Antares

Antares (The Rival of Mars)

Chapter One ~ Here Begins

Oliver Wood may have been one of the most popular boys at Hogwarts, but there were times when he felt like the loneliest little speck in the world.

Now was one of those times.

Sure, everybody knew his name, and he had a band of followers back at Hogwarts, but he had no real close friends. He wasn't exactly anyone's first choice to spend time with. The one thing he wanted, aside from the elusive Quidditch cup, was to feel wanted sometimes. Oliver would sometimes contemplate how forlorn he was, but this only happened when he was alone, in the dead of night, or at times like now.

He had just bid his parents goodbye and stepped through the magical barrier onto the misty platform of nine and three-quarters. He was now standing still in the middle of the platform, looking like a lost sheep. No one he remotely knew was in sight. Aware that he was looking foolish, Oliver started to fidget with the bottom of his shirt. There were many students around, but all of them seemed too busy to talk. He tried to peer through the windows of the train from where he stood, looking for a place to sit. A large chunk of the train was reserved for prefects, and the rest of the compartments were filled with young students he didn't know. Suddenly, a manicured hand clutched his forearm, and his whole body was spun around. A girl was there in front of him, batting her lashes.

"Rosemary!" he exclaimed.

"Hi, Oliv--What are you wearing???"

Oliver looked down to his old, dirt-smudged windbreaker.

"You look like you've been rolling in mud," Rosemary criticized.

"Well... err... I'm just going to be putting on my robes in a little while, so--"

"Take that thing off! I'm not walking around with you looking like that."

Oliver took it off, moping. Rosemary snatched it from his hand and tucked it under her arm.

"Much better, Ollie," she said, sounding relieved.

She took his hand into hers and they began to stroll down to the end of the train. With her other hand, she was waving and yelling hellos to everyone, even minor acquaintances.

"I've been thinking about you all summer," said Oliver.

"You've had a meaningful summer, then."

"It's nice to see you again. I missed you a lot."

"I would expect that, as I am your girlfriend, Oliver," she retorted sternly.

"Have you..." Oliver began with uncertainty. "I mean... did'ye miss me?"

"Look at that," she remarked, ignoring what Oliver had said and not taking her eyes off all the people. "Everyone just knows we're a beautiful couple."

"They're looking at you, Rose. You look real nice."

"As do you, Ollie. We'll look even better together this year than last."

"I can't wait for fifth year at Hogwarts, eh Rose? "

"Me too, me too. Especially Transfiguration classes."

"And Quidditch!" Oliver added.

Rosemary hugged his arm tightly, and swirled her finger into the flesh.

"Love to see you in your Quidditch robes again, Ollie."

"Love to be back out on the pitch and have those Quaffles flying..."

"Are you going to play your best?"

"No question about it, Rose!"

"Make yourself look good?"

"I'll try."

"Good. I love being there after your big wins, Ollie."

"I just hope I don't get smashed up too bad this season."

"Mm'hm."

"Well, it's no worry. I know I have you to take care of me, Rose. Brush my hair, give me my feedings, empty out my bedpans, eh?"

Rosemary just laughed; it sounded very nervous and faked. She stomped one foot onto the steps leading up to the train, but Oliver remained grounded, staring at something. Down the platform was an obvious crowd. A few people in the crowd swayed opportunely, and Oliver could see a dark boy with dreadlocks.

"Come, Ollie," Rosemary said. "Everyone will be just dying to see us again."

"There's Lee!" Oliver blurted.

"Let's go!"

"Could you give me a moment, Rose? I just want to say a quick hello."

Rosemary put her hands on her hips with a frown.

"I'll just take a minute," Oliver assured.

She tutted and flicked her wrist for him to go ahead.

"Just don't keep me waiting long! We have lots of people to see."

"Alright."

"And sort your hair out before you come!" she added sharply.

He flustered and leaned in to give a quick peck on her cheek before he went. Oliver jogged over to the small crowd and stopped behind a girl with black hair, who was having quite the time trying to see over the others. Lee Jordan wore his usual smile that covered half his face, and a curious box rested in his arms.

"Now wussat?" said someone beside Oliver.

"What d'you suppose he's hiding in there?"

"Give us a look, Lee. Go on," urged someone in the crowd.

The girl in front Oliver stretched herself as tall as she could go. Oliver could easily see over everyone else and saw that a hairy leg poked out of the box as Lee lifted the lid. The people in the front shrieked and jumped back, and the girl in front of him took a step back to avoid being stepped on. The heel of her shoe came down on his toes, and she lost her balance a bit. Her flailing arm smacked into his chest, and he caught her as she stumbled.

"Whoops!" he uttered.

"Sorry!" she said.

The girl whipped around to face him. She was an Asian girl whose name had escaped his memory at the present time. Oliver still recognized her, sort of. He vaguely remembered seeing her in his classes when he had Herbology with the Ravenclaws. She was short, only reaching up to his shoulders, and had to lift her dark brown eyes to see who he was.

"Did I hit your face?" she said.

"No."

"I stepped on something..."

"That was my foot."

"Oh." She stared down at his shoes. "Is it alright?"

Oliver laughed gently and nodded.

"Terribly sorry about that," she said. She gave a quick point in Lee's direction. "Did you see what was in the box?"

"Something hairy, and with long legs!"

She raised herself on her toes to get another hopeful look at Lee's box.

"Where d'you suppose he got that from?"

"I don't know," Oliver replied, watching Lee terrify the crowd further by pretending that he was about to drop his box.

"D'they sell something like those in Diagon Alley?"

"I can't say for sure."

"How much would one of those cost?"

"I've no idea."

"What d'you feed an animal like that?"

She certainly was asking a lot of questions, Oliver noticed.

"Can I see it again?" she shouted in hopes that Lee would hear.

At that moment, a well-dressed girl with a round face bounded up. She cut herself in between him and the black haired girl.

