Have you noticed anything different about this story? Yeah, that's right, I added a cover! I thought that a cat Patronus would be perfect for The Magic Between Us. There's only one akumatized person for this chapter. And a Quidditch game. Two Quidditch games, actually. The first game is mostly from the announcers' POV, but the second game is from the players' POV. Quick pronunciation key: Joltcastle- pronounced exactly how it looks. Twynebud- Twine (like swine) bud. Vorrsteel: Vorr (rhymes with war) steel. Mystrik- Miss trick.
…..
Chapter 6: The Sorting Hat Becomes Confused
Several more gasps filled the room.
"The Triwizard Tournament?!"
"Headmaster Fu isn't kidding, is he?"
"He has to be joking."
"I'm totally entering!"
"Someone died last time. There's no way that they're doing this again."
"One of my neighbors was Cedric Diggory's best friend. I wonder what she'll think when she hears about the Triwizard Tournament."
"Settle down," Headmaster Fu said. "The tasks of the Triwizard Tournament have already been determined. They are dangerous, but not so dangerous that the competitors could die. The eight representatives will be placed in pairs to further prevent peril. The champions of Ramhorns Academy and eleven others from each of their houses shall arrive on November 10th, two weeks before the first task. The Hogwarts champions will also be chosen on November 10th, and the Goblet of Fire shall be brought to the Great Hall the day before. All students are eligible to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. Write your full name and your house on a piece of paper and place it in the Goblet of Fire to officially enter the competition. I suggest going to the library for more information about Ramhorns Academy."
By the amount of excited whispers currently flooding the Great Hall, you could easily tell that about half of the students would slip their name into the Goblet of Fire.
"It's already quite late. Go to your dorms, unless you want eye bags tomorrow," Headmaster Fu yawned.
The students reluctantly trudged to their rooms, their bellies full of food from the Halloween feast.
The next day, Adrien, Marinette, Alya and Nino headed to the library to read about Ramhorns after all of their classes had ended.
"This one should be useful. A History of Wizarding Schools," Marinette said. "There's a chapter for each school in the Wizarding World."
Nino and Adrien crowded around the book.
"Ramhorns was created in the likeness of Hogwarts. They're not kidding. Ramhorns looks exactly like Hogwarts. Although it is Unplottable, Ramhorns is known to be located in either New York City in the United States of America, Montreal in Canada, or Melbourne in Australia. The founders of Ramhorns were once Hogwarts students themselves. That sure explains a lot," Adrien read aloud.
"The founders of Ramhorns were Jacob Joltcastle the Enthusiastic, Victoria Vorrsteel the Devoted, Tracy Twynebud the Gentle, and Mark Mystrik the Powerful. That's easy to match up. Joltcastle is Gryffindor, Vorrsteel is Hufflepuff, Twynebud is Ravenclaw, and Mystrik is Slytherin," Marinette continued.
"Joltcastle's animal is a horse, Vorrsteel's animal is a rhino, Twynebud's animal is a deer, and Mystrik's animal is a scorpion. Their elements are energy, metal, nature, and ice. Doesn't say anything about house colors, though," Nino said. "They even have the Sorting Staff, which are the founders' wands forged together. It works like a compass."
Alya, who was reading at a nearby table, looked up from Lance Young's Guide to Taming Nessie, one of the books she bought from Tomes and Scrolls.
"You can stop reading there," she carelessly said. "The rest is just a bunch of nonsense about their great battles and other useless junk."
"I've never met a Ravenclaw who cares so less about knowledge," Marinette deadpanned.
"I know," Alya shrugged. "The Sorting Hat considered putting me in Gryffindor, but it decided that I needed to give the Ravenclaws 'more pep.'"
"I better get started on that paragraph on Doxies for Care of Magical Creatures," Nino said. "It's already 4:45, and it should only take twenty minutes or so."
"4:45?! I need to be on the Quidditch field at five o'clock! Gotta go!" Alya gasped, sprinting out of the library.
"I almost forgot, there's a Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff Quidditch game tomorrow!" Marinette said. "I'll be rooting for Juleka and Alya, of course. I even made a sign. It's going to be a tough game with Mylene and Ivan as Beaters. I've seen them on the field, and it looks like the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff game next month is going to be close."
"Not as close as the Slytherin vs Gryffindor game next week," Adrien grinned. "You're pretty fast, Marinette. I wonder which one of us will catch the Snitch."
"You're than better me so I guess will you? I mean, you're guess you will better so I me? That's not quite right….Uhhh, never mind," Marinette hopelessly sighed.
"It's my first time as a Quidditch announcer," Nino said. "Alya's good, but a guy's gotta support their own house, right? Who are you rooting for, Adrien?"
"Both teams. Ivan and Mylene are wicked fast on their Nimbus 2500's, but the Ravenclaws are all mounted on Comet 290's. Speaking of which, did you see Roger Davies last night? He used to be the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, and he's had the same broom for God knows how long. It's still in mint condition, too," Adrien responded.
"Davies? Not quite a fan of him. He's decent, but he's nothing compared to Avery Lionne. She kind of looked like you, Adrien. Avery broke a lot of records with her broom. I wonder where she disappeared to. Rumor has it that she settled down in a cottage in Rome."
Marinette bit her lip.
Nino still didn't know who Adrien's mother was.
"Nino…..Avery Lionne was my mother. She died a little more than a year ago," Adrien quietly said.
"Oh," Nino whispered. "I'm sorry. Avery's a common name, and when Ms. Zinnia talked about her…..I just didn't make the connection. I'm sorry. Who….."
He hesitated.
"Who else knows?"
"Just us three. I'll tell Alya later," Adrien said.
"Is metamorphosis spelled m-e-t-a-m-o-r-p-h-a-s-i-s or m-e-t-a-m-o-r-p-h-o-s-i-s?" Marinette suddenly asked.
She was also doing her Care of Magical Creatures homework.
"The second one," Nino replied, feverishly scratching away at his own parchment.
Marinette groaned and crossed out a sentence. "I should've bought a Spell Check Quill from W.W.W."
…
The next morning, the amount of tension in the Great Hall skyrocketed.
The first game of the Quidditch season would start in less than an hour.
The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws glared at each other.
Fourteen students were noticeably absent from the tables, for the Quidditch teams had already eaten breakfast and were discussing their plays and strategies on the field.
Marinette fetched her sign from her bed.
It was blue with large bronze letters that spelled LET'S GO, RAVENCLAW!
She rushed outside and immediately slammed into Adrien.
"Oh! A-Adrien, you okay are? Ummm, are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Marinette stuttered.
"I'm fine," he said. "Actually, you're just the person I was looking for. Would you like to sit with me in the stands? I'll help you hold your sign."
