Prisoners of Our Minds

The glazed morning sun filtered through the crimson curtains and into the Gryffindor boys' dormitory. Ron yawned loudly before stumbling out of bed looking terribly bedraggled. His red hair sat like a messy mop on the top of his head. After rubbing his eyes and blinked a few times, he noticed that all the other boys had already left. All, that is, except for Harry. The raven-haired boy was sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for his best friend. Ron waved half-heartedly then disappeared to get changed. When he returned Harry was still there, waiting patiently.

"You're not going down to breakfast mate?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. "I'm waiting for you, I'm not really hungry. But we should get going, Hermione's waiting for us," he said. Ron nodded and bounded after Harry like an oversized, enthusiastic puppy.

The Great Hall filled rapidly with incoming students all eager for a hearty breakfast. The two Gryffindor boys quickly spotted their friends and joined them at their table. Ron watched with a disgusted scowl as Dean Thomas kissed Ginny lightly on the cheek from across the table. I'm going to have a word with that boy, he thought darkly. I don't trust him, not one bit.

"Alright there Ron?" Dean asked having sensed Ron's intense scrutiny, his arm still around Ginny's waist.

Ron blinked and came out of his thoughts. He grimaced at Dean before turning away from the boy who so infuriated him.

"Honestly Ron," Hermione said shaking her head, "you're being most immature. Dean's our friend. He's a good person and he just so happens to likes Ginny a great deal."

"That's exactly the problem!" Ron spat. "He's not supposed to like Ginny. She's my sister." He turned to his food angrily and ignored the others. His friends shot him an exasperated glance. There was no reasoning with him when it came to his sister and they knew it. Besides, it would just put him in a worse mood. So the other Gryffindors prudently left Ron alone. The conversation continued around him in a low, excitable hum that was typical before mail arrived.

"You're looking tired Hermione," Harry commented.

"I am," the brown haired girl mumbled. "I was up all last night reading in the library."

"Did you find anything? You know, about the weapon?" Harry whispered in a hushed voice.

"Well..." Hermione hesitated.

"Yes?" Harry asked breathlessly.

"I found out a few things. Have a look at this," she said, pulling out a piece of ancient parchment that was so badly creased it was almost impossible to read the illegible scribbles adorning the crumpled skin. "I found it while cleaning Snape's cupboards. The original is in code. See? We tried to un-scramble it and we came up with this." Hermione produced another piece of parchment with her neat writing on it, obviously a replica of the ancient original.

Ron took his head out of his bowl and looked up at the two parchments. The languages on both were unrecognisable to him. "What does it say?" he asked.

"This is an ancient wizards dialect," Hermione answered. "We translated it and came up with this." She pulled out a third parchment, this time with rigidly set stanzas inscribed upon it.

Harry raised an eyebrow catching the discrepancy in her words. "Who's we?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Hermione flushed and looked around nervously. "Sorry, I meant 'I'. I'm just tired," she squeaked meekly. Ron and Harry gave her suspicious looks but did not pursue the matter any further. Hermione chose to ignore their accusing stares and continued with her explanation.

"It's a riddle of some sort," she said in a low voice, "and I think it's a map to Rowena's Ravenclaw's Wand of Light."

Ron and Harry gasped. "Really? Imagine that. All those years and the Wand's been here all along!" Ron said excitedly.

"Good work Hermione," Harry grinned. "So where do you think it is?"

Hermione chewed her bottom lip uncertainly. "That's just it. I have no idea."

"Mails here!" Colin Creevy called out suddenly drawing the three away from the cryptic parchment. The students turned their heads to the ceiling collectively as numerous owls fluttered into the Great Hall. Packages fell freely from the air. A rolled up Daily Prophet hurtled into Ron's cereal. Droplets of milk flew onto his face, covering his many freckles perfectly.

"Bloody Pig!" Ron stormed when he spotted he guilty owl. The excited Pigwidgeon, mistaking the call as a beckon, fluttered onto Ron's shoulder and nibbled the boy's ear affectionately.

"Gergh! Get off!" Ron said swatting at the bird.

"Come here Pig," Ginny said at the other end of the table. "Ron's just a big sourpuss. I have an owl treat for you."

The wounded little owl brightened instantly and flew to Ginny. Good riddance, Ron thought moodily. He unrolled the paper and began to read. The sports section was always Ron's favourite. The Chudley Cannons had won a game against the Ballycastle Bats. Ron cheered jubilantly and pointed this out to Harry.

"Don't you two ever read real news?" Hermione asked exasperatingly. She was also reading a copy of the Daily Prophet, but had promptly flipped to pages that concerned domestic and international politics.

"What for?" Ron asked in genuine confusion.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Because it's important." She buried her head in the spreadsheets and began to peruse the pages in earnest. A moment later she looked up. "Hmm, there's no progress on the Lilyfield murder as of yet," she commented.

Ron shuddered. "That's the girl isn't it? The one killed by the Death Eaters? The one found on her parents' doorstep with her throat cut?"

Hermione nodded grimly. The Gryffindors sat in solemn silence. Ron chewed his food thoughtfully and waited dutifully for Hermione next discovery in the daily news.

"That's interest!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly. "This is on page three of the paper. It's only a small article. I'll read it out to you. 'A Ministry security guard, Bonius Goodhart, was found dead outside the Minister's office this morning. Aurors are baffled by the cause of death. Murder has not been ruled out, although there are no visible wounds on the body and no trace of residual magic found. The Minister is expected to make a statement later this afternoon.'"

The three Gryffindors looked at one another. "Murder? In the Ministry?" Ron gasped looking horrified.

"The Ministry's hushing it up, otherwise it wouldn't have been concealed inside the paper. This should be front page news," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Do you think it could be Voldemort's doing?"

Ron shuddered at the name. "Maybe my dad will know something about it. I'll ask him."

Harry nodded. "That's a good idea. See what you can find out Ron. Meanwhile, I've got some bad news about Hagrid," Harry said in a low voice. Hermione and Ron leaned in to hear about the abduction of Madame Olympe Maxime that so traumatised their dear friend, Hagrid.

"What would Vol-Vol-Voldemort want with Madam Maxime?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"I heard something about a scroll," Harry said thoughtfully. "He thinks Hagrid's got it. Madame Maxime is just bait for the scroll."

"That could be Slytherin's weapon," Hermione mused. "But no one seems to know where it is or what it does. Lucius was looking for it in Godric's Hollow. Voldemort thinks Hagrid's got it. Yet, Mina says Harry's in possession of some terribly dark magic. I'm assuming Mina is also talking about Slytherin's weapon."

Ron rubbed his temples gingerly. "We're just as lost as everyone else."

"That's certainly true," Hermione said with a sigh. "I wonder why Madame Maxime's disappearance isn't reported in the papers. Surely the Daily Prophet would report Death Eater activities."

Ron shook his head. "I'm not sure I trust the Daily Prophet anymore. It's too dependent upon the Ministry and we all know what the Ministry's capable of. Poor Hagrid, he must be going out of his mind with worry. How's he doing?"

Harry shrugged. "I haven't seen him since yesterday. But we can ask him now. We've got class with him in ten minutes," Harry said as he stood up.

