Okay, this chapter took a long time. No excuse, but it was a pain to write but I'm really excited for the stuff that comes next so hopefully it won't take nearly as long next time. See you then!
By lunch the next day, everyone knew that Luffy had made the Quidditch team and for once it wasn't because Luffy couldn't keep a secret. It seemed that Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor team had gotten so excited he told the rest of the team in the middle of the great hall, and of course, everyone else heard it. Fred and George, Nami's older twin brothers swung by when the crew wandered in and took their usual seats and gave Luffy terrible advice that had the pint-sized captain rolling with laughter and left Nami rolling his eyes and promising better tips later.
"That catch was amazing!" Seamus Finnigan said waving his fork in the air. "And then how you went whoosh! Right up the side of the castle, it was so cool. You should have seen it, Neville!"
Neville had been patched up and sent on his way just in time for dinner. Zoro, who had once again taken up residence at the Gryffindor table, had carefully handed the blond boy the remembrall. Luffy had handed the little glass sphere to his first-mate before being dragged off by McGonagall with a quick promise to return it to its rightful owner if Luffy couldn't.
Neville had taken his gran's gift with a thankful smile to which Zoro simply told the boy to thank Luffy since he was the one who got the thing back.
"It was dangerous," Hermione said from her spot next to Neville. "You were lucky not to have fallen off your broom like Neville did."
Luffy just grinned at her and the conversation naturally paused as the mail was beginning to arrive. Luffy had taken his regular seat next to Nami with Zoro across from them, Neville having thanked Luffy for saving his gift had retreated two seats down the table next to Hermione. They were close enough to speak but there always seemed to be a kind of distance between the crew and everyone else at Hogwarts.
"Luffy, Shirohige has something," the keen-eyed navigator said spotting Luffy's owl flying toward them.
"Huh? Wha' izit?" Luffy asked through a mouth full of his lunch making Hermione wrinkle her nose at his poor manners.
"It looks like…." Zoro began as the owl moved closer. "A broom?"
"Huh?" Luffy asked again why would Shirohige bring him a broom? It was about that time Shirohige reached them and dropped the package into Luffy's waiting hands. The white owl circled back and landed next to Nami also delivering a fat letter from Robin.
"There's a note!" Nami said snatching it up ignoring Robin's letter for now
DO NOT OPEN AT THE TABLE
Congratulations on making the house team, captain.
-Soul King
"It's from-" Luffy tried to shout but Nami slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Shut up, idiot," Nami hissed. "You can't go shouting that, it will look like favoritism."
"It is," Zoro said dryly. Brook sat at the head table with a wide grin on his face and the smile only got larger when he waved and the crew all waved back.
"But not everyone else needs to know that," Nami said. "Anyway, let's get out of here and check this thing out, what do you say Luffy?"
"Yeah!"
Luffy clutched the package to him tightly as the trio rushed out of the Great Hall. Nami and Zoro were speculating as to what kind it was when they ran straight into Draco Malfoy.
"Watch where you are going!" Draco hissed brushing away imaginary dirt. Behind him, the two hulking figures of Crabbe and Goyle stood by as they waited for Malfoy to do something.
"Sorry, sorry!" Luffy chirped practically bouncing in place. "Come on guys, lets goooooo!" Luffy demanded as he drug the last word impatiently.
"What's that?" Malfoy demanded when he saw the package in Luffy's arms. "A broom?" Draco's sneer melted into a smirk. "You're in for it now, Potter. First years aren't allowed brooms."
"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" Professor Flitwick called as he walked upon the scene.
"Potter's got a broom, Professor," Malfoy tattled smirking at the trio of two Gryffindors and one Slytherin.
The charms professor brightened and looked at the long package Luffy held. "Oh yes, congratulations, Potter," Flitwick said cheerfully. "Professor McGonagall was very excited when she told us about your catch and making the house team."
Luffy grinned widely and behind him, Nami and Zoro had to hide smirks at the dismayed look on Malfoy's face. "Well, run along now," the charms professor said with a smile as he turned to enter the great hall.
Luffy waved cheerfully to the small professor and started bouncing again. "Come on!" He demanded.
"You think you're so great Potter," Malfoy spat glaring hatefully at the happy Gryffindor once the professor was out of earshot.
Luffy tilted his head to the side and regarded the blond curiously, while Luffy and Nami watched the exchange tense. Luffy had been spoiling for a fight. Zoro had indulged him a few days ago in the come-and-go room but Nami and Brook had been able to see just how hard their captain found adjusting to not having his devil fruit.
