A single flickering taper lit the atrium of the astronomy turret. Old star charts hung lopsided from rusty pins and several outdated telescopes were piled in a corner. A muttered incantation echoed around the small stuffy chamber.
Crouching next to the tower's central column, brown head bent, the young man continued to recite the incantation. His tall form was more folded than crouched, like an escape artist waiting to spring from a locked box. He shifted his weight and flexed slender fingers around the teak wand they held. The determined muttering continued.
Calvin O'Toole sighed. After his herbology mid-term had been cut short he hadn't been looking forward to that night's astronomy exam. Herbology had turned into a total balls-up after some little 2nd year git and snuck in on a dare and had a run in with two mandrakes and draculas fly trap. The plants came out on top.
He attempted to give the muttering a little more inflection. Still no luck. The charm he had concocted wasn't doing what he had said it would. Why didn't the damn tower just give it up and get the hiccups?
There is a point to this exercise. Calvin told himself. Professor Lindle cannot give the astronomy exam with a gastricly disturbed class space. Oh! Bugger it! He had lost concentration and succeeded in shifting the old pile of telescopes exactly one foot seven inches to the right. Still no hiccups. Blast! Why do clever things have to be so bleedin' difficult?
Low clouds scudded over an overcast sky. It was one of those gray days when all color drained from the world and life felt like a black and white muggle film from the 30's. The whole school was gray. The stone was gray, the water of the lake was gray. Even the students looked pale, washed out, and brittle. Exams have that effect
Students trickled slowly out to the courtyard from their exams. They all had glazed eyes and a drained look to them. They formed small circles, huddling against the January chill. The general mood and consensus was "Ugh! Mid-terms". Everyone wanted some sort of diversion. Lunch was the most attractive of options, but it was, unfortunately, an hour away.
A faint rattling sound came from the astronomy tower. It was followed by a loud clatter, an aggravated shout, and several thumps. A couple of students looked up, mildly curious. Nature's sullen winter silence took over again and all hope of excitement fizzled out.
"BLOODY HELL!" someone screamed. The whole courtyard convulsed, jerked, and heaved. A large roof tile fell from somewhere, hitting a blonde 7th year boy smack on the head. Pandemonium was immediate. It was as if Chicken Little had taught a seminar on panic. Over the screaming and hysterics a boomingly loud and distinct hiccup burst from far over the students heads. Everything got quiet. An intimidated 1st year let go of the pussycat that was attempting to scratch her eyes out and looked up.
The ered as it let out a violent hiccup. astronomy tower did a distinct double take, sucked itself in, paused confusedly, and shuddered, emitting another violent hiccup. Someone let out a loud exuberant whoop and the goggle eyed crowd followed suit. Panic evaporated and the whole courtyard burst into gales of laughter. The mood in the courtyard became suddenly rather festive. There was a good deal of chatter, and several prank jinxes. Someone threw a Zonko's dung bomb into the middle of the crowd and an attempted cleaning charm produced a large canary instead of the desired affect.
As the dung bomb was being recovered from, cheers erupted from the other end of the courtyard. The students parted opening an alley way down the middle of the crowd.
The entrance to the astronomy tower burst open. Calvin bolted into the courtyard grinning. More cheers. Extending one foot in front of him he took a flourishing bow. Grinning egoistically from ear to ear he did it again for dramatic effect.
Hands held high above his head, he sprinted through the crowd, slapping hands, grinning, and responding to cat calls with the most obscene comments he could think of. Students cheered. Reaching the other end of the courtyard, he turned to face his appreciative audience. He gestured towards one side of the crowd raising his hands with a flourish, a conductor cueing his orchestra. They responded with enthusiastic cheers. Calvin cut them off, straightened himself studiously, a look of intense concentration on his face, and called cheers from the remaining crowd with a brandishing fist. He bowed again.