Slowly the students filed out of the Great Hall to their respective classes. Ron, Hermione and Harry headed down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures. A light drizzle rained down on the Gryffindors as they crossed the fertile grounds. In the distance, they could see Hagrid hauling a large cage across the field.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Hermione mumbled. Ron gulped and nodded. Hagrid was notorious for his love of dangerous creatures. His definitions of 'harmless' and 'friendly' need some refining, Ron thought worriedly. A crowd of Slytherins had already gathered before cage. The unmistakable murmurs of amazement filled the air. The three Gryffindors ventured closer to the group of students.

"Hi Hagrid," Harry called out from a distance.

"Hello Harry," Hagrid said, muffling a sniffle. "Hello Hermione, Ron. Come and see what I've got for today's lesson."

Ron peered over the top of some Slytherins and saw to his disbelief, a baby Hungarian Horntail dragon sound asleep in the centre of an adamantine cage. Ron gasped and stared, but ventured no further towards the magnificent creature.

"Wow," Harry said. "They're not so scary when they're babies."

"Oh Hagrid," Hermione moaned. "Please tell me you obtained this dragon legally."

"Of course Hermione!" Hagrid boomed. "You needn't worry about that. Little Attila here is a guest from Beaubaxton. I got it directly from...from...Madame Maxime." At the mention of her name, Hagrid's eyes began to water. He let out a loud wail as tears the size of saucers rained down on the students.

Pavarti Patil jumped, Neville squeaked, and the Slytherins cocked an arrogant eyebrow at one another disapprovingly. Ron looked up helplessly at Hagrid, not knowing what to say.

Hagrid blew noisily into his handkerchief. "It's on loan from Beaubaxton ya see. It's goin' back tomorrow to his mistress. Olympe has a licence to own one. But she's not there. He must be missin' 'er terribly," Hagrid mumbled sadly, trying hard not to blubber again.

"Erm, Hagrid," Hermione said, trying to distract the half-giant from his unhappy thoughts. "Why don't you tell us about this dragon."

Hagrid nodded listlessly. For the rest of the lesson, he droned on unenthusiastically about the eating habits of the Hungarian Horntails. A few Slytherins turned a terrible shade of vomit green when Hagrid mentioned that humans were part of the dragon's diet. Ron found his mind wandering as the lesson progressed. He scanned the grey horizons absently hoping something would appear to save him from dying of boredom. Almost prophetically, an old tawny owl descended from the treetops and entered the clearing. It glided gracefully towards Ron and settled on his outstretched arm. Ron looked up at Hagrid nervously. Owls were strictly forbidden during class time. But the half-giant paid him no mind. A few students looked at him with interest but remained quiet. Ron hastily untied the parchment and sent the owl away. He unfurrowed the script quickly to find a message from Luna.

Meet me at the back of the library at lunch. The Potters want to speak to you.

Luna.

Ron stared at the parchment in disbelief. The Potters, he thought excitedly. The Potters want to see me. But why? And Luna? How does she fit into this? There were so many questions to be answered. Ron looked at Harry. He debated whether to tell him about the appointment. A voice inside of him advised against it, after all, there was no guarantee that Harry would even believe him. It hardly seems fair. Ron thought sadly. Harry wants to see his parents more than anything else life could offer, yet he will never see them, not while he is still alive. Ron watched an animated Harry conversing with Hermione. No doubt they were discussing Slytherin's weapon and the Wand of Light. Ron sighed and turned away from his friends. Just then, a conversation behind him caught his full attention. The voices were unmistakeably those of the three notorious Slytherins. Ron narrowed his eyes.

"Hey Draco, look what I've got," Crabbe croaked.

"What?" Draco replied lazily.

"A necklace, a pretty one too. He grabbed it off that Hufflepuff, you know, the one with the freckles?" Goyle joined in.

"Yeah," Crabbe nodded stupidly. "Susan, Susan Bones."

Ron turned around to glare at the Slytherins, hoping to intimidate them into subservience. He had become well acquainted with Susan in their fifth year as members of Dumbledore's Army, and now Ron considered Susan a friend. He felt obligated to intervene and recover whatever the Slytherins had stolen from her.

"Is that the best you can do?" Draco drawled condescendingly. "Steal from a stupid, defenceless Hufflepuff?"

Goyle scratched his head. "Err yeah," he mumbled.

"She hexed me," Crabbe frowned.

"Where?" Draco sneered. "I don't see any injuries. Probably shot you in one ear and came straight out the other."

Crabbe gave Draco a confused look. "She gave me tarantallegra. I had to go to Pomfrey. But it was worth it. I took this."

Crabbe fumbled around in his pocket and produced a necklace with an enchanting pendant attached to it. The pendant was in the shape of a flower that mysteriously mirrored the image of a sleeping youth. Ron had never seen a flower quite like it before. Crabbe dangled the pendant in front of Draco. The blonde boy stared at it with a dreamy expression for some time, his eyes glazed over from the rhythmic swinging of the pendant. In one swift move, almost imperceptible to those around him, Draco snatched it out of Crabbe's hand.

"How careless of you Helga. Aren't you afraid it'll fall into the wrong hand?" Draco hissed.

Ron looked at him in surprise. What is he playing at? Why is he talking like that? He wondered. This is ridiculous. He's obviously acting up again. I should put a stop to it.

"Give it here Malfoy!" Ron said firmly.

Draco looked at him, but showed no sign of recognition for the speaker. Draco's grey eyes held an impenetrable swathe, like thunderous clouds shielding the sun, hollow and unfathomable. Ron shivered. Draco reared up like a serpent and looked passed Ron, searching for his prey, searching until his gaze settled upon Harry. Then to everyone's horror, Draco began to hiss an unintelligible dialect. Though he didn't know what Draco was saying, Ron recognised it immediately. It was parseltongue. The class became silent. All eyes turned to Draco.

"What did you say?" Harry asked in astonishment, his voicing coming from far away. Ron turned around and spotted Harry staring at Draco disbelievingly. The Slytherin jolted at the sound of Harry's voice and reared his head to hiss again.

"Stop it Malfoy!" Ron bellowed. "This isn't funny!" Without a moment's hesitation, Ron lunged at Draco. Both boys fell to the ground in a dull thud. The pendant flew out of Draco's hand.

The glaze fell away from Draco's eyes. He shook his head and came out of his stupor. "Weasley!" he exclaimed in surprise, a glint of disdain returning to his pale face. "What the hell are you doing? Resorting to theft again Weasel? I haven't got any change on me but you can have an owl treat. Eat half of it now and send the other half home. That'll feed your family for a year!"

Ron felt his face grow red, that familiar wave of hatred washed over him blinded all reason in its' raging path. One preoccupation dominated his mind and that was to pound Draco into an indistinguishable mass. With an angry growl, Ron slammed his fist into Draco's smuggle aristocratic face. But Draco was a lot stronger than he had anticipated. The Slytherin kicked Ron in the stomach swiftly and got up on his feet. A group of excited students circled the two boys clearly enjoying the spectacle. Shreds of gold and maroon, green and silver fluttered to the muddy ground as the Gryffindor and Slytherin tore, bit, kicked, hit, spat and ripped at one another.

