Compact
Ginny gave a big yawn before slamming her head on the table. It was finals week and she had been trying so hard to study for History of Magic without falling asleep, it doesn’t help that it has been some running gag between the Weasley siblings that the subject was a cure to put the twins to sleep.
The redhead stared at her friend who didn’t seem to be doing any studying herself despite her house’s reputation “Why is it that I never see you study?” she asked.
Luna turned a page on the latest edition of the Quibbler, which on the front page showed the dissection of an Aquavirus Maggots and whether or not eating their core would kill you or give you unlimited knowledge. “I usually study just not around you I guess” she replied.
“Oooh, you do it with Fowl I presume” the redhead smirked.
“Well, it seems so” Luna didn’t seem to notice how her friend was teasing her “It’s always fun to hear the opinion of someone else”
“You hardly listen to Hermione’s” Ginny noted remembering how Luna had indirectly scoffed at the Gryffindor when she told his dislike of the Quibbler.
Luna scratched her nose “Hers was completely biased, she’s never really read an entire article just skims through the paragraph and make an absurd conclusion without taking in the minor details”
“So Fowl read the thing?” Ginny couldn’t imagine him going through even the weather reports without raising a brow.
“I believe he hasn’t” the blonde admitted “But he doesn’t jump to conclusions saying my father is mad”
“You seem to spend more time with him than with me” Ginny closed her book and shove it far far away from her “I’m starting to get jealous” she teased.
The Ravenclaw put her magazine down “Well I assumed you have other friends to mind than just me”
Ginny waved her hand “I know, but it seems strange that . . . you two get along so well”
“I don’t know if our relationship could be considered a friendship though,” Luna thought back to her conversation with him by the lake “I believe though that we’ve simply come together due to our intellectual loneliness”
At this, the youngest Weasley cocked her head “You’re what?”
“Umm . . .” Luna tried to find words to explain it to her, had it been any other person she would just name it on one creature’s effect on humans, like the Nargles. But Ginny was her friend and she knew that she would be patient enough to try and understand and eventually help her. “I think we just like talking to each other” Luna simply stated.
“Doesn’t that usually start a friendship?” Ginny pondered “I mean, he did save you from all those fangirls that tried to turn you into a Basilisk”
“That was out of pure necessity” Luna replied completely forgetting her Quibbler “It was partially his fault and thus he deemed himself liable . . . responsible for me”
The redhead hummed “If I remember correctly you were blushing when you came out of the hospital wing after your talk with him”
“He surprised me” Luna replied almost too quickly “He called me Luna instead of Lovegood”
At this Ginny’s interest rose “He did?”
“Well” Luna leaned back against her seat “That one time only, now that I think of it he hardly calls me anything he just nods or signals me”
“What if he’s trying to catch your attention and you can’t see him?”
“He rings a bell” at this Ginny’s face almost looked appalled “Oh no I have a bell for him as well, though I usually just use it to mess around with him”
Ginny slowly nodded “I see . . .”
They remained silent for a while until they realized that it was late and it was now time to go to bed. The two then left the library; after Luna escorted Ginny to Gryfinddor tower the blonde took the more scenic route to her dorm.
She was passing by the Underground Chambers when she suddenly felt someone’s presence. She normally wouldn’t mind if Filch caught her because she could use the excuse that she was sleepwalking again, this time though she knew it wasn’t the squib that she sensed.
The girl slowly walked down the hall looking for that person she knew shouldn’t be here, she looked around to see if they were hiding in the ceilings or behind the posts. Just when she assumed that it had all been her imagination and went her way.
It was here that two figures appeared from their hiding places.
“Do you think the mud girl saw us?”
The following day Blaise collapsed on the sofa in the Slytherin common room “Phew, no more Divination for another summer”
“Just one more till we drop it” Theodore was on one of the chairs.
Draco shook his head “Your fault for not wanting to learn”
“You learn a lot of stuff from Divination!” Pansy yelled as she overheard the boy’s conversation.
