Eshu's Daughter

Ch. 13 - Holidays and Other Happenings

The days following Justin's attack were tense and quiet, and the minutes seemed to snail by with a painful lethargy. If Kit could only make it to Monday, everything would be all right. Monday the Hogwarts Express would be returning to King's Cross. Monday she'd be far away from the castle and the Monster of Slytherin.

It was a curious thing, but Kit had never noticed before how cheerful her housemates usually were. There was always someone smiling or laughing, someone telling a joke or starting a game. It was only when the laughter disappeared that she really noticed it had ever been there at all. Not one giggle, not even one tepid smile broke the somberness of that weekend. All the cheerfulness had disappeared, the joy extinguished as surely as a candle being blown out.

By Sunday night Kit wanted to scream just to make sure she was still alive. Ellie seemed to be feeling the pressure as well. They were packing their schoolbooks and when Ellie dropped one of hers accidentally she didn't bother to pick it up. Instead she leant her forehead against one the bedposts and closed her eyes.

"Kit?" Ellie said.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to come back?"

Kit froze and then slowly turned to face Ellie. "What do you mean?"

"To school. After the break, do you want to come back?" Ellie lifted her head and moved to sit on the bed facing Kit. "I love learning magic. I really do, but all this dark stuff. I'm scared, Kit. I hate jumping at shadows all the time, you know? And waiting to see who's gonna get petrified next."

Kit walked over to Ellie and sat beside her, pulling her into a hug. "I know. I hate it too. But it can't last forever. They'll catch the monster or the person doing this and then it'll be back to normal."

"Normal," Ellie choked. "You heard Verity, last year there was a dark wizard roaming the halls and this year it's a monster. I think this is normal for them, Kit."

"Could you really give it up though?" Kit asked. "Could you really just walk away and never do magic again?"

Ellie looked at her helplessly. "I don't know. But on days like these last few, yeah, I think I could."

Kit hugged Ellie's shoulders tighter and stared at her schoolbooks fanned out across the bed. "I couldn't," she said quietly. But in her heart Kit wasn't so sure; an image of the fifth floor corridor flashed through her mind and she shivered.

***

The moment she passed through the barrier at Kings Cross Station, Kit was snatched up by a pair of arms. Toby squawked indignantly on her shoulder and edged as far away as he could without leaving her.

"Hi, Mom," Kit mumbled into her mother's thick purple jacket. It smelled warm and cozy, with a hint of detergent and cinnamon. It smelled like home. Kit relaxed against her mom, hugging her back despite the heavy schoolbag weighing down her arm.

"Emma, could you let Kit breathe?" her dad laughed.

Something careened into Kit's back and sent her stumbling forward, nearly toppling her mother.

"Sorry," Ellie said, sounding embarrassed. "I though I'd waited long enough for the barrier to clear. I guess I rushed it."

"Why's Kit being strangled?" Spencer asked in a stage whisper.

Kit drew away from her mom and glared at him. "You're getting nothing but coal for Christmas, Spencer. Big nasty lumps of coal."

Ellie giggled, but was still looking a little embarrassed, so Kit reached out a hand and drew her over. "Mom, this is Ellie."

Her mom smiled and hugged Ellie as well, although it was a brief gesture and not the rib-cracking maneuver she'd been practicing on Kit. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Ellie. We've heard so much about you. You'll have to come and stay with us sometime."

Ellie smiled and pulled Grizelle's cat carrier up to her chest. "I'd love that."

Meanwhile Spencer had begun edging away, eyeing Kit's mom as though afraid he'd be hugged next. Kit's dad stopped him, "And who's this young man then?"

Ellie smirked. "That's just Spencer, my brother. He's really good friends with Kit too."

Spencer glared at Ellie and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking ready to bolt at any moment. "Nice to meet you," he mumbled.

Kit decided to take pity on him. "Aren't those your parents over by the ticket counter?"

Spencer smiled like a prisoner being pardoned, and with a quick nod for Kit's parents sprinted away. Ellie looked regretfully after him and then turned back to Kit for a last hug.

"Promise you'll write," Ellie said. "I know it's only a couple weeks, but I'll go mad with only him for company if you don't."

Kit laughed, "Course I will, I brought Toby back with me didn't I?"

"Have a good holiday," Ellie said with a last hug before abandoning Kit to her parents.

Kit turned to eye her dad hopefully. "Could we stop at Diagon Alley before heading home? I want to pick up a few presents for my friends." While her parents didn't look thrilled they did agree to the trip after only a slight hesitation.

Later that night, Kit smiled as she wrapped presents. For her mom there was a whispering fern in a decorative terra cotta pot she'd brought from school. Kit had worked on her dad's present on the train home; it was a small paper airplane, complete with a tiny propeller and bi-wings. If you tapped the plane's front it actually rose in the air a couple inches and hovered. It had been tricky getting the Levitation Charm to bind correctly to the paper, but she'd eventually got it. Her dad was going to love it!

Kit finished wrapping the airplane and moved onto Ellie's present. It had only taken Kit a few minutes inside Madam Periwinkle's Entrancing Embellishments earlier to find a pair of barrettes Ellie hadn't managed to buy yet: bright yellow stars with twinkling stardust tails. Utterly perfect. Verity on the other hand had proven more of a problem. At first Kit had considered buying Verity a book or something else along those lines. But a book just seemed so boring. Kit and her parents had been wandering through Diagon Alley when inspiration struck in the form of Gambol & Japes wizarding joke shop.

An evil grin spread across her face as Kit held up the glass stoppered bottle she'd ended up purchasing. It was plain with an ordinary white label and didn't look interesting in the least. Until you read the label. Dr. Dissolvo's Time Delayed Vanishing Powder. Kit pictured the other Slytherin girls hunting madly for books that were right under their noses, or getting up from a chair only to find that the bottoms of their robes had become invisible. With a happy sigh, Kit rolled the tiny bottle in tissue paper and then wrapped it as well.

Which left only one present to wrap, Serena's. It was the present Kit was most nervous about, but it was also the one she'd thought about the hardest. A giant box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. It was the closest thing to the Jelly Bean Society Kit could give Serena as long as Verity insisted on excluding her. With a last flourish Kit tied ribbons on all the packages and set aside the ones for her parents. The other three she bundled together and balanced in her hands for a moment. They weren't very heavy, which was good, because Toby would need to carry them all if they were going to arrive in time for Christmas.

