AN: This is a very dialogue heavy chapter, so I apologize for that. But on the plus side, I've figured out the outline for all of Year 4. Thanks to reviewers texaswookie, Major Lolz 7412, urs-v, Iwa Shinju, Majerus, klone80, serialkeller, ILoveGeorgeEads, lavanyalabelle, ultima-owner, Ari989, IrishDancer, Quathis, Tellur, Lady Sabine of Macayhill, magitech, TroyWeb, Fury074, god of all, Fibinaci, ReadPaxJoy, Venquine1990, Kairan1979, and Sati James.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise.
When Seamus woke up from his mid-morning nap, he found himself assaulted by green. It covered the walls of his room in the tent, along with the comforter, the pillows, and his own clothing. Shamrocks were seemingly everywhere, scattered at random. If it were any other day, at any other event, Seamus might've thought the whole thing was a bit over the top. But the fact of the matter was, it wasn't any other event.
It was the Quidditch World Cup.
"Oi, Dean," He mumbled shoving the boy on the other bed in the room. "Get up, you lazy tosser."
Dean slapped at his hands and rolled over. "Bugger off, Seamus." He burrowed down further in the covers, lifting a blanket up over his head to block out the noise.
"Dean, mate, I know you still think football's the end all and be all—but we're at the Quidditch World Cup! There's no time to lose." Seamus seized a kelly green pillow from his bed and smacked Dean with it so hard the fake shamrock sewn onto it fell off. "Get! Up!" He did it twice more before Dean snatched the pillow out of his hands.
"Alright, alright. Dunno what you're so excited about, though. The match doesn't start for hours." Dean pulled his legs out of the covers and rubbed at his eyes.
Seamus gawked at him. "S'not just about the match, Dean! Though that is the best part," He added with a grin. "But you've got to get around and see everything. Every true fan decorates his tent, so we've got to look at that. And we'll have to go looking for some of the others—the Weasleys are here, and they brought some people with 'em. And if we've any luck at all, we'll see some Quidditch players walking about."
Dean still didn't look very convinced, and he took his time getting out of the bed, yawning and stretching in an overly dramatic fashion.
"Or you could stay here," Seamus said with a fake sigh. "You'll be missing out on a great opportunity, 'specially all the neat things to draw…"
Dean's head shot up as he glared. "Why didn't you say so? Come on, then, we've got to get moving. I need to see as much as possible." Dean grabbed his sketch pad off the bedside table the boys shared and the two made for the tent flap.
"Hold on a tick. Where are ye boys goin'?" Mam's voice stopped them dead in their tracks. Seamus and his mother looked quite a bit alike, with their sandy hair and brown eyes. The resemblance was brought out even more by the bright green sweater she wore, matching his Irish team shirt.
"Aw, c'mon, Mam. Dean and I already slept a few hours." He folded his arms over his chest and pleaded with his eyes.
"If yeh're sure. I just thought some growin' boys would need some food first." She turned back to her newspaper and hummed under her breath as Dean and Seamus debated silently.
Finally, the two made their way over to the small table in the corner. "And I thought my mum was cruel," Dean muttered. Seamus shook his head. The boys wolfed down breakfast as quickly as possible, nearly choking at several points during their meal. Seamus dropped his fork with a clatter, and the pair stood, ready to set out again.
"Er, Mrs. Finnegan? I don't know if you remember me, but—" A familiar voice began.
"O' course I remember ye. Stay right there, Harry. Seamus an' Dean were just about to leave." Mam ushered the boy closer and smiled at him. "Ye hungry?"
"Harry!" Seamus and Dean chorused, jumping towards him.
"I thought you weren't coming," Dean said confusedly.
"That's alright, Mrs. Finnegan, I already ate," He told her, blushing slightly. "Turns out that Sirius got some tickets as an apology from the Minister. Remus and Professor Burbage are here, too." Harry looked much the same, with his thin frame, messy hair, and round glasses. The only difference seemed to be that he now had clothes which fit him.
"We should go see 'em first," Seamus declared. "We'll be back 'fore the match, Mam. Try not to pick a fight with the Bulgarians," He requested with a smile.
"No promises," She muttered darkly, turning a page of the newspaper. "Ye are supporting Ireland, aren't ye?" She asked suddenly, frowning at Harry. He paled slightly and nodded. "Good. Off ye go, boys."