"Stop it!" Hermione screamed behind the thick wall of cheering students. Both boys were bleeding profusely.

"Alright you two! Break it up!" Hagrid cried as he pulled the two boys apart, grabbing the collars of their robes and raising them several feet above the ground.

"Fightin' again you two. What am I goin' ta do with you?" Hagrid said shaking his head. "Now I'll let you off this time without sending you ta Dumbledore if you apologise and shake hands."

Ron glared at the bleeding Malfoy. His blonde hair was stained with streaks of mud and a darkening bruised gashed was beginning to appear across his right temple. His robes were in disarray, yet he maintained that infuriatingly smug Malfoy expression. Draco readjusted his tie calmly.

"Go on Ron," Hagrid prodded giving Ron an encouraging push.

I'd rather drink poison, Ron thought glumly.

"Comon' Ron, or I'll have ta send ya' to Dumbledore," Hagrid said sternly.

Ron looked murderous. "Sorry," he spat.

Malfoy smirked. "I don't think he meant that. I think he should say it again."

Ron felt his face turn red with fury. He was prepared to smash the Slytherin's face in some more when Hagrid tactfully intervened.

"Now I think that'll do. Your turn Draco," Hagrid said.

"I'm so sorry Ronald Weasley," Draco said in a sarcastic voice. "Next time I'll just toss you a knut and you can chew on that instead." The Slytherins snickered appreciatively.

"Draco," Hagrid said warningly, "that's not an apology."

Draco folded his arms. "Yes it is."

Hagrid sighed. "Ten points from Slytherin for Draco's appalling manners."

The Gryffindors cheered, but Hagrid wasn't finished. "Ten points from Gryffindor for starting the fight. Class dismissed."

The Slytherins snickered and clapped Draco on the back fondly. But the blonde boy was in no mood to receive accolades. He scowled at his housemates menacingly before stalking off towards his next class. A band of girls trailed after the illustrious Malfoy shrieking and squealing like a band of woodland nymphs.

"Bloody slimey git!" Ron roared. "You see Hermione? He isn't any different. He's still the same pain up the-"

"He spoke parseltongue," Harry interrupted.

"Yeah so?" Ron asked irritably. "He's probably Slytherin's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandson!"

"He couldn't do that before," Harry explained calmly. "He is different now, or rather he hasn't been himself."

Hermione nodded. "He became someone else a moment ago," she joined in. "What did he say Harry?"

"He said 'it is you Godric, I should have expected it. Beware old friend, the end is coming'," Harry said quietly.

Ron gasped in horror. He looked at Harry disbelievingly. How can he look so calm every time his life is in danger? Ron thought. How can he be so accepting of his fate? He shook his head. "I don't believe it. Malfoy doesn't have that sort of power."

"I think he does," Hermione whispered. "I think Salazar Slytherin is talking through him. He's Slytherin's mouthpiece because he is an heir. An ancient magic is stirring that can change the course of the future. Hogwarts a History states that no two heirs of the same Founder will ever come into existence together. But clearly the impossible has happened. The Fates are weaving a different thread that makes Draco an inevitable part of what is to come. But his role is yet undecided. What is to come will ultimately depend upon him."

Ron gave Hermione a strange look. "I never thought I'd hear you speak of mythical things. The Fates don't exist, you should know that."

Hermione smiled at him weakly. She placed a firm hand on his arm. "Perhaps you are right. But think back to our adventures over the many years. How often have we expected myth but only to find ourselves stumbling upon an unimaginable reality?"

Hermione pulled out the pendant from her satchel. "Here, give this to Susan. I'm sure she'll be grateful to have it back. You and Harry best get to Divination, it is getting late," she instructed before disappearing to Arithmancy.

Silently, Ron and Harry headed back to the castle. Ron closed his hand around the pendant protectively and felt an unexplainable warmth course through his tired body. Little did he know the full effects of the pendant and the inerasable impression it would leave, not on his hand, but on his heart.

*

Firenze slowly circled the confines of his forest like classroom, covered in lush ferns from floor to ceiling, from window to window. Dumbledore had kindly provided them to shelter him from the harsh sunlight. Firenze shook his tail and stamped his hoof in appreciation. He owed much to Dumbledore, his old and dear friend. They had met many moons ago in the encompassing forests of Bohemia. The inquisitive and brave young wizard had trekked tirelessly through the arduous lands in search of the ancient creatures. "I have come to help you," he had said. "Wizards are coming with torches and axes. They're preparing to burn the forests. You must come with me now, for your own safety." A rift of panic had penetrated the clan. Firenze remembered the centaur elders scrutinising Dumbledore closely, asking him numerous questions exhausting him until he could barely stand. Centuries of persecution have taught the ancient creatures not to trust mankind; too much blood has been spilt, too many lives lost. And yet, the fate of the centaurs rested in the hands of a single young and accomplished wizard. Firenze, with his clan, resettled in the depth of the Forbidden Forest where they could observe the movements of the stars and planets in peace, forever under the protection of the great Albus Dumbledore. But Dumbledore's powers are not infinite. And Firenze knew very well that the world he loves could end at any moment, for the darkness is stirring, for the darkness has been resurrected.

Students filtered into the classroom chatting and laughing, oblivious to the encroaching shadow. Firenze brushed away his deep misgivings and waited patiently for his class to be seated. His responsibility now is to their study and their safety, and that alone would keep him occupied from dawn to dusk. The students dutifully formed a circle around the ancient creature and peered up him in anticipation. When everyone settled down, Firenze began to speak.

"Your Divination teacher, Professor Trelawney will not be return to her position until the following year," the centaur said clearly.

A ripple of cheers ran through the class. Firenze stamped his hoof for silence. "However, that does not mean work on Divination will cease. Professor Dumbledore has appointed me as the temporary Divination teacher until your Professor returns."

The class looked up at Firenze excitedly. Having a centaur for a teacher was a novelty. Firenze trotted over to the oak desk and extracted a set of star charts from his drawer. "Divination as you humans call it, is a terribly flawed and meaningless pursuit. I will be teaching you the ancient art of reading the cosmos. You will contrive the future in the constellations, in the positioning of the planets, in the patterns of the comets and moons. I will teach you to feel the earth under your palm, show you the many shades of the aura and reveal the many faces of the winds. I will alert your sense to the future. You will learn to foresee the consequences of an action that has not yet taken place. I offer you the possibilities of an infinite universe. I offer to you the wisdom of the centaurs," Firenze said. He looked across the room. Every student met his gaze with an expression of reverence and anticipation. Firenze felt a warm satisfaction.

"I will now give you last night's star charts. Please divide into pairs for this assessment. From a common star chart, each of you will predict the other's activities from ten o'clock to exactly one minute past that hour tonight. It will be a simple and brief prediction," Firenze said as he began handing out the star charts.

Ernie MacMillan snorted. "I know exactly what I'll be doing at ten tonight. Snoring noisily! I also know that Wayne Hopkins and Justin Finch-Fletchley will be doing the same," Ernie announced pompously. "This is a pretty useless lesson."

