Captain Revealed

Chapter Eight: Ice

"Don’t want you back, forgive my honesty... "

-Backstreet Boys

* * * * *

Oliver entered the main hallway pumped. His nose was better, having gone to see Madam Pomfrey. Owen apologized over and over, continuing to snicker under his breath, but went to the lunch room without him. There was something about him that just bugged Oliver, but he didn’t say anything for Luella’s sake. She really liked Owen, despite all of his obvious faults.

The roar of the usual lunchroom crowd assaulted his ears as soon as he opened the door, the clunking of goblets and scrapes of forks on plates in the mist. As he sat down next to his friends, out of the corner of his eye he saw a shady character swish his cloak and leave. As he turned to get a closer look, Velia tapped his shoulder.

"C’mon Oliver, you’re a bit late. The Ravenclaws are outside already!"

* * * * *

Sophie cocked her head sideways at the man standing before her. "How come you haven’t been here before?"

"I go to Durmstrang, not Hogwarts. We accepted Durmstrang’s before Hogwart’s owl got to us." He answered calmly. "What of it?"

"How did you get here?" Mandy inquired, smiling softly at him. She had given him the once over before, and now stared with interest.

"I’m a messenger to Dumbledore. He said I could stay here for a day before I return."

"What was your message?" Velma scoffed. She had a bad feeling about this guy, he reminded her of someone... who was the question.

"If I told you, I would have to kill you." He squinted, and the girls got the impression that he wasn’t joking at all.

"Oh, are you the spy then?" Kari Anders walked down from the school, making the snow crunch under her feet.

"Spy?" He asked, for a moment looking worried.

"She means are you going to help us win against Gryffindor?" Velma frowned. She shifted her feet back and forth, hands on her hips.

"Sure." He said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

"Ok, here’s what we’re going to do." Sophie pulled all of them into a huddle.

‘It ends here. No more games. Set-me-free!’ A dark whisper none of them heard seeped over the grounds towards the castle. None, none heard it, save for one unlucky person in the hospital wing. Legolas.

* * * * *

Luella cautiously opened the door to the Hospital wing, peeping her nose in. On one of the beds she saw her best friend, Legolas. His golden hair framed his face, the light shining on it ever so slightly. As he turned, Legos managed a smile.

"Hey babe, what’s going down?" Luella grinned a lopsided grin, blinking slightly.

"Are you ready for that snowball fight with the Ravenclaws?"

"As a matter of fact, I’m not." He closed his eyes, looking down at the white sheets. "I have a bad feeling about today Ella. Lets just stay inside."

"Stay inside?" Luella’s grin vanished. "There is no harm in having a little snow ball fight, if you’re worried you can be on the Gryffindor team... "

"Its not the snowball fight I’m worried about. I think we should all just go to our dormitories and go to bed. Today just doesn’t feel right." Legolas’ face paled for a moment, and his gaze became hazy and unfocused. Luella sighed, and scratched her nose.

"If you don’t want to fight, you don’t have to, but I am. Oh goodness, this sounds like a war movie!" Legolas grinned, his eyes crinkling with amusement. He winked at her, then got up off the bed and wrapped his arms around Luella in a warm embrace. She kissed his temple, grinning profusely. They stayed that way until Madam Pomfrey ushered them out. ("This isn’t the Astronomy Tower! Go do that somewhere else!")

* * * * *

As Oliver walked down the steps with Velia, she started chatting up a storm. "You know, I have this little cousin named Kristina, she’s so cute! My uncle Mac was playing with her and put out his arms, trapping her in the corner. Her dad was right there, laughing his head off! She started calling to him, ‘Daddy! I’m stuck!’ Mind you, she’s only two, so it came out ‘Daddy! I suck!’ And she kept repeating it until my uncle, her dad, is like, "Mac! You’re so mean! It was drop-dead funny! And then later, my other uncle, Steve, was leaving on his new broom, and Kristina was pounding on the windows screaming, ‘Teve! Teve!’ Then he left, so I asked her, ‘Where’s Steve?’ And she’s like, ‘I no know!’ She is so sweet Oliver; you would love her!"

"I guess!" Oliver laughed, biting his lip and smiling.

"Hey! Wait up!" A voice called behind them. Oliver and Velia turned as one, seeing Legolas and Luella walking hand in hand. Seeing this, our Keeper boy turned a little red, why, he did not know.

"So Legolas... a Gryffindor playing with the Ravenclaws... Why brother? Why?"

"I’m not playing." Legolas turned to Oliver, surprised at the term ‘brother’.