"Sorry about Mam," Seamus whispered to the bespectacled boy as the trio hurried away. "She's big on national pride. 'Course, it's hard not to be when we're talkin' 'bout Ireland." He puffed out his chest, missing Dean rolling his eyes at Harry.
"S'alright. I'm just glad I found your tent," Harry confessed, tugging his bangs down over his scar as a group of teenagers watched him closely. "I figured you must be somewhere in here, since I knew you'd be for Ireland."
"Kinda hard to miss us, isn't it?" Seamus boasted. "Ministry's not too happy 'bout it, but the way I see it, if they've got a problem with it, they've got a problem with Bulgaria fans too."
Dean groaned loudly. "Not this again." He'd been present for many of Seamus' rants against Bulgaria, especially in the last few days as they'd been confronted with the vicious rivalry between the two teams.
"What's going on with the Bulgarians?" Harry wondered, clueless.
Seamus smirked happily. "Glad you asked." The Bulgarians had been grating on his nerves for weeks now—and he'd only just seen them yesterday! He couldn't stand the way they were so smug, as if having one good (fine, bloody amazing) Seeker made up for the fact that the rest of their team was dirt.
"Oh, no," Dean snapped firmly. "We are not going right into the Bulgarian section with you dressed like that."
"What's wrong with this?" Seamus questioned innocently. In addition to his shirt, which had Lynch's name on the back, he had spelled his trainers and his pants green. A painted green shamrock was on the apple of his left cheek, and he held a little green flag in his hand.
"Harry, have you seen the Weasleys yet?" Dean changed the subject, apparently not bothering to answer what he deemed a ridiculous query.
"No." Harry shrugged. "I didn't know where to look."
"That…might be a problem," Dean conceded, glancing around wildly. "There might be someone we can ask—"
"Hey! What do you think you're doing, Flint?"
The trio spun around to find Gryffindor's former Quidditch captain engaged in a heated argument with Marcus Flint, who only grew uglier as he got older. Flint shoved Oliver hard, but Oliver shoved back, and the two looked ready to explode into a duel.
"Let's settle down, now." Percy wedged his way in between the burly men, looking almost comical with his thin and lanky frame going up against the bulk of Flint and Oliver. "We don't want to expose ourselves to the Muggles, do we?" Percy must've been nervous, but he stayed strong and stared the two down.
"We won't be exposed if I use my fists," Flint grunted, cracking his knuckles.
"I dunno, Flint, I think a troll lumbering around and looking stupid would cause some suspicion," Oliver taunted, pushing Percy out of the way.
Flint growled. "I'm not a troll. And I'm not stupid!" He retorted, curling his lip. Seamus flinched back at the sight of his incredibly crooked teeth. Oliver however, expected it.
"Oh, right. You're just hideous." He nodded as though some great wisdom had been bestowed upon him.
Flint took another threatening step forward. "When I'm done with you, you'll never be able to fly again." His thick brow quivered as he screwed up his face.
"Careful, Flint. Keep your face like that and not even your trollish mother will love you." Oliver, it seemed, didn't know how to quit.
With a roar that sounded eerily similar to a bear's, Flint started forward, ready to attack.
"Enough!" A feminine voice cut through the tense silence as onlookers waited for the pair to collide. "Both of you, stop, now!" Penelope Clearwater darted close to them, with her long auburn hair so frizzy with stress that it spread out like an afro. Flint stared at her in surprise while Oliver grumbled to himself.
"Listen," she began tightly, frowning up at them. Penny was rather small, hovering just above five feet, and her clear eyes and thin frame gave her a quite fragile appearance. Seamus suspected this was how she tricked people into doing things for her. "You've both been signed to Quidditch teams, and neither one is going to like hearing about their newest players brawling at the World Cup. If you want to keep your jobs, you'll end this now."
For a long moment, nobody moved. At last, Flint snarled and turned away. "This isn't over, Wood."
"Heard it all before, Flint." Oliver watched him walk away with a dark glint in his eyes. When the three boys watching deemed it safe to approach, they decided it was safest to speak to Percy, as Oliver was currently being given a stern lecture from Penny.
"Oh, hello." Percy was surprised to see them. "Harry, Mum's been looking for you," He informed him, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"I've been looking for her, too." Harry pulled at the hem of his shirt nervously. "I couldn't find your tent earlier, though."
