How bitter sweet. To have played together and died together now sinking to the bottom of the lake. Perhaps even the lustrous and malicious mermaids down below might have a feast this evening. Surely the blood of these two young, adventurous, teens is still lush with adrenaline. A flavor monsters very much enjoy.
For Austin to be the one who supplied, well, they bob above the water and there eyes lock on these two young boys so polar in stature with gratitude.
Austin Moon, with sun bright chops of hair, robes of daisy yellow, and a golden brown tan. A glow from his face in the blue of the morning.
Fabian Rutter, with dark newmoon locks of hair, robes of ultraviolet purple, and alabaster shimmering skin. A sodden woe that wafts as if he himself is the blue of mourning.
These monsters, with eyes so many, thank them in silence and swim back down.
"Can I ask why?" Fabian whispers.
Austin looks at him. In a brokenness he answers the question with a question, "Have you ever heard of Panda eyes?"
Fabian only shakes his head, 'no...'
"When a child is sodomized, their eyes swell up really big from the strain. They turn all black and blue. This is something predators discuss when they communicate with one another. It's something that excites. The idea that they can cause that much damage with an appendage is exciting for them." Austin's attention finds the horizon, "Things like that... actually... happen in the real world. To know that and see what I saw, that these two kids who are supposed to be safe, take advantage of it, allow one another to touch each other like that... it's enough to make you..."
"Kill someone?" Fabian asks.
Austin takes in a deep breath and corrects him with the gush of wind that rushes past him, "Black out."
A moment passes and Austin asks a question, "What were you doing up so late."
"That's my schedule." Fabian tells him, "I'm a prefect and I take night classes."
"Night classes." Austin furrows a brow.
Just then Trish Delerosa pushes through the bushes to find them, "Oh hey. Though I heard voices..."
Fabian turns and walks away disappearing through from where she came.
She looks back at him with a curious notion but shrugs it off and looks back at Austin, "Guess who's getting sorted tonight!" Her hands thrown up in the air.
Austin smiles, "What?"
She nods, "Yeah... I was up early today helping hagrid shovel some pineapple mush onto the pumpkins when I farted and glitter shot out. Apparently I'm a witch and had no idea. They think it's something in the Miami water."
He slinks his hand into hers, "Come with me." and proceeds to pull her along out of the forest.
"Where are we going?" She asks as she swats flies and miniature birds out of her way.
He holds up a long flap of leaves allowing her to cross through and follows her never letting go of her hand. They scour a mound of bio luminescent green glowing moss and stumble over a set of cobblestones that may have been a building once upon a time, "To see professor Halpert. See what we can do to get on with nightclasses.
"Nightclasses?" She asks, "Well... I nap so much during the day anyway it might just work out."
The come out into a clearing where they find two young gentleman from slytherin house kicking a quaffle back and forth. Alfie and Jerome. Best friends since basically forever. Alfies a thin bald darkskin boy with a goofy grin and kind eyes where as Jerome is a pasty long haired lanky fellow the sneers when his mind is buzzing with inappropriate thoughts.
"Having a little morning fun are we." Jerome sneers.
Alfie laughs, "Nothing like a stroll through the woods to take care of some wood am I right."
Austin glares and they both laugh at him before continuing on with there business.
"This is so frustrating." Says Trish as they continue to climb the stone steps back up to the castle, "I have no idea what any of these people are saying like... ever."
'Good.' Austin thinks.
Through the breezway, beneath an arch, across the bridge, into the castle, around a bend, and down the hall they enter Jim Halper's classroom to find him sitting behind his desk crumpling up pieces of parchment to toss them into a waste bin only for them to un-crumple them selves and float back up to his desk. His eyes find them and he smiles.
"Hey professor Halpert. I was wondering if there was any way Dez, Trish and I could sign up for classes. I'd have brought him with me but he's probably just going to sleep we're on a weird schedule." Austin says as he and Trish cross the room down an isle between rows of desks.
"Dez..." Professor Halpert thinks, "Yeah I'm pretty sure he was the guy in here about twenty minutes ago, red hair, suspenders, looks like a weasly? I kept thinking he was trying to steal my dundie awards but turns out the guy is just super weird."
Trish nods, "Yeah that's Dez."
Professor Halpert rises and walks over to a shelf where he opens a binder and pulls out a few pieces of paper. He presses his wand to each one and they float up in the air to circle him as he sorts through them in silence.
