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The stiff body didnt move as he stepped over its legs. He continued on his way.

There was
no time to make sure that these bodies were not any of his friends. He had to get to the
meeting, and quickly too. Who knew what horrors could be found, now that it was all over.
With a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure that nobody was watching, he pulled out
a small scrap of parchment.
We will be meeting under the remains of the Eeylops, forty minutes after it ends.
--Melinda
He read the note a few times as he walked. He didnt even notice a small speck of red in the
corner of the note, until he stood right in front of the crumbling building, only recognizable
by the half destroyed sign that read Eyelops Ow hanging over an open doorway.
The small red speck bothered him. t could !ust as easily be a drop of ink, but if it was, why
didnt "elinda include a post#script e$plaining it% Trying to push the frightening possibility
out of his mind, he stepped through the doorway and pulled out his wand. With a quick
swish, a small door in the corner swung open. He ran down the stairs and stopped to find a
two person meeting in progress.
&'orry,( he breathed, waving his wand one more time. There was a slam of the door above
them. &"elindas owl didnt get to me.(
&ts okay, )orna$,( a rather tall woman replied. 'he con!ured a stiff, wooden chair. He didnt
sit. &*ou##*ou might want to sit,( she said in a hushed voice.
+uickly e$changing glances with the other sitting man, he said, &,yan, what happened%(
,yan didnt respond, but let his head droop to his lap.
&-aesa%(
The woman called -aesa bounced up and down on the balls of her heels. &*es,( she said,
pulling her light brown hair out of its high ponytail, and putting it back again. &ts about
"elinda.( 'he twisted one of the large, gold rings around her finger.
)orna$ stood up. &-o,( he hissed. That dot of red. .f course. t made so much sense now.
&Who was it%(
&/reyback.( -aesa couldnt make eye contact. 0lthough she couldnt name it, she knew, as
did ,yan, that something had been going on between )orna$ and "elinda.
)orna$ stood up. His wand quivered in his hand. &ll kill him.(
&1ont bother,( grunted ,yan. &0lready dead.(
)orna$ sat back down and rested his elbows heavily on the table, as though he needed it for
the stability. &Who killed him%(
&/rawp, believe.( ,yan was trying to act like his usual self, but it was evident, from his
slow rocking back and forth that he was still shaken up.
They had been a foursome, always. They had been making plans for their celebration if they
won, and for their revolt if they didnt. -one of them could believe that they were now
focusing on the latter, one member short.
&That giant is completely irrational. He wouldnt know if he was killing somebody from our
side or theirs.( t was hard not to notice )orna$s bitterness.
-aesa pursed her lips. & believe he had a good reason this time,( she said.
&0nd what would that be%( )orna$ rose and hit his fist against the table.
-aesa didnt give way under his sharp glare. &,evenge,( she said. &/reyback had !ust killed
his brother.(
)orna$ sat back down, not offering any sort of apology.
&'o,( -aesa said after a few minutes silence. &0re we going to do this%(
&Were one short,( )orna$ said softly.
-aesa sighed and knelt ne$t to her friend. &We all miss her, )orna$,( she whispered to him.
&2ut were always going to be one member short, if you think about it that way. ts what she
would have wanted.( )orna$ didnt look at her. &*ou know that.( 'he stood up again, and
pulled out a scroll of yellowing parchment. 'he unrolled it busily. &'o all we need to do now
is sign it, right%( 'he con!ured a quill and an ink pot and signed, making sure each letter was
perfectly proportional to the entire word.
Naesa almyitor
'he handed the parchment and the quill to ,yan. -ot focusing on the aesthetics as much as
-aesa, he signed.
!yan "lynalmoy
,yan passed the quill to )orna$. 0s his hand arced over the page, he wasn3t signing for
himself alone. He was signing for -aesa and ,yan, and their fourth who would never sign for
herself.
#orna$ Maeliori%
Chapter 2: Chapter One: The Camp
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
A/N: Thanks again to 1eanine and 9the 2ird9 for all of their help with killing all of my silly
errors in this chapter. 0lso, sorry for the late update everyone.
: : :
8hapter one; The 8amp
,ain pitter#patted through the iron bars and onto the chilly glass window pane, alerting the
occupants in the small flat of the coming storm. 'torms in the middle of 0ugust, such as this
one, were not uncommon. 7eople had trouble e$plaining the intense and spontaneous
torrents. <nable to connect them with the ocean, sun or planets, they !ust decided that the
only possible e$planation of the strange weather they had been e$periencing for the past fifty
years was magic.
&=ottie, dear, could you take the water bucket outside for me%( 0 rather bony, middle#aged
woman appeared in the doorway. Her hair was a thin, graying brown, but her eyes, despite
her ripened appearance, were a vibrant green. ,ain water squelched under her boots as she
took a few steps into the apartment. & !ust came from outside and feel as if !umped into the
ocean.(
=ottie looked up from her small corner of the flat, pebbles spilling out of the sides of her
hands. &*eah, sure, okay,( she said, picking out some of the bigger rocks and pocketing
them. 'he carelessly discarded the smaller stones and let them fall to a bare mattress that she
sat on. The rocks in her pocket thumped against her legs as she walked to pick up the massive
pail.
=ottie ,owe was a fairly average eleven#year#old for a "uggle in the =ondon camp. 'he had
blond hair that probably would have reached her shoulder blades, had it not been so tangled,
and hazel eyes that must have come from a grandparent who she never knew, since neither of
her parents had them.
8lutching the cold steel chain, =ottie dragged the bucket across the floor, down the hall and
into the storm. 'he pushed the bucket out into the rain, and chained it to the brick wall so
nobody would steal it.
&.i> =ottie>(
Through the heavy rain, all =ottie could see was a blur of reddish hair running toward her.
'he knew at once who it was. .nly one of her friends would be out in a storm like this.
&.live%( =ottie waved. &*ou want to come inside% *ou can sit by the fire.(
&0h, no thanks,( .live shouted over a thunderclap overhead. &Hey, "elanie and 'hawnee are
over at the gates. think theyre trying to get some of the others there too. Want to come%(
=ottie rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. Her mother probably wouldnt like her
out in a storm such as this, but she knew how to take care of herself. &.kay.( =ottie smiled.
&=et me go grab a hat.(
'he ran inside and picked up her thick, knitted hat off the ground. 0s she slipped it over her
ears, her mother poked her head around the door. &=ottie, where are you headed to now%
Theres a storm outside, dear.(
&*es, know.( =ottie ran over to the door and slipped on a !umper. &ll be back soon? love
you, mum? bye>( 2efore her mother could get in another word, she ran out the door to meet
up with .live.
,eaching into her pocket, =ottie pulled out one of her rocks and tossed it to her. &)ound this
under the bakery.( .live held the stone up to e$amine it. &ts a good one, isnt it%(
& spose so,( .live said as they spotted another group of girls about their age.
=ottie and .live were at a serious disadvantage, considering that there were only two of
them, and the other group had at least si$ people. .ne girl, with huge blue eyes and thin,
short brown hair was running to keep up. 'he stopped, !ust short of running into another girl.
&Whatre you doing on our street%( the tallest girl of the other group demanded.
&our street%( .live laughed. & do think that this has been our street for about a year and a
half now, and if anybody needs to leave, its you.
The other group looked as though they might try something, but =ottie and .live quickly
pulled out their rocks. =ottie tossed hers from one hand to another threateningly. The small
girl with the blue eyes stood on her toes and muttered something in a taller girls ear.
They werent leaving. =ottie turned to .live and nodded. +uickly, both of them threw one
rock so they !ust whizzed over their heads.
0fter a tense moment, the other group turned around and walked away, grumbling to each
other as they did.
&,ight.( =ottie stuffed her hands into her pockets and watched them leave. &Which gates are
they at%(
.live pointed straight ahead. &Those ones,( she said. &=ast time checked, the 1eath @aters
were heading this way. hid, and m pretty sure they passed, so we shouldnt have a problem
with them right now.(
&/ood.( =ottie shivered. 'he hated the 1eath @aters. They often walked in packs, robed,
hooded and masked, so she couldnt make out their faces. With sticks that shot !ets of colored
light, they would parade across the camps, attacking people when they thought were up to
something, or sometimes when they were !ust bored. =ottie especially hated when they would
call her Muggle. 'he didnt know what that meant, but she assumed that it had to do with the
fact that she couldnt do magic like they could.
'he really didnt understand why not being able to do the same magic made her worthy of
being locked up like she was, though. /ates bound her on all sides. =ottie had seen several
others try to climb over them? they were always killed by one of those 1eath @aters and their
sticks.
They saw the gates in the distance, and could make out the blurry figures of a few of their
friends. .live grabbed =ottie by the wrist, and they ran forward, their boots splashing in the
puddles of rainwater.
&"elanie>( =ottie called waving to the oldest of their group. &Whatre you trying to do,
bringing us all out here in the storm%( 'he glanced nervously at .live. &/et us killed or
something%(
"elanie smiled, pushing her sopping wet, dark hair out of her eyes. &ll tell you,( she said,
pulling =ottie close into her ear. &2ut only because youre you.( /lancing around to make
sure that none of the other girls were listening, she whispered, &ve got a plan. think
found a way for us to get back at the 1eath @aters and the 1ark =ord.(
=ottie straightened up, eyebrows raised. 'he en!oyed her privilege of always being the first to
find out any of "elanies plans, but didnt en!oy the responsibility of telling her when her
plans were completely mad. "elanie was the oldest, so she was, naturally, the leader of their
group. =ottie, though, was the second oldest, second biggest, and second smartest, which
made her second in command.
&*ou know,( =ottie muttered back, keeping her voice low, &my grandmother tried to get into
something like that. This sort of thing never turns out well, mate, can assure you of that.(
&*es, but were smarter than them, arent we%(
=ottie laughed, but didnt respond. 'he glanced over at the girls with them. .live smiled at
her, her eyes hidden under her auburn fringe. 'hawnee cocked her head to one side, giving
=ottie the same curious look as she always did when she wanted information. =ottie mouthed
later and stood up. &'o, are we going to get the others or not%( she asked, putting her
hands on her hips.
With a splash, .live and 'hawnee scrambled to standing. &.live,( "elanie said, &you go get
0le$a and Hattie. Theyre probably together anyway. 8heck under the old Turtle 2uilding.
Theyre probably there.( .live ran off. &0nd, you 'hawnee, go find 7ip. Who knows where
she is. Aust go look for her.(
'hawnee sighed, tucking a brown ringlet behind her ears. 'ulking away, she muttered
something that sounded suspiciously like a few swear words.