"Sure!" Marinette said.
Adrien wants to sit with me! she thought. Me, of all people! Does this mean that he likes me?
"So, where do you want to sit?" Adrien asked when they arrived at the Quidditch pitch.
"Near the front. I forgot to bring my binoculars to watch the game," Marinette sighed.
"Here, I have an extra pair," Adrien offered, handing her a pair of binoculars. "Take it!"
But not just any binoculars- Omnioculars.
The best pair of binoculars that Galleons could buy.
Marinette gasped. "What? No! I couldn't possibly-"
"Take it," Adrien repeated, dropping the Omnioculars into her hands.
I'm holding a pair of Omnioculars. I'm holding a pair of real Omnioculars. I'm holding Adrien's Omnioculars, Marinette thought.
Most of the students were already there.
They sat in the front row.
While waiting for the rest of the students to arrive, Marinette played with the Omnioculars.
She turned a dial and made Adrien smile at her over and over again.
On the field, fourteen Quidditch players mounted their brooms.
The members of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team were decked in canary yellow robes.
The members of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team were wearing royal blue robes.
"You got this, Alya!" Marinette shouted.
Nino's voice reached her ears. "The first Quidditch game of the season! Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw, three new players on each team."
"Nino sounds like he's having a good time up there," Adrien remarked.
"Both teams look pretty fierce, don't they? This game might determine the outcome of the entire season," Alec ominously commented.
"Are you trying to make the Ravenclaws nervous?" Mireille demanded.
"One game's not going to prove how much willpower that these players have, anyway," Emma pointed out.
"Will you please just announce the players' names already?" Professor Bustier exasperatedly asked.
"Oh. Right. On the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, we have Lucas Morney, Paul Queens, and Ellen McCollins as Chasers! Let's see how many points they can score. There's newcomers Ivan Bruel and Mylene Haprele as Beaters. They may be gentle, but on the field they're terrifying. Next, we have Sakura Yamaguchi as the Keeper. Last, but not least, give it up for Matthew Heinrich, the Seeker and the team captain!" Nino cheered.
The Hufflepuffs stood up and yelled for their Quidditch team.
"From the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, we have Juleka Couffaine, Alya Cesaire, and Andrew Olsen as Chasers, with Andrew as our captain!" Mireille said. "Our Beaters are Drake Jahili and Patrick Whitecloud. We have Shawn Gray as our Seeker, and Sam Knobel as our new Keeper!"
The Ravenclaws clapped and started chanting, "Ra-ven-claw! Ra-ven-claw! Ra-ven-claw!"
"You got this, Alya!" Marinette whooped.
"Alright, start the game already!" Alec yelled.
"Let's do this thing!" Emma shouted. "3…..2…..1…GO!"
Professor D'Argencourt, who was refereeing, blew a whistle and opened a case.
He tossed the Quaffle into the air, and the two Bludgers flew out of their own accord.
The Golden Snitch flew out of sight.
"It looks like Matthew and Shawn are already after the Snitch," Nino commented. "And the Quaffle is already in Hufflepuff's hands. Ellie passes to Lucas- Lucas passes to Paul, even though Ellie was clearly open- and oh, Paul, why did you drop the Quaffle?!"
Alya zoomed underneath Paul and snatched the Quaffle.
"And Alya with the Quaffle- she passes to Andrew- he passes to Juleka-" Mireille continued.
"Watch out for the Bludger!" Emma yelled.
Ivan had hit an incoming Bludger in Juleka's direction.
She gasped and quickly ascended above the black ball.
"That was a close shave," Alec said. "Although, a Sloth Grip Roll would've been perfectly fine."
"Juleka passes back to Andrew- Andrew throws the Quaffle to the center goalpost-" Mireille excitedly grinned.
"Sakura dives- she misses- score against Hufflepuff," Nino groaned. "Ten-zip, Ravenclaw has the lead."
The Ravenclaws roared with delight.
"Get your act together, Sakura!" Matthew yelled.
Sakura cursed in Japanese under her breath.
"Hufflepuff's got the Quaffle," Alex continued. "Paul to Ellie- Ellie to Lucas- Lucas shoots- A PERFECT SAVE BY SAM KNOBEL!"
"A great addition to the team," Mireille agreed. "Two more weeks until Slytherin plays Ravenclaw, though. Let's see what-"
"Focus on this game," Professor Bustier interrupted.
"Meanwhile, the Beaters are going back and forth with the Bludgers," Emma said. "A tough swing by Drake Jahili, but Ivan Bruel's holding down the fort! And- PATRICK JOHN WHITECLOUD, THAT WAS ATTEMPTED MURDER! That Bludger missed Mylene by less than a centimeter!"
"It's almost like that American Muggle sport, chaseball," Alec said.
"It's called baseball," Nino corrected him.
"Same thing," Alec hastily said.
"ANOTHER SCORE FOR RAVENCLAW BY ALYA, Twenty to zero!" Mireille shouted.
"That was awesome, Alya!" Marinette cheered.
"Make another goal!" Adrien yelled.
Alya was dizzy from happiness.
"I made a goal! I can't believe it! My first Quidditch goal! Ever!" she laughed.
"Let's hope that you also make your second and third, and so on," Andrew said, patting her on the back.
After that, the Ravenclaw Chasers scored fourteen more goals.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, SAKURA?!" Matthew screamed. "At the very least, do a Double Eight Loop!"
"SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE CAUGHT THE GOLDEN SNITCH BY NOW, MATTHEW?!" Sakura screamed back. "And it's not just my fault, either! Ellie, Paul, and Lucas haven't even put the Quaffle in the other goal once!"
"If you must argue, please call a time-out!" Professor D'Argencourt yelled.
"Fine, then! Time-out!" Matthew said.
The two Quidditch teams huddled together.
While the fourteen players bickered and discussed game plans, the Quidditch announcers raved about Sam Knobel's extraordinary playing skills.
"He's saved about twelve goals now, hasn't he?" Mireille asked.
"Thirteen, actually. Sam's one of the best Keepers that Ravenclaw's ever seen," Emma said.
"He sure is. Sakura Yamaguchi, will you stop glaring at me like that?" Nino indignantly said. "Y'know, if you actually saved some goals I would cheer for you instead of him."
"It looks like Le Chien Kim has some catching up to do," Alec smirked. "Alix Kubdel has a serious grudge against him."
"No kidding!" Emma snorted. "Rumor has it that Alix is teaming up with Abby and Zack Johnson, also known as the A-Z Pranksters, to stuff one hundred Dungbombs into Kim's-"
"That's enough!" Professor Bustier interjected.
"And it looks like the time-out has ended," Mireille said. "Sakura and Matthew are still at it."
Sakura flew by Marinette and Adrien while saying 'kuso baka kuso' repeatedly.
