Underway was perhaps not the best way to put it, Minerva thought as the
sweat beaded on her brow. Permanently stalled seemed much more accurate.
She was seated on the floor, cross-legged, facing a large full body mirror. Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind her, a large book in his hands.
Minerva growled in frustration, "Bugger it all! I'm never going to get this right!"
Dumbledore's voice came out steady, unaffected by her show of anger; "Perhaps you're trying to hard. It is eleven o'clock after all."
She yelped and scrabbled gracelessly to her feet. "Er, Professor, its after curfew and I need to be somewhere, er, asleep!"
He gave her an odd look, but let it pass. She was out the door in ten minutes, racing up to her dorm to get the book, then raced to the Astronomy tower (As silently as she could) to get there five minutes after Poppy, Mandy and Siri did.
"Sorry I'm late." She panted.
They all only nodded, all of them tense and jittery with the excitement or dread for the upcoming magic.
Mandy was surprisingly silent as she drew the four circles on the floor, then connected them horizontally, diagonally, and vertically, then she drew a circle that touched each corner. Siri placed the bowl in the center of the cross in the middle, and Poppy drew the dagger from her bag.
They took there respective corners, Minerva to the North, Mandy to the East, Siri to the South, and Poppy to the West.
Minerva started the spell, magic crackling around the air distorting the words. "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my bravery and my leadership, all the gifts of Godric Gryffindor himself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Lion, in times of great peril, find allies in my call, for I command the animals and their aid do I guarantee. I, Minerva Anne McGonagall, pledge my body, my soul, my heart and my talents to you." Minerva stepped forward from her small circle into the larger one, the magic in the air increasing.
When Mandy spoke, the magic seemed to surge then quiet. "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my willingness to do and my loyalty, all the gifts of Helga Hufflepuff herself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Badger, in times of cold, find warmth within my coat. I, Amanda Freyja Hooch, pledge my body, my soul, my heart, and my talents to you." The magic roared again as Mandy stepped forward into the larger circle.
As Siri spoke, the magic seemed to hiss, "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my cunning and my ability to succeed, all the gifts of Salazar Slytherin himself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Serpent, in times of trouble, find protection behind me, for I will strike down your enemies. I, Serena Gwendolyn Sinistra, pledge my body, my soul, my heart, and my talents to you." There was a rattle ass Siri stepped forward, and then Poppy began to speak, her voice shaking and her hand still clutching the dagger.
"From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my knowledge and my learning, all the gifts of Rowena Ravenclaw herself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Raven, in times of need, find shelter under my wings. I, Poppy Ari Pomfrey, pledge my body, my soul, my heart and my talents to you." The magic roared, hissed, rattled and zapped the air as Poppy stepped forward into the larger circle and held her hand above the ornate bowl. Bringing the dagger up slowly, she slit the palm of her hand in a practiced movement. The blood dripped into the bottom of the bowl and Poppy squeezed as much as she could stand out.
Then she turned to Siri, who offered up her palm, but turned her face away as Poppy repeated the movement, letting Siri's blood drip into the bowl to mingle with her own. Mandy took the cut staring determinedly at her hand as Poppy sliced it and squeezed out her blood. Minerva stared Poppy in the eye as she flexed her fingers and Poppy made the cut. Minerva forced herself not to pull her hand away as the blood was dripped out.
As the last drops fell into the bowl, the magic soared and their words echoed back at them, "Minerva Anne McGonagall.Amanda Freyja Hooch..Serena Gwendolyn Sinistra.Poppy Ari Pomfrey." Then the magic stopped, and roared up again. "Be ONE!"
They were thrown together and when they woke, the rain was pattering down on them and there was a fresh pink scar on each of their hands.
She was seated on the floor, cross-legged, facing a large full body mirror. Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind her, a large book in his hands.
Minerva growled in frustration, "Bugger it all! I'm never going to get this right!"
Dumbledore's voice came out steady, unaffected by her show of anger; "Perhaps you're trying to hard. It is eleven o'clock after all."
She yelped and scrabbled gracelessly to her feet. "Er, Professor, its after curfew and I need to be somewhere, er, asleep!"
He gave her an odd look, but let it pass. She was out the door in ten minutes, racing up to her dorm to get the book, then raced to the Astronomy tower (As silently as she could) to get there five minutes after Poppy, Mandy and Siri did.
"Sorry I'm late." She panted.
They all only nodded, all of them tense and jittery with the excitement or dread for the upcoming magic.
Mandy was surprisingly silent as she drew the four circles on the floor, then connected them horizontally, diagonally, and vertically, then she drew a circle that touched each corner. Siri placed the bowl in the center of the cross in the middle, and Poppy drew the dagger from her bag.
They took there respective corners, Minerva to the North, Mandy to the East, Siri to the South, and Poppy to the West.
Minerva started the spell, magic crackling around the air distorting the words. "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my bravery and my leadership, all the gifts of Godric Gryffindor himself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Lion, in times of great peril, find allies in my call, for I command the animals and their aid do I guarantee. I, Minerva Anne McGonagall, pledge my body, my soul, my heart and my talents to you." Minerva stepped forward from her small circle into the larger one, the magic in the air increasing.
When Mandy spoke, the magic seemed to surge then quiet. "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my willingness to do and my loyalty, all the gifts of Helga Hufflepuff herself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Badger, in times of cold, find warmth within my coat. I, Amanda Freyja Hooch, pledge my body, my soul, my heart, and my talents to you." The magic roared again as Mandy stepped forward into the larger circle.
As Siri spoke, the magic seemed to hiss, "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my cunning and my ability to succeed, all the gifts of Salazar Slytherin himself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Serpent, in times of trouble, find protection behind me, for I will strike down your enemies. I, Serena Gwendolyn Sinistra, pledge my body, my soul, my heart, and my talents to you." There was a rattle ass Siri stepped forward, and then Poppy began to speak, her voice shaking and her hand still clutching the dagger.
"From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my knowledge and my learning, all the gifts of Rowena Ravenclaw herself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Raven, in times of need, find shelter under my wings. I, Poppy Ari Pomfrey, pledge my body, my soul, my heart and my talents to you." The magic roared, hissed, rattled and zapped the air as Poppy stepped forward into the larger circle and held her hand above the ornate bowl. Bringing the dagger up slowly, she slit the palm of her hand in a practiced movement. The blood dripped into the bottom of the bowl and Poppy squeezed as much as she could stand out.
Then she turned to Siri, who offered up her palm, but turned her face away as Poppy repeated the movement, letting Siri's blood drip into the bowl to mingle with her own. Mandy took the cut staring determinedly at her hand as Poppy sliced it and squeezed out her blood. Minerva stared Poppy in the eye as she flexed her fingers and Poppy made the cut. Minerva forced herself not to pull her hand away as the blood was dripped out.
As the last drops fell into the bowl, the magic soared and their words echoed back at them, "Minerva Anne McGonagall.Amanda Freyja Hooch..Serena Gwendolyn Sinistra.Poppy Ari Pomfrey." Then the magic stopped, and roared up again. "Be ONE!"
They were thrown together and when they woke, the rain was pattering down on them and there was a fresh pink scar on each of their hands.