Sorry it took me so long to get this up, but my newest crime drama obsession is 'Criminal Minds' and I have now finished watching the first two series - my favourite charachter is Dr Spencer Reid - but that's not the point.
I keep getting ideas for scenes in this series' version of the Deathly Hallows, even though I'm only on GoF, and it's getting really annoying and makes me want to hurry up and write this!
Anyway, I hope you like it - and please R&R!
Chapter Seven
We got up early, almost as early as we had to get here, and dressed hurriedly. The two wizards who were on-duty sorting out the portkeys were swamped with most of the campsite, who were trying to catch a portkey home ASAP. Antonio had a quick word with the wizards and we were given a special portkey that would bring us straight to the Pedrosa house.
We appeared at the end of the lane, and as soon as we did, we heard a shriek. We looked up, and there was Carla, rushing towards us, with Alejandro close behind her. Carla was carrying what I assumed was today's edition of the Daily Prophet and Alejandro carried the Pedrosa family clock. "Oh, you're alright! Thank God! I've been so worried!" she launched herself at Antonio, who gave us a 'what-did-I-tell-you' kind of look.
Alejandro didn't look as if he had a clue what was going on, but looked glad to see us anyway. He hugged Rai and I – who were closest – around the knees, lifting his arms in a request for Rai to pick him up, which Rai did with a chuckle. I took the clock from his hands so he could wrap his arms around Rai's neck and he rested his head on Rai's shoulder. Despite the fact that he was seven, he was still quite small, so he still fit quite easily into Rai's arms. Even if he had been bigger, Rai would still have been able to lift him – Xiaolin abilities and all.
"I saw in the paper and…" Carla handed the paper to Antonio. "Oh boys!"
To their immense surprise, Carla drew the twins into a hug so tight their heads knocked together. "Ouch!"
"Mum, you're choking us!"
She released them, looking as if she was longing to keep hugging them. "I kept thinking, what if something had happened to you, and the last thing I had said to you was that you didn't get enough OWLs!"
Antonio was now flicking through the paper. "I saw that, and I panicked! During the night, the clock switched, but I thought it was a glitch, and then this morning…I mean, the clock said you were alright, but I was just afraid it was delayed, or the charm had stopped working…"
I glanced down at the clock and saw all eleven hands pointing at 'home'. Wait…what? Eleven? "I'm on this!" I exclaimed in shock.
"Of course, dear!" Carla smiled, my exclamation seemingly breaking her out of her anxiety. "You're like one of the family." I was speechless.
"Yeah," Ricardo smirked, "especially with the way Rai fe- oof!" Ricardo broke off as he landed face first on the grass. Fernando just stood and laughed at his twin. "Oi!"
"What?" Rai asked innocently. "I was nowhere near you – all the way over here."
"Boys, boys, no fighting!" Carla sighed good-naturedly, her mood improving greatly seeing us here and acting normally – assuring her that we were alright. Everyone was nodding their heads, as if they agreed with what Ricardo was saying before Rai knocked him over with the wind, but I had no idea what that was. Ugh. I hate not knowing things – being kept out of the loop…
"Damn." Antonio sighed, finishing looking over the article. "Of course Rita Skeeter had to write this. I've got to go to the Ministry – they're going to need all the help they can get." He kissed Carla on the cheek before disapparating.
"Rita Skeeter?"
"She's the most acid-tongued reporter you've ever met." Pedro glowered. "She actually said that the Ministry's wasting time over cauldron thickness, instead of stamping out Vampires – but the law clearly states that-"
"Do us a favour, Pedro?" Juan sighed, rubbing his head as we headed inside. "Shut up."
After eating breakfast, we all headed upstairs for some extra sleep. But while I was up there, I couldn't. After the journey, I was wide awake, and just couldn't get back to sleep, though no-one seemed to have the same problem.
Carla had left all of our school supplies in our rooms, and I flicked through mine, pausing in confusion when I came across an extra package, which, upon opening, confused me even more. Carla herself was checking in on each of us, probably to reassure herself that we were safe, and saw me sitting up. "Can't sleep, dear?"
"No." I shook my head with a smile. "I'm fully awake now. By the way, what's this? It wasn't on the school list." I held up the opened package.
"Oh, no, it wasn't on the list, but you're going to need it this year." There was a twinkle in her eye that made me wonder just what was going on this year that I was going to need this for.
"But…the money I left out…surely it wouldn't cover this as well as my school stuff?"
"Well, no. It paid for half."
"But then, how-"
"It's a gift."
"You shouldn't have!" I floundered for words. "I mean, you knit me a jumper every year!"
"Oh, don't be silly dear. You needed it anyway."
I got up from where I was sitting cross-legged on the floor and drew Carla into a hug. "Thank you." I had gotten presents before…but from papa. The rest were Christmas or birthday presents. It was a strange feeling, getting a present from a non-relative. Strange, but it felt nice.
"You're welcome, dear. If you can't sleep, why don't you go and play with Alejandro? I'm sure he's probably bored, and I've got to start making lunch. I'm sure you'll want it after what you had to eat yesterday – the boys especially!"
Alejandro and I were playing 'Go Fish' in the living room around lunch-time, when there was a commotion from above. It sounded like someone shouting. Well, to me, at least. Next thing I heard, someone was thundering down the stairs, and a second later, Rai burst into the kitchen, something clutched in his hand. Carla spun round in surprise.
"Mum, what is this?" Rai demanded, looking rather red in the face. It didn't look like exertion, not anger either. It looked like embarrassment.