"Ready for some exercise Toby?" Kit asked, easing open the door of the new cage she'd bought him in Diagon Alley. Toby blinked at her mournfully and glanced at the frost covered window, but he held out a foot for her to tie the packages on with a resigned click of his beak.

***

Christmas Eve night Kit watched the snow falling outside her bedroom window. She was glad there was snow; it made it seem just a bit more like Christmas. All around her bright red and green decorations draped the house. Boughs of evergreen had been tucked over doorways and tartan ribbons that reminded her of Professor McGonagall wound around the stair banisters. But despite all her parents' efforts, holiday spirit seemed to be in short supply.

She missed her friends. It felt odd to miss them after so short a time, but it was true. And, as awful as the last months had been, she missed Hogwarts too. Tonight, safe in the warmth and light of her house the Monster of Slytherin seemed a child's dream. Just some bogey man that had been thought up to keep them in their beds at night. Colin, however, knew that the monster was no dream. And so did Justin. Kit's shoulders slumped. It was Christmas and neither boy knew it. How horrible the holiday must seem to their families, left to wait anxiously for their children to wake and with no clear promise of when that might be.

She'd considered briefly, madly, telling her parents what was happening at the school. But, her parents would lock her in a closet before they let her return to Hogwarts if they knew there was a monster loose in the halls. Her letters home during term had been filled with cheerful prattle about her friends or Hufflepuff house. And when cheerfulness had been impossible she'd resorted to detailed notes about her classes. Her parents could probably pass her end of year exams better than she could.

Kit was jerked out of her melancholy by Toby rapping on the window with his beak. Shoving the window open, Kit let Toby and a dozen snowflakes flutter into her bedroom. The owl looked damp and tired, and there was a small parcel and a note tied to his leg. Kit removed them and set Toby in his cage, making sure to slip some extra owl treats into his food bowl.

"Thanks, Toby," she murmured, examining the nondescript brown package. Kit moved to the bed and flopped down before opening the letter first. It was from Ellie:

Dear Kit,

Merry Christmas! I wasn't sure what to get you but I thought you might be missing these. I hope you like them and thank you very much for my barrettes. Yes, I know I shouldn't have opened my present yet, but I couldn't resist. And besides, I was afraid Spencer would hide it from me if I put it under our tree. Git. But I slipped some itching powder into his stocking so ha! Write me again soon, I miss you lots!

Love,
Ellie

Kit smiled and eagerly tore into the package. Ellie had already opened her present so why should Kit wait? Inside she found a box of red and white striped peppermint sugar quills. Kit slipped one of the quills out of the box and sucked the end with relish. Heaven!

There were definitely things she missed about the castle, and an endless supply of sugar quills was only one of them. Her fingers twitched with the urge to use her wand. Puck, the canny little monster, seemed to know she couldn't cast any Repairing Charms. He'd already ransacked half a dozen presents, showing a particular appetite for the color red, much to her mother's disgust.

Puck grumbled from Kit's pillow as there was another tap at the window. A stately horned owl blinked back at Kit from outside the damp pane. With a perplexed frown Kit let this newest visitor in and removed the box from its leg. The owl turned and flew back out the window, sending a tiny flurry of snowflakes into the room. Puck leapt up and tried to catch one, but lost his balance and ended up toppling from the pillow instead.

Kit giggled and reached her hand outside to gather a tiny fistful of snow from the windowsill. Shutting the window again she turned and upended the snow over Puck. He didn't react for a moment but then with an offended growl he scrambled away and shook the snow off onto her pillow. Kit grimaced; she couldn't even use a Drying Charm to fix it.

"Brat," she muttered before opening the new box. Inside a small note was attached to the front of a box of - peppermint sugar quills. Kit smiled and flipped open the note.

Dear Kit,

Ellie said you like sugar quills so I found these for you. I hope you like them. Merry Christmas!

Verity

Shaking her head Kit set Verity's box beside the one she'd received from Ellie. It didn't look like she'd be running out of sugar quills any time soon at least. Kit stretched out on the bed again and shoved aside her damp pillow, making sure to nudge Puck with it in the process. He snarled but sidled toward her anyway and curled up by her cheek. Kit watched him drowsily until sleep finally pulled her eyes closed.

***

The corridor was cold and dim, with shadows flickering on the walls like ghouls. Kit shivered and clasped her arms tighter around her chest. Glancing to the left she saw a statue looming in the torchlight. She moved closer, sliding her feet forward slowly, hesitantly. Boris the Bewildered gazed back at her with his vacant expression and Kit's heart clenched. The fifth floor corridor. Glancing around frantically now, she searched for the stairs. She had to find a way out of this corridor before–

She heard their laughter first, that horrible scathing laughter that made her legs tremble.

"Come out and play, little Muggle," a voice called and Kit spun around with a scream. They were there, at the end of the corridor, the boys, laughing and smiling as they walked toward her. Kit stumbled backwards and crashed into the statue. But Boris was laughing as well now, and the statue came to life shoving her toward the boys. A sob wrenched itself from her chest and Kit spun, searching, desperately searching, for any way to escape them. There wasn't one.

"Fly," a gentle voice whispered from all around her. "Fly, where they can't reach you."

Kit froze and suddenly the corridor was dissolving, falling away from her feet and disappearing into the black nothingness of night. Blind and completely disoriented, Kit floundered searching for purchase. She threw out her arms and found instead wings. The air slid soft and cool through her feathers and Kit flapped hard, rising away from the darkness.

Above her, so far above, was a tiny pinprick of light. She aimed for that. Around her a hundred tiny wings beat and as she drew closer to the light Kit saw that she was surrounded by little white moths, fluttering and fighting their way toward the light as well. It was a flame, a huge bonfire that burned Kit's eyes when she drew close to it. But the warmth of the fire licked over her and Kit wanted to throw herself into it so that she'd never be cold again, so that the soul-deep iciness of that corridor would be burned out of her forever. The moths formed a barrier between her and the flames and Kit snapped her beak at them angrily.

"The fire is too hot," the moths whispered with thready voices, "it will burn away everything you are and leave only darkness. Only a moth finds itself in the flame."

