The Elementals by Namacub95 (best book club books for discussion .txt) 📕

inner pocket of her robes.

"Good job, Alice." Scorpius and Rose said in unison.

Alice stared at the book with a puzzled expression.

"Rose have you ever seen runes like these before?" Alice asked showing Rose the book "I haven't."

Rose took the book from Alice and peered at the runes on the front of the book. There was an upward spiral, a circle with a dot in the middle, a triangle, a downward spiral and a symbol that looked somewhat like yin yang only on its side.

"No." Rose muttered with a frown "I can ask my mum. She might know what these symbols mean."

"It's nearly Christmas so…do you want to take it or should I keep it?." Alice asked.

"I'll take it." Rose said.

"I think we should show Albus and Keith first." Scorpius suggested.

"Albus and Keith don't take Ancient Runes so they probably wouldn't be interested." Alice pointed out "Well…Keith wouldn't be interested."

"I think we should show them." Rose said "They would want to know."

"Shauna would want to know about this too." Alice said.

"Good point." Rose replied with a nod.

"I vote we spilt up." Scorpius said "We'll be able to cover more of the castle. We could all meet in the Room of Requirement."

"Ok." Rose said with a nod "What time?"

"Um…seven?" Scorpius suggested and the two girls nodded.

"See you later then." Rose said walking away.

"Bye." Scorpius said with a small smirk at Alice who glared at him. She spun on her heel and walked down the corridor keeping her eyes peeled for either Keith or Albus.

She searched the castle for half an hour before she finally found Albus in the Entrance Hall, talking to Andrew.

"Albus!" Alice called. Albus looked up and quickly finished the conversation with Andrew and jogged over to her.

"What's wrong?" Albus asked.

"We're all going to be meeting at the Room of Requirement at seven tonight." Alice said.

"Has something happened?" Albus asked getting slightly worried.

"Oh no! Everything's fine." Alice assured him "Rose, Scorp and I found something in the library I think you, Keith and Shauna should see."

"What is it?" Albus asked.

"I can't say here." Alice replied dropping her voice "It's elemental stuff."

"Oh right." Albus said with sudden understanding.

"So I'll see you later tonight?" Alice said with a smile.

"Yep." Albus replied smiling back. "Can't wait."

Alice waved goodbye to Albus and ran off to find her brother or Shauna. Neither Albus nor Alice noticed a pair of violet eyes watching their exchange from the shadows with suppressed fury.

Chapter 15: The Meeting

Seven o'clock came and Albus went quickly to meet up with Alice, Rose, Scorpius, Keith and Shauna. The castle's corridors were almost deserted as Albus made his way to the Room of Requirement.

Albus started to pace back and forth in front of the blank stretch of wall and in his mind he repeated the phase:

I need to meet up with my friends

I need to meet up with my friends

I need to meet up with my friends

A door materialized on the wall in front of Albus and he quickly pushed it open.

The Room of Requirement looked like a large living room the walls were covered in tapestries of scarlet and gold, green and silver, blue and bronze and yellow and black. There was a fireplace at the far end with a warm fire roaring in the hearth. Rose and Scorpius were sitting in two armchairs near the fire while Alice, Keith and Shauna were sitting in beanbags.

"What took you so long Al?" Keith asked. "We've been sitting here for ages!"

"It's only been five minutes Downes." Shauna said rolling her eyes.

Albus walked over and sat down in a green beanbag beside Alice's blue one.

"It doesn't matter." Rose said "Al's here now."

"Right Alice said something about the library. She said you guys found something."

"Yeah." Scorpius replied "We found this."

Scorpius held up the small leather book so that everyone could get a good look at it.

"Well that was sort of anti-climatic." Keith said. "It's a book. What else would you find in a library?"

"Oh shut up Downes." Shauna said shooting Keith a glare "Daffodil, Blondie and Sparky wouldn't have got us all if it wasn't important."

"Thanks Shauna…I think." Scorpius said looking unsure of whether he'd been insulted or not. "Anyway. This book is 'The Book of the Elements'"

"But we have a problem." Alice added "It's in runes and-"

"I thought you and Rose took Ancient Runes." Albus said.

"We do." Replied Alice "But these are like nothing we've ever seen."

"I've done a bit of digging." Rose said "According to Professor Gates, they're Celtic Runes. We don't study them until N.E.."

"Really?" Alice asked.

"Yep." Rose answered with a nod of her head.

"So…is there any way you two can translate them?" Shauna asked.

"Well…I don't know." Rose replied. "They're very difficult to translate even for N.E.W.T level students…I could ask my mum."

"Good idea." Albus said "I think Aunt Hermione took N.E.W.T level Ancient Runes."

"She did." Rose nodded.

"Well then I guess we can ask Aunt Hermione to help translate them."

"One question." Keith said "How are you going to get the translation to all of us?"

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

"I think Keith means, how are we going to get the translation to all of us without it being intercepted or anything like that." Alice explained.

There was a beat of silence before Albus asked:

"Are all of you going home for Christmas?"

