Chapter 21:New Viewpoints

"Arthur! Molly!" Tom called out in greeting to the pair who had just emerged from the Floo. "How are my two favourite redheads?"

"Doing fine, Tom." Arthur Weasley replied with a wide smile while Molly giggled and waved hello. "We decided that we wanted a meal out and some entertainment. Since our daughter is playing Quidditch at Hogwarts today…"

"I thought you'd be here for that. I've saved you a table." Tom motioned to a small, round table with a pair of chairs arranged so that the occupants would be able to watch the relayed match while still being able to eat. "Just tap what you want on the menu and I'll bring it out to you."

"Thanks, Tom." Arthur nodded in gratitude as he and Molly made their way to the table. As Molly picked up her menu and perused it, Arthur looked round, then his eyes were caught by an odd addition on the ceiling above the Quidditch table.

"The pork looks good." Molly mused and Arthur tore his eyes away from the strange object and turned them to his menu.

"I think I'll go for the lamb cutlets." He decided, tapping his wand against the words on the menu. "Molly?"

"I'll go for the pork medallions." Molly decided, tapping her own menu, then stowing her wand. "Not as many people here as I expected…"

"I daresay that with the richer ones having their own tables and inviting their allies to watch, they don't have any real reason to show up here, hence more room for us."

"They'll be back when word gets out of the new addition." Tom smiled as he slid their plates in front of them, the cutlery floating round to slide into position ready to use. "That up there, that's a new thing by Evans Enterprise's Kitsune Broadcasting Division. It uses something that the muggles can't intercept. Evans Enterprises calls it a SwitchLink and apparently one of them can both provide power and information to a score or more devices. The SwitchLink for the projector there is out the back and it links to the radio too. Means that the weather never causes problems any more."

"Sounds interesting." Arthur noted. "How much does it cost?"

"Quite a bit." Tom shrugged as he summoned a couple of bottles and glasses. "They expect the price to drop quite quickly, but for now, I've got the first at less than cost in exchange for mentioning it to anyone who's interested."

"Ahhh, advertising." Arthur noted and Tom nodded in agreement.

"Yep… and the match should be starting soon. Enjoy."

Tom vanished and a moment later, the radio burst into life, sounding as if the announcer was standing in the room with them.

"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the second Hogwarts

Quidditch Match with the Hufflepuff team going up against

the Ravenclaw team! And here they come!"

Arthur's eyebrows shot up as above the Quidditch table, six semi-transparent screens appeared just below the ceiling, each one angled so that a good portion of the room could see them easily. From where he sat, he could easily see two of them and they both had the same image, that of the Hufflepuff team emerging from the entry tunnel, an action that was being replicated by the models of the Quidditch table below.

"Leading the Hufflepuff team is their captain and Seeker, Jeanne

Kenyon with the Beaters Maxine O'Flaherty and Anthony Rickett

following, then their Keeper Herbert Fleet. Last, but not least, are

the Chasers Cedric Diggory, Tamsin Applebee and Malcom Preece.

The three of them are facing an incredible challenge today, for here

come their competition, the Ravenclaws led by their Captain Roger

Davies flanked by fellow chasers Anna Gedes and Ginny Weasley.

Behind them comes their Keeper, Harry Potter, and their Seeker, Cho

Chang, then their Beaters, Duncan Inglebee and Jason Samuels!"

Molly squeaked with pride as the screen briefly focused on Ginny as she flew into the stadium.

"The teams are taking their positions as the Captains land beside

Madam Rolanda Hooch, today's Referee. They shake hands and

take to their brooms as Hoock opens the box, releasing the Snitch

and then the Bludgers! She takes the Quaffle and mounts her own

broom, rising into the air… and she throws the Quaffle! Applebee

swoops in to catch it, but Weasley darts in and snatches it almost

from her hand! Weasley pulls into a Rising Hawk, then spins out in

a controlled dodge, using the spin to throw the Quaffle to Davies!

