Chapter 18

The Weighing of the Wands: Part 1

KIARA

When I woke on Thursday morning, it took me a moment to remember why I felt so miserable and worried. Then the memory of the previous night rolled over me. I sat up and ripped back the curtains of my own four-poster, intending to talk to Chrissie, to force Chrissie to believe me - only to find that Chrissie's bed, as well as all the others, was empty. She and her sisters had obviously gone down to breakfast.

I dressed and descended down the girls' dormitory staircase, and then down the spiral staircase into the common room. The moment I appeared, the people who had already had breakfast and were getting their things for class broke into applause. The prospect of going down into the Great Hall and facing the rest of the school was not inviting, but I was hungry and I knew that it had to be done. So I walked over to the portrait hole, pulled it open, climbed out of it and went down to breakfast.

Well, you can imagine the response of the students when I got into the Hall: the loud chattering was suddenly hushed when everyone saw me, and was replaced by hissing whispers and sharp, sly glances at me as I walked over to the Lion-Heart table. I was also met by sneers from the Snake-Eyes table and roars and more rounds of applause from my fellow Lion-Hearts, but I ignored it all and took a seat next to Sian, as Lion-Hearts around me gave me words of praise and clapped me on the shoulder as they walked by. I ignored all this too, for I did not deserve it, as I took to looking up and down the table for Chrissie, who I found sitting next to Zara, staring stonily at her porridge as she played with it.

The next two days for me were torture: putting up with cheers from my fellow Lion-Hearts, sly looks from the Badger-Stripes and Raven-Wings, and to top it off, jeers and sneers from the Snake-Eyes; so let's just say that I was glad when Saturday came along. I got a shock that Saturday morning, though, when I pulled open the portrait hole, and found Chris and Sian waiting for me.

"Hello," Sian said, holding up a stack of toast, which she was carrying in a napkin. "We brought you this ... want to go for a walk?"

"Good idea," I said gratefully, for after two days of madness, it was good to be alone with two of my three best friends.

We went downstairs, crossed the Entrance Hall quickly without looking in at the Great Hall, and were soon striding across the lawn towards the river, where the Uagadou submarine was moored, reflected blackly in the water. It was a chilly morning, as I recall, and we kept moving, munching our toast, as Sian told me that she had told Chris exactly what had happened after I had left the Lion-Heart table the night my name was pulled out of the Goblet of Fire, and also what had occurred between Sian and her mother.

"Well, of course you hadn't entered yourself," said Chris, when Sian had finished telling him everything. "Even without Sian telling me everything now, the look on your face is evidence enough that you hadn't when Ma read out your name; I mean, the thought alone is ridiculous, and Chrissie's a fool for believing so, as is anyone else who does! But the question is, who did put it in? Because Grumpy's right, Kiara ... I don't think any student could have done it ... they'd never be able to fool the Goblet, or get over Ma's Age Line. Oh, and by the way, Sian," he said, turning to her, "nice one for standing up to Ma. It's good to know that you're not such a mother's girl, after all."

Sian then gave him a rather dangerous look, a look that we had only seen Sian give a few times before, as she said in a low, dark voice, "Watch it, Rickers!" Chris and I backed off slightly from her, both of us scared that if we got too close that she would do something painful to one of us.

"So ..." I said after a few moments, trying to diffuse the tension, "have either of you spoken to Chrissie at all?"

That did it; Sian and Chris looked nervously at each other.

"Well, does she still think I entered myself?"

"Well ... no, I don't think so ... not really," said Chris awkwardly.

"What's that suppose to mean, not really?"

"Oh, Kiara, isn't it obvious?" Sian said despairingly. "She's jealous!"

"Jealous!" I said incredulously. "Jealous of what? She wants to make a fool of herself in front of the whole school, does she?"

