Hey guys! So I've had 5 or 6 PM's/Reviews and the pretty much unanimous consensus is that I should continue. If you have a different opinion, or any unexpressed opinion at all I have a poll up. As for the last chapter I'm not super happy with it but I really hope you guys enjoyed. FINALLY we have QUIDDITCH AND HALLOWEEN! I know a couple people have been worried about this following Philosopher's Stone pretty closely, but this is the chapter where things start to stem out. So I won't dawdle heres (the actual) CHAPTER 15 OF SCORPIUS MALFOY IN RED AND GOLD.
Though at first they'd made fun of Rose for her constant devotion to the Library, discovering the identity of the Order of the Phoenix was becoming a real problem. A month had passed since the incident in the dungeons and they were no closer to knowing anything about the bowtruckle, the vanishing cabinet, and it's connection with professor Yaxley.
"What about what it's guarding?" Al asked for the tenth time as they scanned the library shelves. "Maybe if we knew that we'd have an easier time!"
"But all we have to go on is that it's small, it can talk, and it has something to do with Professor Yaxley," Scorpius said flipping through Warlock Associations of the Early Wizarding Era. "It could be practically anything.
"When do your dueling lessons start again?" Rose asked trying to reach a large red leather volume on the top shelf. They had decided that there best plan might be for Scorpius to question Yaxley during his extra classes with her.
"Not until after Christmas," Scorpius said wincing as he tried to make out the extremely small print through what looked like treacle pudding.
"You could-" Al started but Scorpius cut him off.
"I already asked. Yaxley says we won't have covered enough material for the lessons to be any use until after Christmas."
"What about the Bowtruckle?" Rose asked through gritted teeth as she attempted to balance on a particularly wobbly chair.
"Nothing new," Al muttered, tossing Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them onto the table. "There about the six of an average human and there excellent guards, especially for there tree's." Rose stepped off her stool, scanning the red novel which turned out to be called: From Arabia to Romania, a Short History of Vanishing Cabinets.
"Anything good?" Scorpius asked, peering over her shoulder. She slammed the book shut tossing it over to Al who was attempting to wrestle a belt off something called, The Monster Book of Monsters.
"Nothing," she muttered sinking to the floor. "Vanishing cabinets allowing the user to travel through space using an identical "twin" cabinet, although sometimes they can be intercepted from an outside force," she slammed her fist against the floor. "But we already knew that." Al frowned.
"Do you think Hagrid made all this up to keep us out of it?"
"No." Rose said frustratedly. "Because Dad mentioned an 'Order of the Phoenix' once."
"What!" Scorpius yelled jumping up. Al dropped the Monster Book of Monsters which made a rather unpleasant thump followed by what sounded like a growl. Al eyed it disgustedly and then turned back to Rose.
"When exactly were you going to tell us that?" He asked. Rose shrugged,
"It wasn't exactly important, he muttered something to mum about this order thing, and then he shut up when he saw me in the doorway." Albus' eyes widened.
"Do you think it has something to do with the war?"
"Maybe," Rose said nodding, "But I don't think there going to tell us anything, we'll have to figure this one out on our own." Scorpius signed. They'd been coming to the library every day for the past week, after lunch, between classes, any time they had five minutes to spare, but they'd come up with next to nothing. It didn't help that they had the rather cross librarian, a tall pompous man named "Boot" snarling in there ears every few moments. Scorpius dropped Warlock Associations of the Early Wizarding Era, onto a particularly motheaten armchair slumping onto the carpet next to Rose.
Suddenly there was a loud bang, and a very odd sort of scream from Al, who started to run about the library as though he were being chased by a hippogriff. Scorpius and Rose jumped up.
"Bloody Hell Al what-" but suddenly Scorpius saw it, the belt on the Monster Book of Monster's had snapped, and the book, which had opened up like some sort of fowl mouth was scooting across the carpet biting at Al's ankles. Al twisted his neck to look at it and promptly slammed into a bookshelf falling onto his hands so he was forced to scramble about like some sort of odd crab. It was then that Scorpius started to laugh. Rose met his eyes and started up too, and soon they were on the ground again with laughter.
"IT'S NOT BLOODY FUNNY!" Al yelled, his voice oddly high pitched, "IT COULD BE, I DUNNO RABID-"
Rose doubled over, tears of laughter leaking onto her cheeks.
