This Chapter is posted by Princess - and I would like to dedicate this one to Fritz the cat - i met him at the cat shelter and loved him, and i'm so glad he found a good home. He makes a cameo in a few chapters, keep an eye open, if you spot him i'll give you a cookie! Please REVIEW!
Chapter Twelve: Revelation
Alyson watched in terror as Tegan took the arrow destined for her heart into her own self, falling backwards and almost off her horse, if not for Loki's dancing backwards in an attempt to keep Tegan on in the saddle she would have ended up on the ground.
Like Alyson, Justine was holding her breath. Time was standing still. Tegan gasped in pain and tried to right herself, falling forward and grasping her left shoulder where the arrow had struck, and still stood.
"Daphne, what the hell have you done…" Alyson heard Ginny whisper, a look of terror on her face.
"She's going to bloody regret it!" Justine suddenly yelled, Anubis rearing up and roaring at the sky.
"How can you be so cold as to hurt another?" Electra yelled, pulling her riders together.
"It was intended for the freak." Daphne spat, then turned her horse and thundered away. Ginny and Luna had no choice but to follow, flashing apologetic looks at the rest of the party.
Justine turned and held up one hand, erecting a shield around the Kallaix riders and their horses, then dismounted, seeing Alyson do the same. Anubis went straight to Isis who was pacing the barrier.
"Justine, when you get a second tell me what's going on there!" Jacques concerned voice said in the girl's ears.
"Tegan has been shot in the shoulder by Daphne…" Alyson began to explain to Jacque.
Tegan was wincing and trying to steady her breathing. "Hun, I need you to help me get you down, swing your leg over." Justine said, but to her amazement it was Loki who helped the most, folding down and sitting on the ground, clearly wanting to help.
Justin gently used her powers to levitate Tegan to the ground. "I'm… loosing a lot of blood… need to get arrow out…" Tegan gasped.
"I'm on it. Can you move your arm at all?" Justine said as she inspected the wound.
"Yeah, but it hurts like hell."
"Okay, stop talking now, I'm going to get out the arrow, then we're going to seal the wound with a drop of freely given Unicorns blood okay?" Justine said looking at Alyson who immediately took of her scarf pin and pricked a finger.
"Anubis, hold her down." Justine said and Anubis placed on mighty hoof on Tegan's chest. "Remember she's a werewolf and bloody strong."
As Anubis held her down she swiftly pulled out the arrow. Tegan screamed and pulled forward, But Anubis pushed her back down with renewed force. Justine pulled open Tegan's shirt to show the wound to Alyson who used her own blood in its diluted Unicorn form to seal the wound.
Tegan lay back on the ground, her breathing heavy but slowly returning to normal. "She's so going down there is just no other word for it."
Justine slipped of her waterproof cloak and put it in her bag. It wasn't raining anymore. She then helped Tegan do the same, as her muscles and such healed in her arm.
From outside the dome of light, Electra said, "Friend, I am glad to see you are well, but we must now move on in the hunt."
"Thank you Electra, I will see you at the finish?" Justine asked.
Electra smiled. "Of course friend," and rode off.
Justine turned to Tegan and let out a giggle. "Babe, you're a mess, there's just no other word for it!"
Tegan looked down at her blood soaked clothes and ripped jacket. "Dammit!" she said as she whipped out her wand and said, "scourgify!" the blood cleared itself, in a rush of blue bubbles, and then, "Repairo!" and watched the holes fix themselves. "Now, let's go win this bloody thing fast so I can get to the bitch." Tegan's eyes narrowed.
Ax posed for yet another photo. Damn sitting next to Mark Grey was bloody hard work. Tanya was nearby, talking to all the boys but him. In all the bedlam, she slid her eyes over him and returned his stare, then turned to re-join the laughter.
"Tanya, give me some of that there dip," Saul said and gestured with a corn chip.
She smiled that annoying little smile of her and turned up her nose. "No, it's all mine!" she joked.
Saul looked at her in mock shock. "You're selfish."
Ax thought that exactly identified Tanya. She selfishly kept her body to herself. No man should get this involved with a woman like her. And he watched her through slitted eyes as she laughed and blushed and chided the teasing guys.
They were after her, he knew. They had no chance at all, she was too potent for them, and she was magical. Then… why was she laughing that way?
Ax strolled casually over, and positioned himself next to Tanya. He would protect her. She was not alone. He was there. He proceeded to give various males his deadly, narrow eyed cut it out right now looks.
They ignored him.
Ax sighed. He'd obviously never appeared the formidable threat to these guys that he thought he was.
She was the most irritating woman ever concocted! She was already one of his discards, 'Get over it Ax'.
They cleared that area with surprising speed in the dark, Justine thought it was probably due to Tegan's determination to find and kill Daphne.
"Jacque, time?" Justine said unable to read her watch.
"We're just going on one o'clock." Jacques voice responded.
"Well I think I can safely say that we have area three clear, we're going to head down the map now into the area marked as 'd'."
Justine waited for the reply and was shocked when Saul's voice said "Right my beautiful hunting ladies, I have you on screen and you can feel safe for I, Saul Thorpe-Townsend, am watching your back."
Justine laughed and held one hand to her earpiece. "What the hell are you doing on Jacques mike?"
"She had to go fetch something from the cruiser and eat some lunch." Saul sounded full of himself and his own intelligence.
"Oh god, we're screwed!" Justine laughed.
Saul's disgruntled reply was "You know, I get that a lot."
The girls laughed and moved towards the next border. They passed through the shield of light and strung their bows, each casting a quick spell for infra red vision on their eyes and tucking their wands away in their saddle bags.
Draco tossed back another shot of sherry, he hated Mondays … wait, it was Tuesday. Well, he hated them too. Daphne was being a sore loser and trying to make up for it by winning the Hunt … and then attacking another person … why hadn't she fired at her?
He and Harry were watching Kingsley Shacklebolt approaching with the Australian Minister of Magic, the father of the boy that his girlfriend had cheated on him with, and Mark Hall, the most popular teenage boy in Wizarding History – in some ways, he even outshone Harry Potter, for Gods sake … and the cheating little bitch was apparently engaged to him while going on romantic dates with Kris. How very Justine.
There was going to be trouble, he could sense it.
"There's going to be trouble," Harry, sitting beside him, remarked.
Kingsley came over to them, "Draco, as Head Boy of Hogwarts-""I have a complaint to make about those actions of a member of the student populace of your … school," Gregory Crompton said, interrupting Kingsley and getting right in Draco's face.
"Sorry?" Draco said.
"A member of your school attacked one of my ambassadors!" Gregory snarled at him, eyes blazing. "Alyson could have been killed! Tegan would have been seriously injured, also possibly killed, but for the action of Australians … not Hogwarts staff!"
"Ambassador?" Draco repeated.
Gregory turned to Kingsley; "I thought you told me this Draco person was intelligent, which was the only reason I allowed you to talk me into negotiations with him. I want this Greengrass taken off the course right now."
Draco clued in. "Is it really politically correct to refer to the Kallaix students as your 'Ambassadors'?" he demanded, stung that this man should think him unintelligent, and intent on proving him wrong.
Gregory rolled his eyes, "The Kallaix students are here in an official capacity as representatives of a different Nation, continent even. How dare you refer to them as anything less than Ambassadors? They are far more than simple tourists."
"They are delegates from another school, not formal members of a Ministerial party," Draco insisted.
"I believe my son is," Gregory pointed out. "And if you want to get smarmy you little shit I'll swear the other nine in right now."
Draco scowled and looked away. He knew when he was losing, but that didn't mean he had to admit it. "If she'd been seriously injured, I would have been forced to kill both you and your little bitch of a girlfriend Malfoy," Mark said coldly, glaring at Draco, saying his first words since arriving on the scene. No one present of course knew that Tegan was his baby sister.
Draco sneered under his breath while the minister discussed the issue again, "I doubt little Mr. Superstar would want to get his hands bloodied,"
"Let's look at your history – murderers, thieves, betrayers … summed up in a phrase, Death Eaters," Mark jeered back, "I supposed bloodied hands are in your nature – why can't they be in mine?"
"I've changed. I'm not my father," Draco said, beginning to turn away.
"Got a nice way of showing it," Mark replied, "I hear you're a bit of a woman basher yourself – like father like son, as the old saying goes."