Calling for silence the conductor spoke. "Well ladies and gents! Thanx to yours truly…" Calvin paused for effect "there will be now astronomy exams this evening. Due to…aum… unforeseen complications" Calvin grabbed his stomach and gave a melodramatic portrayal of a hiccup. With a huge wink at a blushing blonde next to him, he put both hands to his mouth and showered the various students around him with a benevolent rain of air-born kisses.
There he stood. Basking in the attention he garnered. His hair was a sort of a sort of red-brown. Girls insisted on auburn. His robes hung in long folds around his lithe, muscular form. His shirt was untucked, his tie tied very poorly and hanging from his neck at a faltering angle. The "auburn" hair had a roughed up, ruffled flair to it and trailed in stray wisps over his face. The whole affect was truly charming, but what stood out was the face; a concoction of innocence, rakish abandon, with a reckless set. His nose was strong, prominent, leading to a high forehead. The cheekbones were clear and defined. A wide mouth shaped by full lips sat atop his strong jawline. But Oh those eyes! They were a steely gray with hints of blue and green and a deep twinkle.
"Hey, O'Toole. How in Merlin's name did you manage that." A tall, lanky boy asked, sounding a bit miffed. He had longish red hair, expressive eyes set over high-cheekbones and a prominent nose.
"I'm a tricky blighter aren't I? Besides," Calvin added shamelessly "I've got talent." His boastful tone and winning smile brought lovesick expressions to the faces of a gaggle of 3rd year girls in the crowd.
"You better watch out Weasley… He's gitten' as good as those twin brothers of yours!" retorted a smirking boy with a heavy Irish accent.
"I most certainly am not!" Calvin said indignantly, a look of utter incredulity on his face "Fred and George Weasley are untouchable. They're fabulous, bazzin', pos'tivley aces, they beat the rumors about those bloody kids my dad knew who turned themselves into animagus. They're bleedin' well untouchable. You jus cannot top the Weasley twins. I'm trippin' along in their footsteps and my own little patch of borrowed glory. Proud of to. Thank you very much Seamus Finnigan."
"Belting!" Ron muttered sarcastically, looking highly chagrinned "Another loyal fan. They're balmy. Balmy, the whole lot of him." A distinctly average looking girl behind him patted him on the back.
"S'alright Ron" Hermione cajoled "He's only…"
The astronomy tower emitted another gastric explosion. A slight commotion ensued, and someone toppled through the wall of bodies behind Hermione. A tall, thin boy, with a mop of unruly black hair skidded up to them and threw an arm around Ron's shoulder. "What'd I miss?" Harry asked, out of breath.
"Blitherin' idiot" Ron muttered to his navel.
"Ron's gone all touchy because Calvin was braggin' about Fre…"
"I am not." Ron cut in.
"What's goin' on this time?" Harry said, waiting for the inevitable argument.
"His ego's been blitzed and he's gone all touchy. He's impossible."
"Ease-up. It's not as bad as all that." Harry tried being the voice of reason.
"Bugger-off" Ron grouched. Harry shrugged it off.
"Ro-on" Hermione said reproachfully, sounding remarkably like Molly Weasley.
"He only needs one Mother" Harry added calmly
"Harry, I'm not trying to be his mother"
"Bollocks" said Harry
"She is" Ron interjected.
"I am not." Hermione and Ron continued to bicker as Harry steered them into the castle.
The assembly was distracted from Calvin's antics when lunch was called and a stampede of exam-worn students lunged for the Great Hall. Calvin gripped Seamus in a headlock. "G'off a me" Seamus growled.
"I will not, you've gotta eat my young man. It's good for ya. Now grab your books and we shall proceed in search of sustenance." Calvin instructed in a pompous self-righteous tone
"This's arse about face. Get the 'eck off me 'ead" Seamus's Irish lilt kicked in something terrible in his irritation. Calvin released him laughing.
