On Eagles Wings

Ships: Nope none, though as I said if you want to write them just ask!

 

Mark stared into the fire, and was amazingly disappointed. What he had hoped to be something impressive in Latin turned out to be poorly scrawled handwriting.

"What’s it say?" He said.

"Something about R’s secret and birds! Probably just a lovelorn ravenclaw student rambling about the current source of their affection!" Said Nellie now back to reading her book.

"Well do we have any initials?" Said Mark wanting something interesting to happen.

"Yeah A.D!" Said Sam glaring into them. "Perhaps its Dumbledore’s writing!"

But it was a silly comment.

"Dumbledore was a gryffindor wasn’t he?" Said Storm from the background.

"I don’t know!" Said Morgana. "I never bothered to ask!"

"Well on that amazing note of interest!" Said Jex standing up. "I’m going to bed!"

"Hang on so am I!" Said Cicero standing up and throwing his back over his shoulder.

"Yeah me too! Night all!" Said Mark getting up and leaving the others to sit and talk around their not-so-interesting fireplace.

He had to admit he was utterly disappointed, for weeks he’s been waiting for the fire to be out so he could get a good read of that note, and all it turned out to be was student graffiti. He let his bag slump over his shoulder as he and his friends trundled up towards the dormitory. Inside a large plume of smoke greeted them, and in the middle of the smoke was a small boy.

"Erm hello guys!" He said whilst brushing soot of his clothes. Mark knew him by site and name, but hadn’t really introduced himself the boy yet.

"Hello Edward!" He said throwing his bag onto the bed. "Trying another spell?"

Edward was one of those students that tended to stay in the background, for the simple reason that whenever he attempted a spell it would somehow go wrong and explode or burn things. For this reason he was given the nickname flame by his fellow students.

"Yeah it was a simple floating charm, but I’m convinced this wand hates me!"

It was probably not far from the truth, Edward had bought his wand from overseas when he was in China. He had thought that the bazaar would have housed quality equipment for his first year at Hogwarts. He was of course wrong. He was never told what was in the core of his wand, but Mark suspected it might be something from an Ifrit (an Arabian fire demon), but this may have simply been because he was reading about them at the time.

"Still setting things on fire?" Said Jex looking worried. "I suggest when Christmas comes you should go buy a proper wand from Olivanders!"

"Yeah I will do I think!"

"So been up to anything interesting?" Said Cicero to Flame.

"Not a lot, study, set things on fire, study, you know the usual!"

What scared Mark was that this did seem fairly usual in Hogwarts.

"Any plans for tomorrow then?" Continued Flame.

"Quidditch!" Said Cicero grinning. The he stopped grinning, Flame may be a ravenclaw but since he wasn’t in their direct circle of friends he wasn’t entirely sure he could trust him. "Erm…reading about quidditch…al day….in the library!" He was a poor liar. Flame wasn’t fooled.

"Quidditch? How are you going to play quidditch?" He said eagerly. But everyone just kept quiet and looked the other way. "Oh come on you can trust me! I am a ravenclaw after all, you know one for all and all for one!"

Mark tried to resist explaining it all, but he was weak and caved in a matter of seconds.

"We found a hidden portkey that take us to some quidditch grounds in the middle of nowhere! We’re going to play against the gryffindor first years tomorrow!" He exclaimed.

"Well done Mark! Kept that very quiet didn’t we!" Said Jex sarcastically.

"Oh he’s a ravenclaw we can trust him!" Said Cicero grinning.

"Yeah you know you can trust me!" Said Flame grinning "So what time is the first match?"

"Just after lunch!"

"Who’s on the team then?" Continued Flame.

"Well so far, since she’s the quickest we have Morgana as our seeker! Our three chasers are Jex, Cicero and Angelina. Our Beaters are Nellie and Sam and as for me since my flying skills leave a lot to be desired I get to be the keeper!" Said Mark having memorised everyone’s positions already. "We’ll see how that works then change it around in later games!"

"Sounds like an interesting match! So who’s on the gryffindor team?"

