Chapter 13

'She's led me into a bloody Cult', it was about the only thought that Pansy could muster as Harrier walked off to the centre of the clearing, 'she's just been fattening me up as a sacrifice or something'. Pansy's thoughts were fleeting as she used an amount of internal sarcasm to cope with what was, in all honesty, quite the nerve wracking setting she'd been led to.

Harrier's following movements once again transfixed and wowed her as she watched. The girl walked up to the Rune stone that commanded the centre of the clearing, it's stone carved symbols were ancient and indecipherable in its eroded and mossy state. Its very tip was inverted like a small bowl, Pansy's neck prickled as she heard Parceltongue being spoken again while Harrier offered out her hand to the stone. The snake necklace slithered from her hand onto the stone where it released its hold of the small white orb. The gem within the necklace that it usually coiled around so protectively, now released, and rolled into the centre of the Rune stone.

The dark pupils of Pansy's eyes reflected a brilliant lightning blue as the Rune stone began to erupt into unrelenting light, it began to dim until settling into a glow and she was then able to see that it shone from every symbol and carving. It appeared to her that it took energy from the gem now placed upon it. The old, cracked, and decrepit stone immediately breathing new life into its surroundings, lighting up the clearing beautifully with a blue light now mixing with the green from the glowing skull flame. As if on cue it seemed to intensify the light of the full moon high above, and they were all bathed in a pleasant atmosphere.

"That was fun", Harrier said almost too brightly with an unnerving amount of contrast from how she had been wistfully breathing her words towards Pansy moments before. "Ladies!" she cried.

As had already been all that Pansy could do, she yet again watched on as four girls took out their wands and in a fluid motion, waved about themselves as they each transfigured their own dresses. All the same shapeless, formless black dresses, Harrier looked all the fiercer as it wrapped around her form in an edgy pencil style with sharp threatening collar. Tracey's now a short, flared number with daring corset straps, Liza's a shoulder-less flowing dress that hugged her shapely form and Farah had finished a very open and revealing dress with long leg split and a number of eastern design notes. All four in there now much more elaborate black dresses conjured a tree stump each and sat themselves down neatly. Tracey, with a very cheeky smile pointed her wand at Pansy and conjured one for her. Still as unenlightened as she had been, Pansy slowly sat and drank in the scene with all the more confusion.

Laughing at her, Liza spoke up, "well you didn't really think we were just some arcane coven did you". She accepted a saucer and cup that Farah had conjured and began levitating out to each of them. Pansy took hers recognising it as tea.

"Because of course, we are in fact, an arcane coven", Tracey beamed as she toasted the air with her China cup.

"We're just not so, outmoded as we probably once were", Farah joined in, "nothing wrong with a little modern class so long as we respect the old ways".

Pansy watched as Farah's tea set continued to dance merrily in midair, orbiting them all, ready for use. She took a well needed sugar lump and stirred it into her tea, she needed whatever boost she could get right now. She shook her head at them expectantly, "someone please help me out here".

Harrier gave the others a look and they fell inline smiling, once again the girl Pansy took as being possibly the coldest and most calculating of the group gave her a kind smile. "Pansy, we are the 'Girls and Ladies of Slytherin'", they each nodded their heads in a little bow. "Or 'The Gal's' if you like", Harrier went on, "We are the current four members in a line that has never been broken that stretches back hundreds and hundreds of years at Hogwarts, back to an earlier age". "Never more than Six, no fewer than Three, our numbers have been endless since we began. We have been one of an untold number of secret societies in this school, but one of the oldest and most prestigious".

"I've never heard...", Pansy shook her head, rolling her eyes, "secret, society… Shut up Davies", she heard the giggling to her right. "So, well what do the Girls and Ladies of Slytherin do exactly".

Again, Harrier was kind as she patiently explained, "Well I am Maior Soror which means Elder Sister, traditionally the society was created under the umbrella of a coven and the head Witch being the High Priestess", again there was a rustle of sniggering. "As you can see from my idiot sister's, the idea of trying to keep such things going, this lot referring to me as a high priestess", she shook her head, "we've had to evolve a lot". "For the longest time we've been a sisterhood, our practices the same but…", Harrier drank from her cup and waved a hand, "no one ever said we didn't have to do it without style". "As for what we do, we keep tradition of course, a sacrifice to curse obviously, a blessing or two for one lucky student but mostly were here to force each other to leave this school wielding the most powerful magic, the strongest of minds and be formidable Witches in whatever fields we go into".