"There you are, Aki!" the girl with the expensive clothes said.

Oliver discreetly nodded his head, now that the name was refreshed in his mind.

"What are you doing here?"

After the dapper girl said that, she scrutinized Oliver slowly. Aki gestured to Lee and stood on her tiptoes once again.

"Just trying to have a look at that."

"Nosey parker," the neat girl said, still giving Oliver the once-over.

Oliver saw Aki cower and blush mightily at the words 'nosey parker.' She bit on her nails and hastily delivered a change of subject.

"Err... did you find a seat on the train?"

"Yes, and we had a beastly time saving a spot for you."

"Sorry," said Aki, ashamed. "Better hurry along, then."

Aki turned and made off towards the train. The other girl let her eye linger a bit on Oliver before she followed. She walked with poise and her nose stuck up in the air. Aki strolled beside her with her hands jammed into her pockets. Now that the crowd before Oliver had dispersed, he stepped over to Lee, who stuck a teasing finger into his box every now and then.

"That's an interesting pet, there."

Lee looked up happily. "Oh! Hullo, Wood. Yea, it's going to make for some bloody good times!"

"What kind of 'bloody good times?'"

"Oh you know; putting it down some Slytherin's trousers, bunging it into Snape's hair..."

"I see," Oliver said amusedly. "Just try to keep it out of our dormitory beds!"

Lee paused whilst still peering into the box. He had the sort of expression that was uncomfortably mischievous. Not being able to comply with Oliver's request, he changed the subject.

"Saw you with your girl, Wood," Lee said.

"Did you?"

"Yes. Rosemary, is it?"

"That's right."

"Phwoah... I'd give anything to be able to kiss that goodnight!"

"Err..."

"She's quite a girl, Wood!"

Lee closed up his box and beckoned his hand to someone past Oliver. There was a burst of giggles, and not too long before Alicia, Katie, and Angelina skittered up. The smiles on their faces vanished as they spotted the mysterious brown box that Lee was holding.

"Yuck! Good Lord, what is that?" Angelina said as Lee's box jerked in his arms.

"Nothing you need to know about, Johnson," he answered impudently.

This sparked enticed gibbers between the three girls. Lee made a motion to Oliver to indicate that the hairy animal was going to, one of these nights, end up in Angelina's bed. Oliver repressed a chuckle, which surfaced as a smile on his face.

"How was your summer, Wood?" said Angelina.

"Great, just great. I trained hard over the holiday for the new term."

"Oh," Angelina responded, sounding disappointed that he hadn't said something more interesting.

"Did you three remember your broomsticks?" said Oliver.

"Oliver!" Rosemary was poking her head out the window of one of the compartments. "Get your arse on the train!"

Rosemary noticed that people along the platform were looking at her awkwardly, since no one expected the sugar-and-spice Rosemary Aldridge to be so abrupt. She cleared her throat and reverted to her honeyed tone.

"Um, could you come join me as soon as possible, Ollie?"

"Just a little while longer, Rose. I'll be with you in a moment."

"What are you doing with..." Rosemary trailed off and glared at the three girls.

"Just talking Quidditch," Oliver explained.

Rosemary didn't look too pleased.

"You're still my one and only, Rose," Oliver continued.

She smiled, mostly at the fact that a lot of the students had heard that, and slid back into the train.

"Nice girl," Alicia said with sarcasm.

"Mm-hm, so... you remember your broomsticks or not?"

Alicia rolled her eyes. "We're not bloody idiots, Wood! 'Course we did!"

Katie put a finger to her lips, thoughtfully. After a moment, she nodded, assuring herself that she did indeed remember hers.

"Just making sure," Oliver said. "You have been practicing hard over the holiday, right?"

None of the three girls said anything for what, in Oliver's opinion, was too long.

"Sure..." Katie said finally.

Oliver exhaled roughly. "It's going to be especially difficult this year, you know."

"Mm-hmm," the girls agreed, not really listening to his words.

"I don't know how it's going to play out if we can't find a decent Seeker."

"It'll be fine, Wood," Alicia insisted. "There has to be some good talent out there."

"Nevertheless, there will be lots of practice," Oliver declared.

Oliver was more speaking to himself, as he had no more audience. Katie was over beside Lee, dallying and tapping her finger on his box. Angelina was re-smoothing her hair into the ponytail at the back of her head, and Alicia was digging for something in her bag.

"I'm thinking we should practice twice... no, make that three times a week. Hum... mostly morning practices, I expect. It feels better if it's first thing in the morning. And we could definitely do longer practices on the weekends... And we really should have a little time at each practice to review strategy. I would like very much for this year to be i--"

Oliver was cut off when something heavy bumped him from behind. He turned his head; Marcus Flint was staring right back at him with cold eyes. He was wearing a very black T-shirt and lugging a bulky trunk in one hand.

"Watch where you're going, Flint," said Oliver crustily.

"How about not getting in my way next time, Wood?"

Both captains said no more words; they only stood grandly, looking each other over with contempt. There was almost a visible cloud of hostility between Wood and Flint. The three girls and Lee were giving their nasty looks to Flint as well. Katie had the urge to throw Lee's tarantula in Flint's face, but Lee kept a secure hand over the lid. Flint looked at each of the three girls for a couple of seconds before finishing off with Oliver and snorting through his nose.

"I can't wait to see you Gryffindor prats lose your precious Quidditch games to me."

He strutted away pretentiously, and the three girls began muttering bad words.

"I look forward to taking the cup from you, Flint," Oliver said loudly to Marcus' back. "Among other things."

~ ~ ~

"I wish you would not talk to random people like that."

"Sorry," Aki mumbled.

"People like that," she emphasized, referring to Oliver, "are no good for you."

Aki just stared at her friend's round face.

"You know how Hogwarts boys are. Say the wrong thing and you have a nasty rumour on you all over school."