"What does 'kuso baka kuso' even mean?" Marinette asked.
"My father made me take a course on the history of spells when I was younger, and one day my teacher yelled that phrase loudly when he stubbed his toe on a desk," Adrien snickered. "It means-"
He whispered the words' definition into Marinette's ear.
"Oh my," she said. "Oh my. How old were you when you first heard it?"
"Nine," Adrien casually responded. "Professor Fujioka was immediately fired."
"And it looks like Matthew's seen the Golden Snitch!" Nino shouted. "But so has Shawn! Come on, Matthew, you have to be faster than that! It looks like Matt doesn't care whether Hufflepuff wins the game or not, he just doesn't want Shawn to get the Snitch! And he's diving-"
"And he's going to pull a Wronski Feint!" Emma gasped.
"Viktor Krum's signature move!" Alec added. "Matthew dives, and Shawn's on his tail-"
"And Matt pulls up at the last second! I can't believe it! HUFFLEPUFF'S GOT THE GOLDEN SNITCH!" Nino yelled.
"Somebody help Shawn!" Mireille shouted. "He crashed!"
Madam Pomfrey waddled onto the Quidditch field and carried Shawn to the hospital wing.
"Don't worry, Mireille, Shawn's going to be okay," Emma reassured her.
"RAVENCLAW WINS THE FIRST GAME OF THE QUIDDITCH SEASON!" Alec bellowed.
The volume of the Ravenclaws' chanting increased.
"Final score: one hundred sixty to one hundred fifty. What a close game!" Nino said. "Next week, we have Gryffindor vs Slytherin. Stay tuned."
When the students returned to Hogwarts, Marinette and Adrien regrouped with Alya and Nino.
"You made five goals!" Marinette grinned. "Five goals! I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks! Of course, Juleka had that crazy goal when she was upside down, and Andrew scored most of them, but I managed to do a Finbourgh Flick like the latter suggested," Alya smiled.
"And your voice didn't crack once when you were announcing, Nino!" Adrien said, patting his friend on the back.
"Excuse me, what?" Marinette asked.
"My voice was perfectly fine yesterday!" Nino said.
"I think he's deaf. His voice was more high-pitched than a mouse's. I thought my ears would pop," Adrien chuckled.
Nino's face wrinkled into a rather sour expression.
"Let's go check on Shawn. I thought I heard some of his bones snap when he kissed the ground," Alya said.
The path to the hospital wing was blocked by Ravenclaws, who gave Alya an endless amount of high-fives.
After evading the vast crowd, Marinette, Adrien, Alya, and Nino knocked on the door to the hospital wing.
"How many visitors?" Madam Pomfrey questioned from the other side of the door.
"Four," Marinette responded.
"Come in," Madam Pomfrey said.
They pushed the door open and were greeted by a happy-looking Shawn.
"Are you okay?" Adrien immediately asked. "I was watching through my Omnioculars, and you landed right on your head!"
"I'm as fit as a fiddle, except for one problem," Shawn sighed. "I can't play Quidditch ever again."
"WHAT?!" Alya shrieked. "Have you told Andrew yet?!"
"I find it funny that you didn't even start with why I can't play," Shawn laughed. "As a matter of fact, I've told Andrew already, and he's holding tryouts in five days."
"Madam Pomfrey can cure anything! She cured my father when he received a bloody nose from a Quaffle," Marinette said. "Why can't you play Quidditch?"
"I had a Quidditch accident when I was a toddler. My older brother hit a Bludger so hard that it broke. The moment he went back inside, I picked up a small piece of it and swallowed it," Shawn shuddered. "As you know, a Bludger's main job is to knock a player off of their broomstick, and that crash lodged the Bludger piece right next to my heart. If I ever ride a broom again, that piece is going to attempt to knock me off of my broom and go right into my heart. I've already been to St. Mungo's twice to have it removed, and there's nothing they can do about it."
"That's terrible," Adrien sympathetically said. "Are you sure that the Healers at St. Mungo's can't do anything?"
"I'm sure. But on the bright side, I finally have time for Max's chess club! I beat him three times already. He called me a chess prodigy," Shawn grinned.
After they left, the Ravenclaws' excitement had died down.
"Shawn's lucky that he's an optimistic guy. He could've been akumatized," Marinette said.
"Yeah, I don't think Ladybug and Cat Noir would want to fight an akuma right after a Quidditch game," Alya laughed. "By the way, what do you guys think of my next article for The Ladybulletin? It's going to include a poll about which house or houses everyone thinks Ladybug and Cat Noir are in."
"Cat Noir's totally a Slytherin," Nino said. "He has the power of bad luck itself. That's practically Dark Magic, even though he uses it for good. No offense to your house, Adrien."
"No way! Cat Noir has to be a Hufflepuff! Ladybug's his best friend. He trusts her with his life," Marinette argued. "But with all those puns and self-confidence, he could possibly be a Gryffindor. But he's definitely not a Ravenclaw."
Nino turned towards Adrien. "Which house do you think Cat Noir's in?"
"I think he's a Hufflepuff. He seems like a Hufflepuff sort of guy," Adrien lied.
"Finally! Someone agrees with me!" Marinette exclaimed.
"Wouldn't it be ironic if Ladybug was a Slytherin, though?" Alya laughed. "If she's not a Ravenclaw or a Gryffindor, I'll eat my wand!"
"She seems like more of a Ravenclaw," Nino said.
"With her brains, she's most likely a Ravenclaw. I wouldn't rule out Gryffindor entirely, though," Adrien said.
"Yup, she's probably a Ravenclaw. Who knows? She could be sleeping a few bunk beds away from you, Alya," Marinette said.
"Oh please, I'd know if I was friends with Ladybug," Alya scoffed. "She's the most confident person I've ever seen. She's not a first-year, anyway. Ladybug's really short, but she's much smarter than us, so she has to be a second-year at the very least."
"Cat Noir's tall, so he's a third-year," Adrien said. "I don't see how he can be a first-year or a second-year."
"So you think Ladybug's a Ravenclaw second-year and Cat Noir's a Hufflepuff third-year," Alya summed up.
"Pretty much," Nino shrugged. "Even though I think that Cat Noir's a Slytherin."
Marinette rolled her eyes. "He's as much of a Slytherin as Godric Gryffindor. Is he cunning? No. Is he ambitious? No, unless you count how much he wants Ladybug to be his girlfriend. So, he's not a Slytherin."
"Whatever you say. What really matters is the decision of the fans," Alya said. "And I agree with Marinette. Cat Noir wears Hufflepuff robes."
If only they knew, Adrien thought. If only they knew.
…
At the sound of the Hogwarts Express' whistle, the girl's olive-green eyes fluttered open.
