On the Saturday after classes resumed Rachel noticed Cedric getting up to leave the Great Hall with his friends.
"I need to talk to Cedric, did either of you want to come?" Rachel asked as she stood up.
"We'll come," Millie said, grabbing half of a ham sandwich to take with her.
"I'll come too. I feel like you're probably safe with Cedric, but we don't know his friends and I don't want you left alone on your way back to our study room," Theo said.
Rachel ignored the look that Draco was giving them. "Thanks," she said as she hurried to reach Cedric before he left the Great Hall.
"Oh, hello Rachel. And Millie. And I don't think I know you," Cedric said.
"Theo Nott," Theo said, reaching to shake Cedric's offered hand.
"And I should introduce my friends as well since we keep bumping into each other. You know Heidi from Quidditch of course. This is Martin Beccles. And the lone Ravenclaw in our group is Roland Abberly," Cedric said, nodding to each of his friends in turn.
"Nice to meet all of you," Rachel said. "Do you have a moment to talk, Cedric? You can bring your friends if you prefer."
"I wouldn't mind hearing what she has to say," Roland said.
"We usually talk under a privacy ward," Cedric said, glancing at Roland. "But you can come with me if you really want to."
"I do," Roland said. "Not that I don't think you can manage a group of fourth years."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Cedric said. "But I trust Rachel not to ambush me."
"One of the classrooms on this level?" Rachel suggested.
"Sure. Do we need Fleur and Viktor for this?" Cedric asked.
Rachel shook her head. "Just you."
The rest of Cedric's friends joined them as well and they all went into the first classroom on the ground floor. Cedric silently cast the privacy ward without needing Rachel to ask. "I assume this is about the second task?"
"It is. I want to make sure you're doing okay. Do you know about the Bubble-Head charm?" Rachel asked.
"I know about the Bubble-Head charm, that's what I'm planning to use," Cedric said.
"It seems to be able to hold enough air for the hour we need, but it doesn't hurt to have a back-up plan either. Have you been practicing using it? You can cast spells underwater but we've found that some of them don't work very well," Rachel said.
"Rachel, why do you keep offering to help me?" Cedric asked.
"Because you're the only champion who doesn't have someone helping them. I know Viktor is getting help from Professor Karkaroff. And I'm basically positive that Fleur is getting help from Madame Maxime as well," Rachel said. She didn't say that Severus was helping her, but she was sure Cedric knew that by now.
"And I do have my friends helping me. We've been studying together for years now. They're the ones that helped me with learning the transfiguration for a dog, even though we weren't there yet in class. Just like your friends helped you," Cedric said. He paused and seemed to study Rachel. "This isn't about what happened at the Quidditch match last year, is it?"
"It's not, but you did save my life and I'm not going to forget that," Rachel said.
"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would have done something if I hadn't been close enough to catch you," Cedric said.
"But he didn't, you did," Rachel insisted.
"Either way, you don't owe me anything for that. I would have done it for anyone in the same situation," Cedric said.
"I know you would, but I still want to help you if I can. This task doesn't seem as dangerous as the first one, but we might be missing something. There could be another piece to this we haven't figured out yet," Rachel said. This had been worrying her. It still seemed too straightforward when compared to the dragon.
Cedric touched his chin as he frowned. "Like what? We go down into the lake to the merpeople colony and get back whatever they took. Obviously we have to look out for grindylows."
"The Revulsion jinx should work well if you encounter grindylows and it seems to work underwater alright," Rachel said.
"Good to know. I honestly don't think we're going to have to fight the merpeople," Cedric said.
"What if there are more clues and we have to find whatever it is in the merpeople colony?" Rachel suggested.
"Then I guess we'll have to deal with that part when we get there. I don't know how we can prepare for something that we have no idea what it is," Cedric said. "And, of course, this is where you're at a disadvantage. I have two more years of learning various spells than you do, and Viktor and Fleur both have an additional year on top of that."
"We've been looking up a variety of offensive and defensive spells this year. And at least we have a decent Defense teacher this year, that doesn't always happen," Rachel said.
"That's true. Look, Rachel, if you're worried maybe tell Professor Snape that you're worried. Maybe he'll have some ideas that could help you," Cedric said. "That's okay for you, isn't it? That Professor Snape is your guardian?"
"Yes, he's a good guardian to me," Rachel said.
Cedric smiled. "He's a little bit scary in his classroom, so I'm not too sure I'd want him as my guardian."
"He's very kind to me," Rachel said. She knew Severus was very strict in his classroom, but she didn't really see him as scary, even there. She couldn't imagine him purposefully hurting one of his students. Part of the reason he was so strict was because he was so worried about their safety.
"I'm glad. If you want to talk with me about this again, you can. But I really think we're both doing everything we can to prepare. And we did well with the dragons, so I think we'll probably be alright here too," Cedric said.
Rachel nodded. "I hope so."
"I really think we'll be okay," Cedric said again. "Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm okay," Rachel said.
"Alright, I'll see you around. And, good luck against Gryffindor in two weeks," Cedric said.
"Thanks," Rachel said.
Cedric dismissed the privacy ward and left with his friends.
"Did that go alright?" Millie asked.
"Yeah, it was fine. Cedric is nice," Rachel said. She wished she could have helped him more, but she didn't know what else to do.
"Just champion stuff?" Theo asked.
"I was offering him help. It's not fair, he doesn't have a professor helping him and the rest of us do," Rachel said.
"You are competing against him, you know," Theo said.
Rachel shook her head. "I'm not competing against anyone. I'm just doing this to keep my magic. Besides, how could I live with myself if I could have helped them and they got seriously hurt? Or killed?"
"Because it wouldn't be your fault or your responsibility. They chose to enter the tournament, you didn't," Millie said.
"I would still feel bad," Rachel said.
"Did Cedric actually accept help from you?" Theo asked.
"Not really. I suggested that he practice with spells underwater and he said he already knew about the Bubble-Head charm," Rachel said.
"Or he didn't know and was pretending like he did," Theo said.
"I don't think Cedric would do that. Either way, I'd rather he knew about it," Rachel said. "Let's go, we've got a Transfiguration essay to do. I'm sure the others are waiting for us. Thanks for coming with me."
"Of course," Millie said.
"I don't know who would kill us first if we didn't, Professor Moody or Professor Snape," Theo said.
"And more importantly we want to," Millie said.
Rachel nodded and inwardly sighed. Hopefully next year they won't have this problem. She was sure Millie and Theo were as tired of playing bodyguards as she was tired of having them.