Draco sneered, but couldn't come up with much of a response to that. He kept turning and walked away, leaving Harry to deal with the situation, and not really caring.
"Well, Mr Potter, I suppose I will have to deal with you instead," Gregory said to Harry, who sighed.
"I'm going to have words with Draco," Harry said, "Minister Crompton, I would be happy to deal with your complaint."
"Politeness," Gregory remarked, "I'd heard all about your so called 'British Manners' but this is pretty much the first opportunity I've had to see someone express them. Now, about your school-mates sabotage of the event and the physical threat to the Australian Ambassadors … I want Greengrass off the course!"
"I'm afraid I can't do anything about getting Daphne off the course, but I've warned her about cheating before. You can rest assured I'll deal with the situation to the best of my ability, but if you want her off the course, you'll have to speak with the Judges of the event," Harry replied.
"Can you get her off the team?" Gregory demanded, "I don't want any of the other events being sabotaged by this … female!"
"I'll do my best, I can promise that if she tries anything else, she will be ejected from the Hogwarts team … but the first offence is as yet uncertain as to her involvement, and unless that is proven, then this is the first offence, which means I can't do much more than a warning … despite the severity."
"Second offence? You seem to be in control of the situation, so I leave it in your capable hands," Gregory said, "And the name's Greg." He turned and wandered off.
"That means you, and only you deal with this," Mark added, to make sure there was no confusion, "Don't let Malfoy in on this. We don't trust him in Australia. Greg told you to call him Greg – you've earned his trust, don't go wasting it." With that, the superstar followed his Minister away.
Kingsley looked at Harry in amazement, "Every time our Ministry comes up against their's, that man manages to completely decimate the delegates sent to deal with him, storms into our Ministry headquarters and sets the whole place on its ear yelling for services, complaining about responses, making us look like amateurs … and you get to call him Greg. I believe he once nearly bit someone's head off for referring to him as 'Gregory' without any titles – he said she was being condescending … then again, it was Rita Skeeter, so who can tell?"
Harry smiled, "Well, don't I feel special. If you're not careful, my head might swell."
Kingsley grinned back at him, and wandered back to the tent where the Ministers of Magic were gathered. Harry turned to look for Draco and nearly fell over laughing, Narcissa had her son backed into a corner and was evidently giving him hell. Harry had been on the receiving of this before – she was scary. Remus was hovering behind Narcissa, probably trying to get her to calm down. Deciding that he valued his continued well-being, Harry left mother and son to it and went to stand with Leon, who'd been momentarily abandoned by Tanya, who was talking to Ax and Saul over by the Kallaix tent.
Draco was flinching away from Narcissa. "The longer you don't tell me what that god-dammed comment meant, the longer I'm going to keep you in this god-dammed corner yelling!" she told him in no uncertain terms.
"Narcissa, dear, is this really necessary?" Remus asked, hovering on the side of the argument.
"Remus, shut up, it is necessary!" Narcissa replied, and Remus backed out of the situation, giving Draco a sympathetic but helpless look.
Narcissa looked her son dead in the eyes, blue clashing with silver. "What did it mean?"
"What did what mean?" Draco demanded.
"He said you were a, and I quote, 'bit of a woman basher yourself'," Narcissa hissed, glaring at her son.
"That was the Australian's being bitchy about their wonder-girl cheating on me!"
Narcissa looked a little put out by this, "It would seem I've misjudged you," she remarked, "I know what she did to you, I did not occur to me to think that would be what he was speaking of." She reached out and hugged him gently, like a mother should. Draco relaxed in her embrace, thinking just how much he'd missed out on as a child, without this parental love, because his father had forbade it, saying it made Draco 'soft'.
Justine sat in her saddle and let Anubis walk her past the glow of the Foxes she had just popped. She was content they would finish this area soon, they had thrown one of the oldest tricks in the book at her, a sudden rush of foxes, designed to put the reader off the target and disable their senses long enough that by the time they got them back, the foxes were gone. The girls had been aware and had kicked ass.
Alyson was in the lead, watching to make sure another rush didn't occur, the judges might think that two rushes may put the riders off.
Tegan was happily plotting to herself the demise of Pansy and Daphne, Justine figured she was talking to Saul, but she had turned her headset off, and removed the infrared spell.
She turned her head up to the sky. The stars were so different. Her favourite place at Kallaix was the glade just beyond the Wentworth house. At day, it was like one of those paintings you only see in galleries, and by night… It was a world of sparkles and magic, the stars so big and beautiful that the skies seemed to grow when you looked at them.
Here they were all in the wrong places, but beautiful too, here in a different way, they seemed… closer, like you could reach out to touch them.
A noise to her left caught her attention, and Tegan's. Both girls turned and aimed their bows, Tegan touching her headpiece to shut Saul up.
Both girls moved towards the sound, Justine raising two hands above her left era and waving them left, meaning that was the direction Tegan was to take. She nodded and moved around. Anubis stepped surprisingly lightly as he entered the thicket. Justine saw movement close to the ground and slightly to the left and shot. She was shocked when she heard not a pinging noise but a mechanical zing and smash.
Justine moved over and lifted the branch that hid the sound with the edge of her bow. Inside was a camera. "Saul, do you know if Jacque bugged this part of the forest?" Tegan asked from somewhere behind.
Justine raised her hand and switched on her mike. "… Doesn't know what your talking about, can you send her a visual…"
Justine's eyes lit up and she rummaged through her coat pockets. She raised her mobile and took a picture at the mangled equipment and sent it to Jacque via a message. The screen lit up and was on flame for a second before the message popped up, 'Floo text sent.'
"Good lord, this looks like just a normal camera… but it has the adamant casing to make it magic compatible… they stole my technology! I'm gonna need a sec to figure this out…" Jacque was back.
Justine whipped her head around and shot a fox so suddenly it almost scared Tegan. "We're on another den right now, I'll talk in a minute." Justine said and gestured for Alyson to regroup where she was. The headpieces came back to life with music and she led the team into the forest. To her left she suddenly saw a fox and Alyson got it, and Tegan was aiming at a new one. "Pattern Beta! Tegan flanks!"
Justine turned to Alyson and both girls fell into a canter next to each other and sped up, allowing Tegan to turn completely around in her saddle and shoot backwards, directing Loki to follow Anubis.
Justine quickly picked up the rhythm of shooting off one side of the group, allowing her friends to do the same. Her hunting quiver having to refill itself many times, she eventually saw the boundary approaching and called the group together and pulled them neatly around to repeat the pattern back across the field.
By quarter to two they had cleared the area, and they were happy to see that it was almost daylight again. Justine looked down at her watch and saw the time and called the group together.
"We have forty-five minutes and are on the border of a smallish area, in comparison. I want double time; I want five areas to our name. Were going with Alpha."
Tegan and Alyson looked at each other and grinned.
"Alpha," they said in unison.
"Jacque, we need the alpha music if you will…"
"Oh baby. Do it for the glory!" Justine could almost see Jacque grinning as her earphones were filled with a loud Punk baseline… Rasmus first, Justine loved them.
Justine closed her eyes for a minute and let the music fill her senses. She was bobbing her head in rhythm, and suddenly she shot off the mark screaming "HYAH", forcing Anubis into a canter. The three broke the boundaries of the area with a mighty roar from Anubis and spread out, having had entered at one of the corners, making enough noise to force the foxes to move. Justine drove down the middle, weaving back and forth until she saw Alyson or Tegan.
Within half an hour, Alyson and Tegan were getting closer and closer to her. Hoobastank was playing. She stopped moving and held up a hand, armed her bow and yelled, "SHOOT AT WILL!"
Justine began stringing and shooting her bow at top speed, Taking out any fox stupid enough to try and push their way back out of the corner. She slowly felt Anubis move forward, as he was used to this. When they were so far into the corner that the three horses were side by side, Tegan took out the last fox.
"YEEEA HAAAW" Tegan yelled as she turned to Justine.
"Damn I love the alpha move!" Justine yelled
"Oh yeah baby! We so cleared area five Jacque!" Alyson said into her mini-mike.
"Why' pretty ladies, ah' do believe that's a wrap!" Justine said in an exaggerated drawl. "We should have for ourselves five minutes to move into the middle of this here pretty course to make a dramatic exit…" She draped herself backwards over Anubis in a mock pose.
