The Spark {Book 5 in the Star of Gryffindor Series}

Chapter 8 - The Broom Closet

The Daily Prophet
Issue No. 101,847
20 September, 2021

Ministry Power Increasing

As of last night, the Ministry has voted to give Minister of Magic, Hestia Carrow, the power to dismiss teachers from Hogwarts. This would, of course, only be used in the most extreme of cases, such as treason, in which the Headmasters are no longer able to control the professor. It would require one of the headmasters to agree to the dismissal, but only one. It is a safeguard against treason infiltrating the highest offices of Hogwarts. This order comes with several others that increase the power of the Ministry to silence and deal with treason...

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The next few weeks were a bit hectic, and not because of the normal fifth year frenzy of assignments, either. No, Fred Weasley was determined to win the House Cup this year, even if it meant he would drive us into the ground from working so hard.

Albus and I hardly had any free time, between Quidditch and homework. I spent most of that little time with Marcus, when I could, but he was very busy too. I rarely saw him. Maybe that was what he wanted. When you don't see someone very much, the time you do spend with them seems so much better. Maybe Fred and Marcus had some sort of nefarious plot to make me more excited to see him.

"That's ridiculous," Albus said when I told him this idea before Quidditch practice one day. It was mid-October, just starting to get truly cold. "Fred is literally just insane, and you know it. And Marcus likes you a lot. If he could spend more time with you, he would. You're probably busy a lot of the time when he's not."

The corner of my mouth turned up. "Thanks, Albus." I sighed. "I guess I'm just over-analyzing everything. I mean, we're going to hang out after practice today, anyway."

Albus nodded. "Yeah, you're over-analyzing. I do it all the time. It's really not so bad, if you can stay aware of when you're getting ridiculous. Like right now."

"Hey! Look out!" someone shouted from the pitch, which we'd finally reached. I ducked automatically, but Albus got a Quaffle to the face. When I looked up, I saw Elmer looking slightly alarmed. "Sorry!" he called. "I thought it was Marcus."

I rolled my eyes, but Albus just laughed and threw the Quaffle back at Elmer. "Save it for a the goal, Elmer."

"Elmer, can you please leave Marcus alone?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips. "He really doesn't like it when you mess with us."

Elmer gave me a skeptical look. "That's sort of the point, Astra. You'll never see how great I am compared to him if you only see how he acts to you."

"It's not like he acts differently around me than other people," I said, rolling my eyes again. Elmer and Albus both exchanged a look, however, which made me narrow my eyes. "Come on. He does not."

"No, no, what? I never said he does," Albus said quickly, holding up his hands.

"Except he did shove me against a wall and threaten to hex me and Pip into the next century if we talked to you again," Elmer said. I would have laughed him off and labeled that as a ridiculous lie, but Elmer looked very serious, and I had to pause for a second.

"There's no way he did that," I said slowly. He wasn't that type of person.

"Ask Pip," Elmer said. He'd lost the flirty confidence in his voice. "I mean, I'm not scared of him, but for Pip's sake..."