"Is everything going alright with your classes?" Severus asked as they settled in for their Sunday dinner.
Rachel pushed a stray clump of hair away from her face and picked up her fork. "Good, but busy. As soon as we got back we had a ton of quizzes and new homework assignments. I feel like I could write essays in my sleep. I don't know how we're going to manage our OWL year," she said, examining her meal before going for the carrots.
"Given the amount that you study I don't believe your OWL year will be any different than this, except you won't have the tournament to worry about," Severus said. He remembered his own OWL year as being rather hectic as he was being torn between his schoolwork and the sixth and seventh year Slytherins who were making friends with him. At the time he'd been flattered that they thought he was intelligent, that they thought he was worth something despite being a half-blood. He'd been very wrong. "Are you getting enough sleep?"
"Most nights," Rachel said, pushing her hair away again and sighing when it fell back into her face. "I should have worn my hair back today. I left it loose after I showered after Quidditch practice."
"What does most nights mean?" Severus pressed. She looked tired.
"I'm having nightmares, but I'm working on them with Torey. I'm getting at least four hours a night," Rachel said.
"That's not enough," Severus said, hesitating. "What if I gave you some half dose vials of Dreamless sleep and you can take them as needed, as long as it's not more than twice a week?"
"I really don't want to, I'm fine," Rachel said.
"Even though you are safe in your dorm?" Severus asked.
"It's not about being somewhere that's safe. It's about the feeling. And I really don't want to talk about this right now," Rachel said, setting down her fork and pressing her hand against her chest.
"Alright, we don't have to," Severus said quickly. It seemed that Rachel was more stressed than she appeared at first glance. He didn't know what to do about the problem, but maybe it was time he checked in with Torey again about Rachel's progress. "Can I ask how your preparations are coming for the second task?"
"Good. We tried out the wetsuit yesterday morning and it works really well, though I had to have Millie zip me into it. I think we're sticking with the Gillyweed rather than the Bubble-Head charm because it's easier to swim and move quickly using it. We seem to be able to get most spells to work underwater, but they don't go as far and there are a few we can't get to work at all," Rachel explained.
"Can you give me an example of a spell that doesn't work underwater?" Severus asked. He was curious, though this wasn't a field he had any experience in whatsoever.
"The Shield charm, for one," Rachel said. "None of us can get it to do anything."
That made sense. "The Shield charm draws on magic in the air. The magic from within the air itself, supplemented by your own magic, becomes the shield," Severus explained.
"But water has oxygen in it, just like the air. It's made of hydrogen and oxygen," Rachel said.
Severus vaguely recalled that from his own muggle primary school. "Yes, but elemental magic doesn't work like that. Water is an element and air is an element, it doesn't break down to further elements like it does in muggle science," Severus said.
Rachel looked puzzled. "So does muggle science just not work with magic?"
"It's more like the principles of magic don't apply to muggle science," Severus said. "This isn't my field, so I don't have a lot of examples, but magic can do things that muggles would suggest is impossible. Vanishment, for one, which returns something's elements back to where they originated."
"I suppose the charms on broomsticks work with the element of air as well?" Rachel asked. "Because muggles would say flying on brooms is impossible too."
"Yes, but muggles have learned to fly through other means. They know it is possible to fly. And yes, broomsticks have charms and runes that work with the element of air, and then the element of life from the wood itself," Severus said.
"So you can't make a broom out of metal?" Rachel asked.
"Likely not, as metal is the element of earth, which counteracts the element of air," Severus said.
"But wood isn't the element of earth?" Rachel asked. "Even though it grows from the ground."
"No, it's the element of life, since it grows. All living creatures and things are composed of the element of life, which is why so many of them are used in potions. It's relatively rare for something not of the element of life or the element of water to be used in potions," Severus explained.
"And then it's placed over fire or heat, which is an element," Rachel said, the words not quite a question.
"Yes, the element of fire here is the catalyst, it brings about change in life and in water," Severus said. He hesitated again, not wanting to add more work to Rachel's overloaded schedule. "I have a book on the subject, if you're interested."
"I am, can I borrow it?" Rachel asked.
"Yes, it's at Fallow Farm. I'll try to fetch it for you before our next dinner," Severus said.
"Thank you," Rachel said, smiling at him. "Do you mind if Theo and Hermione read it after me?"
"As long as the book is returned in good condition I have no problem with that, though I want you to warn both of them away from attempting spellcrafting on their own with this information," Severus said. "Spellcrafting is not to be trifled with. It can be very dangerous."
Rachel nodded. "I'll let them know not to do it."
"Is there anything you need help with preparing for the task?" Severus asked, trying to get them back on track.
"No, I think we have the basics down, though I still think there's going to be something more to the task. Professor Dumbledore hasn't said there's another part or there's something else we have to do once we're in the lake?" Rachel asked.
"No, when I spoke to him he indicated that the challenge of the task is meant to be navigating the lake within the time limit," Severus said. "You'll want to stay out of the brush and keep an eye out for grindylows, but otherwise I think you retrieve what they took from you and return."
"The Revulsion jinx works underwater and that should break their grip," Rachel said.
"Yes, that's a good idea, that has a wider range than the Stunning spell as well," Severus said.
"There was one thing though," Rachel said, fiddling with her hair while she glanced at him.
"Yes?" Severus asked.
"Is there anything we can do about Rita Skeeter?" Rachel asked.
"Unfortunately until she starts printing outright falsehoods we have no legal recourse," Severus said, knowing exactly which article Rachel was referring to. It was infuriating and Severus had half a mind to simply hunt down Rita Skeeter in the night and curse her so that she could never hold a quill again.
"What about other things, besides legal stuff?" Rachel asked.
"I take it you have an idea?" Severus asked.
"Well, Theo and Hermione had some ideas, but I'm not sure how practical they are," Rachel said.
"Why don't you tell me what they are and we can see if they're feasible," Severus suggested.
"Well, Hermione is asking people that we trust to have their parents write to the Daily Prophet and complain," Rachel said.
"I think that's a good idea, but it would have to be a significant campaign in order to have any effect," Severus said.
Rachel nodded. "Theo and Millie's idea was to have Professor Dumbledore write something about me or make a statement, and see if it would change people's minds. If it's suddenly not popular to write bad things about me, maybe Rita Skeeter would stop doing it."
Severus considered it. It was certainly a very Slytherin idea. "I'll talk with Albus. This is something we have to be careful with on a number of levels. We don't want to connect you too closely with Albus in the mind of the public, although there is some of that there already. We also don't want it to seem like Albus is coming to your rescue. I don't believe we can continue to play the card that you are simply average or that you are incapable."
