CLAIMER: I OWN THE GARGOYLES EFTEMIE, LUMINITA, TESHITAN, EVANGELINE, ELENDIN AND I ALSO OWN VOLETTA ESMAY. MY COUSIN IS A LAWYER AND CAN SUE THE CRAP OUT OF YOU FOR USING THESE COPYRIGHTED CHARECTERS OF MINE! SO HA!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE HARRY POTTER CHARECTERS. THEY ARE STRICTLY OWNED BY JOANNE KATHLEEN ROWLING. DO NOT SUE ME FOR ADMITTING THAT THEY DON'T BELONG TO ME!
Dearest Readers,
Hello. Thank you to anyone who reviewed! (I shall thank you all at the bottom.) I appreciate your time in reviewing my writings and wish I could find the words to express my thanks. I know it sounds sappy and cheesy, but it is also true. This chapter is dedicated to my first reviewer. (Lily390). Hope I please you with it! I also apologize for the spelling error in the last chapter. I could have sworn I typed it "Little Whinging". Perhaps my spell checker killed it.
My compliments to you fellow writers,
The Empress of Whispers
The Thirsty
Chapter two:
Harry sat atop the roof when the sun drew very low to the horizon. He stretched and made sure he was ready to leave for Hogwarts so that they wouldn't have to stall leaving when the gargoyles awoke. The magic of night pulsed through Harry's body like the most unusual adrenaline; the stars were dimly starting their lunar glow. The sky was darkening and the most gorgeous contrast in history was once again visible by the living on earth. The way the stars sparkled against the black was always breath taking, and what was more was that the clan members were rising.
The smooth stone veins were vanishing and the rest of the rock that encased them gradually faded to ash. Evangeline was the first to rise to her feet and dust along with crumbled rock slid off her satin gown and around her feet like a halo. She shook the soot out of her hair and flashed Harry a graceful smile, "Good evening, Mr. Potter. I hope you slept well?" Harry nodded and she looked at his trunk suspiciously, "Why on earth have you collected your things? We need not leave for at least a couple hours." The wizard looked at her astonished, "Really? We have that much time?"
Before the green-eyed woman could reply, they caught notice of Elendin helping Luminita off her knees as she yawned softly. The two gargoyles did not notice their audience and Elendin pulled her close within his arms. Upon this sight awakened Evangeline's devious side and she cleared her throat, "Save it for the ballroom." "Ballroom?" The boy who lived asked without thinking. This caused the freshly awakened Teshitan to chuckle, "Why yes, we cannot leave without dancing." Evangeline caught a glimpse of her red-eyed friend and Harry watched her bad girl expression melt.
Eftemie roared whilst he awakened and it resembled that of a lion's. Suddenly, everyone was quiet whilst the leader of the clan walked over to Elendin and pointed to Harry's stuff, "Take that back down stairs, we leave tomorrow night." The blue-eyed gargoyle did what he was told, and Teshitan asked why; which turned out to be a titanic mistake. He was roared at and then left behind without any other trace of a polite response. Evangeline rushed to his side and comforted him while Eftemie left for the dungeons and Luminita brought over the most elegant, but old fashioned gowns Harry had even seen. Both were black and it seemed that they had the same design except for the colors. For one had the colors of Slytherin and the other had the colors of Gryffindor. They left and returned quickly, Luminita in the red and black, and Evangeline in the black and silver. Each dress had a velvet bell skirt with a silk layer underneath and silk bell sleeves that slid off their shoulders most gracefully. Then there were corsets atop the dress and to put it plainly, they looked like the most gorgeous women Harry had ever laid eyes upon. They were twins, no doubt, and had the same taste in clothing, but their personalities were completely different. Luminita was gracious and kind, meanwhile Evangeline was wild and free-spirited.
The guys certainly noticed them as their eyes burned with lust and love. Teshitan was first to speak, "You look stunning, but what is the occasion, might one dare ask? You two have not worn those in at least five centuries." Elendin was far too occupied staring at Luminita to make a comment and Evangeline slapped the one she admired who admired her back lightly on the arm, "Do not speak like that in front of our guest, Teshi!" "Teshi?" Harry quirked a brow and they both blushed. The other two gargoyles laughed in amusement and Evangeline glared them all down; including Teshitan, "That is enough. Let us all escort young Harry here to the ball room. We would be ashamed if he truly wanted to leave us so quickly."
Indeed they would have been ashamed. Harry pondered on what the twins had said, "They have no manners at all, I'm afraid." How true. The boys really did have no manners to save the world. But the teenager was before long in the enormous ball room and had something different to think about. The floor was white marble that sparkled a golden color; perhaps due to the large amount of candles lighting the room. There were pillars and benches and a deck outside the room where Harry could almost imagine Voletta and Eftemie arguing over something.
Evangeline waved her hand and gradually the harp in the corner began playing itself and the room was filled with happy people chattering amongst themselves. "Another illusion," Harry thought, "I wonder how much magic these Gargoyles actually have." At that moment, Teshitan walked over next to Evangeline and bowed low near the ground, "May I have the honor of this dance?" The green-eyed lady took one look at his devious grin and was instantly by his feet with more of an attitude than ever before, "Yes you may." And with that everyone was dancing while a voice rung through the room with no words, just feeling. Harry noticed that some people were wearing masks, some were not, and that everyone there was a great dancer. At this his stomach knotted and he was beginning to feel extremely out of place.