Davies dodges a Bludger and passes to Gedes… but Applebee gets

the Quaffle with a well-timed Falcon Dive! Weasley dives in pursuit

but Applebee has too much lead… Applebee shoots… and Potter's

saved it with awell-timed punch! Weasley grabs the Quaffle, loops

to the right and accelerates towards the Hufflepuff hoops!"

"Go, Ginny!" Molly sheered, her meal temporarily forgotten as she cheered her daughter on. "You can do it!"

Arthur chuckled and Molly looked at him. "What?"

"Just remembering all your attempts to stop her from flying when she was younger as it was un-ladylike." Arthur grinned and Molly blushed with embarrassment.

"Weasley passes to Davies, quick drop to Gedes who does a back

pass back to Weasley! Davies and Gedes do a scissor-roll and peel

out, clearing the way for Weasley who shoots… and an incredible

save by Fleet! Applebee takes the Quaffle… and drops it as Chang

dives past,Kenyon in hot pursuit… Weasley grabs the Quaffle and

Fleet did not see that shot coming! Ten-Zero to Ravenclaw! Chang

pulls up and Kenyon looks annoyed, seems that Chang pulled one

over her with that dive."

.

"That was very sneaky." Gellert noted admiringly and the four Obscurials watching the match all nodded in agreement. "It would seem that the Ravenclaws have worked out tactics in order to use the Seeker almost as an additional Bludger, and a self-directed one at that."

"When do we learn to fly?" The newest (and rather muddy) addition asked curiously.

"Once we have enough brooms for you to practice on, Peter." Voldemort replied smoothly. "For now, let us watch."

The recently-renamed Peter Pan nodded and turned back, just in time to see Chang diving again. "Wow! Look at her go!"

"…and Chang dives again, Kenyon following as she loops round

the Ravenclaw poles… Chang pulls up again and Kenyon is not

happy at having been spoofed twice in a row… Gedes performs

a perfect Griffin's Pounce, deflecting the Quaffle into the hoop,

scoring another ten points for Ravenclaw!

"Well done!" Sirius cheered from the Teacher's box. "Nice work!"

"You know," Remus mused, "When the Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor match happens, which team will you be cheering for?"

"That's not fair." Sirius pouted as Minerva fought the urge to smirk at the eternal man-child. "Why do you keep coming up with things like that, Moony?"

"Someone has to be the intelligent one."

"Hey!"

"…and Diggory does a Snaking Spear between the Ravenclaw

Chasers, setting himself up for a shot… but Potter blocks it with

a Potter Punt, swinging from his broom and kicking the Quaffle

to Davies! Davies does an Immelmann Turn and races down the

pitch with the Hufflepuffs in hot pursuit… they force him to peel

off… and he doesn't have the Quaffle! He did a Ghost Pass to

Gedes, who takes the shot… and Fleet manages to block it! The

Quaffle is taken by Applebee, passed to Diggory… Diggory ducks

a Bludger as he does a low dive, racing up the pitch almost in the

grass, he pulls up and prepares to shoot… but it's game over! The

Snitch has been caught by Cho Chang and Kenyon looking totally

incandescent with anger at being tricked by the previous feints!

The final score is one-seventy to the Ravenclaws with zero points

to the Hufflepuffs despite their best efforts… and Roger Davies

offers his hand to Jeanne Kenyon, but she flies off. Obviously not

a good sportswoman. Yes, ladies and gentlewizards, this short

yet intense match is over, the Ravenclaws winning one-seventy

to zero!"

Ponoma Sprout gave the captain of her House's Quidditch team a very disappointed look as the teenaged girl flew out of the arena, then she turned to her diminuative fellow Head of House.

"If your team keep this up, they'll end up with the Cup again."

"I do believe that you are right." Filius preened, then he frowned thoughtfully. "I would have expected Kenyon to have been more aggressive in chasing the Snitch, though…"

"So would I." Sprout half-growled. "That girl's been slacking off and I will find out why."

