Lilith, or the White Flame Reborn

Chapter one

The departure

I- North Cross

... Cold... so cold...

Her whole body was shivering. Once again, this icy pain was fluttering in her belly and as she slept, she saw it: the dark mist surrounding her heart, trying harder every night to devour her very soul.

so much... pain...

All of a sudden, the mist burst and she awoke with a gasp. Sighing with relief, Lilith sat up on her bed and clutched the cross hanging around her neck. As always, the touch, the feel of it comforted her. The small stone room was cold and damp. The bare dark-grey walls were rough and unwelcoming, but it was her room no matter what, and she liked it. The open window banged against the wall. So that was what had woken her up, she thought, melting nightmares inside her dreams. She got out of bed and walked bare foot on the thick carpet, then on the icy floor to the window. Outside, the wind was stinging and the sea was angry, slapping the reef with tremendous strength and hurling itself against the outer wall of the old Monastery of North Cross. She stared absent-mindedly at the stormy horizon for a moment. The thick grey clouds were rumbling overhead, flashing with dazzling white bolts of lightning.

Lilith shut the window and turned back to her bed. She collapsed on it and began burying herself in the thick woollen blanket but she stopped when she caught a glimpse of the remembrall on her bedside table. The glass ball was crimson. At first, she paid no attention to it; it was hard to remember the last time it had actually been translucent. Yet it seemed to her that the colour was brighter than usual so she sat up, took it in her hand and tried hard to remember if it was something important she had forgotten this time. Maybe she had locked the cat in her room. She knew just how unpleasant this could be. She pouted and began looking for him, calling him out loud.

'Cheshire? You there? Come here kitty-cat.'

There was no answer. 'It must be something else...' she thought. 'But what?'

She began stamping her foot on the ground; as she did every time she was upset by her forgetfulness. Then she calmed down. 'Alright, Lilith. Think,' she said out loud. She began pacing up and down the room and playing with the white streak of her black hair with her fingers.

She stopped at once, her face blank and put her hand to her mouth, holding back a scream.

'Oh my God! School!' she cried. She rushed to the door, opened it and let out a scream of fright. A heavy man with great green eyes and wide shoulders had loomed up out of the corridor and overshadowed the huge doorway, ready to knock on the door. It was Father Mentorus.

'Aren't you late, girl?' he asked in his deep baritone voice. 'School begins today, doesn't it?'

'I know,' she shouted pushing him out of the way. She rushed through the vast corridor to the bathroom door and swung it violently open.

Father Mentorus smiled and sighed. Twelve years already had passed, twelve short years in his long life he had looked after her and raised her as his own daughter, but however short twelve years can be, still they had been the most alive of all. He remembered every single minute he had spent with her, the long play-hours of her youth, the lessons she was so eager to hear, the languages she learned so easily and loved so much. And magic, of course. How he loved this child, he himself could not realize how much he loved her, how important she was to him.

She jumped out of the bathroom dripping with water and wearing a towel wound round her too-thin body.

'Get out of the way!' she shouted smiling and hurrying to her room. 'Why didn't you wake me up?' she asked, getting dressed as fast as possible.

'I was about to...' Mentorus answered, but she wasn't paying attention.

'Oh my God, it's this late already!'

'Do not swear, Lilith,' he warned.

'Sorry Father,' she grinned. She put on her new robes they had gone to buy together a week before and began tidying her dark hair nervously, pacing the room.

'Calm down, Lilith, calm down,' Mentorus said gently, walking towards her. He took the brush from her and smiled.

'Sit down, dear,' he said. 'You don't need to hurry so much. It is half past seven; the train leaves at ten to eight. You have fifteen minutes left. Floo powder will take you to the station in a heartbeat, and then you'll have five minutes to get on the train. It's far enough. So relax.'

He lovingly ran his weather-worn hands through her long straight hair, brushing it.

'I'm sorry, Father. But going to school! It's driving me mad! I'm so nervous I think I'm going to burst. All my life I've been living here with you and the other brothers - not that I don't like it - but I've never known anyone younger than brother Candus, and he's getting on for forty...'

'I know, child. I know how you must feel. Everything is going to be fine. I know it. You must trust yourself.'

'Everything is not going to be fine! You know that I can't trust myself and my damned memory. What will I do if I forget the name of my teachers or what group I'm in?' she panicked.

'You won't...' he reassured her. 'Well not too often, I suppose.' Lilith flushed with surprise and jumped on the old man, fighting him with what strength she had. The sound of their laughter echoed down the silent corridors.

'Come on, girl. You have to eat something before you go,' he said smiling.

'But I'm not hungry,' she answered.

'I didn't ask if you were hungry. Eat.'

He lifted her and set her down on the floor. She smoothed her robes brushed her hair again and put on her shoes.

'How do I look?' she asked.

'You're stunningly beautiful,' the old man answered. Lilith's pale skin reddened a little.

'Oh come on!' she grinned.

She rushed out of the room and jumped downstairs to the kitchen, humming. The old priest took up her trunk and gathered up all the things she had forgotten, her books, her lyre, the few galleons he had saved up for her. He grabbed the midnight-blue cloak embroidered with silver he had made himself for her tenth birthday and took out his wand.

'Locomotor Trunk,' he said pointing it at the trunk, which started to hover lightly in front of him and followed as he walked downstairs.

'Father Mentorus!' a voice called from behind him. It was brother Edgar, a tall, heavy-built, stout-faced man. He was wearing a Muggle tracksuit and carrying two practice swords.

'Good morning, Father. Is Miss Lilith already up? I was wondering if she was in the mood for a little fencing session!'

Mentorus smiled. He remembered perfectly the first time Lilith had entered the old deserted fencing room; how she had immediately fallen in love with it. It took her a while to restore it, but restore it she did and she even managed to talk some brothers into practicing swordplay with her. Brother Edgar had first been very reluctant, but once he had tried it, he had begun to really enjoy it and they had spent hours together, practising and improving their skill with the sword. Now, it was brother Edgar himself who went and asked the girl for fencing sessions.

'Maybe she is in the mood, Brother Edgard, but without a time turner, it will be quite impossible I'm afraid.'

'Is it so? Is she in a hurry?' Edgar asked.

'Oh my God!' Lilith's voice broke from downstairs.

'Quite in a hurry, indeed,' Father Mentorus smiled.

The girl came rushing upstairs.

'I forgot my books!' she cried, her face flushed with distress.

'You had. But now everything is packed. Don't worry. Go to the great hall, I'll be right there.' He threw the cloak over her shoulders and fastened the silver brooch. Then he kissed her brow and she went downstairs, her deep sky-blue eyes still shadowed with concern.