"He doesn’t feel good." Luella backed him up, turning to Velia. "Right, he doesn’t have to play... right?"

"He shouldn’t have to Oliver." Velia said, her grin fading. "Its only one person, even if it is my brother. Are you planning on joining in the wiping of Ravenclaws off the map? Luella?" She turned to see what Luella was staring at; it was a teenager in dark robes. He was tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. His cocky grin and crooked nose made him look oddly crazy, and he wiped his palm against his leg.

"Luella Nickson... long times no see dear." He scowled.

"What are you doing here Johnny?" Luella looked almost afraid, her face was pale and drawn.

"Whose Johnny?" Velia interrupted, but cowered at the look the man sent her.

"What are you doing here? You’re not a Hogwarts student." Oliver jumped in. Obviously these two had a history... a bad history perhaps best left for the books. Suddenly, ‘Johnny’s’ wand was in his hand. He cast a stunning spell at Velia, grabbed Luella and ran, with her over his shoulder.

"OLIVER! LEGOLAS—HELP ME!" Johnny was running for the Forbidden Forest, past the Ravenclaws who were building their snow fort, past the rest of the Gryffindors who were still discussing their strategy. When they saw him, most moved into action. Dan, Sophie and Mandy ran to help Velia, who had landed heavily on the stone steps of the castle. Owen, Oliver and Legolas ran after Luella and Johnny, and the rest of them ran in all directions to find a teacher.

Velma, being smart like she was, ran straight towards Dumbledore’s office, running harder when she heard shouts, and running to the brink of exhaustion when she heard screams. But when she heard the last howl, she knew she was too late.

~

"I understand you are all in shock of what has happened yesterday, and I’m sure we will never fully get over the losses that we have suffered. Despite being able to have witnesses, they are in no condition to tell us what happened in the Forbidden Forest yesterday. I’m sure for them the grief is still too near.

"We have all suffered a passing of some kind before, a pet, a loved one such as a grandparent... But to see it happen in front of your eyes, like Oliver Wood and Owen Dangler did yesterday, is truly a terrible experience.

"Considering the amount of damage that this Jonathon Johavson has done, murdering two people, assault on another student and for attempted murder four years ago, he will be sent to Azkaban, and so when you sleep, be comforted that this will not happen again." Dumbledore paused, his eyes shining. A couple of stifled sobs and sniffs could be heard at the tables, especially from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. Uncharacteristically, the Slytherin tables were silent also, never having any beef with Luella or Legolas, who had always been especially kind to them.

"We shall always remember the quiet girl and the kind boy who are forever lost to us. Luella Nickson and Orlando Legolas Covikia shall forever remain in our minds and hearts, if not always with us in physical reality. Remember them, pray for them, and understand that we shall all meet again someday." Dumbledore raised his goblet and toasted to the lost souls, sipping his wine slowly. The rest of the hall mirrored what he did.

~

Oliver Wood began packing for the ride home. His feelings were mixed up, he felt like crying and throwing things across the room at the same time. He didn’t understand how something like that could happen at Hogwarts, under Dumbledore’s watch. He would never be the same. He only knew that he needed to take something off his mind. Something like... Quidditch?

Owen Dangler also packed his bags, in the dormitory next door. His feelings reflected Oliver’s, but he wasn’t planning on coming back to school the following year. Giving up magic for good, Owen swore to himself that he would live a magic free life forever. Magic, he spat. Magic is what killed her, killed her and Legolas.

Velia Covikia was lying on her dormitory bed, weeping into her pillow. She had sent the owl to Mum and Dad as soon as she had known the truth... she hadn’t received one back. Closing her eyes, Velia could imagine what life would be with out him: lonely, tiring and lifeless. He always made her smile. Brother...

Everyone else was faring the same way. No one could believe that the Avada Kedavra had taken two students... and only one person was responsible.

Epilogue:

Owen left the life of magic to live as a muggle in Maine, converting to a Mormon. Oliver did indeed become obsessed with Quidditch, and the people who knew him closest insisted it was not because of Luella. Velia eventually got over the initial shock of losing her brother, but never forgot him. She eventually found out that the screaming Sorting Hat was cursed by ‘Johnny’ to try and kill Luella by screaming into her ear, but failed and was set off when Legolas tried on the hat, only knocking him unconscious for a few hours time. She hated ‘Johnny’ like never before. The rest of Luella and Legolas’ friends faded into the background, not to be singled out for any reason. ‘Johnny’ was sent to Azkaban, and he died only a week later screaming, ‘I’m sorry’. The rest of the holes, my friend, are to be filled in by you.