"elanie sat down again, leaning against the thick gate. &'it.( 'he patted the wet pavement
ne$t to her.
&'o, how are you planning to start this little revolt%( =ottie tried not to sound too amused.
'he had seen "elanie start many pro!ects like this, all of them nearly ending with the death of
one of their friends.
& found an old bloke.( "elanie didnt say anything else. 0fter a few minutes silence, she
turned to =ottie, waiting for her to ask more.
&*eah, and%(
=ightning flashed. =ottie sighed and counted the seconds before the thunderclap. &)our
seconds,( she said to "elanie after the thunder had echoed through the entire camp. &-ot too
far from here.(
&We wont get hit.( "elanie sounded almost too sure of herself.
There was a splashing of footsteps coming towards them. .live had two younger girls
following her, giggling shrilly. With a sigh, she pushed both of them forward. "elanie stood,
crossing her arms, causing the two girls scoot in closer to each other.
&What did they do this time%( "elanie tapped her foot.
.ne of the younger girls grinned, revealing a large gap where her two front teeth were
supposed to be. &.ne of the boys told us that there were coins under the stones of the Turtle
2uilding,( the one who still had her front teeth said. &We didnt find any, so Hattie tried to
bite the stones, to make sure if there were coins in them.(
=otties face broke into a grin as well. &*oure supposed to bite the %oin to make sure its
real, not the stone that the coin might be in,( she said through a laugh.
Hattie, the girl missing the two front teeth, frowned. &Well, 0le$a was going to try it too,
before .live found us,( she said defensively.
&*eah, but probably wouldve been able to find something>( shouted the girl with the teeth,
called 0le$a. 'he shoved Hattie playfully.
=ottie turned to "elanie. &Those are her baby teeth,( she said. &They wouldve fallen out
anyway.(
&.i> *ou all should thank me>( 'hawnees voice rang through the empty street. 'he marched
towards them. 0 much smaller girl who couldnt be any older than si$ was running !ust to
keep up. &1o you know where found her%(
The very little girl giggled. & was sneaking into the 1ark =ords home>( 0ll of the other girls
groaned. =ottie doubted that the large, gated house actually belonged to the 1ark =ord, but
apparently people had been calling it that for years.
&7ip>( "elanie whacked the small girl on the shoulder. &ve told you a thousand times not to
go there> *ou know what could happen to you if you were caught%(
&*eah, but ##(
The crash of thunder cut 7ip off.
&.kay,( "elanie said, leaning in and getting much more serious now. &2elieve it or not,
there was a reason why were all here.(
&0re we going to go fight some boys%>( 7ip hopped up and down, splashing mud on all of the
other girls pants.
&'hut up, 7ip>(
"elanie rolled her eyes. &0nyways, theres a bloke who said he would sell us some magic, if
we could pay him. was thinking if we all chip in, we can all share the magic, and kill all the
1eath @aters.( There was a silence. &'o what does everybody have%>(
=ottie knew better than to argue with "elanie, and by looking around at all of the other girls
faces, she guessed that they were thinking the same thing. There was no way it would work,
and she didnt want to sacrifice the little she had to try.
7ip squealed. 7ulling her hand out of a small pouch attached to her waist with a rope, she
shouted, &ve got half a roll and a coin.( 'he proudly slapped her offerings in "elanies
hand.
@ach of them continued to give "elanie what they had in turn, until =ottie was the only one
left. &0hB let me see.( 'he dug through her pockets. 0ll she felt were the rocks she had !ust
found and a few coins. 8arefully, she pulled out one of the rocks and two of the coins,
purposefully leaving the rest in her pocket. &0ll ve got,( =ottie lied with a shrug.
"elanie put everything in a bag and added a few apples of her own. &Well, its not much, but
he might give us something small with this.(
'he tied the bag to her waist and started walking away from the gates. &Where are we
going%( 7ip shouted, running to keep up with the much bigger girls strides.
&To find him. He was near the bakery last saw him.(
=ottie sighed and followed anyway. This plan was ridiculous, but she wasnt about to say that
out loud. They walked quickly, passing by empty and overcrowded buildings. They passed by
a huge, crumbling green structure, and Hattie shouted, &There must be some coins in there.(
&-o, there arent>( 'hawnee shouted.
=ottie laughed as she looked at "elanies e$asperated e$pression, but continued walking
with the rest.
&Wait>( 7ip hopped in front of the group, her hands on her hips, trying to make up for her
lack of height with a very stern e$pression. &What are we going to do with this magic when
we get it% 1ont we need the sticks that the 1eath @aters carry around%(
&1ont be stupid, 7ip,( =ottie said, though secretly she agreed.
&*eah, they !ust use those sticks becauseB( "elanie stopped, rubbing her head. &0h>( she
shouted. &2ecause the 1ark =ord doesnt want them to be as powerful as him, and those
sticks dont let them use all of their magic> f we dont use sticks, then well be more
powerful than them>(
&.h.( 7ip blushed. &.f course.(
=ottie didnt laugh along with all of the other girls. <nlike "elanie, she noticed the power
that those sticks wielded. "elanie stopped, and motioned to the other girls to do the same.
They stood in front of a tiny crumbling building. &He said hed be here,( she said, tapping her
foot.
.live e$changed a glance with =ottie. They didnt want to be the ones to tell "elanie that it
wasnt usually best to trust creepy looking strangers.
&.> TH@,@ H@ '>( 7ip pointed to a shadow in a nearby alley.
&7ip>( Hattie sighed, and pushed 7ip on the shoulder.
The man stopped and turned around. &Cat you%( he grunted, creeping towards them. =ottie
backed up slightly.
&*es,( "elanie said taking a step forward. &We dont have much, but it is something.( 'he
offered him the bag.
0 thick knitted cap nearly covered the mans eyes. His trench coat was a faded navy blue,
speckled with the rain water from the storm. &*oure right, it isnt much.( He pulled out the
rocks in the bag.
&Weve got these too>( Hattie pulled out two blood stained teeth.
&Hattie, why would anybody want that%( .live said, smiling sheepishly at the man.
&WellB( The main threw =otties rocks to the floor, but took the rest. & spose this must be
good for something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of yellowing paper.
&*ou girls are lucky that you found me. With only this bit of goods, most folks wouldnt give
you a trick like this.( He swung the bag in front of them.
&.h, thank you>( "elanie said, taking the scrap of paper. &Well be sure to use it well.(
The man chuckled and disappeared back into the shadows. &.dd fellow, isnt he%( =ottie said
with a nervous laugh. &Here, let me see that.( 'he reached over and took the parchment,
making sure to keep it out of the rain. 0s she moved her fingers over the creases, about to
open it, 7ip spun around and pointed at the sky, screaming.
0bove them was a far too familiar shimmering skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.
The bright green burned =otties eyes and ran shivers down her spine. &,un>( "elanie
shouted. &/o back home> /.>(
They scattered, =ottie running towards her own flat. 7anting, she turned a corner to the
biggest street in the camp. 2ecause of the storm, she was the only person on the usually
crowded road. 'he turned and looked over her shoulder. -obody was there. 'he ran over to a
tree and snapped off a stick before hopping off, and hiding behind the large trunk. Hands
shaking, she made sure that the scrap of parchment didnt get wet as she unfolded it. "elanie
would probably kill her if she found out that she had tried this without her.
The words on the paper were faded? =ottie had to squint to make them out.
'(ada )eda(ra
=ottie frowned. The words were odd, and she felt as though she shouldnt say them out loud.
Waving her stick, she hissed '(ada )eda(ra.
-othing happened.
'he tried at least five times, finally getting e$tremely frustrated and throwing her stick back
into the street. 'omebody shouted. 7ocketing her parchment again, she rose and peaked
around the tree to see who it was. 0 group of 1eath @aters crept forward, looking more like
one giant black spider than separate people.
Trying not to scream, =ottie began to run back to her flat. 'he couldnt let the 1eath @aters
see her. 'he ran back through the alley and to the smaller street. There was another clump of
cloaked 1eath @aters on this street, but they were much farther away.
t felt as though the back of her throat was sticking to the front by the time she was halfway
there. 'he ran though, too scared to stop, taking the familiar route back to her home. The
1eath @aters were faster than she was, though, so when she finally arrived at the front door of
the building, they were not far off. 'he pushed open the door and ran down the hall. 2efore
she could open the door to her familys small room, it swung open.
Her mother stood in the doorway, smiling nervously at her daughter. &.h, thank goodness
youre here,( she said, shaking =ottie by the shoulders. & was so, so worried, what with the
1eath @aters running amokB(
&7osy%(
7osy blushed and turned back to =ottie. &.h, m sorry, love, forgot. Theres somebody
here to see you.(
Chapter 3: Chapter Two: The Invitation
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
8hapter two; The nvitation
2row furrowed, =ottie stepped into her familys flat. &To see me%( she repeated. &0re you
sure% Who would be here to see me% 0ll of my friends went home, didnt they%( 7osy
squeezed her daughters shoulder and smiled weakly.
0 quite unfamiliar man sat at the ,owes rickety table. He wore dark, fine robes that
reminded =ottie of the 1eath @aters who had marched down the streets. He was clean shaven,
unlike anybody else from the "uggle camps, and did not have one smudge of dirt on his face.
He couldnt have been from one of the camps, =ottie was sure of that.
&Hello, 8harlotte.( The man smiled, emphasizing his crows feet. =ottie glared at the man.
-obody had called her 8harlotte since she was very young, before she decided that =ottie
suited her, and 8harlotte didnt.
&=ottie,( she corrected.
&.h, of course. =ottie.( The man held his hand out. With a nudge from her mother, =ottie
finally took the mans hand and shook it. &"y name is 7rofessor )orna$ "aelioric.(
'he bit her lip, trying not to laugh. =ottie had never heard a name like "aelioric before, let
alone )orna$. &*eah% 'o whatre you doing here%(
"aelioric pointed to the empty chair across from him. ,esenting the invitation to sit down in
her own home, =ottie sat, folding her arms and raising her eyebrows at the man who barged
into her flat. &'o, =ottie, tell me, what do you think about magic%(
=ottie rolled her eyes. & think the people who have it abuse it, and that the people that dont
have it would do well with it.(
&Have you ever thought that there could be good people with magic%( =ottie bit her lip. 0ll
of the people with magic she had ever seen abused the power. <nsure of which answer would
be correct, she !ust looked at her lap. &2efore tell you, do you promise to keep it a secret%(
=ottie couldnt stand it. 'he needed to know what he was talking about. -ervously, she
looked over her shoulder at her parents who were both smiling down at her. &*es,( she said
suddenly feeling the urge to whisper. & promise. Whats the secret%(
"aelioric folded his hands on the table and leaned in, whispering as well. &Theres an entire
movement.( His voice made =ottie shiver. &Hundreds of witches and wizards who arent like
the 1eath @aters are fighting to end 5oldemorts reign.( =ottie gasped at the sound of the
1ark =ords name, but was too captivated by what this man was telling her to do anything
else about it.