"They're dress robes. For this year at school." Carla responded, looking at her son speculatively.
"They look more like a dress, rather than dress robes!" Rai retorted incredulously. "And why do I suddenly need them this year?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Well, it doesn't matter, 'cause I'm not wearing them – not ever!" Clay and Omi appeared behind him, each holding package similarly wrapped as the one I had received.
"Fine. Go naked, then." Carla said with an impassive face. "And make sure you two boys get a good picture of it." Clay and Omi looked as if they were trying hard to suppress their laughter. "They have them too, Raimundo. And Kimiko has her dress. I don't know why you're making such a big deal over this."
"Theirs' are all right! Mine are…mine are…well, look at them!"
"I used everyone's own money, Raimundo." Carla said sternly and Rai backed down.
The ministry was in chaos over the rest of the summer. Antonio wasn't home much over that time, and when he was, it was for some sleep, a quick breakfast, and then he was gone again.
The last day before we went back to Hogwarts we were sitting in the living room, going over last-minute details before tomorrow. Clay and I were flicking through our schoolbooks while Rai and Omi played a game of chess, Maria was playing snap with Alejandro, and the twins were hunched over some parchment in the corner.
"What are you two up to?" Carla asked sharply after a minute.
"Homework." Ricardo shrugged, speaking in a vague tone.
"Homework?" Carla replied dubiously.
"Yeah, we've left it a little late, see?"
"You're not, by any chance, writing out a new order form for Wizarding Wheezes, are you?"
"Now mum," Fernando looked up with a pained expression, "if the Hogwarts Express crashed tomorrow, and Ricardo and I died, how would you feel knowing that the last thing we heard from you was an unfounded accusation?" Even Carla had to laugh.
Juan and Carlos still hadn't left by the time we were heading to the station, so they decided to come and see us off. Pedro, on the other hand, insisted that he had to get to work. "I just can't justify taking more time off at the moment. Mr Crouch is really starting to rely on me."
"Yeah, you know what, Pedro?" Fernando asked seriously. "I reckon he'll know your name soon!"
At the station, we said our goodbyes, Maria clinging tightly to Juan and Carlos. "I might be seeing you all sooner than you think." Carlos grinned.
"Why?"
"You'll see. Just don't tell Pedro I mentioned it – it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it' after all."
But despite all our protests, they simply refused to tell us. Rather frustrating, really.
Inside the train we split up again, the same way we did last year, and the four of us sat in our compartment, which was exclusively ours this year, and played exploding snap. "Hey, Kimiko?" Rai spoke up as Clay re-shuffled and dealt the cards. "Do you still have to use that Time Turner thingy this year?"
"No." I shrugged, picking up my cards. "Since I dropped Divination last year, and have decided to give up Muggle Studies, I'll have an ordinary schedule."
Rai stared. "Why were you doing Muggle Studies? Your dad's a muggle, and he raised you as one until you were eleven! You know all about muggles and muggle things – why study them?"
I shrugged again, suppressing a smirk as Rai placed down his card without looking. "It was fascinating to study them from a wizarding point of view." He stared incredulously at me. "And that's snap."
Once inside the Great Hall, I chatted with the girls – mostly about the World Cup – while we waited for the sorting and the feast. Keiko was outraged when I told her about Mr Crouch and Winky. Apparently, she's a great advocate for house-elf rights.
By the time Master Fung told us to "Tuck in!", Clay was raring to go, and as soon as the food appeared, he wasted no time in doing so. Nearly Headless Nick wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"You know, you're lucky there's a feast at all tonight."
"Why? What happened?" I asked curiously.
"Peeves, of course!" Nick sniffed disdainfully. Peeves was the Hogwarts poltergeist, and a right menace too. Nick particularly didn't like him, as he thought he gave the ghosts a bad name. "The usual argument – he wanted to attend the feast… We refused, of course, so he wreaked havoc in the kitchens – terrified the poor house-elves out of their wits!"
Keiko dropped her fork with a loud clang. "There are house-elves here?"
"Of course." And no matter what we said, she refused to eat another bite.
When Master Fung stepped up to make his announcements, he made one that shocked the entire school. "The inter-house Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."
"What!" resounded throughout most of the hall. Rai and I gaped at him in utter disbelief. "This is due to the fact that, starting in October, the Tri-Wizard Tournament will take place at Hogwarts." The hall once again burst into whispers and exclamations, but this time they were ones of excitement. "The delegations will arrive in October, along with some of the organisers to explain the rules – including two new ones we have added for the participants' safety."
I had no idea what this tournament was, but I could wait until October. Right now I was feeling rather sleepy…Hogwarts food…
"And may I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody."
Mad-Eye Moody? The ex-auror? I had heard of him. He was the reason most of the cells in Azkaban are filled.
We traipsed up to Gryffindor Tower, and I usually loved being at the top of the school, but tonight it was just tiresome having to climb that many stairs. I had just enough energy to change into my pyjamas before I collapsed onto my bed, asleep in seconds.
Oh, it's good to be back!
By the way, if anyone's wondering over the comment about Rai holding Alejandro - not that I think anyone would be - I based it on the fact that my brother is six and despite the fact that I am a midget - as everyone loves to tell me - and he is over half my height, despite the ten and a half age difference, I can still lift and carry him that way.
I'm basing this one more on the book than the film, since the film kinda ruined some of the best parts - such as the Maze - but there will be a few elements of the film in here.