"Don’t know their positions but we have Xentru, Mandee and Ginny Weasley at the moment! I’m sure we should have quite a few by tomorrow though!" Said Mark grinning.

On that note they got ready to sleep, as tomorrow they needed as much energy as they could get.

As should be the legal requirement on Saturdays, the ravenclaws (except Sam who snuck out early for a quick study in the library) slept in until 10 o’clock. They then groggily got up, dressed themselves and went down for breakfast.

"So how are we going to all go to use the portkey?" Said Nellie suddenly realising the logistics of the situation.

"Simple!" Said Morgana (who’s newfound quidditch obsession had caused her to think up solutions to all available problems in the night).

"Simple how?"

"We’ll all just hold onto this!" She held out her hand, in it was a ball of twine. "If we’re all holding onto this then when one person touches the portkey, we should all go through!"

"You really have been thinking this over haven’t you!" Said Jex with an impressed smile across his face.

Morgana’s response was simply to grin inanely then slurp on a nice bit of porridge.

"So everyone knows their positions then?" Said Mark through large bites of heavily buttered toast. Everyone nodded.

"Aren’t you a little young for that sort of behaviour?" Said the familiar disdainful tone of Deus. "Ravenclaw orgies, erg how horrible!"

"We were wondering when you’d start insulting us again!" Said Flame, oblivious to Deus’s affinity for unforgivable curses. Everyone else sat quietly, they knew they were safe amongst all these people but they still didn’t want to give Deus reason to start attacking them again.

"Shut it Squib!" Said Deus looking confused by the silence of the ravenclaws. "I say the silence really does become you lot! I do hope you keep it up!"

He turned back to Candice and Dagrak (A pixie clad in black, perched on his shoulder) and walked towards the Slytherin table.

"I really hate him!" Said Flame.

"You don’t know the half of it!" Said Mark under his breath as he watched the figure walking towards his table. Images of werewolves flashed infront of his eyes, and he rubbed his side where for the last few months he’d been left with a large bruise courtesy of the cruciatus curse.

The rest of that morning consisted of hiding in the ravenclaw common room and devising game plans that all of them knew they would never use. Morgana as the seeker took great delight in being the most important person on the team. It was pretty much down to her on the outcome of the game; Mark knew that the opposing keeper would probably be of equal skill as him and that both teams chasers and beaters would be equally inept. Therefore it was the speed of Morgana that would determine the outcome of the game.

It was for this reason that everyone was bombarding her with ‘strategies’ and ‘tips’ for winning the game. These tips ranged from the obvious –"Make sure you get the snitch" to wronsky feints, Mark being keeper was also bombarded with suggestions involving the starfish with a stick manoeuvre. It was all getting out of hand.

By lunch time their heads were so full of quidditch information that they felt they could all captain the official ravenclaw quidditch team. Of course no one else was supposed to know.

Mark sat and stared at his lunch, he wondered whether eating would be a bad idea due to the fact that in the next couple of hours he would be speeding through the air on a broomstick and having large balls trying to knock him off his broom. He settled for some chips anyway. Jex as per normal was guzzling down vast quantities of food and drink, Morgana dainty as ever was eating sugary foods so as to keep her energy up.

"Ready then everyone?" Said Sam grinning (looking up from his copy of Quidditch through the ages which he had been studying religiously).

"As ready as ever!" Said Nellie grinning into her bowl of soup. "Lets smash gryffindor into a pulp!"

Mark just grinned, he was too nervous to actually say anything constructive.

"Who arrrrrrrrrrrre you planning on attacking?" Said the purr of a familiar voice behind them.

"Auntie!" Yelled Morgana flinging her arms around the monstrosity.

"Hello Morrrrrrrrrrrrgana!" Said Aunt Beast patting Morgana with a tentacle and purring happily.

"Quidditch Auntie!" Said Mark (he felt he could trust the monster).

"I didn’t think the firrrrrrrrrrrst match was forrrrrrr ages!" Said the Beast smiling uncontrollably as Morgana twisted her fur into curls.

