The Gathering

Chapter Twenty Eight

The first two days had gone smoothly. We ate and drank happily with most of the camp and they seemed to be at ease with us. Within Hogwartz, there were four different houses that each student was sorted into, so as to become more integrated into their system, we were judged by their sorting hat and put into our respective houses. Kat and I were apart of Hufflepuff, Ava James and Mandy were Ravenclaw, Lindsay and Riley were Gryffindor and Damon was a Slytherin. From within these houses we were able to form even greater bonds and it made them feel all the greater at ease with us.

We frequented all the best stops along the way, where we knew the most people would be. Zonko's joke shop was not only a great deal of amusement, but in a joke shop you always feel happier and more likely to bond with those around you. There was Dominic Maestro's, a shop where you could buy and play musical instruments that I especially took great joy in, as my dad had taught me how to play the piano from a young age. I didnt remember much, but being around a bunch of musically talented kids defintely helped me to remember and improve. There was Honeydukes, the candy store. It didnt have much, but the worker was kind and gave us some of it free for helping him move some of the heavier loads around the shop.

And of course there was the Three Broomsticks, probably the most popular of all places. What seemed like a simple pub was so much more. All sorts of meetings were there, relationships formed and emotions burned bright. Not to mention the butterbeer, which was some of the best tasting drink I had ever had.

I also knew that in Harry Potter there was the game of quidditch, and as it turns out they had been able to enchant brooms so that they could fly, just like how quidditch was played. Hoping to get on the team and show our strength, Damon, James, Riley, and I each tried out for our respective houses and made it on the team, gaining great respect form both our team and the others alike.

What was possibly the most helpful though, was the Hogsmeade post office, as we could send an owl to Adrian and Chris and they could report back to us with how they were fairing when they got it, all the owl needed was a piece of their clothing and it could find them anywhere on this Earth. I sent out an owl named Saffiya with a report of our numbers and asked for the same in return. The worker praised this specific owl, so I hoped to get a message back within a week.

On this particular morning, I found myself getting ready for the big quidditch game that was to take place before our departure, between us and Gryffindor. They were the heavy favorite before our arrival, but with my role as the keeper, things were looking up for us. In the quidditch ring, I practiced with Ashleigh where I let her shoot the quaffle at me in attempts to get it in, good practice for us both. The other two chasers, Angelina and Thomas, were going through a sort of crucible training with the two beaters, Nathan and Rex, as they hit beaters in their direction as the chasers flew laps around the stadium. Our seeker, Kelli, was almost never seen at practice as she zoomed high above the clouds in pursuit of the snitch- the item that, when caught, awarded their team 150 points and ended the game.

After the greuling practice was over, we all headed down to The Three Broomsticks to get drinks together and relax until the game. As we opened the door to the pub, the hufflepuffs all began chanting our names in excited anticipation for the match. Spirits were high for the Slytherin as they had beaten the Ravenclaw's the previous night, so they also began to chime in with the chant, just happy to spread the joy. Forget the books, the Slytherins were actually pretty decent people. As we all sat down with our butterbeers and joyous spirits, I told them another story from back home, as I always did to entertain them after practices. Today's story was of the time a sphinx came to our camp

"...So the sphinx is making itself comfortable about a mile away from our camp and Hanna just goes "Hey what does that monster think she's doing?" and so she gathers up the whole gang and we went over there and demanded she leave. When she said she wouldnt, we asked her if she would for a riddle. Not able to resist the challenge, Hanna went against her and slayed her with the first question" I told in my drunken stupor. Of course that's not really how it went. The sphinx made her home in our camp, causing us to relocate a mile away and Hanna had to keep her going with riddles for an entire two days before there was one that Hanna bested her with. But thats just semantics.

With just a few hours left until the game, we all headed back to the common room to relax, except for Ashleigh and I, who needed to attend to our leadership duties. Ashleigh headed out to her office and I went back down to Hogsmeade, to the Hogs Head pub. This pub was much less frequented so whenever we came, we could likely talk freely without any of the Apollo kids hearing us.

On this particular venture there, I was to meet with Lindsay, Ava, and Damon so that we could talk about who we thought would be the best to take with us. Tensions were high, as we knew it was up to choose someone, so we had to choose right.

As we sat down at a table together, we all ordered butterbeer and began to discuss who it was we would bring. All looking at each other expectantly, I was able to appreciate the bonds we had forged over such a short period of time. Never would I have thought that I would be sitting here in a million years. Especially as a leader. Each and every one of them looked to me expectantly, and valued my opinion. It was good to feel needed.

"Okay, so... Anybody have anyone they specifically think should come?" I asked.

"There is one boy, Jordan, that always makes sure that i'm comfortable and not in need, so we should at least consider him" Lindsay said.

"Well what's he like? We have to consider that too" Damon said.

"He's a bit eccentric, but he's also driven. Once we get him to the cause, I definitely think he'd put himself fully into it" Lindsay answered kindly. 

"Anybody else?" I asked. 

"Nobody that really sticks out as much as Jordan. They all love the idea of a quest, but I think theyre too wrapped up in their world here and can't imagine life without the comfort and security they have now" Damon said.

"Who of us could though?" Ava asked with a laugh.

"If you would have told me I'd be sitting around a table drinking dam butterbeer with two Athenians I probably would've called you crazy and locked you up for insanity. I couldnt stand you guys, before I actually met you" Damon said emphatically. 

Ava and I exchanged nervous looks at Damon's sudden outburst but we soon found ourselves bursting with laughter. Soon, Damon and Lindsay joined in and any time one of us got it under control, one look to any of the others sent us right back into a fit of laughter. 

Once we finally got ourselves under control, we paid for our drinks and headed back up to the castle. "What were you guys like before we came? In one word" I asked as we passed out of Hogsmeade.

"Naive" Lindsay said, with a downcast look.

"Dick" Damon said, regret clear in his dark, almond eyes.

"Me, i was probably misguided" I said. I shouldve realized how much there was out here for me, and all the dangers it possessed. Sure, I've gotten by, but not without casualties that I should have prevented.

"Careless" Ava said. 

"Thats not true Ava" 

"James was always the one with the serious tone to keep us on track and you were always the one to show us the track. I was just the jester" Ava said. 

Without a word, the three of us stopped and turned to envelop Ava in a large hug and made it especially tight to show we meant it. From within the folds of our arms, I could hear Ava's choked back sob and felt a watery tear slide down her cheek, making its way down where we were connected.

"Thanks  guys" Ava said as we all disconnected. Her eyes were now a pinkish color, grey affecting by the redness the tears caused. As we continued on our way, we were silent, taking in the untouched beauty of the camp. The perfect green of the trees, the expertly molded buildings, still intact. Raising the question though, how did they do it? This question now filled me up, and darkened my thoughts of this place, as I imagined dark deals between Ashleigh and Matalel, so that she and her people remained safe. 

As ashamed as I was to think it, I couldnt help it. In this dark and bitter world, that was the harsh reality, and people weren't always as they seemed.