"Oh."

They boarded the train; Aki in front, and the other girl behind her.

"I just do not want to see you with something you do not deserve, you see, Aki?"

"I see," Aki replied.

"Just looking out for you, you know that?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course, Victoria."

Aki glanced over her shoulder, and was met with a cordial face from her good friend of many years, Victoria. Aki returned the friendliness she received and continued to walk down the train. There were many voices coming from all directions, clashing in her ears. She peered into each cabin she passed, and students stared back at her disapprovingly because she had intruded on their privacy. Victoria gave a little tap on Aki's shoulder.

"Just through there, Aki," she said, waving her finger to the upcoming cabin on the right.

As they got closer, a rambling became more evident.

"So what's Terrence like? I'll bet he's a fun boy. Have you seen him without his shirt or something? Do you think me and him would look good together?"

Then came a sigh of annoyance.

"Daphne, you've asked me each of those questions about ten times..."

"I'm just wondering--"

"I have nothing to tell you."

"Bugger it, Rachel! You and Terrence are in the same house, and you never tell me anythi--"

Aki stepped through the open door to the compartment. Both the bickering girls halted their argument and snapped their heads in her direction. The girl on the right was very pretty with wavy, chestnut locks. The one on the left was an ash blonde with a small, upturned nose. The two girls were sitting close to the door, leaving the two window seats free, but a pair of twisted legs obstructed an easy path to them.

"Could you move up a bit, Rachel?" Aki said to the slouching blonde.

Rachel simply twirled her finger, indicating that she wasn't about to move and that Aki would have to maneuver around her long legs, which were attached to her tall frame. Aki unsteadily stepped in strategic spots to avoid tripping or stepping on Rachel. She fell into the bench seat with a thump.

"Nice of you to show up finally!" the brunette said, as Aki took a seat beside her.

"Where have you been?" Rachel demanded. "I've had to sit here and listen to Daphne all by myself!"

"She was out on the platform... messing about in a crowd," Victoria informed, cracking open her shoddy, orange journal.

"Pscht!" was Rachel's only response to that.

"I wanted to go have a look!" Aki checked out the window for a glimpse of it again. "Someone's got a brill new pet out there!"

Victoria knocked her knuckles on Aki's knee.

"Quit with it, already."

Aki drearily turned away from the window and faced the girl sitting beside her.

"So what's this about Terrence, Daphne?"

There was no adjective to describe Daphne's strange fondness for the male species. Young, old, or extremely old, Daphne liked men of all ages.

"I was just saying how Rachel likes to hog Terrence all to herself!"

"I don't hog him!" Rachel shot back testily. "I'm just not so pervy that I watch him every moment I'm awake!"

"You've got a look at him without trousers," Daphne said, folding her arms across her chest, "and you're not telling me."

"Why would you suspect that she's seen Terrence without trousers?" said Aki, bewildered.

"Because over there, I can see a lot of de-bagging."

"What makes you think that?" Rachel said.

"Doesn't everyone do that?" Daphne answered.

Rachel threw her head back to guffaw throatily. "I don't know how it's like in Ravenclaw for you three, but in Slytherin, the clothes stay on!"

Daphne cocked an eyebrow at Rachel suggestively.

"Well... mine at least," Rachel finished off.

"Do you think ol' Terrence will take notice of someone like me?" Daphne questioned to mostly herself.

"Yes, Daphne," Aki answered rather monotonously.

"Sure," Rachel said. "Dishy little thing like yourself..."

Daphne beamed brightly. "We would make quite the dishy couple..."

"Pooh!" Victoria sputtered. "No one will ever be able to tear you away from your first love, Daphnia... your hair."

"Bugger off, Victoria... And it's Daphne, blast you."

No one said anything for the next minute, as it was always a little awkward to speak after Victoria and Daphne would get peevish at each other like that. Victoria scribbled in her journal, Daphne daydreamed, and Aki tried to eavesdrop on the conversation in the adjacent compartment. Rachel heaved in impatience and let the back of her head bang softly against the wall.

"Let's get this bloody thing going!" she said.

Victoria looked up from her book and watched the wall clock out the window.

"Four seconds now... two... one."

At precisely the end of Victoria's countdown, eleven o'clock, the train started with a hiss and a lurch. There were both hurrahs and whimpering from the other students on the train. Outside the window, the station inched away and several teary parents waved their final goodbyes. It wasn't long before this image was replaced by the scenery of a blue sky and an abundance of rolling hills. Aki sat and admired the view for a while. For the past four years she had seen the same scenic terrain, but it was still too good to refuse a look. The passing landscape had a calming effect on her, until something appeared that completely abolished the mood.

"Rachel!"

"Oh, hello again, Ursula."

The despicable voice was unmistakable. Ursula was Rachel's Slytherin friend who had features too small to fill up her wide face. They were both in fifth year, so they would talk in their common room, during lectures, at the supper table, and generally anytime that Rachel wasn't with her other three friends, Daphne, Victoria, and Aki. There was no denying it; Ursula hated them, and they hated her. Apparently, it did not bode well with Ursula that the three were 'poisoning' Rachel with their Ravenclaw ways.

"Didn't expect to see you here!"

Ursula's friendly face morphed into a derisive one as she sized up the other three girls in the cabin with Rachel. With her chin tipped to the ceiling and balled fists on her hips in a swaggering manner, her scrutiny moved from Victoria, to Aki, to Daphne.

"Well! If it isn't the prude, the drunkard, and the slapper!"

"First of all, I am not a slapper," Daphne said firmly. "Boys just like to talk to me, and I let them."

"Boys like her because she doesn't have a face that really belongs in a museum-of-oddities," Aki said in Daphne's defense. "Unlike some..."

Victoria just gave a very snobby giggle.

"Oy!" Rachel said, smacking Aki lightly on the leg. "Come on now."