Percy blinked twice before nodding officiously. "I'll show you the way. Seamus, Dean, do you want to come?" At the others' nods, they set off. "Bill and Charlie have been eager to meet you all. Charlie really wants to talk to you, Harry."
Seamus noticed Harry droop slightly at that. Feeling protective of his friend, he found himself hoping Charlie wasn't about to ask anything pertaining to The-Boy-Who-Lived. "What's he want to talk about?" He asked, uncaring if it sounded rude.
Percy smiled a little. "Well, I suppose he's upset that Harry's a better Seeker than him."
Would Colin be too angry if I threatened to hex his brother, Ginny wondered, throwing a glare towards Dennis. The three had been asked to fetch some water from a pump, and she was starting to grow irritated with the younger boy's wide-eyed stares. Had he never seen a witch before? Even worse, his attempts at speaking always sounded like he'd drank a Babbling Beverage. She'd tried being nice, assuming that she'd intimidated him earlier, but it didn't help. Really, it made things worse!
Colin didn't seem to notice, fixated on his new camera that he'd received as a back-to-school present from his parents. He confided in Ginny and told her that it was really payment from his parents to look after his little brother. Ginny believed him to be doing quite a poor job of it, and thought that perhaps the Creeveys should have promised it to him and gifted it at the end of the school year instead.
"It's one of the first digital cameras for consumer use, did you know that?" Colin blathered on, with the shiny device clutched to his heart.
"Yes, Colin," Ginny replied drolly with a roll of her eyes. "You may have mentioned it once or twice." Or a thousand, she added mentally.
"Well…well," Colin stalled, fumbling for more information to tell her. "There aren't very many of these, y'know. It's pretty expensive." He rotated it in his hands, grinning from ear to ear.
Dennis finally piped up. "But it only takes 32 pictures!" When Ginny raised her eyebrows at him, he squeaked loudly and flushed. His steps faltered slightly and he adjusted his gait to walk behind them.
"Oh, Dennis." Colin tsked at him the way a patronizing professor might. "It only holds 32 pictures in its memory. I can delete them any time I'd like. And then, once I hook it up to the computer at home with the serial cable, I can transfer the pictures, delete them off the camera, and take new ones. I've explained it several times by now."
Ginny sighed loudly. "Yes, Colin. It's a great camera. Now will you please take the bucket? My arms are starting to hurt." She stopped walking and set the bucket down; placing her hands on her hips the way Mum did when she was cross.
Colin, taken aback, frowned at her. "I can't carry my camera and the bucket at the same time," He told her in a tone that implied he thought her quite silly.
"Then I'll carry the camera. But I'm not taking another step unless you take the bucket!" She held her hands. He gasped as though she'd suggested they go murder a few unicorns.
"I can't let you carry my camera!"
"I'll take it," Dennis lisped softly.
Ginny jumped. "Oh, um…" If Colin looked weak, Dennis looked positively helpless. Her arms were more muscular than his, for Circe's sake. "That's alright, Dennis, Colin'll get it, won't you?"
"What? No! If he wants to take it, let him take it. Let's get going, I don't wanna miss anything." Colin fiddled with his camera, gazing up at the sky through the lens without capturing a shot.
Dennis gave her something resembling a smile as he heaved and lifted the bucket. "Don't worry. I got it." His knuckles turned white as he gripped the handle, but Ginny didn't want to tell him no when he looked so confident and assured.
"Alright," She said doubtfully, turning back to face forward. "We should get going then, we've already taken a while."
Colin hummed in agreement before tripping over a twig. His camera went soaring through the air in a graceful arc as he cried out. Ginny could only watch in thinly concealed horror as the impossibly costly monstrosity flew right out of Colin's reach…only to land firmly in the hands of Harry Potter, who beamed triumphantly.
Colin gaped wordlessly for a few minutes. "I—I…you—how—glug…"
Harry, Ginny noticed, blushed a deep pink and all but shoved the camera at Colin, who gurgled and moved his mouth in an imitation of a fish while cradling the ugly gray box.
"Er…hi, Ginny. Hi, Colin." He tugged his bangs down nervously while watching them.
"Nice catch, mate!" Dean Thomas exclaimed, thumping Harry on the back. "How'd you pull off that one?"
"Maybe you should be a Chaser, instead," Seamus Finnegan suggested, coming up from behind Harry's other side.
