Artemis Hexley and the Circle of Khanna

Chapter 3: Times, They Are A-Changing

Artemis had thought that her O.W.L. year would be the hardest of her time at Hogwarts, but by the time she had gotten a month into first term, she had realised that was not the case in the slightest. Sixth year made fifth year look almost easy in comparison.

She may have halved the number of subjects she was studying, but somehow, Artemis' workload had increased. It wasn't just that she had additional assignments or that the new content of her lessons was harder; N.E.W.T. students were expected to perform all spells non-verbally, which meant that even the most basic of spells were now more difficult to perform. Luckily for Artemis, spellwork had always been something that had come easily to her, but even she was finding the transition taxing.

At least Artemis' position as Seeker on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team was secure; Skye Parkin, the new Captain, was keen to keep the team as similar as possible to the year before.

"For why would I want tae mess around wi' a winning formula?" said Skye on the way down to the Quidditch pitch ready for the first practise of term. "We won the Cup last year, an' we'll win it this year an' aw."

The team was in good shape. They may have lost their previous captain and Chaser Orion Amari, who had been scouted by the Montrose Magpies, and Keeper Alex Gwithers, who was now working for the Ministry of Magic, but they had found decent replacements in the form of Chaser Cordelia Costa and Keeper Amelia Booth, and a new reserve player named Ellie Hopper. By their third practice of term, they had settled into their slightly altered dynamic. It looked like Skye might be right; perhaps they really would win the Cup for a second year running.

The chances of a second victory seemed much slimmer, however, when the somewhat impartial Quidditch commentator Murphy McNully joined them on the pitch at the start of October.

"Hooch has changed the match schedule," he told them. "So you won't be playing Slytherin next month after all."

Artemis frowned. That meant that they would be up against either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, the two teams that had been their most challenging opponents the previous year. Erika Rath, the Ravenclaw Captain, was a ferocious Beater with an axe to grind following her team's defeat the year before, and Artemis knew from experience that her friend Charlie, although only reluctantly a Captain himself, was both a remarkable Seeker and flying instructor. Neither team was ideal to be playing against for their first match of the season.

"Who are we playing then, Murphy?"

"Gryffindor."

"Och," Skye shrugged. "Nae bother. We smashed them last year."

"Yes, but they were playing with a reserve Seeker," said Murphy. "Your chances were always greatly increased. And I've been hearing nothing but good things about Weasley when it comes to his captaincy. There's a decent probability that their strategy will be different to last year. They're an unknown variable."

"Aye, ye make a fair point there, McNully, I'll give ye that. So, what we need is a way tae find out what their strategy is before the match so we can figure out a way tae beat them."

"Yes, but as an impartial-"

"Haud yer wheesht, McNully, I was nae talking tae you," Skye interrupted Murphy, her green eyes fixed on Artemis. "Hexley, hen, you're pals with Weasley, aren't ye?"

"No," Artemis said quickly. "I mean, yeah, I am. But I'm not going to spy on him."

"I was nae gaun tae say that ye should spy oan him."

Artemis pursed her lips. She got the feeling that that was exactly what Skye was going to say.

"I was gaun tae say," Skye continued, "that ye could ask him what he's got planned. Nae harm in that."