Ursula was standing even taller now. She grinned toothily, feeling victorious.

"Why don't you come down to our compartment, Rachel?" Ursula suggested. "Moira's got photographs from her visit to the Quidditch World Cup."

"That sounds nice."

"You should drop by. We're just down that way on the left."

"Perhaps later," Rachel said, rubbing her thighs. "I have to rest for a bit."

Ursula lowered her belittling glimpse to Daphne.

"Are you sure?" Ursula said.

"Yeah. I've been on my feet all day, I'm so bloody tired."

"Fine. Catch you later then, Rachel."

"Ta ta," Rachel acknowledged.

"Cheerio!" Ursula said, then disappeared from the entryway.

"Cheerio," Aki mocked bitterly. Even the sound of her own voice imitating Ursula's made her want to retch.

"Good work, Ursula!" Daphne called down the corridor. "That fat face of yours is giving the walls a well-needed sweeping!"

Victoria, Aki, and Daphne all shared a laugh, no doubt loud enough that Ursula had heard it.

"Come on," Rachel said again, trying to sound as polite as possible. "Quit it."

"That was a nice one, Daphne!" Aki said, getting her last chuckle out.

Rachel kept shifting around and looking generally uncomfortable.

"She is utterly ghastly," Victoria remarked superciliously, sitting even more tautly in her seat.

"Oy..." Rachel said, fiddling with her ear uneasily. " Come on, just leave Ursula--"

"Oy, now!" interrupted Aki, tapping Victoria on the knee as she spotted something partially hidden behind her legs. "I say whassat?"

"Just Alphard," Victoria answered.

"Yer toad's here? Can I see 'im?"

Victoria closed up her book and put it on the seat next to her. She reached down under the seat and pulled up the box containing her pet toad, Alphard.

"Can I play?" said Aki.

"Very well."

Victoria passed over the box and removed the lid.

"Lazy Alphard. I do not think he will be much fun, Aki."

"Alphard. Where'd you find a name like that anyway, Victoria?"

"I like that name."

The toad's limbs looked nimble and sinewy, but as far as Aki had seen, Alphard did nothing but sit around for the most part of its life.

"He's getting scrawny," Aki commented.

"Cannot see why. The useless lump does nothing."

Aki slid her finger over the toad's slippery skin. The toad seemed bothered by it, but didn't want to exert the energy to hop away.

"Oh that's nasty!" Rachel screeched. "I can't believe you actually touched it!"

"It's fine," Aki said, jigging the toad in her hand. "Toads are harmless."

"I hate toads," Rachel made known.

Aki plopped Alphard back into his meager home and Victoria replaced the lid. Rachel's glare continued to follow the little brown box until it was stashed away back under the seat.

"Oy!" Rachel said, looking up suddenly, "Did you all hear something about Harry Potter coming to Hogwarts this year?"

Aki choked on her own saliva.

"Ha...Harry Potter?" she gasped out after having coughing fit.

"Yup."

"As in... The-boy-who-lived... and..."

Aki then proceeded to make a zig-zag motion with her finger on her forehead.

"Yeah! I heard someone talking about it at the platform and around here. You lot think it's true?" Rachel inquired.

"It is possible, you know. If I am not mistaken, he is the right age to start Hogwarts," Victoria noted.

Aki's mouth was still hanging open in disbelief.

"Oh... buggers, this is unreal!" Daphne exclaimed, fanning her face in an effort to regain her composure. "We get to go to school with a living legend!"

"Can we go see him?" an over-excited Aki said. "I wanna go see 'im!"

"Settle down! You don't even know what he looks like! What er'you going to do? Peel back the hair on every kid until you find that crazy scar?" Rachel derided.

"Can we?" Aki's eyes were wide with hope.

"No!"

"What does he look like, then?!?"

"I don't know anything," Rachel said coolly.

Aki leapt up and started for the compartment door.

"I could just ask around..."

Rachel pounded her foot into the doorframe, blocking the entry with her leg.

"You're not going anywhere! Now just park your arse!"

"If it is true, you can see him at the Sorting," Victoria reminded calmly. "Just have a wait."

"Why can't I go?" Aki complained.

"'Cause I know you're going to be gone for ages and we're all going to have to search for your damned self," Rachel said. "And I'm too lazy to be bothered with that anytime soon."

Aki collapsed back in to her seat. There was still a long time to wait, and not much to do.

"I wonder what he's doing now?" Aki said to Victoria. "D'you think he's nearby? Who d'you suppose the lucky anorak is that gets to sit with him--?"

"Just relax for a bit," soothed Victoria. "You can see this Potter, in due time."

Aki let out an impatient breath and glanced around the compartment. Daphne had belted up, daydreaming noiselessly. Rachel had rested her feet beside Daphne, her eyes closed in a forced nap. Victoria was just as quiet, writing in her journal.

"What are you writing, Victoria?" Aki asked.

"Just thoughts," she answered without looking up.

"Like what?"

Aki leaned forward and tried to get a look at the book's contents. Victoria frowned and pressed her journal close to her chest.

"Let's have a look then!" Aki persisted.

"I think not!"

Aki grabbed onto the journal, but Victoria held on firmly.

"Just lemme see!"

"Aki, please!"

"Can I just--"

"Clear off, Aki!" Rachel barked, awakening from her lazy resting.

Aki immediately stopped her harassing and froze.

"I just wanted to have a look see what she was writing..."

"It's her journal, for Christ sakes!" said Rachel, getting back to her nap.

Aki dropped back into her seat and fiddled with a lock of hair. There was a tentative moment of silence as Victoria cautiously resumed writing in her journal.

"Sorry, Victoria."

"Hmm."

"Damn it, you're not mad at me are you?"

"No, Aki. It is just that you know you do not need to look in this," Victoria said, holding up her journal, "since I already let you know all of my business."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Victoria smirked and nudged Aki on the leg.