"Get it away!" Al whimpered, swatting the book helplessly with his hand. Scorpius signed turning to Rose who was clutching her sides, still laughing silently and failing to stumble to her feet. He turned and ran over to Albus who was shoving the Monster Book of Monsters away with his boot. Scorpius grabbed the belt off the table and dove onto the book, latching the stip of leather around it and tossing it on top of Warlock Associations of the Early Wizarding Era.
"It's gone now Al," He said, suppressing a grin. Al opened one eye carefully, and then climbed to his feet brushing off his robes.
"Well you two took your time!" Rose was still gasping with laughter. Al huffed indignantly and opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by Boot, who chose that moment to swoop onto them.
"OUT!" He screeched, his eyes falling on the books unceremoniously tossed about the room. "OUT!" He yelled again, pulling Rose up by her robes and shooing them out of the library. The large wooden doors swung open and he flung them out, and with one last supercilious sniff, slammed the doors behind them.
Scorpius rubbed the back of his neck wincing.
"Well that wasn't our finest hour." Al grinned sheepishly but suddenly his face darkened. Aaron Zambini, who had been quiet since the incident in the charms classroom was rounding the corner, his lip curling in an unpleasant sneer.
"Well, well," he whispered leaning in to a short girl with mousy brown hair. Scorpius' eyes widened, it was Elodora her bookbag slung over her shoulder, her brown eyes flickering between Scorpius and Zambini.
"If it isn't the Deatheater and his Potty," he Zambini said, his black eyes glittering with malice. "Oh," he said glancing over at Rose for the first time. "And they've brought along there weasle, how-" his lip curled unpleasantly "-cute." Scorpius' fist's clenched, he glanced angrily at Elodora. Was she just going to stand there and let Zambini insult them? Well, Scorpius thought angrily I'm not.
He scrambled to his feet leaning in to Zambini, his face had gone red with anger.
"Say that again." Zambini's eyes glittered menacingly.
"What are you gonna do, run to your daddy?" Scorpius opened his mouth but Elodora cut him off.
"Come on Aaron," she said, ignoring Scorpius entirely. "There not worth it." And with that she stalked down the hall.
"See you at quidditch tomorrow," Zambini muttered sinisterly. "Hope you don't take a...plunge." And he followed her down the hall.
"What did he mean by that," Al asked, his fist's shaking.
"He can't tamper with the school brooms," Rose said, though her eyes were worried. "Come on, let's get some rest, tomorrow's a big day." Scorpius wondered what she meant, and then he remembered, the Potter family curse. It's only halloween he thought dismissively, still as he lay in his dorm that night, he couldn't help be anxious for tomorrow to be over.
He didn't have long to wait. The next morning he was woken up from a very satisfying dream were Zambini fell from his broomstick into the black lake and was spat fifty feet into the air by a disgusted giant squid while Scorpius laughed from the side, by a very excited Al.
"What time is it?" Scorpius muttered squinting up at Al's glasses.
"6:00," Al said, uncannily shoving something large and black in his face. Scorpius pulled what he recognized as his robes off his bed, and pushed himself up from his pillow.
"You went through my things?" Scorpius asked a bit annoyed, forcing his feet onto the floor.
"Yeah," Al said. "No offense mate, your not very organized. And have you been to France, theres loads of pictures of you standing in front of the eiffel tower in your trunk." Scorpius nodded vaguely tugging his robes over his trousers.
"I grew up there." He pinned his badge carefully onto his chest.
"Wait, what?" Al asked dropping his wand which sparked slightly, scorching the carpet.
"Yeah, my mum's from France," Scorpius muttered, ruffling his blonde hair which had gotten rather long and unruly since he'd come to Hogwarts.
"How long did you live in France?" Al asked curiously.
"Until I was 8." Scorpius said, digging through his luggage for One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. "I've only been in England two years, my dad taught me english at home when we lived in Paris." Al shook his head bemusedly.
"So you speak French?" Scorpius nodded again, attempting to shove his astronomy textbook into his bulging bookbag.
"Salut, je m'appelle Scorpius Malfoy, et qu'est ce que tu fais debout à cette heure là Albus Potter?" Albus' eyes widened.
