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Derfel · 01-10-2011, 09:01 PM

Chapter 10: Blood is thicker than water

The exterior was Edwardian in appearance, masking a thoroughly modern interior; itself a throwback to the age of jazz. Luxurious carpets and gold edged chaise-longues dominated the interior of the hotel. An elaborate ceiling of gold, blues and greens surrounding a central chandelier welcomed the gaze of anyone willing to look up, beyond a marble staircase that screamed wealth more than any other part of the foyer.
Ron feeling distinctly out of place in somewhere so obviously wealthy, quickly made his excuses and left before even looking at the menu, leaving Harry and Hermione to greet a surprised Ginny.
"Why are you two eating here? A bit expensive for lunch between friends is it not?" Ginny's cheeks were flushed from the effort of climbing the staircase - it's polished surface had played merry hell with her stilletto heels - her friends, however, thought the redness was a symptom of increasing anger. Harry recovered his shock first. "I was invited here by Ron, actually. You've just missed him." Harry looked careworn again, as if his peaceful, content sleep the previous night was a very distant memory.
Ginny looked at Hermione, taking in an expensive red dress that showed off her currves. Something, Ginny believed, Ron would never have given to her or appreciated. "Ron, hmm?" Without giving them a further chance to explain, Ginny quickly turned and left the resgtauarnt, the clack of her heels on marble echoing throughout the building.
Hermione gave Harry an apologetic glance before setting off after her friend, leaving him to deal with 3 disapproving waiters, sighing, he reached for the wine list and asked for the specials board.
****

Kurzog groaned when the injured wizard was brought to his attention. There were rumours the man was behind the end of a distinguished wizard family. Unfortunately, the man claimed to have influence over the ministry and, as a result, was Krull's favourite pet. He needed to be kept alive.
"Get me Griphook!"

*****

Recovering from his envy in the restauant, Ron had headed over to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and asked George for a couple of weeks off. A request that had been approved without any hesitation, "Rediscover yourself, Ron. You're no fun anymore."
Within seconds, he found himself in the Black mountains. Following a trail of bones that, to him, stank of black magic. The look of decay was well established here; moss covered stone walls, grass not much different to the moss in length or density, overgrown gorse, horses with matted coats, any metal covered liberally in rust and any building long collapsed. But it was the errant skulls that told him something bad had happened. Looking at the few remaining animals in the area, Ron guessed they were from sheep. The sight of one, fire blackened and missing its jawbone persuaded him to continue with his wand held outwards.
Strangely, the mist began to thin the further he followed what appeared to be a farm track. It twisted and turned up one of the mountains, teasing any users that what they searched for lay around the next bend. Ron was convinced he could hear laughter in the wind; increasingly cruel and mocking with every passing minute. Surrounded by mist, miserable from the cold - his cloak was drawn tight around his neck and ears - desperate for protection from the persistent drizzle, he could not help but be reminded of being hunted by death eaters more than twenty years ago.
Finally, he stumbled across the ruins of a castle, like everything else in the area it looked as if it had been decaying for centuries, but Ron sensed a large amount of magic had been performed there recently. A brief exploration of the outskirts all but confirmed his theory. The castle was far too big to have played host to muggles - they would never have placed much value on a place like this.
Ron shivered, fearing he was being watched. Taking a deep breath, he tried to remember what Hermione had told him about castles, began looking for the main gatehouse, knowing it would reveal a lot about the history of the castle, if it was good condition that is.
Despite their obvious age and decay, the grey stones were still oppressive in the thick mist. as if they themselves were alive. Ron worked his way round them until he found the gatehouse. Ignoring the uneven ground caused by extensive tree roots, he sank to his knees and began some incantations to make faded details above where the gate should have been clearer.
He froze as one of the first things to become clear was a serpent's head.

********

Griphook sighed as Kurzog questioned him. The Head Goblin no longer held any sense of fear for him, only Krull was worth following in these times where strong, uncompromising leadership was needed.
Seeing this, Kurzog changed tack, taking his ceremonial axe moving with blinding speed and burying itself in Griphook's neck, bellowing rage all the while. Any Goblin that had not bowed low at the first sign of Kurzog's temper flattened themselves when Griphook's blood covered them.
"Is there anyone here who challenges my right to rule?" Kurzog's bloodlust was up now, he needed a bloodletting to slake his thirst. He dominated the room, bellowing challenges at random goblins, killing any that held his gaze too long.
"I am your KING!" He bellowed the statement a final time before dragging his personal shaman from his throne room.
The remaining goblins breathed a collective sigh of relief before realising that the usually immobile gold and ruby decorated goblins around the edge of the room were slowly moving towards them, their own axes swinging in unison and sparking panic. Every unarmed gboblin fled towards the exit, each thinking their leader was spending too much time consulting the gods of battle.

******

Rose, having missed the excitement of the morning, had slipped into Lily's bed and pestered her cousin about the conversation and was now leaning out the hospital wing window cheering on the Gryffindor quidditch team. If they won the game, Gryffindor would lead the house championship over the christmas break.
In the stands, even Hugo was being cheered up by his team's performance, forgetting about Cei with every successful pass and over-aggressive bludger contact. He did not notice Scorpius until the slytherin was right behind him, idly kicking his head. "So, Hugo, now your bodyguard has gone, who's going to stop me from punishing you for all your pranks this year?" His tone was cold, making everyone who heard him sure he wasn't bluffing.