She had stopped crying just yesterday, for that was when the Ministry of Magic had finally found her grandmother's will.
Her grandmother died last month, and her final wish was revealed just a few hours before the girl had boarded the magical train.
That was why the girl was going to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and never see Ramhorns Academy again.
She spent two months as a Mystrik, and now she was going to be a Slytherin.
No, that would be if she told the truth; for the girl would defy the Sorting Hat and choose her house.
She would confuse the Sorting Hat, and she knew exactly how.
She would use a wordless, wandless Confundus Charm and make her choice overpower the hat's.
The girl would become popular and have as many friends as she wanted, one friend to replace each person who bullied her at Ramhorns because she "was too inept at magic to be a Mystrik."
A boyfriend, too.
She would show them how powerful she was.
No matter how many lies she had to tell.
Hufflepuff didn't quite suit her.
Gryffindor was full of weak idiots who were "heroes."
Nobody trusted Slytherins.
That would leave Ravenclaw, the house for people who were clever.
Yes, the girl decided, that's the house I choose.
When the Hogwarts Express rolled to a stop, she checked her watch.
7:00 am, right on schedule.
The girl stepped off of the train and one of its many elves ran up to her with a suitcase.
"You forgot your suitcase, so Niffy brought it to you!" the elf squeaked. "Here you go, miss- miss-"
Niffy checked the suitcase for the girl's name. "Here's your suitcase, Lila Rossi!"
…
"Father?" Adrien said.
He pushed open the door of his father's office.
An open book lay on the desk, next to his father's old peacock brooch.
Adrien picked up the book and nearly screamed.
It was full of information about Miraculouses.
Miraculouses.
There was a chapter about Ladybug, Cat Noir, even Hawkmoth, and a few others Adrien hadn't seen before.
"What's your dad doing with this?" Plagg asked. "It looks familiar, but I can't think on an empty stomach, hint, hint."
"I….I..I don't know why my father has this," Adrien stuttered. "But I'm keeping it. I need to learn why Hawkmoth wants my Miraculous so much."
He shoved the book into his bag and sprinted out of his father's office.
…
"Listen up, everyone! We have a new student," Headmaster Fu said.
"A new student?"
"But we're already two months into the school year!"
"Is it a boy or girl?"
"Have they been Sorted yet?"
"Her name is Lila Rossi. Being sent to our great school was her grandmother's last wish. She is a first-year, and she shall be sorted within a minute," Headmaster Fu continued.
Lila walked over to the headmaster sat on a stool next to him.
Headmaster Fu placed a ratty-looking hat on top of her head.
Confundo, Lila thought.
The Sorting Hat stayed silent for a minute.
Two minutes.
Three.
Four.
"Just tell us Lila's house already!" a Slytherin shouted.
"Slygryffravepuff," the Sorting Hat confidently announced. "Hufftherclawindor. Gravenpuffslyth. Ravendorufflerin."
"Maybe we need to make sure it's still able to Sort people," Headmaster Fu muttered.
He took the Sorting Hat off of Lila's head and put it on Professor Timmond's.
"Gryffindor!" the hat yelled.
Headmaster Fu plopped the Sorting Hat onto Professor Mendeleiev's head.
"Slytherin!" the hat shouted.
"It's still working," Headmaster Fu murmured.
He placed the Sorting Hat back on Lila's head.
"Slyffinclaw!" the Sorting Hat declared.
"Well, that narrows it down," Headmaster Fu deadpanned.
"Ravtherin!" the Sorting Hat said.
It said nothing more for a whole minute, until it whispered something.
"Ravenclaw?"
"Speak up," Headmaster Fu ordered.
"R-Ravenclaw," the Sorting Hat slowly said. "Yes, Ravenclaw. That'll do. Lila Rossi, you are strange…..very strange…"
Lila hopped off of the stool and joined the Ravenclaws.
It took a second or two before they started talking to her.
Before lunchtime, Lila had already told enough lies to fill a baker's dozen of cauldrons.
"Did you hear? Lila was best friends with Adam Quincy!"
"Adam Quincy? Thee Adam Quincy? As in the famous model, Adam Quincy? He's so hot! Did you see his latest magazine cover? He looks gorgeous!"
"Lila's parents travel a lot, so she's been to thirty different countries! And she owns a vacation house in half of them!"
"I can't believe that Jagged Stone wrote a song about Lila and not me!" Chloe huffed.
"It's not even lunchtime! How'd Lila become so popular already?" Marinette asked. "And why is she with my Adrien?!"
"Your Adrien? Somebody sounds jealous," Alya snickered.
"I am not jealous! No way, no how, nope!" Marinette protested. "But still, I'm going to check on them. Just in case."
"Lila's not a bad person, trust me!" Alya said. "Because of her, The Ladybulletin has more subscribers than ever!"
"What?!" Marinette yelped.
Alya handed her a copy of The Ladybulletin.
NEW STUDENT LILA ROSSI IS FRIENDS WITH LADYBUG!
"Ladybug?" Lila Rossi says. "I've known her forever! We were neighbors when we were younger, and she saved me from being eaten by a hag! We've been best friends ever since. This was before she was actually Ladybug, of course. She never told me her real name. Ladybug was just her nickname back then."
Marinette stopped reading the article.
"Isn't she so cool? She was best friends with Ladybug!" Alya squealed. "I wish I could say the same thing."
"Never mind that, I need to keep Adrien away from her!" Marinette said.
She followed Lila and Adrien into the library.
Adrien pulled out his father's book and began to read it.
"That book! Marinette, I need to get a closer look!" Tikki whispered.
"What? Tikki, no!" Marinette whispered back.
The ladybug kwami flew on top of a staircase to see the book.
"What's that?" Lila asked, referring to Adrien's book.
"Nothing, it's just some stories about superheroes," Adrien quickly said.
"I love superheroes," Lila drawled. "Hmmm, is that Ladybug?"
"She's amazing," Adrien dreamily sighed.
"A girl doesn't need to dress like an insect to be amazing, you know. So you've got a soft spot for Ladybug, huh?" Lila said.
"What? Me? No way, no how, nope!" Adrien blurted.
"Ladybug and I were neighbors, as well as childhood friends," Lila suddenly said.
"Really?!" Adrien gasped.
"We can talk about it, if you want," Lila grinned. "Not here, though. Meet me at the superhero statues after our last class of the day, and I'll tell you all about Ladybug."
"Speaking of class, we have Potions in three minutes! Gotta go!" Adrien said.
He accidentally knocked the book onto the ground.
Behind her back, Lila flicked her wand and the book slid into her own bag.
"That lying brat!" Marinette angrily whispered from behind a bookshelf.
"So, the park?" Lila asked.