"Rita Skeeter's articles make me sound incapable," Rachel said with a scowl.
"But the wrong people will believe it," Severus said. "We wanted the Death Eaters to believe you were not worth bothering with. Unfortunately with this tournament it becomes very clear you are capable of competing with people who are three and four years older than you."
"Only because I have your help, and the help of my friends," she said quickly.
"But you are the one doing the tasks. You went out there and performed spells that were two years above your level. No Death Eater will be fooled now into believing that you are magically weak," Severus said, shaking his head. "Perhaps we could have Albus, Maxime, and Karkaroff write a piece about each of the champions. That would give Albus a chance to showcase you without making it obvious that's what he was doing."
"That would be great, I think that would be really nice for the other champions as well," Rachel said.
"I'll suggest it to him," Severus said. "Has everything else been going alright? Are things alright in your dorm and in the common room?"
"Yes, things are fine. Theo is still trying to make friends with Avery, Jacob, Hestia, and Flora, but it's not going very well. He seems to be managing okay with Pansy and Draco though," Rachel said. "And he said that his father understood about the article about the Yule Ball and said that that was probably what you were worried about in the first place."
"I'm glad Ignatius understood. I think as long as Theo is attempting to be friendly with them and spending time with them, that should be enough for Ignatius for now," Severus said.
"I hope so. I don't want Theo to have to go to Durmstrang," Rachel said.
"I think that is likely an empty threat, as long as Draco and Pansy will vouch for him with their parents," Severus said. He wouldn't put it past Ignatius to send Theo to Durmstrang, but Severus would certainly make a case on Theo's behalf if things seemed to be heading in that direction. Maybe if he offered Ignatius to privately tutor Theo in the Dark Arts that would be enough.
"I think they will, Pansy just mentioned the other day that Theo seemed really nice and that he helped her with a tough Transfiguration assignment," Rachel said.
"Good. Do you want another meal? I'm sure yours is cold by now," Severus said.
Rachel shook her head. "I'm not really very hungry right now."
"May I cast a diagnostic charm?" Severus asked, already pulling out his wand.
"Okay, but I feel fine," Rachel said.
Severus cast the diagnostic charm and frowned. Everything seemed alright. He supposed Rachel was simply stressed. "Is there another meal that you would like? Perhaps some soup if your stomach feels unsettled?" he asked.
Rachel shook her head again.
"How about some food that you can take with you, and you can eat it before you go to bed?" he asked.
"Alright. Maybe like a bread roll and some carrot sticks. I've actually got to get going, we're doing our Charms essay tonight," Rachel said, checking her watch.
"Let me order it from the kitchen. I assume you're meeting with Millie and Theo in the common room before going up to the third floor?" he asked as he went over to the fireplace.
"Yes, I am. And I can definitely get from here to the common room by myself just fine," Rachel said.
"You can, though I'm happy to escort you if you'd feel more comfortable," Severus said, pausing their conversation to floo the kitchen and to request two bread rolls with butter, some cut carrot sticks, and two hard boiled eggs, all wrapped to be carried somewhere.
"I'm really okay," Rachel said. "You don't need to worry about me."
"I will always worry about you," Severus said. When he'd agreed to adopt Rachel he'd had no idea how much of his time he'd spend worrying about her. The food appeared on the table in a small basket. Apparently the House Elves had interpreted his request as a picnic. He handed Rachel the basket. "Try to eat at least some of this before you go to bed tonight."
"I will," Rachel said, accepting the basket and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Severus said, watching her leave through the permeable wall. A few moments later his office door opened and shut. Sometimes he had absolutely no idea what to do with her, but he did what little he could.
He decided to give Albus a little longer for dinner before he flooed his office and talked to him about their plan for the Daily Prophet. In the meantime he sunk down into his armchair and tried not to worry.
Rachel stared down the mermaid painting as she set down her bag. This was the fifth time she'd been in the prefect's bathroom this year and it was still difficult. Her nightmares about it were still present, but she'd noticed that they were usually worse on the night and night after they went to the prefect's bathroom and then they got a little better again. Hopefully after the second task they would stop entirely.
"Wetsuit again?" Hermione asked.
"I think we've practiced with it enough that I'm okay waiting until the task to wear it again," Rachel said. It was sort of a pain to get in and out of.
"If you're sure," Hermione said.
Rachel nodded and took off her jumper and then dug in her bag for her shorts.
Ginny and Luna had already gone over to the pool and started turning on the taps.
"Do you think if I use the Bubble-Head charm before I get in it will keep my face dry the whole time?" Millie asked.
"It should. Are you coming in with us today?" Hermione asked.
Millie hesitated.
"You don't have to if you don't want to. It's whatever you want to do," Rachel said.
"I want to," Millie said after a moment. "And I can get out again if I don't want to stay in."
"That's right, you can," Hermione said.
"I can stay out and watch the door," Ginny offered.
"You don't mind?" Rachel asked.
"No, and I know plenty of hexes in case someone tries to come in," Ginny said. "Actually, Bill taught me one over the summer that I should show you. It's called the Bat-Bogey hex and it's pretty gross."
"Well, I don't know that we'll ever have occasion to use it, but learning it wouldn't hurt," Hermione said.
Rachel finished changing, took off her watch, and attached the tether around her wand and the other end around her right wrist. Then she got the jar with the Gillyweed and went over to sit by the edge of the pool while it filled.
Luna was busy with the cube bubbles, making stacks of them next to the pool.
Millie joined her after a moment, wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants. "I don't have any shorts, so this will have to do."
"Luna goes in fully dressed, so I don't think it's a problem," Rachel said.
"Time for the taps to go off before we start a flood," Hermione said, joining them in her shorts and a t-shirt.
Rachel joined her friends in going around the pool and turning off the taps, letting Luna turn off the one with the cube bubbles when she was done with her stacks. "Shoes off," she reminded her.
"Good idea," Luna said, watching the cube bubbles finish popping before she settled in to take her trainers off.
"Capubulla," Millie said, bringing her wand up to her mouth.
"If you bring your hand up you can feel where the barrier is," Hermione said.
Millie brought both of her hands up and held them around her face. "It seems to be working. Time to get in, I guess," she said. She sat down on the edge of the pool and eased herself in.
"Is it alright?" Rachel asked.
"I can feel my hair getting wet where it's outside of the bubble, but otherwise it's alright," Millie said.
