A spell that will help
'Rank me as one of the maddest.'
-Elijah Mikaelson
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22nd January 1995
"The tasks in the Black Lake?" Neveah asked in disbelief, looking at the two girls - Malia who was still dripping wet through - in shock, "How - how do you even know that?"
"We put the egg underwater," Malia said, glaring at passing students as she left a trail of water behind her, "It sang a weird song, and that's what we've gotten from it."
"And what was this song," Neveah continued, walking into the library, "Come and seek us where our voices sound - then what?"
"We cannot sing above the ground." Raven continued, Neveah nodded in understanding.
"I see what you mean about the Black Lake, then. Mermaids singing above water just sound like screeching - I obviously didn't piece that together until now, though."
Raven raised an eyebrow, "And how is it that you know this?" She asked, suggestively.
Neveah blushed slightly, "Nathan told me."
Both Malia and Raven looked at each other, smirks on their faces, "You like him, don't you?" Malia asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
Neveah recoiled, although her cheeks stayed tinted a crimson shade of red, "What? of course - of course not.... besides we have bigger issues to deal with now, the task isn't that far away."
Raven groaned as the group entered the library, "Don't remind me." She muttered, leaning against the shelf as Neveah started scanning through them.
"Well, obviously you don't want to go in the water; but you still have to compete due to the binding magical contract of the tournament," Neveah thought, out loud, "We should probably ask Nathan about it; he might know something."
"I'll go find Nathan," Raven muttered, "Any ideas where he might be?"
"Probably roaming the halls, or sat in a window somewhere, studying," Malia answered, before muttering, "Nerd." underneath her breath.
Raven nodded, hobbling out of the Libary, leaving both Malia and Neveah who continued searching through various books, "Do you reckon a summoning charm would work?" Malia said, not looking up from a charms book, after a moment of silence.
Neveah shook her head, "Doubt it, she'd need to know what she's summoning and all that we know is that it's something that she'll 'sorely miss' - it could be plenty of things."
Malia nodded, turning back to the book, "Wait - why won't she want to go in the water, anyway?" She asked after another few minutes.
Neveah sighed, looking at her book as she replied, "I figured she'd of told you."
Malia shook her head, "She hasn't told me anything."
Pursing her lips, Neveah continued, "Her mother drowned herself - I figured you already knew that," Malia nodded her head, so Neveah continued, "She was still pregnant at the time; That would fuck any kid up."
Malia furrowed her eyebrows, "while she was pregnant with her?" She asked Neveah nodded, "Why would she do that though?"
Neveah shrugged, placing the book back on the shelf, "Her uncle told me it's something passed down in their family; it's why she has to take a potion every morning." Looking down sadly Neveah continued, "Whilst her mother was pregnant she stopped taking the potion - it came back and she drowned herself."
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Nathan proved to be more helpful than any of the girls could've thought, and after many hours of him explaining different ways she could retrieve her egg, Raven, reluctantly, agreed to one.
"What do you reckon the thing is they'll take off you?' Neveah wondered as the four went down the stairs towards the great hall.
Raven shrugged, "I dunno - I'm just trying not to think about it."
"Oh my god!" Malia gasped, turning to walk back down the stairs, "What if they take someone you care about -"
However, just as she said that Malia fell backward, grasping the robes of both Raven and Neveah - dragging the two down with her, "Ouch!" They groaned, rolling off each other and detangling their limbs from one another.
Nathan sighed, shaking his head, "All my friends are idiots."
Neveah giggled, brushing her hair out of her face, "Rank me as one of the maddest."
Malia snorted, "Like you're not an idiot yourself."
Nathan fake gasped, "I'll have you know that I'm rather smart, thank you."
Malia snorted, "Sure, if that's what helps you sleep at night."
The great hall was, as always, full of life. However, as the four friends began walking towards the Hufflepuff table, looking for a seat they heard someone shout out of them, "Raven, Neveah."
Malia turned to look, groaning, "It's that Granger girl - the one that's a bit on a nutter."
Raven jabbed her friend in the side, sharply, before walking over to where Hermione sat at the table with her two closest friends Harry and Ron, "You called?" Malia snorted at this.
Hermione beamed up at them, "do you want to join S.P.E.W?"
Raven furrowed her eyebrows, looking at the girl in concern, "Do I want to spew - wait what?"
Ron snorted, looking down as Hermione threw him a reproachful glance, "S.P.E.W; Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, the commission fee is only two stickles." She pointed towards her badge which stood proudly on her robes.
"Promotion of Elfish Welfare?" Malia muttered slowly, "Don't House Elves like their life.... it seems crueler to take that away from them doesn't it?"
"They only love their lives cause they know nothing better!" Hermione exclaimed standing up, glaring at Malia, "This Organisation aims to free the House Elves enslavement and get each of them a working wage-"
"Hermione, you don't have to lead the House Elves into a rebellion; if they wanted to do it they could do it themselves, like the - was it the Goblins who did it a while back?" Raven asked.
Neveah nodded, "If the Goblins can do it - several times - the House Elves can do it as well if they feel as though they are treated wrongly."
Hermione huffed sitting back down, the four of them looked at a sniggering Harry and Ron before slowly retreating at sitting at a far distance from the three - on the Hufflepuff table.
Malia snorted, "I'm sure she gets madder every year."
"She looked good at the ball, though," Nathan said, casually picking up a slice of toast and buttering it. Neveah raised an eyebrow looking at him, "Oh, did she?" She asked, taking a sharp crunch of her green apple, "And why where you looking at her when I was your date to the ball."
Raven snorted, pouring herself a glass of orange juice, "Uh....cause I have eyes?" Nathan said awkwardly.
Neveah pursed her lips, watching him, "I just think its rude, looking at other girls when you asked me to the ball - did I not look good enough for you?"
Eyes widening in shock, Nathan choked slightly on his toast, "What? No!.... you looked fine - beautiful actually -"
However, Neveah had stopped listening, angrily turning slightly in her seat to face her friend, "Do you want to practice before the tournament, it said it was pretty complex magic?"
Raven shrugged nervously, "I'll probably practice the spell - but other than that I'm just going to wait and see what happens."
Neveah nodded, ignoring Nathans's rambling as she angrily bit into her apple.
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Began Writing 31/08/20 16:11
Published 05/09/20
11:52
Neveah is mentioned 24 times in this chapter, Malia 20 and Raven only 15. Strange how the main character has her name menyioned the leanst - then, in the films I'd say Ron and Hermione have more lines than Harry.
I don't really like this chapter, however I go back to college on Friday (I know weird) and I want to publish this whole book by then.
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