The Forging of the Bonds

Chapter 24. Strangeness.

Both Mike and Elizabeth were busy over the week, and had few opportunities to talk to one another. They did agree to meet on Saturday in the empty Transfiguration classroom to work on the clue, however. He was thankful that she had managed to restrain her housemates a bit, though Nadine Zabini, Patricia Nott, and Robert Goyle still went out of their way to taunt him by tossing names, enchanting objects to do nasty things, and harassing first- and second-years, forcing him to step in. He was happy to have reached Friday.

There were other issues. Seeing as Dave and Laura were now a couple, he spent most of his time with Kate. There were now rumors that they were an item. Elizabeth seemed to believe his denial. Very few other people (and no Slytherins) did.

He entered the Transfiguration classroom, carrying a stack of books and a large bottle of pumpkin juice. Elizabeth lifted her eyebrows.

"How can you drink that?" she asked. "It's disgusting."

"I don't question your tastes," he retorted.

"Whatever. Any luck?"

"Maybe we're approaching this the wrong way." Mike sat down. "Have you discovered how the staff can separate the way it does?"

"An embedded Fusion Charm," she replied. "It can wear off, mind you... so we better not separate and reassemble it more often than we have to."

"I didn't know that. Could the charm be somehow... projected onto something else?"

"I don't understand."

"What if the end of the staff can connect with something besides the other piece? Something in the second task?"

Elizabeth froze. "That's..."

"Possible? Likely?"

"The only question is... why the two halves? I feel like there's something about it that we're not considering."

"Possible. But let's think about my idea. What would the other object be?"

"Well," Elizabeth pondered, "it's probably similar to the staff itself. Wooden, polished... Relax, it'll probably be obvious when we see it."

"If it's too obvious, there won't be much of a challenge--you know perfectly well they'll push us to the limit. Hydras. I'm still sore from all that swimming."

"Hey, I nearly drowned," Elizabeth said.

"Or maybe," Mike pushed on, ignoring that remark, "they'll deliberately make the solution something else, since they'd expect us to look for something similar to the staff."

"Yeah, but what do we look for, then? Something not like the wood?"

Mike thought for a moment. "The Fusion Charm is supposed to be more difficult with unlike materials..."

"Oh, please. Very skilled witches and wizards set up the Tournament. If it's possible, we should expect it."

"Still... what kind of wood is this?"

Elizabeth carefully inspected the staff. "You know, it appears familiar..." she whispered. "We have a furniture set like this at home... made of Canadian elm--"

At that moment, Mike spat pumpkin juice all over her. "Oh! I'm sorry!"

"You are dead, Weasley," Elizabeth declared. "You are--"

"Scourgify!" Mike said. The pumpkin juice vanished, but Elizabeth still reached for her wand.

"You are dead," she repeated.

"Did you say Canadian elm?" Mike blurted out.

"Yes, Canadian elm," she said, raising her wand.

"I've got to go!" Mike bolted. This is it! he thought. Considering what had just happened, however, he couldn't present his idea to Elizabeth without being certain.

XXX

The next day, Mike eagerly rushed down to breakfast. "Whoa..." David Jordan stopped him. "What's gotten into you?"

Mike glanced across the hall to where Elizabeth and Nadine Zabini were discussing something. He then began wolfing down his breakfast, periodically glancing up.

Kate came down. "Morning, Dave," she said cheerfully. "Hi, Mike."

"Mike's excited about something," Dave supplied.

"All right," Kate demanded, "who?"

"What?" Mike stared at her.

"Who's the girl?"

"No one," Mike said. "Why--"

"Last time I saw you like this, you were all over Megan. I know--"

"No one," he said. "I'm just waiting for a letter."

"From whom?" Dave asked, but at this point, the cloud of owls swarmed in.

Annabel landed next to them. Mike untied the letter, and opened it. He read it over several times.

Getting up, he headed over to the Slytherin table. "Elizabeth!" he shouted.

She turned and glared; she wasn't the only one to do so. "What?" she demanded. "I don't want any more pumpkin juice." Several Slytherins erupted with laughter.

Mike ignored them. "Here. Read this." He thrust the letter into her hand.

He watched her face as she read. The expression changed from angry, to surprised, to glowing. She looked up. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Elizabeth got up. "You're still dead, Weasley."

"Look, once again, I'm sorry. I just remembered hearing about this when you said 'Canadian elm'. I wrote to confirm it."

"We need this book in the Restricted Section," Elizabeth said. "Who--"

"Who do you think?" Mike said.

Elizabeth nodded. "Potter."

"Yes, Miss Malfoy?" Professor Potter approached them.

"Sir, we need to use a book from the Restricted Section for the Tournament," Mike explained.

"Ahh... well, follow me."

"Here, I've got the form," Mike said.

Potter looked at it and laughed. "Moste Potente Potions," he said. "The irony..."

"What?"

"Never mind," Potter said, signing the form. "Here you go... and good luck. And if you're interested in learning more history, stop by my office tomorrow, around seven. If, that is, you're not too busy."

"Thank you, Professor," Elizabeth said. "Come on, Mike."

Mike shrugged. "I'm not that good at Potions, you know."

"Well, then you're lucky you've got me on your side. Let's go."