Slytherin Weasley

Chapter 25

Photo credit Nastjastark on deviant art.

Lovely big thank you and apologies to @catalinuzta to whom I promised this chapter and then failed to deliver. Thank you for all the love and hope you enjoy.

I missed my chance to talk to the next morning as I was distracted by the arrival of Alpha at the breakfast table. He hooted softly and nipped at my hand until I turned to him. 

"where have you been you little bugger?" I said and stroked his back, "I was worried about you." He hooted again softly, sticking his leg out toward me. I pulled the scroll off and offered him my bacon. He nibbled at it gently and I unrolled the scroll. It was from Charlie. 

'Immy' He wrote. 'I'm sorry it took me such a long time to reply. Alpha was safe here with me in Romania, He's a cute little thing. Helpful too. I wanted to wait to write so I could give you this. It's a scale from a Chinese fireball, this particular one always sheds nicely but I had to wait to get the perfect one'

I picked up the little leather pouch from where it had fallen on the table an pulled it open slowly. A soft yellow glow emitted from the large, yellow-y orange scale. It was beautiful. 

'I want you to keep it with you every match you play, as a good luck charm for your time as captain, just like we always used to have. A sticking charm should keep it on the handle of your broom nicely. I'm so proud of you little Raven. Win one for me, -C' 

I closed the pouch and tucked it in my pocket, sniffing slightly as my vision got blurry. 

I jumped loud thunk on the table next to me echoed as Addy sat down heavily and groaned. 

"I hate divination" He whined and I smirked. "Well the you shouldn't have taken it."

He was about to complain more but Daph spoke over the top of him. "What's that Immy?" And she reached over to give Alpha a stroke. 

"Oh just a reply from Charlie finally," I said and rolled up the letter, shoving it back in the bag." "Go on," I said to Alpha, "I'll see you later." and he flapped his wings a few times before taking off and soaring out of the great hall. "I wrote to him in the holidays about becoming quidditch captain and he's only just had the chance to wrote back." 

"Oh ok, nothing interesting then" She said with a wink. I stuck my tongue out at her and stood up. 

"Come on," I said, "We'll be late otherwise." 

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For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch keptit fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as thoughhe thought the attacker might come back. We had seen him scrubbing the messageon the wall with Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover, but to no effect; thewords still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone. When Filch wasn't guarding thescene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out atunsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathingloudly' and "looking happy."

Ginny seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate, being a was agreat cat lover.

"But you haven't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Fred told her bracingly. 

"Honestly, we'remuch better off without her." George chimed in and Ginny's lip trembled. I smacked them both. Hard.

"Stuff like this doesn't often happenat Hogwarts," I assured her. "They'll catch the maniac who did it and have him out ofhere in no time."