"This is unofficial Quidditch!" Said Mark lowering his voice to a whisper. "We’ve found a portkey that takes us to an old quidditch pitch!"

"You mean Godrrrrrrrrrrrrric’s cup?" She said utterly unsuprised by the information.

"How did you know?" Said Sam looking shocked.

"My dearrrrrrrrrr I’ve been herrrrrrrrrre longerrrrrrrrr then half of the ghosts I know most of the secrrrrets in Hogwarrrrrrts!"

"You know about the chamber of secrets then?" Said Nellie looking hopeful.

"I said most dearrrrrrrrr not all!"

"Oh still worth a try!"

"So are you going to come and watch then Auntie?" Said Mark grinning.

"I’d love to dearrrrrrrr but I think the teacherrrrrrrrrs may notice me crrrrrawling thrrrough the school!" She said with a beastly grin. "I’ll be rrrrrrrrooting forrr you though!" She ruffled Mark’s hair with a tentacle on saying this. Mark had to stifle a laugh as he’d only just noticed that everyone else in the room was frozen to the spot and looking absolutely terrified.

Aunt Beast (after forcibly removing Morgana from her) turned and shuffled/crawled/danced gracefully out of the great hall and back to the school grounds.

A familiar figure walked up to Mark and sat down at the ravenclaw table.

"So are we ready to play then?" Said Xentru his purple eyes glinting with intent.

"As soon as you are!" Said Mark smiling back.

They looked carefully around the corridor as just about every first year gryffindor and ravenclaw student took hold of a bit of the string that Morgana handed out. Mark stared down the corridor at them.

"Ready?" He said in a near whisper to all of the students. The corridor full of students simply nodded. Mark was thankful that this part of the corridor was never used.

He turned and, clutching tightly to the string, placed a finger on the portkey. There was the familiar feeling of a hook in his stomach, and then before he knew it, he was lying in a mass of students on the quidditch pitch.

"Ok so who’s actually on the teams?" Shouted Storm (unable to get a place on the team, he had become the official commentator).

Xentru stepped forwards and introduced the Gryffindor team. The positions were as follows.

Seeker- Xentru Otsunara

Chaser- Mandee Avalong

Chaser-Ginny Weasley

Chaser- Kate Azier

Keeper- Star Light

Beater- Colin Creevey

Beater- Ron Neptune

Then Mark came forwards and introduced the Ravenclaw team.

Seeker-Morgana Corby

Chaser- Jex Cowl

Chaser- Cicero Sholto

Chaser- Angelina Mithrandiel

Beater- Nellie Laurentus

Beater- Sam Davies

Keeper- Mark Simmons

The two teams made their way towards the broom shed. They prised open the door and stared inside at (to their amazement) 15 nimbus two-thousand brooms.

"But how can they be nimbus two thousands?" Said Xentru confused. "This quidditch pitch is ancient.

"Maybe it’s Dumbledore’s secret stash!" Said Sam grinning. "I mean he must be loaded!"

"Yeah but why would he?" Continued Xentru.

"Erm… maybe the teachers like to play quidditch on staff training days or in the holidays?"

This caused much hilarity as people imagined Snape flying past Dumbledore looking for the golden Snitch.

Everyone grabbed a broom (Since no one was impartial, the last broom was left there as they had no referee) and made their way onto the pitch. All of the spectators had made their way up to the stands and were now sat with house banners raised high.

Storm, the elected commentator, took his position at one of the highest points on the stadium and stared out over the pitch. After careful study he’d managed to teach himself the spell that was required for this game. He pointed his wand at his throat, coughed slightly, and then said in a clear voice. "Sonorous!"

"Welcome to the first of the unofficial quidditch matches for this year at Hogwarts!" He said in his magically enhanced voice. "Our first match is Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor!" There was much cheering from the crowd. "And now onto the pitch we see the two keepers Mark Simmons of Ravenclaw and Star Light of Gryffindor!"