Harry laughed. "I think Oliver might kill me." He turned slightly, as did the other boys. Trailing behind them was Penny, Percy, and Oliver. The recent graduates were absolutely silent, though Penny did smile lightly at Ginny. Percy was also carrying a bucket of water, causing Ginny to grow irritated. Did her family not think her capable of dragging a pail of water back?
Dean's eyes lit up suddenly. "No way! Is…is that a QuickTake?" He pointed to the camera in Colin's hands. "Those are supposed to cost upwards of 700 pounds!"
Colin grew more confident as the conversation switched to his area of expertise. "My mum knows the guy that takes school pictures where she works. He gets a discount. They put some of it on a card, too. Do you…d'you wanna hold it?"
"Yeah!" Dean obviously thought Colin was a bit thick for even bothering to ask. "Woah. It's actually really lightweight. How's the picture quality?"
Seamus heaved a sigh. "Dean, are we really gonna stand here and talk about pictures? There are things to be seen, people to talk to, pictures to be drawn." He drew this last item with a grin at his friend.
Dean waved a hand. "That's what I'm thinking about. Colin, if I get you to take a few photos of the place with this, can you get them to me at Hogwarts? Then I should be able to recreate them with a pencil sketch…" He trailed off, already imagining the possibilities. "I'll pay you for it."
"Well," Colin mused, "I could use some money for Hogsmeade weekends…alright, yeah. What do you want to get pictures of?"
"Are you okay?" Harry interrupted, looking worried.
Ginny turned and barely refrained from huffing. Dennis' face was a bright red, and he was panting with exertion as he lifted the bucket. "I'm…m'fine. I'm just…gonna take a break." He placed the bucket down and sucked in a deep breath.
"If you couldn't lift it, you could've said something." Ginny kept her voice soft. Maybe she scared him. Yes, that was a logical explanation. Sometimes she got a little heated when she was annoyed.
"No, no, I got it." Dennis squirmed, shifting his weight. "I just…need a minute, s'all."
Ginny sighed mentally.
"I'll take it for you," Harry offered. Ginny could have swooned. Harry was so…so perfect! He was brave, and kind, and noble—everything a hero should be, really. He had saved the school twice now, and he didn't show any signs of arrogance. He lifted the bucket up calmly, holding it with one hand while patting Dennis on the shoulder reassuringly.
Dennis frowned. "Uh, thanks."
"Yeah, thanks a lot," Ginny jumped in, gushing. She didn't notice Dennis putting his head down and grimacing. She also didn't notice Percy's impossibly suspicious looks, which were only curbed by Penny elbowing him in the stomach.
Harry nodded, focusing on something just over shoulder. Cho Chang, the pretty Seeker for Ravenclaw, was waving at him. He grinned at her and sloshed a bit of water on the ground. "Erm…sorry, I—I wasn't paying attention."
"Yeah, I bet you weren't," Seamus mumbled, nudging Dean, who sniggered loudly.
"Let's just get to the Weasleys' tent," Harry said quickly, his face growing hot. "We just keep going this way, yeah?"
And so, the ragtag group continued on, weaving their way between tents. Percy and Penny stopped often to talk to Ministry employees, even those who didn't know them. Oliver chose to name drop every famous Quidditch star he could think of. Seamus and Harry joked around for the whole way, Ginny looking on longingly. Dean and Colin bartered back and forth on how much a picture was actually worth. And Dennis Creevey sulked, dragging his feet and thinking of a girl with flaming red hair and the prettiest eyes he'd ever seen.
"Will you shut up?" Angelina hissed. "I'm trying to listen to the commentary and you're completely ruining it for me!"
Lee expression turned mutinous. "Excuse me? My commentary is way better than this—this imposter's! You should be grateful, if anything. Lucky I got these omnioculars, else I wouldn't even be able to see what was going on!"
"Yeah," Angelina snorted. "We're real lucky. I'm about to take those things and toss them onto the field if you don't zip your lips."
"'Zip your lips?' What are you, five?" Lee retorted. "And you better not! These cost ten whole galleons! I've been saving up for these for ages."
Alicia, ever the peacekeeper, spoke up quietly. "Guys, stop. You're missing the match by arguing," She pointed out.
"And Ireland scores yet another goal! That puts the match at 100-10, folks!" Ludo Bagman's voice echoed throughout the stadium, and Lee gritted his teeth. The man had absolutely no concept of entertainment. He just told everyone what was going on—never mind that they should all be able to see that. Where was the charisma, the charm, the humor?