"Look," said Sian patiently, "it's always you who gets all the attention, you know it is. I know it's not your fault," she added quickly, seeing me open my mouth furiously, "I - what am I thinking about, "I"? - we," she continued, indicating herself and Chris, "know you don't ask for it ... but - well - you know, Chrissie's got myself who always outshines her (not bragging, just a well-known fact that I'm well aware of), as well as the rest of our brothers and sisters to compete against at home, and you're her best friend, and you're really famous - she's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and she puts up with it, and she never mentions is, but I suppose this is just one time too many ..."

"Great," I said bitterly. "Really great. Tell her from me I'll swap any time she wants. Tell her from me she's welcome to it ... people gawping at my forehead everywhere I go ..."

"We're not telling her anything," Chris said shortly. "Tell her yourself, if you really want to sort this out."

"I'm not running around after her trying to make her grow up!" I said, so loudly that several owls in a nearby tree took flight in alarm.

"And you don't think I haven't tried to make her grow up?" Sian asked me pointedly, but I ignored her.

"Maybe she'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or - "

"That's not funny," Chris said quietly. "That's not funny at all." He and Sian both looked extremely anxious. "Kiara, Sian and I have been talking - you know what we've got to do, don't you? Straight away, the moment we get back to the castle?"

"Yeah, give Chrissie a good kick up the - "

"Write to your parents and Sarabi. You've got to tell them what happened. They've asked you to keep them posted on everything that's going on at Dragon Mort ... besides, Sian and I both think that your parents expected something like this to happen. Sian's bought out some parchment, ink and a quill out with her - "

"Come off it," I said, looking around to check that we couldn't be overheard, but the grounds were quite deserted. "They came back to the country just because my scar twinged. They'll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell them someone's entered me for the Triwizard Tournament - "

"They'd want you to tell them," said Sian sternly. "Your parents and Sarabi would want you to tell them. They're going to find out anyway - "

"How?"

"Kiara, this isn't going to be kept quiet," said Sian, very seriously. "This Tournament's famous. You're famous. I'll be really surprised if there isn't anything in the Daily Squabbler about you competing ... you're already in half the books about She-You-Know ... and your parents and Sarabi would rather hear it from you, I know they would."

"OK, OK, I'll write to them," I said, throwing my last piece of toast into the river. The three of us stood and watched it floating there for a moment, before a large tentacle rose out of the water and scooped it beneath the surface. Then we returned to the castle.

"Whose owl am I going to use?" I said, as we climbed the stairs. "My parents told me not to use Harold again."

"Ask Chrissie if you can borrow - "

"I'm not asking Chrissie for anything," I said flatly.

"Well, why don't you borrow Cattonia for your parents, and then use Harold for Sarabi," Chris said.

We went up to the Owlery. Sian gave me two pieces of parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink, then she and Chris strolled aound the long lines of perches, looking at all the different owls, whilst I sat down against a wall and wrote the letter to my parents.

Dear Daddy and Mum,

You told me to keep you posted on what's happening at Dragon Mort, so here goes - I don't know if you've heard, but the Triwizard Tournament's happening this year and on Wednesday night I got picked as the fourth Champion. I don't know who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, because I didn't. The other Dragon Mort Champion is Georgia Diggs, from Badger Stripes.

I paused at this point, thinking. I had a huge urge to say something about the large weight of anxiety that seemed to have settled inside my chest since that night, but I couldn't express this into words; so I simply dipped my quill back into the ink bottle and wrote:

Hope that you and Noelani are Ok.

Love you lots,

Kiara

I rewrote this letter on the other piece of parchment, changing the parents part and leaving the Noelani part out and sending my love to Grandmother Sarafina as always (for this was my letter to Grandmother Sarabi, after all), before I got to my feet, brushed the straw off my robes and said, "Finished" to Chris and Sian. At this, Harold came fluttering down onto my shoulder and held out his leg.

"I'll use you in a minute," I told him gently. "I've got to pick another owl to send to my parents first, and then I'll use you. Just hang on ..."