'uddenly, =ottie felt as though somebody was pouring scalding honey into her stomach. Why
was this man telling her this% Would the 1eath @aters kill her if they found out that she knew
about a rebellion% What would she do with this information% &2ut##(
&Why am telling you this%( =ottie felt as though the man could read her mind. "aelioric
seemed to be en!oying the suspense. &*oure a witch, =ottie.(
7osy gasped and squeezed her husbands hand. &-athanielB( she whispered. &.ur
daughter.( =ottie turned around. Her mother was making it sound like it was a bad thing.
Our daughter.
&"e%( 'he didnt know what to think. He must have been lying. -obody in her family had
magic. Was it possible for her to have it% &-o way. Thats not possible. mean, my family is
entirely##(
&*ou know, "uggle#borns tend to pop up more often now.( "aelioric leaned back in his
chair, his eyes twinkling. &ts quite sporadic, but were beginning to believe that it has
something to do with a parents belief in magic.(
=ottie clenched her fists, scrunching up the baggy fabric on her pants. &0ndB erm B what
now%( she asked, trying to ignore her parents franticly hushed conversation behind her.
"aelioric laughed, clapping =ottie on the shoulder. &Well, you want to !oin the rebellion,
dont you%( He raised his eyebrows. &"ost eleven#year#olds !ump at the offer.(
&*es> .f course, meanB 2ut what do have to do%(
&Theres a school,( began "aelioric, &called 0lsemore. We train all of the "uggle#borns,
half#bloods and the occasional pure#blood there.( =ottie liked this idea the more he
e$plained.
&*ou mean can leave here%( =ottie tried not to bring her hopes up too far.
&*es,( answered "aelioric. &Though, we cant let the students come back here very often
because the 1eath @aters might recognize them.( =ottie turned around again and looked at
her parents. Their conflicted faces illustrated !ust how she felt. 'ure, she wanted to leave the
camp and help defeat the 1ark =ord, but she didnt want to never see her family again.
&There will be occasional visits, of course,( "aelioric added quickly.
=ottie turned back to him. &What would learn at that school%(
&"agic, of course,( said "aelioric with a laugh. &Though, you should be warned that this
school is more dangerous than most. The students are trained to fight and are e$pected to help
the cause by their si$th year, if not earlier.( =ottie bit her lip. &t is very dangerous, of
course,( "aelioric continued, &but our students are trained well, and we usually have adults
near by. @ach student is trained in one of three areas, and becomes that position in the war.(
&What do you think%( asked =ottie, turning to her parents.
7osy looked down at the floor, making sure her face was hidden. -athaniel tapped her gently
on the shoulder. 'he looked up at him, opening her mouth to say something, but he shot her a
stern look. =ooking back at his daughter, he smiled weakly. &Whatever you think is best,
=ottie,( he responded shakily. &1o you want to help the cause%(
&*es.( 'he turned back to "aelioric. &7rofessor, want to do it.(
&@$cellent>( "aelioric clapped his hands together. &Well, could !ust ask you if you know
how to read, !ust so we know where to begin%(
=ottie beamed. &*es,( she said proudly. "uggles in camps were not allowed to read,
according to the 1eath @aters. The 1ark =ord had taken over fairly recently, though, and
=ottie was only the third generation in the camp, so reading was easily taught in secret. "ost
girls her age knew, but she had seen a few kids whose parents or grandparents were so afraid
of the 1eath @aters, that they never learned.
&Thatll save us a lot of trouble then,( "aelioric mumbled, scribbling with a quill on a
yellowing piece of parchment that looked like the scrap of paper the man in the cap had tried
to sell to them.
&8an##can ask you a question, 7rofessor%(
&.f course.(
&1o we have to leave right now%( =ottie picked at the dirt under her fingernails. 'he wanted
at least a day to say goodbye to her family.
&0h, of course not,( "aelioric said with a shake of his head. He patted her on the shoulder.
&We will be collecting all of the first year students on "onday at noon. t doesnt give you a
lot of time to get ready, but you are not required to bring anything along.(
"ondayB =ottie took a deep breath. That only gave her a day and a half with her family.
&.kay.( 'he looked down at her lap. &"onday it is then.(
With a chuckle, "aelioric stood up. &*oull love it, dont worry.( He gave her a reassuring
smile. &0ll of the students do.(
& hope thats a promise,( she said nervously.
Without another word, the strange man turned around, and walked out the door, his cloak
billowing behind him. The door slammed behind him, and a loud crack caused 7osy to !ump
and drop a small mug she had been clutching.
&Well.( -athaniel leaned against the thin wall, arms crossed. &Thatll be quite an adventure,
wont it%(
=ottie tried to smile back at him, but suddenly didnt feel like she could. &## think m going
to go to bed.( 'he clutched her stomach and sat down on her bare mattress. & suddenly dont
feel very good.( /roaning, she fell backwards and shut her eyes.
t didnt take her long to fall asleep. This new information dragged down her eyelids with its
weight. When she woke, rain still pounded against the windows. t was a gloomy day, though
not quite as dark as the day before. =ottie, feeling only slightly better than the previous night,
opened the door to leave.
2ehind her, -athaniel was muttering something to 7osy. The unnerving sensation of people
talking about her crept up =otties spine. 'he spun around, letting the door shut loudly behind
her. &.h>( 7osy ran to =ottie, and brushed the rain off of her shoulders. &/ood morning,
dear. We didnt even hear you get upB(
-athaniel followed and ruffled her hair, chuckling sheepishly as he did. &*oure getting
sneakier and sneakier everyday, ll tell you that.(
8rossing her arms, =ottie took a step away from her parents. &'orry,( she said quietly. &m
going to go out today, is that okay% !ust want to see my friends for one more time.(
&.f course, love,( 7osy said and gave -athaniel a sharp flick on the back. He spun around
obediently and followed her to the other side of the room. 'tanding alone in front of the door,
=ottie pushed her knitted cap back onto her head, took a deep breath and silently left.
'he ran quickly through the rain, head tucked under her arm, before she spotted the pair of
tiny boots that she knew to be 7ips. &"orning>( squeaked 7ip sleepily.
=ottie picked her head up and smiled nervously. &"orning,( she repeated. &Have you seen
everybody else%(
&*eah, theyre all over there.( 7ip pointed to what once had been a large cart for selling food,
but was abandoned years ago. &0le$a got hurt when the 1eath @aters came last night,( she
said more solemnly.
)eeling the blood rush to her head, =ottie followed 7ip as they !ogged over to the cart.
&0le$a>( she shouted as she fell to her stomach and pushed herself under the gap between the
cart and the pavement. 0 ditch under the cart gave her enough room to sit up. 7ip followed
and fell easily into the tiny spot in between =ottie and Hattie.
&=ottie, where were you%( "elanie turned away from 0le$a and scooted closer to =ottie.
&0ll last night we were looking for you. ts hard to take care of one person in trouble when
were not sure where another one is.(
&'orry,( she breathed. & had to go back home. didnt know we were meeting back up.
thought you said##(
&-o, didnt.( "elanie turned back to 0le$a and muttered something to Hattie. 7romptly,
Hattie ran out from under the cart and into the street.
=ottie craned her neck so she could see over "elanies shoulder. &What happened to her%(
she asked, though by 0le$as appearance, she could guess. 2lood covered her entire right
arm, and there was a noticeably large gash across her upper arm.
&'he got caught on her way home last night,( .live said shakily. &'he nearly got away, but
they##they did something to her arm. Hatties going to get something to wrap it in.(
=otties heart skipped a beat. This was her chance to tell them. They had to know, especially
after the events of last night. &Wait,( she said quickly. @verybody turned to her. &##ve got
something to tell you.(
&=ottie, can it wait%( "elanie slapped her hand against the pavement. &This is more
important.(
&Wait>( =ottie grabbed "elanies arm. &ts important too.(
&What%(
&0 man came to visit me last night##(
&Honestly, =ottie.( 'hawnee glared at her. &This isnt the time.(
&='T@- T. "@>( =ottie slammed her fist against the top of the cart. @ven 0le$a picked up
her head to stare at her. &0 man came to visit me last night, and he told me that was magic.(
'ilence followed, only finally broken when muffled footsteps hurried towards them. &Thatll
be Hattie,( .live said quietly. True to .lives word, Hattie slid under the cart, the sleeve of
an old sweater wrapped around her hand.
&This is all could find,( she said handing it to 'hawnee. Without a word, 'hawnee snatched
it from her and began wrapping it carefully around 0le$as wound. 0s she did, "elanie
turned back to =ottie, eyebrows raised.
&What are you talking about%( she hissed.
&0 man, =ottie repeated slowly. &He told me that was magic, like the 1eath @aters.( There
was another silence. & mean, m not going to be like them,( she added hurriedly. &2ut ve
got magic.(
&=ottie.( "elanie grabbed her shoulder. &'eriously, whatever this man told you is a lie. Why
would you be magic% *oure !ust a plain "uggle. That was !ust some mad bloke lying to you
so he could kidnap you or something. 'top being ridiculous.(
=ottie forgot to breathe momentarily as pushed "elanies hand from her shoulder. &m not
being ridiculous.( 'he tried not to let her voice quiver. &ts true> 0nd one day ll come back
and be able to save one of you from a 1eath @ater, and then youll believe me.(
&0nd until then,( "elanie snapped back, &youll !ust be mad.(
/ripping her fists, =ottie shouted, &m not lying>( 'he turned to everybody in the group in
turn, receiving the same look every time. &-obody believes me% 7ip%( The si$#year#old
frowned at her and turned away. &)ine>( =ottie pulled herself out of the cart. 'he crouched
down and poked her head under it to see her friends for one more time. &ll see you in seven
years then.( Without another word, she picked herself up and walked away. .nce she was
sure that she was out of earshot, she began to run, wiping the rainwater and tears off of her
face.
'he stopped in front of the door to her building, pulled it open and snuck down the hall to her
own door. 2efore she could open the door, it was pushed open by her mother. &.h>( 'he
pushed her flyaway hair back into its messy bun. &m sorry, =ottie. was !ust heading to the
bakery to get you some food for your trip tomorrow.(
&.h##er##thanks.( =ottie trotted around her mother and to her small mattress in the corner.