Father Mentorus followed her down to the great hall. He crossed the kitchen, greeted the few brothers breakfasting there and opened the door. The wide corridor was dark and mouldy-looking as the elderly man walked along it, throwing glances to the old tapestries, scenes of great wizard battles and goblin revolutions. He greeted one of the wizards on a tapestry who nodded back, his face grave. Lilith was waiting in the great hall, and when the priest walked in, she immediately stood up and faced him with an imploring look obviously meaning 'Hurry up!' He reached the hearth and looked the tall young girl in the eyes. More than a hundred times he had seen those, but it amazed him still to see how they burnt when they were exposed to sunlight or firelight; and then they did, two deep-blue orbs alight with twisting flames.

'Lilith,' Mentorus began.

'Hurry up, I gotta go!' she said.

'Lilith, today is going to be your first school day...'

'Not if you keep on rambling like that!'

'If you keep on interrupting me, you will never catch your train, so be quiet for I'll finish my speech no matter what.'

She sighed with resignation.

'Good,' Mentorus carried on. 'The first year in a school of witchcraft and wizardry is a very important moment in a witch's life. Especially in yours since you were raised in this remote place with no one but us to speak to.'

The word of her departure had spread quickly through the monastery and all the brothers were now gathered in the great hall, listening to Father Mentorus.

'You are a really gifted girl. In everything you have tried, you have had great success. We all love you very much and to see you go fills us with anxiety. However, we are glad you were allowed into this school, where you will finally be able to prove yourself as you deserve. This is why all of us wish you good luck in this great adventure. We have a present for you. Now that you are about to test your skill in magic on your own, you also need a wand of your own.'

Mentorus took a small dusty box out of his robes and opened it. The object inside caught the firelight and sparkled like diamond. The old man lowered the box and presented it to the girl. Dumbfounded, Lilith stretched a trembling hand towards the wand.

She had seen wands before, hundreds of them on paintings, tapestries and old Ollivander catalogues, but never had she set eyes on such a wonderful one. And wonderful was the right word. Beautiful was not enough to describe it. It was definitely full of wonder. She had always thought wands were supposed to be made out of wood, but this one wasn't. It seemed to be made out of some kind of glass, but yet, it didn't look fragile. On the contrary. It seemed as hard as dragon scales. The glowing surface was crystalline but the inside was sky-blue and a single dark string had been cast in its heart. She held it in her hand and felt at once the power flowing through her whole body. Holding her own wand: she had dreamt about this for so long... So long she could hardly remember. And now that it was actually happening, she felt tremendously powerful. She was ready to stand up to the whole world.

'It... is... wonderful,' she finally managed to whisper.

'Indeed, it's made out of laen, magical volcanic glass. It is extremely rare,' Mentorus answered. 'But it's time for you to leave. It's almost ten to eight.'

She remained still for a few seconds, unable to say anything, overwhelmed with too many feelings for her to express with words. She jumped in his arms and hugged him tight.

'I love you, Father,' she whispered in his ear.

'I love you too, child. Take care.'

She let go of him and waved good-bye to the brothers who waved in return, barely hiding their tears.

'Come on, in you go now.'

Lilith nodded. She took a handful of Floo powder and threw it in the fire that burst at once with high green flames. She took a deep breath and said: 'Second ground floor, Connolly Station.' She jumped in the hearth and vanished from the monastery, swallowed by the emerald fire.

'Take care of you,' Mentorus whispered, 'and of yourself...'

II-Aboard the Nivalis Express

Lilith however couldn't hear him. She was spinning wildly, her elbows tucked in tightly. Travelling by Floo powder had always been some kind of a game to her. The speed and the spin felt like a fair attraction and she couldn't help grinning all through the trip. Back in the monastery, she had spent whole days travelling from one fireplace to another. The journeys were short of course, but she enjoyed them just the same, even though Brother Avario, who was the monastery's treasurer, didn't enjoy it at all.

Thrown out of a huge fireplace, Lilith landed nimbly on hard polished stone, still dragging the weightless trunk behind her. With bright eager eyes, she stared at the vast platform of the Connolly station. In front of her, a great white sign was labelled in shining green letters 'Second ground floor- Connolly Station'. Hundreds of people were passing by in front of her, shabby looking old druids, rich sorcerers in brand new robes of purple silk, red velvet and other wonderful fabrics of which Lilith knew not the name. Owls were shrieking in their cages as they were piled up inside the hold. Cats were running in the alleys, chasing frightened rats and toads that children had lost.

Lilith stared absent-mindedly at a young boy trying to get a grip on his toad, calling out its name, 'Sally! Get back here, Sally!'

She smiled, but suddenly she was hit in the back and fell flat on her face. Half-blinded by the shock, Lilith made out a small golden-haired girl with an angel face standing where she had been an instant earlier. Her dark-blue eyes were shining and she had her hand on her mouth, looking sorry for what she had done, but suddenly, her face changed completely and she looked down haughtily on Lilith.

'Watch out, silly girl, this is a doorway, not a mere fireplace! I could have been hurt!'

Lilith remained still, astounded. How could someone look so nice but be so mean? she thought. A tall woman with light brown curly hair and clear brown eyes followed her out of the hearth and took her hand. 'Come on Angie,' she said shortly. As they were getting away, Lilith heard the girl say 'Those Muggle-borns! Did you see that?' but they were out of earshot when the woman answered.

Lilith laid down there for a moment, bewildered. Then she got up and smoothed her robes and cloak. She heard a siren, but paid no attention to it as she was staring at the silvery snowflake on the train in front of her. "Nivalis", the name of her school, was written underneath it in shining white characters. There was a blast of steam and the train departed.

'Oh Jesus!' she screamed. It was the only train to Nivalis, it was leaving and she wasn't on it. 'No!' She screamed running along the platform. She took out her wand, panting and gasping for breath. As she ran, she thought hard, trying to remember the proper spell to help her.

'Come on, Lilith! Come on!' she cried to herself.

Inside the train, a few giggling girls were watching her, their noses pressed against the glass.

Lilith saw hundreds of spells flashing before her eyes. She only had a few seconds left. 'Ie... Ie... Ia...' But suddenly the words sprung to her mind as thrown there by someone else and she knew, she knew the right spell. 'Ianua Apere!' she shouted tapping the side of the train with her wand tip. Suddenly, the green iron wall began to shimmer like water. Lilith took a deep breath. She caught a glimpse of the end of the platform drawing dangerously closer a few yards away. With eyes shut tight, she jumped through the wall.

She landed heavily on thick fluffy white carpet and laid there for a while, panting and hardly daring to open her eyes. When she finally did, she realised she was down on all fours inside a compartment. It was occupied, but what did it matter? It was the only train to Nivalis, it was leaving and she was on it. The two students in the compartment, a boy and a girl, were gaping at her, dumbfounded. The blue-eyed girl had stood upright in terror and was now clutching her friend's thick neck. The boy, huge, brown-skinned and black-eyed with a foot-thick Afro haircut, hadn't moved, but his eyes were bulging in stupor. They were both wearing Muggle clothes.