Firenze turned towards the boy with narrowed eyes. He leaned down and handed Ernie the star chart that he had so pompously dismissed. "Is that so Ernie MacMillan?" Firenze asked slowly, looking deep into Ernie's eyes until he penetrated the boy's soul. "Allow me to make a slightly more accurate evaluation based upon the movements of the august and potent cosmos. Last night, like the night before, you got out of bed at precisely ten o'clock to send an owl to your family. I understand that your mother is seriously ill and has requested your immediate return home. But you could not bear the thought of missing school and allow your peers the advantage of excelling above you in their studies. How can you maintain your shallow pride among your friends when you will be missing so many classes? So for the sake of maintaining that pretentious sense of superiority, you sacrificed it all without a second glance, ignored those that would never judge you, abandoned those that would love you regardless of your inadequacies. You expected your conscience to be clean, believed your rationale strong enough to combat unrelenting doubts, but all you found was a deep sense of guilt that would not abate. Every night for the past two nights, you have been secretly visiting the owlery answering your mother with kind words but forsaking her all the same. You dare not write the letters in your dormitory, should the others see it. Instead, you have been scribbling furiously among the hooting owls under appalling light. Much of your letters have become illegible, but your mother always forgives you for it and never questions the marked changes in your handwriting. She has always been a woman in possession of a kind soul," Firenze said quietly. "May she rest in peaceful Elysium forever."

The class fell silent and watched the exchange with interest. Ernie's face changed from a shade of sickly white to a deep furious red. He glared at Firenze accusingly. "You have been spying on me! That's so underhanded! I will report this to Dumbledore immediately! You have no place here. You're just some stupid beast! Go back to the Forbidden Forest where you came from!" the boy howled.

Firenze felt a cold fury rise within him. It was such a gross accusation. Centaurs were not averse to killing those who slandered their name. But humans behaved differently, and so he must adhere to their laws in order to exist among them.

"Silence you foolish boy!" he said sternly. "I have accurately read what has been written in last nights stars. My observations are flawless and true. You have not denied it. I do not resort to underhanded behaviour to which you mortals are so accustomed. Your insolence will not be tolerated in my class. Dumbledore has informed me that you humans follow a system of deducting points. Fifty points from Hufflepuff for Ernie MacMillan's insolence."

The Hufflepuffs groaned. Firenze ignored their angry glares and turned towards Ernie. "You will go and see Dumbledore. You will tell him what has occurred and ask for a justified punishment. But of course you will attempt to lie. Depend upon it, Dumbledore will see through your poorly concocted tale and punish you accordingly. Now go," Firenze ordered.

The humiliated Hufflepuff ran from the room. Many heads turned to watch him leave as Firenze stamped his hoof again for order.

"Do not be distracted. The truth always finds a way of discarding the shrouds of secrecy. Now pair up and read your charts," Firenze ordered.

The class broke up into pairs. Time ticked by steadily as the students laboured over the difficult patterns. Firenze strolled around the room offering help to those who failed to see the obvious. Humans were not naturally equipped with the intelligence that centaurs possessed. Some have come close, but many have failed to appreciate the subtleties of the cosmos. The young Justin Finch-Fletchley showed potential. He accurately determined that Wayne Hopkins would fall out of bed at precisely ten o'clock. Two seconds later he would bump his head on the side of his nightstand and upset a glass of milk. It would take Wayne thirty seconds to mop up the spill. Then the tired and aggravated Wayne would crawl into bed and begin fantasising about a certain Ravenclaw that he and his housemates fancied. Firenze commended Justin heartily for his astonishing effort. But the boy and his friend shrugged away the compliment and turned a deep shade of beetroot.

Firenze continued to circle the class. Pavartil and Padma declared that they would both be reading Teen Witch at precisely ten o'clock. A minute later, they would be seized by the urge to paint each other's toenails burgundy. Firenze peered at their chart and corrected their readings. He announced that both girls would be 'occupied' in the closets of the Astronomy Tower that night and would not leave it until the next dawn. The girls shot Firenze sullen looks as their classmates sniggered knowingly.

Finally, Firenze stopped before the boy-who-lived and his red haired friend. "Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. I see there is much in the stars for you both," Firenze said quietly.

Ron blushed. "Professor, if there's anything...scandalous you see, can you please... keep it quiet?" the boy mumbled.

Harry gave him a playful look. "Why Ron? What have you been hiding from me?"

Ron opened and shut his mouth like a goldfish. "Nothing...I-"

"That is certainly bad new," Firenze interjected.

Both boys looked up at him expectantly. Firenze pointed to Orion and Callisto. "A deceitful woman will betray your trust, though her intentions are good. Both of you will fall into unimaginable peril. Trust is such a fragile thing but life ceases to be of value if we lose the ability to trust. Danger haunts you, Harry Potter. But the stars seem to sing of safety and peace in time to come. Beware the roads ahead, but do not lose faith," Firenze said seriously.

Harry looked down at the chart. "That pretty much sums up my life, danger and peril," he mumbled.

Firenze frowned at the boy. "Our actions can change the foreseeable future. It would be foolish to lose heart."

The centaur then turned to Ron. "Your pocket holds a most ancient power. I think it time for you to return it to its rightful owner."

Ron looked at him in awe, unable to determine how Firenze knew of the pendant. But centaurs are sentient creatures with the ability to sense magic without having to see it. With that cryptic message, Firenze turned from Harry and Ron. He directed his attention to the other students in his class. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ron approach the Hufflepuff girl with the pendant lying in his palm. It was a brief exchange. The girl thanked him profusely before pocketing her pendant and a moment later, Ron walked away. Firenze shook his head sadly. Though the magic you wield is potent and pure, it will be of no use to you, Susan Bones. It will not protect you from what's to come.

The lesson swiftly drew to a close. Students eagerly stampeded for the door to join their friends for lunch. But before they could get very far, Firenze quickly blocked the exit with his imposing form so that the students would receive his final message.

"I will be expecting a foot long parchment on your experience from ten o'clock to one minute past ten o'clock tonight. Name the differences between your partner's predictions and what actually occurred. Explain why you think these errors might have surfaced and how you can curb them in the future. Do not lie for I can accurately read the stars and rest assured, I will be watching tonight," Firenze warned.

Firenze waited for the last student to leave his classroom before closing the door. A distant rumble reached his well-attuned ears. He sighed and glanced out at the gathering storm clouds washing the landscape a silvery grey. In the distance, the Forbidden Forest beckoned invitingly. How he yearned to wander among the dense trees, to feel the autumn leaves crackle underfoot, to roam in the darkness with his kind, his friends. Firenze sighed again and trotted away from the window. He glanced down at the star charts before him searching its' many constellations for a sign of hope. They seemed to wink at him knowingly, silently telling him not to despair. Patience, the cosmos whispered. The day will come when light will face the gathering darkness. Your destiny is to lead your kind to glory with the humans at your side. Lead your kind to an age where all centaurs will reunite and walk the lands with pride. Patience Firenze. It won't be long now.

So he waited.

*

Luna was leaning against a pillar behind the last shelf in the library when a beautiful young girl approached her. She was wearing a mauve ball gown with delicate red ringlets falling onto her shoulders. Luna widened her large eyes at the stranger. That's interesting, Luna thought. I've never seen her here before.

