Serenity Silverwing & The Hogwarts Five

Chapter Sixteen

Chaser Controversy

Last Seen: Serenity is scary, isn´t she? So...Now we know that she got the Chaser slot and Angelina is Keeper (her old spot from the Reserves) for Gryffindor. How will the newly shuffled team fair in their first match... It´s supposed to be Slytherin... But what´s this? Serenity´s Revenge Run Rampant! On with the story and don´t for get to R! E! V! I! E! W! (Tess´s characters chorus, "What´s that spell?!" then Serenity yells, "REVIEW!!!") Tah!

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For about a month, Slytherins found themselves in the Hospital Wing for a day, sometimes two. The Defense Against Shamanism class took off with Dumbledore´s approval. To the student´s shock and amazement, Professor Fatespirit was only there to supervise the various student shamans that actually taught the class.

It was a freak twist of (plot) fate that had Serenity teaching the first class, which left all that´d attended (all Second Years and Up) treading lightly around the published list of shamans in the school. Not that this helped the Slytherins, who were already in kimshi with quite a few of the shamans.

It was two weeks before the first Quidditch match, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and Serenity was sitting with her Ravenclaw friends, Liz and Diana when Nocta, one of the two Slytherins that hadn´t been (and wouldn´t be) hit by Serenity´s vengeance, came stalking up to them.

"Serenity, I know you have every reason in the world to, but PLEASE don´t kill my brother," Nocta pleads, taking a seat across from the ex-Slytherin.

"Nocta, there are only two reasons you´re Slytherin: one, because you like him too much; haven´t you heard of sibling rivalry; and two, because you would have to own up to your father if you were in any other House," Serenity says with a sigh.

"Serenity... That´s the same argument you´ve used since my First Year. Just don´t kill him... I don´t want to wind up under my father´s thumb like him." Nocta sighs.

"Oh fine... If only to keep you from becoming a puppet," Serenity says, exasperated with the politics involved with Slytherin pureblood families.

"Thanks Serenity. I owe you one," Nocta says, and darts away before Slytherin eyes could notice her presence at Serenity´s grouping.

After Serenity´d finished her first round at the Slytherins, she started her second. A week before the match, before practice, Katie stalks up to a fairly confused Serenity.

"Nice job Silverwing, but the next time you go out of bounds with your `pranks´, you´ll find yourself on the reserves so fast it will make people who aren´t even related to you dizzy."

Serenity seems to understand what Katie was going on about but the rest of the team was fairly uninformed.

"What? What´s she done now?" Angelina asks.

"She´s managed to take out the whole Slytherin team so we have a repeat of last year. We go against Hufflepuff in a week."

"At least there aren´t any dementors this year..." Harry says with a shrug.

"Too right but last year we had a little more notice," George agrees with a slight scowl.

"Who have the Snakes got for captain this year?" Serenity asks, almost out of the blue.

"Bletchley," Katie answers, wondering what the new Chaser was scheming.

"No surprise there. How about Hufflepuff?" Serenity muses.

"Diggory," Harry answers. Alicia shakes her head sadly.

"Not Diggory. He´s living with his grandparents in France so he transferred to Beaubatons," Katie responds then answers Serenity´s question. "The new Hufflepuff captain is Serena Moon."

"I know her. She´s a nice girl. She told me once that she´d worked out a counter to the Hawkshead. Last year, I saw them use it against Slytherin. It worked for the most part, would´ve been more useful against a team that fights fair though..." Serenity replies, still in that musing tone.

"Serenity, you´re starting to worry me," Fred says with a joking grin. "You never think this long, even when you´re plotting some Slytherin´s untimely injury."

"That´s because I don´t usually plot Hufflepuffs untimely defeat," Serenity answers with an almost Malfoy-esque smirk.

"Did I say worried? I meant terrified," Fred corrects himself, his joking grin gone.

* * * * *

"And welcome to the first match of the year! The Gryffindor Lions go against the Hufflepuff Badgers today with quite a few new replacing the old," Lee Jordan announces. "For the Lions, Angelina Johnson has taken over as Keeper, her old spot on the reserves as well as Wood´s old spot. Johnson´s successor to the first string Chaser trio is none other than Serenity Silverwing, the latest addition to Gryffindor House.

"And for the Badgers, the reserve Seeker, Justin Finch-Fletchley, has moved up to first team after former Captain-Seeker Cedric Diggory transferred to Beaubatons. Taking over as captain in Diggory´s absence is Chaser Serena Moon."

Lee Jordan was moving on to boast about the `two great brooms´ on the Gryffindor team so Serenity tunes the commentary out, blushing a dark shade of pink.

Serenity fidgets nervously, waiting anxiously for Madam Hooch to be merciful and let the match start while hovering ten feet above the pitch.

Alicia glides her broom a little closer to the novice Quidditch player and whispers, "Don´t worry, Silverwing. As long as you remember the plan codes, you´ll be fine."

Serenity nods, swallowing nervously and gripping the handle of her new and fairly unfamiliar broom harder than was purely necessary.

All sound died away and time slowed down as Madam Hooch finally tosses the Quaffle into the midst of the two teams of Chasers. Serenity had just enough time to feel all her nervous energy fly from her like a bird from an aerie before she was lost in the thrall of the game.