His thoughts then turned to a strangely familiar young woman with a satin mask upon her face and a blue cloak around her body. The only thing visible besides her hands and feet were her cat-eyes. This plagued the teenager's mind; where had he seen this lady? He looked at her partner, who also looked strangely familiar. She had short, dirty blonde hair and liquid hazel eyes that made Harry's throat as dry as parchment. Her face had no lively color, no. Nothing but a pale stone white that made the boy who lived cold. Thunder struck and the candles and everything flashed for a split moment. The teenager was now sure that the gargoyles could merely do illusions and nothing else. Then everything came back and lightning shone, causing panic within the illusion's crowd. Raindrops began to impale themselves upon the castle and Evangeline waved her hand once more as the chaos within the crowd grew, "ENOUGH! Do not be afraid!" The people listened and then disappeared into the air. The candles were blown out and the harp stopped playing.
The only things visible in the dark were each gargoyle's eyes, which shone brighter than ever. Evangeline's eyes leaped out at him with their electric green while Tahitian's vibed an outstanding blood red. Luminita's comforted his trembling soul with their soft, yellow light and Elendin's eyes cast a soft blue fog around the room. "Okay," he pondered, "Maybe illusions aren't the ONLY thing they can do." The green light faltered as the woman the eyes belonged to began to giggle. Apparently she read his thoughts. Teshitan chuckled at Evangeline giggling and Luminita told them to be quiet, for Eftemie was in a horrible mood and the noise would anger him further. Which, surprisingly, it didn't. For in the next moment, the gargoyle leader walked in great strides through the room and waved at each candle, causing them to light again. He was stiff; which lead them to think he was angered, but when he turned around Harry saw tears streaming down his pale cheeks.
Now pain is a horrible thing; not because it is not enjoyable, but because it is contagious. As soon as they saw the tears in his eyes and down his face, everyone else was struck with woe. Not a word was said, no looks were exchanged. Silence hung in the air like a poisonous fog that choked the happiness and left nothing but sorrow to tear them all apart. "She is gone." Eftemie's deep, dark, and devastated voice faltered, "Voletta's statue is gone... I could not save her in time and now she is gone. Never to return again I fear. There was only one thing left." Luminita was about to kindly ask what when Eftemie held out his hand and the rest of the clan gasped. For within his palm laid her Sapphire pendant of the North Star. Harry watched helplessly as the broken up gargoyle broke down in sobs and roared when his companions attempted to help him out. Luminita began to sing sweetly to him but it was of no use, as he kneeled on the floor with tears running down his face.
The next paragraph you are about to read contains something very sad. If you do not like it, I apologize. I am merely telling you the story. Eftemie cried out in pain and froze as he would have if the sun had risen, then the wind blew the doors for the porch wide open and blew away Eftemie's form until there was nothing left at all. The pain of losing the love of his immortal life had killed him inside and out. The other gargoyles could only stare in shock and the castle's illusions evaporated. There were strands of tattered cloth hanging from the ceilings, paintings were torn, there were claw marks all over the walls and several pillars were cracked and fallen. Evangeline took a glimpse of where Eftemie had been and there laid Voletta's pendant. This soon led her to weep bitterly and Teshitan's shocked body took her and held her close to him. Luminita also cried, but into Elendin's shoulder and Harry himself felt the tears raining from his eyes. The only thing was there was no one there to hold him. He knew pain as Eftemie had. Not the same particular kind, mind you, but pain that is similar.
The rest of the night passed dully and sadly. There were many tears and questions; the main one was, "Who now shall lead the clan?" Teshitan seemed like a good candidate, but he could not take that responsibility; for he hid his true feelings, but felt them stronger than the rest. Harry's cracked voice wheezed, "Are you going to take me tonight? Who will lead you now?" Luminita's shivering figure rose and she sniffled, "I apologize, Harry. We cannot take you now. You will have to go on your own. We will give you supplies and lead you to the forest point, but we can go no further without Ef-Ef- Eftemi-," Elendin held her and squeezed her hand so she shakily continued, "And I shall lead the clan now, if we can still call it that. The number is so small. Once again I am sorry."
The gargoyles kept their word and lead him in such a slow pace it seemed like a procession. Finally they all reached the trees and with more tears, Evangeline shook Harry's hand and then hugged him when her tears became stronger. Teshitan and Elendin shook his hand and Luminita kissed his cheek lightly. The young wizard took his things and turned to face the forest when Luminita spoke for the last time to him, "Oh, and Harry?" He faced her and whispered, "Yes?" "Please do not tell Luna about Eftemie. Please? She would feel sorrow for us and I do not want her to feel that way. So will you keep it secret?" He nodded his head and then waved one last time as he walked into the thick forest.
(A/N :) I cry for Eftemie! He was my favorite! Does anyone have any tissues? He was the character closest to my heart! I am sorry! I thank you all for your kindness in answering to my story! So here are my responses!
JennyRoseAngel- I thank you! I did just update soon and I hope to continue the habit!
Loonie Potter- Wow. I never thought of it that way before! They were like Romeo and Juliette! Wow! The things I do that I know not! "Oh what men dare do! Oh what mare dare do when they know not what they do!" (That's a Shakespeare quote. Heh.)
PouringRaindrops- Thank you! I love them too. They've been my head since I was small and now I am working on their real story. Except in the real story they're not Gargoyles. Perhaps I should change it so they are?
Lily390- Thank you for being my first reviewer! I do hope that this pleased you! Nice angst is ALWAYS good for the soul. Is it not?
My Compliments to you Fellow Writers,
The Empress of Whispers