The girl was not alone. Behind her stood two tall figures in dark blue robes. The tall man was unsuccessfully trying to tame his ruffled black hair. He was wearing a pair of old rimmed glasses that perfectly framed his sad and impenetrable eyes. A gentle smile danced across his face when he saw Luna's dreamy expression. Beside him stood a graceful lady whose light brown hair floated softly in the breeze. Luna thought her very pretty. And so like Harry, she thought. It was almost eerie to glance upon the deceased Potters.

"Hello Luna, my name is Mina," said the red haired girl, "and these are the Potters."

Luna nodded and smiled. "Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Potter."

"Please call us James and Lily," James replied kindly.

Luna nodded and smiled, widening her already large eyes with interest. The strange gathering fascinated her and she could not wait until the Potters revealed their purpose. The thunderous approach of footsteps broke the silence. Madame Pince howled at the perpetrator who was audacious enough to run through her library. An instant later, a flushed Ron came into view.

"I'm so sorry I'm late-had-Divination-went over time. Whoa!" he exclaimed, looking up at the Potters in awe. Luna noted with amusement that Ron was gaping at the spirits with his mouth hanging wide open.

"Ronald!" Mina said sternly. "Where are your manners? Close your mouth immediately! These here are the Potters."

Ron nodded in shock. "H-How do you do Mr. and Mrs. Potter?" he asked politely.

"Very well Ron thank you," Harry's mother beamed. "Please call me Lily, and this is James."

Ron nodded silently as the shock wore off. Mina pulled out an ornate ivory fan and opened it gracefully. A light breeze rippled through her hair with each flutter of the fan.

"Well, now that we are all properly introduced," Mina began, "there are several matters of importance we must discuss."

Ron walked over to where Luna was standing so that he could face the Potters.

"Is my mother coming?" Luna asked quietly.

Mina gave her a kindly smile, but shook her head. "The elders are displeased with her. She has been interfering in the world of the living by divulged some secrets to you. Something about a half-giant and the Dark Lord?" Mina said looking at Luna pointedly.

Luna nodded and stared into space. It would be terrible if she could never speak to her mother again.

"Don't worry," Mina continued as if reading Luna's mind. "The usual punishment lasts for about a month. You will be able to speak to her again soon."

Luna sighed in relief. Ron gave her a reassuring pat on the arm as Mina turned to the Potters. "Now I believe there is something you would like to say to these children? Please be discreet. As you well know, there are things we cannot share with the living."

The Potters nodded. James cleared his throat and began to speak. "Firstly, I would like to thank you for being such good and loyal friends to Harry. You don't know what it means to Lily and I. It's such a gift to watch him smile and laugh, grow and mature under your care. Please tell him that we love him dearly and that we are always with him. It pains us to know that he cannot see us. But please let him know that we have always been there."

Lily smiled and grasped her husband's hand. "We hope you will continue to be the best of friends. These are dark times with darker times to follow. You must unite together and fight what is to come. There is a source of power that you must find, for it alone can foil Voldemort's plans." Lily paused. "This magic lies within a watery tomb. It is imperative that you find it."

"What is this source of power?" Ron asked expectantly.

James shook his head ruefully. "We cannot say Ron. But the chosen one must retrieve it, for it alone has the power to combat Slytherin's weapon."

Luna looked on the exchange with a degree of interest. She raised an eyebrow questioningly. What is this magic that they speak of? Perhaps it is one of the objects from the Sorting Hat song. Yes! It must be. Luna's eyes twinkled with glee. And Slytherin's weapon must be the evil that the Hat feared to mention. That means the legacies of the Founders rest within Hogwarts, within these very walls.

"Do you know what Slytherin's weapon is?" Luna asked the Potters.

The two spirits shifted nervously. "Yes, we do," James answered quietly.

Ron gasped. Luna raised an eyebrow in interest. "Can you tell us what it does?"

James shook his head. "Unfortunately I cannot. Frankly I do not know what it does. I know of its' form but I know little else about it."

"It's a scroll," Ron said quietly. Luna shot him a surprised look. How does he know?

"Lucius Malfoy has threatened Hagrid," Ron explained. "He thinks Hagrid's got it. They took Madame Maxime as ransom. I don't see what a simple scroll can do."

Lily Potter smiled wistfully. "Often the most dangerous powers lie within the pages of a book or between loose sheafs of parchments. It is where we least expect it. Lucius has resorted to the most drastic measures. It can only mean that Voldemort's plans are nearly complete and that the scroll will bring them to fruition."

"But he mustn't get to it," James interjected fiercely. "You must ensure that. Those of you who are loyal to Harry must ensure that."

"What has this got to do with Harry?" Luna asked. She glanced at Ron who did not look the least bit perturbed by their hasty inclusion of Harry. They've been hiding things from me, from Ginny as well probably. Ginny's right. They don't trust us. Harry, Ron and Hermione, always the exclusive group that admits no outsiders.

"I've told this to Ron," Mina addressed Luna. "But I will now tell you also. This item of dark magic has come into Harry's possession. Its' true identity is well hidden to protect those around it. But it won't take Voldemort long to detect its' true form. With this scroll, he will become indestructible. We are depending upon Harry to prevent Voldemort from getting to it."

Luna nodded. She quickly recognised the severity of the situation. It would only take a matter of time before Voldemort figures out that Harry is in possession of Slytherin's scroll. Then he would come for Harry. And kill him.

James glanced anxiously from Luna to Ron. Something clearly weighed on his mind. Luna watched as he struggled with his thoughts, looking up at Lily imploringly. She gave him a reassuring smile and assented with a nod of her head. James took a deep breath. "There is one more thing you need to know about this scroll."

Ron and Luna looked at James expectantly. "I cannot reveal too much in fear of misleading you," James said, "but I have thought long and hard on the matter and this is the conclusion I have reached." James paused. "Sometimes, to fight the darkest evil, we must use any means necessary, including the evil itself."

Luna raised a dreamy eyebrow. How philosophical, she thought humorously. And so terribly cryptic.

"Right," Ron said uncertainly.

"Our time has expired," Mina said softly to the Potters. "We must leave now. I bid you farewell children. I shall be in touch." She smiled sweetly and gave a small wave with her fan.

The Potters smiled sadly at Ron and Luna for it was again time for them to pass back to the realm of shadows. Their warm eyes sent a sign of reassurance to the confused children. They bid their farewells. A soft silver light appeared under their feet and an instant later, Luna and Ron found themselves alone in a silent library.

Ron whistled lightly under his breath. "Well, I guess we should go and find Harry," he said.

Luna followed him out of the library silently. They passed the suspicious glare of Madame Pince with bowed heads and hurried out the door. Luna fiddled with her butterbeer caps necklace as they walked the winding hallways of Hogwarts.

"You have been hiding many things from Ginny and I," Luna said softly, her lilting voice washing over Ron until a soft blush tinged his ears.

"No we haven't," he mumbled.

"Yes you have," Luna said calmly. "Ginny is very upset. She is tired of you treating her like a baby. She feels left out."

Ron turned to her with a concerned look. "I just don't want her getting hurt."