Harold jumped to one of the perches, watching me as I attached the letter to Cattonia's leg, as he squirmed eagerly in Chris' hands. When I had finished, and Chris had let go of the little guy, I then turned to Harold, who flew to my shoulder eagerly and held out his leg expectantly and patiently, as I tied the letter I had written to Grandmother Sarabi tightly to his leg. I then watched him go out the window and disappear beyond the horizon, hoping against hope that they would get back to me soon.

SIAN

It was a cold and hazy Sunday morning, and Sian was sat outside in a quiet, secluded part of the grounds, just by the river, which was an unkempt, overgrown mass of a garden: the grass reached just above her ankles, ivy covered a lot of the surface of the stone bench where she sat, and the vines barely missed the grass. Sian liked it this way. Sure it was untidy and not what she was used to, but she liked it better this way, especially when shafts of sunlight playfully broke through the leaves. Instead of the usual textbook and quills with her as you would expect, instead she had a sketchbook and pencils, and seemed to be drawing something. Every so often, she would stop, look at her work, and then she would either rub something out, or would just keep going. She was so focused on her work, that often a few strands of hair would fall across her face, but she would brush these off impatiently and carry on.

It had been a few tough days for Sian after the argument with her mother. Sian knew that she was right, but that didn't stop the pain. Never in her life had she imagined that she would fall out with her mother, but so she had. She would get through it, though. She always was a girl who was strong enough to pull through a painful burden. Her mother was alive, after all, and that gave her the strength to carry on.

As she was sketching, she didn't realise that someone was watching her. It was only when a shadow had fallen across her sketchbook that she turned around. She noticed the black cloths covering his face this time, but it was his light-amber eyes that made her know who he was, as they gazed intently at Sian and her work, that she sighed a sigh of relief. It was Kopa.

It was only after she took a deep breath that she realised he was looking at her work. She then quickly covered her picture with her hand, not because she didn't want Kopa to see it, but because she didn't want Kopa to see the work until it was finished. She saw a look of disappointment cross Koap's eyes when she covered her work. She giggled.

"I'm sorry," Sian said to him, moving across the stone bench she was sat upon so that Kopa had enough room to sit down, "but you're going to have to wait to see the finished piece."

"It's good," said Kopa softly, sitting down next to her.

"Thanks," said Sian, before going back to her work.

They were silent for a few moments; all that could be heard was the scratching of Sian's pencils and the wind whistling through the trees. Then Kopa decided to speak up again.

"So," he said slowly, "what brings you out here on a day like this?"

Sian paused with her work, sighed, and looked at him. "I had to get away from the madness that's going on in the castle."

Kopa looked confused, so Sian explained, "Well, after Kiara's name had been called from the Goblet, and after Kiara's participation in the Tournament had been discussed, my mother, some of my teachers and I were talking about whether we should follow the rules by keeping her in the Tournament, or whether we should break them by taking her out of it. When it had been established that she would be staying in, there was then some talk about wanting to protect her to keep her out of harm's way, when she's going to be in danger anyway. So I told my mother straight that if she didn't take Kiara out, I would ignore her for the remainder of this year (for I have a feeling that this year will not end as well as my last few years at this school have). My mother refused to heed my advice, so I told her that she will regret the decision she made, and then I walked out and now I'm ignoring her."

Kopa's eyes flashed with surprise as Sian finished this. "Wow. You must really value the life of your friend to do something like that, for not many people I know would ignore their parents for the sake of their friends."

"Well, I'm not like every other person," Sian said. "And I really do value my friendship with Kiara, I really do. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother, but she is so wrong about this, and I'm so angry with her for the decision that she has made, for I thought that she cared about Kiara more than this. Kiara has said that Ma has wanted to test Kiara, but she's gone one step too far this time. I mean, people die in this Tournament, for crying out loud! If anything serious ever happened to Kiara, I know that my mother would be furious with herself, and I don't know if I would ever forgive her. Sure it's painful for me to be apart from her, but I know what I'm doing is right, and my mother is wrong, and - oh ..." Sian stopped, for she had been going way too fast with letting "the crazy" out of her head. "I'm sorry ... I really shouldn't be letting "the crazy" out so soon ..."