"Unbelievable," He muttered, gripping his omnioculars tightly.
"You're being ridiculous," Angelina snapped. "Is it too late for me to sneak up to the Top Box and sit with Fred and George?" She had been on edge the whole match, and Lee had a sneaking suspicion that it was to do with Cedric Diggory, who she'd run into when speaking with George earlier.
"Don't bother," He told her nastily. "I'll do it myself."
"Lee," Alicia protested, dismayed. "Can't we all just watch a Quidditch match and not tear each other apart?" She appeared quite strange, with green face paint all over and a distressed face.
"We can," Lee told her, softening slightly. "Just not so long as Ange runs into Pretty Boy beforehand and decides that all men are bas—"
"Lee!" Alicia interjected, eyes darting to a family with three small children sitting in front of them.
"Sorry." He ran a hand over his face. Angelina was sitting very still, with her jaw clenched. "Thanks for the ticket, 'Licia. I'll meet you later. It's probably better if I go sit with the twins." He rose from his seat and edged his way out of the crowds, putting a large amount of distance between himself and a group of drunken, middle-aged women who all winked and smiled flirtatiously as he passed.
The biggest Quidditch event of the year was sure to be a major draw, and Lee felt suffocated by the sheer number of wizards surrounding him on all sides. He fought his way through the people, dodging toddlers with silver rattles and old men with canes. He stepped right on a wad of chewing gum when trying to make room for a heavily pregnant woman. When he had at last been freed, he inhaled slowly and closed his eyes.
"Another goal for Ireland! That makes the score 110-10, for all you keeping track." Bagman was so loud that Lee wouldn't be surprised if his voice pushed through the wards and could be heard by the muggles. He felt a slight knock to his shoulder and stumbled back, opening his eyes.
In front of him stood Pretty Boy Diggory, in all his pretty glory. "Jordan," He greeted dully.
"Diggory," Lee replied, resisting the urge to make a comment about the other boy's clothes.
"Sorry," Diggory blurted, running a hand through his hair.
"For what?" Lee wondered dumbly.
"For…for bumping into you," Diggory stuttered. "S-sorry about that."
"You talking to me?" Lee pointed to his chest, eyebrows raised. "Are you talking to me?"
A disbelieving smile spread across Diggory's face. "Did…did you just quote Taxi Driver?"
Lee's mouth fell open. "How do you know Taxi Driver? It's a muggle movie." His tone was accusing, but he felt more than a little elated. Nobody got his movie quotes!
Diggory shrugged. "My mum was a fan of the movies. 'Specially the classics." He shuffled his feet. "Er…did you want my seat? We could trade," He offered, avoiding Lee's eyes.
Lee drew back, curious. "Why would you give me a seat so high up?" Those seats cost good money, and they'd sold out almost as quickly as the Top Box seats.
"To be honest, my dad's starting to get to me. He keeps talking and…plus, it's really close to Ludo Bagman, and he's pretty loud. I figured I'd come find a different seat—one where people aren't trying to kill me with noise."
"Well then, you don't want mine. I think Angelina might just rip your head off, with witnesses present and everything." Lee gave him a pitying look. "You'd be better off with Bagman, bloody nuisance that he is. Besides, it might not be so bad." That was a lie, but Lee wasn't so good at this whole comforting thing. "You could always run around 'til you find one of your friends. You might still be close to Bagman though…" Lee tactfully refrained from commenting on Mr. Diggory.
Diggory was doubtful. "Maybe. Well, you know what they say. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." It was a challenge, but not a very difficult one.
Lee smirked. "The Godfather II. Best part of the trilogy, am I right?"
"What?" Diggory snorted. "No way. You can't top the first one."
"But the second one had more action," Lee argued. "The first one practically drags in comparison."
"No, no, no. The first one—"
"And Ireland scores again." Bagman was beginning to sound a bit bored by the whole affair. "120-10, everyone."
The pair fell silent at the reminder of the match. Lee took this time to study Diggory. Pretty Boy (for Lee thought it an incredibly accurate nickname) was tired and forlorn, with deep bags under his eyes. Lee felt…sorry for him? No, that wasn't right. But he did know that Pretty Boy wasn't normally this—dim? Withdrawn? Sad? So he made a split second decision.
