can't believe that I still kissed her. Okay, it wasn't on the lips or anything but still. How am I going to be around her now without wanting to actually kiss her. Did she hate it? No, she did blush. Does that mean that she liked it? Oh, how am I going to get through this. Should I talk with one of the Seekers. No, I think I want to keep this to my grave. But, I do have the urge to blurt it to them. Ohh...why is love so complicated?'

He had these types of thoughts until he was to sleepy to think anymore.

(-)

It had beentwo months since that day in the corridor. A lot had transpired since then. The weather was in a spring time blossom as the grounds of the school were blessed with bright green grass and healthy flower beds. On the subject of the Seeker's special place, progress had taken a huge, death defying leap.

First of which is that they decided the outside portrait should have four quidditch players on the four corner head toward a snitch in the middle. These players would be in blue, red, green and yellow quidditch robes and represent them. The also decided to have the portal recognize their outlines in the features of their hair, since all four of them had a different color; their house since all four were different; being a quidditch player and their eyes since all four had different colors of that too.Together, Brad and Tyler came up with this and something else so that it would be next to impossible for anyone to break in. If, for example, a Slytherin tried to get in, they could only do it if they were on the quidditch team, had black hair, and black eyes. In addition, they came up with a password to say while the portrait scanned to see if they fit the profile. Each of them would have a separate type password and it would go like this:

The (say house here) seeker is seeking today.

After saying that, if the person matched the profile then the portrait would open revealing the way to their secret place. Also, the topic of bringing their friends came up. If they wanted to bring company, then they would say Plus however number they were bringing along after saying the password. That way if anyone tailed them, the portal would reject them and bounce them back after they went in.

This whole thing of planning was the easy part and it took 17 days to come up with all this. The subject came up with what exactly should they make. Reggie was the one to inspire this part. He suggested that the portal lead to their own secret island. He got the idea from reading his friend Laura folklore book and read a piece about a magical island where magical beings and creatures such as fairieslived in paradise and only a few selected humans were permitted to go. It was the myth of Avalon and Reggie decided that they make that bit of muggle folklore reality and call their place Avalon. So, they decided on the island idea and looked at a map of the world to find a good spot to create it. They decided on a spot in the Atlantic about 500 miles awayNorthwest from Britian in a secluded part of the sea where hardly any ships or people go.Jacke cameup with the idea to have a heavy fog barrier about 5 miles from the actual island to cloak it away from muggle ships and to make it magical so that the muggles would suddenly decide to go in a completely other direction. This would also confuse wizards that happened to be in the area so that they wouldn't be able to navigate their way through such thick fog and turn away. They brought this idea to Professor Squall for help and he loved their brilliance but suggested a shielding ward to surround them at the start of the barrier so that stubborn ones couldn't get past anyway unless the Seekers willed them in. They were concerned that they wouldn't be able to create a complicated ward like that with the fog barrier but that was until they remembered they had the power of the Fecundity Potion.

The island itself was about the shape of a nature made rectangle about 1 mile wide and 2 miles long. Reggie thought that would be too big but Tyler thought it would be good in case they wanted to add more things for a later time and that they wouldn't have to worry about lack of space for their training duels. They put all they planned onto parchment and would soon make a map of how the actual landscape of their island would be like. Looking back, they were surprised at what they've come up with with everything else going around. The workload from the teachers were growing to prepare them for the impending final exams. All the teachers, even Professor Squall were giving them hard lessons and good amounts of homework. Squall was really going down the list of defending against different dark creatures for their third year segment of DADA. All of this was just on their secret place of Avalon. Their personal business also took a leap for certain others.

Jacke's relationship with Jennifer hadn't changed really much at all which Jacke was thankful for since he was convinced he ruined their friendship. Occasionally, they would still be nervous aroundeach otherand uncomfortable if they were alone in different places but other than that they were the same. Jacke found that he could control himself and that he wouldn't be driven to actually repeat what he did in the common room back in the winter but that still didn't change how he felt about her. He hadn't told anyone, not even Max about what had happened so that they wouldn't keep reminding him to keep calm or actually encourage him on.