Luna jumped in, splashing them a little bit, and then her head reappeared in the bubbles. "Everywhere should have a bath like this."
Rachel smiled. She was glad Luna was enjoying herself at least.
"Capubulla," Hermione said, testing her bubble before she slipped down into the pool. "I think we should focus on swimming, both in distance and in changing depths, and then on underwater target practice."
"Sounds good to me," Rachel said, glancing at the mermaid painting again. She was asleep today. Rachel wasn't sure that was better. She undid the jar with the Gillyweed and placed it next to the edge of the pool and eased herself down in. "Ginny, can you time me from the time I enter the water to when I come back up?"
"Sure," Ginny said, checking her watch. "It's quarter past ten."
Rachel nodded and put the Gillyweed in her mouth and chewed a few times before she swallowed. They'd been timing it to make sure she'd have enough time for the full hour and hopefully a little extra. So far they'd ranged from an hour and five minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes. She waited until she felt the feeling of suffocation and then plunged herself through the bubbles and under the water.
"This is super weird," Millie said, standing on the bottom of the pool. "But I'm never going swimming without a Bubble-Head charm again."
"I'm glad it works for you," Hermione said.
Rachel slid her wand into her waist band. The tether was just long enough that she had a full range of movement when she did that.
"Alright, let's practice distance first," Hermione said. "Laps."
Rachel got herself settled horizontally near the bottom of the pool and began swimming using the two handed stroke that Hermione had taught her. They'd discovered that the webbed hands from the Gillyweed were actually a huge advantage in moving quickly through the water and Rachel could easily outpace Hermione even though Hermione had much more practice at swimming. The other advantage was that she didn't get winded, she couldn't even feel her gills, though she noticed the muscles in her arms and legs burning after a while.
"Okay, now surfacing from top to bottom and back," Hermione said after they'd paused for a few moments.
This was a little more tricky. Rachel wasn't allowed to use the floor because she wouldn't have anything to push off of in the lake either.
"Use your legs like this when you're going up," Luna said, now in her own Bubble-head charm.
Rachel watched how Luna wasn't kicking exactly so much as she was bringing her legs apart and then together again. She tried again and found that it worked a little bit better and she felt the back of her head breach the surface before she started swimming down to the bottom again.
"Time for target practice?" Millie asked when Rachel had done this several times.
"Yes, does everyone have the Target spell worked out?" Hermione asked.
"It doesn't work consistently for me," Luna said.
"That's okay, we'll do what we can. Ready, Rachel?" Hermione asked.
"Ready," Rachel said, even though it only came out as bubbles, and pulled out her wand. It felt a little bit odd to hold it with her webbed fingers, but it still worked.
"Scopum," Hermione said. The smokey image of a target appeared at the end of her wand, about the diameter of someone's hand.
Rachel attempted to say "expelliarmus" but all that came out was some bubbles, but the spell still worked and a ripple of red broke through the target.
"Good, now try the Banishing charm, then the Revulsion jinx," Hermione said. They didn't use the Stunning spell underwater just in case someone actually got hit with it.
Millie cast a target this time, but Rachel's Banishing charm missed the mark. The target disappeared before Rachel could cast again. "Have you noticed the Target spell lasts for a shorter time underwater than it does usually?" Millie asked.
"I have noticed that," Hermione said.
Rachel made some bubbles again as she tried to say that it was probably at least partially an air element spell, but she'd have to tell them later.
Millie cast the target again and this time Rachel hit it.
They spent the rest of the hour trading off between swimming and practicing casting spells.
"It's been an hour and five minutes," Ginny said, using the Bubble-head charm to lean into the water and speak with them.
Rachel moved up so she was closer to the surface and to the side of the pool. Finally she watched as her hands returned to normal and she pulled herself out of the water so she could breathe through her mouth again.
"An hour and nine minutes," Ginny said, checking her watch.
"Thanks for the warning," Rachel said, pulling herself out of the pool.
"How do you feel? We have three weeks left before the task. Is there anything else you can think of that we should practice?" Hermione asked as she got out of the pool and ended her Bubble-Head charm.
"I think as long as there aren't any surprises that I'm pretty ready," Rachel said. Swimming was still her weak point, but she could get around underwater.
"Professor Snape would have told you if there was going to be another part, right?" Millie asked, casting a drying charm on herself now that she was out of the pool.
Rachel nodded. "If he knew, he would tell me. I just hope that Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman aren't keeping something from everyone."
"I think Professor Dumbledore would have to know, and he'd tell Professor Snape," Ginny said.
Rachel hoped that was true too. She cast a drying charm on herself and picked herself up so she could go change into her trousers and jumper.
"Well, if you think of anything else, or if you want to practice again, just let us know and we will," Hermione said. "Luna, are you coming out?"
"Alright," Luna said, sounding reluctant.
Rachel took one last look at the mermaid painting as they left and hoped that was the last time she'd have to see it.
Severus left his quarters at the sound of someone knocking on his office door. A quick glance at the clock on his mantle told him Luna was right on time. He opened the door to find Luna standing with Rachel, Millie, and Hermione.
"You'll be okay, Professor Snape will watch out for you," Rachel said, patting Luna on her arm.
"And when you come back we'll either be in the Great Hall or in the study room so you know where to find us," Hermione added.
Luna nodded, but still looked worried.
"Miss Lovegood," Severus said, nodding to her.
"Yes, sir?" Luna asked.
"Do you still wish to be seen by a Healer at St. Mungo's?" he asked. He wasn't going to force her to go. The only reason he was taking her was because her father had given him permission. Severus would have preferred if Poppy or Filius had taken her, but Mr. Lovegood had been clear that he wanted it to be Severus if it was anyone at all.
"I do," Luna said after a moment.
"Very well. I don't think this will take long and then you may rejoin your friends," Severus said, hoping to reassure her. "Come into my office, we'll be traveling by floo."
"It's okay, we trust Professor Snape," Millie said.
Luna nodded and stepped forward into his office.
"I will see you later," Severus told Rachel, getting a nod and smile in response before he shut the door. "You've traveled by floo before?"
"Yes, sir," Luna said.
Severus took down his floo powder and offered it to her. "Your destination is St. Mungo's and that will take you to their front hall. I'll be right behind you."
Luna took a handful of the floo powder and tossed it in, waiting for the flames to turn green before she said "St. Mungo's" and stepped inside.
