The Shadow of Slytherin

Chapter 3

A quick story to lighten the mood.

The past events still hanging over you like a shadow, you watch the winter go past. The snow falling and settling on the ground to leave behind a world in white.

While Poppy has her fun, playing with Highwing in the snow, who manages to hide rather well in the white world around, you watch and laugh at the small Niffler shoving snow out of the way, but another Niffler, digging their way through the knee high bliss of cold, shoves it back into their path and a fight ensues, one you can still laugh about when Natty, Poppy and you sit in the great hall around yule time and chat.

The halls decorated, you all cheer early in the morning to find the common room filled with small presents, some hanging from the walls by long bands, other staked on top another in the form of a tree. The yule log before the fire place, as tradition wants it.

Sipping hot chocolate and eating biscuits, the students gather around to tell the stories of how they spent time at home, their family traditions and bring some new fun into Hogwarts when the winter games start.

The games, consisting of thirty players on either team, independent of what house you belong in, all gather in the great hall where the game starts.

Since the team is mixed houses, all students are free to hex, to not give an advantage to certain houses that might work in more aggressive ways to reach their goal.

The rules are simple:

Only spells that were taught in school are allowed, jinxes and hexes as well, nothing that can inflict pain.

The first two players have to reach the green house through the DADA tower, presenting as an exhausting task as ten players of the opposite team are positioned in higher locations to hex, jinx and block the way. Then, in the centre of central hall, a duel will take place between the first two players of either team. If won, the two can proceed, if lost, they will have to duel a set of rival players until they have won, costing them valuable time. At last they need to retrieve the secret item and get it to the library.

From there, the next two players have to take the item and use it to open the door to the kitchen that has been barricaded and locked with a riddle. In the kitchen, three elves will hand over items, only one of which is needed for the next event. Through another riddle, the students have to find the right item and bring it to the observation deck on the astronomy tower.

The third set of players has to locate a certain constellation, which, during the day presents as tedious, and then use the constellation to find the right spot as it serves as map to get the next and last item. Whatever the item might be, they have to bring it to the trophy room where the last four players wait.

They are given four different tasks, for each they need the item on hand, and if the hourglass runs out before they can finish the tasks, the other team wins and can choose the punishment.