“Like what? Reading tea leaves that tell you how you’ll die within ten minutes?” the platinum blond rolled his eyes.
Blaise looked at the two “Since when did you two become civil?”
Pansy snorted “You call this civil?”
“I mean you’re now making conversation”
Theodore turned to Artemis “I assumed you just breezed through the exams”
“Nothing too difficult, just tedious” Artemis was busy reading a book.
Draco looked over to the Irish teen “Still reading on Animagi?”
“You know what Fowl why do you even come to this school?” Blaise rolled his eyes “You seem to be dancing around the schoolwork anyway”
Theodore pondered “I don’t think I can see Artemis dance”
“Did you not see the Yule Ball?” Pansy said.
“Well, a waltz it like four steps” Theodore pointed out.
Artemis raised a brow “What point are you trying to make here?”
“Yeah even if let’s say we do manage to make him move his hips now that woulda very awkward if not disturbing experience” Theodore went on ignoring Artemis “I mean Orion already doing those leaps in the hallway was very . . . eerie”
Blaise couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw Artemis’ face turn pale when Theodore mentioned about Orion leaping “Yeah, you were almost qualified to join the Ballet Club, did you even know we such a club?”
“What we do need is a club that teaches proper Defense Against the Dark Arts” Draco decided to change the topic “I mean, sure the little tutorials that we send to everyone may be a bit helpful but I do think we need a little bit more than that”
Shortly after Gilderoid Lockheart was erected the DADA professor Artemis and his group had decided to take control of their education. With that Artemis and Co. have decided to form some study groups and create some sort of training manuals for their year-mates who wanted to learn. The little thing had caught on over the years and Artemis now provided instructional manuals for almost all the years. The manuals were so good that Remus Lupin even tried to use them one time.
“You’ve got a point” Blaise teased but he stopped smiling when Draco glared at him “Ok yes we do”
Artemis closed his book “It might not be easy though, something tells me that the ministry is taking strict precautions next year, especially when two people have died this year: A Hogwarts student and an official who died in the school grounds.”
“Artemis” Theodore softly spoke, “Do you think he’s . . . come back?”
Draco’s knuckles went white and he clenched his fist.
Pansy was shaking.
Blaise had a solemn look on his face.
The Irish sighed and placed the book he had on the coffee table “There’s a very high possibility”
“Then that means . . .” Theodore looked at his shoes but his thoughts were far “All his followers are going to return to him”
Pansy went over to the boy and held his hand “It’s ok . . . I’m sure . . .” she tried to find comforting words but nothing came out as she was worried about her parents.
“Looks like summer will be a little . . . bleaker” Draco closed his eyes, he knew that one way or another his father was going to make him join the Death Eaters.
Despite having a family that was usually in the neutral Blaise still felt fear for his friend’s families “I wonder how the others must feel”
“Some will gladly follow their parents, others want to rebel” Artemis stood up “But I’m sure most of them just want to hide and wait for it all to be over”
Theodore lifted his head “I may be one of them, consider it the cowardly thing to do but I just don’t think this war is worth anything, it’s just one big misunderstanding”
Artemis couldn’t help but agree “That’s were all wars come from, it’s a lack of communication, but it’s human nature men just really want to destroy muggle or wizard”
Draco placed a hand on Theodore’s shoulder “Don’t worry, the battle hasn’t started yet, we can still prepare” he looked at Artemis “Don’t we?”
“We do” Artemis replied before he checked his watch “Excuse me I have something to attend to”
At this Pansy rolled her eyes “Saying your last farewells to Looney?”
“I thought you were becoming friendly towards her?” Theodore asked.
“I stopped insulting her” Pansy crossed her arms.
“You just insulted her” Blaise retorted.
“Well, what do you call her?” Pansy asked.
At this, the dark-skinned wizard smiled “Mrs. Fowl”
It was in here where Artemis hexed him by turning him into a weasel.
Lower Elements
Opal Koboi’s shuttle was a concept model that had never gone into mass production. It was years ahead of anything on the market, but its skin of stealth ore and cam-foil made the cost of such a vehicle so exorbitant that even Opal Koboi couldn’t have afforded one without the government grants that had helped to pay for it.
