Order of the Sphinx... Why should HP get to have all the fun?

Chapter 13: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

A/N: Hello Lovelies. Sorry for the delay, but RL life hasn't been too kind to me lately. Being in Year 12 isn't as laid back as other years and it's hard to find time to sit down and write, let alone be in the mood for it.

As always, The HP clan belongs to a certain British Lady whom I know we all adore. I own nothing, nor make any profit from this venture- all I get are smiles, sweat and tears.

This is a long chappie to make up for the short chapter last time.

Chapter 13: The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

The first of February brought a perceptible thrill to everyone, but indeed so to the members of the overseas mission. Back at home, this month was always the most exciting; the new school year would start and one would be overcome in the madness which ensued. Classes changed, so did friendships and romances which had been left to ruminate over the summer holidays. It also brought with it, two birthdays which occurred amongst our group; Ivy’s and mine.

But of course, all this was thrown to the wind now that we were in a new and completely different Domain. Instead of the searing heat which was embedded in the February’s we knew, a fresh new blanket of snow fell on that first day of February covering everything in a chilly pure sheet of fluff. Hogwarts was turned into a winter wonderland, with icicles dangling from the overhangs and a brilliant frosty coating added to all the windows.

All of us piled on the layers, eager to do anything to escape the blasted winter chill. I had taken to wearing mittens to and from classes. My tutoring lessons with Snape had taken on a new edge after the whole Alfred incident, and he seemed determined to achieve something, but what that something was, was beyond my knowledge. He had begun to challenge me, making me learn a set amount of spells, then setting up a duel where he would cast a few at me, along with other previous spells learned and I was expected to defend myself, using others in the midst of defence.

He would never tell me when I had done well, only when I was doing too poorly for his standards which was a good 50% of the time. He also was trying to slowly wean me from the use of the bracelet, and instructed me that the only time I was allowed to abort the time limit he had set was when I felt like I was going to pass out. I had, by the time February rolled around, managed to make it halfway through the day before putting the bracelet back on again. For most of the time the bracelet was off, I only had a dull headache, but when it neared the time limit, the pain seemed to increase tenfold with a crippling intensity.

Snape was constantly pushing for more; demanding more and more and I had to physically restrain myself from snapping at him, chucking a hissy fit and storming to the train station and demanding out. He seemed to be constantly around too, hovering in my path between classes to make sure I wasn’t about to wimp out and put on the bracelet. It was becoming increasingly annoying, not only to me but to others as well.

But there was an element to distract me, as Ivy’s birthday was approaching so quickly. She would be turning 18, all of us had decided to throw her a party, and we were all panicking as to what we would give her. We had no real access to shops, and our only chance to find something was on the day before her birthday, as it was a Hogsmede day. But the tricky thing was, Ivy was coming with us, not because she knew our plan, but because she wanted to buy things for her little party.