Pansy was in awe as she heard all they had to share with her. The history was so long there were hundreds of Gal's of all ages out in the world, all ex Slytherin house and all the stronger and more successful for it. And perhaps the more influential for Pansy at that time, the offer of Sisterhood.

Ron's hand came up to his face in the last moment as he stopped the Quaffle from hitting him in the jaw. It hit his palm with enough force that it stung his hand and knocked his head back. Growling in anger he sped away, Quaffle in one hand, his brooms handle in the other. He pulled up into a loop, spiralling back on himself as he picked up speed. As he reached peak velocity he launched the ball hard at his target. Harry caught it with his chest, it knocked the wind out of him and sent him reeling, only staying on his broom through sheer grip strength.

Harry swore loudly and tried to slingshot around one of the Quidditch Pitch goal posts for momentum as he aimed to send the ball right back at his best mate. "Your just being as stubborn an arse as ever!" he shouted as he let fly.

Again, Ron was quicker and managed to catch the ball before it hit him. Harry had enough power to send it with a zesty sting in its capture, but he didn't have the strength Ron had to make it count when he threw it back in anger.

Harry was undoubtably quicker on a broom and his reaction time a scary blur, but this wasn't flying after a dainty Snitch as it danced the pitch. Whatever this fight was it had turned into propelling a Quaffle at each other as hard as they could to stop them from coming to blows and it played more into Ron's hands. Ron was used to playing keeper at home, much longer than Harry had been flying and he knew how to launch a ball into open play.

Ron heaved as he wound back before firing it straight for Harry's head, "your just pissed I don't need to be following you around to enjoy myself". He threw it so hard it missed the top of Harry's head by a foot.

The seeker got low in his saddle and tore through the air like a dart, capturing the larger ball before it hit the ground. Not stopping the momentum Harry sped on into a dive, aiming right for Ron as he dove like a bullet. Not slowing he allowed his Firebolt to give him the speed his arm couldn't and let loose as he got close. "You're acting like a bloody child!"

The ball hit Ron as he caught it in his chest, both arms wrapped around it but the force was enough to knock him back. He tumbled off his broom with just enough awareness to catch the handle with his foot as he hooked it. He fell to the ground but so too had his broom. Harry saw him fall and a panic sent a lump to his throat as he watched Ron fall, they were still high enough to be dangerous. Harry threw an arm out to grab him but Ron caught the handle of his broom as it fell. With one hand on the handle he hooked the foot holds with his leg. It meant he managed to dangle off his broom as he fell, it slowed him enough to just break his fall. Harry, missing him as he fell, watched as Ron clattered to the floor, He was relieved to see Ron broke his own momentum but it was still a hell of a fall.

As Harry touched down he reached to help but Ron swatted away at his hand. Standing Ron spat a tuft of grass he'd caught in the face and bore his eyes into Harry. Immediately getting Harry's back up again the two began to shove each other. So far there had been a lot of shouting in the air, hardly any of it heard by the other, but now there was as much posturing and chest puffing as possible. It bubbled over as Harry rushed in and Ron pulled him into a head lock. Ron pulled to lift Harry off his feet, all the stronger, Harry wrapped a leg around Ron taking him off balance, all the resilient.

The two rolled around in the cold grass, neither getting the upper hand for long over the other. They both scrapped around clawing and doing their best to unknowingly pull their punches.

"I'm sorry!" Pansy scoffed as absurdity, caught up with her, She lifted the teapot from the tray as it floated past and poured herself another cup, "you're a Parcelmouth!"

Harrier nodded her head, "well not exactly, I speak some Parceltongue but I'm not a Parcelmouth. It can be learnt and all Maior Soror have to be able to speak it to a degree. That's where Aspis comes in", she lazily raised a hand to the top of the Runestone where the snake lay coiled, sleep like. "He's our most treasured relic past from every leader from the first to the last. It's the ancient magic that was used to create him that powers the stone, that gives life to all this", she waved her hands.