Kit tried to understand, but the moths' words made little sense to her and she struck out at the insects sending several of them hurtling into the fiery light. She drew back, remorseful … and woke to find herself blinking up at her ceiling. Light from the hall spilled over her bed and kissed her cheeks, chasing away the remnants of the dream. Letting her eyes cling to the yellow bulb, Kit shuddered as she saw a tiny moth flinging itself against the glass dome. She could still see the moths in her dream, could still hear their strange words.

Shoving back her covers Kit slipped from her bed and padded out into the hall. It only took her a moment to capture the moth in her cupped hands. The tiny wings beat against her palms, tickling them, and Kit hurried back to her bedroom window. It took several awkward minutes to get the window open without releasing the moth, but once she did Kit leant out as far as she could and threw her hands open. The moth staggered for a moment in the cold air and then gamely fluttered its small wings. Kit watched as it flew higher and higher, seeming to chase the moon now. With a sigh she eased the window closed and slipped back into bed.

It was Christmas Eve, she should be dreaming of sleighs and reindeer. Of elves and presents. And instead she had slipped back into the now familiar nightmare of the fifth floor. But the moths and the flame - that had been new. Every time before she'd woken up just as the boys' hands closed on her arm. Did the fact that she'd escaped before they caught her this time mean the nightmares might stop soon? Kit fervently hoped so. She was tired of waking up cold and sweaty, with her heart pounding.

Clutching her pillow tightly to her chest, Kit turned onto her side so that she could see Puck on the pillow next to her. She reached out a finger and touched his furry cheek, eliciting a sleepy grumble.

"Merry Christmas, Puck," she whispered. "Don't steal all the sugar plums from my dreams, okay? I could use a few." Puck rolled onto his back and his tiny feet twitched like he was running. Kit smiled and closed her eyes, picturing Puck chasing down her nightmares and ripping them to pieces.

***

Three days after New Year's Kit was back at King's Cross station. Unfortunately she couldn't get through the barrier because her father had her pinned in a hug that didn't seem like it was going to end anytime soon.

"It's been so wonderful having you back," her dad said, he squeezed a bit harder and Kit let out an oomph. "It's so quiet when you're away."

As if she ran through the house yelling. Honestly! Kit struggled to pull away but her dad clung to her, oblivious. This calls for drastic measures. Kit deliberately bumped Puck's pouch against her dad and Puck let out an angry snarl. It only took a mental nudge or two for his snarls to escalate into a full-scale temper tantrum. Her dad drew back abruptly and looked at the pouch in disbelief.

"What's the matter with Puck?" he asked.

"His tummy's upset. I found him in a box of peppermint candy this morning," Kit improvised. Well, half improvised. She had indeed found him in a box of candy, but seriously doubted that even a truckload of peppermints would disturb his iron stomach. She smoothed a hand over the pouch and Puck fell silent. "He'll be happier when I can let him out on the train."

Kit's mom took the opportunity to swoop down and kiss Kit's cheek, giving her a quick hug but staying well clear of Puck. "I suppose you'd better go then. I love you, baby. Be sure to write us."

"I will, Mom. Thanks again for all my Christmas and birthday presents." And there had been heaps of them, she reflected. Her birthday fell on New Year's Day, and usually her pile of presents was pretty small considering it should be covering two occasions. Christmas babies really did get a bad deal. But not this year; this year there had been a veritable deluge of presents, as if her parents could entice her to give up Hogwarts with a video game or a doll. All those shiny new toys were sitting in her room now while she was here just trying to get on the school train.

Kit edged backward before either of her parents could yank her into another hug. They both seemed determined to keep her as long as possible. She waved and then grabbed Toby's cage and her schoolbag before dashing through the barrier. She smiled when she was on the other side. Her parents could be so clingy.

It only took Kit a few minutes to find Verity and Ellie in one of the train compartments.

"Hi," Kit said easing onto the seat next to Ellie and drawing Puck out of his pouch.

"Thanks for the present," Verity said with grin. "It's going to be a lot of fun."

Ellie looked at her curiously and Verity took a moment to hunt through her schoolbag before pulling out the tiny glass bottle. Without a word she passed it to Ellie. Ellie's lips rounded into an "oh" of surprise as she read the label but she was laughing as she passed the bottle back to Verity.

"That's sure to be on Filch's list of stuff that's not allowed," Ellie cautioned.

Verity shrugged. "Unless they've started searching our bags, he'll never know about it, will he?"

"What are you going to use it on first?" Kit asked gleefully.

Verity smirked. "The question's more like who. Vanessa and Evilyn have had it coming for a long time, and this little beauty," Verity paused to tap the bottle appreciatively, "is just one of the surprises I have for them."

Kit raised her eyebrows.

"My dad taught me a few charms," Verity grinned. She pulled one of her schoolbooks out and passed it to Kit. Kit yelped and drew her hand back; it felt as if an electric current had passed through her fingers. "If anyone but myself or a teacher touches my school things, they'll get a nasty shock."

"You could have warned me," Kit said, rubbing her hand irritably and glaring at Verity.

"Remind me never to help you with your books," Ellie said, edging away from Verity.

"It's going to be a marvelous term," Verity said, flopping back in her seat.

Kit hoped Verity was right. Her hopes, however, were dashed on only the fourth day back when rumors of another attack by the monster began to circulate.

"Hermione Granger's been petrified, she hasn't been to a single class since term started," Kit heard a third year Ravenclaw whispering to her friend. Kit stumbled to a halt just outside the Great Hall and shared a stricken look with Ellie.

"Do you think it's true?" Ellie asked.

Kit could only shrug. "I don't know. Have you ever heard of her? I don't think she's in our year and I'm pretty sure she's not a Hufflepuff."

"She might be a Gryffindor," Ellie ventured, wrinkling her nose as she thought hard. "I think Spencer may have mentioned something about her telling him off once for being too loud in their common room. I'm not sure it's the same girl I'm thinking of, though."

"We could ask," Kit said, moving resolutely into the Great Hall. Most of the school was already inside, sitting down to their breakfast. At the Gryffindor table she could see Spencer unscrewing the top of a salt shaker and then setting it back on the table. She just shook her head and moved toward him.

Ellie grabbed her arm and pulled Kit to a halt. "Let's ask him after breakfast."

"Why?" Kit asked, surprised.

Ellie gestured to the Gryffindor table where Spencer was now wheezing with laughter as Brennan scowled down at mountain of salt covering his eggs. "He's too busy being a prat right now to take us seriously. It'll be easier to catch him later."