"You are full o' bilge. You know that?" Seamus directed at Calvin gathering his books and slinging his robes over his shoulder. Calvin grinned. Seamus made a rude gesture and, laughing, they headed for lunch.
In the Great Hall students and faculty, not to mention food, were bathed in the gray light of the sky reflected in the magical ceiling. Someone had had the bright idea to festoon the candle sconces around the walls and the serving platters with never-melting icicles in celebration of winter's glory. The effect was chilling, and students tended to wear their cloaks at meals more than usual. Luckily the icicles had no effect on the food.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione took seats at the Gryffindor table and surveyed the lunch before them. Calvin and Seamus sat a couple of seats down. Ron and Harry threw several dirty scowls in Calvin's direction. Calvin grinned and waved back.
"He's unbelievable" Harry said, shaking his head and shoveling potatoes onto his plate.
"He really is." Hermione agreed. She did not, however, seem the slightest bit miffed.
"What's up with you now?" asked Ron. "You can't seriously be able to stand him. It's not possible." He added incredulously.
"Relax. I was agreeing with you." She sniffed an open soup terrine and looked curiously down the table at Calvin again.
"I don't get it. What's the attraction? He's…. " Harry shuddered, half disgusted, half envious.
Ron glared at his fork. "I just don't see how a git like him can be such a lady's man." He stabbed a piece of beef with the fork.
"Well…Just look at him. I mean seriously" Hermione shook her head in that how-could-you-possibly-miss-something-that-simple way. The boys glowered.
Calvin sawed at a pork chop. Seamus was finished eating and busy wasting time before his next exam.
"You know that fifth year Hufflepuff with the brown curls? That right there is absolutely beddable." Seamus said, leering over at the Hufflepuff table. Calvin chuckled through a mouthful of food, and raised his eyes to heaven with a fervent expression of appreciation. Seamus grinned.
A tall, well-built girl brushed down the aisle next to the Gryffindor table. She smiled coquettishly at Seamus, who whistled. "Blimey! Look at the baps on her." Calvin exclaimed, with obvious enjoyment. Seamus hit him on the side of the head and chastised him for being greedy.
Hermione packed up the papers she had been studying and buckled her book bag. Looking up she witnessed Calvin and Seamus's shameless appraisals. "Well I never!" She began to bluster about female rights, and privacy, and the like, while Harry and Ron crumpled with laughter. Hermione slung her school bag over her shoulder and flounced off down the table. "Something funny's goin' on with her" Ron remarked thoughtfully. "Isn't there always?" Harry asked resignedly.
"No respect for women at all." Hermione said just loudly enough to be heard by Calvin and Seamus as she passed.
"On the contrary." Calvin said catching the sleeve of her robes "I've got plenty of respect for…aum…" he looked her up and down suggestively "women, as you put it". Hermione gasped indignantly, wrenched her sleeve from his grasp and stormed out of the hall. Harry and Ron grabbed their things and followed her to stave off the inevitable screaming rage they saw coming. "Git" Harry spat, rushing past.
Calvin turned back to his food unperturbed. Seamus, however, seemed rather put out. "Heroes of the world them three. They're full of secrets, battles, and blarney about You-Know-Who."
"Bunch a rubbish" Calvin said with an indifferent shrug "Jus bin bag it" he added, examining a biscuit at close range.
"Right" Seamus said, sounding unconvinced.
"Yeah"
"OK"
"Bazzin'" Calvin decided to eat the biscuit.
DISCLAIMER: Except for Calvin O'Toole in all his beautiousness. I own nothing, nodbody, nada, zilch, zippo, zero. It is not mine.
AUTHORS NOTE: This is a sort of Prologue to what I hope will be a long and successful plot, but I never can tell where a story will head. It's being on a sinking ocean liner, running o the bridge, and discovering that the captain is Daffy Duck. Very unsettling. This is just setting up characters and relationships, that type of thing. I hope very much that you enjoyed reading, and I will be your friend forever if you leave me a review.