The Soldiers of Eden
By S.J Rafael
Chapter 2: Conspiracies and Mysteries
Harry, Ron and Hermione ran through the flashing hallway at such speed that their seven years of fitness and stamina training was clearly evident through the complete and utter lack of strain that should've been coursing through their bodies. Despite their earlier chase in the forest training area, the three of them displayed no signs of fatigue, and, as usual, their uniforms were worn perfectly. Each of them held their wands in their hands, ready to defend themselves if necessary, while being careful enough to conceal the dangerous conversation they were in the middle of. As usual, for some reason complying with the unwritten, unspoken, social rule the three upheld, Harry was in the middle, while Ron and Hermione ran either side of him.
"So are we really not going to tell anyone about all that stuff?" Hermione asked, practically screaming her disapproval of the entire situation, while tying her messy brown hair back in a ponytail as she ran.
"No" Harry and Ron replied together, answering the question with the slightest suggestion of annoyance.
Since they had left the dorm, Hermione had found numerous ways to get her point across, regardless of the fact that several other cadets were in hearing distance as they sped past. She found the entire concept of withholding the information to be completely unprofessional, not to mention the fact that it could well help the town that was currently under attack. Yet, even as she went over the reasons as to why this was a terrible idea, she could see that if they told anyone, they would no longer be able to take the S.O.E assessment.
The blue light continued to flash through the hall, revealing the several cadets ready to defend their academy, wands drawn and awaiting instruction. They, unlike the three running cadets, were ready from the moment the announcement had sounded, and gasped and whispered as the three ran past them.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were something of a legend within Eden, known for their troublesome exploits and numerous field exams that usually ended in something exploding. Yet despite their dubious actions, they were well known for their skills in combat and their loyalty to Eden, so it was usually them, and not others, that looked on disapprovingly as cadets were late.
"So it's agreed that the Digital Tower in Taliana seemed to be the focus point" Hermione said, trying another approach, while summing up the situation effectively.
"Yes Hermione" Harry answered impatiently, as they turned the corner and sped past one of the water features, making their way towards the Courtyard – their designated 'Code Blue Area'.
Before they had left, the three of them had quickly scanned through the materials that had been placed on their table, each of them making use of the Memory training they had been put through by Instructor Squint.
All Eden Cadets are required to pass a Memory exam in order to enter the seventh year, proving their nearly photographic memory they had to have to become a Soldier of Eden. All Soldiers of Eden could easily recall a photo or person, or anything they had seen, and describe it in incredible detail; it was a necessary skill that the Commander had put special emphasis on.
And so, as the three ran, each of them easily recalled what they had looked at - blue prints of the recently built Digital Tower in the centre of Taliana, Satellite images of nearby caves, sewage entrances and bunkers surrounding the town, and several reports on the construction of the modern building.
The Digital Tower had only been built in the past 10 years, built by a company of Squibs employed by the Mayor.
"And, why can't we just suggest to the Commander that the Hungarian's are heading for the Tower?" Hermione asked, as they reached the open-roofed courtyard.
The ceiling was now nothing but air and a dark starry sky, lowering the temperature quite dramatically. The whites, browns and greens of Eden's decorum were replaced by stone grays of the water fountain, and the dulled white of the pavement beneath them.
"Because-" Ron started, checking to see if anyone was there to overhear.
"-we don't actually know if that's what they're there for. The intruder could've just wanted us to focus on the Tower"
The large circular area was deserted, with the only inhabitants being the several small bugs that frittered below the large fluorescent lamp that shone brightly through the darkness. Above, the half-crescent moon shone brightly, nicely lighting up the dense patch of trees that circled half the area.
"Look, we'll wait until tomorrow and then we'll know what's happening, if that's where they're headed we'll find out, and we can do something about it then" Harry suggested, mirroring the confused expression on his best friends' faces, while flicking off a fly that seemed to have some sort of fascination with Harry's shoulder.
"So we're just going to keep our mouth's shut then?" Hermione asked rhetorically, shrugging her shoulders.
"That's right" Ron beamed sarcastically, peering into the dark woods, and then smiling happily, satisfied that their area was secure.