Kit shrugged again and veered toward the Hufflepuff table. "If you say so. Personally, I think Brennan would appreciate the rescue."

"No, he wouldn't," Ellie slid into a spot at the table and piled toast on her plate. "We'd just get in the way of whatever hex he's about to throw at Spencer."

"How do you know he will?" Kit asked.

"Because he's friends with Spencer."

After breakfast Kit and Ellie caught Spencer just as he was leaving the Great Hall.

He smiled cheekily at them and gave Kit a wink. "Missing me already, El? We've only been back at school a few days."

"I wouldn't miss you even if I was stuck on a desert island for the rest of my life with no one but Snape for company," Ellie said sweetly.

"Do you know anything about Hermione Granger being attacked?" Kit asked, impatient with their verbal battles.

Spencer's grin faded and he frowned at them. "Who's been saying that?"

"We overheard a Ravenclaw telling her friend that," Ellie explained.

Spencer shook his head. "That's a load of dung. Hermione Granger's in the hospital wing cause of some spell that backfired. Not sure what, but it's not anything to do with the monster. Professor McGonagall told us our first night back."

Kit let the tension slide out of her shoulders and smiled at Spencer. "Thanks. We were worried."

"You'd better start worrying about more important things. Like how you're going to keep your heads up after Gryffindor stomps Hufflepuff in the snow duel," Spencer said, back to smiling.

"What snow duel?" Kit asked.

Spencer looked at her dumbfounded for a moment. "Don't you Hufflepuffs pay attention to anything important? The snow duel's an annual tradition, been happening for twenty years or so. All the first year Hufflepuffs and first year Gryffindors are involved. First one to breach the other's snow fort wins."

Ellie poked Spencer in the arm, hard. "Then you'd better start saying your prayers now cause we've got plenty of experience building."

Kit kicked her and Ellie closed her mouth before she ended up spilling all of Hufflepuff's secrets. "What Ellie's trying to say is we're badgers, and we're going to bury you. What chance do a bunch of mangy old lions have in a snow fight?"

Spencer's eyes kindled and gave them a fierce look. "We'll see who's laughing when you're watching us rip apart your fort."

Ellie patted Spencer on the head like a pampered lap dog. "Poor dear, you've no idea what you're up against. We'll try not to hurt you too badly."

With a taunting smile Ellie swished away and Kit trailed after her with a grin, leaving Spencer alone in the hall glaring at them.

***

Kit was halfway across the courtyard the next day when a snowball hurtled past her nose and struck Ellie's face with a loud squelch. They both froze. Ellie dropped her schoolbag at her feet and wiped a hand down her face with deliberate care. Powder still glistened on her lashes and dusted her cheeks.

"I'll kill him," Ellie muttered.

Across the courtyard, Brennan whooped and Spencer leant against him, laughing so hard he was about to end up in a snowdrift.

"Nice one," Brennan chortled, helping drag Spencer back up. The boys were off into another round of guffaws when they caught site of Ellie's snow daubed face.

With a dignified twitch of her robes Ellie lifted her nose in the air and glared at the boys. "You are such children!"

Kit expected Ellie to retaliate or yell or at least threaten the boys. Instead she bent to pick up her bag. I'd have creamed them, Kit thought eyeing the snow at her feet speculatively. When she glanced back at Ellie, still bent over her bag, she had to blink a moment before she realized what she was seeing. Ellie's wand was in her hand and she was using the bag to conceal its aim, right at the boys' feet. Kit grinned and edged back. Murmuring an incantation as she appeared to dust off the bottom of her bag, Ellie let the wand tip flick toward the boys.

An explosion of snow shot upward and covered Spencer and Brennan, making them look like ill-formed snowmen. Ellie laughed and grabbed Kit's hand while the boy's were still trying to figure out what had happened.

"Come on!" Ellie yelled and they dashed into the castle laughing just as hard as Spencer and Brennan had earlier.

"Get used to the view," Kit called just before they disappeared, "Cause that's all you're gonna see next Saturday."

Kit and Ellie didn't stop running until they reached the Great Hall, still giggling.

***

War had been declared. The snowball in the courtyard had only been the opening volley, and it was nothing compared to the mayhem that followed. Incensed by their dousing, Spencer and Brennan had enchanted snowballs to chase Kit and Ellie through the halls after their Friday History of Magic class. Kit felt this was rather unsporting as both girls were groggy and their reaction times less than spectacular after an hour listening to Binns prate on about the Changeling Extermination Campaign of 1240. The snowballs caught them without any real effort and it was only after a well placed Drying Charm that Kit and Ellie were able to proceed to Charms.

That particular indignity could not go unanswered. Sunday afternoon Kit and Ellie, along with a very confused Verity, hid in the Quidditch Pitch stands and waited for Spencer and Brennan to appear. The boys were Quidditch mad and spent most Sundays practicing their flying on the school brooms, pretending to catch the snitch after spectacular dives.

"Predictable," Kit murmured with a smile as the boys walked onto the pitch with brooms in hand.

"Why are we here again?" Verity whispered. "My bottom's frozen to the bloody seat!"

"We're here, because my brother needs a lesson in manners," Ellie said, watching the boys intently.

"So send him a book," Verity hissed.

Kit rolled her eyes. "It'll only be a minute. And unfreeze your butt because we're gonna need to get out of here pretty quick."

Kit waited until both boys had mounted. The moment they were in the air, she and Ellie sent an entire fleet of snowballs, at least twenty in all, rocketing across the pitch. The snowballs bounced off one another, a few hit the boys and then bounced away hurtling toward them again a moment later. Unless the boys cast a Banishment Spell, which they probably didn't know anyway, the snowballs wouldn't disappear for hours. Kit laughed and grabbed one of Verity's arms while Ellie grabbed the other.

"Time to move," Kit said. "Before they see us."

As the three of them ran back across the grounds Kit could hear Spencer cursing. "Bloody Hufflepuffs!" Brennan yelled distantly.

Verity was grinning by the time they reentered the castle. "You two are seriously dangerous."

"Thanks," Ellie said with a modest smile. "We do try."

***

Monday morning found Kit and Ellie staring down at their breakfast in disbelief. What had been an appetizing sausage and egg mixture moments ago was now frozen harder than a TV dinner left too long in the freezer. They've petrified my breakfast! Kit's stomach growled and she glared over her shoulder at Spencer, who was trying his best to look innocent. Puck tapped the glacial toast with a tentative paw and let out a growl of his own.