Severus followed her through the fireplace and stepped out of the fireplace into St. Mungo's. It was as busy as usual, likely a little more so because it was a Saturday. "Your appointment is with Healer Webb. We'll need to inquire to find out where her office is," he said, glad to find Luna waiting for him next to the fireplace.
He supposed that it wasn't strange that he was reminded of bringing Rachel to St. Mungo's when she didn't speak. She had seemed as frightened and pensive as Luna appeared now.
After waiting in line they were directed to the second floor and after a short ride in the lift with a man who was steaming from his nose and mouth, they went down the hallway and took seats while they waited.
"Sir?" Luna asked after a few minutes.
"Yes?" Severus asked.
"Do you know what the Healer is going to do to me?" Luna asked.
"Not specifically, but I think it's likely they will use some advanced diagnostic spells," Severus said. "Would you like me to remain with you or do you wish to see the Healer on your own?"
Luna stared at him for a long moment, her eyes seeming to search him for something. "I'd like you to stay with me, if that's alright," she said after a long moment.
"That's fine," Severus said. He still didn't understand why Luna's father was unwilling to take her himself, but Poppy was correct that this needed to be seen to sooner rather than later. It was no wonder Luna had difficulty paying attention in class if she was seeing and hearing things that were not there.
A young Healer stepped out of the doorway beside them holding a clipboard with parchment on it. "Let's see, Mr. Lovegood?" she asked.
"Professor Severus Snape," he said, standing up. "This is my student, Miss Luna Lovegood."
"I see, you're here in the guardian's stead?" the Healer asked.
"Yes," Severus said.
"Well it's good to meet you both, I'm Healer Martha Webb. Come into my office and we'll get started," Healer Webb said. "Can I call you Luna?"
"Yes, ma'am," Luna said, following Severus into the room.
"You can just call me Martha, no need for ma'am," Healer Webb said. "You're alright having your professor with you?"
"Yes," Luna said. "I'd rather he stayed."
"That's fine. Take a seat and let's talk for a few minutes," Healer Webb said, motioning them to chairs. "Poppy Pomfrey sent me some notes, but I'd like to hear it from you. Can you tell me about what's been happening?"
Luna glanced at Severus before looking at the Healer. "I can see things and hear things that my friends can't see or hear. My father can see them too, he's the one who taught me about them," she said.
Severus frowned. That was new information to him. He wondered if that played a role in Luna's father not wanting to take Luna to see a Healer.
"What sort of things do you see and hear?" Healer Webb asked, holding a quill over her parchment but still looking at Luna.
"Creatures, mostly. I see wrackspurts, and nargles, and sometimes the muahorns, but they're hard to see. Mostly the muahorns communicate psychically," Luna explained.
"Can you describe them to me?" Healer Webb asked.
"Wrackspurts are very small, they're usually floating around. They go into people's ears and make their minds fuzzy. You don't have very many around you, and neither does Professor Snape, but some people have quite a lot," Luna said.
"You can see some of the wrackspurts right now?"
"Yes, but only a few," Luna said. "Nargles are also fairly small, and they like to steal odds and ends. The muahorns stay in the shadows, but they have a lot to say."
"What sort of things do the muahorns say?"
"Oh, they have something to say about just about everything. They tell me about other students or about the professors or things that are happening on the grounds at school. They don't say much about Professor Dumbledore though, I think they have a hard time being near him," Luna said.
Albus would undoubtedly find that tidbit very interesting, though Severus was growing more concerned. He hadn't realized from Rachel's description how pervasive what Luna saw was.
"Do they ever say things that frighten you or upset you?" Healer Webb asked.
"No, they don't frighten me. I'm not frightened by any of them, I just don't understand why my father and I can see them but other people can't," Luna said.
"Do you remember the first time you saw any of these creatures?" Healer Webb asked.
"Before I stared at Hogwarts, but after my mother died," Luna said. "My father showed me some nargles and told me what they were."
"I'm sorry to hear that. How did your mother die?" Healer Webb asked.
"She was experimenting with spellcraft and a spell went very wrong. I was there with her, until my father came home because he was away and I didn't know where to floo-call him," Luna said.
Severus' frown deepened. He hadn't realized Luna had suffered such a significant trauma.
"That sounds like it was very difficult," Healer Webb said with sympathy.
"It was very sad and I felt very alone for a while. My father was very sad as well. Now I have friends though, and they stay with me on the anniversary of her death," Luna said with a small nod.
"I'm glad you have such good friends," Healer Webb said. "Is there anything else that you'd like to tell me about?"
Luna shook her head. "Do you think you can find out why I can see the creatures and other people can't?"
"I'm going to try. If it's alright with you, I'd like to do a few diagnostic spells, and then I'm going to have you drink a potion and I'll do some more spells. Is that okay?" Healer Webb asked.
"What potion?" Severus asked before Luna could agree.
"It's an adaptation of the Clarifying solution that allows us to perform spells to assess how the brain is functioning," Healer Webb said.
"Are there side-effects?" Severus asked.
"She will likely feel lightheaded for a short period of time, about fifteen to twenty minutes," Healer Webb said. "There are no common allergens in the potion."
Severus nodded. "That is alright with me, if it is alright with Miss Lovegood."
"It's okay with me," Luna said.
"Thank you. Can you come sit up on this table for me?" Healer Webb asked.
Luna stood and then boosted herself up on the table.
Severus watched as Healer Webb worked, starting with a standard diagnostic charm before moving on to other spells.
"Can you tell me about how much sleep you get every night?" Healer Webb asked.
"Around seven or eight hours," Luna said.
"Are you often woken by anything? Nightmares perhaps?"
"On occasion, but not as much as I used to," Luna said.
"I'm glad that it's doing better than it was. Okay, everything looks good so far, I'm going to get the potion I need from my office and I'll be right back," Healer Webb said.
"If you ever need a Dreamless sleep potion you are welcome to come to me or to Madam Pomfrey," Severus said, once the Healer was gone.
"Thank you, sir, but I don't need it. Even if the dreams are nightmares, I want the opportunity to see my mother again," Luna said.
Severus nodded, surprised by how much empathy he felt for Luna. His own mother had died when he was sixteen. At the time Severus had pushed aside his grief and it had slowly turned to anger and hatred. He was glad that Luna seemed to be handling the situation more constructively.
"Here we are," Healer Webb said as she came back into the room. "This is one dose of the Willis-Adaptation Clarifying solution. You're going to feel a little bit dizzy after taking it so I want you to swing your legs up on the table first and then lie down once you've taken it."
Luna accepted the vial that the Healer had opened and after a moment of consideration she drank it and then laid down.