"After all, you are my little nosey-parker."

Aki giggled lightly as her friend's bright blue eyes shone back at her. Faithful Victoria, so prim and proper, yet not ashamed to consider the unrefined Aki as her own. No one would keep their eye on Aki the way she did. No one ever had to ask it; Victoria had the self-proclaimed duty of keeping Aki in line. Victoria may have been a little strict, but she was devoted. She was the one Aki would entrust with her life.

"Oh, Victoria," Aki said, flattered. "You're my best friend too."

~ ~ ~

"Fucking Ravenclaws!"

The two girls in the compartment jumped a bit as Ursula stormed in. She flung herself into the vacant bench seat and threw her right leg over her left to cross them.

"What's the matter now?" Moira asked, a noticeable irritability in her voice. "Where's Rachel?"

"She's coming later," Ursula snapped. "She wanted to stay a bit more with those fucking Ravenclaws."

"You mean that Daphne girl, and those two other ones?" said Moira.

"Why does she stay with them?"

"I don't know, Rowan," Ursula said. "They're fucking prissyarses in my opinion."

Rowan chuckled wildly while Ursula smiled to herself.

"They sit there with their noses up, reading their books, showing off their good grades, and looking down on all the rest of us as if we were their rubbish," Ursula grumbled.

"They don't look down on Rachel," Moira said.

"That's because Rachel's been chums with the slapper since they were bloody well seven years old!"

Ursula snatched the photographs Moira and Rowan were looking through into her hand.

"I'm telling you, those Ravenclaws, those three in particular... they think Slytherins like us are the dirty joke of Hogwarts, while they're up there, basking in the wholesomeness of their brilliant Ravenclaw house."

"It makes me sick," Rowan seethed.

"Just once I'd like to have a Ravenclaw see what it's like to be at the bottom."

Ursula stared out the window, appearing to be in deep contemplation.

"I'd love to do something... to put one of those three in their place..."

Rowan arched her eyebrow and curled the corner of her mouth.

"What are you thinking, Ursula?"

"I'm not sure," she said heavily.

"Come on. Just say it."

"I'd just... like to do something to make them see."

"Like what?"

"Nothing to get them expelled. I like to have my fun. I want to be able to watch them go through the rest of their Hogwarts years in shame."

"Interesting," Rowan approved. "Very interesting."

"Perhaps something with a boy," Ursula mused.

"A Slytherin boy?" Rowan chimed in.

"Even better!"

"So what will happen?"

"I was thinking maybe one of ours and one of them get together. You know, they make sure to be seen around school, and after a while they mess around and he gets rid of dumb Ravenclaw--"

"And the Ravenclaw is left looking like the school tart!" Rowan finished off giddily.

"Exactly!" Ursula said, pointing an approvable finger at her friend. "She won't be able to walk down a single hall without hearing something nasty said about her!"

"Sounds brilliant, Ursula," Rowan adulated.

"It sounds..." Moira didn't finish her sentence.

"So which one of the Ravenclaws did you have in mind?" Rowan said. "Slapper-Daphne?"

"It wouldn't be much point if we did that, would it? Seems that everyone either already knows that she's a bit loose and they don't give a damn, or they don't believe it altogether because she looks so innocent."

"Are you suggesting the priggish one, then?" Rowan asked. "It would be quite funny to see something like this happen to her, since she acts like such a lady and all."

"No," Ursula said, dismissing it quickly. "The prude is too... the prude is too clever. She'd no doubt pick up on what we're doing."

Rowan nodded very mildly.

"No..." Ursula began. "I was thinking more along the lines of the drunkard. She stumbles around so shitfaced all the time, it'll be so simple it's ridiculous."

Rowan's mouth had fell open, and at this point, a deep giggle escaped her.

"When I'm through with her, everybody will see it," Ursula stated positively. "She's just a drunken whore."

"Ursula, please," Moira said softly. "They haven't done anything wrong. You just hate them because they're better friends with Rachel."

"Yes," Ursula hissed. "And they think they're bloody on top of the world for that, don't they?"

"Tell me," said Rowan, patting her hands on Ursula's knees. "Just who were you planning to use as your puppet in all this?"

"I'm not sure. Adrian, maybe?"

Rowan felt her nose twitch. She had half a mind to inform Ursula of just how much Adrian Pucey greatly disliked her, but Rowan kept her mouth shut and moved on.

"I don't think so."

"I don't know then!" grouched Ursula. "I'll just get one of the other fifth year blokes to do it."

"Don't waste your time. Those fifth years are all a bunch of girls, they'd giggle in your face if you mentioned something like this to them," Rowan said candidly. "Why don't you try one of the older blokes?"

"An older bloke?"

"Yes. A seventh year, or sixth. I think they'd know better on how to handle girls and such, and your little plan will probably have a better chance at working. You know that people like Adrian are so yellow, they'd never do anything."

"Can you name me a willing seventh year, maybe?"

"I don't know any seventh years."

"A sixth?"

"I've no one in mind right now," Rowan concluded quickly.

"How about you, Moira?"

"I-I... don't know..."

"It may take a while, but what we need to find is a bloke who's... daring... unreserved, if not a little stubborn... and never likes to fail," said Rowan.

The eyebrows above Ursula's squashed eyes began to furrow, and she nibbled on her lower lip. She checked off the points with her fingers while repeating them draggingly.

"Someone daring... unreserved..."

She needed a minute here to pause and think, but her next words had found a slight spark to them.

"Someone who never likes to fail..."

Ursula lifted her head, and was met with Rowan's eyes already patiently boring into her. A vile smirk crept its way onto Ursula's face, as did one on Rowan's as well.

"I think I have just the person in mind."

*****

The great hall was a headache-inducing bustle of excited chatter. More than half of the students had donned their pointy black wizard hats, but Aki had thrown hers down on to the table. Daphne was wearing hers, despite Aki's attempts in trying to rip it off her head. Victoria had also refused to wear hers; her only excuse being, "What? And look like a fool?"