The girls shrunk their equipment and stuck it in their bags.
At 2:45 a gong resounded through the stadium and down through the forest. Ax knew that it signified the end of the hunt, and that all riders had five minutes to return to the start point or have their points void. Kris turned and watched the tree line anxiously, if anything had gone wrong, that was his girl Tegan, his little sister Ally and his bunny out there.
Beside him Ax was doing the same, although he also had his attention drawn to where the wench Tanya was.
Two full minutes passed, Jacque was tracking them on the computer, and reassured they would be on time. Saul, Tanya and Adam had gone to get the Aussie huntresses some refreshments from the mess tent, but returned anxiously.
Jeffery was standing in the shade of the tent with Kris and Ax. He saw Jacques eyes light up, "Here they come!" He said happily.
Then they came into view. Moving at a full gallop, although they had time, Justine taking point with the other two next to her, although slightly behind. Anubis shone in the sunlight, Isis looked feminine and beautiful, Loki pretty and strong.
Justine looked across the stands for the Australians as she went zooming through the stadium, and blindly spotted Kris and the group cheering. She grinned and lifted her crop in the air. The fake, cut glass emerald on its head shone in the light.
She then turned and roared across the finish line. She slowly brang Anubis down from his spirited gallop, and turned to see Loki, right in front of the finish line, refusing to cross. Tegan was on it though, and she swung off the horse and cropped it on the ass, forcing the stubborn horse across line as she vaulted onto Loki from behind, screaming blue bloody murder.
"You stupid bloody horse, you just had to do it bloody again didn't you? That's it! Justine can deal with you." Tegan again dismounted and let Loki be lead away by Tanya, who had tactfully noticed that unless Tegan and Loki were separated it was going to get messy.
Justine ran over and wrapped her arms around Kris, who wrinkled his nose and giggled. "How is it that you don't smell like Anubis? What is that Chanel?"
"Simple charms my dear Kristopher, Simple charms."
"Hey Alyson! You were so amazing!" Ax yelled delightedly as he swung his 'little sister' up into his arms, "Especially when you guys took out that camera that some media guy had put in the trees to get action close ups, man did he get told by Dumbledore!"
"And so he should, that thing almost cost us an area, it could have broken our concentration, and someone could have gotten hurt!"
Ax tweaked her nose, "When I got close enough to Dumbledore and Greg to hear what was being said, that was it."
Adam stood by Tegan who had an intent look upon her face as she looked over to where the Hogwarts riders were dismounting. Justine saw the look in her eyes; it was going to be all out war when the confrontation came.
"May all Huntresses please make their way to the medical tent to be assessed? This is not optional." Again a voice washed across the arena.
"That means the judges are making their decisions," Justine said to the group. "Tegan I want that shoulder checked out by a medi-wizard right now." She pointed at the tent with a finger and followed the group in that direction.
As was the norm, they had to split up at the tent, the boys not being allowed in, and Tanya having to join them, as she didn't compete. "See you guys at the tent in five ok?" She said as she walked off with Saul.
Inside the tent, medics in lime green were leading girls into cubicles in pairs, and Justine allowed Tegan to go ahead with Alyson. The medic said there names into his clipboard and took a quick look at their files, which had appeared with a sparkly blue puff. He looked down at the board and up at the two girls about ten times in rapid succession. Obviously a unicorn and werewolf wasn't what he expected. His eyes widened to saucer-sized orbs, then returned to normal. "If you ladies will accompany me, this way, I'll just make sure you're ok."
Justine shook her head and rotated her shoulders. She knew she was fine, but could do with a quick rub on the shoulders. She waited in line and when the next medic was available, followed her into the tent.
Five minutes later, back at the Kallaix Tent, Justine was sitting in front of Jacque's computer checking out the Hunt stats, and debriefing Tegan and Alyson while the others watched on.
The horses were tethered just outside of the Tent, in the shade of the trees, Tegan's attempt to forbid Loki any refreshments refuted by Alyson, who snuck them to the disgraced horse.
Every now and again, an avid Hunt fan, or a gutsy Australian Media Personality would come over for their two minutes of the group's time. Kris and Ax dealt with most of them.
"Right. I'm particularly happy with our Alpha time, and the way we worked with the night-time. I think our weakness was in the way we slacked off when we thought they got predictable. We need more focus next time." She looked around seriously.
"I GOT IT! Take along a tube of liquid candy!" Saul said with a flourish.
Justine rolled her eyes, but Tegan cottoned on to what he meant. "Sugar rush. When we're loosing energy, it would be an instant high." Tegan said. "We're not allowed potions or performance enhancing charms, but there's no rules against Saul's two food groups, Candy and Chocolate!"
"And we could win, on a serious sugar buzz!" Alyson joined in.
Saul looked wise and said. "I have taught them well…"
"And I," said Marks voice, particularly pompously from nowhere as he joined the group, wrapping himself around Tegan and Justine from behind.
The group giggled and moved around to the front of the tent to where a few seats were erected for them to sit in while the Judges did their debrief. Justine, Alyson and Tegan sat in the middle of the group and once Greg came to join them, and Jeffery pulled Jacque into his lap, the group was ready.
"Hey shorty, you did good." Greg said to Justine who smiled and blew him kisses.
Ginny and Luna had Daphne backed into a corner of the stable, after Daphne had been trying to get one of them to look after her horse for her. "You lost us the event!" Ginny spat at Daphne, "Normally, I wouldn't mind losing, but to lose because you attacked someone for no good reason? You gave her a mortal wound, you're so lucky she survived that!"
"It really wasn't the nicest thing to do," Luna said vaguely, "She might have been seriously hurt you know. It was bad enough the Thestrals were closing in on Tegan's blood – they were ready for a feast, and I don't know if werewolf blood would have been good for them."
"You don't know if werewolf blood would have been good for the ghostly horses that bring bad luck?" Daphne and Ginny yelped as one.
"You wouldn't want them getting sick, now would you?" Luna replied. With that, she turned and almost floated from the stables.
Suddenly a shadow appeared on the ground before the door, and both of them turned around to see the entire Thundreds school group gathered, with Electra in the lead, scowling murderously at Daphne. Alone, Electra walked into the stables, pushing Ginny politely out of her way and taking the formers place in front of Daphne.
"Greengrass, you have … no honour," she sounded as if the words were alien to her, "Now that I have competed against you, I can say that you truly do not deserve what little name you have in Hunting records. I am asking our Minister if he can appeal for your removal from the team, if not from this event."
Daphne stared at her, but Electra continued before Daphne had a chance to respond, "I have heard that the Australian Minister is taking similar action, and I can assure that I will speaking to other like-minded students about going to their own Ministers to speak about this. I will also be urging that everyone possible to speak with your Headmaster, and Head Students, about possible actions to prevent such behaviour in any place from you in future.
"I have no hesitation in telling you, Greengrass, you are not half the woman your mother was, on a horse or in the flesh. My entire team believes that you way you speak about the Australian team is not only unfounded, but entirely self-descriptive," suddenly Electra turned to Ginny, "Ginevra Weasley, is it not?"
"Yes," Ginny replied, holding out a hand to shake. Electra shook, then turned Ginny's hand over to look at the palm.
"You have honour, and will be graced with long life … but there is something more, something I have never seen before," then she giggled suddenly, "Who would have thought … him?"
Ginny blushed, and took her hand back, looking over her palm in evident confusion. Electra laughed, "I'll show you how to see sometime," she said, taking Ginny's hand again and leading her from the stable.
Albus Dumbledore stood up to address the crowds, "Ladies and Gentlemen, esteemed guests and students, thank you for attending the fortieth advent of the United Youth Conference Unicorn Hunt!" he paused for cheering, which came with enthusiasm from everyone. "I must begin by saying how proud I am to be the Headmaster of Hogwarts in this time! The students have, for the most part, behaved admirably, in both the events and in accommodating the new arrivals with a minimum amount of fuss. I hope you have all enjoyed the first public event as much as I have. Without further ado, I will give you the results for the Fox Hunt, the second of the three Hunt events, the others, of course, being the Time Trial and the Cross Country. I call fellow Judge and Headmistress, Madame Olympe Maxime to present the results for the Dressage!"
