Harry's head snapped up as Binns finished telling of the rescue of Ozzy and Killian. The professor continued droning on and on, no change in his monotone voice. "After the two wizards joined the crew of the Night Swan, they set off for Octavia, and island in the tropics. On the way…"
Looking around, he spotted Hermione listened attentively while Ron dozed in his seat, a trail of drool slowly edging its way down his cheek.. Settling back, Harry prepared to see just how long it would take for him to drift off to sleep again.
…
"Do you like it?" Rosalie said, popping up suddenly at Ozzy's side. "Transfigured it myself." She added smugly.
"Magnificent!" Ozzy said, spinning on his heels.
"Alright, let me introduce you to the rest of the crew," She said. "Lets see, you have already met Adam here," Adam nodded in their direction. "And that over there is Leonard, the cook, and the guy in the purple bandana is Bilius, watch out for him." She added playfully.
"Slytherin?" Ozzy raised an eyebrow.
"Nah, Ravenclaw with a nasty temperament."
"Ah."
"Oh! Oh! And I'm S-"
"And this is Accordion Girl." Rosalie said, throwing an arm around the only other female pirate aboard. Accordion Girl grinned and gave a short wave, her one blue eye flashing, the other covered by an eyepatch. A red bandana held back her straight, light brown hair and her matching vest glittered with gold trim.
"Accordion Girl?" Killian spluttered.
"Yup!" Accordion Girl nodded rapidly. "Want to hear what happened to my eye?"
"Er, sure...?"
"No! No!" Rosalie said hurriedly, grabbing Accordion Girl by the shoulders and steering her away. "Why don't you go and swab down the cannons?"
"CANNONS!" Accordion Girl squealed, clapping and giggling.
"No!" Rosalie said, sounding slightly panicked. "Clean them! Don't fire them!"
"Aw…" Accordion Girl said, sounding disappointed, but she perked up right away and skipped off. Rosalie shook her head slowly as Ozzy and Killian stared after her.
"So, what's her story?" Killian asked, looking confused. "And is her name really Accordion Girl?"
"Eh, no one really knows," Rosalie said with a shrug. "She's been around for as long as anyone can remember."
"Adorable…" Ozzy snarked. "Hufflepuff?" Rosalie nodded slowly.
"Ha! Still attractive either way!" Killian said. "But not as pretty as treasure chests over here." He added, throwing an arm around Rosalie. Ozzy sighed. A moment later Killian gave a pathetic yelp as Rosalie painfully twisted his arm behind his back, a cutlass suddenly at his throat. Adam's wand was instantly there, hovering dangerously in front of Killian's nose.
"There will be none of that talk on this ship, you hear?" Rosalie snarled, her normally beautiful, smiling face bent into a frown.
"First rule of the Night Swan," Adam growled. "Anyone who throws cheap shots at the Captain gets thrown overboard."
"Alright, alright! I'm sorry! But what about Accordion Girl?" Killian spluttered.
"As long as she has no problem with it, I couldn't care less. And I doubt she will." Rosalie said coolly, releasing Killian so he fell face first onto the deck. Ozzy reached down and hauled his wizard friend up.
"Adam, do you think there is enough cloud cover to hoist the ship?" Rosalie asked, looking up at the clouded, darkening sky.
"Aye," He said, gazing skywards as well. "We may have to set a watch in case the clouds disperse, but otherwise we should be fine."
"Splendid!" Rosalie said, clapping her hands together. "Ozzy, Killian, time to learn your positions. Ozzy, you stand at the quarterdeck, Killian there by the shrouds." They marched off to their places and looked expectantly back at Rosalie.
"Now what?" Killian asked in confusion.
"Just do what everyone else does!" Rosalie called down merrily from the quarterdeck.
"All hands on deck!" Adam bellowed. "To yer positions!" The crew scrambled about, except for Accordion Girl, who stood in the middle of everything, getting in the way. Finally she staggered up next to Ozzy, grinning madly. Ozzy gave her an uncertain smile and inched a step away. Rosalie stood looking down at the main deck as the crew lined the edges of the ship. The moment that they were all in position, she gave a curt nod to Adam. "Raise the ship!"
"Wingardium leviosa!" Each crew member shouted, moving their wands the classic swish and flick motion.
"Wingardium leviosa!" Ozzy, Killian and Accordion Girl cried, a moment behind everyone else. Accordion Girl's wand randomly produced a shower of sparks, setting the quarterdeck on fire.