Mark couldn’t help but do a loop the loop, and he gave a smile to Star who reciprocated. They then flew to their positions by the goalposts.

"Next up we have the four beaters, Sam Davies and Nellie Laurentus of Ravenclaw and Colin Creevey and Ron Neptune of Gryffindor!" The four flew onto the pitch and began speeding around the pitch.

"The six chasers, Cicero Sholto, Angelina Mithrandiel….looking very mysterious I have to say, and Jex Cowl of Ravenclaw. For the Gryffindor team we have Ginny Weasley, Mandee Avalong and Kate Azier!" The chasers sped onto the pitch and hovered near the centre.

"And last but by no means least we have the seekers of the team. Remember it’s the seekers who must catch the golden snitch to end the game! So here they are, for Ravenclaw we have the lovely Morgana Corby!" Ravenclaw erupted in cheers. "And for the Gryffindors we have Xentru Otsunara!" It was now the gryffindors turn to make as much noise as was humanly possible.

Both teams were now ready, and in their positions. Out onto the pitch stepped another small first year gryffindor and she walked towards a chest that lay in the middle of the pitch. She knelt down and opened it, immediately two large brown balls flew into the air and began to hurtle around the pitch, several of the team members had to dodge them. Next into the air hurtled a small golden fluttering ball, which Mark realized could only be the golden snitch.

Then the gryffindor took a large red ball, apparently the quaffle and with all the strength she could muster, hurled it straight into the air.

"The games begins!" Yelled Storm, completely forgetting that his voice was magnified, and nearly deafening the poor girl next to him.

With those words there was a sudden mad confusion. Apparently Mandee (ever the determined one) had managed to grab hold of the quaffle and was now speeding across the pitch, Her two fellow chasers in tow. She passed to Ginny, but with amazing precision Nellie haad hit a bludger at the quaffle. The red ball spun through the air and was intercepted by a blur of white and black. Jex didn’t keep hold of the ball for long as a bludger sped towards him. He hurled the quaffle at Angelina who sped as fast as she could (While Jex turned 360˚ on his broom narrowly missing the bludger) towards the hoops. She hurled the quaffle and Ron made an desperate leap to block it, but he failed. Ravenclaw scored the first 10 points of the match.

"Ravenclaw leads 10 to nothing, no sign of the Golden snitch yet. And now Gryffindors Mandee has possession again, she passes to Ginny, but the silly gryff….i mean poor girl drops it, Cicero of Ravenclaw intercepts and now passes to Jex….OUCH that had to hurt, nothing broken though….Gryffindor’s Kate Azier in possession now and my this girl an fly, look at those loop the loops….she passes to Mandee and OUCH I hope Mandee’s nose isn’t broken. Mandee flies towards the ravenclaw hoops and throws…. OH NICE SAVE there by Mark, our muggle-born keeper shows that pure bloods don’t have the advantage after all! Ravenclaw in possession and has Morgana seen the snitch? She’s speeding off followed closely by Xentru…I’m convinced his eyes are magically enhanced I mean they shouldn’t naturally be purple should they?…. Sorry I digress, I think it was a ploy by Morgana she’s pulling up and……RAVENCLAW scores another 10 points well done there!

Gryffindor takes possession again. Mandee looks determined, I wouldn’t like to cross her at the moment….she dodges a bludger nicely there! She passes to Kate who heads over to the Ravenclaw hoops and…throws back to Mandee and GRYFFINDOR score 10 points! Nice distraction there! Scores stand 10 points to Gryffindor but Ravenclaw in the lead with 20 points.

Now Ravenclaw have possession and …Oooh nicely done there Creevy, nearly knocked Jex of his broom with that bludger shot, Star takes possession of the quaffle…Nice flying there by Angelina, who takes the ball from Star and heads over to the gryffind…..OW bludger knocks the ball right out of her hand….Wait Xentru’s has seen something…he’s diving, Morgana’s seen it too! The snitch! They’ve seen the snitch! But which one is going to get it? Both are formidable flyers!"