"There we go. Now I'm going to have you hold a still as you can for about five minutes. You can close your eyes if you want to, okay?"
"Okay," Luna said.
The Healer began to work again silently casting spells and occasionally pausing to take notes on her clipboard.
Severus watched. He knew a fair amount about Healing from his work with potions, but all of this was far beyond his specialty. Most of the Healing he worked with was treating wounds and illnesses.
"You can sit up when you feel ready to," Healer Webb said as she stepped away from the table.
Luna sat up but it was clear that she was still a little bit dizzy. "Did the spells help?"
"They gave me a good idea about what is happening in your brain," Healer Webb said. "Inside your brain there are fluids that help tell your brain what is happening around you and how to have thoughts about it. What the spells told me is that some of these fluids are slightly out of balance and that is what is causing you to see and hear things that other people don't."
"They aren't real?" Luna asked, her eyes growing wide and her voice sounding slightly distressed.
"I'm afraid not. Your brain is telling you that you're perceiving things that aren't there," Healer Webb said. "There is a potion you can take to help correct the imbalance, but it does have some side effects. Since what you are seeing isn't upsetting to you, that's a choice you can make."
"What side effects?" Severus asked when Luna didn't answer.
"Sometimes people have nausea and vomiting, and they might experience dizziness or sleepiness," Healer Webb explained. "It's also not a decision you have to make right now. I can send your school matron the information and you can decide whether or not you wish to take the potion. One thing I want you to keep an eye on though is whether or not what you see and hear changes over time. If you start suddenly seeing or hearing something new, or if there is a change in how often you see or hear things, or if it starts becoming frightening or upsetting, that's when you want to go see your school matron. Do you have any questions?"
"How do I know if something isn't real?" Luna asked.
"If you can, ask someone around you if they are seeing it or hearing it. Your friends might be willing to help you with that. You said your father sees the same creatures?"
"He does," Luna said. "He's the one who told me what they're called."
"It might not be a bad idea for him to see a Healer as well, and he can make a choice about what he wants to do," Healer Webb said.
"He won't," Luna said.
"Alright. I'm going to give you my information so that if you need to see me again, you know who to ask for, and if your father wishes to speak with me either about you or about himself, he can," Healer Webb said. "Do you have any other questions?"
Luna shook her head.
"Do you feel ready to try standing up?" Healer Webb asked.
Luna slid off the table, but held onto it for a moment.
"I think you need to sit for a while longer before we go through the floo," Severus said.
"That would be wise," Healer Webb said. "Let me take you to the chairs outside my office and you can rest there. Thank you for coming in today."
"Thank you for seeing us," Severus said. He sat down next to Luna in the hallway.
"Is it okay if I don't want to take the potion?" Luna asked after they'd been sitting for a few minutes.
"Yes, the Healer said it's your choice," Severus said. He thought he would likely wish to take the potion if he was in her shoes, but he relied on his senses being exacting for his work in potions.
"I don't mind seeing my creatures. I just wish other people could too," Luna said.
Severus just nodded. He didn't know what to say to that. "We can wait here for as long as you need," he finally offered.
"Thank you," Luna said, leaning forward and putting her head in her hands.
He settled in to wait. He suspected Luna needed a moment to deal with more than just the dizziness from the potion she'd taken.
"Do you think Professor Snape and Luna are back yet?" Millie asked as they left the Great Hall after lunch.
"I don't know, I'm not sure how long an appointment with the Healers takes," Hermione said.
"When I went it didn't take very long, we were there for less than an hour, but I'm not sure what sort of things they'll have to do for Luna," Rachel said.
"Well, she knows where to find us, and if she's not back in an hour or two we can check with Professor Snape," Theo said.
"And she might just have wanted some alone time after that," Ginny added.
Rachel nodded, pausing as they passed the noticeboard in the entrance hall. There were all sorts of parchments posted there, some with clubs who were recruiting, some with requests for lost items, some from students who wanted tutoring or were offering tutoring in a given subject.
One caught her attention in particular. It was a request to trade chocolate frog cards. The person was requesting Agrippa or Ptolemy and Rachel knew that she'd just received a spare Agrippa card in the chocolate frogs she'd gotten for Christmas. They had given a list of cards they were willing to trade and Rachel pulled out her quill and added to the note saying she had a spare Agrippa and would trade it for Morgan Le Fay at the start of lunch tomorrow.
"Something interesting?" Neville asked.
"Just a chocolate frog card trade," Rachel said. "I can't believe how many of them I have now."
"You'll have to trade with my sister some time, she collects them too," Millie said.
Ginny leaned in. "I think that message is from Ron. Those are the two cards he's missing."
Rachel hesitated. "Do you think he's going to have a problem trading with me?"
"I think his desire for the card will outweigh the fact that you're a Slytherin," Ginny said. "And if not, I will deal with him."
"I don't want to cause a problem between you and your brother," Rachel said as she put away her quill.
"You're not. Ron needs to get used to the fact I have friends in Slytherin and that you're not all bad people. You'd think after nearly four years of having classes with you he'd realize that," Ginny said, leading the way up the staircase.
"We don't really interact much with Ron, or the other Gryffindors really," Millie said.
"We've occasionally shared a plant in Herbology with him, but otherwise we tend to just stick with our group," Theo said.
Neville shrugged. "Dean and Seamus are alright, but I don't know them very well. They tend to stick together and Ron usually hangs out with them."
"I suppose we do kind of stick together most of the time," Hermione said. "I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, we've just found a system that works for us."
"It's too bad we're not all in the same House," Millie said. "Or at least I wish Luna was in Gryffindor with all of you. That would solve the problem with her roommates."
"Luna?" Hermione asked.
Millie turned in confusion but Hermione hurried up the stairs.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, coming to a stop where Luna was sitting on the staircase between the second and the third floors.
"No one was in our study room," Luna said as everyone else gathered around.
"We were at lunch. Are you hungry? There's still food and we could go back down with you," Rachel said.
"Not right now," Luna said.
"We could get something from the kitchens if you don't want to go into the Great Hall with everyone," Neville offered.
Luna shook her head. "I don't particularly feel like eating right now."
"Okay, maybe in a little bit then. Do you want to come up to the study room with us?" Hermione asked.
Luna nodded and stood up. "Yes, I just didn't want to be there alone."
"Well, we're here now," Ginny said.
Rachel exchanged a glance with Millie as they continued up the stairs. She got the feeling that Luna's visit to St. Mungo's hadn't gone very well.