A massive woman in black silk came to the magical microphone, wearing a monstrosity of black feathers on her head. "In the Dressage," she began, "Third came Thundreds, with rider Electra Williams. Second was Hogwarts, with rider Daphne Greengrass, and in first place, Kallaix Academy with Alyson Deveréaux." As their names were called, the three girls came up to receive their ribbons, Daphne and Alyson glaring daggers at one another.
"Well, it seems we have some healthy rivalry on the field," Dumbledore remarked jovially, taking over again. "And I now give you Emmaline Greengrass to present the first, second and third awards for the Hunt itself!"
A woman with a slightly sour expression on her pretty face, and who looked entirely too like her daughter, took the stage. "To begin, scores were decided by both the amount of areas you cleared, and the amount of foxes you gained in each area. In third place, Thundreds, who cleared four areas under the leadership of Electra Williams," the Thundreds team went up to receive a bronze medal in the image of a rearing horse with a bow on the ground at it's feet, and a small fox.
"In second place, Hogwarts, who cleared five areas but were penalised one for misadventure, led by Daphne Greengrass," again, the team came up, this time to receive a silver medal. "In first place, Kallaix Academy, who cleared five areas, and had the highest fox count recorded in the past few years."
Justine led her team up onto the podium amongst the cheers and yelling erupting from the eastern side of the Arena. Looking around grinning she discovered that was because the schools that were there with their families and countrymen were Thundreds, Villefort, Grendwell and Kallaix.
On the other side of the arena, Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Nhi-Lon Fohs were rather reserved in their clapping, not so much as anyone would notice, but she was happy to see that the Durmstrang students were clapping jovially. Justine didn't know whether they liked her team or were just happy to see someone beating Hogwarts who had beaten them in the Tri-wizard tournament.
Up on stage Tegan grabbed the shiny golden trophy and held it above her head. Alyson took two of the ribbons and traditional bouquet of roses and held them up too. Justine smiled and waved, letting a ribbon be pinned to the front of her jacket.
Kris and Saul were standing on chairs by now and when Kris yelled, "Who's your daddy," it was faintly heard around the arena. The entire east side yelled back "SAULS YOUR DADDY!"
Justine shook her head and hugged Severus who had just joined her on stage. "I think we're a bad influence," She said to him as Kris jumped down and began sprinting to where they stood. He swung her up to sit on his shoulders and carried her down the stairs towards the Kallaix cruiser.
When all of the other Kallaix Students had left, and long after the crowds had disappeared Severus Snape stood there. Thinking. "No," he said shaking his head. "I think you're a good influence Justine, you and your friends…" Then he smiled his newfound smile and began to walk towards his office to prepare his long unused dress robes to wear tonight.
Daphne walked towards the DA tower, she had just said farewell to her mother, who had not shut up about that annoying bitch Justine, with her precious horse and her lardy da skills. It wasn't fair. She had worked her entire life to be the best huntress to keep her mothers attention. She had also gotten a dressing down from Dumbledore who informed her she had been penalised an area's points for her treatment of Tegan. She guessed it could have been worse.
She sensed someone behind her and turned to see Tegan, her eyes dangerously flashing, stalking her down the hall. It just got worse, the blood, which Tegan had magically removed before was back. She turned and walked faster, hoping Tegan would go away. She kept coming. Daphne broke out in a run and turned to see Tegan break out in a flat sprint straight at her, eyes focused on Daphne.
Daphne realised, I'm being hunted, she's a freaking werewolf, and she's hunting me! Daphne screamed and ran as fast as she could.
Tegan crash tackled the bitch from behind. She was going to make her hurt dammit, like that arrow had. It had nearly killed Alyson. Pain was a coming.
She flipped Daphne over and raised her hand to punch her in the face and her fist was caught from behind.
Justine was there, looking at her with eyes of fire. "I saw you leave the boat. She's not worth your anger. Get up and walk away." She said in a dangerous tone, eyes flickering lightning.
Tegan was, for lack of a better word, shocked with herself once she had clamed down. She got up, shook her head and followed Justine back around the corner, where Adam stood. He smiled at her and gave her a nookie. "C'mon missy, let's go get some sun." he said affectionately.
The group's good mood from winning the hunt hadn't lifted. At four forty five, Justine sat on the end of 'Boby 2' leaning back on Saul's bent legs. "We are so too good for our own good," she said cockily.
Ax grinned at her from another deckchair where he and Alyson were looking at the newspaper. "Watch out, your starting to sound as egotistical as me," he said with a raised eyebrow.
"Nah, she has a more feminine voice, sounds nothing like you at all," Kris quipped from his spot floating on an inflatable mat in the pool.
Ax grinned, "You delight in annoying me don't you?"
Lazily from the top deck where he and Tegan were sunbaking Adam called, "He delight's in finally getting one up on the king of the smarmy."
Ax opened his moth in mock horror, "Smarmy… moi?"
Jacque laughed. "If you boys are quite done sizing each other up, we need to get ready, we have a live interview in… fifteen minutes… with Julia for the morning news. Now I need to get up to the castle to set some cameras amongst the brickwork, and a few in the entrance hall, for the Hunt feast and the Moonlight ball. When they want you, a mist will appear over the pool, and then clear to become flat like a screen. Julia will appear, and it'll be like watching and talking to TV." She grinned and jumped of the side of the boat onto the pier with Jeffery.
Ax, who had gone downstairs for something, popped back up through the wheelhouse holding his and Kris's guitars. "Let's play some tunes while we wait."
Kris nodded and levitated himself back to the edge of the pool, still miraculously dry. They sat down and began to pluck some pretty Latin music, to which Justine began to sing softly and sweetly. It was obvious she was making it up as she went along, but she knew a little Spanish, phrases like 'where's the toilet' and 'how do you do' so she sounded authentic. If a little strange to those who understood it.
Kris suddenly grinned when he saw Tanya come up on deck with a flat mat; about two meters square, and lay it out. She waved her wand and said "Erresius" stepping back as a white and silver drum kit suddenly inflated from the surface. She sat down and Kris and Ax looked to her to start the next song. Saul, who had a surprising baritone, sat up to join Justine in the singing.
Tanya suddenly giggled and began to drum a tribal sort of rhythm. Her being in Petersen was explained when she played music her entire demeanour changed. Tanya could play most any instrument well. At Kallaix one of the new elective subjects was Sorcery. A form of Magic where the person uses their body and music to create spells and illusion. Every student squabbled about who got to take the class, it being the most popular new subject, second computer studies.
All the prefects had gotten into the class; it was, to be sure, unfair that as prefects they had all gotten first choice at the courses available.
Ax picked upon the drum rhythm and turned it into the only song he could think of, Kris following him in, both playing with gusto. Justine and Saul working well with one another, she picked up a natural harmony to his voice.
When superstars and
cannonballs are running through your head
A television freak show
cops and robbers everywhere
Subway makes me nervous, people
pushing me too far
I've got to break away
So take my hand
now
'Cause I want to live like animals
Careless and free
like animals
I want to live
I want to run through the jungle
The wind in my hair and the sand at my feet …
Clapping and cheering came from the direction of the pool. Justine turned and screamed "Hey mum!"
Julia sat on the screen wearing a snappy pinstripe suit. "Hey baby! Hey everyone, we go live in two minutes, but lets go in with some more of that music huh?"
Everyone nodded and moved to where Julia and the staging director moved them, Justine and Saul just how they were, off to one side on the deckchair, but with Justine sitting more snuggled in. Kris and Ax sat slightly to one side in front of Tanya who was in the middle. Alyson, Adam and Tegan sat on chairs just in behind Saul and Justine.
"Okay. We're live in five… four…"
Tanya again started playing and the music started up again.
Wonder if you can
pick up my
Accent on the phone
When I call across the
country
When I call across the world
I can see you in my
kitchen
I can picture you now
As you toast to your small
town
When you drink the happy hour
I'm in London
still
I'm in London still
I'm in London still
"I'm proud to say that now we're crossing live to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Australia is currently competing in the United Youth Conference. We're chatting to Justine Snape and Kristopher Crompton and the student prefects. Hey guys."
Justine rolled her eyes and said "Hey mum!"
"So how's Britain treating you this morning?"
