A Time for Work and a Time for Play
Professor McGonagall said nothing about her upcoming award banquet in her speech during dinner that night. She noted only that the Winter Ball was set for February 11th, and that the social committee was attempting to get a popular band to come and play.
She also announced Quidditch captains for the four houses. Liam Wren was officially named Captain of Hufflepuff, having assumed the role in a coup the previous spring. Paul Hewson was named Captain of Gryffindor. A Seventh Year boy was named Captain of Ravenclaw. Liam was disappointed to hear Blake Ellsworth named Captain of Slytherin over star chaser Rhiannon MacDougal.
During dinner, Liam spoke quietly to his Sixth Year friends. “You heard about the banquet, right?” They all nodded. “We’re making a plan. Us prefects are going to get the castle buttoned up early so there’s no trouble while the teachers are out.” Michael, Stacy and Philip all nodded.
Lara was quiet and distant. Liam leaned towards her so that she would look at him. “Am I missing anything?”
Slowly, her eyes came back into focus. She blushed to have the attention of the others on her. “I’m sure you and Morwena have a good plan. You’re doing your best. The students will be as safe as they can be.”
Down in the Badger’s Den, Liam continued to connect his Witchter ball to his friends’. All his Sixth Year friends had one. He connected with the 5th year prefects, the Took twins, and a few of the other Fourth Years.
The Seventh Years looked on, amused at Liam’s zeal even for this little task. “Are you holding tryouts, Captain?” They teased him. This was the criticism Liam laid against Marty the previous year, that he did not hold tryouts.
“My practices are open to everyone with a broom,” said Liam, proudly. “I’ll put my best seven in the air.”
Freya’s first class Tuesday morning was Arithmancy. Before class, Aiden talked with Reginald Dennison. As he promised he would, he did not once look Freya’s way. Freya was not as calm and collected. Despite Benedict’s kind, warm presence, she gazed at Aiden with longing.
After classs, she pulled Benedict by the hand into a nearby alcove. She put her lips up to his ear and whispered, “I made out with Aiden over Christmas break.”
“You did?” His tone was still gentle, his eyes still warm and kind.
“We were hanging out. I was up there, you know, in Druid’s Grove. He lives right down the lane from my Grand-mum. Anyway, we were at his house, and he kissed me, and then we were kissing.”
“Did he take advantage of you?”
This question brought a bright pink blush to Freya’s face. “No. We just kissed.”
Benedict ran his hand up and down Freya’s back. “Who am I to complain about something like that?”
“Don’t tell Alyssa,” she pleaded. “Or Meriko for that matter. They … I don’t think they’d like that.”
“But you wanted me to know.”
“Yes, because I knew you would forgive me.”
He pulled her into a tight hug. “I do. Now, we should go, before the other two get suspicious.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Liam and his friends had the first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the new term. Spindly Professor Sauergrass stood to the side of his lectern, a piece of parchment in his hand.
“All this time,” began the Professor, “we’ve been learning how to defend yourselves against attacks by the Dark Arts. It’s time we took our first peek into the Wizarding World’s shadowy cupboard and start learning about the Dark Arts themselves.
“I’m going to assign each of you a different Dark Magic curse. You’ll need to study it – learn all that you can about it – and be prepared to speak on the subject in an oral report. I’ll start reports in the first week of February, and we’ll try to get everyone through before Winter Ball. How does that sound?” The class nodded in agreement.
“Now, if you use one of these spells, you’ll likely get into some trouble. But do not be afraid to peer into the heart of darkness. It need not corrupt you. When you do, you will learn something about magic and about yourself.”
Sauergrass proceeded to go through the class in alphabetical order. Neither Vanessa Ables nor Calliope Addlessen was in this class, so Michael Bendrix was the first name. “Oh, you got to give me the killing curse, Professor,” said Michael.
“Very well.” Sauergrass put a note on his parchment.
Umberto selected the Imperious Curse. “Of the Unforgiveables,” said Sauergrass, “the one you have the best chance of defeating.”
Dave Evans chose Sectumsempra. “Potter used that curse once, I’m told,” said Sauergrass.
“Yes, sir,” said Dave. “That’s why I picked it.”
“Remember that he got into quite a bit of trouble for that one,” said Sauergrass.
Morwena and Fortney had no preferences, so Sauergrass assigned spells to them. When he called on Lara, she said, “I would like to learn about Enduring Malignancies.”
“Those are a class of curses, rather than a single curse,” said Sauergrass, “but I will allow you to study them for this assignment.”
When it was Philip’s turn, he said, “My mother fought Dementors in the war. I would like to study about them.”
“Now, Dementors are magical creatures,” said Sauergrass. “Their primary weapon is a curse that devours happiness and saps one’s will to live. That curse is not limited to Dementors, however. Other curses have the same effects, including Enduring Malignancies. Why don’t you study the Sorrow curse?” Philip nodded, and Sauergrass made a note on his parchment.