Kit swept Puck from the table and cuddled him against her chest. "Don't worry, we'll get the nasty boy back." She snagged some toast from Jynx's plate and gave Puck a small piece.

Ellie shoved her plate away and rested her head on her hands. "Any ideas? They deserve something really awful for that."

Kit grinned malevolently. "I've got a few. But it'll take a trip to the library."

Tuesday afternoon a small thundercloud formed over Spencer and Brennan's heads as they exited the Great Hall. With no warning a miniature blizzard erupted from the cloud and continued to deluge the boys as they ran up the stairs trying to escape. Kit and Ellie shared a satisfied smile. It disappeared, however, a moment later.

"Miss Ellsington, Miss Thomas!" Professor McGonagall snapped. "There is no magic allowed in the halls. Ten points from Hufflepuff. And if I catch you in so juvenile a display again you will both be serving detentions."

Retribution would have to wait for the snow duel. Kit and Ellie couldn't risk Professor McGonagall catching them again and Spencer and Brennan were intent on tormenting them with that fact. Snowballs kept appearing in Kit's bag or Ellie's and they could only grit their teeth and plot.

***

Saturday morning Kit added an extra sweater and two pairs of socks under her robes. Well armored, she grabbed Puck's pouch but didn't tie it at her hip as she usually did. A snow duel was no place for an already cranky knarl. She'd fretted about what to do with him all night before deciding to leave him with Serena. Oddly enough, of all her friends Serena was the one Puck seemed the most comfortable with.

In the Great Hall, Kit spotted Serena sitting at the end of the Ravenclaw table. She sat alone, as usual; even her own housemates preferred to give Serena lots of room.

"I'll be right back," Kit told Ellie, hurrying to the other table.

Serena didn't acknowledge Kit when she plopped down beside her. Instead she continued to eat her porridge with cold deliberation.

"Morning Serena," Kit said cheerfully.

Serena grunted. "Listen," Kit continued, "I don't know if you've heard or not, but this morning's the annual Hufflepuff-Gryffindor snow duel."

"Trust a Hufflepuff to waste a good morning wallowing in the snow," Serena muttered. "You'd never find a Ravenclaw doing something so undignified."

"Fun is not a deadly disease, you know?" Kit snapped before reining in her temper. "Anyway, I'm not asking you to come make snow angels. I need you to watch Puck for me. There's no way I can take him along for the duel and if I leave him in the dorm he'll destroy it. It's a hobby of his."

Serena glanced with disinterest at the carrying pouch Kit held out. "Get someone else to do it. I don't like animals."

"You don't happen to like anything, but for some reason Puck likes you. He won't give you any trouble, and I don't think he'll behave for anyone else."

"There's an endorsement. Didn't you just say he enjoys ripping apart rooms? Lovely pet."

"Please just take him, okay? It's only for the morning." Kit set Puck's pouch onto the Ravenclaw table and pulled him out. He blinked sleepily and nuzzled her palm. Kit smiled down at him. "See, he's harmless. Not a bit of trouble."

"So leave him with Verity, I daresay she has experience with ill-tempered creatures." Serena returned to her porridge as if the conversation was over.

"I told you, he's not ill-tempered, and he doesn't like just everyone. Sure, he puts up with them, but if I'm not close by I don't know what he'd do."

"How do you know he likes me in the first place?" Serena demanded.

"He's not agitated when I sit near you. He doesn't grumble or growl." Kit shoved Puck closer to Serena and he eyed the half eaten porridge. "See?"

Puck sidled closer and nosed Serena's hand. She drew it back quickly, watching him bemusedly. She seemed rather surprised that anything, even a knarl, could like her. Kit decided taking care of him might be good for both Puck and Serena.

"That's settled, then." Kit beamed. "I'll pick him up after the duel. I'm not sure how long it'll go, so can you give him some apple slices if it runs through lunch? Oh, and keep him in his pouch if you're not holding him. He's pretty fast and he can dismantle a piece of furniture quicker than you can blink."

Kit leapt to her feet and scrambled back to the Hufflepuff table before Serena could react. Puck watched Kit go with a mournful expression but her turned back to devour Serena's toast a moment later.

"What were you doing over there?" Ellie asked when Kit sat down.

"Arranging a knarl-sitter."

Ellie looked horrified. "You left him with Serena! She'll turn him into a pair of mittens or make a stew out of him."

"Very funny, as if Puck would let her. You've really got to get over this anti-Serena thing. She's a nice girl once you get to know her."

"Rather like cozying up to a shark," Ellie muttered.

Kit just shook her head and gave up. "Who's our strategist for the duel?"

Ellie brightened. "Graham tried to do it but Annemette told him she'd just march over and surrender to Gryffindor before she followed his orders."

"Bet Graham loved that," Kit laughed.

"He's still complaining," Ellie said with a gesture down the table. Kit looked and sure enough Graham was muttering under his breath between every forkful of kippers.

"So if our illustrious leader isn't Graham the Magnificent, who is it then?"

"Duncan volunteered," Ellie waved toward the far end of the table again, and this time Kit focused on a tall, gangly boy with curly brown hair like a brillo pad. Duncan was laughing and gesturing wildly with his hands. Looking closer, Kit saw that he'd arranged his sausages like soldiers on a field and was nudging them into various tactical positions. One of the other Hufflepuff boys, Selwyn, looked on with interest.

"You know, this is just Duncan's sort of thing," Ellie prattled on. "He's probably started half the snowball fights this winter and he's mad for chess. Plays it all the time. I don't think he's very good though because his chessmen are all patched with spell-o-tape."

"Well, he'd better be good with snow," Kit groused. "I don't plan on losing today, and we need a decent strategy."

The sun was shinning so brightly off the snow when the Hufflepuff first years filed out of the castle that Kit had to shade her eyes. A million tiny sparks seemed to be lighting up the ground.

"Good thing we're having the duel today," Jynx said with grimace. "I doubt there'll be much snow left tomorrow."

The Gryffindor first-years had already chosen a position not far from the castle with their backs to the forest. Kit considered that for a moment. What exactly lived in the forest, and just how unsporting would it be to set a few animals loose in the Gryffindor fort? Edith was organizing her Gryffindor troops, directing people to various snow piles and booming out instructions.