The girl swallowed hard.

'... Hi,' she let out in a shrill, worried voice

'You o'right?' he added, concerned.

Lilith was so glad she had managed to catch the train she hardly heeded them. After she had stood up and smoothed her robes, she pointed her wand backwards without looking.

'Finite!'

The wall stopped to shimmer and turned back to normal. Lilith put her wand away, blinked several times and then turned to the two students.

'Oh hello!' she smiled innocently. 'Sorry about the entrance, it was a bit rash, wasn't it?'

'Well, yeah, kind of rash,' the girl laughed nervously. She let go of her friend and took a step nearer, throwing her waist-long dark-pink and light-brown plaits behind her shoulder with a graceful gesture. The girl was older than Lilith, but they were almost of height.

'Are you new?' she asked. 'I don't think I've seen you before.'

'You wouldn't have. I am new. My name's Lilith.'

'Well Hi, then, Lilith! I'm Blue!' she winked, and the ring in her eyebrow glittered as she did. 'That's what they call me anyway.'

'And I'm Anton,' the boy said, standing up, brushing the ceiling with his thick hair as he did so, 'Anton O'Neill. We're in fifth year.'

There was an awkward moment in which Lilith tried to find out what gesture would have been convenient. Should she shake hands? Hug them? Kiss them on the cheek? No, definitely not, only French people do that. She opted for a nice, neutral bow and a smile.

'You can sit down if you want,' Blue hesitated.

Lilith stared for a moment then shook her head only to see that both of them had already sat down and were waqtching her as though she had been standing there for a while.

'Yes, sure,' Lilith answered, blushing slightly.

Blue and Anton started talking together in what Lilith took, at first, for a foreign language, but she soon realised that it wasn't. They were speaking English, but so fast and so badly she could hardly understand a thing. Then Lilith heard the word 'Quidditch' and seized the opportunity to join the conversation.

'Are you talking about Quidditch?' she asked.

'Oh, aye,' Blue said.

'Do you play it?'

'Yes, we do,' Anton answered. 'I'm a keeper.'

'And I'm a seeker.'

'Do you play for the same team?' Lilith asked, not willing to drop the conversation now that it had started.

'Aye!' Blue answered proudly. 'The Seven Blizzards! Best team there is, school champions and all.'

'Really? Congratulations!'

'Thanks!'

'Do you play yourself?' Anton asked conversationally.

'I can't fly.'

'Really, why's that?' Blue sniggered.

Lilith's gaze turned absent-mindedly to the green patchwork of fields outside. Her eyes caught the rising sunlight and sparkled like fire.

'Because I'm too young,' she sighed, hardly hearing her own words.

'What? How com-' Blue started, but Anton cut her off.

'Jesus Christ! Are you only twelve?'

The girl's attention still wandered outside among the clouds. She nodded slightly to Anton's question, but soon, she stopped heeding them, tilting her head from side to side and raising her hand, her mouth forming hollow words.

Blue and Anton goggled and held each other's hand tight. Their hearts leapt within their breasts and a strange warmth spread through their bodies and minds, an overwhelming will wiping out all their thoughts.

Suddenly, the veil was lifted and Lilith turned back to them, smiling warmly.

'You sure look older,' Blue smiled, leaning forward with her chin in her hands.

'It's because you're so tall.'

'Really, am I? I wouldn't know, I've never met anyone my age before.'

'How come?' Blue asked.

'I live in a very remote place.'

'You must have spent your time studying magic, then. I had never heard of that spell you cast.'

'Me neither!' Blue nodded fervently. 'But then, I can hardly remember a spell from one year to the next...' She stuck out her tongue at them and Lilith caught a glimpse of a tongue-ring that made her start.

'I had very good instructors,' she finally said, swallowing hard. Was it customary? Were all teenagers supposed to be riddled with holes? Lilith had to admit that she loved jewels, but it must hurt... Anton wasn't, so maybe it was just Blue's fantasy.

'Well, you're gonna be bored in first year,' Anton said.

'Yeah, all the boys will be at least a head smaller,' Blue added, matter-of-factly.

'T'was not what I had in mind, but you have a point, I guess.'

'Of course I have. I know what I'm talking about, even though I wasn't as tall as you are when I was twelve.'

'I'm nearly thirteen,' Lilith objected, which made the two others smile fondly.

At this point, the compartment door opened and a ginger-haired boy stuck his head in, said hello quickly and that he'd be right there before closing the door.

'Ginger...' Blue sighed.

'He's one of our best mates,' Anton explained. 'He knows everybody in school. If you're looking for someone...'

'Or something!' Blue added.

'Yeah, well, you go straight to him.'

'Alright, thanks.'

'You'll probably meet him in a while... If you stick around,' Anton said hopefully.

'I will if you don't mind!' Lilith exclaimed joyfully.

'Why would we?' Blue laughed. 'You're welcome here, Lilith!'

And strange as it seemed to both Blue and Anton, she was. Their little group of friends had always consisted of only them two, Ginger and his cousin Heidi. And Aldo, of course, their captain. How many people had tried to sneak into it? Tried and failed. It seemed they had been meant to be together and were all they needed.

Why, then? What made this girl so different from all the others? In the same way they felt a part of them inside every of their closest friends, Blue and Anton felt the girl inside them, a shining part of her being glowing inside their hearts, deep within their very guts.

Blue wondered whether Lilith felt the same way about them. Or whether she would leave them and be on her way. The mere thought was too sad to linger on. She had hardly met her, but she wouldn't let her go. She wouldn't let her down.

Lilith, sitting in front of them was grinning, her heart dancing within her breast. So that was what friendship meant. She had never felt so close to anyone in this way. Being friends with the brothers back at the monastery had never felt anything like that. The two of them were older than she was, and yet, she didn't feel any different from them, not in that sense anyway.

Miles went by and the compartment was quiet. Anton had put away Lilith's trunk and they were all lounging in their seats as the morning sun rose. The three travellers smiled at each other saying a word or two every now and then. They didn't feel they needed to talk all that much. After a while, the door opened and two people walked in: a boy and a girl. They both wore black robes with a red Prefect badge, but the boy's had silver embroidery on the sleeves and round the collar and an other badge on the chest, ice-blue and white. The rosy-faced, plump girl started at Lilith's presence. She took her thick spectacles off, cleaned them mechanically and pushed them back on with a questioning look. The boy's sharp face was blank under his untidy dark-blond hair, his marine-blue eyes peering at Lilith.