Aki sat straight up, drumming her fingers on the table. The conversation between the two younger girls sitting beside her had her anxiously intrigued, and she listened in:

"...So I get home, I'm soaked all over with rain, and you know the day can't get any more miserable. Well, I walk over to the kitchen, and there on the refrigerator is a little messy note that says, 'We're at the Landon's if you need us,' and that was it!"

"That's terrible!"

"I know!"

"And on your birthday, too?!"

"Yes! Can you believe them?"

"So what happened next?" Aki blurted out.

The two third year Ravenclaw girls slowly turned and looked at her blankly. Aki, embarrassed and realizing her abruptness, slid over in her seat away from them.

"So... anyway... it was the worst, worst day of my life!" the girl continued, as if she was uninterrupted.

Aki glanced beside her and noticed Daphne looking over to the next table.

"Look at that," Daphne said through clenched teeth.

Aki and Victoria tried to follow where she was looking, but came up confused.

"Lucky bugger, Rachel. She's sitting not two seats away from Terrence!"

Aki lost interest, as Victoria did, and eased back to get a listen at what the boys at the Hufflepuff table behind her were saying.

"If she touches him, I swear I'll turn her into a dung beetle," Daphne growled.

"Damn it," Aki said under her breath. "When are the damned first years going to come?"

"Oh my--! Aki, how's my hair look?" Daphne said frantically, patting the hairs on her head. "Does it look okay?"

"It looks fine."

"Want to look good for the first years?" Victoria sneered.

"No. Just had a long day today, I don't want anyone to see me with barmy hair."

The entrance door clanked open. Aki quickly followed the noise, expecting to see a line of first years enter the room. Instead, McGonagall strolled in alone. She stood at the front of the hall and with her raised index pointer; all chatter in the hall died down in seconds. Everyone kept both ears open to hear what she needed to say.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts," McGonagall said. "I trust you all have had a productive holiday."

She let a pause here, and the students glanced at each other with devious eyes.

"In a few moments, the first years will be sorted," she announced in her haughty voice. "They will be like your family. You will treat them with the utmost respect."

McGonagall moved her glance to the Slytherin table.

"Any bullying, of those that are not in your house or otherwise, will not be tolerated!"

Some of the Slytherins snickered.

"Understand me?"

No one said anything, but everyone had the look of obedience.

"Good." She turned to her left and called out, "Get the sorting hat ready, please."

She walked down the long aisle, her tight face expressionless.

"Can't wait!" Daphne exclaimed. "D'you think the sorting hat will sort some cute ones into our house?"

"Like you would even wait until they grew up before throwing yourself at them," Victoria retorted.

"Bugger."

The doors opened again and, this time, the first years came. The whole room got dead quiet, everyone's eyes on the first years.

"Where's Potter?" were the first words out of Aki's mouth.

"There is quite a lot of them, this year," Victoria observed.

"Where's Potter?!?"

"Such cute kids--Look! Look at that one!" Daphne said, pointing to Seamus Finnegan. "He's so cute!"

The crowd of first years gathered around the old, worn hat that was gingerly placed on the solitary stool at the very front of the room. McGonagall plucked bits of dust off it and smoothed it to her liking. The hat sang its song, and afterwards McGonagall unrolled a long scroll, and the sorting process got underway. Aki watched intently as the first years were tediously sorted. Abbott and Bones both turned out to be Hufflepuffs. A Terry Boot was the first to be sorted into Ravenclaw. Aki remained in her seat, but a couple of Ravenclaws, including Daphne, stood up to shake hands with the new boy. Daphne shook Boot's hand and gave a dreamy smile, the kind she gave when wanting to dazzle someone, and took her seat again.

"What are you doing?" Victoria said.

"RAVENCLAW!" the sorting hat shouted, and a girl came to sit across from the Boot kid.

"Just welcoming the new ones," Daphne explained innocently.

"Feeding the aged carrion to the brood, hmm?"

"What's that supposed to m--"

"So, what's your name?" Aki said suddenly to the new girl across from Terry, wanting to distract Victoria and Daphne away from each other.

"Mandy," the small girl said.

Her tone was gutsy, and her voice very high and girly.

"Mandy what?"

Mandy ceased from the empty golden plate she was pushing around, and Aki got a rather disdaining survey from the girl.

"Brocklehurst," she spoke slowly and with obvious attitude.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Aki said politely. "What d'you think of it so far?"

"It's fine."

"How did you find the sorting hat?"

"I dunno."

"Scary?"

"I suppose."

"We're you nervous?"

"Please."

Aki paused to regain her thoughts and think of something else to say.

"Do you miss home yet?"

"No."

Aki got a little discouraged at Mandy's moodiness. Had she asked the same questions to, say, the Stephen Cornfoot character down the table, she was certain her ear would've been talked off by now. Daphne then had a go at trying to make the girl be more talkative.

"I think you'll like it here in Ravenclaw. Only the best and brightest get sorted into our house."

Mandy finally looked up from the shiny plate at the sound of a different voice. Her face had a new sunniness to it as she got a gander at Daphne.

"Is that so?" Mandy said.

"M'hm!" Daphne replied.

"I'm...'bright'?"

"Apparently so, if you're in Ravenclaw!"

Mandy's smile appeared to be getting bigger by the second.

"I'm sorry, I don't think you told me your name."

"It's Daphne."

"Daphne," Mandy repeated. "That's a pretty name."

"Thank you! Mandy's a nice name, too."

"Thank you." Mandy blushed. "So, what year are you in, Daphne?"

"Me? I'm a fifth year."

"Wow!" Mandy looked around the table to the numerous faces, conveniently avoiding Aki's. "What are the people like in here?"

"Everybody's got their head on right in Ravenclaw, but some of us can still have fun. Like me."

