Halley Wolffer

Chapter 10

Halley and Virginia suffered through two more War Magic classes that week, and every time both of them returned to their respective towers in a deplorable state. It started to get easier the morning that they attended the fourth class, when Albion Dusseldorf decided that he had shaken them enough to start with.

Looney and Donald spent all the free time that they had making even more Halley costumes, which had become a fever at the entire academy. Everyone wanted to have a Halley costume of their own, the Rattlesnakes began to queue at the entrance to Raven Tower to get costumes and one morning, even Professor Snap was seen wearing a wolf tail and ears.

The anticipation kept escalating as the days were passing, the Tree Wizard Tournament was looming and then it finally was November the Sixteenth...

"Get your Halley costume here!" Isabella cheered, busy attending the stall- "It's never too late to show your support for Halley and Ireland! Three silver coins each!"

It was another cold day under an intensely white and gray sky, a harsh wind blowing from the Northeast as light snowflakes began falling on the island and the lake. Hundreds of students were leaving the castle grounds on their way to the forest nearby, where the First Task was just about to start.

"Halley! Halley!" the students were chanting, all wearing wolf tails, sharp fangs and great furry ears- "Halley!"

Isabella would sell a Halley costume after another, as it seemed that there still remained plenty of Hog's Wart students without furry wolf tails. The improvised shop was a true madness, Professor McGregor bought an extra-large costume and then Looney and Donald showed up to assist the little girl.

"I told you Looney, we are making a fortune!" Donald said, opening yet another cardboard box full of their products- "No reason to panic, everyone! We have Halley merchandise for all of you!"

"Excellent work, my little sister" Looney cheered, patting Isabella on the back- "Hopefully, we can sell our entire stock before the First Task starts... Where is Halley? Have you seen her?"

Looney, Donald and Isabella were wearing their own costumes that morning, not to mention the Support Halley badges and the colorful Irish flags. They could see a grim-looking Vector Grudge and a group of Dreamstrange students on their way to the forest, and at that moment, a loud, terrifying roar could be heard somewhere in the distance...

"She passed by some twenty minutes ago, with Virginia" Isabella replied- "What do you think was that?"

The awful roar was heard at that moment once more, people screaming with surprise at the forest while blasts of purple fire were raising to the cold sky...

"Halley said it was going to be fiery, remember?" Donald said- "Come on, let's hurry up!"

Looney sold the last Halley costume to a Gryffin girl a few minutes later, and then, quickly closing the stall, they dashed towards the forest. A collection of wooden signs and arrows showed them the way to a vast clearing in the forest not far from the water of the lake, hundreds of people already waiting for the Tournament to start...

They climbed their way to the highest part of the blue and bronze colored Raven section of the high wooden stands, people were chanting, Irish flags were waving everywhere and then Albion Dusseldorf emerged from a colorful tent and marched straight towards the very center of the clearing:

"It's going to start any moment now!" Isabella cried, grasping Looney's arm with great excitement.

"Welcome, everyone..." Albion cheered, the sapphire of his magic staff glowing powerfully that cold November morning- "To the First Task of the Tree Wizard Tournament!"