Immediately, Blue and Anton jumped from their seat and launched themselves into explaining Lilith's arrival, Blue gesturing widely, Anton nodding behind her and adding a few words. As they spoke, Lilith caught the names of the two newcomers. The boy was named Aldo and the girl Heidi.

'A doorway spell?' Aldo asked suspiciously when his friends were through. 'Are you joking?'

'Wait, wait!' Heidi cut off. 'Doorway spell! That rings a bell!' she exclaimed, trying hard to remember something.

'Now that you mention it,' Anton added, rubbing his chin.

'It would,' Aldo said calmly, closing the compartment door and walking further in. 'We mentioned it in class, but it's Aurore school standards at the very least. She can't have cast it.'

How scornful! He had nodded towards her as though she were an animal, an insignificant pile of filth on the floor.

'I knew it,' Heidi whispered to herself.

Aldo ignored Lilith and turned his back on her. To him, the conversation was over and she could as well be on her way for all he cared. Lilith felt hatred and wrath burst within her heart, which started to jump up and down her chest, fighting to break free. Pushed by an irrepressible urge, she stood up and found her wand in her hand.

'I cast that spell, so you'd better try and live with it!'

A deadly silence followed, in which Aldo turned round and came face to face with the girl, his eyes set like a lion's defending his territory. Then a wicked sneer lit his face and he turned to his friends.

'She can't be the one who cast that spell,' he said. 'It must have been one of the teachers standing nearby.'

'But don't you have to actually touch the surface with your wand to work the spell?' Heidi wondered.

'Some wizards are powerful enough to cast contact spells at eyesight distance.'

'Give her a break, Mingus,' Anton said.

'Oh shut up, O'Neill!' Aldo retorted.

'Leave it, Anton!' Lilith interrupted feeling an upsurge of courage rising in her 'He's wrong and he knows it. I cast that spell and I can do it again if you want.'

Suddenly, the anger in her heart took dreadful proportions. She wanted to put this boy down, suppress every single ounce of scorn from his little angel face.

'And I know more powerful ones if you're interested.' She raised her wand and held it up in front of her nose in duelling position.

Aldo remained still for a few seconds; he looked slightly amused. Then he laughed. An even more scornful laugh, rising high and loud. Lilith's face was unreadable. Suddenly Aldo raised his left hand. He was holding his wand.

'Stupefy!' The red bolt sprung up towards Lilith but she was ready and the counter spell flashed in her mind as if someone had whispered it in her ear.

'Protego,' she said calmly, raising her wand. Aldo's spell bounced back with a flash, knocked Heidi's hat off and collided with the door with a loud crash of breaking glass.

The four of them stood dumbfounded. They couldn't believe what they had just seen. Aldo Mingus, Prefect and second best student of all Nivalis' fifth years, unable to stun this first year. How could it be? Aldo was the first not to believe it and yet, he was the first to react to it. He put his wand back in his pocket and began to clap his hands. Slow and deaf applauses. After a moment, he stopped.

'Congratulations, little genius,' he said. The scorn was gone from his voice.

As swift as it had risen, Lilith's hatred was gone, replaced by a feeling of contempt and pride. She smiled.

'I had warned you,' she teased. Blue and Anton burst out laughing.

As they laughed, Lilith's eyes turned to the shattered door and she gasped.

'Oh Jesus! We broke it!' Her wand was in her hand once more, and with a wave, she had it fixed.

'Hey hey hey, wait a second!' Heidi broke, putting her hat back on. 'How can you do all that! You can't be in first year!'

'Who are you?' Aldo asked, his face expressionless. 'Who taught you that?'

'I'm Lilith,' she answered. 'Lilith Incarna.'

'Never heard,' Aldo said, his eyes still fixed in the girl's. 'You're not from an all-wizarding family, how can you know all that?'

'I was raised by a powerful wizard,' she said dreamily, sitting down and turning her gaze to the horizon, her thoughts wandering off to Father Mentorus. The others were quiet, unsettled by the girl's behaviour.

Bespectacled Heidi took one step towards Lilith and stared at her for a moment. Then she took up her hands and held them.

'Nice to meet you Lilith. I'm Heidi Ligent. You're really impressive, you know, you should join the YWRA right away!'

Aldo burst out laughing. Anton and Blue exclaimed at once 'What?'

'Oh come on!' Anton carried on. 'You must be kiddin' Heid! Thought you'd quit this YWRA stuff.'

'You told me you had!' Blue added.

'Well, actually I had,' Heidi answered, 'but seeing this just gave me a sudden will to resume our old campaigns!'

'What "our" are you talking about, Heid?' Blue asked. 'The only members you ever had in your stupid association is you, you and... lemme think, oh, yes, yourself!' Aldo's laughter rose again, a high pitched and uncontrollable fit of giggle. He was holding his ribs and tears were dripping down his face. 'I'm sorry,' he said standing up and getting out of the compartment. The sound of his laughter could still be heard outside.

'Anyway,' Heidi resumed, 'are you interested?'

Lilith wrenched her gaze from the cloudy horizon.

'Well,' she hesitated 'I don't have a clue what it's about so...'

The door opened again and Aldo stepped back in, looking slightly calmer.

'Blimey, Heid,' Blue said sarcastically, 'don't tell me YWRA isn't known worldwide? I really thought it was!'

Bursting once again into laughter, Aldo turned back to the corridor, hardly mumbling his 'Sorry!'

'Very funny, Blue!' Heidi scolded. She turned back to Lilith. 'YWRA is the Young Witches Resistance Association.' Aldo's laughter rose in the corridor. 'It's the first feminist witch movement ever!'

'Well, I'll think about it' Lilith said, but even with the best will in the world, she couldn't make it sound hopeful.

Heidi looked disappointed. She turned to the door and opened it. 'Aldo, you can get in, we're through with... it.' The tall boy came in, still holding his ribs. He sat down and sighed.

'I feel better!' he said smiling. 'Can I take a look at this wand of yours?' he asked, turning to Lilith, 'it didn't look like wood.'

'It's not,' Lilith said, taking it out.

'Wow! It's beautiful!' Blue let out. 'Is it glass?'

'Not really,' Lilith answered. 'It's... er...'

'Yes?'

The four students were staring at her, waiting for the answer. Surely none of them had ever seen a wand like this, and they were all eager to know. Lilith saw that, but no matter how deep she scanned her memory, she couldn't remember what father Mentorus had told her. She began stamping her foot, then stopped.

'I don't remember...' she finally breathed, failing to hide her embarrassment.

'You don't remember,' Aldo said with a patronizing look. 'Well that was a waste of time, wasn't it?'

'Give her a break, Mingus!' Blue said. 'Don't mind him, Lilith. He's always like that. Even with us.'