"Yeah." Alice and Keith said in unison.

"Yep." Scorpius said with a nod.

"I am." Shauna added.

"What are you thinking Al?" Rose asked knowing Albus probably had an idea.

"I can ask my parents if I could invite you all down to the Burrow for New Years." Albus suggested. "That way we can get the translation and nobody but us would know."

"Do you think Grandma and Grandpa would be ok with that?" Rose asked sounding slightly worried "I mean, I'd know they'd be fine with Alice, Keith and Shauna but what about Scorp?"

"Well I can ask but I can't promise anything." Albus said.

"It's ok." Scorpius said with a shrug "If I can't come at New Years you can just tell me when you get back to school."

"Great then we've everything sorted out." Shauna said "What time is it?"

"Um…" Albus said checking his watch "Quarter to nine."

"I'm going back to my Common Room." Shauna declared "See you lot at breakfast."

"Me too." Keith said "I've got some stuff to do."

"You mean your Transfiguration homework?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Er…"

"C'mon, I'll help you." Rose said standing up.

"Did I mention how awesome you are Rose Weasley?" Keith grinned.

"Nope but you'd better start." Rose laughed.

"I'll meet you back at the Common Room Al." Scorpius said. Albus nodded

"See ya." Alice waved.

"Aren't you going back to your Common Room Alice?" Albus asked.

"Nope." Alice shook her head "All the other girls drive me crazy."

"That bad are they?" Albus asked with a small laugh.

"You've no idea." Alice grinned. "Did you know half of them drool over you and your brother? It's embarrassing!"

"Well I've heard Potter guys are supposed to be quite handsome." Albus said nonchalantly "Strong, good Quidditch players-"

"Oh shut up!" Alice laughed "Al have I told you you're a dork?"

"Yes, loads of times."

"Well just to make sure." Alice grinned "Albus Potter, you are a dork."

Albus stood up and gave Alice an evil smirk. Alice looked up at him with a look of pure terror.

"Al what are you doing?" she asked. Albus didn't say anything but slowly approached Alice. "Al?"

"Alice you had better run." Albus grinned. Alice stayed seated in her bean bag, crossed her arms and glared up at Albus.

"You don't scare me Potter."

"Oh really?" Albus said then launched himself on Alice and proceeded to tickle her.

"A-ALBUS" Alice screamed between laughs "G-Get the h-h-hell off m-me!"

"Nope." Albus smirked "Not until you say you're a dork too."

"W-What?"

"Say you're a dork too."

"A-Alright!" Alice laughed "I'm a dork and so are all my friends but we're proud of it!"

Albus smirked "We're all dorks?"

"Yep." Alice said with a nod "And we don't care."

"True." Albus nodded standing up again.

"Let's face it Al." Alice said pushing herself to her feet "If we weren't it would be bloody boring."

"If you say so."

"Oh I know so."

"See ya tomorrow Al." Alice said giving Albus a one-armed hug.

"See ya Alice." Alice released Albus and gave him a smile before turning and walking out of the room. Albus grinned after Alice, he hadn't had a lot of free time lately with elemental training and classes but he always had a good time around Alice.

He stood for a few minutes then decided that he should go back to his Common Room too. He walked out the door and into the deserted corridor. The door vanished behind him and he smiled.

"Have fun did you?" Albus nearly jumped three foot in the air as Ellesheil rounded the corner arms crossed and glaring at him.

"Oh Elle, it's just you." Albus said breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yeah it's 'just Ellesheil'." She said approaching him "Just bloody Ellesheil!"

"Elle what are you-"

"How stupid do you think I am?" She demanded, her violet eyes narrowing dangerously.

"What?" Albus asked confused.

"Don't you dare play dumb!" Ellesheil warned.

"Elle I really have no clue what you're talking about."

"Yeah right!" she spat.

"Elle just tell me what I've done!" Albus said placing a hand on her shoulders but Ellesheil quickly shrugged it off.

"Like you don't know!" she growled "I've seen you! With that Downes girl! "So I'll see you later tonight?" "Can't wait!" Don you think I'm that blind! You think I can't see what's going on in front of my face! YOU LOVE HER!"

Albus stood for a few moments in shock, he liked Alice that was true but only as a friend. He had never really of her in any romantic way since he had first met her, even if he did Keith would murder him if he tried anything.

"Elle, you got it wrong we're-"

"Don't you dare say you're "just friends" don't you bloody dare!" she hissed "I've seen the way you look at her! How else do you explain the fact that you're never around!"

"Elle." Albus said "If I could tell you I would but I can't."

"Why?" Ellesheil demanded.

"I can't say why." Albus answered.

"Forget it." Ellesheil snapped "I don't know what I ever saw in you! I hope you and her are happy together. You deserve each other!"

Ellesheil spun on her heel and stormed down the corridor. Albus stood in shock for a second then ran after her.

"Ellesheil!" he called after her.

"It's over Albus." Ellesheil said not turning to face him before running down the corridor while Albus stood and watched her run.