Luffy had explained that he had, had his rubber abilities since he was young and even if his body wasn't capable of the same feats his mind remembered them At least that was what Nami had gotten from his explanation and it made sense. Nami and Zoro didn't have that problem. Before he used his clima-tact Nami used a staff and Zoro had been training with swords in this life for years.
"I'll show you!" Draco said glaring. "Midnight, in the trophy room. I challenge you to a wizard's duel!"
"Eh?" Luffy asked turning to look at Zoro and Nami.
Zoro smirked and crossed his arms across his chest. "He wants to fight you, Luffy," Zoro explained.
"The two of you will meet in the trophy room and use magic to duel each other," Nami clarified further, stressing the word magic."I doubt you'll be able to do more than shoot sparks at each other. It's not like we've learned many spells."
"Ooh," Luffy said nodding. A magic duel might be fun, he thought. "Sure!"
Draco scoffed and shook his head in disgust at Luffy's carefree attitude. "Duels are not to be taken lightly!" Draco snapped. "Crabbe is my second, who is yours?"
"I am," Zoro said darkly stepping forward. The swordsman watched as Draco seemed to pale, an impressive feat considering his naturally pale skin tone. It wasn't well known but the Malfoy and Zabini family had been bringing their heirs together for years in an attempt to cultivate a friendship between the two families. The Malfoy heir was very familiar with his fellow Slytherin's swordsmanship training which had begun when they were both very young, and if that training carried over to wand work than Blaise would be a fearsome foe.
"R-right," Draco muttered looking away. "Tonight, then!"
"See you later!" Luffy said brightly. Draco and his two companions stomped into the great hall leaving Luffy, Zoro, and Nami standing with Luffy still holding his broom.
"Can we go now?" Luffy asked.
Nami and Zoro shared a look and shrugged, neither were particularly worried about the duel and they were very curious about the broom. "Let's go out to the pitch," Nami suggested. "None of the teams are practicing right now so you can try it out."
"Yay!"
"It'll be fine as long as he remembers not to punch the little rat," Nami said watching Luffy zoom through the sky.
"I'm not worried," Zoro said dryly. He was taking a break from throwing snitch-sized balls for Luffy to catch. "And neither is he. You're the only one worried about that."
"Luffy could really hurt him, Zoro," Nami snapped. "He might not be at normal-Luffy level, yet, but he is still stronger than the other students! You are too, for that matter. You have to be careful."
"What is up with you?" Zoro asked cutting off anything else Nami would have said. "You are always talking about being cautious. With our strength, with our secrets. What do you know that we don't, Nami?"
The redhead's face closed off for a brief second and then Zoro watched as a smile crossed the boy's face. "There's nothing wrong, Zoro," Nami said in a voice that sounded sincere but made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. "I'm just worried. What we can do isn't normal and I'm being cautious. I don't know any more than you do."
"Hey, Zoro!" Luffy called. "Let's practice some more!"
"Sure, Luffy," Zoro said standing from his spot on the grass. He picked up the basket of small white balls that they had been using for practice and plucked one out of the pile. Still mind still on Nami.
Nami was hiding something, Zoro was sure of that. He hadn't seen that look on the navigator's face since before Luffy beat Arlong, back when Nami had been keeping secrets from the crew. The swordsman wondered if Luffy had noticed. Probably not, Zoro admitted to himself. Luffy was naturally trusting and never wanted to think the worst of his crew. That was what Zoro was for, so Zoro would wait and when whatever Nami was lying to him about blew up in their faces he would be ready and they would handle it.
"Remember," Nami hissed as they crept down the stairs. "No punching."
"No punching," Luffy parroted. The pint-sized captain and his navigator were sneaking out of their dorm, both dressed in their uniform minus the robe because Luffy claimed he'd trip over the flowing material. Nami's watch said it was coming up on 11 pm, so they had a little more than an hour to get to the trophy room and wait for Malfoy.
Nami had wondered aloud if Malfoy would even show up but Luffy had shaken his head and declared firmly, Malfoy wasn't such a coward that he wouldn't show.
"Just use one of the spells Fred and George taught you earlier," Nami said. Nami and Luffy had made the mistake of discussing the upcoming duel in the common room after dinner. Thankfully only Fred, George and Hermione heard them. Hermione had been scandalized by the idea of fighting, and even more by the idea of breaking curfew. The twins, however, had gleefully offered to teach Luffy one or two spells that if the duel should occur would have him win. Luffy had soaked up the information like a sponge.