.

"Well, that was an exciting match." Arthur smiled as he watched the Ravenclaw team perform a lap of victory on the projected screens, waving to the cheering crowd. "Ginny certainly seems to be excelling in her role as a Chaser."

"Yes, she does." Molly agreed, having shifted her chair around a bit so that she could sit with her husband's arm around her. "The final match will be quite difficult, though. I mean, my sons on one team, my daughter on the other… who will I cheer for?"

"Probably both sides." Arthur suggested, chuckling slightly. "Of course, we have until May to sort it out…"

Molly let out a wordless hum of contentment as she watched her daughter's team exit the stadium in almost perfect formation, then the screens dissolved into nothingness as the stepped floor rose back to its regular flat state. A wave of Tom's wand slid the Quidditch table into a corner where a curtain moved across to hide it, then the proprietor ambled over.

"Your daughter's a good flier." He noted and Molly nodded proudly.

"That she is, Tom. That she is."

.

The sound of the campervan's engine sounded through the tent door as Barty took up the driving duty.

"James, Mark, why not show Peter where the showers are, then get some new clothes for him from the store-room. Diana…"

"I'm still working on those maths problems." The lone girl pouted, then she turned to her favourite magical. "Grandpa, can you help me, please?"

"Of course I can." Gellert smiled at the young girl. "If you bring your book into the van, I'll help you work through them."

"Yay!" Diana cheered, then she darted out of the common room.

"You seem to be quite fond of her." Voldemort noted as he placed the models back on the storage shelves.

"She reminds me somewhat of the second Obscurial I encountered." Gellert shrugged. "Adrianna Dumbledore… my old friend Albus' sister. She brings back many memories for me. Memories of when Albus and I worked together in the hopes of building a new world."

For a long moment, no-one spoke, then Gellert turned and exited the tent. Voldemort watched him go, then cast a silencing spell at the door, followed by a series of detection spells before finally breaking the silence.

"Peter."

"Yes, my Lord?" Pettigrew asked quietly.

"I think that our esteemed ally is starting to go soft on us." Voldemort gave the now-empty tent door a considering look. "While he is still useful, we may need a way to dispose of him… preferably in a manner which does not cause our weapons to suspect that we did it. At the very least, it will need to look like an accident."

"Yes, my Lord." Peter agreed almost instantly.

"You were a Marauder. Do you remember any of they ways that they cast suspicion on others?"

Peter frowned in thought. "I… remember a few, but I do not believe that they would be useful here, my Lord."

"Try to remember more." Voldemort said, still looking at the empty doorway. "I do not wish to have to move against Gellert… at the very least, the sheer amount of knowledge he has accumulated should not be allowed to vanish with him, but if he decides to turn against us… or even simply decides to withhold his support, he will be a threat to our cause."

"I understand, my Lord."

"I know you do, my Inquisitor. I know you do."

.

Gellert hid his frown as the monitoring spell carried the words of his current allies to him. Rather than rely on a monitoring charm in the tent, he had used the fact that he needed far less sleep to put small pipes through the walls of the tents. The pipes were charmed to collect sound and relay it, but only the portion outside the tents were imbued by the spells, thus ensuring that no amount of spellwork inside the tents would find them. Only a physical check would, and most magicals would never think of doing such a thing.

At the time, it was almost reflexive paranoia that had inspired him to do it, but sometimes, paranoia paid off.

He was far past his prime and would not be able to hold his own against Riddle in combat, far less all three of the Magicals.

"Grandpa!"

Gellert smiled at the young Obscurial. He was, after all, a master of deception and persuasion. Once he had swung the Obscurials to his side, he would be protected against Riddle's inevitable betrayal.

And then he would have sole control over the living weapons, allowing him to finally put his long-delayed plan into action.

"Alright, Diana." He leaned over the table to look at the opened book. "Which part is giving you trouble?"