Prelude to Moondance

The next day was pure nerves for Sariyah. Her hand shook during the Potions test and she forgot most of the ingredients to the Animagus Potion (although there were four others in her class that knew them inside and out). The dueling team event was quickly approaching, and she was getting more and more nervous.

"James!" Sariyah called, seeing her friend turn the corner.

He backed up and grinned at her. "Yeah?"

She hurried towards him and grabbed his arm, tugging him into an empty hallway. "Look, could you do something for me? Just cast a Cheering Charm, real quick, on me, please?"

James' face narrowed into a look that plainly indicated the absurdity of her request. "No, Sariyah. Absolutely not. Just breathe, you're going to be fine."

"No, no no no no I'm not, please, just do it so I don't have to pay someone to do it...or Peter...Peter would do it..." she started, a light flickering on in her head. "All right, I'll talk to you later--"

"Sariyah, stop, really," James said bracingly, taking her arm. "Breathe. You're going to do great. Remus taught you, you can't have a better teacher than him. Just cool it, Sar. Here, breathe with me. Breaaaathe..."

Sariyah let out a deep breath and sighed. "Okay. Okay, I'm going to be okay." They exited the hallway and went to the last class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

***

"You have it, Severus?" sneered Malfoy.

"Of course," answered Snape, clutching a black top hat. "All we have to do is replace that hat with this one, and everything will work out."

"Excellent," chuckled the sneering voice.

***

Night crept upon the hills of Scotland, sweeping over the school of Hogwarts. The stars twinkled brightly outside, reflected as well on the inside of the Great Hall, where a large platform had been set up in place of the table. Students were swarming everywhere, and the familiar fivesome were mingling with other houses.

Remus looked extremely uncomfortable talking with a Hufflepuff 6^th year girl who was going on about various plants in the magical world.

"Well you see, leaves of the Alihotsy cause psychosis, so of course the Alihotsam Potion is going to cause temporary psychosis, at least," she said, pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose, blue eyes flashing.

"Right," Remus replied politely, "I forgot about that."

"So Remus I was wondering maybe if we could get some coffee and talk more about plants and...other stuff, tomorrow at lunch, maybe?" she asked hopefully, looking up at him. She only came up to his shoulder, so she had to peer upwards at his tall, lithe frame.

"Oh--coffee--that...er...I'm-- " Remus was too polite to finish.

"He's busy," Sariyah intercepted the failing Remus, putting an arm on his skinny shoulder. "He's helping me transfigure stuff, right Remus?"

"Yes. That is right, I am doing that tomorrow," Remus affirmed. "I'm sorry Anne, maybe another time."
The brown-haired girl looked crestfallen. "It's alright. Another time, then." She walked away towards a group of her friends were waiting, all with glasses, watching avidly.

"Dear God, Sariyah, I feel terrible now," Remus said, running a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have froze up and just said yes."

"Remus Lupin, have you even been on a date before?" Sariyah queried, holding his gaze evenly. Remus blushed. "Well, then I'm going to find you one, you just wait. Lupin's going to have a girlfriend."

"What? Loopy has a girlfriend?" asked Sirius, nearing his friends after carefully avoiding a group of girls who were stalking him. "Where is she?"

"I don't, Sariyah says she's going to find me one," chuckled Remus.

"Nerds aren't in high demand these days, Moony. You're out of luck," Sirius laughed, winking rougishly at his friends, grinning his usual handsome smile. "There's your friend, Sariyah." He was looking in the direction of Lachlan Avery, who was talking to a group of his Hufflepuff friends. Lachlan glanced over in their direction, caught Sariyah's eye, and turned back to his friends momentarily. He broke away from them and started walking over to her.

"Hi Sariyah," he said, smiling at her, but not as brightly as he usually did.

Sariyah noticed that, however handsome he was, she didn't find him interesting anymore. She wanted chivalry in her love interest, and a weak man was not what she was looking for. "Hi Lach."

"I just wanted to wish you good luck," he said, leaning forward and embracing her. "You're going to be really good, I know it." His eyes twinkled kindly, and he waved at her and walked away.

"And you didn't even get one good snog in, Sariyah," sighed Lily, coming up from behind, placing an arm through her friend's.

"Too bad," Sariyah giggled. "It would have blown his mind."

This comment was met by raised eyebrows from James, Remus, and Sirius, and fits of giggles from Lily.

