The Shadow of Slytherin

An ocean of freckles

His POV:

Walking along the stony path in direction of Feldcroft, the roar catches my attention. When I continue walking, closer to the thicket along the ledge, something hard hits the rocks causing smaller bits to break off and shoot towards the ground. When I look closer, I recognise the gear, but as I reach out to lift it off the ground a torn clothe falls onto my head. As I pick it off, the heat hurts my hand. In horror I stare at the charcoal coloured, burnt cloak. The number on the back of it half readable, just like the crest at the front. A Quidditch uniform. My old uniform, from fourth year.

At the sound of something shooting past me, I spin to see a figure fly on a broom, followed by a dragon that spits more fire at it. I recognise the figure at once, their Arctic blue hair, tied together, the way they move on the broom, casting spells at the creature that hunts them.

My legs catch on before I do as they carry me faster and faster along the ledge of the ravine towards the flying person, still chased by the dragon. I pull out my wand to cast a spell on the dragon, but it vanishes from sight, just to reappear a moment later and fly too high to reach it.

Almost in trance, I continue to watch, my head turning with every move of the broom as they fly high, then drop out of the sky, spin around a pillar of stone and into the ravine, then back into the sky towards the mountain and along the ravine, over the dragon that dashes forward to catch them.

At last I reach the end of the ledge, below me the bright sand and the last stretch of grass, but too far to jump. "No!" I yell out, watching as the broom vanishes into a crevice near the end of the mountain, leading towards the ocean. The dragon flies past it, but then returns, circling the small cavern, the mouth wide open to blow fire at the figure in hiding.

For a moment I close my eyes, swish, I feel my arms grab the smaller body, and a moment later, we both stumble over the green grass, tumbling down a small slope to land near the water, a bunch of high rocks surrounding us, slicing through my skin as my body hits the hard rock.

***

Your POV:

Ringing for air, you open your eyes, the green blades of grass tickling your face while the massive dragon flies off, past the last stretch of land beyond the open sea. A chuckle rolls over your lips as you lift your left arm into the air aaaargh, The lungs ache with every breath as the heat rises inside you. "150 points to Slytherin," you press through your teeth, laying still on the ground, your hand opening to reveal the snitch, caught between index and middle finger, "Slytherin wins"

A soft chuckle comes from beside you, the tall figure pressed against the grass, their head leant back to look at the sky. "You are mad"

With a sharp inhale, your hand wanders to the side of your chest, the pain resonating throughout your body. The eyes adjusting to the brightness around, you grunt as you sit up and remove the tight goggles that have left a crescent shape around your eyes from where the smoke has stained your face, but the eyes remain untouched.

With a clonk, they land on the stone near you, rolling off to the side, the strap burnt from the fire that got too close.

Your eyes wander to the mess of long grown, auburn hair next to you, the face turned in your direction as he sits up as well, his hazel brown eyes shimmering in the sun. Their sights rested on you while a field of freckles dances below as he shakes his head in your direction. "What? I almost dropped Weasley for it-" Your eyes widen as those words roll over your lips. "Garreth"

"You dropped Weasley?" Sebastian rises from the ground, his eyes wandering around to see if the dragon has spotted you, but it is nowhere in sight. His hand extended to help you up, he snickers as you brush off the dirt. "Now that is something I wish I had got to see"