"Hey. You wanna help a bloke out and sneak me into the Top Box?"
Diggory jolted in surprise. "Uh, I dunno…"
"Come on," Lee wheedled, "I might not be able to stop Bagman, but I'll keep the twins off your back."
"And how're you gonna do that?" Diggory narrowed his eyes.
Lee cackled sinisterly. "I'm gonna make them an offer they can't refuse."
Diggory's lips curved upwards. "So you admit that the first one is better?"
"What?" Lee exclaimed. "I never said that." They were already climbing the steps to the Top Box, bickering the whole time. Diggory, Lee decided, wasn't so bad, even if he did have questionable taste in movies. Sneaking into the box turned out to be shockingly easy, and Lee suspected he could've done it without help, but having Diggory around made things slightly more credible, with him being a Golden Hufflepuff and all.
He recognized most everyone in the Top Box, including Minister Fudge, Professors Lupin and Burbage, and Lucius Malfoy. An empty space was right next to the twins, which seemed a bit unlucky for Diggory. On the other side of the twins was Ron, and next to him was Harry. Ginny sat right behind Ron, but she looked more focused on the celebrity sitting near her than on the match in front of her.
The seats in the Top Box were soft and cushiony, with large amounts of space for leg room. In spite of these comforts, most spectators were standing, craning their necks to catch a glance at the action. Lee shoved the twins over to make room for him and Diggory.
George kept his eyes on the game, but Fred blinked at them and glared. "What is he doing here?"
Diggory stiffened and opened his mouth. Lee stepped in before the Hufflepuff could ruin all their hard work. "He's with me. Don't worry about it."
Diggory blanched and stared at him. "Why—"
"And that brings the score to 130-10, Ireland!" Bagman's voice brought Diggory's question to a screeching halt. The Irish team had scored yet another goal, and the Bulgarian fans were very displeased.
"Bloody wanker," Diggory coughed loudly. He shifted around and pressed his body up against the side of the Top Box.
Unluckily, Bagman heard him. Luckily, Bagman couldn't tell who had said it. Instead, he turned bright pink and blustered about for a few seconds before falling silent and commenting on the rest of the game in a more subdued manner. Lee grinned, pushing George over with his elbow so that he could recline back in his half of the seat.
"Diggory," He mumbled out of the corner of his mouth, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"Ginny," Colin hissed under his breath. "Ginny, are you ready to start?"
"Just about," She responded, irritated. "Vane, are you ready?"
The dark-haired girl nodded firmly.
"Good. Now don't get too comfortable. This is only because Demelza's not here." Ginny straightened her robes and called out as loudly as she dared. "Order! Order!"
Colin sucked in a breath, certain that someone had heard her. The group of men around the corner from where they were assembled had gone silent at her shout. They looked foreboding and dangerous, dressed in black cloaks with the hoods pulled up. Colin hadn't wanted to meet there, so close to the men with covered faces, but there weren't many options for a meeting place.
The large group went perfectly still, waiting until the men carried on with their laughing and drinking. Colin couldn't tell everything that was being said, but thanks to his close proximity, he caught a few words here and there. They seemed to be reminiscing about a lord, though they never said his name. He stood at the back of the clearing, with everyone else in front of him. Ginny stood on a tree stump, looking out over their motley crew.
"Thank you all for meeting tonight," She began. "I know it was rather short notice." Indeed, Ginny and Colin had only sent out the notices an hour before the match started, when they realized how many club members had come to the World Cup. "Our first order of business…"
Again, the men hushed as soon as she said order. This time, Colin heard the crunching of shoes moving over dry grass and twigs. The kids bunched together, and Colin squeezed himself closer to the front. The men resumed their discussion a few minutes later, and Ginny swallowed, continuing.
"Vice President Creevey, Secretary Robbins, Chairwoman Lovegood and I would like to institute a name change."
"Another one?" Baddock grumbled.
"Quiet," Ginny snapped, shooting him a dirty look. "We will be returning to a fan club once term starts this fall. Are there any objections at this time?" Not so much as a murmur went through the assembled. "Good. I'd also like to formally announce the brand new newsletter, which will be distributed on the first of every month starting this September. Editor in Chief Abbott, would you care to explain a few things about the newsletter?"