"Well, it's, like five in the afternoon, but the morning was great!" Kris said jovially.
"So, I have it on good confidences that not two hours ago you won the main portion of the Hunt." Julia said mischievously. On cue Alyson and Tegan held up the cup.
"Mum, we totally nailed it, and we're in the finals for the Quidditch!" Justine said happily.
"And we've barely been in trouble!" Saul said, bringing in waves of laughter. "Yeah, seriously but, this is the most amazing experience. We've come over here to where the best of the best of eight of the largest schools in the western magi-sphere have gathered and we have the opportunity to compete against them and confer with them. It's an amazing experience."
"What's it been like with all of the different cultures?" Julia asked.
Justine thought for a second and answered, "We've been so rushed that I can't really say I've noticed anything dramatically different. Um, there's been some weird foods popping up at dinner, but on the whole I think the different cultures have been a positive thing for the event. I've had a lot of time with the Thundreds, Grendwell and Villefort teams. And the Durmstrang Team's ship is on the pier next to ours…"
Julia's expressive hands moved as she conducted the interview, bringing each student into the conversation, "So… we have like two minutes left, so I want to know what's your favourite thing so far, we'll go around the group."
Tegan started and she thought for a second then grinned…"The food!"
Alyson laughed and said, "All the different opinions and cultures," she nodded and looked over to Adam, who immediately grinned and quipped, "New challenges in the Quidditch pitch!"
Julia laughed, "Our little Quidditch star! Have you chosen which team to sign with next year?"
Adam laughed and shook his head. "I don't know who I'm going to sign with, but when I do, you'll be the first to know Julia."
"Ok, I'm holding you to that. Ax?"
Ax grinned. "The uh, company?" he said with a pretend bashful glance.
Everyone laughed. Kris said he favoured the "Competition and bringing the school glory."
Tanya smiled and said, "Seeing the rest of the world … and catching up with a friend I thought was a Muggle."
"Oh, so he's at Hogwarts?" Julia said.
"Hard to believe, but yeah. A guy who lives next door turns out to be going to school in Britain," Tanya shrugged, and they moved on to Saul.
"Well, I was a little saddened by the lack of diversity in the Hogwarts library, and with that disappointment in mind, I'd have to say that my favourite thing so far has been the partying."
Finally Justine thought for a second and said, "Friendships. Old and new, there were some people who I've gotten to know again who I'd missed."
Everyone broke out in choruses of "Aww," while Saul tickled Justine.
Finally Julia had to go, after telling Justine on national television to behave herself and wishing the group well.
Justine lay on her bed and thought about the day. It was five thirty according to her silver bedside clock. She rolled and pushed her face deeper into the white satiny bedspread. She had an hour to get beautiful and face the world again. She was getting sick of this. Constantly on the defensive because of Daphne, Pansy and him. And now bloody Harry and Ron were angry with her. This was so unfair.
She didn't want to go to this bloody feast.
She looked over at the boring dress she was supposed to wear. Everyone went in costume, and the whole school's team had to match, each the so-called traditional dress of their country. The Thundreds would get to wear groovy Egyptian gowns; the Beauxbatons would be in shimmering French gowns.
The Australians would be in the black, stoic, English dresses that were in fashion in the seventeen hundreds. It covered everything.
She couldn't even accessorise this bloody thing.
The first settlers were a boring bunch weren't they? But were they the first people to Australia? A slow and devious smile spread over Justine's face. The first people to Australia were convicts. Thieves, murderers, hookers…
Justine whipped out her wand and flitted out of her room and into the lounge to see Alyson and Tegan in their room dissing their dresses. "I HAVE A PLAN!" she screeched and headed for the transfiguration section in the Library.
She re-emerged with a book, and skipped back to her dress. The index directed her to page forty-nine. She pointed her wand at her dress and chanted "Forma Decorus". The boring skirt spread, became satiny. A full circle of satin with tulle underskirts. The top a black corset with black satin ribbon holding it together at the back. She was going to have some killer cleavage.
She went and stroked the satiny fabric. She was going to play the part of the… she smiled. She could just see the look on the face of Daphne and Pansy. They had never seen hussy like they were going to see hussy tonight. Let Kallaix show they could outshine the shiniest.
She bolted for Tegan and Alyson. Repeating the chant she turned Tegan's dress royal blue velvet, a translucent long skirt in chiffon, covered by a cross-over dress which barely covered the essentials in the front before tying up at the back, the v-neck sitting way down near her belly button.
Alyson's dress went emerald green silk, a halter neck dress, also for killer cleavage, with a long round skirt, with splits to the thigh at regular intervals around the skirt.
The three girls raced for Tanya, busting through he door just as Tanya would have taken off her top to put the hideous creation on. Justine pointed her wand. Red. Scarlet red. Asymmetrical on the top, one long sleeve, one no sleeve. A long skirt with a split to the thigh on one side and a slight train. "Justine, you're getting too good at this." Alyson replied.
"And I'm a fast learner!" said Jacque's voice from behind them. She was wearing a purple silk turtle necked dress, straight falling and sleeveless with a split up the front to just show a hint of belly button, with matching loose form pants.
"Let's accessorise!" was Justine's reply.
She bounded back into her room to put on some makeup, letting her hair down before pinning up the front sections in a neat quiff and attacking it with curling charms. She then sprinkled some magic glitter through her hair, the sort that glittered and shone from its own light.
The last ouch was her grandmother's diamond necklace. She had inherited it and some other jewellery from Severus and her father's mother, primarily because she was the only heir. She also put on the matching earrings, which glittered in her ears.
Justine smiled at her reflecting. Screw playing the defensive. It was time for a little offence. Justine style.
Ax stood on the deck of the boat, waiting for the girls to make their grand appearance. He would be going with Tanya of course, as the Petersen prefects.
Tanya came up on deck with the rest of the girls, and went to stand with … Saul? Why was she with him, surely they weren't going together. But they were!
And then Ax knew, just as fast. Saul was her fall guy. She wanted him, and she wanted him to see her with another man to make him territorial. Yep.
Knowing that he wasn't surprised when she didn't look around to find him. He sat there with the other guys and knew that she knew right where he was.
When had she gotten that dress? It was like a material representation of his wildest dreams! Good lord, she was wearing it to make him jealous wasn't she? She was good. Ax grinned to himself. She was lucky she was being escorted dressed like that. Hang on. All the girls were dressed like that!
Had he missed something? How come she'd paired off with Saul? Ax figured it all out. She was going with Saul so that when Saul started to goof off, Ax would have to come to her rescue. Yeah. She was. She knew where he was sitting. He relaxed and studied his drink.
"Well, I think we had better get our sweet asses up to the castle already!" Justine said with satisfaction.
Kris grinned and took his baby sister, Alyson, on his arm, at least her dress was decent. UNTIL SHE MOVED! "I think we're ready. Let's go." Kris said.
There was a chorus of agreement and the group began to move off towards the castle. Justine had taken Kris's other arm, and Tegan was chatting to Adam, who, Ax had seen, had asked her to go to the feast earlier. Jacque and Jeffery were somewhere up the front, doing their thing as usual.
He was left without a partner. Good lord.
He sped up and walked alongside Adam, so he wasn't alone. That just never happened. He saw Tanya and Saul were ahead of him. It seemed odd that she would allow that. She should have waited until he had disembarked until she did, then acted surprised to see him ahead of her when Saul started to misbehave.
She wasn't handling the situation all that well. But she was a novice, she'd learn.
He squeezed through the impossible barrier of Justine and Kris to take her arm and walk alongside Kris, Justine kept chatting, happy enough to let him wrap her hand around his elbow.
Tanya should have pretended to notice him by now. Then a thought stopped his mind cold. What if she really was… not interested? Well… that … it suited him just fine. How could he be so upset over a woman he'd discarded six days and four hours ago?How come he knew how long it had been?
Was he sulking? Had he been waiting for her to make another move, saying he was right and she had been rude to expect things from him? Yeah. Shit. What was he supposed to do?
WHAT the hell was he thinking? He needed a woman. Any pretty woman. Now.