"It's all right," said Kopa soothingly. Sian looked at him and saw that his eyes sparkled with kindness. "I understand that a lot has happened to you in a short amount of time, and that your head is filled with so much and you want to talk to someone about it, besides your family."

Sian blinked in surprise at this, for the only person who understood her this well was her mother. Kopa seemed to understand what went through Sian's head, for he said, "Hey, I've been there, too. So don't worry, you're not alone. And," he said, his eyes sparkling mischievously, "I take it your not on the dating scene right now?"

Sian laughed in spite of herself, and said, "No, I've never been on a date with anyone before."

"Really?" Kopa seemed surprised at this. "I thought that you would have had a few offers from guys to go out on dates."

Sian sighed and said, "Well, I'm only fourteen, so that's one thing that's put me off dating, and the other is that even though a few guys have looked my way ... I don't see anything in them that makes me think I'll have a good time if the guy happened to ask me out on a date."

Kopa's cloths flaaped as he nodded his head slowly, thinking. "So ... when you want to go on a date with someone, you want it to be with someone who will appreciate you for who you are ... not just your looks?" he said slowly.

Sian smiled, amazed that he understood her so fast. "Yes, I do."

Sian could see a smile in his eyes as he said, "That's a very grown up way of thinking."

"Well, that's me for you," said Sian lightly, shrugging. "I've always been mature for my age." Then curiosity grabbed hold of her, and she couldn't help but ask, "So, have you ever gone a date before, Kopa?"

"No, I haven't, but we just have to keep moving forward and keep our eyes open for someone interesting to catch our eye, don't we?"

"Yes, we must," Sian said, picking up her pencils and returning back to her drawing. As she worked, she thought to herself whether she would tell Kopa that it was he who had caught her eye, but she didn't want to startle him and scare him off, so she kept on working.

Another tranquil silence passed between them. It surprised both of them that even though they hardly knew each other, they were both comfortable in each other's company; but of course they were not going to tell each other that, at least not that soon, anyway.

"It's so beautiful here, in this secluded spot," Kopa said after a while. "How did you come by it?"

Sian smiled, put down her pencils again and said, "It was in my first year, actually. I was a loner in those days, and when I wanted to, I would take a walk in the grounds to study, but only when it was nice enough. When it rained, I would study in the library. Anyway, on one fine, sunny day, about two weeks after I had started at Dragon Mort, I was ambling along, when I found a bush that seemed to be covering something. I moved it aside, and saw this. Most people wouldn't call it beautiful, but for me I find that beauty can often be found in the simplest things, and nature itself can be beautiful, so that's why I kept it like this. No one knows about this place but me; I like that it's my secret hideaway, so to speak." Sian and Kopa shared a laugh. "But then I started hanging out with Chris and Chrissie - my adopted brother and twin sister, who is nothing like me in both appearance and mind (my sister, obviously) - and Kiara, and so I stopped coming here, until last year when I fell out with Kiara, Chris and Chrissie, but that's another story. I come out here to do homework, draw, or just spend some time with my thoughts, and - hang on," she said, turning to him suspiciously, "what are you doing here? And how did you find my spot?"

Kopa looked taken aback at Sian's sudden change of tone, and he said, "Well, I wanted to take a look around the grounds, for they are indeed beautiful. I was lost in thought, thinking about nothing in particular, when I heard some odd scratching coming from close by. I was curious to find out what it was, and I found that it was you, sketching. For a few minutes, I stood there watching you, for you seemed so focused in what you were doing, as you flicked those annoying strands of hair out of your face, and every now and then you would mutter incomprehensible words under your breath before you carried on. I didn't wish to disturb you, but my feet seemed to drag me forward, and here we are now. I'm sorry I disturbed you - "

"Don't be," said Sian quickly. "I'm glad you did." Kopa smiled softly in relief and gratitude at Sian's words (she could see it in his eyes, and Sian smiled back at him. So, Kopa had been watching her work. She didn't know why, but rather than being annoyed with him, Sian seemed happy at this, and found the thought of him admiring her (for what other word could be used here?) charming.