They all settled into their study room, the afternoon sun shining through the windows, and there was an awkward silence.
"Luna, did you want to talk about what happened with the Healer?" Hermione asked after a long moment.
"They said that the creatures I see aren't real and that there is an imbalance in my brain," Luna said. Her lower lip quivered.
"I'm sorry, I'm sure that was hard to hear," Hermione said. "Did they say if there was anything they could do about it?"
"There's a potion I could take, but I'm choosing not to. For now at least. I don't want them to go away," Luna said.
Ginny reached over and hugged Luna and after a moment Luna wrapped her arms around Ginny as well and placed her forehead on Ginny's shoulder.
When Luna let go, Ginny sat up straight again. "I'm glad you got checked and there wasn't an urgent problem," she said.
Luna nodded. "The Healer said I should ask you if I'm not sure if something is real."
"We can do that," Neville said.
"We're always willing to look or to listen," Millie agreed.
"And if you still want to tell us about the creatures or about what the Muahorns are telling you, you can," Rachel said.
"I don't know yet," Luna said. "They're still real to me. I don't know what I'm going to tell my father."
"You have some time before you have to decide what to do," Theo said. "And we'll help you however we can."
"And if you want Professor Snape to be the one to tell your father, just ask and I'm sure he would do it," Rachel offered.
"Professor Snape is very kind, in his own way, he just likes to hide it," Luna said. "Can we do homework or practice defense spells?"
"Sure," Hermione said. "Which would you prefer?"
"Could we practice carving runes?" Luna asked.
"We can do that," Millie said. "I'm glad we ordered extra wood."
Rachel nodded. She could understand wanting to distract herself. Luna had clearly had a difficult day.
The next day just before lunch Rachel waited near the noticeboard in the entrance hall. She was a little bit curious to see if it actually was Ron who had written the message. She also didn't feel she needed the entire study group to wait here with her, but she had just gotten raised eyebrows when she suggested they go into the Great Hall without her.
Ron came most of the way down the stairs and then came to a stop as he saw all of them waiting.
"You wanted an Agrippa card?" Rachel called when he continued to stare at them.
"You have an Agrippa card?" Ron asked.
"I do," Rachel said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She pulled it out of her robe pocket and held it up.
"How do I know this isn't a trick?" Ron asked.
"For Merlin's sake Ron, we're standing in the entrance hall and it's a chocolate frog card," Ginny said.
Ron came down the stairs, but he had his wand drawn and a chocolate frog card in his other hand. "You wanted Morgan Le Fay?"
"Yes,'' Rachel said. She ignored his wand and held out the Agrippa card. "How long have you been collecting cards so that you only have two left to get?"
"Years, I got my first card when I was four," Ron said.
"I got my first card on the Hogwarts Express in our first year. It was Dumbledore," Rachel said, continuing to hold out the Agrippa card.
Ron paused. "My first card was Dumbledore too. I've got like twelve of him now."
"I've got a few of him now too," Rachel said. "Here, now you'll only need one more."
Ron took the Agrippa card and pushed his card into her hand. He examined it closely before nodding. "Thanks. And I believe that you didn't put your name in the Goblet. You'd have to be crazy to do that."
"Thanks," Rachel said. She watched as Ron disappeared into the Great Hall. "Well that could have gone worse."
"It could have gone better too, he drew his wand," Theo said.
"Small steps," Hermione said. "Shall we have lunch?"
Millie's stomach grumbled. "I think that's a yes."
Luna and Ginny giggled while Rachel smiled and shook her head. "Let's go."
"You're in the paper again," Draco said as Rachel, Millie, and Theo sat down for breakfast on the morning of the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor Quidditch match.
"What could she possibly be saying now? I haven't done anything," Rachel said.
"It's not Skeeter. They did a profile of the champions. I didn't realize that you knew Dumbledore so well," Draco said.
Oh, this must have been the article that Severus had asked Professor Dumbledore to write. "I don't know him very well. I've only talked with him a few times. Can I see the paper?" Rachel asked.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "I'd say that Professor Dumbledore thinks he knows you pretty well though."
"Just let us read it," Millie said.
Draco handed over the paper, but continued to watch them.
Rachel put the paper on her plate so that Millie and Theo could see it too and began to read. There was a write up on each of the tournament champions, with their individual pictures from the ones that had been taken right after their names were drawn. Rachel was staring out of her picture but she looked worried rather than the smile that she'd forced herself to have while the picture was being taken.
Professor Dumbledore was very kind in what he had written about her. He wrote that Rachel was a quick study who was consistently near the top of her class and worked tirelessly at doing research and learning new spells. Then he wrote that Rachel was a loyal and trustworthy friend and that she was well liked among the students at Hogwarts and that her professors all said that she was an excellent student. He wrote that she loved working with animals, that she particularly enjoyed Charms and Potions, and that she was an excellent Quidditch player who had never lost a game. He added that Rachel was doing very well with the tasks, considering how young she was, and that he looked forward to seeing what she did for the second task.
It was all a little embarrassing, but it was a lot better than what Rita Skeeter had been writing. To Rachel's relief, the words 'Girl-Who-Lived' were nowhere in the article.
The section about Cedric was equally flattering, Professor Dumbledore writing about how dedicated Cedric was as a prefect, how he was near the top of his class, and how he never turned away a student in need of assistance.
Madame Maxime's piece on Fleur talked about how talented Fleur was at Charms and Transfiguration and how she had taken the Ancient Runes exam a year early because she was particularly interested in the subject. She said that Fleur was an example that all of her students should strive for.
Professor Karkaroff's section on Viktor was a little more to the point. He had written that Viktor was an internationally acclaimed Quidditch player who successfully balanced school with playing on the Bulgarian national team and Viktor had shown his skills and bravery many times over the years that he'd known him.
"Hopefully that helps," Theo said once he'd finished reading.
"Hopefully," Rachel agreed.
"You don't think it's weird that Dumbledore is watching you?" Draco asked.
"He didn't write anything about me that he didn't write about Cedric," Rachel pointed out. She hadn't seen anything in the article that Professor Dumbledore couldn't have gotten by asking Severus.
"He probably just asked the professors what they thought about Rachel, I don't think he's watching her," Millie said, glancing up at the staff table.
"He knew that she likes animals," Draco said.
"I told him that myself," Rachel said. "He suggested that I take Care of Magical Creatures as one of my electives."
"I really don't think there's a conspiracy here, Draco. Besides, he wanted both of the Hogwarts champions to look good, of course he said nice things about them," Theo said.