'he didnt look up until the door slammed and she was sure her mother had left. Her father
was probably already at the rundown bakery that they ran. 0fter she was sure that her mother
was completely out of earshot, she let out a scream. 'omebody in the room ne$t door banged
on the wall.
Willing herself not to cry, =ottie kicked back at the wall, leaving a muddy boot#print. Trying
to ignore the bangs on the wall, she curled into as small of a ball as she could possibly
manage.
=ottie sniffed loudly. 'he didnt know why her friends were all suddenly angry with her. 'he
would never hurt her friends. 2ut hadnt she hurt 0le$a by not helping her% Heavy#minded,
she shut her eyes and fell into a restless sleep.
Chapter 4: Chapter Three: Odin Alley
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
AN: Thank you to 1eanine and The2ird again>
: : :
8hapter Three; .din 0lley
&0re you all ready then, =ottie%( 7osy attempted, yet again, to run a brush through =otties
tangled hair.
&*es, "um>( =ottie snatched the brush out of her mothers hands and picked at the huge mat
in her hair. &ve got a bag and everything.( 'he gestured to a small burlap sack near the
door. &0m##am meeting them outside or##(
&Theyre coming to get you,( 7osy answered quickly. &The professor told us in private. Hes
coming himself to pick you up, and youll all meet up and go to school, as to not draw
attention to yourself.(
&,ight.( =ottie dug the tip of her toe into the ground.
7osy held =otties shoulder tightly. &-ow, are you sure this is what you want to do%( she
asked quietly, her face pale. &2ecause you dont have to, if you dont want to. Well !ust talk
to him, and##(
& want to do it,( =ottie said sternly. &ve wanted to do this for my entire life, you know
that.(
There were three loud raps on the door. &Thatll be "aelioric,( said 7osy, giving =ottie a pat
on the back. 'hakily, =ottie walked to the door and opened it. "aelioric wore the same fine
robes as he had the day he visited her.
&/ood afternoon.( =ottie didnt return his warm smile. &Have you got any things gathered
up%(
&*##yeah.( =otties throat was rather dry. 'he ran and grabbed her bag. &2ye "um,( she said
quietly, not pushing away from her mothers hug.
&Try not to get in too much trouble, okay%( 7osy said tearfully.
&1ont worry wont.( 'he turned to "aelioric and followed him out of her flat. -ot looking
back for fear of tearing up as well, she called, &ll see you over the summer>(
'uddenly, "aelioric stopped. They were still in the hall of the building. =ottie looked up at
him, but he didnt flash her with his usual smile. &=ottie, do have something serious to
speak with you about.( =ottie gulped. Had she already gotten in trouble% & know you told
your friends about us,( he said in a hushed voice, trying not to let the occupants of the other
rooms hear.
=ottie felt as though her heart had !ust stopped. How did he know% Had he been watching
her% &-ow, since they didnt believe you, it isnt going to be a problem, butB( He raised his
eyebrows. &Aust be careful ne$t time, okay%(
Taking a relieved breath, =ottie said, &.kay.(
=ottie thought they were going to leave the building, but instead of heading to the door,
"aelioric spun around and led her down a tight corridor that she had never known was there.
&-ow, m going to take us to where were meeting everybody else,( said "aelioric. &Aust
grab onto my arm tightly, and dont let go.(
=ottie obeyed, feeling quite awkward, clinging onto the mans arm. 2efore she was able to
get a good look around the cramped hall, she heard a loud crack. t felt as though somebody
was trying to push her, headfirst into a tube that was far too small for her. 0 moment later,
she could breathe again. 'he stumbled, trying to catch herself, and fell onto the ground,
dazed.
"aeliorics laughter brought her back to reality. &1ont worry. -early everybody falls their
first time as well.( He held out his hand and helped her to standing. &0lright, m off to get
another student. Wait here with everybody else for a few minutes.( With that, he disappeared
again.
=ottie turned around. Dids, all her age, were sitting and waiting. 'he smiled at a boy. The boy
looked down at his lap, and folded his hands. -early all of the to#be students were all dressed
in old clothes like her. -obody said anything. Aoining in the silence, she sat down against one
of the curved walls.
The room they were in was plain. 0ll the walls and floors were grey. 0fter further inspection,
=ottie decided that they must have been some other color at one point, but faded and turned
grey. There were a few benches, and a large oak door.
"ore adults appeared, with students clutching to their arms, and then vanished again. 0 girl
who was unnervingly familiar arrived a few minutes after =ottie. 'he stood for a moment,
and then sat down ne$t to another girl and began talking. =ottie craned her neck to try and
determine where she had seen that girl before. Her thin brown hair was messy, and she had
blue eyes that were far too big for her face.
=ottie gasped when she realized who it was. 'he had often found that girl around the group of
girls who rivaled her friends. )ormer friends, she corrected herself. That girls conversation
had started a string of socialization that was spreading down the group of students. -ot
wanting to stand out on her first day, =ottie turned to the girl ne$t to her. 'he had brown hair,
brown eyes and a freckle#spotted button nose.
&Hi.(
The girl turned to her. &.h. Hello.( 'he pushed the brown hair out of her face. =ottie noticed
that her clothes were not nearly as torn as most of the students. &"y name is 0lison##well
0lly. 0lly .verton.(
&m =ottie ,owe.( They nodded and smiled at each other for a few moments, neither of
them knowing e$actly what to say.
&0re you a "uggle#born%( 0lly finally asked.
=ottie recognized that word. "aelioric had used it when he was e$plaining magic to her.
&@rmB *eah, think am. That means have non#magic parents, right%(
&*eah.(
&Then yeah, am.( There was a moments silence. &.h, what about you%( =ottie added
hurriedly.
0lly suddenly looked very e$cited. =ottie guessed that she had been waiting to tell her story.
&-o, m not,( she said proudly. =otties stomach fell. Was being a "uggle#born a bad thing%
&"y dads a "uggle, but my mum was a witch.( 'he looked behind her and leaned in. &"y
mum was fighting against the 1ark =ord, but she got killed by 1eath @aters.( =ottie noticed
that 0lly sounded more proud than upset that her mother had died. & grew up in a camp with
other half#bloods, not with "uggles.(
&Well that mustve been nice,( =ottie responded.
&t was okay. 7robably not as bad as wherever you were, considering what youre wearing.(
0lly laughed. =ottie did too, though it wasnt quite as genuine as 0llys.
=ottie opened her mouth to say something, but before she could there was a loud crack and
"aelioric appeared. .ne last student ran and sat down with the group. =ottie frowned when
she saw him. He didnt have tattered clothes like her? he didnt even have clothes like 0lly.
He was in dark robes that reminded her of "aeliorics.
&Well,( "aelioric said, clapping to get their attention. & believe that were all here now.( He
beamed at them. &0nother year, and another batch of first year students. =et me be the first to
welcome you all.( 0 murmur ran through the group of students. &2efore we get to 0lsemore,
you all can clean up a bit. @verybody will get three sets of uniforms. We have other clothes in
every size for weekends and holidays. @ach person may have two e$tra outfits. 0lso, you
may need to get glasses. We can provide you with them, if the Healers decide you need
them.( "aelioric pulled out a stick, !ust like the 1eath @aters. &0nd m sure you all have
been wondering about these.( =ottie leaned in, her gaze not moving from the thin piece of
wood.
&Well, these are wands that wizards and witches use to control their magic.( He chortled. &n
my e$perience, students are usually far too curious to find out what they are.(
=ottie couldnt help but mutter, &'o "elanie was wrong thenB( 0lly turned to her and shot
her a stern glance.
&'o##( he waved his wand, causing the doors to fly open &##first youll meet with a Healer,
and get yourself cleaned up a bit.(
@verybody stood up and shuffled silently behind "aelioric. -obody knew quite what to say.
=ottie glanced around nervously, looking for anybody who knew what a Healer was. 'he
thought that the large oak doors were heading to another corridor, but when she passed
through them, she found herself in an alley.
The sun shone through the scattered clouds. =ottie wondered if wherever they were had
e$perienced the same storms as =ondon had for the past week. "aelioric led the students
down the thin road. t looked as though they were heading towards a huge building. t was a
plain grey color, with small barred windows. 0s the group shuffled towards it, =ottie started
to feel a bit more apprehensive.
'he wondered what the building held. "aybe they were going to get their clothes or their
wands. =otties fingers itched at the idea of having her own wand, like the 1eath @aters.
&Where do you think were going%( she asked 0lly quietly.
0lley shrugged. &"aybe its where well get our uniforms%(
"aelioric stopped walking. 'tanding on the steps that led up to the grey building, he turned to
them. &Welcome to .din 0lley. t is one of a series of hidden locations we use to provide
resources or training for the war. 0 group of merchants !oined together to provide us with the
proper materials for us.( =ottie turned to ask 0lly how they were getting the materials in the
first place, but again, 0lly shot her a warning glance.
&'o, this is our first stop. !ust ask you all to be quiet when we enter, so we dont disturb any
of the patients.( 0 hush fell over the students as he led them inside the building. =ottie
shivered when she entered. 'he decided that it would be a better idea not to ask 0lly,
considering her strict attention to the rules.
0 group of adults in sterile white robes stood before them. "aelioric broke the students up
into five groups, based on where they were standing and the white robed adult standing
before them led them off. =ottie was happy to be in 0llys group, though was annoyed to see
the short, blue eyed girl from the camp was in the group as well.
&,ight.( The man leading their group turned to them. He had a thick cockney accent and
crooked teeth like a key. &'o, m here to check to make sure youre all okay and whatnot.
m a Healer, so can make sure youre all okay. 'oB you## ( He pointed at the blue eyed
girl from the camp &##come here.( The girl obeyed. The Healer pointed her wand at her. He
muttered something under his breath and handed her a small vial. &1rink. t will help that
cough of yours.(
The girl drank and winced at the taste. &-ow, youre going to need glasses so you can see
properly,( said the Healer curtly. He was to a cabinet and pulled out a pair of thickly rimmed
glasses. They made the girls eyes look even bigger now ## far too big for her face. =ottie
snickered along with the other kids. 2lushing, the bug#eyed girl returned to the group, but
made sure that she was far in the back, slightly detached from every else.
The task of making sure that everybody wasnt seriously sick or hurt soon became a very
tedious one. .ne boy needed a spell to fi$ a sprained wrist, and another girl had to take three
potions to get rid of an infection, but mostly the only thing everybody needed was a spell or
two to remove bruises.