Kopa then said, "So, why don't we call this place our spot?"

Sian looked at him sharply. "Dude, we haven't known each other that long. Besides, you'll be leaving in about eight months - "

"I know. But we'll call it our spot, anyway, seeing as I know about it now. And when the weather's nice, we can always come here together, and therefore when I'm gone, you'll have some good memories to associate with it."

Sian thought about this for a few moments, and seemed quite pleased with this suggestion. "I'll do that," she said. "From now on, this will be our spot." And as she said this, Sian smiled a smile of pure joy, even as her heard skipped a beat.

KIARA

I thought that matters would improve once everyone got used to the idea of me being made Champion, but I was mistaken when Monday came around. From what you've already read, I assume you'll know that the school all thought that I'd entered myself for the Tournament, just like my fellow Lion-Hearts had. Unlike my fellow Lion-Hearts, however, they did not seem impressed.

The Badger-Stripes, who were usually on excellent terms with we Lion-Hearts, had turned remarkably cold towards the whole lot of us. One Herbology lesson was enough to demonstrate this. It was plain that the Badger-Stripes felt that I had stolen their Champion's glory; a feeling exacerbated, perhaps, by the fact that Badger-Stripes house very rarely got any glory, and that Georgia was one of the few who had ever given them any, having beaten Lion-Heart once at Quidditch. Emily Mac and Justine Cole, with whom I had normally gotten on very well, did not talk to me even though we were re-potting Bouncing Bulbs at the same tray - though they did laugh rather unpleasantly when one of the Bouncing Bulbs wriggled free from my grip and smacked me hard in the face. Chrissie wasn't talking to me, either. Chris and Sian sat between us, both making very forced conversation, but though myself and Chrissie answered them normally, we avoided making eye contact with each other. I thought that even Spud seemed distant with me - but then, he was head of Badger Stripes house, so I couldn't blame him.

I would have looked forward to seeing Mina under normal circumstances, but Care of Magical Creatures meant seeing the Sanke-Eyes bunch, too - and this time, they didn't hold back on jests, as you're about to see.

Predictably, Malty arrived at Mina's cabin with her familiar sneer firmly in place.

"Ah, look girls, it's the Champion," she said to Crate, Gabber and Rae-Bradley, the moment she got within earshot of me. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt she's not going to be around much longer ... half the Triwizard Champions have died ... how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Pride-Lander? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."

Crate and Gabber guffawed, but to my surprise, Rae-Bradley didn't laugh or giggle. She didn't even smile. Instead she frowned at her cousin's humour, and when she saw me looking at her, she looked at me with a look that I had never seen before. I didn't know what it was meant to be: pity mixed with apology, perhaps? But I didn't get much time to ponder on this, for Malty had just seen Mina emerge from the back of her cabin, holding a teetering tower of crates, each containing a very large Shudder-Ended Crab. To our horror, Mina proceeded to explain that the reason why the Crabs had been killing each other was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each of us to fix a leash on a Crab and take it for a short walk. The only good thing about this plan was that it distracted Malty completely.

"Take this thing for a walk?" she repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the horns, the claws or the big, pounding, fire shooting pincer?"

"Roun' the middle," said Mina, demonstrating. "Er - yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like, an' mind the claws as yeh put 'em on. Kiara - you come here an' help me with this big one ..."

Mina's real intention, however, was to talk to me away from the rest of the class.

She waited until everyone else had set off with their Crabs, then turned to me and said, very seriously, "So - yer competin', Kiara. In the Tournament. School Champion."

"One of the Champions," I corrected her.

Mina's beetle-brown eyes looked very anxious. "No idea who put yeh in fer it, Kiara?"

"You believe I didn't do it, then?" I said, concealing with difficulty the rush of gratitude I felt at Mina's words.

