Briallen Bevin and the Snatcher's Cave

Chapter 12: The Surprise Party

Briallen awoke on a Tuesday morning to the sound of Noelle singing a song about stars in her pocket and contemplated, as usual, whether or not she should throw something at the annoying girl.

"Please, stop," mumbled Briallen as she pulled her blanket over her head, deciding it was too early for the physical exertion necessary to throw something. It had been over a month since Briallen had started at Bergamot and she had just gotten into a routine. Every morning she would sleep as long as she could before Noelle's singing annoyed her enough to get up, at which point she would brush her teeth and get dressed and go down to breakfast. If it was a school day she would go to class and then do her homework. If it was the weekend she would usually hang out with Marisol, Toby, Ashley and Anthony and then do her homework.

As Noelle began to sing the song for the third time, Briallen flung her blanket off and stomped toward the bathroom. Once she was dressed she began the journey to the dining hall.

"Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away..." sang Briallen as she walked leisurely into the hallway lined with suits of armor. She had still been unsuccessful in finding a way to unglue the poetry-reciting suit of armor's mouthpiece so that he could speak. She cast a brief, sad glance at the silent suit of armor but did not stop.

"I hate that song," said Lucan Stone, who had abruptly appeared next to her.

Briallen sighed and put her hands to her head. "I don't like it very much either but one of the girls in my dorm room was singing it over and over this morning and now it's stuck in my head."

"You should have cast a silencing charm on her."

"Yeah, great idea! That would go over real well with the other girls I share a room with... we don't cast spells on each other without permission. We prefer to remain on friendly terms since we live together, you know?"

"So? We cast charms on each other all of the time in Platt."

Briallen looked over at Lucan and raised an eyebrow. "I'm glad I'm not in your house."

"And I'm also glad you're not in my house!" said Lucan, affronted, as they entered the dining hall. Briallen rolled her eyes as Lucan stormed off and sat down at his table between Cora Quinn and Christian Chavira. With a shrug, she sat down next to Toby and helped herself to some oatmeal.

"What were you and Lucan Stone talking about?" asked Toby, casually.

Briallen hadn't told Toby about her and Marisol's belief that Lucan had a crush on her and was maybe obsessed as well. Toby already thought Briallen was a bit arrogant and she thought that telling him about her experiences with Lucan might make him believe that even more. "Nothing. He was just being his usual weird self is all. I don't understand why he even talks to me, I mean, he was all silent the first week of school and then we have detention together and all of a sudden he feels the need to have a conversation with me at least once a day? And it always ends the same - with him stomping away, all angry like."

"Briallen and Lucan sitting in a tree," sang a cold voice a few feet away, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Dante Garcia and his friends laughed loudly. Lucan glared at the group of Withers, obviously having heard Dante's song.

"I really cannot stand him," said Briallen sullenly as she stirred her oatmeal and glared at Dante. "How can you share a room with him and not strangle him?"

"He doesn't really bother me. I think he enjoys messing with you and Marisol the most." Then Toby raised his voice. "You know what they say, Briallen. Kids tease the one they like the most."

Dante stood up so quickly that the Withers table shook. He yanked out his wand and pointed it at Toby. "Care to say that again, Davis?"

Toby stood up as well and glared at Dante, pulling out his own wand as well, the beech wand swaying with the force. "Do it," challenged Toby. "Hex me and see where it gets you."

"I could blast you into next Sunday, mudblood!"

"WAND DOWN, GARCIA! You too, Toby Davis!" bellowed Professor Morra from the teacher's table.

Dante scowled at the teacher and lowered his wand. "Watch yourself, Davis." He turned and went back to his seat, shaking the table again as he sat down.

"You shouldn't have done that Toby. You said he didn't bother you and now that you've made him mad he's going to do something to get back at you," warned Briallen.

"And then he'll get in trouble," added Toby. "Let's finish breakfast out by the pitch. It's a nice day out and Care of Magical Creatures starts in twenty minutes anyway."