Serenity might as well have been unconscious during the game because, when the whistle blew to signal the end of the game, she came to with a shock as keen as pain. Memories of the game came to her, forcing her to realize that Gryffindor had won. Before she had time to notice the red and gold field invasion, she was snared in a team hug, cheering wildly. Angelina said `You´re a worthy replacement, Silverwing´ and Katie withdrew her threat of bumping Serenity to the Reserve team.

After a quick shower in the locker room, Serenity, refreshed, heads up to Gryffindor Tower to join the celebration. Fred and George weren´t there, nor were Gwen and Gavin Doaraion. Hermione, not surprisingly, was pouring over a piece of parchment; however, her face was turning a rather peculiar shade of pink...

"Hey Hermione. What´s that you got there?" Serenity asks, sidling over to stand behind the rosy-faced brunette. Serenity catches a glimpse of `My Dear Hermi,´ before Hermione snatches the parchment from sight.

"It´s nothing. Just a letter," Hermione answers in a squeak, going from pink to red. Serenity grins, not looking dissimilar from a Cheshire cat.

"Right Hermione... Just keep telling yourself that and you might start to believe it," Serenity jokes, and wonders off to join the crowd.

"Good job Silverwing!" Someone slaps her on the back. Serenity turns and acknowledges the boy, a Seventh Year by the name of Alex Macgregor.

"Not bad for a novice," someone else says, elbowing her in a friendly manner. This time, it was Sixth Year Prefect Ivy Evans. Beside Ivy was another Sixth Year and Prefect, Lara Goddard.

"Not bad at all, Silverwing," Lara adds before dragging Ivy away.

Serenity did a small round of the crowd. Fred, George, Gavin, and Gwen had returned with a regular buffet line complete with butterbeer (which was quickly converged upon). Serenity had the sneaking suspicion that some of the treats were of Weasley household origin, so she steered clear of everything but butterbeer (of which, she only got one bottle before the supply was gone).

Serenity retreats to a quieter area of the common room, smiling whenever someone passed by and offered congratulations. Lara and Ivy weren´t far away, talking quietly and working on a parchment. Serenity bent her head this way and that, hoping to catch some of the hushed conversation when Diana tackled her.

"Seraye!!! You were simply awesome!!!" Diana was effectively cutting of Serenity´s air supply. Serenity gasps for air and manages to squeak out a plea for release from the bear hug.

"Sorry," Diana says as Serenity coughs dryly, "but you were incredible. That was almost as good as watching the Witches back home."

Serenity looks at her sister; her eyes held a flash of sadness that vanished so fast that Diana wasn´t sure she´d seen it; before she smiles.

"Serenity! That´s where you snuck off to!" Serenity turns, her smile gone, to find Harry approaching her hide-away.

"Hullo Harry," Serenity greets amiably. "Where´s Ron, or has he taken the night off of following on your heels?" Her attitude turned sour with the thought that where Harry was, Ron wouldn´t be far behind.

"If you don´t like him, fine, but don´t take it out on me. Besides, if you want to find out Ron´s doings, ask Hermione. She´d know better than I would." Harry turned irritable at the mention of the youngest Weasley boy as well.

"Oh-ho! Got in a tiff did you? Well come then! Take a seat!" Serenity gestures to a seat across from her.

"No thanks. Just wanted to congratulate you. At least you didn´t have someone trying to hex your broom into throwing you off like I did." Harry grins ruefully.

"I also don´t have someone trying to kill me at every turn..." Serenity pauses, thinking, then continues, "Never mind. I do but it´s mainly with looks, not wands. Spirits know you could die from revulsion with some of the faces I´ve seen in the dungeons."

Harry laughs and walks away.

"He´s rather nice, don´t you think?" Diana asks, taking the seat Serenity´d offered to Harry.

"He´s nice, for being famous for something he doesn´t remember. I just don´t like how Ron `praises him on high, amen´. Thinks Harry´s the cure to the world´s ailments, he does... And I know Harry doesn´t like that one bit," Serenity agrees reluctantly. "He also doesn´t like being so much wealthier than his best mate and obviously so."

"But he doesn´t flaunt it like you say Drake does."

"Dra-CO, Dia... Honestly, you trying to get yourself killed? You call him Drake to his face and you´ll find yourself hexed six ways to Sunday." Serenity feigns shock. Diana smirks.

"Sounds like fun. When can I try?"

"When you can transfigure 300-threadcount material into a coil of rope," Serenity answers dryly with a straight face.

"Now that does sound like fun!" Diana laughs. "Can you just see him with just a coil of rope around his feet?"

Serenity winces, straight face flying out the nearby window. "Dia... Don´t say that... I don´t need the visual aides." Diana merely laughs more.

Authoress´s Note & Disclaimer: Serenity Silverwing, Diana Featheredmoon, Alex Macgregor, Lara Goddard, Ivy Evans, the Wichita Witches, Guinevere and Gavin Doaraion are mine... Gwen and Gavin are courtesy of StarArcher.

What I don´t own belongs to J.K. Rowling, Goddess that she is. ^_^

Chapter Seventeen: Warnings may be a while as I have some romance fluff and Sailor Moon stuff in my head at the moment. Hehe... Please R&R!

Tah now!

~Empress Tessandrilene Wendracon de Sanyochisei