"Attention, everyone! The Dueling Team is about to commence. Everyone, please, stop talking, and we shall begin," called a voice. A tiny Professor Flitwick had magnified his voice and was standing on a chair at the head of the platform. "Now! I will pick names out of this hat, and soon we'll have everyone paired up and narrowed down. The girls will be with the girls, and the boys with the boys."

He began choosing names out of the hat and reading them aloud, two names per piece and parchment.

"Octavius and Snape," he called. Snape grinned to himself. Artie Octavius was a small, skinny Ravenclaw 6^th year with a very little handle on dueling.

"Fletcher and Bordeaux!"

"Avery and..." he paused. "Avery." Lachlan's eyes flashed with surprise as he turned to find his brother in the crowd. Elliot was smirking in another corner, feeling as though he could outduel his brother easily.

"Black and...Potter," Flitwick said. Sirius and James stared openmouthed at each other.

"What is going on?" Sariyah muttered. "This isn't right."

"Pettigrew and Malfoy!" All of the blood drained from Peter's already pale face, and he looked as though he was about to faint.

"Ellis and Northing!" called Flitwick. Bernice and Acantha looked puzzled as they stared at each other.

"Khan and Bordeaux...Marlene, that is," said Flitwick. Sariyah saw the blond Marlene Bordeaux in the corner of her eye, applying lipstick while staring into a portable compact.

"Evans and Spraw!" Lily glanced around to a large, burly girl, taller than most of even the boys in her 7^th year Slytherin class.

"Don't worry, Lils, she's not any good, you're better," James reassured her, massaging her shoulders.

"How did you and Sirius get paired up? I don't get it, it doesn't make any sense. I mean, statistically, there's no way that should have happened--" Remus was cut off by hearing his name being called.

"Lupin and Longbottom!" Remus's mouth stood agape.

"This is really odd," stated Frank Longbottom, who was standing near Remus. "I think something's been tampered with."

"I think you're right," James agreed. He made his way through a throng of students to where Professor Flitwick was standing and spoke with him for a brief moment. Flitwick shook his head, and James seemed to be persistent, but Flitwick seemed to win out at the end. James came back towards them, looking a little dismayed.

"He said he can't change what was written on the parchment, or what he read. It would take to long to resort and re-pair everyone up, so they're just going to go with it," James muttered to his friends.

Sirius shook his head.

Flitwick called the first two names, James and Sirius.

They looked nervously at each other as they both climbed the stairs to the platform. They met in the middle and shook hands.

"May the best man win," Sirius said, with a hint of a smile. "We may as well make this as fun as possible, you know."
James grinned. "Why not?"

"Gentlemen! About face! Ten paces! Turn!" Flitwick squeaked. "Wands at the ready! Black, you first."

"Saltatus!" Sirius called, smiling broadly. A yellow streak burst out of his wand towards James who blocked it quickly, sending it soaring back to Sirius. Sirius was caught slightly off guard as he blocked the spell again, its power diminishing as it fluttered back to James, who decided to let it hit him.

James stood stock still, then all of a sudden, a pair of tap shoes appeared on his feet, magicked there by a deft wand movement of Sirius's. He felt his legs get as light as air and he began dancing to unplayed music, dancing a complicated routine directed by Sirius's wand. James was laughing as he began getting into it, and he finished off with a twirl and two last taps before coming to an end.

A burst of applause greeted the end of his routine, and for James, seeing Lily laughing made it all worth it. He bowed kindly to the audience, then to Sirius, who was clapping as well.

"Black! Potter! That is enough. You two can get off the platform, we're dueling, not ballroom dancing," snapped an irate Professor Malodor, who was also overseeing the dueling team.

Sirius and James snorted with laughter as they hopped off the platform, knowing that they never could have done any real harm to each other.

Lucius Malfoy scowled across the room. "I was hoping they'd have to annihilate each other and then I wouldn't have to worry about them."

"I know, I wasn't expecting that either," Snape growled. "They always make fun of every situation...they won't be soon enough."

"Fletcher and Bordeaux, please take your spots," Flitwick called the next pair.

Laetitia Fletcher, a short, stocky girl with dirty blonde hair met Evelyn Bordeaux, a tall Slytherin with shiny black hair and olive skin at the middle of the platform. Evelyn, more commonly known as Evie, was a beater for the Slytherin team, and no doubt her skills at Quidditch would come in handy here. She was one of the few Slytherins that associated with other houses, and her best friend was a Korean girl in Ravenclaw. She was on good terms with everyone, a rare attribute for a Slytherin.

