Seventh-Year: The Next Generation

Author's Note:

Thanks "lasalliann" for constantly reviewing, it helps a lot to know when someone enjoys my work.

Chapter 10: The Redheaded Playboy

Scorpius hesitated, unsure of what to do, his wand pointed at the purple cloud that held Hugo. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Albus laying collapsed on the ground. He finally made the decision to just wait out whatever was happening.

Before he could make the slightest of movements, a voice cried out, "No! Don't try and intervene!"

Scorpius turned in confusion to see the two musicians from the pub rushing up the street toward him. "I wasn't going to do any-" he began.

"Get back from him, get back!" one of them yelled, waving his arms to indicate for Scorpius to get away from the purple cloud. Scorpius did as instructed.

The two men were upon him now, their Irish-green suit jackets blowing behind them as they ran. One of them held the bill of his bowler hat to keep it from flying off as he rushed to where Albus lay. He grabbed the limp body of the boy, and pulled him farther away from the haze that concealed Hugo.

"What do we do?" asked Scorpius, quickly walking over to where the two musicians were standing by where they had dragged Albus, a good fifteen feet or so from Hugo.

"We wait it out," one of them said, watching the purple cloud which had darkened till it was almost black. Wind had started to gather and was now swirling in a sort of miniature tornado around the cloud.

"What's happening to him?" asked Scorpius.

"He's growing into his future, his destiny," said the other musician cryptically.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Scorpius demanded. "Generally most people don't turn into a purple cloud when they grow up, or have I been missing something my whole life?" He had to raise his voice to be heard over the noise of the wind that seemed to be growing stronger.

Neither one of the men answered, they were both standing completely still, merely watching the proceedings. Scorpius was taller than your average person, but both of these men were over a whole head taller than him. They stood at their full height, looking serene and powerful.

Suddenly the wind blasted outward, knocking Scorpius off his feet, though the two men stood unshaken. The purple cloud started to disappear quickly, it looked as if it was being sucked inward. And then Hugo reappeared, and indeed the haze was getting sucked inward, for it was entering Hugo's body. Scorpius let out an exclamation of surprise from where he had been knocked to the ground.

Hugo hung suspended in the air for a moment, and then started to fall. One of the old men moved quicker than Scorpius would have expected, and leapt forward to catch him. But just before Hugo's body fell into the man's waiting arms, it was sucked back up into the air once more.

The man took a step back, startled; clearly he had not expected for this to happen.

Hugo floated in the air once more, ten or so feet off the ground. His mouth dropped open, and words started to flow out. But it was not Hugo's voice that they heard, but a much deeper, stronger one.

"Beware the one who would have the world bow at their feet. Beware where they shall strike, for it shall be where no one expects. Look for help in the one neglected. Rise up shall the ones at the sides, no longer shall people be turned from them. The hour has come."

With that last sentence, Hugo's body fell from the air. The man once more jumped forward to catch him, and this time Hugo descended into his open arms.

It was suddenly very quiet. Scorpius could not hear a sound. Not the rustle of leaves. Not the movement of a creature.

"To have a prophecy so quickly...I did not expect..." said the man who held Hugo, so softly that Scorpius barely heard it.

"Wait a second," said Scorpius, stepping forward, "prophecy? Surely you jest, you mean Hugo is some sort of hocus-pocus fortuneteller?"

The man turned to Scorpius with a smile. "Ah, yes, Weasley is a Diviner, and a very powerful one at that- if I am not much mistaken."

Scorpius stared at him uncomprehendingly. "Hugo? Little, nobody, Hugo? Are we both talking about the same redheaded playboy, who has an intense fear of spiders?" asked Scorpius incredulously.

"He will become a great asset in what is to come, I'm sure," said the other man, the one who wasn't holding Hugo.

"What is to come?" echoed Scorpius, bewildered. "Who are you guys? I mean, besides both being quirky musicians with no fashion sense, and an abnormal taste for the cryptically confusing."

"I am Lasair," said the one who was holding Hugo. "This is my brother, Meallan."

Scorpius blinked. "I didn't realize there were mothers out there who deliberately wanted to make life as difficult as possible for their kids."

"I think I misunderstand you," said Lasair. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing," said Scorpius hastily. "Shouldn't we be getting these two back to the castle?" Scorpius indicated Hugo, and the slumped form of Albus on the ground.

"I think that would be wise, yes," answered Lasair.

"Ennervate," muttered Scorpius, his wand hovering above Albus's head. Nothing happened. "Ennervate," said Scorpius again.

"Is something the matter?" asked Lasair.

"He's not responding to my awakening charm," said Scorpius confused.

"Maybe he is not actually passed out, merely on the verge due to pain," said Lasair politely.

"Yes, I knew that," grumbled Scorpius. He grabbed one of Albus's limp arms, and threw it around his shoulders. He rose to his feet, bringing Albus with him.

A low groan emanated from between Albus's lips.

