Dark Dawn

Rascal - New Beginnings

3 Months Later

I silently watched as my bowtie collection went up in flames.

It had started with an innocent game of Truth or Dare. We were at Hogwarts now, all of us. Kendall, Hailey, Jay, and Tori, had been sorted into their houses. Kendall and Tori landed in Ravenclaw, while Hailey and Jay were sorted into Gryffindor. Although I was in Slytherin, the five of us still found time to sneak out and hang out together.

All of the girls were in their fourth year, and I was in my fifth. Tori was an outstanding student at the top of most of her classes. Jay often got distracted, thus her sister Hailey, whom she shared a room with, helped her out. Kendall enjoyed finally being able to talk to her mom, even if she was the headmistress of Hogwarts. Recently, Kendall and I had started dating, (but just because she was my girlfriend, that didn't mean we had become any less competitive within our houses.)

But it wasn't just us five who hung out together. Along the way we had made some friends at Hogwarts. Tal was a third year Hufflepuff, and a great Quidditch player as well. I had met him on the Quidditch field and he would have made a great Keeper if he didn't try to pull stunts every time he hopped on a broomstick, thus he was a Seeker.

I had also met Sage, a fourth year Slytherin. Sage was interesting, and like me in a way. She didn't fit Slytherin "perfectly" so to speak, and neither did I. Unlike some of the others she wasn't in Slytherin because she was evil, she was in Slytherin because she was cunning, and she used her skills for good. The only difference between the two of us was that she was a pureblood, like every other Slytherin, and I was a half-blood.

Just the day before, Kendall had introduced me to Marie Louise, a Ravenclaw. Marie was a mid-year transfer from a couple of years at a smaller wizarding school in France, but at Hogwarts, with her studies and age, she was equivalent to a fourth year.

Kristopher also joined us occasionally, but being a child of Hades, he preferred to do his own child-of-Hades-darkness thing.

But on this particular Saturday in March, after dinner, we were in the Forbidden Forest. Well, not really in the Forbidden Forest, just on its borders. Because the the four new witches were about four years behind, and Marie had a few gaps in her training, we started meeting outside the forest to cover some coursework. Tal began joining us to get his grades up, and recently Sage decided that she wanted to come along.

We met up whenever we could, usually two or three times a week. I pretty much "taught" (if you can call it teaching) every subject except Herbology. I even made History of Magic somewhat interesting, more interesting than Professor Binns at any rate. Defence Against the Dark Arts was my favorite though. In my opinion, to know how to defend against the dark arts, you must first know the dark arts. Today would be dueling practice, one of my favorites.

"Today we're gonna begin wizard duels." I went straight and to the point.

"So," Tori excitedly wondered, "I get to kick Kendall's—"

"Hold up," I interjected, "I am definitely not pairing you up against Kendall right off the bat. I have set up a bracket though, but we're one person short. So, I will be dueling with some of you."

"WHAT" Tori shouted, "NO, YOU PROBABLY RIGGED IT, YOU PROBABLY PUT ME AGAINST YOU IN THE FIRST—"

"I did nothing of the sort. The matchups were randomly generated by a computer."

"And when did you get so cocky to start interrupting me?"

"The moment I tricked you into thinking I stopped. Anyways, here is the way this is gonna work. Three rounds. Winner's Bracket no loser's bracket. After round one round two will be set up. Winners will play winners. In case of a medical emergency, you will get to put some of your potions lessons to use. Any questions?"