=ottie shuffled over to the girl in the back and stood silently for a moment. The girl stared at
her. &=et me see those for a second, okay%( she whispered, snatching the glasses off of the
girls face.
&Hey>( The room went silent and everybody turned to them. &'orry>( the girl breathed and
turned back to =ottie. &/ive those back,( she hissed.
&tll !ust be a second>( =ottie pushed the glasses onto her face. ,ight away, everything went
blurry. The girl snatched them back and glared at =ottie. =ottie glared back. &)ine,( she said,
rolling her eyes. 'he threw the girls glasses back at her and !oined the group again.
The Healer pointed to =ottie and she stepped up, praying that she wouldnt need glasses.
8arelessly, he pointed his wand at her and sighed. &Howd you get these bruises%( he asked,
pointing to her arm.
=ottie blushed. & fell.( The Healer didnt seem satisfied with the answer. &Well you didnt
ask anybody else>( she said, putting her hands on her hips. &'omebody threw a rock at me,
and fell, are you happy%(
The Healer ignored her and waved his wand. =otties bruises began to shrink until they
disappeared. &0lright youre fine.( =ottie returned to her spot ne$t to 0lly. The Healer led
them out the door of their little room and back into the main hall, where all of the other
groups were waiting. 0 few of the other students had gotten glasses !ust like the big#eyed girl.
"aelioric appeared out of another room and took them out of what =ottie decided was a
hospital and down the alley. The other students were all chattering happily, but whenever
=ottie would turn to 0lley, she would return the glance with a loud &'hh>(
He brought them to a shop ## or what looked like a shop. .nce =ottie entered she realized that
it was definitely not a shop. t was bigger than any single room she had ever seen before.
,ows of clothes stretched back nearly to the end of the room.
&This is where youre going to get your uniforms,( "aelioric informed them, giving one boy
a pat on his back. &'o each of you go down to the wall and line up.( =ottie followed another
boy down one of the rows of clothes. There were dark cloaks that looked !ust like the ones
the 1eath @aters wore, long robes that looked like water and coats with far too many pockets.
'he chose a spot ne$t to 0lly, who smiled at her. &@$cited to get nicer clothes%( she asked.
&@r##yeah.( =ottie laughed nervously. &What about you%(
& suppose. wish we didnt have a uniform, though.(
&Well, if theyre supplying us with everything, how wouldnt we have one%(
0lly shrugged and looked down at her feet. 0 grumpy middle#aged man was walking down
the line of students throwing what looked like a large duffle bag down at their feet, muttering
something about the worst day of the year. Three women and the same man bustled
importantly down the line. .ne boy gasped when the measuring tapes hovered in the air and
began to measure without any help. The three witches and the wizard scribbled down the
measurement with a quill on parchment.
=ottie was relieved when one of the friendly looking witches took her measurement, though
0lly didnt look very happy with the wizard who was scribbling down her measurements.
The witch handed =ottie a small card with a purple check on it.
&,ight, you lot,( the man said gruffly. &'ee that little check on the card you got% /o to the
desk that has the same color check as your card. 0nd dont forget your bags.( The spun
around, e$changed a glance with "aelioric and left to the desk with a green check.
&What colorve you got%( 0lly asked.
&7urple. *ou%(
&.range.(
&Well, guess ll see you in a few minutes then,( =ottie said, trying to sound optimistic. 'he
really didnt want to be separated with the only person she had met. 0lly followed a boy to
the desk with the orange check on the front and =ottie trotted to the purple desk, her new bag
around her shoulder.
&-ame%( =ottie looked up. 0 witch with a roll of parchment towered above her.
&.h##er =ottie ,owe.(
The woman scanned down the line. &"mB 8harlotte, you mean%(
=ottie turned a delicate shade of pink, feeling the eyes of her classmates behind her. &*eah,
8harlotte,( she said through gritted teeth.
&,ight, so go down over there.( The witch pointed to where another wizard was standing.
&/et your uniforms from him, and then go through that door and get your two free wear
outfits.(
=ottie slid down the line and stood in front of the man. He pointed at her bag. 8arefully, she
handed it to him, making sure that he wasnt about to steal it. He piled three sets of uniforms
into the large duffle and threw it back at her. 'he stumbled back with the new weight in her
bag and ran into the room with the purple check over it.
The room was divided into two sections. .n the left hand side, there was a rickety sign that
read Wit%hes and on the right, an equally as old sign read Wi*ards. 'he followed the
other girls in front of her to the left side of the room, and started looking through the clothes.
-one of the clothes had patterns or writing on the front. =ottie picked a black and a red top,
two pairs of faded !eans, and a green sweater. @verything looked as though it had been worn
before.
&.kay, has everybody got everything%( The man who was giving everybody a uniform poked
his head in the door. &/o and wait out in the front room, when you are.(
=ottie shouldered her duffle and walked to the front room. 'he spotted 0lly immediately and
waved. 0lly looked thoroughly annoyed, but waved back away. &Whats up with you%(
=ottie asked, laughing.
0lly didnt laugh with her. & got put with kids who are a lot taller than me.( 'he stomped her
foot on the floor. &0nd now all of my clothes are way too big.(
&Well, they probably did that for a reason, dont you think%( 0lly didnt seem satisfied with
her answer. &"aybe they think youll grow really fast, or something. dont know.(
0lly went on to e$plain how she hadnt realized that it was sorted by size until she saw that
all of the clothes they were offering her were the same size, but that they were all too big for
her. &0nd id you see how plain they were%( 'he sighed. &"ost of the kids in my camp had at
least a pattern on their clothes.(
&s everybody here%( "aeliorics voice rang through the large room. &/ood,( he said as he
left the room. He waved for all of the students to follow him back into the cobblestone alley.
&.ur ne$t stop is the wand shop. *ou will get your books and other supplies at school,( he
said importantly. &t would be too complicated to do it now, and considering everybody is
getting the same thing, besides clothes and wands, we decided it wouldnt hurt to let it wait.(
He pointed to a tiny shop at the end of the street. =ottie wondered how everybody would fit
in there.
0pparently, it was very possible to fit forty eleven#year#olds to fit in a tiny shop. =ottie didnt
understand how it was possible, and by everybodys e$pression, neither did they. The inside
of the room seemed to be far bigger than the outside, with enough room to provide a seat for
each student. =ottie sat down in a squishy armchair and 0lly chose a large pink pouffe ne$t to
her.
There was an old woman standing before them, staring at "aelioric. .nce he nodded at her,
she cleared her throat and spoke. & am "iss .utterridge.( 'he raised her eyebrows, as
though waiting for somebody to cry out of disbelief. &/etting a wand is not as simple as most
of you might think. t is not##( she glared sharply at a boy in the front who had started
snickering &##simply a matter of finding one that you like or that might look nice. 0s a great
man once said Ethe wand chooses the wizard.(
"aelioric pulled out a piece of parchment and handed it to "iss .utterridge, who unfolded it.
&,ight, so know this is a bit tedious,( "aelioric said. &2ut it could be quite interesting if
you try to notice a pattern.( He winked at them and left the tiny shop. This time several
students really did shout out of disbelief. =ottie shared their feeling. 'he definitely did not
want to be left in a room with this batty old woman.
&We will go in order of seating,( said .utterridge, pointing to the girl sitting in the front.
=ottie suddenly regretted taking a seat in the last row. &-ame%(
&1#1orothea "elville.( .utterridge searched down the parchment and turned to a pile of
bo$es. 'he pulled one from the middle, and handed the wand inside to 1orothea. &s this it%(
asked 1orothea, smiling at the wand.
&Well dont +now yet, do %( .utterridge sighed over#dramatically. &Wave it>( 1orothea,
blushing heavily, took the wand and waved it. -othing happened. &Well, thats not it, is it%(
'he pulled out another bo$ and gave the girl another wand. 1orothea waved it, and purple
sparks shot out of the end.
'everal of the students gasped and clapped for 1orothea, who grinned. &Thats an interesting
combination,( the old woman rasped. &2irch, nine inches, phoeni$ feather.( .utterridge gave
1orothea the bo$ and let her take her seat.
Ten students later, =ottie realized that it wasnt nearly as entertaining as she thought it would
be. t took .utterridge a few tries to get everybodys wand, but there was always that shower
of sparks at the end. The big#eyed girl with the glasses stood up. When .utterridge asked her
name, she said &0ndrea Woolbright,( quietly.
t took 0ndrea over ten tries to get the right wand. =ottie had to fight the urge to yell at
.utterridge.
)inally, when she had found the correct one, =ottie slouched back down in her seat. 0lly was
nearly sleeping also. =ottie tapped her lightly on the shoulder. 'he looked up and sighed.
&'till at it%( she asked. =ottie nodded solemnly.
t must have been an hour later, when the boy sitting ne$t to =ottie sat down. )illed with a
sudden surge of energy, she ran up to the front, beaming. &-ame%(
&=ottie##er##8harlotte ,owe.(
.utterridge checked her name off on the parchment and searched through the bo$es. &Here,
try this oneB 0sh, fourteen inches, phoeni$ feather.( =ottie waved it, but nothing happened.
& suppose not. How about this one% Hickory, eight inches, unicorn tail hair.( That wand
didnt seem to do the trick either. =ottie went through five more wands, until she pulled a
fairly average sized one. &'ycamore and walnut, ten inches, dragon heart string.( =ottie
waved it, and immediately green and gold sparks shot out of the tip of the wand. Her fingers
tingled from the magic.
.utterridge gave her the bo$ and =ottie sat back down. 0lly was the first person that
.utterridge found a wand for in one try. =ottie wondered if that meant her magic was
stronger than most peoples.
)inally, the last boy got his wand, and "aelioric reappeared. =ottie understood why he had
left now. He walked backwards as he led them back to the room where they had all met. &'o
did anybody get their wand on their first try%( he asked conversationally. 0lly raised her
hand. &0h> 1amn. owe ,yan five /alleons, then. This is the first time .utterridge has done
that in about B ten years.( 0lly beamed proudly.
There must have been twenty teachers all standing in the room that they had been waiting in
earlier. &-ow, two students per teacher, please,( "aelioric called through the confusion.
&Were !ust going to 0pparate to the school.(
=ottie and 0lly ended up with a teacher who had thick brown hair, speckled with grey that
was tied back tightly. &Hello,( she said stiffly. &m 7rofessor 'tainthorpe. Aust grab onto my
arm, and well leave.( =ottie and 0lly held onto the professor and waited for the unnerving
sensation of traveling through a space without air.