"Ummm, yeah, sure!" Adrien said as he ran out of the library.
Lila opened the book.
"A fox superheroine? This sounds interesting," she smirked. "A few Transfiguration spells, and I should be able to replicate the necklace perfectly."
She stuffed the book into her bag and left the library.
"Marinette, you mustn't let Lila out of your sight!" Tikki said.
"I know! I have to tell Adrien that she's a no-good thief!" Marinette scowled.
"No, you can't talk to Adrien yet! If that book is what I think is, we have to have it!" Tikki impatiently said.
"Why do you need this book so badly?" Marinette asked.
"I'll explain once I know for sure," Tikki said.
…
"There she is!" Tikki whispered. "We need to be near Lila."
Marinette tiptoed behind a bush.
Lila compared her necklace to the one in the book to make sure that it was a perfect copy.
She hexed her necklace one more time before she clasped it around her neck.
"Hi, Adrien!" she smiled, throwing the book into a trash can.
"Why, that little- Tikki, what do you think you're doing?!" Marinette hissed.
Tikki glided into the trash can and attempted to carry the book to Marinette.
"So you were really best friends with Ladybug?" Adrien asked.
"Yes! She'll recognize me right away. Saving someone's life isn't that easy to forget," Lila giggled. "But that's not the only reason we became friends. We share a very special secret- something that I wanted to tell you about. I'm the descendant of a vixen superheroine, Volpina."
"Volpina?" Adrien quizzically said. "Wait! I think I read about her in my book-"
Lila grabbed his hand to keep him from opening his bag.
"Of course you did!" she laughed, a slight undertone of hostility in her voice. "She's the most important superhero of them all, more powerful and more celebrated than Ladybug. Between you and me, Ladybug doesn't even make the top ten. My grandmother gave me this necklace before she died."
Lila waved her fox necklace in Adrien's face.
Marinette had to restrain herself from screaming with fury.
"Wow, she's good," Tikki mused. "Really good."
Adrien's eyes widened. "This is a Miraculous?"
"I can't take this any longer. Tikki, spots on!" Marinette whispered.
Ladybug's black robes billowed in the wind as she swung around a tower before making a grand entrance in front of Lila and Adrien.
"Lila! How've you been? I saw your interview with Alya in The Ladybulletin. Awesome job! I remember how we instantly connected when I saved your life. Actually, when did that happen? Hmmm, I don't recall. Oh, now I remember! NEVER!" Ladybug yelled. "And we're not friends, either!"
"So you're not the descendant of a superheroine," Adrien disappointedly sighed.
"How dare you?!" Lila cried, running away from them.
"Wait! Stop!" Adrien shouted. "What was all that about? I mean, weren't you a little too harsh with her?"
"I hate people who lie just to become popular," Ladybug said, swinging away.
"What's with you, my lady?" Adrien wondered out loud.
…
Gabriel Agreste had checked every square millimeter of his office for the Guardian's Book.
But it had disappeared, completely vanished.
Maybe a villain would brighten up his day.
Gabriel Apparated to the Room of Butterflies and transformed into Hawkmoth.
"Akuma Kedavra!" he shouted.
The akuma flapped its nightshade-colored wings and landed on Lila's necklace.
"Volpina, with my help, your illusions and lies can come to life. Gain Ladybug and Cat Noir's trust, then betray them," Hawkmoth said.
"It would be my pleasure," Lila grinned.
Volpina's robes were black with an orange and white trimming.
She wore a white ruffled blouse underneath, like Ladybug.
She had orange spandex leggings with black boots.
An orange and black mask covered her eyes, and fox ears were set in her hair, which was dyed white at the tips.
A flute was clenched in her black-gloved hands.
Volpina played a haunting tune and pointed her flute at a copy of The Ladybulletin on the ground.
Ladybug's photograph turned into Volpina's.
The villain grinned and walked away.
"How could this girl possibly have gotten her hands on the Guardian's Book?" Hawkmoth murmured. "Unless…..Adrien. My own son. I must have it back!"
….
A huge red dragon flew towards Hogwarts.
"What the- Plagg, claws out!" Adrien shouted.
He spotted (hehe, puns) Ladybug and pole-vaulted towards her.
Students screamed and ran in every direction.
Suddenly, a girl dressed in fox-themed robes flew up to the dragon and pushed it back.
"I am Volpina, the only superhero that Hogwarts needs!" she declared.
"Vol-pi-na! Vol-pi-na! Vol-pi-na!" the students chanted.
"I guess we have a new partner," Cat Noir shrugged.
"Don't you think it's weird how she just appeared out of nowhere?" Ladybug asked.
"I bet you that plenty of people thought the same thing when we became superheroes," Cat Noir answered. "We should talk to Volpina."
"Hi guys!" Volpina greeted them. "I'm glad you finally showed up. Come on, I need help with something."
A dark figure Apparated to the top of a tower.
Cat Noir gasped. "I can't believe it! It's Hawkmoth!"
"But he never shows up," Ladybug said.
"We can take him down, but we need to make the most of our individual talents," Volpina said. "By the way, nice to meet you, Cat Noir!"
"Ditto," Cat Noir grinned.
Ladybug gagged.
"First it's the meteor, now it's Hawkmoth. Don't you think that this is a little bit unusual?" Ladybug frowned.
"Why would you say that?" Volpina asked.
"I was talking to Cat Noir," Ladybug said.
"Actually, I think that your personality is what's unusual today. Is everything okay, my lady?" Cat Noir worriedly said.
"I'm fine," Ladybug replied. "I forgot to ask. Volpina, what's your Miraculous?"
"My necklace," Volpina responded.
"Your powers?" Ladybug continued.
"Flight and super strength," Volpina smugly said.
"Hawkmoth's Apparating away!" Cat Noir shouted.
"Ladybug, take the left. Cat Noir, take the right. I'll come from behind," Volpina commanded.
"No! I'll take the right, Cat Noir comes from behind, and you'll take the left," Ladybug said.
"Fine, then. It makes no difference to me," Volpina shrugged.
She flew away.
"Can you just calm down? She's one of us," Cat Noir said.
He and Ladybug ran off in different directions, each of them chasing one of Volpina's Hawkmoths.
"Where did he go?" Ladybug asked herself.
She took a step forward and ten Dementors surrounded her.
"If I were you, I wouldn't move an inch," Volpina laughed. "Don't worry, Ladybug, I don't want to be your friend. But at least now you can't say that we don't know each other."
"Lila?!" Ladybug said.
"You will call me Volpina!" the villain yelled.
"You're not a hero! You've been akumatized!" Ladybug shouted.
"But Cat Noir, along with every student and teacher in Hogwarts, thinks I'm a hero," Volpina cackled. "Now you can't call me a liar. Everyone will think you're the liar! Before I let my friends give you the Dementor's Kiss, you'll give me your Miraculous."