Harry's mind however had now drifted elsewhere, focusing on the absent cadets that were supposed to be there with them. He'd completely forgotten that there were other people that were also assigned to the Courtyard, and couldn't work out why they weren't already there. It had already been about twenty five minutes since the alarm had sounded, which, according to the codes of Eden, left only five minutes before the alert would be lowered to Yellow.
"Uhhh guys-" Harry started with a frown, turning to face them both.
"Where's Draco and Nadine?"
After five minutes of pondering as to the whereabouts of the two, the clicking of familiar sounding boots resounded around the courtyard. Hermione sat up from the edge of the water fountain, and Ron took an instinctive step toward Harry, ready to back him up for the fight that was most likely approaching.
"Where've you been" Ron asked accusingly, springing up from his relaxed position on the bench, instinctively removing his wand from it's holster.
There were several different types of holsters issued to cadets, some even possessed their own. Ron's had belonged to his fathers, used in several high profile missions. It's black leather fitted nicely with his tightly fitted uniform, and the sharp red pattern sprawled across it seemed to suit only him.
Draco Malfoy sauntered towards the three that were now standing, smiling at Harry in the middle. His Eden uniform was torn at his left shoulder, while his knees, which were clearly visible through the torn material, were splattered with several beads of crimson red blood. His usually slick blonde hair was slightly ruffled, and his wand was held tightly in one hand.
"I had some things to take care of" Draco replied playfully, winking at Harry, before coming to a stop a few feet in front of him.
Behind him stood Nadine Wilcock, a fellow seventh year, and acquaintance of Harry and his two best friends. She was a pretty girl, with tanned skin and short brown hair. Her Eden uniform was slightly crumpled and she looked somewhat bewildered, like Hermione, she chose to wear a skirt as a pose to trousers, though hers bore strange black markings around the hem, as though it was stained. Harry's gazed flicked back and forth between Draco and Nadine, as if waiting for a more decent explanation.
"Where were you Nadine?" Hermione asked nicely cocking her head to the side, hoping to dissipate the tense atmosphere fast descending on the group, though it seemed she, like Ron, was completely unaware that she had drawn her wand.
Nadine smiled meekly, displaying her beautiful white teeth. Slowly she stepped from behind Malfoy, offering a 'hello' to Ron and a shy smile to Harry. Ron mumbled something, scratching the back of his head while Harry nodded, his cheeks flushing pink.
"I was just coming from Pomfrey's office when I bumped into Draco, sorry I'm late…" she trailed off, catching Harry's eye, and throwing an awkward glance towards the blonde.
She walked towards Hermione, as Harry and Ron turned their full attention back to the smug-looking Draco. The chiming of the Entrance Hall clock resounded around the Academy, it was nine o'clock, it had been thirty minutes since the alarm had sounded, the alert was almost over.
"What things?" Harry stepped towards him, scanning his body up and down. He could smell the blood on the boy, and took another look at Nadine, who was talking in depth with Hermione.
"None of your business" Draco replied, smoothing down his hair and shoving past Harry to wash his face in the tricking water of the fountain.
Harry turned to watch him, learning from past mistakes, but couldn't say anything more as his best friend chipped in.
"You should have been here on time Malfoy" Ron warned, apparently recovered from his earlier embarrassment.
Nadine and Hermione had stopped chatting now, and were watching the exchange between the three boys nervously. The three fighting was a usual occurrence…
Malfoy stood up slowly from the fountain, laughing softly under his breath. Without turning around, he made an effort to reattach his torn sleeve to his cuffs, allowing his wand to float around him as he did so.
"Please don't try and tell me you were here straight away, I would've thought that you you'd be busy 'reading', you know, what with the exam coming up" Draco drawled, while his gaze flicked from Harry to Ron and then finally to Hermione, as he turned, is wand landing nicely in his hand.
Harry glared at Draco, Ron shuffled his feet and Hermione watched Harry for some sort of guidance. Alarm bells were ringing inside Harry so loud he was struggling to conceal the train of thoughts rapidly occurring within him, and judging by the look on his best friends' faces, they too, had reached some similar conclusions.