"What does that mean?"
"It means your a specky git," Scorpius laughed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "And I'm hungry, let's go."
There was next to no one in the common room including Rose who, Scorpius thought enviously, was probably enjoying sleeping to a normal hour. Al grabbed Scorpius arm and started to tug him to the portrait hole.
They made there way to the great hall, Scorpius trudging sleepily behind a very excited Al. His eyelids felt as though they were made of lead, he yawned into his sleeve tiredly as Al shoved open the creaky doors.
"Come on Scorp I thought you were-" But he was cut off by a loud gasp. "Woah," he muttered sounding awed, Scorpius eyes snapped open and he peered into the great hall. Woah was just about right. The entire hall was strewn with gigantic pumpkins that wouldn't have fit through the quidditch goal posts, streamers twisted around the pillars waving in a non existent wind that reminded Scorpius unpleasantly of the billowing barrier, tiny professor Flitwick was charming live bat's to swoop over the tables, and Basil was transfiguring the ceiling to a smoky shade of black.
However Scorpius was distracted from this display by the sight of breakfast which looked very good. He turned towards Al who was drooling slightly glancing at the dark purple flames flickering in the golden torches that lined the hall.
"Come on Al," he said tugging his friend to their usual spot at the Gryffindor table. Rose came down about a half an hour later muttering something about "a ridiculous hour of the morning" and absentmindedly buttering Al's hand rather than her toast.
"So what have we got first," Scorpius asked once Rose had finished and cleaned off Al's hand with a quick wave of her wand.
"Quidditch," Al said brightly, startling both of them.
"You never pay attention to the schedule," Rose said frowning.
"Yes well today it was important." Rose looked as though she was going to retort, but she settled for rolling her eyes. Scorpius craned his neck to see the clock by the teachers table.
"We might as well head down to the pitch now," Scorpius trying to sound uninterested.
"Are you alright?" Rose asked worriedly, eyeing him as he climbed to his feet .
"Fine," he answered quickly gathering his books. Honestly, Scorpius had never been fond of quidditch. He didn't like the feeling of being twenty feet up in the air held up by a flimsy stick of wood, he didn't like the idea of being twenty feet in the air at all really. And Flying with the Slytherins was just what he needed, a chance to embarrass himself on a broomstick in front of Zambini. If he hasn't already tampered with my odds Scorpius thought rather miserably. Maybe when you spend too much time with Potters, they pass on there odd halloween curses to you by dragging you into whatever awful things happen to them.
Scorpius stopped abruptly, they'd reached the quidditch pitch. It was very large, much bigger than the one at the manor, with huge glittering goalposts soaring up fifty feet. A tall burly man with short brown hair, who looked oddly familiar, stood in front of a rather large crowd of students, split down the center by Slytherin and Gryffindor. Behind the man, who Scorpius assumed was the teacher was a long row of very old looking broomsticks, Scorpius could just make out the words Nimbus 2001 glittering on the hilt of a dark one at the end.
"Do you think they ever replace them?" Scorpius muttered leaning into Al, who didn't answer. He was staring awestruck at the tall instructor who had started to talk.
"What?" Scorpius asked confusedly looking again at the burly brown haired man.
"Thats Oliver wood," Al whispered his eyes as wide as saucers.
"Wait, didn't he play for England?" Al's eyes, if possible, widened further.
"'Didn't he play for England'!" He repeated indignantly. "Best Keeper they ever had! MVP of the 2013 world cup!" Scorpius peered at him again, So that's why he looked familiar.
"Oh," he said a bit unsure of what to say to Al who looked as though he'd just murdered his little sister. "I guess we should go over then." He glanced back at the crowd of students, Rose was gesturing impatiently for them to hurry, Al was still sputtering something about retired numbers.
"Come on Al," Scorpius said, grabbing his arm and steering him towards the class.
"All right do we have everyone?" Wood asked, a few people nodded.
"Ok. I'm your instructor for today, Oliver Wood. Now first years are not allowed there own brooms, or a spot on there house teams, but that doesn't mean you're not allowed to fly. This lesson is just to give you a feel for what it's like to use a broomstick, so were not going to do much more then hover a bit, however if you enjoy it you'll be eligible to try out for your house teams next year. When I tell you too we will make our way to the brooms," he gestured to the old nimbuses, which suddenly looked very small and breakable. Scorpius gulped, all his nerves coming back to him.