'How was the Prefect meeting, anyway?' Anton asked.

'Pointless rubbish if you ask me,' Aldo said, lounging in his seat.

'No it wasn't!' Heidi scolded, but she didn't sound so sure herself. They talked about it for a while, going over the new Prefects and the year's Head girl and Head boy. Then the conversation turned to Quidditch and Lilith ventured a question.

'Are you in their team as well, Aldo?'

He frowned. 'Am I in their team? I'm their captain!'

'Oh! Sorry.'

'It's grand,' he said untruthfully.

'And what position do you play? Chaser?'

'That's right.'

'What about you, Heidi?'

The small witch shook her head.

'I'm afraid of speed. And Quidditch is dangerous, anyway,' she explained.

'Does anyone wanna drink something?' Blue asked taking a plastic bottle out of her bag.

'Watch your tongue, Jôl,' Aldo said, 'you sound just like O'Neill.'

'Gimme a break, Mingus!' she answered casually, without turning to him.

'That wasn't any better...' he smiled. The others laughed.

Meanwhile, Blue had filled up a plastic cup with her weird-looking substance that bubbled curiously. She held it to Lilith.

'Here you are,' she smiled.

'Thanks...' Lilith hesitated.

Firstly, she had neither seen nor touched plastic before, the mere thought of its existence hadn't occurred to her mind. Secondly, she had absolutely no idea what this weird bubbling brownish substance might be, and she wasn't too confident about it.

'What's the matter?' Anton asked. 'It's not poison.'

'I know that,' she answered sheepishly, 'but knowing what it isn't doesn't make me know what it is.'

'You don't know this thing?' Aldo asked. 'My whole family spits out on Muggles every time they're too close to one of them but even I know what it is.'

Blue took out the bottle and showed the bright red label on it.

'There. Does that ring a bell?' she asked, sounding hopeful.

Lilith shook her head.

'I'm sorry,' she said.

'Don't be until you've tried it!' Anton cheered.

Lilith examined carefully the brownish stuff wriggling inside the cup. She took a deep breath and drank a mouthful. The sourness of the drink tickled her throat and she screwed up her eyes.

'So, how is it?' Heidi asked, frowning.

Lilith considered it for a few seconds.

'Well, I'm not too sure about it,' she finally confessed. 'I'm sorry.'

'Don't bother,' Aldo said while Anton took up her cup and drank it bottoms up. 'I don't like it either.'

He sighed.

'To think I let my Butterbeer inside my trunk,' he continued 'What an idiot!'

'I have some,' Lilith exclaimed standing up. 'I brought some with me. It's in my trunk!' she said raising her wand. She pointed it up. 'Accio trunk!'

The heavy luggage jumped from the net and landed at her feet. The others laughed.

'Take this stuff out of me sight, Blue!' Heidi cheered pointing at the plastic bottle.

Lilith opened her trunk, took out five small bottles and passed them on to the others. She kept one for herself and closed the trunk. With a casual gesture, she drew out her wand again but Anton stopped her.

'I'll deal with it,' he smiled. 'You'll make us jealous usin' such advanced spells. At your age, I couldn't hold me wand the righ'way up.'

He took up the trunk and put it away. When he sat down again, silence had fell upon his friends. The three of them were staring at the bottles with open mouths.

'Whas'wrong?' he asked. 'Have they gone off or somethin'?'

He looked at the thick brown bottle. It was labelled with a white cross and only two words: "North Cross". His jaw dropped too.

'I can't believe it,' Aldo finally managed to whisper. 'It's North Cross Butterbeer!'

'Yes!' Lilith confirmed. She opened hers and drank several mouthfuls. 'Aaaaah, now that I like!' she exclaimed.

'Lilith,' Aldo said, 'do you have any idea of how expensive one of these bottles is?'

'No...' she admitted. 'Why?'

'This,' he answered, 'is North Cross. Monastery Butterbeer. It's the best in the whole country. Some say of whole Europe!'

'Really?' Lilith let out, astounded. 'How funny. I've always drunk North Cross. I grew up in North Cross Monastery!' she explained smiling.

There was a blank.

'Some people don't know just how lucky they are...' Blue finally said gazing dreamily at her bottle.

'Well, better drink it then!' Anton smiled. 'You don't refuse a North Cross when it's offered so nicely.'

The six of them raised their bottles.

'CHEERS!' they all shouted as one.

They drank it slowly and, at first, in a contemplative silence. Then they all took sweets out of their bags and ate and drank merrily. The conversations rose. Blue was sitting next to Anton with her head on his shoulder and they were holding each other's hand. Anton's other hand was holding a large rough orange ball and he was making it spin on his forefinger, talking about what he called "basketball", which Lilith knew nothing about. Blue was trying to get the ball from Anton with her free hand, but every time she tried, he lifted it up out of her reach.

Heidi and Aldo were discussing the subjects each of them had chosen.

'... I can't understand,' Lilith caught Heidi saying, 'how you can waste your time with this! I just cannot! We have so much work to do, so much projects we have to get involved in, not to talk about Quidditch.'

'It's just for fun, Heid, can you understand that?' he replied sardonically. 'I would go mad if the only thing I did was just to work and work again.'

'But you already have Quidditch! Quidditch is fun alright!'

'Don't tell me about Quidditch being fun. Not to me.'

'Oh excuse me, captain', she smirked.

'Hum,' Lilith said shyly 'excuse me but what is a waste of time?'

'Fencing,' Heidi answered.

'It's not!' Aldo and Lilith retorted as one.

Aldo looked at her surprised.

'Do you practise sword-play?' he asked.

'Yes,' she answered. 'Since I was five.'

'A girl that fences?' he smiled amused.

Heidi frowned at him threateningly, crossing her arms.

'What about girls that fence?' Blue broke, standing up and letting go of Anton's hand.

'Oh sorry, Jôl, I had forgotten you were a girl,' he said contemptuously.

'Really?' she asked smiling. 'You hadn't on the end of term ball when you came to me, begging for me to go with you.'

The others laughed.

'You did?' Anton asked, barely hiding his laughter. Aldo's face remained still.

'A regrettable error of my youth, spike head!'

Blue stick out her tongue at him, and her tongue-ring glittered. Then her mouth slowly formed the words 'Go to hell' and she sat back next to Anton. Aldo feinted a kiss at her and whispered 'I love you too.'

What a strange atmosphere, Lilith thought. They were all friends but still, they kept on teasing one another. She couldn't understand Aldo. He loved them, the whole of them, she knew that, but his behaviour was very confusing.

'What?' Aldo asked angrily.

Lilith realized that she had been staring at him for the last few minutes without noticing it, as it often happened to her. Her gaze just held on to something and didn't move for a while. Sometimes she wasn't even thinking about what she was staring at, she just stared.