"I suppose," Draco said. "We've got ten minutes before we've got to go get ready."
Rachel checked her watch and then set aside the paper and served herself some eggs. She needed to at least eat something in case the game lasted a while. "You've got my camera?" she asked Millie.
"Yep, right here," Millie said, patting her robe pocket.
"Try to get a shot of Ginny and one of the Weasley twins if you can, their mom seemed to like the pictures I gave her," Rachel said.
"I will, assuming any of them can hold still long enough for me to take the picture. I keep thinking I'm going to wind up with just a shot of the pitch," Millie said.
"Don't worry about it, I don't mind if there's a shot or two of the pitch," Rachel said, deciding to have a piece of toast with her eggs. She began to eat while checking out the weather conditions on the enchanted ceiling. It was clear, but it was going to be cold.
"Good luck," Millie said as the rest of the Quidditch team came from further down the table about ten minutes later.
"Thanks," Rachel said, pausing to finish the goblet of juice she'd been drinking.
"We'll see you after the game," Theo said.
Rachel nodded. "We'll try to make it quick."
After getting to the locker rooms she changed on autopilot, stopping only to check in on Scarlett and make sure she wasn't too nervous. Scarlett insisted that she was fine and that she was certainly a match for the Weasley twins. Rachel wasn't so sure about that, but she left well enough alone.
"Gryffindor Chasers are tough to beat, but we have an advantage this year," Lucian said once they were all dressed and gathered outside the locker rooms.
Rachel nodded. "New Keeper. I suspect now that Oliver Wood is gone we'll be able to score more easily. Does anyone know anything about McLaggen?"
"I may or may not have taken a look at a few of the Gryffindor practices, we have nothing to worry about as far as McLaggen is concerned. Keeping the Quaffle out of the hands of their Chasers is the hard part," Miles said.
"And keep the Bludgers away from the Weasley twins, especially when they're near each other," Adrian said, shaking his head.
"What about their Seeker?" Viktor asked.
"Ginny's a good Seeker, she's small and fast, so don't underestimate her," Rachel said.
Viktor nodded once.
"Aim to catch the Snitch as quickly as possible this time, their Chasers have the advantage here," Rachel said.
"I will do what I can," Viktor said.
"Alright, let's get out there," Draco said. "And I think we'll give their Chasers a surprise or two."
"I'm sure we will," Rachel said, with more confidence than she felt. This game was really up to Viktor.
They assembled on the pitch, finding Fleur already waiting with her broom, the Quaffle, and a silver whistle.
The Gryffindors came out not long after and took their places.
"Never thought I'd be facing you as a Chaser," Angelina said as she stepped up to shake hands with Rachel.
"Me neither," Rachel said, offering her hand. "Good luck."
"You too," Angelina said, shaking Rachel's hand.
They took their positions, brooms mounted, and Fleur blew her whistle and tossed the Quaffle.
Play was much more frantic than it had been with the Hufflepuffs. The Gryffindor Chasers were a well oiled machine and the Slytherin team had their work cut out for them getting the Quaffle away without immediately being thrown off course by a Bludger. Fortunately Miles was doing his job well and he blocked quite a number of the Gryffindor shots on the goal.
Rachel didn't have a spare moment to check on her teammates. She hoped that Lucian was watching out for Scarlett and she'd have to assume that Viktor could handle himself.
"Snow!" Draco shouted as he flew past.
Rachel quickly put herself in the position to take a reverse pass and took possession of the Quaffle. Moments later she dodged a Bludger and made a run on the goal. McLaggen was much easier to score on than Oliver had been and she made the shot easily, though she had to dodge another Bludger immediately.
Katie Bell grabbed the Quaffle and went flying past and Rachel turned in pursuit. She didn't even know what the score was.
There was a near collusion with Adrian, and Draco swooped in to intercept the Quaffle from where Katie had been passing it to Alicia. Rachel turned back around, ready to support Draco and nearly ran into Angelina herself. A Bludger sent them all scattering moments later and Rachel took a quick glance to see who hit it at them. Lucian was nearby and Rachel wavered on whether she was going to talk to him about doing something like that when he could hurt his teammates.
Draco scored on McLaggen and they followed the Gryffindor Chasers back across the pitch where Alicia scored on Miles.
Rachel intercepted the Quaffle and took it about a quarter of the way across the pitch before passing it to Miles and then swerved as Viktor and Ginny flew through the Chasers in a near freefall. Maybe she should have told Viktor to go easy on Ginny, though she wasn't sure Viktor knew how to go easy when he was playing Quidditch.
Viktor swerved, nearly hitting Ginny and then held his hand up. That was the game.
"And there's Viktor Krum with the Snitch, though our own Ginny Weasley sure gave him a run for it. Final score, Slytherin 210, Gryffindor 110."
Rachel made her way to the ground and landed just in time to overhear Viktor telling Ginny that she flew well and would be an excellent Seeker with more practice. Ginny was practically beaming despite the loss.
"Good game," Angelina called, landing near Rachel.
"Good game," Rachel called back. It was a little embarrassing that the Gryffindors had been up five goals, but their Chaser team had been working together for three years now. Rachel tried not to think of the fact that the Slytherin team was going to need to train another Chaser and another Beater next year, while the Gryffindors would be keeping their full line up - assuming they didn't replace McLaggen after that performance.
"Sorry about that," Miles said as he approached Rachel.
"Nothing to worry about, you did well," Rachel said.
Miles shook his head. "Eleven goals."
"And they had possession of the Quaffle for most of the game, it was as much our fault as it was yours," Rachel said.
"Maybe I'm not a match for the Weasley twins," Scarlett said as she joined them. "Not yet at least."
"You'll get there," Lucian said. "I swear if I didn't know any better I'd say they were telepathic."
"Probably just comes from practicing together their entire lives," Adrian said. "Now, we won, so enough with the glum faces. Viktor, come to the common room and celebrate with us!"
Draco nodded. "We deserve to celebrate, if this was a regular season we'd be a shoo-in for the Quidditch cup."
Rachel had forgotten about the Quidditch cup entirely. It didn't really matter, they were doing this just for fun.
"I will join you for a short while, after I find Predrag," Viktor said.
"You too, Rachel, no sneaking off," Adrian said.
"I'll come down for a little while," Rachel agreed, mostly because she knew Theo would need to put in appearances with the pure-bloods he was trying to win over. "Let's go change and give them time to set up."
The team went back to the locker rooms, but all of them were aware that despite their win they'd been playing a losing game.