"I'm going to show you how to mount, them on my signal you will kick off and float for a few seconds before coming safely to the ground, got it?" A couple people murmured there assent. "Got it!" He yelled. "Yes!" The class answered loudly. "Alright," Wood said, sounding pleased. "You may stand to the right of one of the brooms behind me."
There was a great rush as the class made there way to the broomsticks. Scorpius stood beside a particularly black one in between Al and Rose, he peered at the thin stick of wood with apprehension, the more he thought about flying the more he wanted to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground.
"Everyone got a broom?" Wood asked glancing around the class. Scorpius spotted Zambini, puffing out his chest at Elodora, no doubt bragging about all the muggle helicopters he'd expertly dodged, that's what Draco was always doing. Scorpius gulped again, Zambini wouldn't do anything to his broom would he? How would he have known which one he would choose? It was, it was improbable-impossible, held his hand to his stomach, which felt as though a crowd of ants were wriggling about inside.
"Alright stick out your hand and say up," Wood ordered.
"Up!" Everyone around him yelled. Al's broom shot into his hand, so did a few others. Al grinned at Scorpius, and then frowned at his expression.
"Mate you look a bit sick."
"I'm fine," Scorpius muttered, turning back to his broom. "Up," he muttered feebly, desperately hoping it would not leap into his outstretched hand.
"Alright ALRIGHT!" Would shouted over the rush of voices. "If you haven't got it yet you can go ahead and pick up your brooms." Scorpius knelt down awkwardly and grab the stick of wood in his hand, it felt very flimsy, and he glanced longingly at the ground. Wood demonstrated how to mount, and Scorpius swung his leg over the broom, gripping it so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"On my count," Wood said clearly. Scorpius felt as though he were about to be sick. "Three two one!" He pushed off the ground hovering above the dirt, Al's laughter in his ear. This wasn't bad, in fact, it wasn't bad at all. Suddenly there was a large lurch, and his broom rose up about a foot. Lurch. Scorpius' heart skipped a beat, he lowered the nose like wood had told them too-lurch, his broom soared up, ten feet above the ground, fifteen. Al was starting to look very small, his mouth was hanging open slightly, his eyebrows creased. Lurch. Twenty feet up.
"Aright," a booming voice yelled from below him. "That's enough come on down."
Scorpius was starting to panic. Lurch. He felt very far from the ground now, he wanted to scream but it caught in his throat. Wood though he still had control, he wasn't coming up. Lurch. Scorpius squeezed his eyes shut. You've got to say something. Scorpius thought, trying to keep his breaths long and low, they don't know you've lost control.
"Malfoy!" Wood yelled, his voice sounded very very far away.
"You're ok," he muttered to himself, "You're ok, you've just got to be loud. He was breathing very quickly now, forty feet, forty five.
"I-I can't!" He yelled, as loudly as he could, his heart was hammering in his chest, what if Wood couldn't catch him? What if they couldn't hear him?
"Open your eyes," he muttered, "you might be able to steer yourself if you open your eyes, come on Scorpius come on-" his eyes fluttered open, the castle was growing much to close, wood was just a speck in the green of the ground. Seventy, Seventy five. LURCH! The broom shuddered to a halt, Scorpius' hands were sweating so much they were slipping across the broom-and then, he saw it. Scorpius at stopped in front of a window, a great thick window to what looked like an abandoned classroom, and painted across the chipped bricks in thick blue letters were the words, The Order of the Phoenix. For a moment all of Scorpius' fears dissolved, he grinned widely, this hole time, a clue had been right under there noses. Which floor? Scorpius glanced around, eight floors up, 5th classroom on the left. Maybe if he just looked a little closer...
Scorpius leaned forward-whoosh. He slid down the bromm his hands grabbing helplessly at the broomhandle, but it was no use, he was slipping and then falling, he made a desperate grab for the broomhandle but it whisked upward and he was toppling, toppling towards the ground faster and faster and-
"Wotcher Scorp."