As Pansy looked around, she saw that the clearing seemed to have come alive with light and she only now began to notice the movement of the clearing around her. The flames from the skull were still burning, sending up streams of tiny embers that spiralled and floated overhead where they whirled around like glittering burning stars. Then looking down she realised the tree stump she was sat on was levitating lightly off the ground, a look round and it was the same for them all. They were all quite literally floating ambiently in long slow circles within the clearing. Everything around them seemed to orbit slowly about them. And in contrast to the dark, blackness of the forest surrounding the light from the skull, the life from the stone, the embers, and curiouser still, that feint arcane whispering she thought she could hear earlier was back. It all made for a symphony of sound and stars, a moving galaxy all around them that made her feel that this must be what it was like in the vastness of space.

"It's a lot to take in", Farah leaned to her, "I threw up when I joined, just over there. Thought they were all mad. Thought I was high when I started seeing everything moving in here".

"So, it's not just me then", she looked at them all, "I'm actually awake then, this isn't some cheese dream".

Tracey gave her a wink, "our little inner sanctum, but its not just some random spot this really is ancient ground for us".

"The magic here is almost as old as parts of the castle", Harrier again, "the underline has always been the same, unity and sisterhood but the practices have changed".

"It's", she shook her head, "it's beautiful, I can feel magic floating around me, but it's different its…". She glanced at them all, paranoia poked at her, but no one was giggling or smirking, they seemed to smile in knowing. "I've never felt anything like it".

"This is cosmic magic Pansy" Harrier said gently, "this place, 'The Cascade' it's been named, was made to channel the magic around us that's forgotten and goes unused. The moon is powerful but taken for granted, but she is also female and every month we use our benefit as women to claim that unused energy to better ourselves".

Pansy could have listened to the details on this place and their history for hours, honest fascination gripped her. Then a thought made her pull a face, "wait, when you said sacrifices…they didn't…".

"No of course not", Harrier laughed, "but a Slytherin will always be a Slytherin and we have more memories than most, so even today we offer up someone deserving for a good curse, maybe a nice month of acne…".

"A nasty break up", suggested Liza.

"Nasty case of diarrhoea", Farah chimed.

"Disastrous hair days", Tracey smiled, "when did you last see Granger with decent hair", she added with a panto whisper.

Pansy shrieked with laughter, "and this works?"

Harrier shrugged, "sometimes, sometimes not. But these are our traditions, we try to balance it with an unsuspecting charm for someone too, perhaps someone deserving of a break or good fortune". Harrier gave her a very sharp look down the end of her nose, "but as I said were Slytherin's, and everyone has their own interpretation of what being a Slytherin means but when 'Gal's' was created they had their own rhetoric". "You and I", Harrier nodded, "are Pure Blood, but half bloods have been welcomed from the beginning here. Those who were cruel and unkind", again that same sharp look, "would not have been accepted by Aspis".

Pansy knew she wasn't being judged and bowed her head back in understanding. "So that before", she rubbed her hand remembering where she had been bit, "that was more than just for show",

"Exactly, we would never have accepted you, before", again Pansy didn't react as Harrier hesitated, she understood the nod to the changes she'd allowed in herself, "but even though I agreed with Tracey when she begged me to consider you. That you were seemingly more and more the perfect fit for us, he could have rejected you".

"So other than cursing Gryffindor's what else do you do?"

"We meet monthly regardless, traditionally we met monthly as the stone and the moonstone on Aspis keep their magic through moonlight. Magical Perpetuation, Aspis powers all this on nights the moon is full, the light of the full moon recharges Aspis. Then there is our core practice. Each chapter in time has given to some form of magic as part of ritual worship, Divination, Astrology and so on, our chapter in time as Gal's has been to honour the moon's cycle's".

"It benefits us in a lot of ways", Tracey came in, "the Moon in its monthly cycle has a calendar all to itself. January's Wolf Moon, Februarys Snow Moon or like now, Septembers Harvest Moon".