Harry and Draco were standing with Hermione and Ginny at the halls into the Great Hall to welcome the students inside, which had been seriously reworked to present an amazingly beautiful Medieval scene, full of golden lights, dazzling primary colours provided by the outfits. Every school was required to wear something unique to their country, and all of them wearing masks. All the Hogwarts students were dressed in medieval British style garments, full of pastels and chiffon for the girls, blacks and golden brocade for the guys. Hermione and Draco were required to man the welcome desk, as the Head students, and their dates for the evening joined them.
Draco was wearing tights in a shimmering golden fabric, and a white high necked linen blouse. Over this he was wearing robes in black with a deep purple fur trim. His mask was black with golden sequins. Beside him Ginny had dressed in a flowing creation of purple to match.
Harry and Hermione were dressed like royalty, there was no other word for it. Harry had on a similar under-outfit to Draco, although he had teamed it with a red velvet cloak with white fur trim and a golden, almost Greek style mask. Beside him Hermione's outfit looked as though it had come straight out of a founder's wardrobe, so beautiful was the red velvet dress.
Around the room each school had dressed traditionally. The Villefort'ians had come dressed in flowing silken togas, olive bough's in their hair and what Ginny had called "Greek goddess dresses." The Thundreds had shocked everyone when they turned up dressed in Egyptian style belly dancer outfits and the men in full sheik gear, white flowing robes. And many other costumes added their own national flair and pride. Then the last of the guest's arrived.
"What the hell are they wearing?" Draco demanded, while Harry struggled not to laugh. Leading the way into the Hall were Jacque Quain and Jeffery Campell. Jacque was wearing a satin halter neck with imperial purple pants underneath – necessary, as the dress she was wearing stopped around her belly button and opened out behind her. Jeffery, and apparently the rest of the boys, were just dressed in fairly simple dress robes, apart from their masks. Jacque was wearing a mask in the form of a white tiger with blue sequins above her eyes. Jeffery was wearing a black top hat with a mask coming down just over his eyes.
"I'm not sure," Hermione replied, "Though I'm sure it's not what they said they would be."
"Welcome to the Hunt Feast," Draco said, "Please sign your name's in the book," he gestured to a podium just beside them, where an ornate book was currently flipping pages until it opened onto 'Kallaix Academy Australia'. "In approximately twenty minutes the Feast itself will begin, you will find your seats marked by place cards. Please sit in your designated chair. Have a pleasant evening."
Jacque and Jeffery signed while Tanya, wearing a mask that seemed to be made of flames, accompanied by Saul, his face appropriately covered by a silver Joker mask, were greeted by Draco and Hermione.
Then came Tegan and Adam, Tegan wearing a suede and fur wolf mask and Adam with a "Phantom of the Opera" mask, which covered half of his face. After them came Kris and Alyson, Kris wearing a strip of black across his eyes like a bandit, and Alyson wearing a fantastic contraption of silver and white feathers. After them came Justine and Ax.
Justine was wearing a black silk mask, covered in sequins and diamantes, while Ax had a delicate silver mask that surrounded basically just his eyes. Harry looked over to Draco – Justine was looking stunning, and he wondered how his brother was going to cope with it.
Draco was simply staring, Harry wasn't sure if he even realised he was. Justine leaned over to sign her name, and the welcome committee was granted a fantastic view of her cleavage. Draco stiffened, then turned and walked hurriedly away. Hermione gently pushed Ginny to indicate she should follow her date.
Justine straightened, adjusting a thick necklace of diamonds that hung low down into the front of her corset. Harry wasn't sure how comfortable she could be, since the necklace started at the very top of her neck like a collar.
Kallaix was the last group to arrive, and now it was time for Harry to locate the Head Boy and send Draco and Hermione to officially begin the evenings activities. Of course, after seeing Justine, Harry wasn't sure where he might find the Head Boy …
When they were bidden, the students all took their seats at the tables and requested the meal that they wanted. Tanya looked around her, laughter bubbling up inside her. She was having the time of her life. She profusely thanked the day that Justine had pulled her into this world. She looked down at what she was wearing, and could hardly repress the laughter – just three months ago she could have never dreamed wearing anything like this!
Saul, sitting beside her, was grinning at her. "You look like you're having fun," he remarked.
"I am!" Tanya replied happily, and rested a hand on Saul's, "Thanks for accompanying me."
"No sweat," Saul shrugged, seeing that Ax, sitting on the other side of the table and a seat down from them was giving him murderous looks whenever he thought that Tanya wasn't looking at him.
So, Ax was trying to ignore Tanya, was he? Saul wondered, well, maybe he was trying to provoke interest by pretending to be interested in someone else – didn't he realise that would just drive her away from him?
Tanya, however, didn't seem to have noticed, and Saul decided that he probably shouldn't point it out. If her heart had to be broken, then perhaps it would be best if she had fun before hand. He'd almost been believing that Ax was actually interested in Tanya for awhile there, but he'd known it couldn't last. Pity – they could have been so good for each other.
Not long after the meal commenced, troupes of Jesters were presented to entertain the feasters. "Talk about dramatic entrance," Saul remarked to Tanya, as a huge burst of flame covered the area by the doors to the hall and the group came bounding from within the fire.
He saw pretty quickly that he'd completely lost her attention. "Must be the fire," he remarked, very softly. Tanya was rather obsessed with fire – she was Mr. Bathie's favourite student, along with Tegan, after all.
The show went on for a little while, but it was very fire orientated. Eventually, with Tanya's best interests in mind, Saul tapped her on the shoulder to try and get her attention. Eventually she turned to him, "That food looks like it's getting cold," he told her, nodding to her plate.
"Oh!" Tanya said, looking at the food as if she'd forgotten it had existed. "Yes, I suppose it is."
Once the food had disappeared, the leading Jester came forward and spoke out with a booming stage voice, magically enhanced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the first and second courses are now complete. Now, we will be having a session of dance, after which the Subtlety will be presented. Now, for the first dance!" He suddenly gave an odd little leap, followed by a somewhat … disturbing dance. "And now, the second!"
Another member of the troupe came over and pushed the first 'dancer' cum Jester out of the way, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your partners for … the waltz!"
"Where are we dancing?" Someone asked. "There are tables all over the place."
"Oh, yes, why, I'd quite forgotten!" the man said, "Excuse me," he clicked his fingers and the tables all disappeared in a cloud of purple glittering smoke, which rose up, and then fell softly down on the dancers like snow.
With another Jester, the man demonstrated a stylised form of the waltz, which most of the students picked up very easily, and the music started.
Draco and Ginny were dancing over in one corner of the hall, and suddenly Kris and Alyson swirled over beside them, and Draco noticed that Kris was wearing a fake sword on his hip. "You know how to use that thing?" he asked over the music, nodding to it.
"Sure, Ax taught me!" Kris replied jovially, "You stick the pointy end in the other man."
Ax and Justine, who were spinning madly and laughing like mad, approached them, "You have no idea how proud I am – it took me forever to teach him that much," Ax grinned.
"Well, that certainly shows your skills as a teacher," Draco sneered. Kris and Ax both suddenly stopped dancing and turned to stare at Draco for a minute, before turning and stalking off, leaving their partners behind.
Justine looked at Draco for a moment in disgust, then hurried after Ax, somehow managing to avoid falling over, despite the fact she was wearing stilettos.
"They were trying to be nice, and you come back with that," Alyson said, and shook her head and walked after Kris.
"That was low," Seamus remarked, "You've changed, Draco – I spent days teaching you how to laugh, and this is the crap you come up with … do I have to teach you how to take a joke all over again?"
"It was a quote from a Muggle movie," Leon said, standing nearby. "It's called 'Zorro', Kris got the mask from there as well," Seamus and Leon moved away, leaving Draco feeling alone and royally told off. Ginny abandoned him also, going to dance with Neville, who'd asked her to the dance two days after Draco had.
Draco went to find Harry, who was getting drinks for himself and Hermione, to complain about the Australians. Harry was listening, but not agreeing with Draco like he usually did. Had Harry forgotten that she had tried to kill them?
Suddenly Hermione came over and gently took Harry's arm. "Draco, Tanya's already explained what happened there to us. Harry knows what really happened, I know, for Gods sake even Ron knows. You hold a grudge like no one I've ever met – and that's not necessarily a good thing," With that, she lead Harry away, leaving Draco feeling even worse than before.