Hank Abbott stepped forward, beaming at them. "Well, it was all Chairwoman Lovegood's idea, of course, since she's the Ideas Committee Chairwoman. But, I think you'll all be pleased to know that it's been worked on by several of our own members for weeks now, and we plan to have as smooth a launch as possible."
A smattering of applause broke out before Colin hurriedly shushed them, casting an anxious look back over his left shoulder. The mysterious men were just out of sight, and his stomach churned for an unknown reason.
"Each edition will include all of the planned meetings for the month. We're currently working on a charm to be able to add emergency meetings to all of your newsletters as soon as we're informed. Club birthdays and important dates will be listed, including the anniversary of every triumph He has had. In addition, we will include trivia and quizzes, as well as any important information. Thank you." He bowed his head and rejoined the ranks.
"Thank you, Editor Abbot," Ginny replied graciously, beaming at them all. "Now, onto our next—"
"Ginny!" Penelope Clearwater loomed behind Ginny, frowning worriedly. "There you are. Oh, and Colin and Dennis, too. Percy and I've been looking everywhere! Come on, it's late. We need to be getting back. What are you all doing out here, anyway?" She asked suspiciously, crossing her arms at them.
"Just talking," Ginny said innocently, daring the others to contradict her. Dennis stuttered out an agreement while Colin nodded resolutely.
Penny sighed and shook her head. "I'm sure. Now come on. I hope you all go back to your tents, too. Your families must be worried sick." She directed this towards the club, who hung their heads in shame before trudging away. Penny pulled the three off in the opposite direction. As they rounded the corner, Colin's eyes instantly found a man and a woman levitating in the sky. Thinking it to be some game, he raised his new camera and took a picture.
Penelope gasped. "Oh! Oh my god!"
Colin's blood turned to ice in his veins as the group of men in black cloaks appeared, turning towards him with a startling synchronization. He could pinpoint the exact moment when he realized that the man and the woman were muggles, and that the men on the ground were trying to frighten them. A small child rose into the air, along with another. The family was being twirled about slowly, looks of fear on their faces.
The men were laughing as they took in his expression. Behind him, Dennis heaved loudly and emptied the contents of his stomach on the ground. Ginny's hand found Colin's and squeezed hard, her skin deathly pale. Penny was pushing the three back while brandishing her wand at the men.
"Penelope!" Percy shouted, hurrying towards them. The men were openly laughing now, and Colin felt a chill run down his spine as he saw their masks.
"Oh thank Merlin, you found them." Percy sagged in relief upon seeing the kids. "Go into the forest, backup's on the way," He informed them, ushering them towards the thick trees.
"You'll be safe, we'll come and find you," Penny assured them, pulling her robe closed and pushing her hair back frantically. "Just stay out of sight."
"Penny!" Percy said sharply. "Go with them."
Her mouth hung open in disbelief. "Percy, you can't be serious! I can help you! I'm a fully trained witch—I don't need to be kept safe!"
Percy whipped off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Penny, they need protection. We don't have time to argue about this!" He gestured towards the family. The woman was now being held upside down as she tried desperately to hide her knickers from the onlookers. People were screaming and tearing past them.
"Percy—" Penelope insisted.
"Just GO!" He roared, looking deranged. His glasses now hung from one ear, his chest heaving. He grabbed a fistful of fiery red hair and begged her. "Please, just go."
Penny clenched her jaw shut and dragged the three towards the forest. Percy ran off to join the small throng of wizards struggling to combat the masked men. Colin stumbled slightly, grabbing Dennis as the younger boy tried to take off. The forest was almost as scary as the men, with dark shapes jumping out at him.
They trekked on, clutching at each other for reassurance. Penny led the way with her wand lit. They traveled for what seemed like hours, but must've been only a few minutes. Penny suddenly stopped dead, and Colin slammed into her back.
"Oh, god," She breathed, wand arm shaking.
Even though Dennis couldn't have possibly known what it was, he let out a loud whimper and hid behind Colin. Colin knew instinctively that his brother was crying—crying about the muggles floating in the sky, crying about the masked men, crying about Colin's almost derisive treatment of him as of late—but he could only stare up in amazement.
"Take a picture," Ginny choked out.
"I—are you sure?" Colin swallowed with his parched mouth. It was the first time he'd ever asked that. Hanging above them in the sky was a green skull, with a snake coming out of its mouth like a tongue.
For Colin Creevey, the Wizarding world didn't seem quite so magical after that night.