"But she's old enough to look after herself," Luna said reasonably. "She's smart and accomplished. She'd rather be treated as an equal."

Ron sighed and slowed his pace. "What do you suggest I do?" he asked helplessly.

"Tell us everything that is going on. We can sense the darkness approaching too. You can no longer hide the danger from us. We would be safer if we were prepared," Luna said softly.

Ron nodded and guided Luna towards the Gryffindor common room. The Ravenclaw smiled inwardly. It was about time she and Ginny got a share in the adventure.

*

Harry was puzzling over an atrociously difficult transfiguration spell when Ron and Luna appeared through the portrait hole. He sat up in surprise. What was Ron doing with Luna? Hermione, who was sitting opposite him, raised an eyebrow in question. A small cluster of first year Gryffindors eyed Luna in wonder. Harry could hear their thinly veiled whispers from across the room.

Ron waved at his friends. "Where's Ginny?" he asked.

"In her room," Hermione replied. "Do you want me to go get her?"

Ron nodded. "Please."

Hermione put down her copy of Hogwarts a History and dashed up the stairs. Luna took the nearest armchair and sank into the soft cushion. Harry stared at her swinging radish earrings and hid a smile. Luna was a nice but extremely strange girl. Harry sensed Ron shifting nervously from foot to foot. He looked up at his best friend in question.

"You alright there Ron?" he asked.

The red haired boy looked like a deer caught between headlights. "What? Oh y-yes," he stammered unconvincingly.

Harry scratched his head in confusion. "Is there something you want to tell me?" he asked.

"Ah yeah," Ron said slowly. Harry caught Ron stealing a glance at Luna. "Let's wait until Hermione and Ginny get here."

Harry furrowed his brows. Ron was acting very strangely. The girls bounded down the stairs a moment later.

"Luna!" Ginny exclaimed in delight. "What are you doing here?"

Luna smiled mysteriously. "I have requested an audience with your friends."

Ginny shot her a bewildered look. "I think we should all sit down," Ron mumbled. Hermione grabbed a chair and hauled it over towards the others. They formed an exclusive circle.

Harry, Hermione and Ginny looked at Ron and Luna expectantly. Luna gave her usual languid grin and folded her hands in her lap. "You can begin Ron," she said.

Ron gaped at her with a pain expression. "Er, alright," he mumbled. Ron cleared his throat and stared at the floor. "Well, I saw Mina again," he said finally.

Harry and Hermione sat up with interest. Ginny looked at Ron wide-eyed. "Who's Mina?" she asked.

Ron looked pained. "She's...a spirit. I'm an intermediary you see. Luna's one too. It means we can speak to the dead," Ron muttered quickly, too afraid to hazard a glance at his younger sister.

As Ron expected, Ginny looked furious. "Yes I know Luna's an intermediary," she ground out flatly. "When were you planning to tell me that you are one too?"

Ron blushed profusely. "I was going to-"

"Don't lie Ronald Weasley!" Ginny cried furiously. "You weren't ever going to tell me were you? It's so typical! None of you trust me. After all that I've done to prove myself you still don't trust me. You still exclude me! It's so unfair!"

"That's not true," Hermione said hastily.

"We do trust you!" Harry interjected.

"Calm down Gin," Ron soothed clumsily. "I'm telling you now aren't I?"

Luna reached over and placed a kind hand on Ginny. The young Weasley girl glared at the group but remained silent.

"Well," Ron continued, "something happened today." He shifted uncomfortably. "Luna and I...we were summoned. Two spirits wanted to speak to us...th-they were...Harry's parents."

Harry felt a heat rise to his face. His eyes widened in surprise. What did he say? His mind questioned in disbelief. Ron looked at him sadly. The red haired boy started to speak again. But Harry's mind was not registering anything. He watched his best friend's mouth open and close but he could not hear the words. All he could hear was the pounding beat of his heart racing impossibly fast. My parents? He saw my parents? They came to him.

"Harry, Harry! Are you alright?" Hermione asked, leaping out of her chair to kneel beside the stunned boy. Harry looked down, not really seeing her.

"What did he say?" Harry managed weakly.

"He saw you parents," Hermione said. A bittersweet look came across her brown eyes. "They want you to know that they love you very much. They walk among us and look upon you everyday. Do you hear me Harry? They're here with you. Always."

Harry looked at her with a sense of disbelief. It's not possible, he thought. Why is it that I cannot see them? Why Ron? Why can he see them and not I?

He looked at his best friend. Ron stood there with a worried expression on his face. "Are you alright mate?" he asked Harry.

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat and looked at Ron. "Why you? Why can you see them and I can't? What makes you so special?"

Ron looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry Harry, I don't know."

Harry looked down at his hands. Tears threatened to break free and spill onto his lap. But he would not let that happen. He had to prove to everyone that he is strong, reliable and courageous, like the Harry that everyone wanted him to be. Even if it's killing me, he thought. Harry blinked, and the tears disappeared. He looked up at his friends who were looking down on him with pity and concern.

Harry cleared his throat. "What else did they say?" he asked Ron.

Ron blinked. He had not expected that response. But it was so like Harry to overlook his own suffering for the sake of others. "They gave us some information on Slytherin's scroll," he said.

Ginny shot her brother a questioning look. Ron shifted uncomfortably. He found it necessary to explain to Ginny the significance of the scroll as well. For good measure, Hermione also explained their quest for the Wand of Light. Ginny sighed audibly. "Alright all of you. From now on I want you to promise me that there will be no more secrets among us," she demanded. She looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione pointedly.

They nodded in agreement. Ginny managed a small grin of satisfaction. "Now seeing as the whereabouts of this scroll is still a mystery, what are we going to do about this Wand?" she asked.

Luna looked up with a dreamy expression on her face. "Lily said something about the chosen one finding it."

"It mightn't be the Wand that she's talking about," Ron corrected. "She said it's an item of ancient power and that it's encased in a watery tomb. That's all we know. It could be Gryffindor's Shield or even Hufflepuff's elixir."

Harry shook his head. "It's not Gryffindor's Shield," he said. All eyes turned to him. "It can't be because I have the Shield." Harry then explained his meeting with Dumbledore. He informed the others that he had come to repossess the Marauder's Map and the Shield of Eilonhue.

The group gasped collectively and stared at Harry. "Really? That's bloody fantastic! Can I see it sometime?" Ron asked excitedly.

Harry grinned. "Sure thing. It's under my bed. We can have a look later."

The group started to ponder in silence. Harry furrowed his brow. If it's not the Shield, then what could it be? What magic lies in a watery tomb? His mind asked. It lies in a watery tomb. A watery tomb...

"A watery tomb," Hermione chanted beside him. "A watery tomb..."

The group looked up at her inquisitively. "A watery tomb," she continued. Her face was taut in concentration. "A watery tomb..."

"Is she alright?" Ron whispered to Ginny. Ginny shrugged and looked on worriedly.

"A watery tomb, water, under water," Hermione muttered. "Ocean, river, lake..."

Harry shook her shoulders gently. "Hermione, are you alright?" he asked in a concerned voice.