"And me! I like to have fun, too!"

"Well then, I think you and me are going to get along just fine, aren't we?"

Brocklehurst giggled.

"And our dormitory is very nice. Do you like the colour blue, Mandy?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Good. 'Cause you'll be seeing plenty of it."

"So... we are going to be in the same dormitory... right, Daphne?"

"Of course."

"Where's the bedrooms? Are yours and mine going to be close together?"

"Sort of. First years get the first room at the top of the stairs. Mine is going to be just a bit further down."

Mandy looked disappointed. "Awww..."

"I don't believe it!" Aki whispered furiously to Victoria.

Victoria just shrugged with a smirk.

"I was just as nice to that Mandy, and she practically ignored me!"

"Well--"

"Do I have a bogey hanging out of my nose or something?!"

Victoria kept repeating "shush" and waving her hands to calm Aki.

"Daphnia has her way with people. Her 'charm,' or whatnot," Victoria said, using finger gestures when she said 'charm.'

"Hmmph!"

"Well! That Mandy is obviously not a lady if she would rather make conversation with Daphnia than you."

"Patil, Padma!" yelled the transfigurations teacher.

Aki pouted and slumped her cheek into her hand. She absentmindedly watched the sorting process.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Applause from mostly the Ravenclaw table. Another "Patil," then "Perks" as Aki snapped up straight in her seat.

"Wait a second!"

"What?!" Victoria said, alarmed.

"They're at the P's already?!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat cried out.

"Yes, they are at the P's," said Victoria. "What is the matter?"

"P's! That means... that means..."

"Potter, Harry!" McGonagall called to the crowd at the front of the room.

That was what she had been waiting for. Aki made a little squeal of giddiness and was tempted to jump out of her seat. She leaned back and stretched her neck to get a better view. Aki was not disappointed in what she saw. A skinny boy with very round spectacles nervously approached the stool and hat. His black hair was messy, but the good kind of messy. She could feel her face getting flushed.

"Ohhh, wow!" she said, half-hysterical.

"Oooooh..." Daphne cooed urgently. "Who knew Harry Potter was so... cute?"

"Disgusting!" Victoria said, her tongue out.

"Those glasses make 'im look sharp, eh Daphne?" said Aki.

"He's a cute one. Although... I'm not sure if he's better than that one I saw earlier," Daphne said, speaking of Seamus.

"What, really?"

"Well... can't decide is more like it."

The sorting hat dropped onto Potter's head, covering his eyes. As McGonagall took a step back, all the teachers at the high table leaned forward, anxiously listening. No one said a thing, not a peep was made. Seconds that seemed like ages passed. Aki chewed on her thumbnail to keep from screaming for the hat to hurry up.

"What in blazes is going on under that hat?" said Victoria. "Why is it taking such a beastly time to decide?"

"Shush..." Aki whispered.

Every lapsing moment, students at each of the tables expected to hear the hat shout the name of their own house. The entire room was frozen, unmoving. No one even seemed to be blinking.

"Please... please let him be sorted into Ravenclaw," Aki begged as she clasped her hands.

After a lifetime of anticipation, the hat made its declaration.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Aki slammed her palm on the table. She clapped appropriately, but it became feebler as she watched the older Gryffindor boys shake Potter's hand and pat him on the back.

"Damn it, when am I going to be able to shake Harry Potter's hand?"

"He will be around the school," Victoria said. "Plenty of opportunities, Aki."

"Gryffindor gets Potter... and that other cute one!" complained Daphne.

Aki felt she needed to get her mind off the disappointment. Having re-collected herself after being rejected by Mandy Brocklehurst, she wanted to try a welcome to one of the new girls sitting across the table. She fixed her eye on the girl with big, almond shaped eyes and a long plait in her black hair.

"Hi there," Aki greeted when the new girl took notice.

"H-hello."

"What's your name?"

"Padma."

"I'm Aki."

"Hello."

Aki got a little dismayed as this one was just as dodgy, answering in as few words as possible. Aki noticed that Padma kept looking across the room, her bottom lip quivering.

"What's the matter?" Aki inquired.

"Parvati..." she squeaked.

"What?"

"It's my sister..."

Padma was speechless for a while. Aki said nothing, and waited for her to explain.

"We're separated..." Padma finally finished.

Aki laughed lightly.

"Padma, is it?"

"Yes."

"Padma, don't let that tie a knot in your knickers. You've still got all of us if you need anything."

"Thank you."

"You'll do well," Aki assured. "You look like the independent type to me."

Padma looked comforted. She smiled shyly at Aki and then moved her attention back to the sorting hat. Aki looked down to her golden plate, feeling better that this particular first year girl wasn't as cold.

"Are they finished yet?" Aki asked.

"Nearly," said Victoria.

Aki huffed and drummed her fingers as she heard that they were still only at the S's. Now that Potter was sorted, Aki was eager to start the feast. After a long while of not listening anymore with eyes glassed over, the hat finished off its last student.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The loud clapping awakened the snoring in Aki's head. She mechanically went along with the applause. Now that the first years were all sorted, Dumbledore stood up to make a most odd opening speech, ending it off with words like "Blubber," which Aki got a kick out of. It was just a moment after this that the platters down the middle of the table filled with good food. The older students were the first to start grabbing. The first years, after some prompting, believed it was safe and started to help themselves. Victoria just sat there with her mouth agape.

"Oh my," Victoria said. "Some of these people just have horrendous table manners!"