Nadine edged away slightly, knowing the two boys all too well. Some cadets in Garden, like Nadine, were not fighters, they were medics. However all members of Eden are required to take the S.O.E assessment, and so, nervously, she was involved in combat. Hermione moved closer to her, well aware of Nadine's feelings, and couldn't help but be slightly overthrown by a powerful smell, presumably her cologne that lingered around her.
"What's that?" Harry asked Draco, pointing to his head.
"What?" Draco responded, his face no longer the confident picture it was a few moments ago. His hands quickly felt around his head, searching for the source to Harry's question.
"That" Harry pointed to his hair, where by coincidence or not, there were several small green leaves shaped like perfect diamonds.
"I dunno…leaves I guess" Draco answered, brushing them off with his hand and looking at Harry as though he'd slightly lost his marbles.
"They're Malai leaves…" Hermione said quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
Ron tensed immediately, gripping is wand, while Hermione instinctively took a step forward, thankful to have some fresh air from Nadine's cologne.
"You been in the training area?" Ron asked warily, eyeing him dangerously.
Draco snickered, and looked down at his feet. Harry tensed, he knew Draco too well, yet he fastened his grip on his wand, he wouldn't make the first move.
His uniform was ripped, he had a bleeding knee, there were Malai leaves all over him (the most common plant throughout the Training Area, there were no others around Eden but there) and he was late.
"What if I have?" Draco growled towards Ron, taking the minutest of steps forward, as if it were his muscles inching closer to him, rather than his legs.
The fight that was on the brink of exploding could not occur, for the sound of three running footsteps came closer towards them.
Three men, wearing the Soldiers of Eden uniform were fast approaching, their wands drawn and their faces serious. The man in the middle seemed to be the leader, his shiny silver hair reflecting the moonlight.
"Ok you lot, head back to your dorms, we'll take it from here" the man in the middle said. His face was badly scarred and over one eye was a dark red patch. He was one of the few Soldiers of Eden, that held two wands when he fought, and at that moment, nothing looked more powerful.
The other two men began to search the area, and the group of Cadets could feel the power emanating from them, it was like being next to a radiator, feeling the heat ooze from it.
"Have you found the intruder?" Nadine asked with a worried expression, watching the men that peered into the trees.
"No" the man answered flatly.
"Now quickly, return to your dorms, and await further instructions, the alert is still in place, no detours" he added, knowing the reputation of 'the trio' all too well.
Nadine raised her hand, slowly, looking slightly scared as to what she was about to say.
"Umm, I…Pomfrey has asked that I return to the Medic Bay for-" she started, trying to avoid the steely glare of the Soldier she was talking to.
"-Fine" he finished for her.
The cadets all saluted in response and begun making their way back to the dorms, with absolutely no recognition from Draco as he walked down towards Sector 8 – Seventh Year Dorms 97 - 122, and a slight worried smile from Nadine as she walked towards Sector 12 – Medical Bay/Docks/ Classrooms E24 –F12 and Harry, Ron and Hermione preparing to say the same thing to each other moving towards Sector 7 – Seventh Year Dorms 1-97.
The sliding door to the dorms opened with a swish as the small red light switched from a harsh red to a soft green. The three, as if running on autopilot, immediately headed for the fridge, a common occurrence after anything remotely exciting, boring or straining in any way, shape or form.
The fridge door opened easily, as the yellowish light flickered to life. The three faces peered into the small container (that was practically empty) a top one another.
"You know I think your right, it can't be a coincidence Harry" Hermione said, removing her reserved shiny red apple with a 'HERMIONE' sticker across it.
Ron stuttered for a moment as he reached for the bowl of cooked bacon, utterly dumbfounded that Hermione had, for once, taken is side.
"Did you just hear that" he laughed, his eyes wide with glee.
Hermione rolled her eyes as she sat at the large circular table, picking up a book that lay sprawled on the floor, presumably chucked their by the Intruders. Harry rolled his eyes as he removed a bottle of water and moved to the bookshelf to remove a book, before sitting at the table, his thoughts lingering on the cupboard at the end of the room , stuffed full with materials left by the intruders.
Ron stood and shut the fridge door, the yellowish light fading into darkness.