"'Course I do," Mina grunted. "Yeh say it wasn' you, an' I believe yeh - an' Crighton believes yeh, an' all."

"She's right, Kiara," said a voice behind us. Mina and I looked around and saw Sian standing there, an apologetic look on her face. "Sorry for eavesdropping, but - "

"Ah, tha's all righ', Sian," said Mina, wiping away Sian's apology with one swipe of her large hands. Then Mina frowned a little at Sian, and said, "I heard abou' the argument yeh had with yer mother, Sian. Tha's not like you."

"I suppose she's told you, then?" Sian sighed. Mina nodded, and Sian said, "Look, I know that you're not impressed with what I said, but I was only standing up for Kiara, for we all know the history this Tournament has. I thought that Ma would break the rules for once - but she didn't."

We were silent for a moment. Mina and I both looked at Sian with pity at the sadness in her eyes. I then decided to ask her, "So Sian, your mother really does believe me?"

That seemed to snap Sian out of her reverie, for she said, "Well, of course she does, Kiara. Darbus believes you, too. Triphorm, I think, does believe you, but you can never be too sure with her, can you?"

I thought that this was true, considering how Triphorm has treated me, but then I said bitterly, "I just wish I knew who did do it."

The three of us looked out over the lawn; the rest of the class was widely scattered now, and all in great difficulty. The Crabs were now over three feet long, and were extremely powerful. No long shell-less and colourless, they had developed a kind of thick, greyish shining armour. They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs - but still without recognisable heads or eyes. They had became immensely strong, and very hard to control.

"Looks like they're havin' fun, don' they?" Mina said happily. Sian and I shared a look, in which we certainly weren't; every now and then, with an alarming bang, one of the Crabs' ends would either bang hard on the ground or shoot fire, causing the ground to shake and the student holding it to jump back in alarm, or it would shoot forwards several yards, and more than one person would be dragged along on their stomach, trying desperately to get back on their feet.

"Ah, I don' know, Kiara," Mina sighed suddenly, looking back down at me with a worried expression on her face. "School Champion ... everythin' seems ter happen ter you, doesn' it?"

I didn't answer. Yes, everything did seem to happen to me ... that was more or less what Chris and Sian had said as we walked around the river, and that was the reason, according to them, that Chrissie did not speak to me ... well, not for a while, anyway.

0000

The next few days that passed were some of the very worst that I had ever experienced during my time at Dragon Mort. The closest I had ever come to feeling like that had been during those months in my second year, when a large part of the school had suspected me of attacking my fellow students. But Chrissie had been on my side then. I thought I could have coped with the rest of the school's behaviour if I could just have had Chrissie back as a friend, but I didn't go and try to persuade Chrissie to talk to me if Chrissie didn't want to. Nevertheless, it was a lonely time for me, with dislike pouring in on me from all sides.

I could understand the Badger-Stripes' attitudes, even if I didn't like it; they had their own Champion to support, after all. I expected nothing less than vicious insults from Snake-Eyes - I was highly unpopular there, always had been and always will be (apparently), as I had helped Lion-Heart beat them so often, both at Quidditch and in the Inter-House Championship. But I had hoped the Raven-Wings lot might have found it in their hearts to support me as much as Georgia. I was wrong, however, for most Raven-Wings were under the impression that I had been desperate to earn myself a bit more fame by tricking the Goblet into accepting my name.

Then there was the fact that Georgia looked the part of a champion so much more than I did. Exceptionally beautiful, with her straight nose, dark hair and grey eyes. It was hard to see who was receiving more admiration in those days, Georgia or Kovu Outsider. I actually saw some sixth-year boys begging Georgia to sign their schoolbags one lunchtime. Meanwhile, there was no reply from my parents, but I did get a letter from Grandmother Sarabi a few days later. This is what it said:

My dearest Kiara,

The shock you've given me from reading your latest letter, I almost couldn't believe it! Oh, my darling, I thought, as you did, that you were going to have a quiet year at Dragon Mort this year. I never believed this would happen to you, Kiara, I really didn't. As you know, normally I would tell you to keep your head down and not to get into any trouble or danger, but that's out of the question, now. What I will say to you, however, is this: keep your eyes open always, and if you see or hear anything weird, go straight to Crighton, do you hear me?