They appeared in what felt like a dungeon. =ottie stumbled back and forth, and 0lly had to
hold onto her arm to stop from falling over. Without saying goodbye, 'tainthorpe turned
around and left quickly.
.nce everybody had arrived, "aelioric stood before them. &Welcome,( he said, smiling at all
of them, &to 0lsemore 0cademy.(
Chapter 5: Chapter Four: The Ivory Table
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
A/N: really can3t thank my two betas, The2ird and 1eanine, enough.
: : :
8hapter )our; The vory Table
'till beaming, "aelioric led the students up a wide staircase, speaking as he went. &2efore
you may !oin your fellow students in the welcome feast, you must be 'orted.( 0 few students
whispered to each other in confusion. "aelioric turned around and spoke more gently. &0
few of you might have learned about how Hogwarts used to 'ort their students as well.(
=ottie suddenly felt e$tremely ignorant of the world she was entering. 'he didnt know what
"aelioric meant by 'orting or Hogwarts. "aybe they were being divided on how much
magic they had.
&This 'orting, however, will be nothing like theirs.( "aelioric paused. &*ou see, while they
'orted based on personality, we 'ort based on ability.( =otties stomach dropped. &There is
not one House better than the other,( he began, slowly. =ottie could tell that House rivalry
must have been a problem. &There are three Houses, run by my two co#heads 7rofessor
7almyitor, 7rofessor 8lynalmoy, and myself.
&@ach House is focused on one necessary role in the war. The members of 7rofessor
8lynalmoys House will be trained in strategy and war planning. The members of my House
learn the skills of battle skills and dueling. 0nd##( his face darkened &##the members of
7rofessor 7almyitors House are spies.(
0 shiver ran up =otties spine. &"ust be a bit like that 'lytherin House, eh%( 0lly whispered.
Having absolutely no idea what 0lly was talking about, =ottie shrugged. t didnt sound like
a good thing thoughB
"aelioric turned back around and led them towards a large door. &'o when we go through
this door, wait at the end of the hall until your name is called.( With a wave of his wand, the
door opened.
The room they entered was vast and triangular. The first years stood at one of the points of
the triangle. Two long tables stretched across two walls and one sat in between them. 0nother
table was along the last edge of the triangle, with adults sitting at it, instead of students.
n the middle of the triangle, there was what looked like a large square table made out of
white stone, covered in tiny carvings. =ottie couldnt make out what any of the carvings
were, but she noticed a light purple glow flickering through them.
0s "aelioric took his seat at the head table, another man stood up. He looked !ust as
important, with his hands on his hips. &Welcome, students,( he said. The room was silent.
=ottie strained her ears to hear the mans quiet voice. &)or those of you who dont know,
am 7rofessor 8lynalmoy. 2efore we make the start#of#term announcements, we must begin
the 'orting.( =otties stomach turned over. 8lynalmoy turned to the first years. &0ll you have
to do is place your hands on the stretch of blank ivory when you are called, and we will
choose your House.( He turned to a strict looking woman who =ottie assumed was 7rofessor
7almyitor.
&0cker, Travis,( the woman said, reading from a sheet of parchment.
0 boy with thick, curly red hair stumbled up to the front near the Table. =ottie could see his
hands shaking as he placed them on the ivory. ,ight as he did, his nervous e$pression was
washed off of his face, and one of horror or pain ## =ottie couldnt tell which ## replaced it.
Her stomach twisted more tightly into a knot, and from 0llys shaking ne$t to her, she
guessed that hers had also.
The engravings on the Table flamed bright orange for a moment before it died down. The
heads all stood up and walked to the Table, inspecting it. =ottie could only spot a few of the
small pictures glowing odd colors. 'he couldnt make out what the carvings were, but the
heads seemed to take that detail into account very specifically. They continued blazing for
nearly a minute, until the color finally vanished from them and Travis 0cker wrenched his
hand from the Table. The three heads mumbled to each other softly for a moment, before
turning back to the students. Aoyfully, "aelioric said, &Welcome to "aelioric.(
The table in the center started cheering loudly. =ottie guessed that they were the "aeliorics.
1irected by the heads, Travis sat down with his new House#mates, looking relieved.
=ottie waited nervously as she watched all of the students get sorted. 'ophie 8oghlan was
'orted into 7almyitor and didnt look very happy about it. "ost of the first years were being
'orted into "aelioric. t did look as though that table was much longer than the other two.
=ottie turned to 0lly to point this out, but 0lly had turned rather white. &.rman, 5ictor( had
!ust been 'orted into "aelioric.
&.verton, 0lison.(
&/ood luck,( =ottie whispered. 0lly grimaced back at her as she walked to the Table. The
heads didnt take nearly as long deciding which House she would !oin. The table on the far
right cheered when "aelioric announced that she would be !oining 8lynalmoy.
=ottie decided that she would be best fit for 8lynalmoy as well. 'he had always been quite
clever, she thought. *es, she would definitely be a 8lynalmoy. &,oss, ,obert( took his seat
at the "aelioric table, and 7almyitor shouted, &,owe, 8harlotte>(
'uddenly quite aware of her ragged clothing, =ottie shuffled to the center of the room. 'he
wished that she was wearing her new uniform like the older students. With a glance at
"aelioric, she placed both hands on the blank stretch of ivory.
0n itch traveled from the base of her toes up to her fingertips. Her head was throbbing as she
involuntarily relived moments of her life she had tried to forget. t wasnt e$actly pain,
though. 'he longed to pry her hands off of the stone, but was stuck to it. 'he could feel
everybodys eyes burning into the back of her head, so to distract herself, she stared down at
the Table.
n front of her a carving of an o$ shined a deep scarlet and what looked like a snake was
glittering green. =ottie was sure that she saw a trail of ants, a bow and a sail of a ship all
glowing a deep blue. Her pulling finally paid off when the Tables magical pull was broken
and she went stumbling backwards. 'he steadied herself, making sure not to put her hands on
the Table and watched the heads mutter to each other.
8lynalmoy, it had to be 8lynalmoy. Why were they taking so long to decide% They seemed to
be arguing. The other students seemed to be getting impatient. =ottie silently urged the heads
to hurry up.
&Welcome to 7almyitor.(
The words stung =ottie. 'he could feel all eyes upon her. 'he had to move quickly or else be
embarrassed in front of anybody, but 7almyitor% They must have been kidding. Trying to
ignore the tingling in her fingertips, she sat down on long bench at the 7almyitor table. 'he
turned around to the 8lynalmoy table. 0lly was watching the 'orting, apparently not
concerned that her first friend was !ust 'orted into a different House.
&'crivener, 8olm>( The boy who had been wearing fine robes, instead of tattered clothes like
everybody else walked up to the Table. =ottie picked her head up to watch the 'orting.
"aybe it would take her mind off of the fact that she was going to spend the ne$t seven years
in a House where she didnt belong.
8olms 'orting didnt take nearly as long as =otties, ending with "aelioric shouting
&Welcome to "aelioric>( The boy marched to the center table and sat down with a confident
laugh. =ottie glared at him, but didnt get a response.
The 'orting continued. =ottie couldnt bring herself to focus. Why was she in 7almyitor% 'he
could never spy. 'he was never able to lie to anybody. t wasnt fair that her only friend was
in a different House. The heads must have been testing her. They would switch her once they
realized how much more of a 8lynalmoy they were than a 7almyitor.
&Woolbright, 0ndrea>( The bug#eyed girl placed her hands on the Table.
Oh please dont let her be with me, =ottie pleaded. 2eing placed in the wrong House was bad
enough, but having a girl she utterly despised on the same one was too much.
&7almyitor>(
=ottie felt her heart sink. 'he wanted to stand up and shout that it wasnt fair, and that either
she had to be transferred or that Woolbright girl had to. 2efore she could protest, &*o$all,
8amilla( was 'orted into 8lynalmoy, and the three heads waved their wands. 7romptly, the
Table vanished, leaving =ottie to wonder where it had gone.
& hope,( 7rofessor 7almyitor said, as she stood in front of the students, her arms locked
behind her back, &that those students who are unhappy with their Houses will not come
crying to us.( Her eyes didnt sparkle like "aeliorics did. &*ou are there for a reason, and it
will be prosperous to both yourself and the war effort.( 'he cleared her throat. &n any case, if
the older students have forgotten, you are not to leave the grounds at any time unless
accompanied by a professor. *ou are only to be outside when either going to a class or when
a professor is feeling quite generous and is willing to supervise all activities.(
=ottie watched 7almyitor intently. 'he was not the sort of woman that =ottie wanted to spend
the ne$t seven years of her life with. &2ut !udging by these hungry faces,( "aelioric cut in,
&it would be much more prosperous-- while 7almyitor wasnt looking, he made a face at all
of the students &##for the feast to begin>(
"ore food than =ottie had ever seen suddenly filled the plates around her. 'he was afraid to
try it. How could anybody have so much food when there were thousands of people dying of
starvation in the "uggle 8amps% &*ou might want to eat something before its all gone,( an
older boy said, giving =ottie a nudge on the shoulder.
With a nod, she reached out and grabbed a giant turkey leg. n her time in the 8amp, she
often saw 1eath @aters drunkenly parading about with turkey legs in their hands. 'haking
with e$citement, she took a bite.
t was the most wonderful thing she had ever tasted. 'he crammed more and more of the meat
into her mouth enthusiastically. &-ow, dont forget to chew,( laughed the same boy sitting
ne$t to her.
When the turkey leg was merely a bone resting on her plate, =ottie had to restrain herself
from taking another one. There were so many more new flavors to be tasted. The vegetables
were fresher than she ever knew vegetables could be. =ottie ended up trying everything
e$cept for the bread, which she had eaten quite enough of in the last eleven years.
&0nd on such a happy note,( 8lynalmoy said, standing up. =ottie rubbed her stomach, now
feeling as though she had been filled with sand. &We will end our feast and get all students to
bed, so tomorrow we wont need to talk to students who fell asleep in the back of the class.(
With a smile he said, &'leep well>(
The food vanished, and =ottie forced herself to stand up. 7rofessor 7almyitor quickly pushed
her way to the front of the 7almyitor table. &)irst years, follow me to the common rooms,(
she said sharply.
-ot making eye contact with any of the other students, =ottie shuffled along behind her.
7almyitor led them down a long winding staircase, until one of the boys panted and clutched
a stitch at his side. t was cold in the dungeons and =ottie couldnt wait to get into her new
sweaters. They turned a corner and stood in front of a huge grandfather clock. t was taller
than =ottie, but if she stood on her tip toes she would be able to reach the face.