Tanya, the moment the dances had finished, had headed for the Jesters and persuaded them to give her two fire sticks. Each lit with ever-lasting flame; she was spinning them in many weird and wonderful acts. Justine, seeing her and unable to find Kris or Ax, came over and stole a pair of pois (chains with fire on the end) and joined right in. Both of them had taken to practicing with fire sticks over the summer holidays, after their Sorcery teacher had told them that it would be part of the Seventh Year course.
They finished a particularly hard movement, and Tanya held up her sticks and yelled, "I am the Lord of the Flame!"
"Hey Lord of the Flame, your hair's on fire," Saul called from the sidelines. She dropped one stick and went to check her hair. Saul came up and nuzzled into her neck, "Nah, it was just the light on your mask."
Tanya laughed, went to hit him, and then squirmed out of his grip and went back to playing with fire with Justine – it was just so much fun.
Suddenly the lead Jester came back to centre stage, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats for the Subtlety," he called, as tables and chairs appeared around the hall. The tables that came appeared with puffs of sparkly blue smoke, and were random, appearing wherever there was a group of students. If there were loads of people in an area, then the table would be large, but if there only two people, a tiny table and two chairs appeared.
The tables and chairs were both made of glass, which seemed to make some people nervous, Justine, however, seemed perfectly at home, so Tanya acted like wise. Saul sat next to her, and Leon, who'd been coming to comment on her skills with the fire-sticks, was set a place with them at a table for four.
The entire troupe of Jesters had disappeared, and now the doors banged open, and they returned, all of them levitating an enormous marzipan replica of the Hunt trophies. "We present to you, the Subtlety!" the leader cried out, and suddenly plates appeared out of nowhere in green smoke, and whizzing all over the place. Then the marzipan figure exploded, and all of the plates suddenly had miniature version of the trophy. All the plates then went to land in front of the students, so they could be appreciated, then eaten.
To eat the Subtlety, everyone took of their masks, and when the tables disappeared (the smoke this time pink), the masks went with them. "The masks have to transported back to your accommodation, and now, let the dancing begin again!"
Justine went to stand with Tegan and Ron, and when Tegan went to get a drink, Ron asked if Justine would like to dance, "Sorry about the whole dragon thing," he said, "I didn't understand." He swung her into the group of people forming a huge waltz on the dance floor.
"I'm sorry I told three ten tonne dragons to kill you," Justine replied, and smiled. Ron smiled back.
Justine was on the dance floor whipping up a storm in a mock Tango with Saul when it happened. She was just looking around for the group. Innocent enough at the time, but what troubled her was that she couldn't locate Tanya or Ax.
Saul dramatically threw Justine into a low, long, slow dip and being Justine, she got onto the moment and threw her arms above her head and dragged them on the floor as he walked backwards, with her eyes closed. She opened them when Saul pulled her firmly back to him and spun her out. Over Kris's shoulder, who was dancing next to them with Electra, she saw Tanya just… staring at something.
Were those tears in her eyes?
Justine made a tiny, hopeless gesture with one of her hands and Jacque, thank god, picked up on the que and spun gracefully in on Saul's other arm, freeing Justine to melt backwards into the crowds of dancers.
It was a good thing the Tango was so smooth, it allowed Justine, if she kept her wits about her, to pass unheeded through he crowds to Tanya's side in an instant.
"What's wrong?" she called above the passionate music, but she too was reduced to staring when she looked out of the window onto the terrace. In a seemingly unoccupied area of the patio, Ax was… busy.
He was sitting on a long low bench, with a girl in his lap. The dress was blocking most of the view, but judging from the way she was moving, this was no innocent peck in the dark. Ax was all over her. Justine saw red. What the hell was Ax doing, leading Tanya on again then doing this?
Tanya finally chocked out an inarticulate sound and the first of her pearly tears flooded down her cheeks. Justine's mind was blank. This was Ax, her best friend, and Tanya, who was so fragile right now that it pulled Justine's heart.
"Are you kidding?" Justine suddenly exclaimed. In the girl's dishevelled hair, Justine and Tanya could make out a single sequinned butterfly.
Without thinking Justine rubbed her hands together and chanted "Penetralis", laying her hands on the bricks and walking straight through. The couple on the other side didn't see the girl walk clear through the brick wall, or the girl through the window turn sobbing into the crowds, nor did they sense the darkness as Justine darkened the windows, hiding them from all inside…
Tanya's heart, which had so fragilely put itself back together over the last week, was shattered into thousands of minuscule fragments that were now cutting into her very soul. Beside her Justine, for once, looked blank. How could she have let herself be delusioned into thinking he had seen her. Really seen her? Ax fucking Kidson. Why the hell had she bothered?
He had been so… charming this week. Tanya chocked. He had even seemed jealous at the party the other night when she danced with Malfoy. But it had all been part of a cruel act to hurt her, she could see that now. She was rejected again! Her grandparents had never wanted her, but she could deal with no affection but that of paid nannies and caretakers. She'd never fit in at school, the little reject, but she knew she had Leon.
If she couldn't even attract the attention of Ax, who gave it out to woman in spades, how was she good enough for anyone? What was wrong with her? Tanya knew she was crying. She was unloved, unwanted, a discard.
Justine's hands suddenly began to change as she rubbed them together, her lips moving as though she were chanting under the music. The air about her became blackened, charged with negative ionic energy. She walked straight through the wall, and turned to begin blackening the window.
Oh god no! She had to find a way out of this place! Justine would gently tell Ax to stop doing things in front of Tanya, and just expect Tanya to get over it and join back in with Justine's happy little world she had built herself and brang Tanya into. Tanya would never fit in!
She turned, ashamed and ran smack into Tegan and Adam who were laughing and dancing jovially.
Tegan saw the look on Tanya's face and sobered, "Tanya what's going on? Wasn't Justine with you?"
Tanya choked on her tears. "I saw… I saw Ax on the patio with that Padma chick from the other night and I think I overreacted, I mean it's in his nature… Justine's gone to deal with it, but how the hell can I face him now?"
Tegan's eyes widened. "Padma, as in Ron's girlfriend?"
Adam was already looking for them. "It's not Ax we have to worry about, its Padma!"
Tanya couldn't focus on why there was such a fuss. Justine was little miss tactful; she'd deal with it quickly and quietly.
Tegan grabbed Tanya so tightly that she was forced to focus. She said in a voice one would expect for use on a five year old, "Tanya, tell me where they went. Don't you remember what Justine did to the Miranda chick when she cheated on Saul?"
Tanya's eyes widened. Justine hated Miranda now, because she had cheated! She had dyed Miranda blue, all over, charmed her hair to attack her and set the Wentworth dragon on her! Not to kill, but to scare the shit out of! Kris had called it off, but the whole school had seen Miranda shamed. Violently.
Tanya turned and sprinted for the doors.
Justine saw Tanya come pelting out of the doors, with others, and realised she was running out of time to take action. She summoned the power back from deep inside and lifted Padma aggressively off Ax, relieved to see they were both at least somewhat decent down below.
Padma shrieked in indignation, annoying Justine further, and Justine threw her violently at the nearest wall.
Padma's pain stormed into Justine's mind. What the hell was that? A memory of … her? She threw a barrier around Padma so she couldn't move and advanced on Ax.
But Tanya had beaten her to it. Raising her wand, she pointed it straight at his chest and said in an angry voice, "Soberitus!"
Ax almost fell backwards off the bench, just catching himself in time, his dazed look became confused, then his eyes filled with stark clarity. "Oh my god what the hell was I doing?"
Justine shook her head. "I've stood by you while you've done a lot of fucked up things over the years Ax, but this takes the cake. We know her boyfriend! What the hell were you thinking?"
Ax put his head down in his hands and responded quite painfully, "I was confused, and then drunk, oh man."
Tegan went over and put a hand on his shoulder, Adam, who Justine hadn't even notice disappear, re-emerged from inside with Jacque, for once she was Jeffery free. Tanya stood straight in front of Ax, her head low, her eyes, blazing, and focused dead on is face. "Confused? Drunk? You're going to blame this… disgusting behaviour on other behaviour. You're a big boy now Ax, you can't pull this crap anymore, you knew exactly what you were getting into. Jesus, you probably even recognised her you're that fucked up. Until tonight you actually had me believing that it was me. That I was defective or ugly. Not good enough for you. I was so wrong." Tanya was speaking clearly, softly, with tears trickling down her face.