Kit's attention snapped back to Duncan when he started talking, "Right you lot, we've got a fort to build and not much time to do it. I recon we've got a sight more experience than that paltry lot, though." He nodded scathingly at the Gryffindors. "Let's set to."

Duncan ran his eyes over them appraisingly, marching back and forth like a general sizing up his troops. "Selwyn, Graham, start digging a trench, a nice u-curve. Hugh, Padrig you'll begin the perimeters of the fort, nothing fancy, just make it nice and tall. I want those lions climbing all day before they can see the top of our tower."

Duncan turned sharply to face the girls. "Calliope, Merrilee, snowball detail. Lay in a good store, we'll be needing all the ammunition we can get. Jynx, Annemette, help Hugh and Padrig with the fort."

Which left only - "and you two," Duncan said stopping in front of Kit and Ellie, "You've been doing some fancy snow spells the last week, I hear. Now I know there's to be no wands used during the duel, but there's nothing that says we can't use 'em for a little preparation work before-hand."

Kit and Ellie shared a bemused look. "Want to translate that?" Ellie said.

"I want you to enchant some snowballs, reinforce the snow tower walls and generally think of any way we can bury those lions during this fight." Duncan paused to eye Kit narrowly. "And if any of your four-footed friends show up Kit, make sure you send them the Gryffindors' way."

Ellie and Kit moved toward the snow tower the boys were working on, although it was more like a snow speed bump right now. Ellie glanced sideways at Kit. "Do you think it's okay to enchant snowballs if we're not supposed to use magic?"

"Like Duncan said, no wands during the duel, but nobody said anything about before. I say Spencer and Brennan have got it coming."

"That Snow Bludger Charm was nice, wasn't it?" A blissful smile spread across Ellie's face. "And the way they hollered. Brilliant."

Kit chuckled, bending to grab an armful of snow and shaping it into a snowball the size of a bowling ball. "Snow Bludgers are out, cause we'd have to use a wand to set them off. But what about an ever-bashing snowball? That charm wouldn't take effect until the snowball makes contact."

Ellie beamed at her. "I love you, Kit. I just want you to know that. And remind me never to get on your bad side."

"And let's throw in a couple sludge balls too," Kit added with a laugh. At Ellie's quizzical look she explained, "You know, let the centers get a bit melty and then pack fresh snow around it. It makes for one heck of a wallop and those things stick to your clothes like glue."

Agreed on their strategy the two girls began building and setting their enchanted snowballs next to the ordinary ones Merrilee and Calliope were making. Soon the pile reached so high that Kit had to stand on tiptoe to see over it.

"Let's move on to the tower," Kit called to Ellie, slapping her hands together in a satisfied way.

Ellie nodded and they emerged from behind their snowball barricade only to stumble to a halt with a gasp. "Wow," Ellie breathed, craning her head backwards. "Now that's a tower."

Kit could only gape. The tower was as tall as Hagrid, who was standing a short way away overseeing the duel preparations. Kit glanced from the tower to Hagrid and then back again. Heck, the tower might be an inch or two taller. With a happy laugh Kit ran toward the tower and a beaming Padrig and Hugh. Annemette and Jynx were smiling as they looked up as well.

"Nice one!" Ellie exclaimed slapping Padrig on the back. "How'd you get it so big?"

"We've been enchanting all the snow into a great pile," Hugh volunteered. "When we got it tall enough Jynx and Annemette began shaping the thing into a proper tower with their wands. We've just got to clear out a bit of the inside so we can make a stair to the top and it's done."

"You want to take care of helping clear out the inside?" Kit asked Ellie. "I'll reinforce the walls with some nice sludge and a bit of magic."

Soon the six of them were busily working on the tower once more, and within half an hour the thing was finished. Tired but ecstatic, Kit leant back to admire their handiwork. With a last flourish she used her wand to carve a giant "H" on the front of the tower.

Duncan puffed up to them looking pleased. "Bloody great tower! Excellent! We'll be taking a quick break and then the thing will start proper like. Make sure you don't have too much hot chocolate sloshing around on your insides, I want everyone ready. Oh and mind the trench, it's a beauty."

Kit and Ellie turned toward the castle, and Kit could make out at least half a dozen students milling on the steps. Verity was standing near the bottom and she waved a hand energetically to catch their attention. Kit waved back and the two hurried toward her. Ellie let out a squeal suddenly and almost pitched forward, Kit grabbed the back of her robes and was barely able to pull her back.

"I said mind the trench," Duncan commented blandly from behind them. The trench in question was at least four feet deep and by some bizarre feature of the landscape almost impossible to see unless you were right on top of it. Or in it, Kit though sourly, eyeing the sharp drop.

Kit brightened as she pictured the Gryffindors crying out in surprise as they tumbled into the trench. Twenty minutes later, fortified with hot chocolate and cookies fresh from the kitchen, the Hufflepuff first years were amassed at the base of their fort again. On the castle steps, all of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor had turned out to watch the duel.

"Alrigh' now," Hagrid boomed from the edge of the field, "There's ter be no wands, and no magic. If I catch any 'o yeh cheatin' yer team loses. First team ter reach the top o' the other's fort or ter topple it wins."

"Last minute tactics," Duncan called hurriedly, "Myself and Jynx will guard the tower from inside and at the top. Selwyn, I want you and Merrilee to lure as many Gryffindors into the trench as you can, then pin them down with snowballs. The rest of you, do what ever you can to get in that fort." Duncan's eyes fixed on Kit fiercely, "Whatever you can!"

"Ready," Hagrid called.

Duncan nodded sharply, and with impassioned voices the Hufflepuffs screamed, "Down with Gryffindor!"

The answering call of "Revenge against Hufflepuff" flew across the field at them and the two cries seemed smash into one another in mid-air, ending in a cacophony of sound.

"Go," Duncan bellowed, as he and Jynx sprinted inside the tower. Agile as a monkey, in only a moment Duncan was atop the tower and carefully taking aim with his stash of snowballs.

Kit's heart was racing as she dodged around the trench and grabbed half a dozen snowballs. She piled them into her cloak and sprinted away with an awkward lope. A snowball caught her in the chest and Kit spun, lobbing a ball straight into Brigid Sorin's face. The Gryffindor girl stumbled and Kit took the opportunity to follow up with another two snowballs that leveled Brigid. Grinning evilly, Kit continued her advance on the Gryffindor snow fort, a large square castle looming ahead.