*****

"Who dares enter the house of Seneschal?" the serpent head demanded. It was surrounded by a green aura, it's lifeless black eyes rooting Ron to the spot in fear, he did not see the roots reacting to another force, forming a rough trap door underneath him.
"ANSWER ME!" the shout led to the trap door opening, causing Ron to disappear from ground level, starting an uncontrollable slide along a passage of roughly dressed stones, dirt and tree roots that clawed and tore at his clothes and skin. Above him, the sky had become a mix of black and purple before the trap door sealed itself.
His sense of direction disorientated, Ron was sure he'd seen a hooded figure look at him just before the trap door shut, now all he could think of was the chamber of secrets and how the passage seemed like the coiled insides of a snake.
Hitting the ground with a thump he lay still for a few moments trying to catch his breath and make sense of everything he'd seen so far. It all pointed to the Seneschals, whoever they were, being dark wizards.
As his senses returned, Ron realised that, despite now being in the premises, it was almost in as bad a condition as the exterior - he noted he had fallen into a rusty iron cell - the door was on the floor, long abandoned. Ancient papers littered the dimly lit passage, itself another collection of dirt, tree roots and badly dressed stones. How could anyone have lived here?
Tentatively moving forward, into the passageway, Ron paused when he heard the mocking laughter that had plagued him earlier. Wiping his forehead - unsure if it was sweat or rain he wiped off - he set off again, treading softly and careful with every placed foot.
***

Albus watched the game from the top of the astronomy tower, hoping Gryffindor would win so he could show off some custom-made Weasley fireworks. His eyes straining not to miss any of the action. He wished Cei was there - the sixth year had had an impeccable sense of timing. Alas, he was gone, killed by an errant goblin horde. Albus sighed, looking forward to the forthcoming winter break.
Blinking, Albus swore when he realised the match was over, his refreshed eyes scanning the crowd, trying to find the winners. Satisfied, he set the fireworks off and ducked from the skyline.

Much to his surprise, the firework started as a flaming dragon, diving down toward the main student body before exploding above the heads of the other students, it became a lion toying with a snake before finally exploding into a series of letter;

"HA HA. Stupid Slytherins still can't win."