"Each lunar cycle offers a vastly unique assist to magical power", Liza spoke up, "October's Hunter Moon is incredible for helping learn offensive magic quickly and more effectively".

"And", Farah said with a dark smile, "this is a safe and warded place. No one can stumble across it or interfere; we can teach ourselves anything we need to help us succeed".

Pansy felt something click into place in the back of her mind. All the levitating, drowsy smoke-filled air and blissful light had her floating like she was sat in Trelawney's chintzy warm classroom. But they had just slotted everything into place for her. "So you keep tradition, the dresses, the ritual… quote, sacrifices", she looked around at them all, "you look to the science of magic, your chapter being Lunar Astro Magical Chartering…".

"Lunar Astro Magical Chartering", Tracey said grinning, "genius, I love her!"

"…But you focus on perfecting each other's power and skill", Pansy paused, "but keep it completely gorgeous with the dresses".

"Exactly!"

"Alright", gasped Harry pushing away from Ron, the two kneeling against each other in the middle of the pitch exhausted. "I'm sorry about…before, and what I said".

"I'm sorry I was in a bad mood", Ron staggered to his feet cupping the back of his head and rubbing his ribs. "I tried to not care; it was just tough the first time".

"I think you can manage it", Harry was holding his jaw and limping through the pain in his leg, "your stronger than you know".

"Your full of crap, but thanks anyway", Ron panted back. "Mate, look, I really did struggle with it today but I'm sticking to what I said this morning. This can work". He bent down picking up there brooms, tossing Harry his Firebolt and leaning on his like a crutch. "That's a hell of a shiner coming through by the way".

"Thanks, you've a fat lip already, how long you reckon till she catches on we did it to each other?" Harry took Ron's lead and gratefully leaned on his broom.

"How quickly can you lie to her under pressure", Ron laughed, seeing Harry thinking he answered for him, "that's how quick she'll have us". He smirked as he added, "and I'm favourite right now so your getting it in the ear not me".

"What!" Harry scoffed, "but I'm her boyfriend, how do you figure that one out".

"Because! you're her boyfriend", Ron thumped him hard in the shoulder, "your job is to take an ear full any time she's pissed at something, trust me I'm well out of it at this point, she's your problem".

"Crap!" Harry muttered, "you're an arse you know that".

"Yep", Ron summoned the Quaffle and sent it soaring to Harry, this time without the force. "Think you've got enough in you for some Keeper practice, trials are days away".

"I guess, keep forgetting about that. Fly half as sharp as you did tonight and I think they'll offer you my spot never mind Keeper".

After a few more minutes of catching their breath and licking there wounds the two rose up into the pitch for another half hours' worth of flying as Harry began to attack the goals that Ron circled. The two accepted the fact that them getting physical was probably something that was set in stone once the relationship had come out, but it was done privately away from the eyes of the school and helped them both work it out as best they could. They were both more than a little sore by this point and tired out but they went into practice with as much as each could muster.

Pansy again, found herself being blindly led by Tracey, this time followed by what she now knew to be her sisters. They had spent time going into the details of what they did and how they did it. The 'Sacrifices' she found was an extremely fun part of the night as they all cackled in hysterics. Each going into detail on who they hated enough to put a name forward for consideration and coming up with what they felt was a just curse. It all came across as unreal nonsense to Pansy, but it was a most welcome activity. Especially when Tracey kept grinning at Pansy as she repeated Granger's name the umpteenth time.

Pansy was given a silver and black broach which was ordained with a tiny embossed Aspis that slithered and coiled complete with tiny Emerald eye. This she was shown by them all was worn on the inside of the collar on their school robes. It remained hidden from sight and was only really to be worn on nights they met but was an important item once they left school. According to Harrier there were hundreds of former members alive and well in the world and they all wore them proudly. A secret signal to any that might recognise it and allow them to greet a fellow sister. It could be the difference in getting a job if an interviewer was a sister or just in assisting one another in life beyond school.

She also watched on in mild fascination as Harrier yet again spoke Parceltongue to Aspis as he collected the Moon Stone, as she learnt it to be. Then saw as the life the light breathed into the Runestone and the clearing slowly depleted before finding its way back around Harrier's neck.

