The Hogwarts Games (First Draft)

Chapter 17 - Here Today, Hurt Tomorrow

Chapter 17 - Here Today, Hurt Tomorrow

We gathered in the trophy room behind the Great Hall as the students filed out for some free time before bed. I have a few hours. Snow entered the room and I suddenly grew nervous.  

"Ms. Crawford. A word." he said as he beckoned me towards him. I trudged and stood in front of him.

"Sir?"  

"You have started something dangerous. Your little speech was ... unwise." as he spoke, a disgusting scent wafted into the air. I could smell the salty scent of blood mixed with roses.  

"Well, sir," I replied, getting past the smell. "There are people out there desperate to stand against the tide. I just helped them along."  

He stepped threateningly closer. "Well this tide is going to drown them. And who will they have to thank? Me? Or the girl who got them fighting futilely in the first place?"  

"They will 'thank' the person giving them an excuse to fight in the first place." I growled and brushed past him. I kept walking to look as if I was headed towards the common room but I ran to the seventh floor and entered the Rebellion hideout. Shelves were perched on the walls with different books of combative spells.  

" 'A Compendium of Common Curses and their Counter-Actions', 'Self-Defensive Spellwork', 'The Dark Arts Outsmarted.' " I grinned as I read the spines each book. I picked up Self Defensive Spellwork and practiced some of the spells. Soon, I heard a rumble of footsteps.  

"That's way too obvious," I muttered. 

I took out my Galleon and inspected it. The serial number was still replaced with the time and date of the meeting. I flipped it in my fingers. It read "Unum galleon" in cursive writing among the edges. The space on the opposite end of the coin was completely empty. An idea sparked into my brain. Everyone shuffled into the room, chatting loudly. I waited for all of them to come in and then shut the door behind them which then turned into a mirrored wall.  

"Everyone!" I shouted over the din. "Welcome to the first official meeting of the Rebellion."  

A newcomer raised their hand and I acknowledged their presence. "Shouldn't we vote on a leader?"  

"Missy's our leader." Logan replied immediately.  

"No, he's right. I just kind of proclaimed myself as leader without a proper election."  

"Fine. All those in favour of keeping Missy as our leader?" Logan asked the crowd. Most of the hands shot up immediately and the rest thought about it before raising their hands too. I blushed, flattered.  

"There we go. You now have full authority as our leader." Logan said, bowing his head a little and stepped backwards. I laughed.  

"Thanks everyone. Oh, newcomers please sign your name on the parchment on the wall there." I thought about it for a minute. "I think we should have another name. So that we can talk about it outside of meetings and no one knows what we're on about."  

There were murmurs of approval as twenty people moved to the back to sign their names. The enchanted parchment grew longer with every signature.  

"The Defenders of Hogwarts!" Annalisa Peterson suggested.  

"No that's too obvious!" Bree Corner interjected.  

"How about ... Antarsía then?" Annabi piped. "It's Greek for Rebellion. It says what we are just way more subtley. And Greek isn't a very popular language. Even to the professors" That was the first time she sounded like a Ravenclaw.