Everyone stared (oblivious to the efforts of the chasers and beaters desperately fighting over the quaffle) as Morgana and Xentru followed each other side by side, speeds matched perfectly. If you had the ability to slow them down you would have seen a look of pure concentration on both their faces.

The snitch was now at almost ground level and both seekers had their arms outstretched hoping that they would be the first to get it. But then suddenly, without warning, the snitch sped upwards completely perpendicular to the ground. Morgana (being smallest and more aerodynamic) turned and sped upwards first followed exceptionally closely by Xentru.

Everyone was silent.

Morgana focussed her eyes and with all the concentration she could muster reached out with her hand.

Xentru, his purple eyes glinting did the same.

They both leant forwards (nearly falling off their brooms) and clenched their fingers when they felt something small and shiny.

Xentru opened his eyes (which he had been forced to shut due to the tension) and stared down at his hand a triumphant smile across his face….which soon faded, he’d managed to catch a pigeon.

Morgana however had the Snitch, she let out a high pitched squeal of joy and sped around the pitch like a pixie on acid.

"Ravenclaw win!!" Shouted Storm (the girl besides him fell over) "Ravenclaw win by 170 to 10!"

The din by the ravenclaw team was uncontrollable, and the gryffindors (ever the gracious losers) cheered and clapped as well. It was without a doubt a good game, and as he landed Mark realized that he really liked Quidditch.

Soon they all returned (knackered and hyperactive at the same time) to Hogwarts via the cunning use of portkey and string. The next match it had been decided would be Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff and Xentru ran off to find a Hufflepuff he could trust.

They soon made their way into the great hall where the evening meal was laid out for them. They sat down and began to tuck into the food as fast as they could.

"I know where you’ve been you know!" Said a voice behind them. Mark spun round and stared into the green eyes of Candice. "I suggest that if you don’t want us telling Snape, that you’d better tell me where the portkey is!"

"I’ve no idea what you mean!" Said Mark grinning. "We’ve been to visit Aunt Beast!"

"In the forbidden forest? Don’t make me laugh, I know what happened last ti…." She stopped glowered again. " Tell me where the portkey is or I’ll make you regret it!"

"Erm how exactly?" Continued Mark (feeling uncharacteristically brave), his hand clutched around his wand.

Candice leant forwards. "Don’t make me show you!" With that she got up, spun round and walked off towards the Slytherin table where Dagrak (plus pixie) and Deus were sat eating quietly.

"Why do the Slytherins always have to spoil our day!" Said Mark biting down on a piece of carrot as though by mercilessly crushing the life out of it, he would somehow cause pain to the slytherins.

"It’s just their way, ignore them!" Said Flame.

"I would!" Said Mark, then he lowered his voice to a whisper. "But I know what they’re capable of."

"Just ignore her!" Said Nellie. "She’s not capable of anything and as long as we’re around people Deus isn’t going to do anything!"

"Which reminds me!" Said Cicero. "We never did find out what he’s after!"

"The destruction of all muggles I thought!" Continued Flame utterly unaware.

"Whatever it is, we don’t want him to get it!" Said Jex.

"Yeah, but still what can he be after? Do you suppose there’s something in the chamber of secrets he wants?"

"You think he could be the heir of Slytherin?" Said Morgana.

"Well it fits doesn’t it!" Continued Mark. "I mean he hates muggle-borns, and he’s certainly powerful and evil enough. His father was one of the nastiest dark wizards in you-know-who’s inner circle and well….like father like son!"

Everyone nodded.

"Come on!" Said Sam. "I’ve eaten enough and I’m knackered! So if you’ll excuse me I think I’m going to go to bed!"

"Night, we’re going to say and talk just a little longer!" Said Mark.

Sam waved and walked off. The ravenclaws sat around and talked for another half an hour before deciding that they themselves would go to sleep.

Mark lagged behind, wondering about what Candice had said, when from out of nowhere came Peeves.

"I know what he’s after!" He said grinning.

Mark stared in disbelief.

"What?" He said.