The situation between Hawkster, Sam and Max were reaching boiling points. Each time that one met another or all three were together, you could've cut the tension with two Severing Charms. The Seekers that were respective friends with them all concluded that their quarreling was so bigger than others since they were all chasers on their house teams as it seemed to be the only real answer. Reggie told them that it was probably just one of those things that no one could explain. And on the subject of quidditch,practice and games were also big on the workload. Tyler didn't stop getting glares from any of his teammates except Morgan andSam when they practiced with the shadow of a game approaching and with the memory of how their last match against Hufflepuff turned out there was no question why. Captain Tanner was being tough so that they could have a solid win over Ravenclaw. Gryffindor had defeated Ravenclaw so it was a race for the cup. Tyler could still remember when Jacke had beaten Reggie to the snitch like he said he would.

However, there was a shred of good school news that a trip to Hogsmeade was in the weekend and the Seekers really appreciated it. With a surprise for them, Reggie didn't have a date planned for this day.

"No date Reggie?" Jacke said as the four of them were playing Exploding Snap on the grounds, the day before the Hogsmeade trip.

"No," he said in a stretch."Don't have the energy for one. I'm just going to hang around with Laura and a few of the other 3rd year Ravenclaws in the village. I want this to be a time to relax from all the work." This was greeted by shock silence by Tyler and Jacke and even Brad was joining inon the joke. "Hey, even brilliant genuises like me need time to have fun in the sun."

"Ah, well...I'm going to be with spending it hanging out with Morgan in the village. Regulus and Matt are going to be with us in the beginning but they told us that they've got plans to be back at the castle early so they could try to con some of the first and second years with Butterbeer since they can't get any." Tyler said playing another card.

"I'm going to be with Jennifer. It's a shame that Max can't come to the village until his third year but we promised to bring him back a souvenir." Jacke said laying a card and winning the game.

"Me and Hawkster are just going to be hanging out. We're going to give some Zonko's products a try and I want to see if Durvish and Bangs has some wizard gadgets that my family will like."

"So we all have plans tomorrow?" Tyler said as they were cleaning up to begin another game. With a nod from each, they played another.

(-)

Morgan and Tyler found themselves on a secluded hill behind the Shrieking Shack in complete privacy. Regulus and Matt had long left them alone so they could put their plan to overcharge for Butterbeer into action. The two of them laughed at their plan when they talked on it.

"I just hope they at least give Sam, Lutz and his friend Bruce Baker a free bottle away from the scam." Morgan said chuckling at their plan for some fast money.

"I'm sure they will or at least I'm sure Regulus will. You know Matt, he loves pulling the rug from under people."

"Yeah I know," she said giggling.

They sat there in heavy silence just taking in the natural sounds of the wind. Tyler was laying flat on the ground with his eyes shut, taking in the peace of mind he was having until he heard heavy breathing. Morgan was breathing like she was nervous on something. Tyler heard her mutter softly: "Oh what the hell,"

He got on his elbows and looked at her. "Morgan, what..."

But he never finished because Morgan's lips crashed into his. He opened his eyes wide and stiffened. He saw that her eyes were shut and felt her soft lips brushing his. Then something made him respond with his lips right back and he kissed her right back. He settled back on the ground and she lowered herself to the ground too, never stopping. After a while, Tyler pulled away; partly for air and because of nervousness. He sat up and panted.

"Morgan...what...what...what."

He didn't get to finish again because Morgan sat too and kissed him again. This time, Tyler found himself actually kissing back immediately and found that his arms somehow got to her shoulders. After about a minute, Morgan broke it off. Maybe we should head back."

"Yeah," Tyler said with a hint of a smile on his face.

On their way back to the castle, Tyler and Morgan didn't say anything to each other and were avoiding eye contact. Tyler's mind was back on the kiss that they shared on the hill. That was his first kiss ever and he found that he was smiling on the inside like an idiot.

(-)

End of Chapter 22

Dark672: Thanks.

Tigercub15: I'm glad that you do and I hope you love this new chapter too.

SwollenFridge: Great to hear from you again. I would've liked to hear what you liked exactly but it's still good that you did like those chapters.

Author Notes:

Wow...love certainly is surrounding both Jacke and Tyler. I know that I focus on primarily these two but their my favorite pair of friends. Don't worry, in the future, Reggie and Brad will get a more closer focus, it's just that the beginning of the adventure is working with the view it's on now.

Also, the making of their new place of Avalon. A childhood fantasy isn't it? Your own private island paradise only accessible to you or your friends. This is the start of the big adventure I have planned in my head for our favorite four. Please review and tell me what you think.

High Serpent King