&This is the entrance to your common rooms and dormitories,( 7almyitor said. &n order for
the clock to let you in, you must set it to a specified time. )or a few weeks, the time will be
eleven fifty eight.( =ottie watched her move the hands to read the time. There was a click,
and the door on the trunk opened. nstead of a pendulum, =ottie could see light flickering
through it. The hands of the clock spun back to the correct time. &0 prefect will be inside
waiting inside for you.( Without another word, 7almyitor spun around and left the first years
standing in front of the clock.
&Well are you coming in, or not%( a voice called from within the clock.
&1o you suppose we should go in, then%( a girl with e$tremely long hair asked. -obody
answered. Tentatively, the girl squeezed through the door of the clock. =ottie heard a gasp
from inside, and the girl poked her head back out. &8ome on>( she shouted.
=ottie followed with all of the other first years and gasped !ust like the girl with the long hair
did when she entered the common room. The floors were made of a polished wood and the
walls were made of large stones. 0rmchairs and couches surrounded small tables all around
the circular room. 1irectly across the room was an elegant fire place.
&,ight.( The same boy who had talked to =ottie at the feast was standing in front of them. He
wore a uniform similar to the one =ottie had gotten earlier that day, e$cept he wore a red vest.
&'o m your prefect,( he said dully. &"y names 'tanley 2arlow.( dont really do much
e$cept what m doing now and some other business that you first years dont need to know
anything about until youre quite older.
&"y !ob is to e$plain the basics of the school for tonight,( he continued. &*oull find that
your duffel bag has been placed in front of a bed in your dormitory. That will be your bed for
the ne$t seven years, so hope you like your spot.( He laughed. 'ome of the older students
who had opted to spend a few hours in the common room instead of going to bed were
watching the prefect with amused e$pressions.
&.n your bed, youll also find a pile of several books, some parchment and quills, and a
schedule. *oull have most of your classes with each other, but you will have a few with the
other Houses too.( 'ome of the older students snickered. &'hut up, you,( the prefect said with
a laugh. &0nyways, youll also get a towel and some toiletries. 1ont lose that towel, because
you wont get another one. That soap has to last you until )ebruary, so dont use it all up
right away.(
&=isten to him>( one of the older students shouted from the back. &*oull regret not having
soap for a month>(
&'o,( the prefect muttered, &thats Ebout it. .h> 'ee those stairs%( He pointed to a long
staircase far off to the right. &2oys go up and girls go down to the dormitories. *oull know
which one is yours. 'o, gnight then.(
=ottie wanted to stay down in the common room and try to make new friends, but found that
she was suddenly overcome with tiredness. 'he followed two other girls down the stairs to
the dormitory. 0 sign on the first door read &'eventh years.( They kept walking down a long
corridor until they found the sign that read &)irst years.(
The girl with the long hair gasped again when they entered. The room was about the size of
=otties old apartment. )our grey four#poster beds took up most of the space, with two
against a wall, and the other two across from them. =otties bed ended up being farthest from
the door, right under the window.
Aust as the prefect had said, she found her new clothes, a pile of books, a bag with soap,
toothbrushes and toothpaste and shampoo, and some parchment and quills. There was a note
on the top of her books.
lease dont forget to bring your boo+s, wand, par%hment and ,uills to %lass tomorrow. &ou
may use your duffel bag as a boo+ bag. 'n alarm will wa+e you in the morning with enough
time to ta+e a shower, %hange into your new uniform and ma+e it downstairs to brea+fast.
&ou may write a note to your family with your new par%hment and ,uills. -f you lea(e it on
your bed in the morning, it will be deli(ered to them.
.a(e a good night,
rofessor almyitor
=ottie smiled. 0t least she would be able to contact her family. 'he pushed her books off of
the side of her four#poster, opened her duffel, and found a pair of grey pa!amas on the top.
'he changed behind the curtains of her four#poster. .nce she opened the curtains, and sat
down on her bed to find the girl with the long blonde hair staring at her.
&*ou know theres a bathroom across the hall.( 'he was wearing her grey pa!amas also.
&.h.( =ottie shrugged. &Well thats good to know guess.(
&m Aulianne,( the girl said.
&m =ottie.( The girl stared at her. &Well, think m going to go to sleep,( =ottie continued,
uncomfortable with the girls wild stare.
&0lright. /oodnight, then.(
&/oodnight.(
=ottie shut the curtains, and sat back on her pillow. The bed was much more comfortable than
her old mattress. The grey curtains offered a wonderful privacy from her other dorm#mates,
though they made it very dark and difficult to see. 'quinting, =ottie picked up one of her new
quills and rolls of parchment. 'he carefully dipped the quill into the metallic blue ink and
began to write, making sure not to spill any ink on the sheets.
/ear mum and dad,
0%hool is great. - 1ust got here tonight. We too+ a trip to a pla%e %alled Odin 'lley. -t was 1ust
an old alley that sold lots of magi%al things. We got new uniforms and %lothes. 2hey also too+
us to a hospital. One girl needed glasses, but - didnt, whi%h is good be%ause they loo+ed
pretty stupid on that girl. 2here was a feast tonight. 2his pla%e has more food than -(e e(er
seen. &oud lo(e it. - 1ust had one of those huge tur+ey legs li+e the /eath Eaters. Maybe -ll
be able to bring home some food this summer.
- lo(e you and - promise -ll write often,
3ottie
Chapter : Chapter Five: Al!emore
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note:Thanks to my two beautiful betas, The 2ird and 1eanine, for working so hard
on this mundo#long chapter for me> am so so '. sorry for the long wait. had the play, and
then vacation, and ... well time !ust got away from me> Hopefully the ne$t one won3t take as
long> .h, and all credit goes to "ala for the "inister stuck in the revolving door idea.
: : :
8hapter )ive; 0lsemore
The ne$t morning, a loud buzzing filled the dormitory, quickly stirring the girls from their
sleep. =ottie carefully placed her letter face down on the bottom of her bed. t was odd to
wake up with a thick blanket and springy mattress. Trying to ignore the bud of guilt inside of
her for leaving her family to that life, she dumped all of the clothes out of her duffle and
filled it with her new class books before placed her wand on top of it. 'winging her toiletry
bag and towel over her shoulder and tucking her uniform under her arm, =ottie headed to the
bathroom.
The bathroom was very unlike the bathrooms she was used to. There was no awful smell or
dirt covered walls, but instead twelve neat bathroom stalls all lined up against one wall, and
twelve showers across from them. 0long the other two walls, there were rows of sinks. =ottie
hung her new clothes up on the hook ne$t to her shower. 'he closed the curtain, and opened
her bag to get her soap.
=ottie had never showered with such hot water? she nearly burned herself before getting used
to it. The shampoo that they had given her must have been magical, because when she rinsed
it out, all of the knots that were in her hair had vanished without even one brush. .nce she
had dried off, =ottie changed behind the shower curtain.
When she pushed the curtain aside, she saw all of the other 7almyitor girls brushing their
teeth and getting ready for the day. =ottie copied what the other girls were doing and brushed
her teeth as well, before heading back to the dormitory to get her bag for the day. The letter
was still on her bed when she got there. The girl 0ndrea from the "uggle 8amp was
organizing her books on the bed ne$t to her.
&Hello,( 0ndrea said stiffly, not looking up at =ottie.
=ottie glared back. &Hi,( she finally muttered. 'he checked to make sure she had all of her
supplies. Her books were all in her bag, her wand was tucked into the pocket sewn into the
left inside of her robe, and she had her schedule in her front pocket.
The school uniform looked a bit ridiculous on 0ndrea. =ottie had to focus on her upcoming
classes not to laugh. 0ndreas dark green sweater was much baggier than it was on =ottie,
and her skirt went all the way down passed her knees, whereas =otties ended a few inches
above it. 0ndreas boots were huge and clunky, and her black robe trailed a few inches
behind her.
&Wed better get down to breakfast,( 0ndrea said, busily swinging her bag over her shoulder,
and pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. &Weve only forty five minutes before
weve got 8harms.( 'he turned to leave, and then spun around to look at =ottie. &8oming, or
not%(
&'ure, m coming,( =ottie muttered. &Aust not with you,( she added under her breath.
0ndrea, apparently, heard this and spun around. &)ine,( she said coldly, staring defiantly over
=otties head. &Have fun then. 0nd hope you know that your stupid friends at the 8amp
have gotten themselves into more trouble since you last saw them.( 'he left swiftly, her huge
boots clunking up the stone stairway.
&Whatd you say to her%( The long#haired girl called Aulianne poked her head out of her
curtains.
&-othing,( =ottie muttered. &m going down to breakfast. 'ee you.( 'he trotted down the
hallway and up the stairs to the common room. 0s she crawled out of the clock, she reminded
herself of the time shed need to remember to get back in. 'tomach sinking, she stood for a
moment in front of the clock, not sure how to get back to the /reat Hall.
0 few older 7almyitors clambered out of the clock and started heading up a long staircase.
=ottie followed them, trying to look as though she knew e$actly where she wanted to go, and
that it was !ust a coincidence that she had ended up behind them. They led her up a staircase,
down a long zig#zagging corridor and up another staircase. )inally, they arrived in the /reat
Hall, and =ottie took a seat at the far end of the 7almyitor table, away from the girls she had
followed.
'he checked her schedule? 0ndrea was right. 'he did have 8harms first, and after )lying, and
then lunch. =ottie filled her plate with fruits and sausages, amazed at all of the students
casually sitting and eating. Through the entire breakfast period, she had to control herself not
to eat too quickly. 0 bell rang through the school and all of the students began to leave the
/reat Hall. 0ndrea snapped her fingers in the air. &)irst years,( she shouted, & know where
were going, if you need a guide.( =ottie rolled her eyes, but !oined the others 7almyitor first
years around her.
&'ince when are you the boss%( =ottie spat.
&'ince m the only one who cares enough about our classes to ask a prefect. 8ome on.( 'he
led them forward with an important air. They went up one flight of stairs, and down a narrow
corridor, before 0ndrea stopped before a large door. &Here we are.(
The classroom was large with risers and desks in front of the seats. &'it down quickly.( The
teacher paced up and down the classroom busily. =ottie recognized her as the professor who
had 0pparated with her and 0lly. &This class is only 7almyitors, so it will be fairly small this
term, thankfully.( The professors thick graying#brown hair was let down, instead of pulled
back like it had been the day before. =ottie could tell that she had used quite a lot of gel, and
it had to be a very special occasion to cause her to let it down.