But that had ended, she found that this wasn't a scheduled Gal's night and that would be upcoming on the full moon. Tonight, was only for the benefit of Pansy and her initiation.

They had stepped out of the Forest and were now walking the shore of the Black Lake, in a different direction to where her and Tracey had passed earlier. Now in the dark velvet of black on distant blue under the moon, the sky was alive in starlight. As she looked to the distance she saw a feint glow of yet more fire, it was small and casting shadows as they approached.

Remaining silent, as she had learnt her questions and griping went unanswered anyway, they neared the small bonfire located on the shoreline. Here Pansy now saw five old school brooms propped against each other just waiting in firelight.

"I love this tradition", Tracey squealed as she took a broom and started to remove her cloak.

"Of course you do, your Bi", Liza hissed at her.

"Shut up", Tracey shot back, "am not! And don't you start", she added looking at Pansy.

Pansy wanted to laugh but, in all honesty, didn't understand where that had come from until she noticed that they had all removed their cloaks but hadn't stopped there. They were all undressing, slipping out of their dresses and stepping into the cold in just their underwear. Or lack of in some cases, unsure what kind Tracey and Farah was sporting, Pansy felt it inexistant.

"Someone tell Pansy before she has a stroke", Farah laughed as she, now almost naked pulled her cloak back on over her shoulders.

"Take a guess what were going to go and do to celebrate your induction, just like they did a thousand years ago", Tracey mocked, the humour in her voice bubbling over again.

"Are you all mental", Pansy exclaimed, "all the mead in the world isn't getting me up there naked".

Harrier stepped forward and drew her wand, for a split-second Pansy thought she was about to be forced to fight her but she picked up Pansy's cloak and tapped it with her wand as it began to faintly disorientate the colour into a viscus invisibility. "Temporary disillusionment charm, and-…", Harrier tapped it again, "…-warming charm. Its not perfect but keeps us mostly hidden and warm enough in the wind". Harrier pushed it into Pansy's arms but again offered her a caring look, "come on, it'll be a laugh".

Tracey had already kicked off from the ground flashing away here and there under the cloak that kept her mostly hidden. "Think of it as moonlight skinny dipping in the stars".

With not a lot of protest and a lot of trust being shown on her part, Pansy pushed through the crippling anxiety and stripped off to the howls and cheers from Tracey and Farah. She wrapped the cloak around her and tied it off. Harrier was right, it wasn't perfect, but it really did help and as she pushed off, she was happy to see that they were all mostly novices on brooms. Everyone managed some basic speed and manoeuvring as taught by Madam Hooch but they were all equal in that regard. That was except for Tracey who enjoyed flying and was looping around them like an annoying bluebottle.

Tracey did a great job in entertaining them all and kept cracking Pansy into laughter. As a group the merriment spread among them like wildfire as they took a joyride around the grounds. Sweeping across the open grounds, took a brave height to see who could stomach getting as close to the Astronomy Tower as they circled it.

Tracey being bold enough to rocket up to the Gryffindor Tower. "Pansy!" she bellowed, "should come up for a look, think I can see Weasley showering".

Pansy swore back up at her over more cackling from the broom mounted Witches as they continued on moving away from the castle to pass a wide arch back over the grounds one last time before retreating to bed.

Ron dived full bodily from his mount catching the Quaffle mid jump in his chest, as he did his momentum carried him forward where he landed back over his broom. He fell back into the seat with a heavy bump that rattled his chest against the handle, another reckless dive he couldn't believe he'd pulled off but thrilled had worked.

Harry slid into a skid to stop next to him with a pale look to his face. "That's enough for me mate, I'm having kittens watching you pull these off". Ron gave him a look and Harry hit him hard in the shoulder, "idiot!" he huffed, "I'm not starting again, and its brilliant. I just don't get this lunatic approach to your flying".

"I won't lie, I'd never have attempted half of what I've been pulling off these past nights if I hadn't taken the news on you two so hard". Ron pulled a face as he contemplated that, then smirked as he said, "but still, reckon I'm a better flyer than you because of it though".

"Oh bloody hell", chuckled Harry, "two days of some risky moves and you're the gods gift to flying now".