"Never!" Ladybug said.
"Do you really think that you have a choice?" Volpina sneered. "Give me your Miraculous, or we'll see how good the students in that tower are at performing the Patronus Charm."
"You wouldn't!" Ladybug said.
Volpina blew into her flute and the Dementors hovered to a nearby tower.
"Stop!" Ladybug cried. "I'll- I'll-"
The Dementors passed through the tower and disappeared in a puff of orange smoke.
"They're illusions!" Ladybug realized. "Just like the dragon. Just like Hawkmoth! That's your power, isn't it? Illusions. Lies."
She threw her yo-yo and Volpina disappeared.
Ladybug's yo-yo slid open and revealed a mirror.
"What's this?" she muttered.
The mirror shimmered and Cat Noir's grinning reflection appeared.
"Hey, m'lady! It looks like our weapons have enchanted mirrors!" Cat Noir said. "Hawkmoth disappeared, and I can't find Volpina, either. So-"
"Forget it," Ladybug interrupted. "Hawkmoth was never there in the first place."
"What do you mean?" Cat Noir asked. "But we saw him Apparating everywhere!"
"That's Volpina's power. She can create illusions. The Hawkmoth, or rather, Hawkmoths, that we saw weren't real," Ladybug explained. "Volpina's not a superhero. She was akumatized by Hawkmoth. It's my fault. I ruined her chances with a boy that she likes."
"Lila?" Cat Noir mumbled.
"She's going to go to his dorm, and she probably knows the password to the Slytherin Common Room already. Meet me there," Ladybug said. "We'll ask Merlin for special permission again."
Cat Noir's reflection shimmered and faded away.
…
"Wouldn't Cat Noir be a bit more useful in this situation?" Plagg deadpanned.
"If Volpina likes me in that sort of way, maybe she'll listen to me," Adrien hopefully said.
"You really think that you can defeat her without powers?" Plagg scoffed. "Without me? Time to test your theory. Here she comes."
"Adrien!" Volpina smiled as she walked into the Slytherin Common Room.
Adrien decided to play dumb. "Who are you?"
"Don't you remember this necklace?" Lila said, holding up said necklace. "I didn't know how to tell you the truth, but at least you can see for yourself that I wasn't lying."
"Lila?" Adrien gasped.
Wow, I'm almost as good at lying as she is, he thought.
"You can call me Volpina," the villain said. "I'm sorry about the scene that Ladybug made earlier. She's just jealous because she's not as powerful as me."
Ladybug suddenly entered into the Slytherin Common Room.
"See what I mean?" Volpina continued. "She's jealous of us. You're not going to ruin our date this time."
"Excuse me, but it wasn't quite a date, per say," Adrien piped up.
Volpina glared at him.
"But I mean, it could've become one!" Adrien quickly added.
"My apologies, but I'm here to have a little chat with this vixen brat," Ladybug said, pushing Adrien out of the common room.
"So, was I right or was I right?" Plagg teased.
"Neither. Plagg, claws out!" Adrien shouted.
Volpina made a dozen copies of herself with her flute, but Ladybug made them vanish with her yo-yo.
"I'm sorry I was late. I thought that you said that she was going to the Gryffindor Common Room instead of the Slytherin Common Room," Cat Noir lied.
"She took Adrien!" Ladybug said.
"That's an illusion!" Cat Noir blurted.
"How do you know?" Ladybug said.
"My….uhhhhhh…..feline sixth sense, it's legendary!" Cat Noir stammered.
Ladybug dragged him out of the common room.
"Look! He's not here!" she said.
She dashed down the hallway.
"I'm not even going to try to get out of this one," Cat Noir sighed.
He followed Ladybug onto the Main Tower, where Volpina was dangling Adrien from its thick spire.
"Give me your Miraculouses or else I will drop him," Volpina threatened.
"You're bluffing!" Cat Noir yelled.
"You wanna bet?" Volpina laughed.
She released each of her fingers from Adrien's wrist.
"No!" Ladybug screamed.
She tried to remove her earrings.
Cat Noir threw his metal stick at Volpina and Adrien, and they exploded into orange smoke.
Ladybug and Cat Noir jumped up the spire's platforms.
With a single note from her flute, an army of Volpinas surrounded the original.
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug shouted.
A bar of Leprechaun gold fell into her hands.
"Oh, I know what to do with this!" Ladybug said, squinting at the gold. "It's so shiny that I can't see anything. Use your power, kitty."
"Cataclysm!" Cat Noir shouted.
Ladybug aimed the Leprechaun gold at the Volpinas and they were blinded.
Cat Noir touched the spire and it broke into seven separate pieces, falling together to make a cage around the real Volpina.
"Trapped like a fox," Ladybug grinned.
"You- you- you just made a pun! I'm so purroud," Cat Noir said, wiping a tear from his eye.
Ladybug sighed and swiped Volpina's necklace.
She smashed it and purified the akuma.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" she cheered.
The spire repaired itself and Volpina reverted into Lila.
"Lila, I'm sorry for what I did," Ladybug apologized. "I shouldn't have-"
"You're right," Lila spitefully said. "We're not friends, and we never will be."
She skillfully climbed into the closest window.
"There's one more problem that we need to solve," Ladybug said. "Where's Adrien?"
"Since everything's been fixed, he's probably back in the common room," Cat Noir nervously said.
"I'm going to make sure that he's okay," Ladybug affirmed.
She swung away.
"That stubbornness. It's so….so…...irresistable," Cat Noir happily sighed.
He raced to the Slytherin Common Room.
"Hey, this is Ladybug. Can I come in?" Ladybug asked.
"Uhh….n-no!" Cat Noir stuttered. "My friend accidentally hexed me and I have…...errrrr...I have a lot of unsightly warts! But other than that, I'm completely fine."
"Oh. I guess I'll be off, then. It's good to know that you're okay, Adrien," Ladybug said.
They both sighed and leaned their heads against the painting that separated them.
Luckily for them, Merlin was gone at the moment.
Ladybug ran away from the common room's entrance.
…
"Why is this book so important?" Marinette asked her kwami.
"Its information is invaluable, absolutely priceless!" Tikki said, turning the book's pages.
"But it's written in code, and I don't think that the Ancient Runes professor even knows what all of this means," Marinette frowned.
"Headmaster Fu knows. He's the Great Guardian, the protector of every Miraculous. Headmaster Fu gave you and Cat Noir your Miraculouses. We need to give the Guardian's Book back to him before Hawkmoth finds out that we have it," Tikki explained.
"What?!" Marinette gasped. "Headmaster Fu is the reason that I'm Ladybug?"