"Hermione, Hermione Granger just agreed with me!" he mocked, shoving a handful of the bacon into his mouth.
Harry smiled as he opened his book while Hermione took a vicious chunk out of her apple, glaring at Harry, daring him to comment.
"Look I'm not defending Malfoy, I'm just saying it doesn't make sense" Harry offered, fingering through the dusty contents of the book.
"Why would Malfoy want to tell us about the exam? And besides he's not stupid enough to leave all that evidence"
Hermione contemplated this for moment, and grimaced at the sight of Ron stuffing yet another unbelievably large mouthful of bacon into his mouth.
"Hmmm, but maybe he's not trying to help us, I mean, at least not intentionally" she said, skim reading the passage before her.
The Vampire Wars of 1066
There have been numerous wars between Vampire clans around the world over an assortment of issues that surround the underground society. Yet the largest, which involved all 47 Vampire Clans, was caused by nothing more than a misunderstanding. The Bloodstone, the sacred emblem of Gythanor – the worlds first Vampire – was taken by…
Ron mumbled something back through a mouth full, and neither Harry nor Hermione could decipher what he was saying and so Hermione continued.
"It could be trap, he could want us to go to the Digital Tower" Hermione finished turning the page; the Vampire Wars had never interested her.
Harry shook his head slightly "No, that's not Draco, he's too clever, d'you remember Prank Day? His pranks were so complex no one saw them coming, he even fooled McGonagall, and they were just stupid jokes. There's no way he'd be this careless or obvious. It's just too unprofessional for him" he finished.
Ron nodded slowly, though truth be told, he still suspected Malfoy. Hermione however seemed to grasp Harry's point, he was right, Draco was too clever.
"Maybe he just saw us in the training area, or was watching us putting the stuff away…" Harry pondered allowed while flicking through the gruesome section in his book that was the Tschulak Wars.
The Tschulak Wars
The Tschulaks war revolves around the battle between the Necromancers and the Goblins, Veela, and the Centuar (otherwise known as the Forbidden Wars) Tschulak Wolves, a type of demon/monster that could track down and kill Necromancers, were bred especially in order to aid the war effort. The wolves were trained to dismember the Necromancers limb by limb, and after 3 years the number of Necromancers had been cut by three quarters. The number of Tschulak Wolves
known to have been bred is unknown, yet it has been estimated at well over 2,000. At the end of the Tschulak Wars, the Wolves were rounded up and killed, yet even to this day, reports surface concerning sightings of the vicious animals.
The three descended into silence once again, something they found themselves doing all the more frequently as the exam moved ever closer.
"You know this'll be the last time we sit at this table as Cadets" Ron said after a while, unable to hide the large smile across his face. Luckily, he'd finished off his bowl of bacon, and had taken to drawing what looked like a pig of some sort on the blank notepad before him.
"Could be the last time" Hermione corrected him.
"Oh come on Hermione, we know the exam'll be tomorrow, nearly everyone will now, just take a look at the news!" He said as he got up from the table and walked towards the television.
"Don't turn that on! I don't want to know, we've cheated enough!" Hermione ordered with a hiss, closing her eyes to shield herself from the TV screen.
Ron shook his head and looked at Harry who only shrugged, not looking up from his book. With a sigh, Ron returned to the table, refusing to pick up anything to do with education on his last night as a cadet.
"So…you nervous?" Ron asked Harry as nonchalantly as possible, scribbling out his first drawing and attempting his second, learning from his mistake that pigs do not have fluffy tails.
Harry looked up from his book at Ron, and bit his lip.
"Kinda. Lets just avoid any Death Eaters, explosions or anything else the Commander may have to cover up" he answered flatly.
Ron nodded in agreement, and lowered his gaze to the table, as Hermione tried her utmost to keep her attention on the book sat in her lap. The three certainly did have a track record concerning exams…
The Naval port of Eden was a fair distance from the actual facility itself, making use of an underground tunnel that lay hidden deep underneath the mountains. Yet even though it lay over 20 miles away from the Military Institution, the actual port, to an outsider, looked like a mere extension of the Academy. The same architecture, decoration and complex Muggle technology gracing its features.