"Watch out," Ellie yelled from somewhere behind Kit and she instinctively ducked, rolling to the ground as a large snowball zoomed passed her head. It swung around in mid-air and pelted back catching her in the back of the head. Kit turned to glare over her shoulder and met Brennan's laughing blue eyes. He bowed mockingly. "Thanks for the idea, Kit, that charm's dead useful."

Scrambling to her feet Kit smiled and grasped one of the ever-bashing snowballs. "Here's some more inspiration," she called letting the snowball fly. It connected with Brennan's chest and sent him hurtling to the ground, and then it came back for another shot and another. Brennan stared at the snowball in disbelief.

"You're a cruel girl, Kit," Brennan wheezed as he shot to his feet and sprinted toward her. Kit fell back with a small cry as Brennan and the snowball closed in. At the last moment, Brennan dodged to the side and around Kit, but the snowball wasn't fast enough to swerve, it smacked Kit right in the face and rained snow down the inside of her robes. Kit froze with her mouth open and then let out a scream of fury.

"I'm gonna bury you under out a mountain of snow, Brennan Sheridan!" Kit yelled.

Brennan looked over his shoulder to grin at her. "You'll have to catch me first! And in case you were wondering, I'll be at the top of your wee little tower next time you see me." With a merry laugh he turned back around and toppled right into the Hufflepuff trench. Kit laughed so hard tears filled her eyes. She didn't have long to savor Brennan's humiliation, however. Another volley of snowballs caught Kit in the back of the head and she swung back around to see Orva and Preston Alcott emerging from the base of the Gryffindor fort.

Calliope appeared at Kit's side suddenly and Hugh on the other. With a shared smile the three barreled forward, lobbing snowballs as they went. Orva and Preston retreated to the safety of the fort, but a moment later they reappeared with fresh ammo and Tenji Fushimi right behind them. Even numbers, Kit thought, appraising the three. Orva was throwing wildly and didn't seem to care that she was leaving both Preston and Tenji open to the Hufflepuff line; in fact, Orva kept ducking behind the two boys, but her reflexes were so slow she was often wearing a snowball by the time she did it.

"Calliope, Hugh, take the boys, I'll lure Orva away from the fort," Kit said just before they reached the Gryffindors.

Without waiting to see if they'd listen Kit launched herself to the side and rolled, coming up just around the edge of the fort. She poked her head back around and looked Orva straight in the eye. "Want to play?"

Orva bared her teeth in an unpleasant smile and began filling her cloak with snow. "Why yes I do, I think you could use some cleaning up."

Kit just smiled sweetly and ducked back around the corner. "Idle threats," she called, biding her time. Moments later Orva plunged around the corner and all Kit had to do was hold out a leg. Orva went pitching face first into the snow and Kit laughed, upending all of her snowballs over Orva's head. Before Orva could struggle up Kit was running to the back of the fort and looking for some way in. She slammed a fist into the wall of snow and grunted as it held firm. It would take too long to tunnel through.

Kit paused. She turned to look into the forest and wondered again what might be in there. Something that burrows, she needed something that could burrow right through the walls of the snow fort and get her inside. Kit could hear a great deal of yelling and even a few curses coming from the other side of the fort. She was running out of time. Shoving away the tiny voice of reason that tried to remind her of Halloween and the bat debacle, Kit concentrated hard on the forest.

Help, I need something to help me bore through these walls, Kit let the thought play through her head and focused all her energy on that one idea. She waited. Nothing. With a defeated sigh, Kit turned back to the walls and began pacing in front of them, there had to be a way in. Something brushed her leg and Kit barely bit back a scream as she leapt away from whatever it was. Six or seven small black balls of fur with long snouts peered curiously up at her. Kit bent to look at them closer, and broke into a grin when she noticed their small spade shaped paws.

"Hello," Kit whispered with a laugh, "Do you think you can get through this wall for me?" The creatures blinked up at her and then turned to the wall and began digging furiously. Even though she'd guessed that burrowing might be what these animals did best, Kit couldn't help gasping at how quickly they tore through the wall. One moment she was looking at a mass of white and the next a giant hole. Kit carefully enlarged the hole with her mittened hands, making sure not to drop snow on the furry creatures still happily digging away.

She eased through the gap and then glanced around. It was a small icy room, and to her left she could see a crude staircase. Kit glanced down at the creatures again. "Listen, I've gotta get up those stairs, but can you guys start burrowing through all the walls down here? If I don't make it to the top I still need this place to come down."

As though they took orders from strange witches everyday the creatures scattered and began attacking different walls. They dove in and out of the snow so rapidly Kit knew it was only a matter of time before the fort fell. But first - with a cautious step she moved toward the stairs. Her foot was on the bottom one when she heard something.

"Kit!" Ellie's voice called out low and urgent from the other side of the wall, "Where are you?" A moment later her face appeared at the hole in the back wall and she glanced hesitantly inside. Kit had just opened her mouth when a movement behind Ellie caught her eye. Kit threw caution away and yelled across the distance, "Ellie duck!"

A blast of light shot past Ellie and careened off the snow walls. Orva had appeared, dripping with snow, looking utterly furious, and holding her wand. Kit strongly regretted leaving her wand with Verity at the castle steps.

"What the!?" Spencer's face appeared in the gap at the top of the stairs peering down at Kit. Kit only spared him a glance. Her attention was too heavily focused on the wand pointing directly at her and the satisfied smirk spreading across Orva's foul face.

"There's no magic allowed," Kit said calmly.

"I know that," Spencer snapped, sending a snowball at Kit's head, "I don't need magic to turn you into a snow sculpture." Another snowball smacked Kit in the head and she tensed.

"Back off Spencer, I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to her." Kit gestured to the hole and Orva's raised wand.

Spencer dropped down beside Kit and gaped. "Are you mad?" he bellowed at Orva, knocking Kit aside so she was no longer in the line of fire. "You'll make us lose the duel. Put it away now."

Orva sent him a cold look. "Don't go ordering me around, Mudblood. Kit and I have a score to settle; it's none of your business."

Ellie's leg shot out suddenly and she kicked Orva in the shin, sending the other girl into a stream of curses and making her lower her wand arm. Spencer didn't wait; he launched himself through the opening and tackled Orva as efficiently as any linebacker. Kit felt as if she should applaud. A moment later Orva's wand was in Spencer's hand and he was hauling her to her feet, shaking her furiously. He froze when he looked back in the fort, however.