Rhiannon drew the Cruciatus Curse. “Be careful with that one,” said Sauergrass. “You may be tempted at some point to use it. It is an Unforgiveable, so the penalties for using it can be quite severe.”
When Sauergrass reached Sadie, she said, “I’d like to go a little farther afield, if you don’t mind.”
“I expect nothing less from my Ravenclaw students,” said Sauergrass.
“I’ve been reading up on wand-making techniques, and I’ve seen some references to incorporating Dark Magic into wandmaking.”
“It’s something Stilgrevsen did,” said Sauergrass.
“Yes! I’ve read his biography.”
“If you can’t find an appropriate text in our library, I’ll have something sent to you from the university.”
Liam Wren was last. “I’ve got a custom spell, sir,” he said. “I killed an acromantula with it once. I was wondering if it’s Dark Magic or not.”
“It need not be,” said Sauergrass. “Offensive weapons are a necessity at times, as was in the case you mentioned. Focus your study on the intent of the spell and compare its effects to known curses and hexes. I look forward to hearing your conclusions.”
After their Defence class, there was a half hour break before NEWT Transfiguration. After dinner, Liam went to the library to find a book to help him with his Defence project. Gillian and Sadie went with him. They went up the stairs to the Restricted Section.
“The two of you will have to do some actual work up here, tonight,” Sadie reminded Liam and Gillian. “And not fool around like you usually do.”
“There’s a time for work and a time for play,” said Liam. “This is work.”
Sadie guided them to the right row, a wall of ancient, dusty books on wooden shelves. Though he was a better, more experienced student, libraries still baffled and frustrated Liam.
Why did you pick something hard? asked Gillian. You could have let him give you a curse to study.
“It was something I wanted to know,” said Liam.
Well, you’re never gonna find it in a book. It’s one of your custom spells!
Sadie, who could overhear Gillian’s telepathic comments, said, “You’ll need to start with a general overview book and then move into something more specific. Here’s one!” She plucked from the shelf, The Dark Arts, an Introduction. “Remember what Sauergrass said,” Sadie told him. “Read about intent and then start looking for similar curses.”
And you had to go full-on Ravenclaw and pick something weird.
“Like Liam said, it’s something I wanted to know! I’ve been fascinated with wandmaking since Liam got the Dragon Wand. Stilgrevsen was a real innovator. He took some crazy risks but he really moved our understanding of wandmaking forward.”
Us Gryffs pulled one book off the shelf and each copied a section out of it. Now we’re done, and you two haven’t even started yet!
Sadie pulled a book off the shelf and gazed down at the cover: Wandmaking History and Techniques. “The problem with this book is it’s a hundred years old. Stilgrevsen wasn’t even born when it was published!”
What are you going to do with all this knowledge? Make crazy experimental wands like Liam’s?
“Maybe!” said Sadie. “The thing about Stilgrevsen is he thought of his wands as weapons. But they don’t have to be! We really should think of wands as tools. There may be some techniques that Dark Wizards used that I can use and modify so that my wands are powerful and innovative without being so focused on winning duels or hurting people.”
Liam and Sadie settled in at a table on the main floor of the library for reading and notetaking. Lara sat alone at another table, taking notes on Enduring Malignancies from a medical textbook she borrowed from Madam Pomphrey. Philip and Pauline were nearby, shelving books.
Gillian looked around. Besides Pauline, none of the Slytherin Sixth Years were there. Where are all your creepy Slytherin friends?
Sadie answered. “They have their own library.”
Of course, they do. And I’m sure it’s full of creepy Dark Magic books.
“I don’t know what they have,” said Sadie. “I’ve never been down there.”
Liam chimed in with, “You know, in all my days with Vanessa, we never got around to discussing the Slytherin library.” Sadie laughed at this, but Gillian scowled.
After an hour, Liam stood and stretched. He had taken notes on stinging curses that left behind painful rashes and welts. “My problem,” he said, “is that I really don’t know what my stinging curse does. I’m not exactly sure the sting I sent at Cyrus with my finger is the same one that came out of the Dragon Wand when that spider was bearing down on me.”
“I bet Gregor ordered an autopsy on the acromantula after you killed it,” said Sadie. “Greenleaf may have a copy of it. Gregor certainly would. Check with one of them.”
Gregor did indeed have a copy of the autopsy. Liam sent him a note after breakfast, and received a copy of the report that afternoon. While many of their friends were in NEWT Charms, Liam and Sadie reviewed it.
The report recorded a large amount of an unexpected substance, a long, complex chemical. “I wonder ….,” said Sadie. Without another word, she disappeared into the stacks. She returned a moment later with a large, heavy book, Poisons, Venoms and Antidotes.
She set the book in front of her and commanded it. “Dragon venom!” The book opened obediently to the correct page. Sadie scanned through the list. “There it is!” she cried, pointing at the text. Liam double-checked, but he knew she would be right. “So, it’s dragon venom?”