"Got it!" Luffy chirped.
"Where are we meeting Zoro?" Nami asked as he struggled to remember what the swordsman had said.
"Zoro said he would meet us in the trophy room," Luffy said, sounding a little uncertain. Even with the trouble, Luffy had with directions, Nami was constantly making sure his captain didn't wander off while they were trying to go to classes, Zoro was infinitely worse.
Nami grimaced and shook his head. "We won't see him until transfiguration tomorrow," He said mournfully. "If then."
Luffy sniggered quietly and tugged Nami along into the common room. The fire was burning low but thankfully there were no other students that they could see. "All clear!" Luffy declared a bit too loud.
"Shhh!" Nami shushed him. "We've got to be quiet remember?"
"Oops," Luffy said regretfully looking around the room to make sure no one had heard him.
"You aren't really going to be so foolish, are you?" A voice called from the stairs.
Nami and Luffy jerked around in surprise but Nami relaxed when he saw it was Hermione and not a prefect. "It's none of your business," Nami said casually, not in a mean way. Hermione was slightly difficult to get along with, but Nami kind of liked the girl. She was very smart, a little too trusting and very naive but Nami didn't dislike her like the majority of first year Gryffindors seemed too.
"You getting into trouble is my business! If you get caught out after curfew, you'll lose the points I earned today in charms!" Hermione insisted. "It will reflect badly on the House and that affects everyone."
Nami rolled his eyes. "Fred and George get in trouble all the time, and it doesn't 'reflect badly' on the house when they do it," Nami said as he ushered Luffy toward the portrait guarding the door.
Hermione sniffed and tilted her chin stubbornly. "It does too! They just don't care," Hermione said somewhat angrily.
"You're not wrong there," Nami agreed. His brothers cared very little for what other people thought.
"Nami! We're going to be late for the duel," Luffy whined. "Let's go!"
The pint-sized captain grabbed his navigator's wrist and pulled the redhead out of the common room. Hermione, not done scolding them, came too.
"You're going to get in trouble!" She hissed.
"Don't care," Luffy said plainly. "We haven't gone on an adventure in ages! This is close enough!"
Hermione turned to Nami in hopes that the redheaded boy could talk Luffy out of it, but the navigator just shrugged helplessly. "He's the captain and what he says goes," Nami said a little helplessly.
"This is no time for your game of pirates!" Hermione hissed. "The fat lady is gone!" The guardian of Gryffindor Tower had disappeared from her frame. "We can't get back in!"
"Just wait here until she comes back," Nami said. "We have to go."
"Boys!" Hermione complained when Nami and Luffy began walking off leaving her behind. "Wait up! When we get caught I'm going to tell the professors that you were sneaking out and that I was trying to talk you out of it. You can back me up."
"Not going to happen," Nami shot back. "Now either keep up or wait here."
"Nami? Luffy?"
"Zoro!" Luffy cheered pouncing on his first-mate. "I thought you were going to meet us in the trophy room?"
"I'm on my way now," Zoro said crossing his arms over his chest as he ignored Luffy plastered to his side.
"Zoro…" Nami said with a pained look on his face. "This is Gryffindor tower…. You are nowhere near the trophy room."
"What? You guys are messing with me," Zoro said irritated. "I left an hour early to beat you there! There's no way!"
"You've been wandering around for an hour?" Hermione asked. "And you haven't been caught?"
"Oh hey, what's she doing here?" Zoro asked when he noticed Hermione for the first time. "Is she joining the crew?"
Nami shrugged and turned to where Luffy had been standing and swore. "Luffy!"
The pint-sized captain was gone.
"Where'd he go?" Zoro asked looking around as if Luffy would pop out of nowhere.
"I don't know!" Nami hissed. "He got impatient and wandered off, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner."
"Well let's go to the trophy room," Zoro said with a careless shrug. "He'll get there on his own."
Nami sighed and nodded, the pirates ignored Hermione's doubtful look. Zoro and Luffy had developed quite the reputation for getting lost. "Don't worry," Nami said, mostly to himself. "Luffy always shows up exactly when and where he needs to be."
NEXT TIME: LUFFY's NIGHTTIME ADVENTURE! ~ A DUEL WITH DRACO
I'm considering doing something fun when I reach 200 reviews, I just haven't decided what yet.