The boats themselves were silver, black and gold, with such a complex design that any onlooker would find themselves hard stretched to describe it sufficiently. Capable of moving at over one hundred Knots, they make no more sound than a hairdryer, and possess the added benefit of magical protection and concealment.
Usually the port would be humming with Mugors (a name used to describe Wizards working with Muggle Machinery) and Soldiers of Eden, either being deployed or returning home.
Yet today it was silence, the only sound being the soft hum of the generators and the occasional whirl of the sea, swirling around the feather light boats. Several unconscious bodies were piled in the far corner of the port and by Boat Number 2, sat a blonde haired boy, surrounded by numerous Mugor tools.
He had been sat there for over thirty minutes now, mumbling to himself, reciting the numerous lectures he'd sat through on the topic of Muggle mechanics.
"You bitch" he mumbled into the starter engine, slamming the screwdriver down to the floor with a clang.
His Eden uniform, still bore the marks from his earlier activities in the evening, and now had the added benefit of oil all over them. This, combined with the fact that the S.O.E exam was tomorrow, had put Draco in a less than cheerful mood.
Draco had never enjoyed any type of mechanics, he found the idea of combining Muggle technology and magic to be overly complicated and quite frankly, ridiculous. So as he sat there, fiddling with the starter engine, and it's numerous magical waves and muggle wires, he couldn't help but continually curse Sir Nicholas Flamel, the idiot that had designed them…
The Commanders office was something of legend throughout the academy, although it was known to exist, it was hidden somewhere in Eden, the actual precise location of it known by only a precise few. The assortment of cleverly designed halls, corridors, and labs effectively concealed the room, and carefully protected one of the most powerful men in the world.
Although Eden was protected by more protection spells, charms and Muggle technology than any other known building (including Hogwarts), it was Nicholas Flamel's goal to protect the Commanders room above anything else, making use of complex architecture and ingenious design to camouflage the office so that, even if anyone walked past it, they wouldn't even know they had.
"So we're just going to lie to him? Let him go out there and not tell him of the Prophecy, after everything that's happened?" McGonagall scoffed, turning her back on the wall of glass she was looking through, and whirling round to face the three people that sat around the large rectangle table.
Remus Lupin and Severus Snape said nothing, choosing to focus their attention on the Commander that sat at the head of the long table.
The office was larger than any other in Eden, though still displaying the similar design to all the other rooms throughout the Academy. The large table in the centre of the room was polished so thoroughly, that the spotlights embedded in the white ceiling above were clearly visible on the smooth surface, reflecting the golden light around the brightly lit room.
Commander Albus Dumbledore was sat at the head of the table, his aged hands brought up to his beard as it flowed over them, the tip resting on the table. His Soldiers of Eden uniform was worn proudly, with several complex gold patterns stitched onto it. A sign of his achievements throughout life (most notably including the defeat of Grindewald – leading to the end of World War 2. A battle that lasted over four days) A pointed black hat towered above his head, and his once twinkling blue eyes were replaced by a steely gaze that looked across the table.
"I see no reason to complicate things Minerva-" Albus started, his hoarse voice clearly audible, though still quiet at the same time.
"-Complicate things…Complicate things?" Remus burst out, rising from his chair abruptly and scowling at the Commander.
He too was wearing the Soldiers of Eden uniform, and was resting his hands against the table. Instructor Remus Lupin had always had a close relationship with Harry, and felt it was his job to protect Harry's interests. And one such interest was that of the prophecy concerning the inevitable battle between him and Lord Voldemort.
"Remus, calm down!" Minerva hissed, walking towards him and placing a hand on his shoulder, her sharp nails unknowingly embedding themselves into his body.
Severus Snape stood at the edge of the room, looking out the window and the grounds of Eden. He was at the meeting over a mere coincidence. He did not concern himself with such matters, it was only because he was handing in his resignation letter that he happened to interrupt the heated conversation. And so, it was understandable that Remus threw him a shocked glare as Severus moved towards the table and spoke.
"With all due respect Commander-" Severus had never called the Commander by his name, in all the 6 years they had known each other, he had chosen to call the Commander by his title only. He was not wearing the uniform, choosing to dress, as he always did, in his dark black robes that hung dramatically over his body.