Chapter 9

Chapter 11

01-10-2011, 09:01 PM	#40 (permalink)
Derfel Jarvey Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Wales Posts: 637 Hogwarts RPG Name: Ambrocinius Fifth Year	Chapter 10: Blood is thicker than water The exterior was Edwardian in appearance, masking a thoroughly modern interior; itself a throwback to the age of jazz. Luxurious carpets and gold edged chaise-longues dominated the interior of the hotel. An elaborate ceiling of gold, blues and greens surrounding a central chandelier welcomed the gaze of anyone willing to look up, beyond a marble staircase that screamed wealth more than any other part of the foyer. Ron feeling distinctly out of place in somewhere so obviously wealthy, quickly made his excuses and left before even looking at the menu, leaving Harry and Hermione to greet a surprised Ginny. "Why are you two eating here? A bit expensive for lunch between friends is it not?" Ginny's cheeks were flushed from the effort of climbing the staircase - it's polished surface had played merry hell with her stilletto heels - her friends, however, thought the redness was a symptom of increasing anger. Harry recovered his shock first. "I was invited here by Ron, actually. You've just missed him." Harry looked careworn again, as if his peaceful, content sleep the previous night was a very distant memory. Ginny looked at Hermione, taking in an expensive red dress that showed off her currves. Something, Ginny believed, Ron would never have given to her or appreciated. "Ron, hmm?" Without giving them a further chance to explain, Ginny quickly turned and left the resgtauarnt, the clack of her heels on marble echoing throughout the building. Hermione gave Harry an apologetic glance before setting off after her friend, leaving him to deal with 3 disapproving waiters, sighing, he reached for the wine list and asked for the specials board. ** Kurzog groaned when the injured wizard was brought to his attention. There were rumours the man was behind the end of a distinguished wizard family. Unfortunately, the man claimed to have influence over the ministry and, as a result, was Krull's favourite pet. He needed to be kept alive. "Get me Griphook!" * Recovering from his envy in the restauant, Ron had headed over to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and asked George for a couple of weeks off. A request that had been approved without any hesitation, "Rediscover yourself, Ron. You're no fun anymore." Within seconds, he found himself in the Black mountains. Following a trail of bones that, to him, stank of black magic. The look of decay was well established here; moss covered stone walls, grass not much different to the moss in length or density, overgrown gorse, horses with matted coats, any metal covered liberally in rust and any building long collapsed. But it was the errant skulls that told him something bad had happened. Looking at the few remaining animals in the area, Ron guessed they were from sheep. The sight of one, fire blackened and missing its jawbone persuaded him to continue with his wand held outwards. Strangely, the mist began to thin the further he followed what appeared to be a farm track. It twisted and turned up one of the mountains, teasing any users that what they searched for lay around the next bend. Ron was convinced he could hear laughter in the wind; increasingly cruel and mocking with every passing minute. Surrounded by mist, miserable from the cold - his cloak was drawn tight around his neck and ears - desperate for protection from the persistent drizzle, he could not help but be reminded of being hunted by death eaters more than twenty years ago. Finally, he stumbled across the ruins of a castle, like everything else in the area it looked as if it had been decaying for centuries, but Ron sensed a large amount of magic had been performed there recently. A brief exploration of the outskirts all but confirmed his theory. The castle was far too big to have played host to muggles - they would never have placed much value on a place like this. Ron shivered, fearing he was being watched. Taking a deep breath, he tried to remember what Hermione had told him about castles, began looking for the main gatehouse, knowing it would reveal a lot about the history of the castle, if it was good condition that is. Despite their obvious age and decay, the grey stones were still oppressive in the thick mist. as if they themselves were alive. Ron worked his way round them until he found the gatehouse. Ignoring the uneven ground caused by extensive tree roots, he sank to his knees and began some incantations to make faded details above where the gate should have been clearer. He froze as one of the first things to become clear was a serpent's head. **** Griphook sighed as Kurzog questioned him. The Head Goblin no longer held any sense of fear for him, only Krull was worth following in these times where strong, uncompromising leadership was needed. Seeing this, Kurzog changed tack, taking his ceremonial axe moving with blinding speed and burying itself in Griphook's neck, bellowing rage all the while. Any Goblin that had not bowed low at the first sign of Kurzog's temper flattened themselves when Griphook's blood covered them. "Is there anyone here who challenges my right to rule?" Kurzog's bloodlust was up now, he needed a bloodletting to slake his thirst. He dominated the room, bellowing challenges at random goblins, killing any that held his gaze too long. "I am your KING!" He bellowed the statement a final time before dragging his personal shaman from his throne room. The remaining goblins breathed a collective sigh of relief before realising that the usually immobile gold and ruby decorated goblins around the edge of the room were slowly moving towards them, their own axes swinging in unison and sparking panic. Every unarmed gboblin fled towards the exit, each thinking their leader was spending too much time consulting the gods of battle. ** Rose, having missed the excitement of the morning, had slipped into Lily's bed and pestered her cousin about the conversation and was now leaning out the hospital wing window cheering on the Gryffindor quidditch team. If they won the game, Gryffindor would lead the house championship over the christmas break. In the stands, even Hugo was being cheered up by his team's performance, forgetting about Cei with every successful pass and over-aggressive bludger contact. He did not notice Scorpius until the slytherin was right behind him, idly kicking his head. "So, Hugo, now your bodyguard has gone, who's going to stop me from punishing you for all your pranks this year?" His tone was cold, making everyone who heard him sure he wasn't bluffing. * "Who dares enter the house of Seneschal?" the serpent head demanded. It was surrounded by a green aura, it's lifeless black eyes rooting Ron to the spot in fear, he did not see the roots reacting to another force, forming a rough trap door underneath him. "ANSWER ME!" the shout led to the trap door opening, causing Ron to disappear from ground level, starting an uncontrollable slide along a passage of roughly dressed stones, dirt and tree roots that clawed and tore at his clothes and skin. Above him, the sky had become a mix of black and purple before the trap door sealed itself. His sense of direction disorientated, Ron was sure he'd seen a hooded figure look at him just before the trap door shut, now all he could think of was the chamber of secrets and how the passage seemed like the coiled insides of a snake. Hitting the ground with a thump he lay still for a few moments trying to catch his breath and make sense of everything he'd seen so far. It all pointed to the Seneschals, whoever they were, being dark wizards. As his senses returned, Ron realised that, despite now being in the premises, it was almost in as bad a condition as the exterior - he noted he had fallen into a rusty iron cell - the door was on the floor, long abandoned. Ancient papers littered the dimly lit passage, itself another collection of dirt, tree roots and badly dressed stones. How could anyone have lived here? Tentatively moving forward, into the passageway, Ron paused when he heard the mocking laughter that had plagued him earlier. Wiping his forehead - unsure if it was sweat or rain he wiped off - he set off again, treading softly and careful with every placed foot. * Albus watched the game from the top of the astronomy tower, hoping Gryffindor would win so he could show off some custom-made Weasley fireworks. His eyes straining not to miss any of the action. He wished Cei was there - the sixth year had had an impeccable sense of timing. Alas, he was gone, killed by an errant goblin horde. Albus sighed, looking forward to the forthcoming winter break. Blinking, Albus swore when he realised the match was over, his refreshed eyes scanning the crowd, trying to find the winners. Satisfied, he set the fireworks off and ducked from the skyline. Much to his surprise, the firework started as a flaming dragon, diving down toward the main student body before exploding above the heads of the other students, it became a lion toying with a snake before finally exploding into a series of letter; "HA HA. Stupid Slytherins still can't win." Chapter 9 Chapter 11 __________________ The ballad of Gryffindors sword 16+ Chapter 12 up! Last edited by Derfel; 01-26-2012 at 02:23 AM.