"Aguamenti!" Rosalie coughed amid the smoke, a jet of pure, clear water spurting from the tip of her wand, extinguishing the blaze. Adam glared at Accordion Girl who giggled sheepishly as the Night Swan rose up into the starry sky.
"Does that always happen?" Ozzy asked, fanning the air with his hand as Accordion Girl skipped back down to the main deck.
"Almost every time," Rosalie said, shaking her head. "Why do you think I keep her up here with me?"
"Is she absolutely necessary?"
"No, but I let her so she doesn't feel bad."
"She is helpful sometimes," Adam said. "Remember that time when she turned Lord Scurvyteeth's hat into an octopus?"
"Ha! I do indeed!" Rosalie laughed, following him down onto the main deck. "Come on, I believe a good drinking party is in order!"
"Sounds fair!" Ozzy laughed. "What sorts of 'fine drink' 'ave yeh got onboard?"
"Ale, rum, you name it!"
"Some ale would be wonderful. A bloody storm of it!"
"You hear that, Leonard?" Rosalie hollered. "Bring out the ale, these men are thirsty!"
"Raaaak!" Gypsy croaked. "Thirsty!"
"You said it!" Killian shouted. Rosalie gave her wand a wave and several large lanterns blossomed from the tip, illuminating the deck. Several other crew members rolled up large casks from below deck. Accordion Girl bounced around the casks enthusiastically, nearly tripping over the one before another crew member shooed her off. Most of the crew hurried over to get their drinks.
"Right then! Let's have some music!" Rosalie cried to the enthusiastic cheers of the crew.
"Accordion! Accordion! Accordion!" Accordion Girl babbled, disappearing below deck presumably to fetch her famed instrument.
"Killian, fetch your violin!" Rosalie ordered. "It's time to see your skill."
"Oi! I play the baroque, you haven't got one of those lyin' around, have you?" Ozzy asked.
"Hmmm." Rosalie said thoughtfully. "I think we do have one of those. Accio!" A baroque guitar whizzed up from the bowels of the ship and into her hand, and she presented it to Ozzy. "It's yours."
"What happened to the previous owner?"
"He was sort of accidentally keelhauled…"
Ozzy winced, but before he could respond, Accordion Girl burst forth onto the deck with her instrument in hand. "A song!" She shouted.
"Here we go again…" Adam sighed so Accordion Girl couldn't hear, but caution wasn't needed as she was completely oblivious. She was already playing the accordion and singing without any accompaniment, and destroying everyone's ears.
"STOP! STOP! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Rosalie shouted. Accordion Girl's mouth snapped shut and her arms froze. She tipped over backwards and was caught by Killian, who grinned.
"Put her down!" Ozzy hissed. "Now!"
"There will be no hanky panky aboard this vessel, mate, and if you want to try me you can walk the plank," Rosalie growled, marching over to Killian and ripping the frozen Accordion Girl from her grasp. Killian just smiled at her in a drunken sort of way.
"Had too much of that liquor, have we?" Adam began before Rosalie cut him off.
"Do you understand your captain?" Rosalie roared. "Because if there is a problem with those simple directions you might enjoy being keelhauled!"
Killian drunkenly muttered something which was inaudible to all but himself.
"What did yeh say, matey?" Adam growled.
"I SAID I WAS BLOODY SORRY!" Killian shouted, taking a step back.
"Well you bloody well ought to be!" Rosalie informed the drunken wizard. "And if I see you make another move on her while she's frozen…" she let the sentence trail off, leaving Killian to imagine the consequences.
"Shouldn't we unfreeze her?" Ozzy asked, motioning towards the statuesque Accordion Girl.
"I figure we should be, mind you don't mention what this fool did!" Rosalie said.
"No worries…"
Rosalie quickly performed the counter-cure, and Accordion Girl popped back to life.
"Come on people, a song!" Accordion Girl squealed.
"I agree!" Rosalie called out. "Adam, you pick the song!"
Adam stood and lifted his tankard into the air. "Muggle on the Plank!" He bellowed with a loud laugh. The wizard then broke into a boisterous song, clapping and singing along. After a moment of listening Ozzy and Killian joined in, playing (or attempting to, for the latter) their instruments.
