The Elemental Guardians

Mystique Nightingale woke with a start. She looked around her room as she breathed heavily. She wondered for a minute why she woke, and then remembered her dream. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep easily, she put on her blue bathrobe, snuck past the sleeping fifth year Ravenclaws, and went down to the common room.

She sat in the common room with her yellow-eyed black cat, Zombie. She looked around and happened to see the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. Seeing this reminded her of the dream that she had. She felt as if she was the statue of the lady she was looking at. She looked around the statue and saw herself in the mirror. She had a small heart shaped face, green eyes, short black hair, olive colored skin, and an athletic body. But that's what happens when you are the Beater for your Quidditch team.

She thought about the match that happened that day. Ravenclaw versus Slytherin, she thought in embarrassment as she remembered the game. She was paying attention to finding Bludgers and hitting them at the opposite team and watching Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Seeker, looking for the Snitch at the same time. She was also trying to fend off the flying Bludgers that were knocking her players off of their brooms, when she noticed one of them coming straight for him.

She knew that she shouldn't have cared at all, and she tried to ignore it, but she raced towards him. She was trying to get her Nimbus 2001 to get to the other side of the field without interfering with the game, when she heard Luna Lovegood, her house member and the announcer for the Quidditch games, talk about the shapes in the clouds until Mystique nearly ran into the stands, trying to get to the Buldger and Draco. That got the announcer's attention, which disappointed Mystique, for she didn't want anyone to see this.

"And what's this? It looks like Nightingale is racing towards a Buldger and the Slytherin Seeker, Draco Malfoy. Wow, his hair is so bright you can spot him at night."

You could hear laughter from the students' section, except the Slytherins, who were hissing at the announcer. A couple of teachers snickered at the comment.

"But it looks like Mystique is going to aim a big one toward Malfoy. That could injure him just enough to get him out of the game. It could also give the Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang, enough time to find the Snitch," Luna explained to the anxious crowd. Even the Chasers slowed the game down to see this.

But what happened next shocked everyone, even Mystique herself.

She got her aim at the Bludger. She noticed that Draco had a smirk that was more evil than normal. His small icy blue eyes were wide but he didn't move. It wasn't like he couldn't, but as if he was daring her to hit him. Thinking really fast, Mystique aimed the flying ball at Draco's left ear. She knew that he always moves to the right when something came.And sure enough, when she swung her club, Draco moved to the right. Everyone groaned, except for the Slytherins, who were taunting her skills, and the players went back to the game. She and Draco looked at each other for what seemed like eternity. He had been in her dreams for several months now. His blue eyes, his muscular body, his smile, his long legs, his blonde hair, she loved everything about him. She started to feel nervous when he didn't look away. All of a sudden she didn't feel as confident as she usually was.

She was thinking about making out with him, when she heard her team Captain, Roger Davis, yelling at her to pay attention; likewise, the Slytherin captain, Urquhart, started on Draco too. They locked eyes once more before they heard cheering from the Ravenclaw side. One look at the field and seeing Chang clutching something gold told her that Ravenclaw had won 180-30.

Mystique had distracted him without even trying. She was beating herself up inside. She looked back to find that Draco looked mad, whether it was aimed at her or not she wasn't sure, as he flew down to the ground. Mystique, though happy that her team won, was feeling miserable for the rest of the day. She went to congratulate Cho and then left for the showers.

As she left the field three hours later, she was walking back to the castle, when she saw Draco Malfoy himself. He didn't move, but then again he really didn't need to. Thinking about the game and how he was mad when he lost to the Ravenclaws, she ran to the castle. She didn't stop until she got to her dorm.

She still didn't know why she didn't hit him. He's just a boy, she thought. She wondered about her feelings towards him, when she heard a noise outside of the door. She didn't even have time to walk towards it when it opened. There stood Professor Filius Flitwick, Head of the Ravenclaw house and the Charms teacher. He looked relieved when he saw Mystique standing by the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the Four Founders of Hogwarts and the Founder of the Ravenclaw House.

The Professor was a short man, with round black-rimmed glasses and, as he always said, had "a hint of goblin blood". He had black hair and little brown eyes that always squinted. He used cushions to eat at the meals and stacks of books to see over his desk. Though he was "vertically challenged," he was laid back and calm, even if someone has gotten into a spot of trouble.

Which was why Mystique felt nervous. As he walked over to her, she started to worry. What have I done wrong? I don't think I did anything worth the trouble of Professor Flitwick coming here in the middle of the night, she thought.

The professor must have read her mind because he then said, "It's alright. You aren't in trouble."

Mystique sighed in relief, but something still wasn't right. Maybe it was they way he said that she wasn't in trouble. "Professor, what is the problem? You don't look so well," Mystique asked.

It was true. He looked worried and tired, like he has been up for most of the night. What time is it, she thought to herself. She was going to ask, when Professor Flitwick said, "I need to take you to the Headmaster's office right away. This is very important."