Victoria picked up her utensils and joined in on the feast. She wouldn't touch any of the food with her bare hands, not even the crisp bacon that was hard to handle with forks, but Victoria found a way to do so. She was probably eating the slowest, but she did look elegant, not putting her hands all over everything like the others were. Daphne munched in a cute way and paced herself, not wanting food to fall out of her mouth or anything else equally gross, since there were boys around. Aki put very little on her own plate, but she kept forking chunks of lamb chop off Daphne's plate, without asking. After the rather carnivorous supper, dessert appeared on the table. There were a few heavy groans from the first years, as they were not expecting more food and were already stuffed. The sweets and desserts looked too good to pass up, and everyone had something, stuffed or not. Whether it was because everyone around her looked so happy, or the fact that a whole platter of delicious-looking jam doughnuts were nearby, Aki had the feeling that great things were coming her way for this - her fifth year.

~ ~ ~

Marcus Flint kept his head down, fussing with the cakes and trifle in front of him. He wasn't really a dessert person; he more preferred the taste of juicy animal flesh. He wished he had taken one last piece of steak from supper, or at least had eaten the remnants of the one off of Bletchley's plate.

"I know how much you hate Thane Thornley," murmured a voice right next to his ear. "And I know how much you want to see him become the laughingstock of the Slytherin house."

Marcus gave a glance to the person beside him, then a disparaging look to seventh year Thane Thornley further down the long table.

"I might be able to help you with that, Marcus."

"What are you talking about?" Marcus said inquiringly.

"You may not know it, Marcus, but I can be very ingenious when it comes to dallying with a human mind."

Marcus gaped into the face and tried to decipher it.

"Look at him," the voice said, turning away from Marcus' probing eyes. "He does too much. It irritates you. I know it does."

Marcus could feel his disgust rising as he watched Thane sit there and socialize as if it was some great honour whenever he opened his mouth. He would be gesturing like mad and have his arms flailing all over the place just so everyone would know he was talking. Then when he'd give his overbearing little laugh, he'd throw his head back and have to hold onto the table so he wouldn't tumble clean off his damned seat.

"He's a fucking todger of a rat," Marcus spat.

"Yes," she said with a snigger. "I remember when he told Snape about that little prank you pulled on that first year."

The reminder of the dire consequences of doing something like that to a Hufflepuff first year did not help to elevate Marcus' mood the slightest bit.

"How about it, Marcus? Care to see Thane suffer?"

"I'm not sure exactly... Just what do you plan to do to him?"

"That's nothing you should be concerned about."

"You're not going to kill him are you?"

"Don't be a fool, Marcus, just answer me now! Yes or no?"

"I mean, can I just think--"

"This is a simple offer! Why are you hesitating?"

"Well--"

Marcus halted immediately as he looked into the unwavering eyes. There was something about the insistent tone of voice that made him wary. His confused expression was replaced by a dark frown.

"I know what you're getting at. I know you," Marcus grumbled. "Alright then, what'll it be? Twenty galleons? Fifty? If it's more than a hundred you can forget it."

"I'm not asking for any of your rusty money, Marcus. I quite like Thane, but I'm willing to do this for you."

"For me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I really admire you."

"Oh."

Marcus got a yucky feeling inside at the sound of those words coming from this particular person.

"That's nice of you--err--I mean, thanks."

"On second thought... perhaps there is a little something you could do for me."

Marcus groaned and wished he had accepted the offer sooner without asking dumb questions. He hoped that the 'something' wouldn't be a proposition for a snog out by the broomshed later tonight.

"Just a little something."

"What?" Marcus growled impatiently.

"D'you see that Ravenclaw sitting right there? A bit past the middle?"

"What? The one shoving the jam doughnuts in her face?"

"Yes," she hissed with outright loathing. "That's the one."

"I see her. So what?"

"I wish to destroy her."

"Why?"

"Stop asking nosy questions, Marcus!"

Marcus' sneer was growing quickly, as he was annoyed by the blatant disrespect.

"I wish to destroy her, and you're going to help me do it."

"Oh I am, am I?" Marcus mocked.

"Yes. I just have one rule: you cannot speak of our plans to anybody. No one can know."

A nervous look was cast in the direction of Rachel, who was sitting about six seats down, happily digging into some apple pie.

"Especially Bole. I know how much he likes to gossip like a little girl, do you understand me?"

"I suppose..." Marcus agreed unsurely.

"Good," she said authoritatively. "Your only job, Marcus, is to take that Ravenclaw, right there... that drunkard Aki... and bang her up good!"

"Pardon me?!?"

"Please don't make me repeat it," she said, looking like she had a queasy stomach.

"Are you serious???"

"That's all there is to your end of the deal. Sounds like quite the bargain, wouldn't you say?"

"Ravenclaws, eh? They're no damaged goods."

"Quite. The only thing they've made love to is the books."

"Could you imagine my reputation? Slytherin Quidditch god Marcus with an uptight Ravenclaw?"

"She'll be a fun bonk, Marcus..." she purred, moistening her bottom lip. "She'll show you a good time, I'm sure."

"How do you know she'll...err...let me?"

"You're a bloody Quidditch captain, fuck it! Use those robes to charm the knickers off her!"

"You think she'd really go for it?"

"Sure," she groaned, her voice instantly turning gentle. "You're popular... captain... and... ahrum... quite good looking."

"Yeah..." Marcus rumbled cockily.

"What do you think, Marcus? Do we have a deal?"

Marcus sat and didn't say anything for a long while. He stared at the table and poked his finger into a bowl of rice pudding.

"Just have your fun with the Ravenclaw, Marcus. I'll take care of the rest. Then we'll both be happy."

Marcus appeared to be thinking attentively, chewing his lip and eyeing his Ravenclaw subject.

"Ruin the Ravenclaw, that's all I ask."

She put one hand on Flint's shoulder to implore him to look in the direction she was; the direction of Thane Thornley.

"Ruin the Ravenclaw... and I'll screw up the seventh year."

Marcus took one long, deep inhalation.

"Ursula Dowell..."

Marcus removed his finger from his dessert bowl. With his eyes gazing straight into Ursula's, he engulfed his mouth around the fingerful of pudding, sucking it all off ever so slowly.

"You have yourself a deal."