"Come, come, Albus," said Scorpius, starting to walk forward as best he could with the dead weight hanging onto him. "This is no time to be unresponsive and out of it."

There was a low murmuring from Albus.

"What was that? Oh, I see, you asked how I ended up carrying you, when I was supposed to be the one who was an emotional wreck. The answer to that is, I really don't know, I guess it turns out I'm made of sterner stuff than you."

To this Albus made no sort of reply whatsoever.

"So, tell me again, who are you?" Scorpius asked. He was walking along as fast as he could with Albus clinging to him, but even so, Lasair and Meallan had to shorten their outrageously long strides quite a bit, even with Lasair carrying Hugo.

"I told you, I am Lasair, and this is Meal-" began Lasair.

"Your brother, yes, I know that," interrupted Scorpius impatiently. "But what were you doing in the Dragon Breath, and how do you know all this stuff about Hugo being a Diviner, or so you say?"

"It was our duty to watch and wait for the moment when young Weasley's powers would awaken," it was Meallan who answered this time.

"Duty?" echoed Scorpius. "I thought we lived in a morally corrupt age where the sense of duty, chivalry, and honor was dead."

"What do you mean? Everyone has a duty, even if they refuse to face it. Though, yes, chivalry and honor are sadly lacking in the people of today. Why, I think-"

"Yeah, I agree, exactly," said Scorpius hastily, not wanting to get sidetracked into a discussion of morals. "But, why was this your duty?"

"We were told to wait until the one with the mark would come, and he did," said Lasair.

"Mark? What's that supposed to mean?" asked Scorpius.

"The Diviner's mark."

"What does it look like?"

"It is not just a physical mark, it something you can sense on the person who has it, it is part of their being, their essence. The physical mark itself is small, and it rides on the Diviner's right shoulder."

"I never noticed anything. Then again, it's not like I spend time looking at Hugo's bare upper body," added Scorpius hastily.

They had now made it to the Shrieking Shack, and were already moving along the passage that would take them into the school grounds. Scorpius ran his hand lightly along the rough earth wall, thinking as he watched the slouched back of Lasair in front of him.

"Who told you to wait for Hugo?"

"Our master."

"Who is your master? And what were you supposed to do once you met Hugo?"

"It is not for us to tell you who are master is. He told us to wait and watch until the Diviner came into his full power, and then we were supposed to protect him, look out for him, watch over him," said Meallan.

"Is that what that was back there?"

"Yes, it was."

"What triggered it? What controls when a Diviner comes into his power?" asked Scorpius.

"A Diviner is marked from birth, but they do not gain their ability in full force until some climatic events are coming that could flow many different ways. Before this, their power would not go further then a sixth sense of sorts, if you get my meaning."

Just then, they emerged from beneath the Whomping Willow. Scorpius could see lights here and there, emanating from the castle.

"Climatic events? What do mean by that? What's going to happen?" demanded Scorpius.

"Ah, but that is not for us to reveal," said Lasair. "We are here merely to watch over and protect this new, young Diviner."

They were now marching up the slope to the castle. Albus was still leaning heavily on Scorpius, and was not giving much signs of recovering anytime soon. And Hugo had been unconscious since his little "episode."

"What was it that happened to Hugo after the purple cloud thing went away, he said something in a weird voice, was that part of coming into power, or was it something else?"

"It was his first premonition. Most Diviners do not have one so soon after they gain their ability, but like we said before, young Weasley will be quite exceptional if we aren't mistaken," said Meallan.

They were standing outside the front doors to the school now.

"Very well, we leave you here," said Lasair.

"What, you can't be serious," said Scorpius. "What about Hugo? Is he going to be different at all? What do I tell him? What do I tell Albus? What do I tell everyone else? Is he even going to be okay? Does he need to go to the Infirmary?"

It was very dark, and Scorpius couldn't see much, but two flashes of white revealed that Lasair and Meallan were smiling at him. "Do not worry, young Mr. Malfoy, everything will be alright. Mr. Weasley needs rest, that is all. As for telling others, we will leave that up to you, what you think is best. It does not really concern us who knows, and who does not, for I suspect that not very long from now most people will know of his gift," said Lasair.

"We will be close by, always watching, always at hand," said Meallan.

"Wait, there is so much more I need to know," said Scorpius.

"No, there is not, for we have told you already more than we need have. We are here for the young Weasley, not for you," said Lasair gently.

"Wait-" began Scorpius, reaching forward to grab Lasair by the wrist. But his hand closed on empty air.

He looked around in confusion, but Lasair and Meallan were no where to be seen. Albus still clung to him, and Hugo was now laying face up on the ground near him.

Scorpius reached out his hand, and attempted to push open the door to the entrance hall, but it was no use, it was bolted from the inside.

Scorpius stomped his foot in frustration, and then slowly lowered Albus to the ground beside Hugo. Straightening up again, he banged his fist hard on the large oak double doors.