"Why professor," she asked as he hurried out of the common room. He didn't answer so she followed. The short old man almost ran beside Mystique as she walked as slow as humanly possible. She thought of all the things that could have something to do with her.

Well my grades are good, not as good as Hermione Granger's of course, but what does that have anything to do with it? And I am in the Ravenclaw's Quidditch team, but why me and not the captain?

After a few minutes of her walking and Professor Flitwick running, they finally made it to the headmaster's gargoyles.

"Lemon Drops," the short professor gasped to the stone guards as he tried to catch his breath. They leapt aside and let the two go up the spiraling stairs.

Mystique felt like she was going on a Muggle escalator that she found in one of their shopping malls. She was wondering what was to come when the stairs stopped rotating and she found a door in front of her. She was about to knock on the door when she heard a voice that sounded old and tired calling out to her.

"Enter Mystique," the Headmaster said. She opened the door to find, not only herself, Flitwick, and Professor Dumbledore, but also Professor Snape, Jinx Smith, Edward Ellis, and, to her great disappointment and excitement, Draco Malfoy.

Well, Mystique thought as she walked in, at least I know one person here, she thought as she saw her best friend, Jinx. She couldn't believe her luck, however. Here she was in her see through pajama shirt and pants covered by her bathrobe (Thank God I remembered to wear one), and slippers. And the worst part? No make-up! Had she known that she would be in the same room as her crush, she would have at least put something decent on first.

But then she noticed that he was wearing a bathrobe too. In fact, all four of the students wore their bathrobes. Draco, who was messing with his hair, sat in one chair with his green bathrobe and slippers. Jinx had on her yellow bathrobe, which looked well with her brown eyes that hide behind her small black specks. Her waist length wavy red hair was in a ponytail and frizzed. She was eyeing her crush, Edward Ellis, who was looking down.

Professor Snape looked down at everyone over his hooked nose and through his greasy black hair while messing with his black cloak. He muttered something to Professor Dumbledore. The headmaster nodded and, with a swish of a cloak, Snape left the room.

"He has forgotten something, I am afraid," the headmaster explained when everyone saw the Potions master leave the room. "Happens to us old wizards and witches."

Mystique decided to use this time to study everyone in the room. She started out with her best friend, Jinx. She was into books and Edward. Whenever the two of them got together to hang out, Jinx talked about Edward as much as Mystique talked about Draco. Jinx was in Hufflepuff along with her cousin, Zacharias Smith. The two of them are the same age and the same year.

Jinx had a slender body, about 5'5", and never wears make up. She had very few freckles on her face and hates to exercise, though she does like to watch the houses play Quidditch. The two of them were friends with lots of Gryffindors, including Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Harry Potter.

Mystique moved on to the Gryffindor, who was still staring at his feet. Edward Ellis was a bold boy who always brought attention to himself. He wasn't in any sports, but did like to run in the mornings around the Quidditch field with her. They ran at dawn, then showered at the Quidditch players' showers (not together of course), then got ready for breakfast. They walked together to the Great Hall, talking about random things (Mystique usually tried to talk about Jinx a lot). They were pretty good friends, which was good for Jinx. Whenever Mystique knew something new about Edward, she told her best friend.

Edward had a square jaw, which looked very manly on him, green eyes, orange bathrobe and red slippers on at the moment. His brown shaggy hair was covering his eyes at the moment. He liked talking to Jinx, but she usually got nervous so she didn't respond back a lot. He was over six feet and was athletically built, like Mystique, but he had more abs. He was a very kind and outgoing person who truly belonged in the Gryffindor house.

Mystique moved on to Professor Albus Dumbledore. He was starting to look his age, but still had that twinkle in his eyes that were behind golden half-moon specks. He wore magenta robes with blue half moons and yellow stars everywhere. He had a beard that hung over his stomach and a matching silver hair that was shoulder length. He also looked around the room, and when they locked eyes, Mystique felt this unexplainable feel of safety and warmth inside of her. She broke contact with him to stare at Draco.

She stared for a good fifteen seconds, looking over his body and wanting to do naughty things to it, when he looked at her and caught her eyes. She couldn't break away, nor did she want to. His cold gray eyes sunk into her icy blue ones. She felt nervous and excited. But then she remembered the match and looked away, feeling her face flush.

Professor Snape came into the room, holding something long and slender and wrapped in a blanket, and looked at the Headmaster. "I think we are ready sir," Severus Snape informed as he walked in. He was closing the door when Flitwick's tiny voice called out, "I have papers to grade so I had best be on my way. Good night professors, students. And good luck."

And with that he had left the room. Mystique had thought about the last statement Professor Flitwick had said. What does he mean by 'good luck'? Are we doing something challenging? Like some extra tests?

The headmaster and Slytherin's Head of House came in front of the students.

"Now," said Professor Snape, "Let us begin."