Sarafina sends her love. She's as scared for you as I am. You are in our prayers, my darling, and we both hope that you'll do well and survive. And we are rooting for you.

I've got to go now, my darling. Keep me posted on what's happening for the rest of your year. Good luck.

Lots of love,

Grandmother Sarabi

These words gave me comfort, and I couldn't help but feel grateful to her for being there for me. Anyway, Professor Crystals was predicting my death with even more certainty than usual, and I did so badly at Summoning Charms in Professor Winds' class that I was given extra homework - the only person to get any, apart from Nikita.

"It's really not that difficult, Kiara," Sian tried to reassure me, as she, Chris and I left Winds' class - Chris and Sian had both been making objects zoom across the room to them all lesson, as though they were both a sort of weird magnet for board dusters, wastepaper baskets and Lunascopes.

"Sian's right, Kiara," Chris said gently. "You just weren't concentrating properly - "

"Wonder why that was?" I said darkly, as Georgia Diggs walked past, surrounded by a large group of boys, all of whom looked at me as though I was a particularly large Shudder-Ended Crab. "Still - never mind, eh? Double Potions to look forward to this afternoon ..."

Double Potions was always a horrible experience, but in those days it was nothing short of torture. Being shut in a dungeon for an hour and a half with Triphorm and the Snake-Eyes, all of whom seemed determined to punish me as much as possible for daring to become school champion, was about the most unpleasant thing I could imagine. I had already struggled through one Friday's worth, with Chris on one side of me and Sian on the other, both intoning "Ignore them, ignore them, ignore them" under their breaths, and I couldn't see why that should have been any better.

When Chris, Sian and I arrived outside Triphorm's dungeon after lunch, we found the Snake-Eyes bunch waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes - apart from Rae-Bradley, funnily enough. I thought this was rather odd, for she always followed whatever Malty did, but then I thought back to the looks she had been giving me and not joining in her cousin's laughter; and that's when I asked myself: could Rae-Bradley be changing? Before I had any time to ponder on this thought, however, my eyes were caught by the badges, because for one mild moment I thought they were H.A.M.E. badges - then I saw that they all bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:

Support GEORGIA DIGGS -

the REAL Dragon Mort Champion

"Like them, Pride-Lander?" said Malty loudly, as I approached. "And this isn't all they do - look!"

She pressed her badge into her chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:

PRIDE-LANDER STINKS

All the Snake-Eyes howled with laughter, apart from Rae-Bradley, who looked uncomfortable at their laughter, whilst also looking that she wished that she was somewhere else. Then all the Snake-Eyes people wearing the badges pressed them, too, until the message PRIDE-LANDER STINKS was shining brightly all around me. I remember the heat rising in my face and neck at that moment; not out of embarrassment - but out of my rising anger.

"Oh, very funny," Chris said sarcastically to Parry Parker and his gang of Snake-Eyes boys, who were laughing harder than anyone.

"Really witty," Sian added, just as sarcastically.

Chrissie was standing against the wall with Dena, Zara and Sarah Rimmer. She wasn't laughing, but she wasn't sticking up for me either.

"Want one, Rickers? Dawson?" said Malty, holding two badges out for them. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, Dawson, now, for I've just washed it, you see, and I don't want a Sackbrain shining it up."

That was the last straw for me, for I felt some of the anger that I had been feeling for days and days finally came bursting through a dam in my chest. I reached for my wand before I had given a thought to what I happened to be doing. People all around us scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.

"Kiara!" Sian said warningly. I ignored her.

"Go on, then, Pride-Lander," Malty said quietly, drawing out her own wand. "Grumpy's not here to look after you now - do it, if you've got the guts - "

For a split second, we looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same moment, both of us acted.