"I don't see why not." He says at last and they all float back into the binder and he slides it back onto the shelf, "and... if Trish thinks she's ready..." He looks up at her, "She can be sorted now. It's breakfast, not as many people, I can grab the headmaster and we can get you guys signed up for classes before lunch."
They share a glance and look back at their professor with a nod.
Jim's wand starts making noises and he holds it out to ignite a hologram of a wand ID and points towards the door, "I'm going to find Mcgonagall, you two head onto the mess hall. We'll meet you there." He answers the ring.
As Austin and Trish begin to leave he hears professor Halpert say, "What? How many? How did they get in the building and leave unnoticed?"
Out of curtesy Austin closes the door for his professor's privacy.
Making their way back out to the main corridor Trish leans in close and whispers, "Can I ask a serious question?"
He nods.
"How did you know where his classroom was?" They turn and walk into the mess hall to see dez halfway down the hufflepuff table gnawing on brick of sausage.
Austin shrugs, "I don't know. Just kind of went somewhere."
The two of them take their seats next to Dez.
"Oh hey guys." He says, "I. Am. Ex. Sausted. Some kid kept me up all night masturbating."
Pindros looks at Austin with a stupid grin from a few seats down and they both say at the same time, "Eli."
Dez snaps his fingers in front of Austin's face, "Hey. I'm your best friend. Only I can speak in unison with you."
Professor Mcgonagall and professor Halpert walk in.
He's carrying a chair in one hand and the hat in the other. She's holding up a scroll and after scanning the page her eyes find Trish.
Trish rises and waits for the two of them to pass her before following behind.
Less than forty students take up the seats at the tables around them. All of them have their eyes on her.
Mcgonagall turns to the students behind her, "I'm pleased to announce that we have another Hogwarts student in need of sorting. I employ you'll all pass along the message to other students. Before we get started I'd also like to offer night classes to anyone interested. Given current circumstances we've decided a twenty four hour functioning system is the best way to ensure protection for all our students. Two more of us went missing last night. Meditate, wish, burn a candle. Esmerelda Pindrop and Edgar Montoyoga from griffindor are no where to be found. Sign up sheets will be on the bulliten board by noon."
She spins around and the hall remains silent.
The chair is returned to it's original spot and they set the hat down on the seat. Slowly it comes to life, "Ah. What have we here?" The flaps one would consider it's eyes lock on her, "Another one. Alright. On with it. I'm tired."
The headmaster nods at Jim and he lifts the hat, "Trish Delerosa."
She huffs and makes her way up to the chair. With an ease she takes a seat and her eyes find Austin as her body trembles with fear. He nods at her and she's reassured.
The moment the fabric touches her head the hat begins to scream.
Mcgonagall holds up a hand to halt Jim from reaching for it.
The screaming is loud, painful, and doesn't stop for a full three minutes.
Then the hat goes silent.
"What's happening?" Asks Trish.
Mcgonagall calms her with a finger to her own lips, "Shhh. He's entered a journey in your mind. Must be a lot there."
Another ten minutes go by.
A heavy gasp, it wakes up. "HUFFLEPUFF!"
Dez looks at Austin, "Don't you just love plot convenience."
The Hufflepuff table cheers and the event is over. She makes her way back to the table and the rest of the house that's up this early claps and congratulates her.
She smiles really wild and says, "Oh it's not a big deal. I just farted some glitter."
A boy from the slytherin table rises. He resembles Austin a little, maybe a tad more broad, and those ocean eyes are nothing like the honey drops in Ausitin's head, but the hair, the skin, and the plump pink lips are the same. Mick Campbell. He approaches with a steady wicked apparition. Trish, subconsiouslly slides out of the way allowing him to side saddle the bench, place his hands on the wood between Austin's legs, and say, "You're hot as fuck. There's a party in Slytherin tower tonight. A lot more... exclusive, then what those children were doing out on the quad last night. Be there." He leans in forward and his warm breath hits Austin's ear as he whispers, "The password is 'Massive Anaconda.' it doesn't end till sunrise." With that he pulls away and walks out of the mess hall completely.
Suddenly Dez, Austin, and Trish felt submerged. As if the weight of reality had finally hit. This isn't some fever dream. This is Hogwarts school of witchcraft and Wizardry. These people all know each other somehow and our three leads are the outcasts. Down every turn will be a new danger. Every face will be full of judgment. Every thing they do from here on out matters.
They have no choice but to attend the Slytherin party if they're to slither in to this story without loosing what small grasp they still have on life and the art of magic.