Suddenly her eyes flashed, her body went rigid and when she opened her mouth, she let it rip. "Do you ever wonder why girls pay attention to you Ax? Because I do. What is it about this asshole that could possibly attract me? I understand tonight. It was because I thought you were someone else. I thought you were just playing up to the dumb blonde slut image. But you weren't, you really are that EGOTISTICAL, that MORONIC, that fucking UP YOURSELF! Don't you get it? People are sick of your image, and soon they won't want to be around you anymore. You're going to loose your precious sparkle and then you won't be able to draw in the girls so readily, and you know what? You're going to end up alone, with no friends, only your fucking ego!"
Tanya turned sobbing and ran from the patio. There was a deadly silence. Justine stood with one hand over her mouth. Ax made a gesture to move, but Justine flicked her other hand and petrified his bottom half. "You'll make it worse you dick."
Alyson looked at Justine then dashed off after Tanya, who had headed in the general direction of the lake.
Justine turned to Ax, who was still sitting as though he was in a state of shock. She looked drained, as though something was hurting her. "Ax. She's right you know. You played her all week and then proverbially killed her. I've always thought of you as a good person hiding behind an image, but maybe Tanya's right. Maybe you just get off on hurting her." Justine shook her head and turned away. Walking in a big circle around the patio.
"I think I love her." Was Ax's choked reply.
Justine ignored him, but Tegan placed a hand on his shoulder, and as though she was conveying her neutrality in the situation said, "You have a funny way of showing it Ax."
Justine turned and walked back over to him. Looking down at him she shook her head. "I'm going to have to play this by ear. I need to think and deal with other things right now but here are the rules under which I don't send your ass right back to Australia now. One, stay the fuck away from Tanya, I brought her into our little circle, she's my responsibility. Two, don't talk to me unless I talk to you. Don't be mistaken into thinking we're friends right now. Three if in fact you have broken Tanya's spirit, or if she has lost her glow, I will kill you with my bare hands," Justine looked down at him so seriously that some of the fluff in Ax's head lifted.
"Have I hurt her that bad?" Ax said softly.
"I think it may be worse," came Adam's voice from the shadows, where he and Jacque had been tactfully silent. "I'm going to go and find Leon and Saul. Tanya will need a whole bunch of love right now. Ax, just for the record, coming from a bloke, this is wrong." With that he turned and walked back into the party.
Ax, who could now move again, got to his feet and looked own at the ground, noticing Padma. "What are you going to do with her?" he asked of the unconscious girl with the shimmering black field around her.
"I'm going to find out what the thought of me was, it was something important I have the feeling." Justine turned to him and her heart leapt, he didn't understand what was happening to him, that he was experiencing heartache. Dammit, why did he have to be so damned innocent when it came to real love? Justine walked over to him and hugged him tight. He returned the hug and buried his face in her shoulder. "I don't know what to do. Have I lost you too?" He whispered.
"Leave it all be, I need to figure out a way to sort this out. Trust me Ax. Stay away from me for a day."
Ax stood back and looked at Justine and turned to walk towards the boat. Justine turned to Tegan and said, "I don't care what you do to him, but keep him out of my sight."
When her eyes began to flutter open Padma couldn't understand where she was. Was she laying on the cold stone ground? She raised a hand to her hair to see what the throbbing pain was and encountered a huge bump. She rolled and laid on her other side, then immediately screamed. Justine Snape stood there, her emerald eyes emanating with electricity, her whole body glowing with a faint black glow.
She scampered backward away from Justine, whom Padma could see wasn't alone. Another girl, the school's techie, stood back, in the shadows of the darkened windows. Why was it dark in the great hall? Why was there still loud music, but it was so hushed in the patio.
Justine looked at the pathetic creature trying to get away. She raised one hand and lifted her from the ground, so she was hanging just above what she could reach with her feet. Padma screamed, but Justine had already thought of that, Jacque was nearby, using her wand to hold up a silencing dome.
"So, tell me, do you prefer slut or hussy?" Justine asked with a sadistic grin.
Padma answered with a whimper.
"Hussy it is then. For starters, what the fuck made you think you were good enough to touch an Australian guy? Sure he may be Irish by birth, but you're dirt compared to him. Your going to have to stay away from us for the rest of the conference or I'm sure and one of us would dig your lying heart our of your chest with a rusty spoon." Justine grinned maliciously, proud of her imagery.
"Now, little hussy. I'm about to go and have a swim through your mind, I need to look at your memories to get a better perspective." Justine walked to the crying girl and placed a hand on each side of her face. "It won't hurt! Okay… maybe just a little." Justine leant forward slowly and kissed Padma on the forehead.
The world went black. Sound couldn't penetrate the world, which now only contained the two girls. It felt as though the blackness was moving, whooshing past, but Justine felt no breeze, she leant back, clear out of her body and turned. In the zone she turned from the two bodies were frozen, one in a perpetual scream, the other kissing her forehead. Justine did a graceful swan dive into Padma's thoughts and dreams…
Two young girls were born… they did everything together… one sporty the other bookish… Padma wasn't as good as Parvati. School, separated, finally accepted. Justine sorted through the early memories of Padma with next to no emotion. She fast-forwarded them so to speak, until she was standing on the patio, looking at Ax sit on the bench with a glass in is hands. Next to her stood Padma. She was glaring at Justine!
Inside Ron had just claimed Justine for a dance, and Tegan moved away to find a drink. Justine could remember it. She hadn't even thought of Padma or where she might be.
Justine turned to see Padma walking over to Ax. She couldn't hear sound, but from Padma's memory she picked up on the emotions. Anger, Jealousy, Revenge. Attraction.
Justine picked out the Jealousy and studied it. Ax was bitching drunkenly about Tanya!
Justine stopped the memory just as Padma jumped into his lap, telling him she'd make him forget Tanya. She really didn't want to see that for a second time.
Back in the darkness, Justine examined the situation. This was all a fault of circumstance. But really, it was all people's judgements of other people. Padma's want for revenge for Ron and Justine's relationship, as innocent as it currently was. Ax's jealousy of just about everyone who looked at Tanya. Justine's judgement of Ax.
She remembered the thread of memory and fast-forwarded Padma's mind again to see Justine look over at Tanya who had just emerged from the castle. Justine lifted Padma and threw her… THERE! Justine picked up on Padma's momentary lapse into memory banks and followed the thread of mind. She was standing in another room. The Room of Requirement, Padma's memory told her.
Ron and Padma were sitting on a couch, kissing. What was this? Had Padma been guilty of her cheating… no? Seeing Justine had reminded her of what Ron had done… Ron was feeling guilty… he started talking to Padma. Justine listened to the memory, how could Ron have done this? Justine was getting emotional, she felt her Magai powers tingling. She had to get out of here before she caused Padma mental pain. She turned and ran back to the frozen bodies, hurtling herself into her own.
She came screaming back to consciousness like a freight chain. What the hell? That couldn't be true, was it Padma remembering a dream?
Justine turned on the gasping girl who was holding her head. "That last memory I saw, you and Ron in the room of requirement… Was it real?" Justine yelled. Padma's big brown eyes were flowing with tears, but Justine didn't care. When she failed to answer the question, Justine reached out her hand and said, "Adflictetornus!" causing Padma to scream in agony. Justine stopped the screaming by slapping Padma hard.
Padma's head popped back up and she glared at Justine. "It was real. Ron ruined your life. I think you deserved it."
Justine's eyes thinned to dangerous slits. "Condelescere," Padma screamed and slumped, before Justine dropped her to the ground. Justine stopped thinking. Ron, it had all been Ron's fault. She looked down at her body, glowing with Magai power.
Jacque dropped the invisibility shield and walked to Justine. "What did you find? Was Ax trying to hurt Tanya or not?"
Ax. Her mind told her to focus on Ax. Then she find, hunt down and kill Ron.
BAH BAH BAAAAM! he hee hee i love clififes. What actually happened two years ago between Justine and Ron and Draco? I had so much fun writing Ax in this chapter :) he's so self confident.I did warn you that Draco was going to cop it soon, and it has begun with the power of Greg! Please Read and Review! If you do i'll give you a hug! it's just down there, just hit review...