'Oh,' Lilith exclaimed, 'nothing, really. I was just thinking.'

'Well, then stare at something else when you do, ok? Got that?'

She nodded.

The door sprung open violently. A young man was standing in the doorway. He was bald with bright blue eyes, a silver earring and a very handsome, childish face.

'Hey!' he greeted them warmly. Anton and Aldo stood up.

'Nerv! My man!' Aldo said. They faced each other and struck their fists as a greeting.

'Hey Nerv!' Anton grinned. They greeted each other in the same manner.

'Any craic, Blue?' he asked, turning his fist towards her.

She hit it with hers, smiling.

'Hey here's a new one,' he said pointing at the piercing on Blue's eyebrow. 'When did you get it pierced?'

'In July,' she sighed.

'Cool! It looks great!' Blue flushed and looked down.

'Hum! Hello, Professor Valider,' Heidi interrupted.

'Hi!'

Lilith remained silent.

'And who might you be?' Professor Valider asked turning his gaze to her.

'Hum,' Lilith began shyly, 'I'm Lilith Incarna.'

'First year?' he asked.

She nodded.

'Welcome aboard, young lady!'

'So,' Anton said, 'whassup?'

'That's the question I was waiting for!' he grinned. He took hold of something in the corridor.

'What do you think of...' he paused and revealed what he had been hiding outside. It was a broomstick. '... this! Tara!'

'Wow!' Anton let out. 'It's a Nimbus 2002! I didn't know they had carried on with the Nimbus series. I thought the Firebolt had sunk it.'

'Not really,' professor Valider corrected. 'The Firebolt and the Nimbus series aren't exactly on the same market. The Firebolt is a stunning racing broom all right, but it's far too expansive. The Nimbus' are very good brooms at a reasonable cost, even though I emptied my bank vault to get this baby!'

He looked at it and sighed as if he was staring at the woman he loved.

'Isn't it beautiful?' he asked.

'Sorry to disappoint you, Nerv,' Aldo laughed, 'but I just purchased the same model last week. Mine is waiting to hit the pitch down in the hold! They're brutal, aren't they!'

'Really? Did you buy one too?' professor Valider asked bewildered. 'Sounds great! But even with two Firebolts, you wouldn't get past me!'

They laughed.

'Alright,' Valider smiled, 'catch you later, guys!'

He went out of the compartment and closed the door.

Heidi and Blue sighed. They looked each other in the eyes and laughed.

'He's still as handsome as he used to be,' Heidi said dreamily, bending her head down and putting her right hand over her heart. 'Wish he would look at me the way he looks at his stupid broomstick.'

'Who is he?' Lilith asked.

'Nervis Valider,' Anton answered. 'He teaches History of Magic at Nivalis.'

'A teacher? But he looks so young! And he's so... familiar with you guys.'

'He only is with his fellow Quidditch players,' Heidi said, smiling bitterly.

'Nerv is the keeper of the teachers' team!' Anton explained.

'Really? Is he good?' Lilith asked.

'Good enough!' Aldo let out.

'I didn't know there was a teachers' team. Surely they must always win.'

'They don't play in the league,' Aldo carried on. 'Actually, they only play once a year.'

'And when is that?'

'They challenge the team that won the league.'

'So in a way,' Anton said, 'even if you lose to them, you still win something.'

'Have they ever been beaten?'

'We won once,' Aldo said proudly.

'Hum, "we" Aldo?' Blue asked, smiling.

'Yes, "we", our team won!'

'I'd say she won, Aldo,' Anton said.

'Why?' Lilith asked.

Blue looked up with a dream-like expression, as if she was remembering the greatest day of her life.

'It was last year,' she explained. 'We had won the league. Then the teachers had challenged us. They hadn't lost a single game since 1976. We were ready to get the hiding of the century. We were wrong. The match lasted seventy-three seconds after which I caught the snitch, ending the match: a victory for the Seven Blizzards a hundred and fifty to sixty.'

'They scored six times in seventy-three seconds?' Lilith exclaimed. Anton and Aldo looked at their feet.

'But you should have seen them!' Anton broke, feeling accused. 'You should see Sobuco throwing a Quaffle! It's a god dam' rocket! Honestly! There was nothing I could do.'

'Same thing for me,' Aldo said. 'Two times I faced Nerv, two times I could have scored, two times he stopped my shots. He's too quick.'

'Anyway, we won,' Blue interrupted. 'McScope couldn't believe what he'd just seen! He had never been beaten like this! He had despised me before, but now it's turned to real hatred!'

Blue's face was shining with pride.

'McScope? Keler McScope?' Lilith asked. 'Ireland's former seeker?'

'In person.'

'And you beat him?'

Blue nodded and Lilith whistled.

'But why did he despise you?'

'Because I'm Muggle-born,' she sighed.

Lilith nodded.

'And who is Sobuco?' she asked.

'Mister Sobuco is in charge of the hospital wing,' Heidi said. 'But when I see his skills as a chaser, I wonder why he never played for the national team.'

'Actually he did,' Aldo corrected her. 'He played for the Spanish team. He's Spanish. He also played for Barcelona.'

The four of them acknowledged it quietly. They all sat down again and remained silent for a moment. Lilith watched the landscape unfolding outside. The cloudy sky was pierced here and there by rays of sunlight falling on the high green hills lashed by the wind and stretching too far away for her to see where they ended. She guessed by the position of the sun that they were heading northward.

'Homeward bound...' she whispered, but no one heard her. Blue seemed to have dozed off, her face buried in Anton's large neck. His right arm was wound round her. He had put glasses on and was reading a book. Heidi was wiping her spectacles absent-mindedly and watching the landscape outside.

Lilith then turned her gaze to Aldo, afraid she would just meet a wall of scorn and disdain. But there was none as he looked back at her. He took out a wizard's chessboard and showed it to her, frowning. She nodded, stood up and sat in front of him. They played several games and Aldo beat her hands down every time. She liked wizard's chess, but the boy was much more skilled than she was. But when she lost, he didn't tease her. His face showed no scorn anymore.

'Well?' he asked.

Lilith shook her head, she had been staring at him without noticing and she had forgotten to play.

'Oh, excuse me,' she apologized. She sent her knight to the first square she could think of. The horse sprung forward reluctantly and sat trembling on its square: it was unprotected and facing a tower.

'Are you sure?' Aldo asked. 'I think you should make it go back and think this over.'

'Oh, ok!'

The knight went back to its former square, looking far happier.

'Try to focus more on the game.'

She nodded and tried to follow his advice.

III-More Meetings

Aldo had beaten her again. The sun was gradually climbing and the morning was coming to an end. A new conversation about fencing had started and Aldo was talking animatedly about one of his most tense duel when the door crashed open violently and a short, red-haired, warm-faced boy sprung in extravagantly.