"Mate seriously, I reckon I've got you licked. And I reckon its your broom, its too powerful".

"Bolloc-…", Harry swore with a laugh, "you're a better flyer because my brooms too powerful?"

"Sure, think about it…"

"I'd rather not", Harry interrupted with a smirk.

"Ok", Ron flapped, "you fly straight up as high as you can and go into a full nose dive to a starting position just above the ground".

"No, don't be mental", Harry shrugged him off, "that's a pointless manoeuvre".

"Or…", Ron said dramatically, "is your broom too powerful to the point where you can't push it to its limits like I can". Ron waited while Harry stayed silent, after a moment he started to grin at him as Harry struggled to argue back. "Argh see, you can't argue that one".

"Oh shut it you idiot", Harry hated that Ron made a very good point. The fact was that Harry felt deep down he was the purer flyer of them both but even he wasn't psychotic enough to take a Firebolt to its utter limits. "I hate you".

"No you don't", Ron beamed, "bit more of a work out than I was planning tonight though-…". Ron cut himself off as he looked up at whatever just caught his attention.

"What's the matter", Harry looked around seeing nothing, but a fingertip found the handle of his wand automatically, ready to grip it.

"Shh", Ron hushed, "did you hear that, sounds like…no!...can't be!"

Up above them, high up a sound was being carried on the wind that faintly registered with them. "Rawr Rawr Slytherin, Rawr Rawr", the usual Quidditch chant being repeated with varying levels of clarity. Getting a clearer vantage point, the two boys rose gently on their brooms searching the skies until the voices got louder and they started to hear singing.

"There once was a boy from Hogsmeade,

Who was blessed with the size of a Steed,

A girl from Hogwarts, felt all out of sorts,

And sat on his face, named Panseeyyy".

Ron and Harry did a double take several times as they heard a crescendo of laughter on the wind. Ron found his heart was beating in his chest and he looked everywhere in the darkness to pinpoint the sound when he swore, he could hear Parkinson in reply.

"Davies!", her voice screeched from up high, "I'm going to bloody kill you!"

There was a sudden updraft of warm air that buffeted up through the boys, they both gripped their brooms tightly as they delt with the sudden wind shift with ease being competent fliers. High above them there were screams.

Looking up they found they were some fifty feet from what they quickly realised with equal parts shock and thrill, were a bunched-up group of almost completely naked Slytherin girls with semi translucent cloaks flapping around in the sudden wind force. Eyes glued to the scene without apology or guilt, having only being innocently hovering there, they instantly recognised the group.

Quite suddenly, with the surge of wind, two of the girl's cloaks were whipped up above their heads as Ron, astonished saw Pansy Parkinson and the other darker girl from the group wearing almost nothing, riding brooms as the wind carried their cloaks off. Another round of screams and two shouts of "Accio", and they watched on as the almost see-through shapes flew back across the sky to their owners as they tried to pull at them over their shoulders.

Feeling like the naughty schoolboy that he knew he was, and having no choice but to permanently beat Pansy at the game she'd brilliantly started with him, Ron took a chance and bolted. He darted up with a blast of speed, Harry following suit and coming to a holt at his elbow. Parkinson was still trying to bring her cloak under control. For a fleeting second the skin on her fully visible back was as pale and translucent as her cloak under the moon light, as if she were glowing like any of the stars above.

Pulling himself out of it he cleared his throat and boomed, "Ladies, fantastic night for it, isn't it!" He delighted in the way they all seemed to pause in mid-air as they turned to see them both sat casually on their brooms. Ron held his hands up with a little wave, "new Quidditch attire this year?"

Ron barely had time to take in the locking of eyes between Pansy and himself before they all automatically screamed in fright and shot off towards the castle. The panic now taking over them meaning they were in less control of their cloaks and what amount of flesh that meant showed off as they retreated.

Unable to hide their grins the two sat watching them go, "I don't believe it", Harry said in amazement.

"Believe it", Ron muttered as he absently moved a hand up to cover Harry's eyes, "wow lad, you're a taken man now".

Harry peaked over Ron's hand just allowing him to see as the girls disappeared behind one of the castle roof tops, "still brilliant", he muttered as he strained his eyes.