"Not telling the boy the prophecy may not be the best course of action. Voldemort is not gone, we all know this, and letting the boy enter the field without knowing his destiny is dangerous"
Minerva nodded in agreement, as she moved to shut the blind to shield the open room from the blinding sun that was surfacing over the horizon.
"I utterly agree, Harry should be told the Prophecy." Dumbledore nodded, watching the three before him.
Minerva and Severus seemed to be shocked from the statement and glanced at Remus, not sure what to expect. Remus however, knew better, and merely waited for Dumbledore to continue.
"-However. Harry is about to take the exam he has been training for in less than four hours. I see no reason to tell him before the exam. The field will be contained by Soldiers of Eden-"
"-Oh please Albus" Remus sighed, banging his hand down on the table harder than he meant to causing the several glasses of coffee, and pumpkin juice to shake slightly.
"That's absolute rubbish and you know it. Do you believe he was safe in the sixth year exam?" he finished, referring to the legendary sixth year exam that had led to Harry almost being expelled from Eden, along with Ron and Hermione.
"My concern is that Harry is not ready to hear the Prophecy-"
Remus leant forward to protest but Dumbledore continued, raising his hand defensively, the gold lacing of his uniform twinkling in the light.
"-and last year is proof of that" he finished, focusing his attention on the fuming Remus.
"Whatever you're trying to say Dumbledore, just say it" he spat, his usually pale face a mix of red, and pink.
The bags that were under his eyes was clear evidence that it was four in the morning, and that it was, once again, exam period.
"Harry was faced with a choice Remus, he took an oath, to protect and serve. And when faced with a decision he made the wrong one. He aided in a persons death." The Commander said softly, flexing his fingers slowly as his silver beard trickled through them.
"Oh for gods sake, the man helped kill his parents!" Remus shot back without delay, ignoring the second supposedly calming pat on his shoulder from Minerva.
"Regardless, Harry should've known better. No one has the right to take a life. Not Harry, not you or I. No one. No matter what that has happened in the past" Dumbledore argued, his voice the usual calm.
"It was a mistake. Harry's not a killer. It was in the middle of a battle!" Remus argued back.
"And he is about to enter a battle far bigger than that. Durmstrang are about to surface at Taliana's shore. Harry'll be fighting a lot harder than he was then. And telling him of the prophecy would only cause further problems"
"What problems, you think he's incompetent?" Remus was getting angrier by the second, a trait most unusual within him, yet for some reason he couldn't help it, it was Harry's right to know his destiny.
"No Remus, I don't. Harry is a competent soldier and he'll make an excellent Soldier of Eden, yet he's not ready to know his destiny. No matter how strong he is"
The office became quiet as Remus slowly shook his head, and Dumbledore smiled as the pleasant sound of a sparrow's call soared through the morning air. Suddenly Remus spoke out again, though calmly.
"Is this you trying to control-" he started, yet he was interrupted as Dumbledore spoke again.
"Harry can make decisions when in the field like no other. He's rational, and level-headed. Yet when it concerns anything to do with his past, for example, Voldemort or his parents, he becomes irrational, he has yet to deal with those events, and until he's ready, I do not want Harry to be told. Especially not now. I understand your worried Remus, we all are. But Harry has chosen his path, being a Soldier of Eden is about being surrounded by danger."
The office fell silent as everyone begun to think deeply, outside the sun was slowly creeping over the horizon, accompanied by the wake-up call of the numerous birds that resided around the academy.
The training hall was packed to the brim with eager cadets, worried Instructors and skeptical Soldiers of Eden, each waiting patiently (some impatiently) for the Commander to address them. It had only taken around a minute for all required persons to enter the Hall after the Commanders announcement, causing the once serene training hall to become a cramped bundle of people, all humming with excitement.