She jumped. Her eyes focused on Harry. A wide grin broke across her face. "The Wand of Light is under the lake!" she exclaimed.

The others gaped at her. "Are you sure Hermione?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded earnestly. She jumped up to retrieve her satchel. "The clue was in the first line of the riddle," she said as she rummaged for the old piece of parchment.

"Here it is!" she called in excitement. She smoothed out the old parchment on the coffee table. Beside it, she placed a new parchment with translation on it. Harry marvelled at her neat handwriting. The group leaned in closer to looked at the parchments. "This one has the translations," she gestured. "It says, 'Under seven leagues I am hiding'. League, that's a unit of measurement commonly employed in maritime parlance. According to Ron and Luna, Lily said that it lies in 'a watery tomb'. Another clue. It must be under water."

"But how do you know it's under Hogwarts' lake?" Harry asked.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "When I was reading the parchment...I heard a voice." She paused. "The voice of Salazar Slytherin."

Harry stared at Hermione in bewilderment. The others gasped. Ginny brought her hand to her mouth in horror. "How did you hear him?" Luna asked, looking unperturbed.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably again. "He talked through someone else," she mumbled quietly.

"Who?" Luna persisted.

Hermione looked around in the hopes that the others would be disinterested. But everyone stared at her fixedly. Harry waited anxiously for her to explain.

"Draco Malfoy," Hermione whispered.

The room turned silent for a second.

Then the Ron exploded. "WHAT?" He exclaimed furiously. The first years in the corner turned to look at him.

"Shush Ron!" Ginny said, pulling at his robe. "You're causing a disturbance."

"You're joking!" he demanded. Hermione shrank back in fear. "You've been talking to that arrogant, snotty, little git? And you told him about the Wand of Light? He'll run straight to You-know-who and we may as well not bother! He'll get the Wand, then he'll get Slytherin's weapon and it'll all be over for us!"

"Ron you're exaggerating," Hermione shot back angrily. "I didn't choose to tell him. He found me in the library and snatched the parchment out of my hands. It was in code so he couldn't understand anything but it had a strange effect on him. The next minute he was hissing like Slytherin. It was really scary. After he'd spoken in that eerie voice, he fell to the ground and started convulsing."

Harry looked upon Hermione's ashen face. "I hope you know what you're doing," he said to the girl. "You have to be careful around Malfoy. You have to be careful with what you tell him. You know he'd go straight to his father or to Voldemort. We can't afford to have that happen."

Hermione shook her head. "Believe me Harry, I don't trust Malfoy. But he's not a Death Eater. I can't see it in him."

Harry sighed. "Whatever the case may be, just be careful. Now, tell us what Slytherin said?"

"He called me Rowena," she began. "He said I was-or rather Rowena was- holding the same parchment the day he found her by the lake. That's the clue. She must have deposited the Wand in the lake then composed the riddle. Slytherin must have found her when she was writing up the riddle."

"Malfoy's probably just playing around," Ron fumed.

"Oh grow up Ron," Hermione snapped. "He started speaking parseltongue in Care of Magical Creatures class or have you forgotten that? Even he can't pull that off."

Harry nodded. "She's right. There are no texts for parseltongue in existence. It's an inherent language. You cannot learn it."

Ron grimaced. "I don't like you fraternising with the enemy."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm not fraternising with Draco. Besides, it won't happen again. Now let it drop!"

Harry watched as his two best friends verbally attacked one another. How do I stop these two? He thought in desperation.

"Calm down the both of you," Luna said smoothly and clearly. "The issue is not Draco, but the Wand. What are we going to do? Should we retrieve it? If so, how? Can we decipher any more of the riddle? This is certainly no time to squabble."

Ron and Hermione looked at her then they both nodded in agreement. Ron looked abashed. "I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything," he mumbled.

"It's alright Ron, I should have told you all sooner," she replied.

Harry smiled. Well done Luna, he thought.

"I think we should find it," Hermione said authoritatively. She consulted the parchment. "It says to go 'where the sun sets day to day'". She chewed her lips. "That's should be along the west bank I think."

The others nodded. "What about the blue moon?" Harry asked. "Isn't that exceptionally rare? We have to ensure that the time is right."

"I have a calendar here," Ginny said. She pulled out an intricate instrument. It was a flat metal disc decorated with ornate engravings. A small spinning orb travelled along the inside of the disc. Along the outer edge, writing could be seen. Aside from the obvious notations of 'new moon', 'quarter moon' and 'half moon', there was a small blue sign saying 'once in a blue moon'. Ginny showed the dial to the others. "The next blue moon will rise on the 15^th of September," she said.

"That's good," Hermione said. "Then I have time to get supplies."

"You mean we," Harry insisted. "I'm not letting you go alone."

Hermione smiled warmly. "Alright, then we'll go together."

Ron coughed loudly. "I hope you are going to include me as well," he said firmly.

"Of course," Hermione beamed. "We'll need gillyweed. That's the easiest way to survive underwater. I can get some from Snape's storeroom."

"Are you sure?" Harry interjected. "I could easily ask Dobby."

"No that's alright," Hermione said. "I've been cleaning Snape's stinking cabinet for days. It's about time I stole something from him."

Ron laughed. "I never thought you had it in you, Hermione," he said with a grin.

"What about us?" Ginny insisted. She narrowed her eyes. "Have you forgotten about us already?"

"By no means," Hermione replied smoothly. "We'll need you to stand guard on shore. I will conjure a rope to which you will have one end and we'll have the other. If we should run into any danger, I will pull the rope then one of you can go and get help." Hermione looked down at the parchment again. "It's a risky task," she said worriedly.

"We'll be fine," Harry said optimistically. "In the meantime, there is a lot of planning to do."

With renewed vigour, the party resumed their work. Together they formulated a plan that would lead them to the deepest recess of the lake.

*

Hermione shielded her watering eyes when the cabinet doors swung open. It was her third night of detention and it was beginning to dissolve her nerves. Neville sneezed loudly beside her and stirred the dust around them. A swirling mass of debris rose like a whirlwind before collapsing upon Hermione's hair. She sighed.

"Just brilliant," she ground out.

"I'b sorry," Neville sniffed miserably.

"It's not your fault Neville," she sighed. "It's that odious Snape."

Neville blinked. He had never heard her speak ill of a teacher. It showed that there was a first time for everything. Dutifully, Neville and Hermione began to clear out the doxy at the back of the cabinet. They had gone through eight tubs of doxycide in just three days. Ancient vials of preserved entrails sat ceremoniously in the draws, waiting to be cleaned. Hermione extracted each one carefully, wiped down the shelves, then replaced each vial back to its' correct position.

"Ergh, this is disgusting," Neville complained. He held up a vial and showed it to Hermione. Inside was a mouldy green eyeball that floated eerily in the murky water. Hermione felt sick. It reminded her of Moody's wandering eye. She turned back to scrubbing her side of the cabinet in silence. Snape had always struck her as such an organised man. She could not conceive why the potions master would leave such resources in disarray. Probably dark magic he no longer needs, she thought gloomily.