He knew he would get in trouble, because he knew that they would be found out for drinking, and of course they had left the school after dark, but he didn't care. Under other circumstances he would have summoned his broom, rode up to the Astronomy Tower, and gone to get help from a fellow student in getting Hugo and Albus inside.

But no, he had enough on his mind, and he didn't care about getting in trouble right now. Such a thing seemed trivial and mundane at the moment, all things considered.

He could hear the large beam that locked the door sliding away, and then, slowly, the doors swung inwards.

A middle-aged woman stood framed in the doorway, the light from the entrance hall pouring out from behind her, casting her face in shadow. That didn't prevent Scorpius from seeing the expression of strong disapproval on her features.

"Greetings, Professor," said Scorpius cheerily.

"Hallo, Mr. Malfoy, I've been wondering when you would come back," said Hermione Weasley, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

***

Lily ducked, and the jet of blue light flew over her head and shattered a mirror on the wall. Another hex came shooting at her, and she dived out of the way. She rolled as she hit the ground, and came up running.

And yet another one flew at her. She leapt into the air to avoid it, only to find another jinx soaring right at her.

It connected with her side, and sent her flying back and crashing into the wall. She fell to her hands and knees, breathing heavily.

"Stupefy!"

Lily's head snapped up in surprise just in time to greet the red streak of light, and everything went black.

"Ennervate."

Lily's eyelids fluttered open to see Monique leaning over her, and grinning down from between curtains of silver hair.

"Gotcha," said Monique with satisfaction, and offered a hand.

"You sure did," said Lily with a grimace, letting Monique help her to her feet.

"That last one before the stunner sure hurt. Was that really necessary?" she asked.

Monique shrugged. "In a real fight someone won't go easy, so why should I, now?"

"Good point," said Lily, rubbing her side ruefully.

Lily's first impression of Monique had been that she was what Lily would call a girly-girl. A girl who was, for the most part at least, just interested in boys and makeup and the like. As it turned out, this was a wrong assumption

As Lily spent more and more time with Monique, she realized that the other girl was very forthright and fierce. That they were practicing dueling in the Room of Requirement just went to prove that. But despite the fact that Monique was a kind of tomboy in some ways, she was also in her own way (again, what Lily considered) a girly-girl. For she was very interested in boys, and she also cared a lot about her appearance.

At the moment, the Room of Requirement was empty, except for the floor-length mirrors that covered the walls. It was to give them all the room they needed to practice their dueling.

After their little encounter with Albus and Hugo, Monique and her had tried to come to a decision about what to do, and had at last, decided to come and practice their casting together.

Lily wiped a sweaty lock of hair out of her face. "Drink?" she asked Monique.

"Sure," Monique answered.

A second later a tray with two glasses of cold pumpkin juice on it was floating at waist height between them.

"Room of Requirement- you gotta love it," said Monique with a smile, taking a glass and raising it to her lips.

"Mmhmm," murmured Lily around her drink which she was already chugging down.

Once they had finished, they placed their empty glasses back on the tray, and it immediately vanished.

"Why don't you bother with the way you look, more?" asked Monique with a surprising change of topic. "With just a couple touch-ups, you would have boys stumbling over each other coming after you."

Lily looked at the other girl in surprise. She had never thought that she was beautiful, and nobody had every told her different, besides people that were related to her, like her mom or aunt, but they didn't count. But, of course, Monique hadn't said she was beautiful, per se, and she might be saying that she could because they were new friends. "You don't mean that, surely?"

"You have potential, definitely. I mean, look at your hair for crying out loud! Nobody has hair like that, girl."

"Well, Baddock does," said Lily, smiling wryly.

Monique shook her head. "Baddock's is reasonably similar, I'll admit, but hers is more of a red-gold, a lighter color. While yours is a deep red, a burning, fiery red."

Lily laughed. "Thanks, Monique."

"No, but seriously, why don't you bother with your appearance?" she asked, looking curiously at Lily.

Lily shrugged. "I guess it's just never been that important to me."

Monique shook her head again, as if she couldn't imagine a girl's looks not being important enough to her to bother with.

"Well, do you want to go for another round, or do something different all together?" asked Monique.

"I think it's getting pretty late," said Lily doubtfully. As soon as the sentence was out of her mouth, an old grandfather clock appeared nearby.

Monique gave it a fleeting glance. "Who cares about the time?" she said. "You want to go flying?" At this, suddenly a rack with different broom models appeared near them. "Nothing like some night flying. It would be under the stars, and beautiful. Nothing like it."

Lily hesitated, when put that way, the idea was very enticing.

"You know you want to," said Monique with a grin. The girl grabbed two brooms from the rack, and tossed one to Lily. "Let's go," she said, heading for the door.

"I never said-" began Lily.

Monique was already at the door, holding it open and looking back at Lily. "You coming?" And with that, the girl stepped out.

After a second, Lily followed.