Albus Potter, his dark hair flying about in the wind was grinning at him. Scorpius blinked, his stomach dropping. He was no longer falling through the air but gripping Al's hand, swinging from a broom fifty feet up, and he started to laugh, sounding just a bit hysterical. Al grinned, and giving him a tug, pulled him up onto the trembling nimbus.
"You didn't think I'd let you fall did you?" He said still smiling. "Now hold on tight.'
"Wait-" Scorpius said his panic returning for a moment as the shock of being alive wore off. But Al gave him a great theatrical wink and tipped forward the edge of the broom. They plunged towards the ground, the crowd of terrified students rushing away as they accelerated-
"ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER!" Scorpius yelled through clenched teeth. "IF WE DIE I WILL KILL YOU!
The ground was getting closer and closer. Scorpius squeezed his eyes shut ready for the impact...whoosh. They pulled up. His trainers touched the ground. Scorpius peeked open one eye as Al dropped the broom grinning widely.
"SCORP!" Rose was rushing towards him, and then she was hugging him squeezing him so tightly, he couldn't feel his hands. After a few moments she pulled away.
"Don't you dare do that to me agian-"
"Rose."
"You could've been killed-"
"Rose."
"If Al hadn't-"
"ROSE!"
"What," she said, her hands on her hips.
"Who do you think..." but she was shaking her head furiously.
"Not here," she whispered. "Not with everyone watching." Scorpius' eyes widened, and he glanced around. All the first years were staring at them, there jaws dropped, brooms forgotten in the grass. Scorpius' cheeks turned red, and he opened his mouth to make an excuse but just then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright," Wood was staring at him worriedly, his brow furrowed. Scorpius thought about it, truthfully he was about as far from "alright" as he'd ever been but he nodded slowly.
"Class dismissed," Wood announced. "You can leave the brooms were they are and," he looked at Al, a smile edging onto his face. "Nice flying Potter, your father would be proud. Al blushed, and they headed slowly towards the castle, lagging back behind the class.
"I have something to tell you," Scorpius whispered to the two of them when the rest of the first years had gone in.
"What is it," Al asked swivelling towards him. "You're welcome by the way. Scorpius waved him off.
"It's about the Or-" but Rose interrupted.
"At the feast," she hissed adamantly, whipping her head around. "It's where we stand the least chance of being overheard. Scorpius nodded and Al shrugged, though he looked disappointed.
The rest of the day went excruciatingly slowly. Charms, with Flitwick, Transfiguration with Basil, who was as excruciating as ever, even defense was boring as the spent the entire lesson on shield charms and Yaxley kept eyeing him odly. Word of the incident on the quidditch pitch had spread incredibly quickly, and older students kept cornering him and Al for accounts. Finally, it was time for the feast.
All the decorations were fully displayed now, and the food appeared on the glittering golden dishes just as it had on the day of the sorting. It seemed to take ages for the hall to get loud enough that Rose deemed it alright to talk but finally, she gestured for him to begin.
"I've found something out about the order," he whispered, leaning in to his friends. Al perked up, and Roses eyes widened.
"On the eighth floor, up were my broomstick stopped, there was an old abandoned classroom."
"So," Al shrugged "There are plenty of those."
"Let me finish," Scorpius hissed, glancing around to make sure no one was listening in.
"On the wall someone had painted it, the order of the Phoenix, in big blue letters, couldn't have been more than twenty years ago." Rose gasped.
"That's why we can't find them," she said catching on. "It's not some ancient organization, in wizarding history twenty years is a heartbeat."
"So," Al said again. "I mean this is all very interesting but-"
"Al don't you get it," Scorpius exclaimed. "We've been looking in all the wrong places. The order of the phoenix is a new organization that's why there not in the library! In fact they probably have something to do with the war on he-who-must-not-be-named!"
"We have to get up there," Rose muttered. "But how are we going to do it without being seen?" An idea popped into Scorpius' head, a crazy perfect idea. He looked at Al and he knew he'd had it to.
"Hogsmeade," they said in unison.
"What?" Rose said looking taken aback.
"Think about it Rosie," Al said excitedly. "Half the school will be gone this weekend, it's our only shot." Al stared at her pleadingly.
"Alright," she nodded, "But there's one more thing we need to discuss."
"Yeah," Scorpius said, his expression darkening. "Who messed with my broom?"