The Secrets Of The Gordian Knot Book 1: Book Of Secrets

Chapter 15 - The Quidditch Match

Later that evening...

Staring out into the icy gloom, James looked to his left. Nothing. And then to his right. Nothing once again. Just pure unbridled darkness. It was so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. And it was bitterly cold. That is how dark the South Forest was at night. Armed with nothing more than his wand, he said, "Lumos", and a small flicker of light appeared from the end of his wand. 
"Hey! No Lumos!" said a voice from the darkness. It was Chizuru's. 
"Sorry!" James yelled. He mumbled, "Nox." and his wand light was extinguished. James stayed well hidden behind his tree, hoping that no one will catch him. This was, after all, a game of hide-and-seek. And then...

"Gotcha!" Chizuru said as she snuck up behind him.
James turned around to face her and he seemed startled.
"I'm sorry," she said kindly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"It's okay. That was fun."
"Next time you play hide-and-seek in the dark, don't reveal your location."
"Hmm. Good point." James replied.
"Anyway, it's almost midnight. We should head to the Samhain ceremony."
James seems surprised. "They celebrate Samhain here?"
"Yes. Everyone attends the ceremony. I'll take you to your sister and we'll head to the Thirteenth Tower. Everyone's waiting for you."

A large bonfire, like the one from the first night at school, was surrounded by many students, many of them wore masks and costumes and gathered in a large circle. At the base of the tower was an altar covered in different picture frames with photos of people, candles, and offerings; most of them were food, jack-o'-lanterns, crystals, flowers, and many different trinkets. All were centered around a pentagram. Everyone was talking, singing, telling ghost stories, and making s'mores. But many were playing drums and dancing around the fire. Some people were playing music. At the stroke of midnight, it suddenly ceased.

"This is the night when the gateway between our world and the spirit world is at its thinnest,"

Someone in the crowd said.
"Tonight is a night to call out those who came before.
Tonight we honor our ancestors.

Spirits of our mothers and fathers,
we call to you and welcome you to join us for tonight.

You watch over us always,

protecting and guiding us.
And tonight we thank you.
Your blood runs in my veins,
Your spirit is in my heart,
Your memory is in my soul.

With the gift of remembrance
I remember all of you.
You are dead but never forgotten,
and you live within us

And within those who are yet to come."

"Yes," said another student. "We gather here tonight to honor our loved ones who have passed. In the safety of this circle, let us feel their warmth and safety once again. They may have left us, but they will never leave our hearts." At this moment, James remembered his grandmother, who he did not know very well. She passed away sometime after the twins turned 7 years old. turned And so James and Melissa danced on into the early hours of the morning. 

As October turned into November, it started to get colder and there was a possible chance of snow. It was beginning to look more and more like autumn. The mountains around Mount Greylock and Ilvermorny Castle were covered in colors from the trees ranging from scarlet and red to yellow and orange and the Shrouded Lake was cloaked in a thick layer of mist. Nearby, at the Quidditch Stadium in Steward Square, the Pukwudgies began decorating it with banners and defrosted the broomsticks, covered in thick layers of ice. Quidditch season was finally here and Saturday, Arsenia was playing her first match of the year after weeks of training against Wampus, their arch-rivals. If Thunderbird won, they would stay in first place for the House Championship. One day, James and his friends were working on a banner for Arsenia as a surprise. And James and Melissa put their names in to go home for Thanksgiving.