“Madagascan Dragon venom, to be specific. Five litres worth, enough to kill a whole football team!”
“Brilliant,” said Liam. “But, is it Dark Magic or not?”
“I think there’s definitely some Dark Magic at work in the way Stilgrevsen captured the anger and power of the dragon in his wand,” said Sadie. “But that doesn’t mean your stinging curse is Dark Magic. Think about your intent at that moment. You weren’t trying to torture the spider, right? You just wanted to stop it.”
“I wanted it to turnaround and go back,” said Liam. “When it didn’t, I wanted to drive it back, so it wouldn’t eat me and Lara. The wand went overboard, as usual.”
“Well, if you needed another reminder, don’t use that spell against a human being.”
“Yeah, I won’t.”
Saturday morning, Liam led his team out of the castle for the first Quidditch practice of the year. The air was cold and still. The sky was bright blue and the morning sun reflected off the snow. Goggles were a necessity in the harsh light. Everyone had their own brooms except Goonah. Liam fished a decent broom out of the closet for him. The Badgers flew laps around the pitch, and then Liam split them up. He sent a pair to train with Michael and Fortney as Bludgers. Ben had flown fast around the pitch, keeping pace with his sister. Liam sent him to work with Philip chasing the orange golf balls. With the remainder, he organized a three-on-three with himself in the goal and Goonah as the gofer. He separated Stacy and Bell and had the two girls run their own trios.
He could not sit still in goal, however, and wait for the Chasers to challenge him. He flew among the others, barking orders, stopping the action at times and showing the players how he wanted them to defend and what shape the defence should take.
“Play ‘em close now, but no fouling! Play the ball, not the flyer.”
Stacy, too, tutored the newer flyers on the intricacies of the Berlin Wall defence that Liam wanted them to run. “That’s it!” she said, encouragingly. “Everyone moves to one side, but watch the passing lanes.”
“Good,” said Liam. “Now, bring it back to the half-pitch flag and bring it up again. I want someone to take a shot at me.”
They were all a little rusty, but by the end of the session, the passes were getting crisper and the shots harder and more accurate. After a vigorous ninety minutes, Liam called it a day and brought them in.
After lunch, the Gryffindors held their practice. Their session was not as organized as Liam’s had been, but there was much talent and experience on this squad. The beaters pounded the Bludgers, and Chasers raced up and down the pitch.
In the stands, watching the action, sat Umberto, Gordon and Rhiannon. Umberto was lost in thought, and Rhiannon was typically quiet. Gordon watched the beaters for a while, then his eyes drifted to Dave Evans working with Alma Krauss, the Lions’ Seeker. Finally, he settled on the trio of starting Chasers: Gillian Roycester at Center, Adam Clayton on the left and Larry Mullin on the right.
The Chasers flew incredibly fast around the pitch. They rarely stayed even with one another, but who was forward and who was back varied from moment to moment. The Chasers made no sound or signal that Gordon could hear, and yet the passes were always spot on. One Chaser would gather the Quaffle in and then toss it away a moment later, right to another Chaser.
“How are they doing that?” he wondered aloud. “Those are no-look passes at what has to be 50 kilometers an hour. I’ve been watching them for ten minutes now, and they have yet to miss a pass!”
Umberto had his poker face on, but his eyes were alight with interest. “Thoughts, MacDougal?”
Rhiannon had a ready answer. “They must be using Roycester’s telepathy to communicate with one another, not only their relative position but to whom the next ball will be thrown.”
“That was my conclusion, also,” said Umberto.
“Is that allowed?” asked Gordon.
“A player is not to use magic to direct the course of the ball,” said Rhiannon, quoting the familiar rule.
“They aren’t directing the ball with it,” argued Gordon, “but they’re still using magic.”
“It may be against the rules, and it may not be,” said Umberto. “It’s certainly not advisable. Think if someone was able to crack that network, what they would be able to do! They would know what the plan of attack was on every series. They could push the defence towards the point of attack every time. It could stymie the entire offense!”
“How would you do it?” asked Rhiannon. “How do you crack into Roycester’s network?”
Umberto only shrugged. To Gordon, this meant that Umberto did indeed have an idea how this could be done, but he did not wish to share it at that moment. “The first thing to do is to bring this to Madam Pomphrey for a ruling: Is the telepathy allowed, or is it not allowed? If she rules against the Lions, we want that decision to be as close to the start of the season as reasonably possible, to give them the least amount of time to react and prepare.”
“And, if she rules in their favour?” asked Rhiannon.
“Well, then I had better catch the Snitch, hadn’t I?” Umberto had been the reserve Seeker the previous season and was now the heir apparent to Anita Soulspring. Yet Gordon sensed even more strongly at that moment, Umberto still had a card pressed tightly to his chest.