"My friends I stand before you
To tell a truth most dire
They lurks a traitor in our midst
Who hath invoked the captain's ire
He don't deserve no mercy
We ought to curse him with a wand
But I am not an evil man
So first let's have a little fun
We'll tie that scoundrel to a rope
And throw 'em overboard
Drag him underneath the ship
A terrifying deadly trip
Keelhaul, that filthy muggle
Send him down to the depths below
Make that jarvey walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho
Keelhaul, that filthy muggle
Send him down to the depths below
Make that jarvey walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho
I will not say what he has done
His sins are far too grave to tell
It's not my place to judge a man
But boy he'll sure burn in hell
The sharks will dine upon his flesh
And Scurvyteeth will have his soul
Take his money and his wand
He won't need them where he's gonna go
But first let's tie him to a rope
And throw him overboard
Drag him underneath the ship
A terrifying deadly trip
Keelhaul, that filthy muggle
Send him down to the depths below
Make that jarvey walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho
Keelhaul, that filthy muggle
Send him down to the depths below
Make that jarvey walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho
We'll tie that scoundrel to a rope
And throw him overboard
Drag him underneath the ship
A terrifying deadly trip
Keelhaul, that filthy muggle
Send him down to the depths below
Make that git walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho
Keelhaul, that filthy muggle
Send him down to the depths below
Make that jarvey walk the plank
With a bottle of rum and a yo-ho-ho,
We are wizards of the sea!"
As the song ended, everyone turned to see Accordion Girl bent on one knee, banging her head to the music still pouring from her accordion. She ended her solo with a flourish and straightened up, a huge smile on her face. The crew roared with laughter and the air rang with applause.
"Ha! Nothing like a good ole rousing song!" Rosalie said, putting one foot up on a keg laying on its side. "A toast!" She shouted, Accordion Girl mimicking her pose on a barrel behind her. "A toast to our alma mater!"
"To Hogwarts!" The crew bellowed, raising a motley assortment of tankards into the air. There was a moment of silence as the pirates drained their flagons, broken only when the keg Accordion Girl stood on rolled out from under her, throwing her onto her back. The crowd erupted with laughter as Rosalie and Adam pulled pulled her to her feet.
"Right, isn't it time for you to be going to bed now?" Rosalie said, shaking her head.
"Ok!" Accordion Girl said cheerfully. "Night all!"
"Do yur mind if I Slytherin?" Killian slurred, staggering over to them. Ozzy cuffed him angrily, not wishing for his friend to be keelhauled.
"I'll let that one pass seeing as he is completely intoxicated." Rosalie said coolly. "Adam! Make sure these two make it down to the hold, and into separate hammocks, mind you!"
"Thank you." Ozzy whispered.
"I may be a pirate, but I do have manners," Rosalie said. "Here, come with me, there is something I want to discuss." Ozzy followed Rosalie up onto the dark quarterdeck overlooking the rest of the party. Perching herself on the railing, the stars reflecting on the sea far below them, Rosalie fixed Ozzy in her stern gaze. "Adam has already relayed to me what Killian has told him, but I think there is more to the story. What really happened to the rest of your crew?"
"The part about travelling with another ship is true. Two friends of mine, Andels Watters and his sister," he grinned briefly before continuing as Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Were crew onboard the Crimson Lightning. The ship was named after Andel's hair!" He laughed.
"Isn't he the one that was saved by a cat?"
"Er… yes. Ramses, to be exact."
"Your Ramses?" Rosalie asked incredulously.
"The one and the same."
"Huh…"
"Anyways, we travelled together until we hit a huge storm. In the chaos, we were separated. Afterwards, we were discovered - by a man known as Morcant Bowes. Heard of 'em?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Rosalie said, scratching Gypsy's chin, looking slightly forlorn. "My twin brother, Jamieson, used to be the captain of the Stormcrow, and I his first mate. We had a run in with Morcant, and-" her voice broke off with a sigh. "Jimmy was killed, the Stormcrow burned and the crew either drowned or taken prisoner."
Ozzy cursed under his breath.
"Yeah," Rosalie said with a soft laugh. "Happens far too often. I barely made it out with Gypsy and my wand, but somehow I managed my way back to the nearest port. There I commissioned the building of the Night Swan and found my crew. So here we are."
"Quite impressive, getting away. Unfortunately I have had a similar experience…" There was a long moment of silence and suddenly Rosalie's blue eyes narrowed.
"Go back and join the party," She said with a grin. "Just mind you don't drink too much. Tomorrow we set off to find Morcant."
"Don't worry," Ozzy cracked his knuckles. "I'll be ready."
Rosalie grinned. "It may be too late for Jimmy, but maybe there is still hope for Andel and your lady friend," she said. "It's about time we deal Morcant justice."
Author's Note:
The song here is based on Alestorm's Keelhauled, changes by Frederic Axel Rorland.