They walked ten paces before turning. Evelyn went first and blasted Laetitia into the air. Laetitia was much to slow to block any of Evelyn's spells, and she soon lost. Polite clapping spread through the hall as Flitwick announced Evelyn as the winner. Evie, a good sport, shook Laetitia's hand and even offered to help her to the hospital wing.

"Malfoy and Pettigrew," called Flitwick. Peter stumbled as he meekly climbed up onto the platform to face Malfoy, who had his usual smirk on his face.

"You can do it, Peter," shoulted Sirius. "Don't be afraid of him."

Peter's hand shook convulsively as he turned to face Malfoy.

"Pettigrew first."

Peter hesitantly raised his wand.

"Come on, Peter, come on, don't pretend like those extra 'lessons' didn't happen," muttered James.

"Fistulae!" cried Peter, twirling his wand as he shouted the incantation.

"Protego!" Malfoy called lazily, blocking the spell.

Peter had obviously been expecting this as he re-shielded the spell coming at him. What he did next shocked his friends as well

"Pennatus!" he cried, sending two spells at once towards Malfoy. Malfoy blocked the first, but was not quick enough to block the second. He began sprouting feathers over his entire body and he looked very absurd.

The entire hall, minus a few of the Slytherins, began cackling with laughter at the sight of the bully being made a fool. Even Flitwick was chuckling, watching the whole hullaballoo.

James and Sirius were laughing boisterously, holding their stomachs in pain.

"Who knew!" snorted James. "Well done, Wormtail!"

Peter grinned a little at his friends and turned back to Malfoy, whose feathers were quickly beginning to molt.

Malfoy made a slashing movement with his wand and a large gash appeared on Peter's forehead, blood dripping from it. Peter howled in pain, while Malfoy took another swipe at him. Peter's feet flew from underneath him, making his head bang with a dull thud onto the platform. He had been knocked unconscious.

"Mr. Malfoy, that is quite enough!" called Flitwick. He motioned to two students carrying a stretcher nearby, and they went and collected Peter to shuttle him off to the hospital wing.

"That--that cheating scum!" growled James.

"It wasn't cheating, Potter," snarled Snape. "That's in the rules."

"No one was asking you, greasy," Sirius shot back. He and Severus were now standing nose to nose, their wands dangerously close to each other's necks.

"That's quite enough!" called Flitwick, noticing the two. "Next up--Ms. Khan and Ms. Bordeaux."

Sariyah froze, feeling every hair on her body stand straight up. Her heart began pounding nervously, violently; she had a blank expression on her face as she climbed the platform.

"She looks like she's about to vomit," commented Acantha Ellis, polishing her wand.

"She's going to be fine," murmured another voice. Lily turned to see Evelyn Bordeaux standing nearby behind her. "If she's against my sister," Evelyn continued in her quiet voice, "then she should have no problem."

There were many cheers for Sariyah as she faced Marlene Bordeaux.

"Now we'll make this a real duel, please," announced Flitwick. "Whenever you're ready."

Sariyah's wand was out, but she didn't move. Marlene had her wand out as well, and she looked unsure as to who was going to go first.

"Come on, Sar, come on," mumbled Remus, willing her to cast a spell.

Sariyah sudden;y felt a small burst of confidence inside of her. She pulled her wand back and yelled "Petrificus Totalus!". Marlene squealed as her arms clamped to her sides and she toppled over.

The curse quickly wore off and as Marlene began to stand up, Sariyah felt a small balloon of confidence expand in her chest. She held up her wand, narrowed her pale green eyes, and waited for Marlene's spell.

"Diffindo!" Marlene shouted.

"Protego!" Sariyah cried back. Marlene's spell bounced harmlessly off of Sariyah and shot back towards her. Marlene ducked and the spell hit a stone gargoyle in the hall, shattering a piece of its ear.

Before Sariyah could cast another enchantment, Marlene had already shouted some indiscernable charm. Sariyah felt her legs wobble unsteadily, then felt herself flying backwards at an amazing speed towards the end of the hall, where a wall was in her wait.

"Finite Incantatem!" yelled Sirius, pointing his wand at Sariyah. She slowed down greatly, but Sirius had been too far away to cast a powerful enough spell.

Sariyah felt herself slam into the wall, feeling like every bone in her body had just collided with a moving truck. The students in the hall slid out of focus as her body crumpled to the ground.