"Alright." Briallen took one final bite of her oatmeal, wrapped some bacon in a napkin and followed Toby out of the dining hall.

* * *

Briallen was relieved when it was finally time for afternoon break. That morning in Care of Magical Creatures they had been learning about nogtails and one of them kicked her in the thigh, leaving a huge welt that was visible whenever she sat down or the wind blew and later on in Potions, Abraham Cohen, her partner, had accidentally added a toad tongue to their potion instead of a frog tongue and Professor Alembic had taken three points each from Withers.

"This day sucks," complained Briallen as she and Toby walked into the entrance hall.

"Let's go to lunch later. I told Marisol we would meet her in Professor Morra's classroom to practice that levitation spell. She's been having trouble with it," said Toby as he took hold of her arm and began to lead her to the portrait hall where the staircases were.

"But I'm hungry," argued Briallen as they climbed up the stairs.

"You can eat later. You've gained some weight anyway."

"Toby Wesley Davis!" said Briallen, affronted, as she smacked Toby on the head.

"I was only joking!" said Toby with a laugh as he took off down the hallway towards Professor Morra's classroom. Briallen ran after him, laughing as well, and followed him into the classroom. Then she screamed.

"SURPRISE!" yelled few dozen people in the room.

"What's going on?" asked Briallen as she looked around at all the people in front of her (most of whom were Withers) who had began to sing Happy Birthday.

Ashley Price and her three sisters sang the loudest with Melinda, the only Almerick Price sister, dancing around the tables. Briallen noticed that Benjamin Beauvais had apparently convinced Conall Lonigan and a few other Withers Quodpot team-members to come even though they didn't really know her. Quite a few of the Wenlocks, Almericks, and Summerbees from her year had come as well.

"It's October fifteenth, Briallen! This is your birthday, right?" asked Toby once they had all finished singing. "Your grandfather said it was."

Briallen nodded, still taking in the shock of seeing so many people singing Happy Birthday to her, not to mention the sparks and comets that some of the older students had decided to shoot out of their wands for the grand finale.

"Ah! Chica, you are twelve years old! This means you're officially no longer a child," said Marisol excitedly as she ran to Briallen and hugged her. "Come on, let's eat cake!"

Benjamin moved in front of the large three layer cake and began to cut everybody slices. Conall Lonigan stood nearby and glared at some Almericks who had pushed him aside to get in line for cake. "Watch it, first years!" growled Conall threateningly. The Almericks laughed.

Once Briallen had gotten a slice of the cake, she made her way over to a circle of people on the floor in front of Professor Morra's desk and sat down between Marisol and Toby.

"I hear you're getting a Nimbus 2000," said Dax Rieger conversationally. He was one of the Almericks that Conall Lonigan had threatened.

"Who told you that?" asked Briallen with a raised eyebrow.

"A little birdie whispered it in my ear. Is it true?" Dax leaned forward eagerly awaiting an answer.

"No."

Marisol turned to her, confused. "But you said - "

"I didn't say anything," said Briallen, cutting Marisol off. "I don't want a Nimbus 2000, remember? I want my bedroom ceiling charmed to look like the dining hall's."

Melinda Price choked on her cake. "Oh! Me too!"

"What, Mindy? Since when do you want your bedroom ceiling charmed to look like the sky?" asked Ashley Price, baffled by her older sister's sudden exclamation.

"Since right now. It sounds awesome, doesn't it? And the romantic potential..." Mindy stared off dreamily. Briallen noticed that her gaze was directed towards Benjamin.

Ashley shook her head and leaned over Anthony Boesche, towards Marisol and Briallen. "She has a crush on Benjamin," she whispered conspiratorially.

Marisol looked worried by this news. Not only was Mindy older than her, she was also on Almerick's Quodpot team and this made her serious competition in Marisol's eyes.

