The Hogwarts Games (First Draft)

Chapter 31 - Crime and Punishment

Chapter 31 - Crime and Punishment

"You found a place?" Logan asked as two seventh year boys ran inside. The tall one with the piercing green eyes spoke and held up a letter.

"One. It's not close but it's accessible by Portkey. They're prepping it now. Should be available next week."

"Thank you Charlie Three. Mark it on the map."

Blake Nott took out a quill and inked a dot onto the map, near the west coast of Scotland. He spoke as he drew it in.

"Theres an abandoned bomb shelter in Glasgow's Botanical Gardens. It was designed for air raids and bombs during World War Two. Many cells, labyrinthine halls and they're putting up Anti-Apparition wards and Caterwauling Charms now. We have the remaining Aurors who oppose You-Know-Who as the designated wardens."

"Brilliant." I clapped him on the shoulder.

"Report on the DA members?" Logan called out.

A redheaded girl took long strides forward and stepped up to the map.

"I've bailed them out but they're in St. Mungo's for mental and physical therapy. Just to be sure." Rose said, running a hand through her fiery auburn hair.

"How did you-?" Annabi began to ask

"Let's just say prison wardens don't get paid enough." she smirked.

"When will they be fit for combat?" Logan asked, running his hands through his mousy brown hair. He wasn't Logan the First Year Potions Genius that everyone loved anymore. He was Eagle One: the one who commanded and was respected.

"Same time as the hole's been finished prepping, I s'pose." Rose shrugged.

"Thank you, Bravo One." he said as he threw her a playful smirk.

"Form up!" Annabi called, her chirping voice demanded obedience that everyone astonishingly submitted to. Each team formed two columns of three with the Ones standing at the front.

"Commencing Antarsía meeting 42." Annabi recited in a systematic voice. "Aim: Tactics. Offence unit. "

"Alpha One?" Logan asked with a small smirk. "Stay with me. You have a lot of catching up to do." he gave me a somewhat condescending smile and nodded to Annabi. "Take it away, Eagle Two."

She smirked. "Take your positions!"

Lunch, the week after, had been an ostensibly normal affair. Chatting students, food digesting and so forth. Only seventy-two students were missing from the Great Hall. Half of the staff presumed they had been eating lunch al fresco. How wrong they were. How ignorant. A creamy tea-with-milk coloured owl swooped in, dropping a worn out sheet of parchment onto the first year's lap. The corner of his lips turned up into a satisfied smirk and he pulled the holly wand from the folds of his robes. He murmured a brief litany in Latin as his wand flourished. The crest on his robes glowed softly and the serpent insignia had vanished and was replaced by the crescent moon with a dagger and wand crossed behind it. The Greek spelling of Antarsía was etched in a curve at the top and Eagle One in capitals at the bottom.

"You kept the emblem." I whispered gratefully. I whisked blonde hair away from my eyes.

"You started this. Without you, none of this would be possible." the girl beside me smiled brightly as Logan took a more than substantial mouthful of his mince pie. With chipmunk cheeks, he took out his coin. Five minutes. Logan swallowed his food and pointed his wand at the cloak crests of the girls beside him, myself included. The navy blue stitching on Annabi's cloak melted into a proud red and the snake morphed into Antarsía's symbol. My symbol. Hers read Eagle Two at the bottom in proud silver stitching.