"Yes! While it's still the afternoon, you should go see him," Tikki suggested.
Marinette gently closed the book and strolled to Headmaster Fu's office.
She knocked on the door and it creaked open.
"Hello, Ladybug," Headmaster Fu greeted her.
The door shut itself.
"H-Hello, Headmaster Fu! So I….uhhhh…..you're the Great Guardian?" Marinette stammered.
"That is correct," the old man nodded. "It's nice to see you again, Tikki. You are doing very well with Marinette. But I'm quite certain that Plagg is being a nuisance to Cat Noir."
"Who's Plagg?" Marinette questioned.
"Plagg is Cat Noir's kwami. I see that you have a present for me," Headmaster Fu said. "Please sit down. Wayzz, it's okay for you to come out."
The turtle kwami flew out of a vase and hovered next to the headmaster.
"You're a Miraculous holder, too?" Marinette asked.
"Indeed he is, but his crime-fighting days are long over," Wayzz laughed.
Marinette sat in the cushioned chair in front of the desk and presented the Guardian's Book.
Headmaster Fu raised his eyebrows. "I haven't seen this for a long time, not since it was stolen by Hawkmoth. I-"
"Hawkmoth?!" Marinette interrupted. "Hawkmoth's already seen this book?"
"Yes, he has," Headmaster Fu sighed. "Hawkmoth wasn't always evil. He was almost exactly like Cat Noir, but the death of his partner, who was also his wife, changed him. I'm afraid to say that I can't seem to convince him to accept his wife's death and return to the good side. That's why he wants the Miraculouses, to resurrect her. The Miraculouses, like the Deathly Hallows, are gifts from Death. There are seven Miraculouses in all, but owning the two most powerful ones will make you the Master of Death. You know which Miraculouses those are."
"If Hawkmoth's wife will be resurrected, that's good, right?" Marinette said.
"No, it's not good at all," Headmaster Fu grimly said. "Hawkmoth's already abusing his Miraculous, so just imagine if he possessed the most powerful ones. The power will go to his head, and it'll be the Second Wizarding War all over again."
"I have to go to Quidditch practice now, so goodbye," Marinette said.
"Goodbye!" Wayzz said.
"Thank you for returning the Guardian's Book. Goodbye! Oh, and the kitchen elves have noticed a large absence of cookies. Try to be a bit more stealthy," Headmaster Fu added.
…
How dare he?
How dare he?
The secret to resurrecting Avery was now forever out of his reach, and Headmaster Fu, that smug old tortoise, had gone so far as to lecture him about 'returning to the good side.'
He read the letter again.
Dear Gabriel Agreste,
I would like to inform you that I am the new owner of the Guardian's Book. I know the reason why you want Ladybug and Cat Noir's Miraculouses, and I am sorry to say that the two superheroes will not be handing them over anytime soon. Before you berate your son, Adrien, for giving the book to me, I advise you to help him. You are not Avery's only mourner, and your son doesn't have a real father to help him get over the loss of his mother. Please, Gabriel, accept that Avery is gone. You are a wise man, and you know that resurrecting the dead is a difficult and dangerous task. You think that you are doing the right thing in bringing back your wife, but in truth, you are not. Using a Miraculous that is not your own has already driven you mad with greed. My only wish is for you to liberate Nooroo from the chains you have set upon him. As Nooroo has most likely told you, only Duusu, your kwami, can help you return to the good side.
Sincerely,
Headmaster Fu
Gabriel scowled and crumpled the letter into a ball.
He threw it into the fire and watched it burn.
Gabriel sat on the rug in front of his fireplace and started to sob.
…
The rest of the week brought a record-breaking amount of students to the hospital wing.
Slytherins and Gryffindors alike had tried to injure and curse the opposing team's Quidditch players.
Ivy DeSanto, a Slytherin Chaser, had ended up with deer antlers growing out of her head from the wand of a Gryffindor Chaser, Jack Miller.
For revenge, Lydia Brown, the Gryffindor Keeper, released an angry Blast-Ended Skrewt into the Slytherin Common Room.
As a result, Le Chien Kim, the Slytherin Keeper, received numerous burns.
Madam Pomfrey, needless to say, was extremely glad that the Gryffindor vs Slytherin Quidditch game had finally arrived.
"It's time. Gryffindor vs Slytherin, the most anticipated game of the season, is about to begin in a few minutes!" Nino yelled.
The humongous crowd roared with joy.
"In case you haven't been told yet, Lila Rossi has been appointed as the Ravenclaw Seeker," Mireille added.
The Ravenclaws clapped.
"And we have the Gryffindor Quidditch team mounted on Quicksilver 360's, Cleansweep 12's, a Comet 290, a Nimbus 2500, and a Firebolt prototype. That's right, folks, you're looking at The Valkyrie, Summer Riskin's very own broomstick," Emma said. "We have Grace Edwards, Jack Miller, and Alix Kubdel playing as Chasers, with Alix as our new captain. Jeffrey Hughes and Henry Miller are Beaters. Marinette Dupain-Cheng is our new Seeker, and Lydia Brown is our Keeper!"
Alix gave Marinette the signal and the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team rose into the air.
Why are there so many people? Marinette nervously thought. And why am I suddenly so afraid of falling off of my broom?
"On the Slytherin Quidditch team, we have Ivy DeSanto, William Montgomery, and Cody Penmore playing as Chasers," Alec said. "Aurore Beaureal and Derrick Fedorovski are our Beaters. Adrien Agreste is our new Seeker, and Le Chien Kim is our new Keeper and captain!"
Adrien took a deep breath and mounted his broom.
I got this, he thought. I'm going to catch the Golden Snitch. I'll make you proud, Mom.
Professor D'Argencourt released the Snitch and the Bludgers.
He threw the Quaffle into the air and blew his whistle.
Marinette and Adrien levitated above the other players to have a better view of the field.
They tuned out the announcers' dialogue.
"Hi, Marinette!" Adrien said, surveying the field.
"Oh, uhhh, hello!" Marinette said.
She gripped her broom's handle so tightly that her knuckles became white.
What should I say, what should I say, what should I say? Marinette frantically thought.
"I forgot to return your Omnioculars last week. I'll give them to you after the game!" she blurted.
"Nah, it's alright. You can keep them," Adrien shrugged.
"O-Okay then!" Marinette stuttered.
Below them, Alix scored a goal.
"Ten to zero! Gryffindor has the lead!" Emma shouted.
"Kim looks really mad," Adrien laughed.
"It's going to be a rough game," Marinette said.
There was awkward silence for a minute or two.
"MARINETTE, LOOK OUT!" Jeffrey yelled.
Aurore had hit a Bludger towards her.
"What?" Marinette asked.