They knew it was the day of the exam, word had got around about the invasion of Taliana, it was the perfect opportunity to test their skills. Harry, Ron and Hermione were smack bam in the centre of the room, surrounded by nervous cadets. Ron had developed his trademark teeth chattering (from nerves) while Harry stared ahead solemnly, ignoring the oddly discomforting look on Hermione's face, who seemed to be reading the poster at the far end of the hall. Harry smiled gently, reading was something that calmed Hermione, and over the past seven years he'd noticed that this particular habit had become not only more obvious, but more frequent.
Necromancy
The forbidden skill of Necromancy has been thankfully dwindled after the Tschulak Wars (see Forbidden Magic, Magic through the Ages, Viscous Creatures – uses and purpose).
Necromancy is not something that can be learnt, but is instead, part of a gene, passed down from generation to generation. Before the Tschulak Wars, there were several Necromancer Families, however now there is only one, and due to intervention of an unknown entity (see Conspiracy Theories – the A.W.I) the gene has been mutated to pass down to only females, and only one female per generation. With this piece of knowledge, it is now widely known that there is only one Necromancer left in the world, widely sought after by Bounty Hunters, Political Activists and Scientists.
The soft whisperings that flew around the hall quickly died down as the Commander stepped before them.
"As you may have heard, the coastal town of Taliana has been invaded by Hungarian Muggle Soldiers-" he started, ignoring the quite humm that moved through the crowd like lightening.
"The Ministries efforts to keep the enemy at bay has been unsuccessful, and the added issue of Durmstrang's intervention has only complicated matters-"
In the centre of the crowd, Ron shot a seething look at Hermione, standing the other side of Harry. Hermione tried her utmost to stay neutral, yet the twinkling in her eyes told Ron that he'd got his point across, regardless of how nasty it was.
"For seven years you have been waiting for this moment. This is the time to prove yourselves, to display the skills and attributes this Academy has taught you. And to show the world, your superiors and comrades why you are fit enough to become a Soldier of Eden. Make us proud!" the Commander finished, performing the Garden of Eden salute.
The sea of cadets before him, mirrored his actions, some proudly, some nervously, yet the conversations they were dying to have were still halted as McGonagall stepped before them.
"You will all return to your dormitories and retrieve your uniforms, and then make your way to the docking bay. Students with odd numbers at the end of your ID's will make their way to boat docks one to three, while students with odd numbers will make their way to four to six. Your teams, equipment and objectives will be assigned in your briefings." she instructed, swiftly leaving the hall, and the nervous cadets within it…
Percy Weasley happily packed away his equipment, unable to stop the smile that was plastered across his face. With glee, he shrugged off his lab coat, and filed away the list of cadets that he had checked. After a final glance around the lab, carefully checking to see whether he had forgotten anything, he began to practically skip towards the door. Despite the fact it was six in the morning, he felt absolutely fine, and couldn't wait to report to the Minister at eight o'clock. Reaching the door, he removed his tweed jacket (Penelope Clearwater had bought it for him) and opened the door.
Outside the corridors were teeming with cadets, all heading to their dorms, discussing the exam. As he turned the light off, and moved into the hallway he suddenly remembered one last thing he had to do. With a theatrical glance up and down the hallway he slipped back into the laboratory and flicked on the lights. Moving to the closest surface he delved his fingers into his inner jacket pocket and produced a small metal circle about the size of a pinhead. Smiling, Percy placed the silver circle in the bottom of the sink in front of him, in the direct path of the water. Percy then switched on the tap, and as the water came into contact, the small circle hissed violently, before disappearing in a short puff of smoke…
The gloved man sat at the table across from Sirius, smiling at Sirius' attempt to beat him. Using one delicate finger, he slid the King across the board, effectively ruining the next twelve steps Sirius had planned.
"Checkmate" the man said softly.
Sirius shook his head from side to side, gritting his teeth tightly, this was about to be the fourth game in a row that he'd lost. As Sirius began to plan his way around the particularly devious move, a small red light flickered to life on a small black square that sat at the edge of the table.
Sirius froze, not entirely sure what it meant, but judging by past experience, little red lights coming on were usually not a good sign.
"What's that?" Sirius asked, his hand still on the queen.
"He's destroyed the meta-circle, it means it's done. Everything's in place" the gloved man smiled, knowing full well what Sirius was planning to do with that Queen…
END OF CHAPTER 2