Slowly, time passed, each second ticking painfully by. Hermione looked regularly at her pocket watch in yearning. Come on nine o'clock, her mind would beg, but to no avail. Time was going at it's own pace. She sighed and went back to scrubbing. The night wore on. Hermione and Neville heard the barn owls hoot happily from the owlery. Lively crickets chirped noisily outside the dungeon window. The creatures of the night were beginning to stir. Hermione loved the night; it mesmerised the senses and captivated her imagination. There was nothing she loved more than to prowl the corridors, listening to the soft hum of silence. The echoes, the warmth of the candle, the cold that made her shiver with anticipation; they were all so familiar to her. Hermione sighed in delight. It was also the time when her mind was most alert; when confusion melted away and gave way to clarity.

"Neville," she said thoughtfully. "Where do you think Snape keeps his gillyweed?"

The slightly plump boy looked at her. "I don't know Hermione, I imagine over there with the Mediterranean plants. Why do you want to know?" he asked.

Hermione smiled sweetly. "No reason," she answered. "I was just curious."

Neville looked at his watch. "Hey look at the time Hermione! We've made it. It's nine-fifteen," he announced.

Hermione glanced down at her pocket watch and gasped in surprise. "You're right Neville! We should get going," she said.

Neville went to the sink and cleaned up. He then headed for the door. "You coming Hermione?" he asked.

"I'll be with you in a second," she answered. "I'll just put these vials back."

Neville nodded and left the dungeon. He waited for her outside. Hermione peeped behind her and saw no sign of Neville. She quickly crossed to the other side of the dungeon and opened the cabinets where there was a large collection of Mediterranean specimens. Hermione began to rummage around quietly. She saw a small bucket sitting at the very back of the cabinet. She looked at it hesitantly. There was no way she could pull the whole bucket out. Her only option was to stick her hand in there and hope for the best. She did not relish the thought of touching anything she could not see, especially in a Potions laboratory. But then, she was fairly certain that the bucket contained gillyweed. She could just see their grey forms floating near the surface. Taking a deep breath, Hermione stuck her hand into cold water. She felt something soft and squishy between her fingers. This must be it, she thought excitedly. Hermione quickly retracted her hand and pulled out a clump of grey mass that looked like a ball of rats' tails. She made a face but pocketed the clump of gillyweed. After collecting three clumps of gillyweed, Hermione headed for the door.

Neville was leaning against the wall looking bored. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," Hermione said quickly.

Neville grinned silently and refrained from asking any questions. Hermione felt a sense of relief; she did not want to lie to Neville. Her pocket was feeling extremely heavy. A trail of thin grey liquid leaked from her pocket onto the cold corridor floor. She grimaced. I'm going to have to wash these robes, she thought miserably.

They came to the Gryffindor common room a moment later. "Concordia," Neville announced. The portrait swung open as the pink lady let the students through. Hermione trudged in after Neville. Harry and Ron were waiting for her. She smiled and walked over to join her friends. Neville bid them a quick goodnight and retired to bed.

"What are you two doing?" she asked.

Harry looked up. "Divination," he announced. "Firenze wants us to read each other's auras."

Hermione smiled. "At last, some real work in Divination."

Ron made a face. "It's bloody hard," he said. "All I see is fluoro orange around Harry. But I know that's just Pavarti's make up." Hermione shot him a questioning look. "She was trying on this new orange eye shadow, but her wand slipped and the charm hit the wall," he explained.

Hermione glanced up at the bright orange patch on the Gryffindor common room wall. It was just behind Harry's head and it was glowing luridly in the candlelight. She shook her head. "Well I've got the gillyweed," she said quietly.

The boys cheered softly. "Well done Hermione," Harry grinned. "We have to get it into some water. I have a pitcher upstairs. Why don't you give it to me?"

Hermione gratefully removed the soggy mass from her pocket and handed it to Harry. "Here you go," she said in relief. "I might go patrol the first floor tonight, want to come Ron?"

Ron shot her a pleading look. "I'll go tomorrow," he said. "I'm much too busy tonight."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fair enough, although I told you to do your homework in advance. I've done all that is required for the next three weeks. That way I have more time to myself."

Ron snorted. "More time for what? Studying? Reading? Detention? Honestly Hermione, you need to lighten up a bit."

Hermione scowled at the cheeky boy before heading for the door. "Accio towel," she said loudly. A towel flew into her hand "I'm going to take a long bath after patrol. Maybe afterwards I won't feel the overwhelming urge to slap you." Ron made a face at the brown haired girl as she strode out the door.

Dutifully, she circled the first floor. Nothing appeared to be out of order. Every student seemed to be in bed. Nearly Headless Nick floated by and bid her good evening. There was no other soul in sight. Feeling satisfied that all was well, Hermione headed for the prefects' bathroom. Slowly she climbed the stairs, flight by flight. She thoroughly enjoyed being alone in an empty castle. There was a sense of mysticism to the place. She hummed a soft muggle tune as she reached the fifth floor.

To her surprise, she found the door to the prefects' bathroom standing slightly ajar. Hermione frowned. That's odd, she thought. Someone's been here. Slowly she pushed the door open and peeped inside. A steamy rose scent tickled her nose. Hermione walked inside hesitantly.

"Hello?" she called out. The floor was wet and slippery. The soft lapping of water could be heard from a distance. Gingerly, Hermione peered behind the tiled wall. There before her was Draco, lying peacefully in the large bathtub.

"Oh Merlin's beard!" she cried in shock.

Her voice reverberated around the room and woke the sleeping figure. The Slytherin raised an eyebrow. A cloud of steam rose before his face, but his smirk was unmistakable. "Granger, do have the decency to turn around," he drawled.

Hermione jumped. Idiot! She scolded herself. Quickly she spun around to face the wall. She clutched the towel in her hands nervously. Idiot, idiot, idiot! Why did you have to come in? You knew someone was in here but you came in anyway! You should have known better!

She heard a rustle in the corner of the bathroom. "You can turn around now," Draco announced.

Hermione blushed profusely as she turned to face Draco. She looked at the blonde boy standing before her in nothing but a towel. Her glance wandered from his arrogant face to an unnaturally dark patch on his forearm. She stared in disbelief. It couldn't be, her mind argued. You're just tired and high strung. It's your imagination tricking you. She blinked but the image did not go away. It was still there, glowing grotesquely against Draco's fair skin. It was unmistakeable. It was the dark mark.

"Granger, do close your mouth, it's rude to stare," Draco drawled arrogantly.

Hermione moved back. She shook her head in disbelief and stumbled, but kept backing away from Draco. He looked at her in confusion He could not understand her reaction. Then he looked down on his forearm. The realisation dawned upon him.

"Granger-" he began.

"Stay away!" Hermione screamed. She turned her back to Draco and fled. With a burst of speed she flung open the door and ran outside. Draco cursed behind her. Hermione ran into the cold corridor and made for the stairs, but Draco was too fast for her. He caught up quickly.

"Granger listen!" he demanded. With one strong arm, he wrenched Hermione away from the stairs and slammed her hard against the wall. Hermione struggled to get free, but to no avail. She saw the mad gleam in Draco's eye. A cold fear clenched her stomach.

Draco intensified his grip on the helpless girl. His chest rose and fell rapidly. "Granger," he gasped. "You have to listen to me..."