Just as the Bludger was going to break her spine, Adrien shoved her aside.
"Thanks!" Marinette squeaked.
"WHAT WAS THAT, ADRIEN?!" Kim roared. "Why are you helping the other team?!"
"She could've been seriously hurt!" Adrien argued.
Kim said nothing and saved a goal from Grace.
Cody Penmore soon scored a goal against Lydia.
The Gryffindors groaned and the Slytherins cheered.
"Ten to ten. A tie," Mireille said. "Ouch! Jack just got a Quaffle to the face!"
"JACK BARTHOLOMEW MILLER!" Alix yelled. "STOP STARING AT THOSE GIRLS AND CONCENTRATE ON THE GAME!"
Marinette and Adrien burst into laughter.
"Bartholomew?" Marinette giggled. "With a middle name like that, I'm surprised that Chloe hasn't teased Jack about it already."
"Poor guy," Adrien sympathized.
Suddenly, Derrick Fedorovski flew up to the two Seekers.
"Kim told me to tell you to stop flirting with each other, and that Adrien should start looking for the Golden Snitch instead of stupidly grinning at Marinette. Kim also says, quote unquote, 'You two can snog each other after the game.' That is all," Derrick deadpanned.
Adrien and Marinette's faces turned as scarlet as the latter's Quidditch robes.
They zoomed in different directions and looked around the field.
Aha! I see the- no, that's a ball of yellow Exploding Yarn from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Marinette frustratedly thought. Dang it!
A flash of something golden! Wait, that's just William's glasses, Adrien thought.
Lightning flashed in the distance, and thunder shook the ground.
"It looks like there are dark clouds on the horizon," Nino said.
"Let's hope one of the Seekers catches the Snitch soon, or else we're going to be drenched," Emma added.
"SCORE FOR SLYTHERIN, TWENTY TO TEN!" Alec yelled. "Thank you, Ivy!"
The Slytherins started to recite a cheer that they had made up earlier:
"We're the silver snakes!
Hear us hiss!
We're more powerful than a Dementor's Kiss!
We are never gonna fail,
Yeah, we'll bite your lion's tail!"
After Jack had redeemed himself by scoring, making the score a tie again, the Gryffindors sang a tune that sounded like Old MacDonald:
"We're faster than Hippogriffs,
That's why we will win!
We're so quick that you seem stiff,
That's why we will win!
You can look over here,
And you can look over there,
Here's no Snitch,
There's no Snitch,
Everywhere there's no Snitch!
Because guess what? We caught it first!
Yes, we're gonna win!"
Even Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs broke out into song.
A fight between a couple of Gryffindors and Slytherins broke out in the stands, but everyone was too intent on watching the game that nobody bothered to stop them.
After some goals from each of the Chasers on both sides, the score was seventy to seventy, tied yet again.
Kim and Alix agreed to a time out.
"Henry and Jeffrey, you're doing great. Just make sure that nobody from our team gets hurt, though," Alix said. "Grace and Jack, don't be afraid of being aggressive. Ivy, Cody, and William are playing rough so we have to push past them, okay? Other than that, you're doing fine. Lydia, you've saved a buttload of goals so far, but do some of the plays from practice. Try to pull a Swinging Savior. I know it's going to be difficult, but you have amazing arm strength. Marinette, those dark clouds aren't going to disappear. You've gotta snatch the Snitch!"
Professor D'Argencourt blew his whistle and the game resumed.
William grabbed the Quaffle and zoomed towards Lydia.
Lydia held onto her Comet 290 and did a handstand.
What is she doing? Marinette thought.
Lydia did a backflip while still holding onto her broomstick, booting the Quaffle onto the other side of the field.
Alix caught it and chucked it through a goalpost.
"SCORE FOR GRYFFINDOR, EIGHTY TO SEVENTY!" Nino shouted.
The Gryffindors' jubilant shouting and the Slytherins' protests drowned out the sound of thunder.
Something golden vibrated by Kim's right ear.
For a second, the crowd was silent.
Then everyone, even Professor Bustier, began shrieking at Marinette and Adrien.
"CATCH THE SNITCH!"
Marinette dived down.
The wind whipped her hair around and she could feel one of her pigtails becoming looser and looser as she gained speed.
She didn't care.
All that mattered was the Snitch.
Adrien was almost sitting on the end of his Quicksilver 360.
It's for you, Mom. I'll catch the Golden Snitch for you, Adrien thought.
Marinette and Adrien crashed into each other.
The Golden Snitch was right between their hands; it was almost like they had tried to high-five each other but the Snitch had gotten in the way, and then it popped upwards and landed in the lap of a Ravenclaw fourth-year.
The crowd's screaming died down.
"And the winner is….Ravenclaw?" Nino confusedly said.
Marinette then realized the embarrassing position that she and Adrien were in.
She had lunged so far forward that she had landed on top of Adrien.
Her own broom hung limply in the air a few feet back.
Marinette and Adrien's noses were touching.
She felt like she was going to faint.
"Sorry!" Adrien sputtered.
Marinette sat bolt upright and leapt back to her broom.
The other players had dismounted from their brooms and were staring at the two Seekers.
Marinette and Adrien nervously dismounted from their brooms as well.
"So….who won?" Alec asked.
"A Golden Snitch has a flesh memory, so it will declare the winner," Professor D'Argencourt said.
The Ravenclaw fourth-year threw the Snitch to him and he handed it to Adrien.
The Golden Snitch stayed still, so Adrien gave it to Marinette.
The Snitch flapped its silver wings and the word CHAMPION magically engraved itself onto the golden surface.
"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Emma yelled. "Final score: two hundred thirty to seventy!"
At that very moment, the heavens opened up and everyone was immediately soaked.
Everybody (except for the Slytherins) went wild and started chanting Marinette's name.
Adrien smiled at her.
Maybe next time, Mom, he thought.
The (rather wet) Gryffindors carried Marinette to the common room.
"How'd you manage to get the Snitch, Mari?" Alya asked, squeezing water out of her hair.
A few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had managed to sneak into the Gryffindor Common Room.
"I guess I was just lucky," Marinette answered. "Really, really lucky."
…..
I'll just go over some things that you're probably wondering about. Nobody suspected Lila's Confundus Charm simply because nobody expects first-years to know how to perform wordless/wandless spells. I know that the Japanese don't typically curse, but just put 'kuso baka kuso' into Google translate and you'll laugh. I also changed Ladybug's Lucky Charm item because blinding people with shiny ice cream was just too weird. Before you get out your torches and pitchforks, I promise that I'll introduce the students of Ramhorns in the next chapter. Okay? Chapter 7 will also include the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. The Gryffindor vs Slytherin game was the basis of this entire story, along with Chapter 8 (the Yule Ball).