"What are those creatures doing?" Spencer demanded, dropping Orva's arm.

Too late Kit remembered the furry black animals wreaking havoc on the fort walls. It only took a moment to see that they'd done their job well; the walls were riddled with holes and Kit could feel a tremor shake the fort as the walls began to give way. Her eyes snapped back to Spencer's.

"Hufflepuff wins," Kit said weakly just before the entire fort collapsed on her head. Ellie screamed and the world disappeared in flurry of white.

Kit kicked and dug, struggling to get out of the powdery snow that was choking her. It was like being slowly smothered and panic began to claw at her. Something else did too. Something small and furry, a lot of somethings, were suddenly surrounding Kit. They tunneled frantically, moving past her face and higher still, snow from their industrious digging rained down on Kit's face as they moved higher and higher. Light spilled in from an opening overhead moments later and Kit gasped, drawing in the fresh air thankfully, struggling to gain purchase on the snow.

Ellie's white face, a perfect shade to match the snow, appeared overhead. "She's here," Ellie bellowed and she was shoved unceremoniously aside. A large hand reached into the hole and grabbed Kit by the back of her robes. She was hauled out and found herself staring into Hagrid's wild, bushy face, his tiny easy crinkled tight with concern.

"Here now, yeh all right?" the groundskeeper demanded.

Kit nodded. "Could you put me down please," she found the courage to ask when he continued to let her dangle in mid-air.

Blushing red, Hagrid dropped Kit to her feet and glanced around at the creatures still diving in and out of the snow. "Where'd all these nifflers come from? They're normally havin' a kip this time 'o year. Never known 'em to be burrowing in the snow."

Kit looked innocently at the animals. "I have no idea. But they've won the duel for us so I say let them play in the snow if they like it."

"Well now," Hagrid muttered, "as ter tha' I'm afraid it's a draw. Both forts wen' down a' the same time. Firs' time it's ev'r 'appened, far's I can recall."

Kit darted around Hagrid to stare dumbfounded at their once proud tower. It was just a pile of snow now and from the gloomy looks on her housemates' faces, Hagrid was telling the truth. The duel was over and it was a draw. Damn Orva! If she hadn't cheated Kit would have toppled Spencer from the top of the Gryffindor fort before it fell and Hufflepuff would have won. Anger licked through Kit. Orva was definitely going to pay for today. It might take Kit a while to think up something suitably heinous, but she would. Oh yes she would.

"Abou' those nifflers," Hagrid insisted from behind Kit. With a nervous smile Kit turned back to him and gave a dramatic shiver.

"I'm frozen right through, Mr. Hagrid. Can I please go back up to the castle? It was really scary under all that snow and I just want to get warm again." Kit gave another dramatic shiver and tried to look pathetic. She must have succeeded because Ellie bounded over and grabbed Kit in a hug, actually glaring up at Hagrid.

"Kit needs to go inside now," Ellie insisted. "We don't know where those nitters came from, maybe all the fighting woke them up."

"Nifflers," Hagrid corrected automatically. "An' I'll be wanting a talk wi' yer abou' them when yer warmed."

Kit grimaced but nodded dutifully. She resolved to become very, very busy in the next few days so she wouldn't have to answer any awkward questions. Ellie dragged Kit from the tumbled ruins of the Gryffindor fort and across to the castle. Halfway there, they were joined by a dispirited Duncan.

He slapped Kit hard enough on the back to make her stumble and said gloomily, "Nice effort, we almost won it."

Kit and Ellie just nodded, letting Duncan shamble along behind them kicking at the snow.

At the castle entrance, Verity was waiting for them with a commiserating look. "It was a brilliant duel," she said brightly. "Best one in ages, I heard some of the older students say."

"Yet, they didn't win," Serena said, appearing on the steps near Verity.

Verity turned to glare at her. "They didn't lose either."

Serena watched Verity coldly and allowed a tiny smile to tilt her lips. "You surprise me, Tilton. I thought all Slytherins knew winning is everything. A draw is an insult to both parties."

Verity bristled, but Kit stepped in before the conversation could get truly nasty. "Did Puck behave?"

Serena nodded and gestured to her shoulder, it was only then that Kit noticed he was nestled in the crook of Serena's neck, half hidden by her hair. Although she tried not to, Kit felt a tiny lick of jealousy curl in her stomach. Puck was hers, she'd come to enjoy the fact that she was always his favorite. A moment later a smile tipped the corners of Kit's mouth when Puck began mewling and scrambling in an effort to reach her. She put out her hands and he tumbled into them. Kit rubbed her cheek against his spiky quills, enjoying the way they lightly pricked her.

Serena watched them for a moment longer and then swung away. "Thanks for watching him," Kit called.

Serena froze. She turned back stiffly and nodded her head. Her eyes seemed to melt a little as she caught Puck looking quizzically up at her. "I'll watch him for you again if you need it," Serena said and then disappeared back into the castle. Kit smiled.

"Why was Serena watching Puck?" Verity demanded. "I could have kept him."

"I didn't think you'd want to," Kit said, turning back to her friends. She tucked Puck in his pouch with a last pat and tied it at her waist.

Verity scowled. "And you thought Serena would?"

"I think she likes him," Kit said musingly, rubbing a finger over her lip. "And that's enough for me. Besides, aren't you always saying you wouldn't wish Puck on your worst enemy? I believe you called him a Nundu in disguise and a - let's see - yes, a blight on all wizard kind."

"He ate my Potions book," Verity ground out.

Kit smiled indulgently, "He was only playing. Let's go inside, I've got snow in places I'd prefer not to think about."

Verity shook her head and Ellie shrugged, but all three girls moved into the Great Hall. Kit glanced backwards for one last look at the remains of the Gryffindor fort. It really had been a good duel, even with the draw.

***

End notes: The Snow Duel is entirely Catherine's brain child. She has only allowed me to borrow it and play with it shamelessly. You can read about the first annual Hufflepuff/Gryffindor snow duel in Catherine's story Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold.

Dr. Dissolvo's Time-Delayed Vanishing Powder is the product of Aquilla's devious mind. Verity and Kit are entirely in her debt.

For answers to some of the most frequent questions I receive about Eshu's Daughter, please check my fanfic website.