"Does everybody have a crush on Benjamin?" asked Briallen as she shook her head.

"I don't!" said Toby happily as he took a large bite of his cake.

Anthony shoved a piece of cake in his mouth and mumbled something similar to Toby's statement. Ashley frowned at Anthony.

"Ew, I don't either," said Dax. "But he is pretty good at Quodpot. I wish he was an Almerick."

"Me too..." said Mindy as she looked at Benjamin who was sitting at a desk chatting with Conall Lonigan and Noah Pierce. Conall has taken Noah on as a sort of sidekick ever since the Quodpot try-outs and the two could frequently be found walking around the school or in the Withers common room discussing Quodpot plays, games, teams and more.

"Hey, speaking of crushes, you know who I'm surprised isn't here?" asked Ashley suddenly.

Briallen turned to her. "Who?"

"Lucan Stone. He so obviously likes you," Ashley said nonchalantly.

Briallen threw up her hands and groaned. "He does not!"

"Yesterday in Potions, Cora Quinn made some comment about passing you in the hallway on her way back from the bathrooms and Lucan was all like 'don't be stupid, Cora, she's in Transfiguration right now! She has no reason to be in the dungeons!' Why would he know what your schedule is if he didn't like you?"

Briallen was dumbfounded. "He knows my schedule? That is too creepy! Ew!" She shuddered exaggeratedly and the people in the circle laughed.

"He is so weird," said Dax as he snuck a bite of Ashley's cake.

"But you know what?" Ashley said as she leaned in and whispered. "I hear his family is loaded! Rich people are always crazy, don't you know."

"I'm going to go see my Grandpa," said Briallen as she interrupted the conversation and stood up. "To thank him... and see if he's got any good presents for me."

"We'll see you in the study room later," said Toby, waving her away carelessly before beginning the conversation about Lucan again.

I almost feel bad for him, thought Briallen as she headed for her grandfather's office. Everybody seems to tease him... but knowing my schedule is just too bizarre!

When Briallen reached the portrait of Professor Meyer she was happy to see him awake. He waved to Briallen, wished her a happy birthday, and swung the portrait inward to allow her in. Briallen walked into the large office to find her grandfather sitting by the fire reading a sheet of parchment and holding a cup of tea.

"Hey, Grandpa," said Briallen as she sat down in the chair next to her grandfather, "I just left the birthday party."

Cal Bevin folded the parchment he was reading and placed it on the floor next to his chair. "Whose birthday were you celebrating?"

"Grandpa! That's not going to work, Toby told me you were the one that told them when my birthday is."

"Ah, well. It was worth a try," said Cal Bevin with a shrug and a smile. "Did you get any good presents?"

"Um... I don't know actually. I left early."

"So you haven't opened any presents and it's your birthday? What a pity."

Briallen looked at her grandfather hopefully. "Did you get me anything? What about mom and dad and Grandma Apokni?"

Cal Bevin stood up and went to his desk where he picked up several packages and brought them back to Briallen. She tore them open eagerly, squealing happily every time she saw what she had gotten. From her grandmother, Apokni, she had received a box of homemade Banahas and a colorful hand-made sweater. Her parents had not been as crafty with their gifts for her but she was still happy with what they had chosen.

"And this is from me," said Cal as he handed her a heavy, rectangular package.

Briallen ripped the paper off and smiled when she saw what her grandfather had bought her. "The Who, What, Where and Why of Quodpot. It's great, Grandpa, thank you." She jumped out of her seat and hugged her grandfather. "How did you know..."

"Benjamin Beauvais is a prefect, Briallen. I see him often." Briallen laughed and sat back down. "Though, I must admit, dear, I was slightly disappointed to learn that your athletic interest has turned towards Quodpot and not Quidditch... no matter, I'm glad you like your gift."

"I love it!" said Briallen happily as she opened the book and took a bite of one of her grandmother Apokni's homemade Banahas.