'Tara!' he shouted. Blue jerked awake and Heidi started to her feet with an amused look on her face. Anton and Aldo just lifted their heads and smiled.

'How're ya, Ginger,' Aldo said.

'Morning, Aldo, any craic? Congratulations for the badge!' he faked, turning around and pretending to be sick. 'For you I already knew,' he added turning to Heidi. 'I'm through with my mourning period.'

'Come on, Ginger!' Aldo laughed. 'Don't you realise what I can do with that Prefect badge?'

'Can you be more boring?'

'I think I could, but I had something else in mind. What if I cover your back when you're in trouble, uh? Hadn't thought about that, I suppose!'

'Aldo!' Heidi scolded.

'Trouble? What trouble? I really don't see what you're talking about,' Ginger said innocently. 'Urm... Morning?' he said, suddenly turning to Lilith. 'Do I know you?'

Lilith shook her head. 'I don't think so.'

'She's a first year, Ginger,' Aldo explained. 'She's called Lilith.'

'And another weird name around, welcome aboard! I'm Oengus Gus Ginger Squirr!' He held out his hand and shook hers firmly.

'Pardon?' Lilith started.

'To cut a long story short, you can call me Gus...'

'We call him Ginger,' Blue said.

'Obviously because I love how it tastes, as in,' he remarked. They all laughed. 'People also call me Foxy sometimes.'

'Who in the world calls you that?' Blue laughed.

'Well,' Ginger answered, faking embarrassment, 'you remember this girl I used to call Skunk because she smelled like Anton's socks and-'

'O'right, O'right! We got the point!' Anton broke with an embarrassed smile.

The boy was so talkative and extrovert that Lilith got to know him fairly quickly. He was Heidi's cousin, wasn't too keen on studying but more so on rule breaking. He himself was dreadful at Quidditch but he was the most fervent supporter of the Seven Blizzards at school.

When he was through introducing himself, they all settled down. Heidi and Ginger were talking animatedly in one corner and Anton reading in another with Blue sitting in his lap, gazing dreamily at the horizon. Lilith and Aldo had started another game of wizard's chess.

As Lilith worked hard on her next move, the compartment door opened slowly and a very small witch stuck her head in, golden ringlets, dark-blue eyes, shining smile, angel face. Lilith knew she had already seen her somewhere, but where or when, she couldn't remember. The girl looked at Aldo.

'Angelina. What do you want?' he asked shortly.

But she had paid no attention to him, her eyes had turned to the girl playing wizard's chess with him and she frowned. Ginger stood up as she came in.

'My dear Lady Mingus!' he exclaimed, taking the most ridiculous eighteenth century accent he could. 'What a fancy to see you here today.'

He bowed low and reached for her hand in order to kiss it but she stepped back.

'What is it, my dear little princess?' he asked ironically. 'Afraid that we Muggle scum stain your pretty robes?'

'Nobody asked your opinion, Squirr,' Angelina snapped scornfully. Visibly, they had met before.

Then Lilith remembered her, this haughty angel face as none but she could have. She was the girl who had knocked her over in front of the hearth back in Connolly Station.

'Give us a break, Ginger, will you?' Aldo said calmly. ('As you wish my Lord') 'What do you want, Angie?' Aldo asked again.

Lilith looked from one angel face to the other and gasped. They were brother and sister.

'What in the world are you doing playing with...' she hesitated, 'her!' she said pointing at Lilith who remained silent.

'Why? Do you know her?' he asked.

'Not really,' she answered, not to confident about what her brother was about to say.

'Perhaps you want me to introduce you?'

Angelina glared at him outraged, her clenched fists trembling.

'No-Thanks.'

She slammed the door shut.

'Farewell, Lady Mingus!' Ginger shouted.

He and Blue burst out laughing.

'You know, Aldo, I really think I'm in love with the girl!' Ginger said. 'She is as gorgeous as she is disagreeable.'

'Leave her alone, Ginger,' Aldo said. 'She's young, that's all. School will knock some sense into her.'

'If it takes as long as it's takin' for you, the troubles have only just started,' Anton sighed, taking off his glasses and putting them back in their case. He stood and stretched up, yawning, then scratched his head, smoothing his foot-thick Afro haircut which took back its perfect round shape as soon as he had taken his hand off it.

'I think she really hates us,' Anton said.

'Why would she?' Lilith asked.

'Angelina is as Mingus-like as anyone could ever be,' Aldo explained. 'She despises Muggles, hates Muggle-borns and even half-bloods.'

'And that's exactly our section. Pure bloods are next door,' Ginger indicated.

'Really?' Lilith asked.

'Aye,' Blue said. 'We're all Muggle-borns or half blood here.' Aldo coughed behind her. 'Yeah, all but Mingus,' she corrected. 'And the four of us were raised as Muggles.'

'Is that why you wear Muggle clothes?' Lilith asked looking at Ginger, Blue and Anton.

Anton looked at his clothes. He was wearing a baggy red T-shirt a baggy black pair of shorts and huge black trainers big enough for Lilith to put her head inside, although Ginger's warning didn't incline her to do so. Blue was wearing a short white T-shirt, an old pair of torn jeans and worn out white trainers. Ginger wore old faded jeans and a shabby grey shirt.

'Actually,' Ginger answered, 'we almost always wear Muggle clothes.'

'All but me,' Aldo cut off. 'You'll never see me wearing that kind of clothes. Our wizard's robes are much more comfortable, I may when I wander in Muggle Dublin, but it's only for the secrecy principle's sake.'

'Come to think of it,' Blue broke, 'we really should get dressed. We're almost there.'

'Come on, boys. Out!' Heidi shouted opening the compartment door.

'O'right, o'right!' Anton said, striding outside. The two others followed and Heidi closed the door, standing guard. Blue took off her T-shirt and Lilith noticed the black scorpion tattooed on her right shoulder. Lilith looked away. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

'I think I'll wait outside with the others,' she said. The two girls frowned.

'Do as you wish,' Heidi said, but Lilith was already outside.

In the corridor, loads of students seemed to be in the same position, waiting for their friends to get dressed. Ginger got called from all sides at once by warm 'Hey! Gus!' shouted by both boys and girls. He waved and shouted in return, sometimes asking how their holidays had gone or what they had done. Aldo pointed at a huge dark-haired shape with wide shoulders a few doors away and called Anton.

'Hey look, O'Neill, it's Hammer!' he waved. 'Hey Hammer! How's things?'

