Chapter Twenty-Six: Griffin's Tale

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A/N: Last chapter before my two weeks of relative visiting! :( I'll be writing, though! While I'm gone, possibly consider reading "Untitled"- which I really like and already wrote 10 chapters for- and "Letters to the Editor"- which I may or may not keep. *shrugs*

Anywhoo. Here.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Griffin's Tale

There was a beat of silence, as though everyone in the stadium was staring, just as confused and shocked as I was.

And then the screams broke out.

People started jumping around, swarming like ants to the scene of the crime. Luckily, the less limber Professors had just reached us and were gathering up the bystanders. I found myself classified as a "bystander", though I hadn't seen much more than everyone else in the stadium, and was quickly swept away by Slughorn and Flint.

I followed Professor Flint dutifully through the abandoned halls and into the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom. I took a seat in a desk as instructed while the crying girl and the boy who'd been holding his head in his hands, now looking terrified beyond belief, were led up by Professor Flint to her office.

Slughorn took a seat at the head of the table, raptly watching over the silent classroom. While there was no talking, there was plenty of nervous shuffling to be had.

After what seemed like an eternity (but was really just fourteen minutes, six seconds, forty- two miliseconds), Flint emerged.

"Can I please have Miss Amelia and Mister Meade join me?"

I hurried out of my desk and up the stairs to her office, resolving to tell the Deputy Headmistress anything she needed to know.

To my surprise, McGonagall was already there, perched broodingly in a comfortable-looking chair in the corner.

The crying girl had calmed somewhat, but the tear tracks were still evident on her face and she practically radiated melancholy. The boy looked slightly less terror-stricken, but still looked as though he was braving a 3D horror film.

"Please, take a seat," she said, gesturing to a pair of chairs. "Each of you, for reasons that I will not disclose, known between only you and me, are both people I trust to give me an accurate description of what you saw this morning."

"Professor?" asked the Meade boy, "What exactly is happening, if you don't mind my asking? Will Aidan be alright?"

"As I have already assured Ms. Jennings here, Aidan will be all right. Madame Pomfrey is seeing to him now, and tells me he should make a full recovery."

No one pressed her use of the word "should".

"But Professor," continued Meade, "You still haven't told us what's going on!"

"Minerva, do you think we should wait? We can have them testify on what they saw before we tell them our... speculations," interrupted Professor Flint, whom I'd all but forgotten about.

"That seems like a fair way to keep us unbiased," I said with a hint of a smile.

McGonagall nodded curtly.

"Miss Jennings, please recount the story you told me- in full detail, thank you."

The teary girl fidgeted for a moment before she began in a wavering voice.

"Well, me n' my mates, we're real close. That'd be Emma, Griffin, Jasper, meself, and, of course, Aidan.

We were headin' down to the Quiddich pitch this morning, an we were all good, but 'e was acting funny!" she said, her voice a crescendo. She pointed a wavering finger at the terror-stricken boy, who was now rocking back and forth in his chair.

"Calm down, Holly," said Professor Flint soothingly. Jennings, whom I now knew as Holly, took a gulping breath and continued.

"So we were jus'- just relaxing n' watching' the game, but Jasper, e' was just all stiff and ridged-like, until e' finally turned an grabbed my Aidan by 'is collar and slugged 'im in the face! Then they were all attacking' each other and the like, so I jus' got out of the way! I didn't- I didn'... I couldn't do anythin!" then she broke down into sobs again.

McGonagall sighed deeply and turned to Meade and I.

"Now, I think you can begin your narrations."

I jumped in before anything else could be said.

"Professor- I only saw the aftermath of the situation. I didn't actually SEE this happening-"

"Yes, I am aware of that, Miss Amelia. I require you for other reasons than simply recounting the story."

Oh.

"Mister Meade, can you please tell me the proceedings from there?"

He shifted in his chair, sitting up taller, before launching in to his story.

"So, yeah, everything Holly said was on point. I'm Griffin, by the way, lovely to make your acquaintance. So- the fight. I'm not great in a fistfight, but I tried to pull them apart, and Jasper just like WOOSHed me away," he said, splaying his fingers and pushing out his palm for emphasis. "Didn't look like any magic I'd ever seen- just felt like being pushed really hard. That's how I got this," he added, pointing to a nasty scrape on his arm. "Anyway, I sat there, because I didn't really know what else to do, you know? And then suddenly Aidan flew up into the air and just, like, sat there for half a second, and then his eyes went all creepy and blue and he went crashing- BANG- down the stairs to where you found him."

The whole account just made Holly sob harder, gripping her knees like a life ring.

"This whole time, Jasper wasn't like himself. No offense, bud, but he isn't the real physical type, but this whole time be was landing blows and packing superpunches like a pro boxer! And his eyes were all blue like Aidan's were.

But when Aidan's eyes rolled up in his head, Jasper just sort of deflated, and his eyes went normal and he got this look on his face like he'd been playing spin-the-bottle with a buncha Dementors, if you get my drift. And here we are."

Griffin sat back with a contented, if worried, look on his face.

"Thank you Mister Meade, that will be all." said McGonagall tartly. "You can go to Madam Pomfrey's for your arm. I believe you know where it is. Miss Jennings, I will have to ask you to leave for a moment as well. An, can you take her out?"

Professor Flint nodded and helped Holly from the room.

McGonagall let out a deep breath.

"All right. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to find out what really happened."

A/N: Plot developments AND a cliffhanger? Cool, see you in two weeks! :D

Seriously, though, I can see the plot thickening! I know my final goal (and the chances of a *coughsequelcough* grow higher by the day) so yay! Have a great rest-of-summer, and see you on the 24th with a neeeew chapter or two!

P.S. I am happy with my current cover but I am always considering new ones, since you were wondering, person who will remain anonymous..

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