Artemis Hexley and the Circle of Khanna

Chapter 6: The Seeker and the Statue

Charlie and Artemis couldn't have reinstated their friendship at a better time. The Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff Quidditch match was taking place the following weekend, and Artemis would have hated having to play against Charlie while they still weren't talking. As it was, she was excited again to be able to go head to head against her friend, even if it was going to be the first and last match they would ever play against each other - a thought she kept pushing to the back of her mind.

The door to the changing tents was still broken when the Hufflepuff team arrived ready for their final practice session before the game.

"What happened there?" asked David Willows, looking up at the ripped canvas.

"Tonks."

That was clearly all the answer Artemis needed to give, because David nodded and went inside to change without saying another word. Lizzie Jameson, on the other hand, frowned as they went inside.

"Why was Tonks in here?" she asked, looking around the room sceptically, as if expecting something to jump out from somewhere. "I'm guessing she's set up some kind of prank again."

"Not this time," replied Artemis. "We just came down to chat with Charlie when he was getting changed before the Gryffindors had practice, that's all."

She neglected to say the reason why they had decided to visit Charlie, and before Lizzie could ask, Skye butted in.

"Did ye stick around tae watch?"

"No, we're not that kind of friends."

"I meant the practice, ye wee dolt!" Skye shook her head. "Did ye find out what Weasley has up his sleeve tae get the better of us?"

"Oh, right. No, sorry. We just came here to hang out, really."

"But you were meant tae find out!"

"Well, I didn't," Artemis said, rapidly growing annoyed with her team captain. "I never said I would. Charlie's my friend, I'm not going to go around spying on him, am I?"

"Why no?"

"Because I'm not going behind my friend's back just for the sake of a Quidditch match, that's why."

"It's okay, Skye," said Lizzie, clearly having sensed an argument brewing. "We don't need to know Gryffindor's strategy. We can come up with our own strategy to beat them."

"Naw, that won't work," Skye glared at each member of the Quidditch team in turn. "We cannae win if we dinnae ken what we are up against."

"Then we obviously aren't a good Quidditch team and we deserve to lose, don't we?" Artemis snapped, and everyone stared at her. "What? I don't think actual Quidditch players try and find out what their rivals' strategies are. They find what works for their own team, which is your job, Skye. You're the Captain, after all."

Skye's green eyes narrowed at Artemis, a fierce and angry look in them.

"Aye, hen. I am the Captain, and I get to decide how we play the match," she said in a scathing voice. "I dinnae think that ye should play this game."

"You what?"

"Ye heard me, Hexley. Yer nae playing this weekend," Skye told her, before turning to Ellie Hopper, their reserve player. "Hopper, how dae ye fancy playing Chaser if I take Hexley's place as Seeker?"

Ellie looked apprehensively at Skye and then Artemis.

"I don't know if-"

"Aye, you'll be smashing, hen. Dinnae fash yerself."

"Skye, Ellie has a point," said Lizzie. "You, me, and Cordelia have been practising together all term. We have a rhythm now, and Ellie's only got one practice session to get into that."