"Fernunculus!" I yelled.

"Densaugeo!" screamed Malty.

Jets of light shot from both our wands, hit each other in mid-air, and ricocheted off at angles - I hit Gabber in the face, and Malty's hit Sian. Gabber bellowed and put her hands up to her nose, where great ugly boils were springing up - Sian, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.

"Sian!" Chrissie had hurried forwards to see what was wrong with her.

Chris and I turned at the same time to see Chrissie dragging Sian's hand away from her face. It wasn't a pretty sight. Sian's front teeth were growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, towards her chin - panic-stricken, she felt them and let out a terrified cry.

"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft, deadly voice. Triphorm had arrived.

The Snake-Eyes clamoured to give their explanations. Triphorm pointed a long yellow finger at Malty and said, "Explain."

"Pride-Lander attacked me, ma'am - "

"We attacked each other at the same time!" I shouted.

" - and she hit Gabber - look - "

Triphorm examined Gabber, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.

"Hospital wing, Gabber," said Triphorm calmly.

"Malty got Sian!" Chrissie said. "Look!"

And she forced Sian to show Triphorm her teeth - she was dong her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown past her collar. Parry Parker and many other Snake-Eyes were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Sian from behind Triphorm's back.

Triphorm looked coldly at Sian, then said, "I see no difference."

Sian's eyes filled with angry tears as she glared at Triphorm and the Snake-Eyes bunch. She then walked slowly towards Triphorm, pushed her face forward and, instead of growling like she had done the last time, roared a powerful, strong roar that echoed off the walls. But she didn't just glare this time, oh no; for you see, her eyes and hair transformed into fire as she roared, which made everyone jump backwards in shock and fright, and that also made the Snake-Eyes' laughter stop. Triphorm looked nonplussed, but I thought for an instant that I saw a hint of fear behind her eyes. When she stopped her roar, the fire faded too, although her hair smoked slightly. She then glared a little longer at Triphorm, before she made her way through the crowd, who all stood back to let her pass.

When she had gone, Chris, Chrissie and I rounded on Triphorm. It was lucky, perhaps, that the three of us shouted at Triphorm at the same time; lucky our voices echoed as loudly as Sian's roar in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for her to hear exactly what we were calling her. She got the point, though.

"Let's see," she said, in her silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Lion-Heart and a detention each for Dawson, Pride-Lander and Rickers. Now, get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

I remember well how my ears rang, for the injustice of it made me want to curse Triphorm into a thousand slimy pieces. I passed Triphorm, walked with Chris and Chrissie to the back of the dungeon and slammed my bag down on to the table. Chris was shaking with anger and Chrissie was glaring, looking straight ahead of her - for a moment, it felt as though everything was back to normal between us, but then Chrissie turned, and sat down with Dena, Zara and Sarah instead, leaving Chris and I alone at our table. On the other side of the dungeon, Malty turned her back on Triphorm, and pressed her badge, smirking. PRIDE-LANDER STINKS flashed once more across the room.

I sat there staring at Triphorm, as the lesson began, picturing horrific things happening to her ... I wished at that moment that I knew how to do the Cruciatus Curse ... I would have had Triphorm on her back like that spider, jerking and twitching.

"Antidotes!" said Triphorm, looking around at all of us, her cold blue-grey eyes glittering unpleasantly. "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then we will be selecting someone on whom we will test one ..."

Triphorm's eyes met mine then, and I knew what was coming. Triphorm was going to poison me. At that moment, I imagined picking up my cauldron , sprinting up to the front of the class and bringing it down on Triphorm's greasy head -

And then a knock on the dungeon door burst in on my thoughts. I thought that the universe must have taken some sort of pity on me, at first ...

0000

A.N.: Sorry for cutting this chapter short, but I thinks it's best to be split. I know that the wand weighing does not take place in this part, but I couldn't think of another chapter name. More to come and I hope you guys are enjoying it.