Scant secured the prisoner into the passenger bay, while Merv piloted them across to Scotland, then underground through a mountain river in the highlands. Opal busied herself making sure that her other plan, the one involving world domination, was proceeding smoothly.
“Merv,” she barked. “How long to the theme park?”
Merv checked the instruments on the shuttle’s dashboard.
“We’ve just entered the main chute network, Miss Koboi. Five hours,” he called over his shoulder. “Perhaps less.”
Five hours, mused Opal, curling in her bucket seat like a contented cat.
She could spare five hours.
Sometime later, her hostage was stirring. Scant helped him into consciousness with a couple of jolts from a buzz baton.
“Welcome back to the land of the condemned,” said Opal. “How do you like my shuttle? Mr. Fowl”
The craft was impressive, even if it was ferrying Irish youth to his death. The seats were covered with illegally harvested fur, and the decor was plusher than your average palace. There were small entertainment hologram cubes suspended from the ceiling, in case the passengers wanted to watch a movie.
“Is that fur?” he asked.
“You’re sitting on the animals. As I told you, I am human now. And that is what humans do, skin animals for their comfort. Isn’t that right, Master Fowl?” said a girl who seemed to be a human child, her black hair was braided down her back, and she wore a checked pinafore of the type worn by a million schoolgirls around the world though her ears looked rounded.
“Some do,” said Artemis coolly. “Not me personally.”
“Really, Artemis,” said Opal archly. “I hardly think that qualifies you for sainthood. From what I hear, you’re just as eager to exploit the People as I am.”
“Perhaps. I don’t remember.”
Opal rose from her seat and fixed herself a light salad from the buffet. “Don’t remember?”
“I don’t know”
Opal lifted her eyes from her plate. “Are you trying to do some trick on me Fowl?”
Artemis fixed her with a cool stare. “It’s not Artemis who’s putting a trick on you” and almost immediately the Irish boy transformed in front of her turning him into a girl.
“Who are you!?!” shrieked Opal, hurling her plate against the wall.
Luna smiled “Oh, just a wanderer”
Opal’s face grew white with rage. “MERV!!!”
Again her servant appeared “Yes mistress?”
At once Opal grabbed him by the collar “WHO IS THIS???!” she pointed at Luna
The pixie looked and saw a mud girl “Weren’t you supposed to be a boy?”
The girl cocked her head “Weren’t you supposed to be in the kitchens?”
“ENOUGH!” Opal dropped the pixie and she went for the blonde “Who are you and what is your relation to Artemis Fowl?”
“I told you my name is Wanderer, Wanda is my first name though” Luna smiled “And Artemis? Well, we go to the same school?”
Opal clenched her fists “I told you to be cautious” she glared at Merv who had just recovered from her earlier choking “Those mud men in there have magic! Look!” she pointed at Luna “She must have done something to fool you into thinking she was Artemis”
“It was just this” Luna waved her empty flash which formerly had polyjuice potion “I was practicing potion making and I accidentally turned into my Artemis Fowl, you see my house is very attracted to him so I won’t be surprised if they made a potion like this”
The girl turned to the wizard “Well then I’ll just have to make do with what I have”
Luna kept her dreamy look “Umm . . . did you say we were going to a theme park? I’ve never been into one is it a muggle thing?”
“Oh it is” Opal smirked “And you will enjoy it”
Artemis was busy double-checking his lab making sure that the locks were secured and even giving more security measures in case the Ministry were to mess with it. It was in here when he noticed that he had a message on his fairy laptop.
He went over to the desk and noticed that the caller was unidentified, he had a bad feeling about it as he answered the call.
What appeared on the screen seemed to be a little girl “Well, this better be the real Artemis Fowl”
Artemis took a good look at the girl who looked perfectly human except for her ears. From the looks of it, she seemed to be in a very well-furnished shuttle. He checked the source of the signal and noted that it was coming from the underground. There could only be one conclusion as to who this was.