The back of Hammer really looked like a mountain dropped there by mistake. He was a foot taller than everyone else was and at least two feet broader. His long dark bushy hair was carelessly thrown behind and fell down his back in thick untidy threads. Lilith really expected him to look like a scarred and bearded pirate the kind often to be found in old stories; she was wrong. Hammer looked back and beamed. He was a she. And not just any she. Her stout face, bushy eyebrows and huge chin really made her look like a beardless yeti only come down of its mountain. She was wearing long black robes and carrying a large heavy Quidditch club on her shoulder, which made her look even more threatening. The same white and blue badge as Aldo was sewn to her robes' front.

'Hey! Captain! How're ya?' she shouted, waving at Aldo. She took a few quick strides towards him and the train floor shook. Aldo and her struck their fists, then she turned to Anton who was only one or two inches taller than she was.

'Hey Spider-man! How's things?' she smiled, striking his fist.

'Not too bad, yourself?'

'Not too bad either. Good to see you guys back! I already can't wait to knock down some bludgers!'

'Not to forget some Shooting Stars!' Aldo added.

'Ha ha ha', she laughed with her deep hollow laugh. 'You bet I will!'

'Have you seen Sigma?' Aldo asked.

'Yep,' Hammer answered. 'He's inside getting dressed.'

'And what about the twins?' Anton asked.

'They're not here,' Hammer answered. 'They got back from Japan this morning and went to school directly by broom from Ulster. They flooed me last night, but it was lunch time for them.'

Anton nodded and smiled.

They began talking about their holidays and last season's Quidditch results. Lilith looked the other way to see the other people in the train. Several young students like her were standing there with worried faces and trembling hands. There also were some older teenagers, sixth years, she thought, laughing or chatting while they strolled along the corridor. Then Lilith made out a tall, slender woman's silhouette at the very end of the train, her back to the wall, her arms folded. Her face and her hair shone like sunlight. Lilith thought for a second that the woman had caught her eyes and smiled.

'Goo'mornin', lid'lady!' a small high-pitched voice squealed at her feet. She looked down one second to see a tiny four-limbed potato dancing and shouting. Lilith looked immediately up again but the silhouette was gone. The gnome jumped and hung on to her leg.

'Hey! Let go of me!' she screamed.

'C'mon! Lid'lady! Com'n buy sumthin' from GASP!' the Gnome shouted over and over. It wore a colourful pointed hat that was labelled GASP in bright flashing letters and a harlequin dress.

'What is that GASP rubbish?' Lilith retorted, angry that this stupid creature had distracted her from the intriguing silhouette.

'GASP'no rubbish! GASP'amazin'! GASP'Gnome's Amazin' Shoppin' Place! Y'fin' anythin' y'wan'!'

The silly creature was so ridiculous she let out a laugh.

'Come on Pocky!' Anton broke, taking the small creature by the collar and lifting it up in front of his face. 'why don't you go and check out if I'm over there,' he said cheerfully showing the other side of the train, ''cause I really think I'm gonna buy somethin'!'

'O'right!' the gnome shouted. He put it down on the floor and the gnome rushed to the end of the train. Lilith laughed, looking at Anton who was watching Pocky running away.

'It's so easy it ain't even funny no more!' he said.

'Do you know this thing?' Lilith asked.

'Aye,' Anton sighed. 'He's one of GASP's two managers. GASP is the school's shop.'

'Two gnomes that run a shop?' she asked.

'There are two main ones, Pocky here and its brother Rocky,' Anton explained, 'but there must be dozens more working for them. They're so stupid you could fool them without even meanin' it. That's why nobody do. They're so helpless... GASP's quite useful, though. Without it there would be no Butterbeer, no joke shop, no sweets at Nivalis.'

'Hey Anton!' Blue's voice called. 'You can come in now!'

She got out of the compartment wearing sky-blue robes, contrasting with her friend Heidi who looked exactly like the average witch with her black robes and pointed hat, her Prefect badge shining. Blue was quite a sight: a girl with so many piercings wearing witch's clothes. The white and blue badge sewn to her robes confirmed what Lilith had thought: it was the symbol of the Seven Blizzards' players.

'At last!' Ginger shouted, crossing the corridor to the compartment. Aldo was talking with a small bald boy with thick arms and a piercing gaze who had joined him and Hammer. He wore sleeve-less black robes with the white and blue badge sewn on and his bony face looked sneaky.

'Sigma,' Lilith thought.

Ginger and Anton entered the empty compartment. Blue followed them with a grin, but Anton caught hold of her by the waist and lifted her up. He put her down in the corridor, smiled and closed the door. She snapped her fingers.

'I missed it again!' she laughed. She went to Hammer and the short guy and struck their fists.

'How are the best beaters in Nivalis?' she asked.

'Ready to take down the whole league and the teachers to top it all!' the small guy said, his jet-black eyes sparkling. All the people around them cheered.

'I don't think so!' a cold girl's voice broke from behind. They all turned to look upon her, a tall skinny witch with slender limbs and long sharp fingernails. Her short brown hair was spiky and her yellowish green eyes shone. A midnight-blue badge with a silvery shooting star was sewn to her robes. She walked up to Blue and struck her fist. The whole train was silent and tense.

'How's life, Yell,' Blue asked respectfully.

'Not too bad,' Yell answered, striking the two beaters' fists. 'This year, the league is ours!' she said proudly. 'With the teachers to boot,' she added.

'We'll see about that!' Blue challenged, smiling. There was no hatred between them, just an excessive rivalry.

'I can't believe it!' Aldo's voice broke. He walked up to her, his face alive. 'O'Connor!' he went on. 'Don't tell me you didn't graduate!'

'I didn't,' she answered, 'just to have an opportunity to give you the hiding you deserve, kids!'

She struck his fist and then they hugged in a very brotherly way.

'That's brilliant!' Aldo said. 'I couldn't imagine school with the captain of the Shooting Stars gone.'

'I couldn't go without the victory our team deserves!'

'O'Malley and Springle are gone now, you know. You'll need two new chasers.'

'I'm working on it.'

'Wow, it's crowded in here!' Nervis Valider's voice came from behind the crowd of students gathered round the two rival teams' captains. 'Hi Yell!' he greeted, striking her fist. 'I'm glad to see you! Gladder than I was when I heard about your exam results... What happened?'

'What happened?' Yell asked bewildered, 'Nerv, do you care at all how your students manage outside the Quidditch pitch? Didn't you know I never got more than thirty percent, not even once in my sixth year?'

Nervis Valider took his most innocent face. 'Well of course I did!'

'Sure?' Yell asked, not too confident.

'Well, a little,' he laughed sheepishly. He scratched the back of his head. 'Anyway,' he said taking out his wand, 'that's not the point.'

He pointed it to his throat. 'Sonorus,' he said and his voice boomed in the whole train.

'All students, please get ready, the train is due to reach Nivalis station in thirty minutes.'