“Opal Koboi”
“Do you like my new look?” the former pixie smiled bobbing her hair “I decided that I needed a new makeover”
“Aren’t you supposed to be in a coma?” he checked his one screen that monitored J. Argon Clinic and saw that she was still there.
Opal chuckled “Oh I wouldn’t worry about that if I were you, you see” she checked her nails which despite her looking like a child were as long and pointy as when she was an adult “The reason I’ve called you is because I had planned on taking you somewhere”
“And I presume you had failed”
“It’s quite hard to find decent help these days,” she said flicking her nails “But as they say when life gives you lemons”
Artemis raised a brow not sure where she was going with this when on his screen flashed what seemed to be a security camera from a theme park. The camera then zoomed to a tiny figure who was standing on an island with an army of trolls surrounding it.
“Luna?”
Opal smirked at his reaction “It seems you know her”
Artemis gave the pixie a cold gaze “She has nothing to do with you”
“Oh my” the girl rested her head on her hand “She seems to be more than a schoolmate”
“What do you want Opal?” he said calmly but right behind him, there were beakers and test tubes that were exploding.
“Well it’s a simple thing really” Opal blinked her lashes “It’s called world domination”
“I don’t think I can give that on a silver platter even I wanted to” the Irish teen retorted “Too much politics”
The girl shrugged “Well yes that too, but we can’t have everything, now while you go save Wanda, I shall be doing my plan for world domination”
“You seem to be slipping,” Artemis said “First kidnap the wrong person now you’re giving me the upper hand to stop that drilling project of yours”
At this Opal looked actually shocked “You know my drilling project?”
“Just because I go to Hogwarts doesn’t mean I don’t keep tabs with the world” he smirked.
“Then I’m sure you’re aware of the hell that has fallen upon Haven, particularly the LEP” in here she showed a video in what seemed to be Holly Short and Julius Root, Artemis eyes widened as she saw the Captain shoot her Commander. “Right now they’ve branded you as an accomplice I don’t think they’d be willing to help you out now, and from what I know about your muggle politics you don’t seem to be faring well with them either”
Even more, beakers exploded behind Artemis.
“This time I am the architect of my fate. And of yours.” Opal smirked.
“And what is it this time?” Artemis asked mockingly. “Another orchestrated rebellion? Or perhaps a mechanical dinosaur?”
Opal’s face grew white with rage. “Is there no end to your impudence, Mud Boy? No small-scale rebellions this time. I have a grander vision. I will lead the humans to the People. When the two worlds collide, there will be a war and my adopted people will win.” And with that, the transmission ended.
Artemis closed his eyes and tried to calm himself, Opal was out again which involved humans drilling to the fairy folk thus starting a war with fairies and humans which just happened to coincide with another war involving another megalomaniac.
Which made Artemis wonder why such brilliant minds waste their time and intellect on something so . . . vain and pointless. They didn’t take into fact that ruling the world meant they have to answer to the world’s need eventually.
But there was another thing that Artemis had to worry about. Luna was somewhere surrounded by trolls and though he knew the girl would be able to handle it, she can’t hold for long.
Artemis typed on his computer “Luna of all the foolish things you’ve had to pull off” he muttered as tried to locate her. With a few clicks, he managed to locate her in the Eleven Wonders, the temple of Artemis Exhibit, the Lower Elements.
“That pixie” he then typed again in faster making a call. He waited for a few moments and wondered if he were to pick up.
At once the screen showed a dwarf “Well, long time no see Mudboy”
“Diggums” Artemis said “I’d like to make a proposition”
Luna was on the small island of rotting carcasses, waiting for the trolls to finish their bridge. The creatures were frantic now, hurling rock after rock into the shallow water. Some even braved placing a toe in the currents but quickly drew them out again with horrifying howls.
She threw a troll skull at the nearest creature. The brute caught it deftly in his talons, crushing it to shards. “I should probably ask Artemis to add wandless magic to his next edition” she mused.