& am 7rofessor 'tainthorpe,( the professor said. &*oull find that 8harms is one of the most
important skills you will learn during your time here at 0lsemore. That being said, you will
want to pay attention early, as not to fall behind later. suggest you take notes, beginning
today. *ou may think since were not learning magic##( some of the students groaned, &##
were not doing anything important, but assure you that you will not be able to pick up a
wand until you master this material.(
7rofessor 'tainthorpe paused for a moment, letting all of the students for parchment and
quills. =ottie dipped her quill in her black ink and waited for the professor to begin speaking
again. &1ont feel bad if you dont know the answer, but can anybody tell me what a charm
is%(
0 boy in the front shifted in his seat, but didnt raise his hand. & didnt e$pect anybody to
know,( 'tainthorpe said with a smile. =ottie frowned. .f course nobody would know. They
had only !ust arrived in the magical world the day before. &0 charm is a type of spell that
changes an ob!ect. t makes that particular item behave differently than it would naturally.( 0
scratching of quills followed her sentence.
&)or e$ample##( 'tainthorpe pulled out her wand. =ottie noticed it was a much lighter shade
than the body of her own wand. 7rofessor 'tainthorpe muttered an incantation, concentrating
on the front row of desks. The entire class shouted in amazement, when they saw that the
desks had suddenly begun flashing different colors. 'tainthorpe waved her wand again, and
the wood went back to normal. &-ow, as you all know, a desk would not normally do that,
which makes that spell a charm.(
The lesson continued for another hour and a half, leaving all of the students with a roll of
parchment full of notes. =ottie stuck her notes into the front page of her 8harms book, and
followed the other 7almyitors to where 0ndrea was standing, her hands on her hips.
&.ur ne$t class is flying,( she said busily. &ts on the grounds, and after that weve got
lunch.( 'he spun around. &m sure you all can figure out where the grounds are, but ll
show you, if youre !ust worried about taking the wrong door.( =ottie grumbled along with
the other 7almyitors, but decided to follow 0ndrea again, as to not get lost.
They went down the same flight of stairs as they went up that morning, passing a group of
8lynalmoy first years. =ottie spotted 0lly and waved. With a flick of her hair, 0lly turned
away and laughed with her new 8lynalmoy friends. &'hes a real prat, heard,( a boy
muttered ne$t to =ottie. & pity her friends.(
=ottie sighed, and looked at the floor. &*eah, do too.( 'he pursed her lips and shuffled
through the @ntrance Hall with the other 7almyitors. "aybe 0lly wasnt the best first friend.
t wasnt the worst thing in the world, =ottie decided. 'he had plenty of time to make new
friends, and the 7almyitors all seemed pretty nice.
0 blast of cool air greeted =ottie as she walked through the door. &.ver there.( 0ndrea
pointed to a patch of perfectly manicured grass, where a heavy#set man stood, waving at the
first years. The grass before the flying field was thick and untamed? it made =otties bare legs
itch as she walked through it.
&2out time>( the man said when they arrived on the short grass. &ve been waiting out here
for hours.( =ottie frowned at the man. 8lasses hadnt even been going for more than two
hours. .ne of the boys opened his mouth to point this out, but received a sharp warning
elbow in the ribs from Aulianne.
&'o, Eere we are, eh%( He stretched his arms, and yelled into the air. Aulianne took a step
away from the professor. &8all me 7rofessor 'eward, will yeh%( He took a deep breath with
his hands on his hips. &"ost folks Eround here think that flyin class is !ust rum and coke, but
you all should know that its one of the most important classes youll learn Eere, thats right.(
=ottie highly doubted that flying could be that important, considering that the professor
seemed to be completely insane. &Were not flying !ust to learn tplay stupid games like
+uidditch. )lyin is an important part of a read an write, it is. 'ee, yeh need to get away if
yeh find an Eeap o coke whos !ust plain barney, dont yeh%(
-obody said anything. .ne boy cleared his throat. =ottie didnt have the heart to tell
7rofessor 'eward that nobody could understand what he was saying. &'o enough of this
rubbish rabbit, eh% /et on over to one of Eem brooms.( 8autiously, the group headed to the
pile of broomsticks, not entirely sure if they were doing what the professor wanted. &.kay,
pick Eem up, right% 'o yehll get one of these for yourself in a few donkeys ears, but for
now, !ust use these.(
The broom =ottie picked was long and had splinters on the handle. &-ow, be sure not to get
an 0lan in your finger, right% Wouldnt want thave to send one of yeh to the hospital wing
on the very first day, now would % E0ppened once. 2oy was 7almyitor hit.( He walked up
and down the line of students. &'o get on those brooms. +uickly now. E<rry up> ,ight.( He
stared at the students, and corrected a few peoples hand positioning. &What yeh want to do
kick off really hard, but dont go off flyin around in all directions. Aust stay put a few feet up
in the air, okay% /o>(
=ottie watched to make sure other people kicked off into the air, until she did herself. 'he
tried not to cry out in amazement as her feet lifted off the ground. 'he clutched onto the
handle, holding her breath. &f youre a bit 7eter 7urvis, !ust breathe,( the professor said,
walking through the students, all hovering off the ground. &The brooms can sense youre
West Eams.(
0 boys broomstick was tipping, and he was clutching onto it as not to slide down it. &0h,
damn,( 7rofessor 'eward sighed. &-ow Eold on tight> 1ont fall>( The boys eyes were wide,
and his knuckles were white. &*oure only a few feet off the ground, boy. f yeh fall, your
loafll be fine>(
=ottie took the moment to glance around at her classmates. Aulianne was hardly a foot off the
ground, and the other girl##named 'ophie##=ottie remembered, was at least ten feet up,
shouting for 7rofessor 'ewards attention. 0ndrea, though, was balancing in the air perfectly.
'he didnt quiver like any of the other students, and she looked completely rela$ed, if not
slightly bored.
Aealousy surged up in =ottie. 0ndrea was a teachers pet? she wasnt supposed to be good at
flying. &*ou>( 7rofessor 'eward pointed at =ottie.
&*eah%( she said breathlessly.
&*oure going to fall if yeh keep on like that>(
=ottie sighed. &What am doing wrong%(
&Well, first off, dont grip it so tightly. *our knuckles are going teh be white forever if yeh
dont rela$, right%( =ottie tried to do what he was saying, but right when she had nearly
gotten it, 'eward walked back to her. &*ou again%( He sighed overdramatically. &f ve
gotta come back Eere againB swear.( =ottie opened her mouth to retaliate, but he
interrupted, shouting, &-ot a dicky>(
-ot e$actly sure what he was telling her, she shut her mouth. &-ow, grip it a bit more tightly.
*oure Ebout to fall off>( =ottie had to fight the urge to let go of her broom and strangle the
man. 0ndrea smirked behind the professors back. When he spun around to e$amine her grip,
she smiled at him. =ottie stuck her tongue out when his back was turned, but wasnt fast
enough. He turned around and glared at =ottie. &*oure pushin it, ,owe.(
0n hour later, the 7almyitors returned to the /reat Hall. &0ww the firsties are back from
flying>( shouted the prefect, 'tanley. The entire hall roared with laughter.
&=ook at their robes>( somebody shouted.
&How many people fell%( rang another voice.
The first years were all turning a deep shade of scarlet. &f you must know, only two,( 0ndrea
shouted at them.
'houts echoed through the /reat Hall. =ottie saw the glint of coins e$changing hands. 'taring
at the floor, she shuffled to the 7almyitor table and sat down. &Hey, dont feel bad,( 'tanley
said, patting one of the boys on the shoulder. &Happens every year. 0nd tomorrow, itll be the
8lynalmoys turn, wont it%(
The thought of laughing at a bruised and battered 0lly cheered =ottie up very much, as she
piled roasted potatoes onto her plate. &Whatve we got ne$t, .h Wonderful .ne%( she asked
0ndrea, who was buttering a roll across from her.
&We have 7otions,( said 0ndrea curtly. &0nd dont take that voice with me? its not my fault
youre a horrible flyer, and an irresponsible prat.(
&The only reason teachers like you is because youre a suck up, you know,( =ottie retaliated.
&0nd,( 0ndrea replied, her voice higher, &because actually know what m doing. d
suggest trying to figure it out sometime, but m afraid youd !ust embarrass yourself.(
The butter on 0ndreas roll was reaching its third layer. =ottie ripped apart a chicken breast
with her bare hands. &*eahB wellB( 'he snapped one of the chicken bones in half. &Those
glasses look so stupid on you.(
0ndrea slammed her roll onto the table and stood up. &*ou can find out where 7otions is
yourself.( 'he stormed out of the /reat Hall, letting the doors slam behind her.
0ll of the first years turned to =ottie, eyebrows raised. &Well dont look at me>( she said.
&'he !ust got in a huff because she ## er ## was sick.( =ottie picked at her chicken, but
suddenly didnt feel like eating. The bell rang again, and she sighed. &Weve got 7otions,(
she told everybody. & dont know where it is though. 0nybody have any idea%(
'tanley stood up, swinging his bag over his shoulder. &1own in the dungeons,( he said as he
passed. &0 flight down and through a corridor.(
&Thanks>( =ottie shouted. 'he left the hall, waving along the other first years. &8mon, were
going to be late>( 'he began running, her boots clunking loudly against the stone floors. The
sound of the other 7almyitor first years followed her down a staircase and across a corridor.
=ottie found a door standing a!ar, a voice lecturing through the footfalls.
Timidly, =ottie poked her head through the door and shuffled to the only seat in the front.
The other 7almyitors followed, taking the open seats that they could find. &Well, if it isnt the
7almyitors,( a mans voice said from the teachers desk. He was dressed casually, unlike
7rofessor 'tainthorpe. His robe was not fastened and =ottie could spot a polo shirt and plain
blue !eans under it. He had thick boots that werent made out of normal leather like the other
students. &/lad you made it,( he continued.
He stood up abruptly and sat down on his desk. &'o youre here for 7otions. "ost of you
wont like this class, and most of you wont be very good at it.( He stared directly at 0ndrea.
&Well, m 7rofessor 1yer, and obviously mB( He waited for somebody to say anything,
and sighed when nobody did. &The otions Master, he finished articulating in a horribly
condescending way.
&0nywaysB( He cleared his throat. &When - was at 0lsemore, we didnt start actually
making 7otions until about a month in, but since the three Heads think that the war effort is
too important to let first years have a proper introduction to 7otions, and that you need to get
moving now, well start with a very simple potion for today.(
He waved his wand carelessly and cauldrons appeared in front of each student. &Well see
where you are to begin with.( He flicked his wand again, and instructions appeared on the
blackboard. &0s you see, were learning how to make hair growth potion. 0nd now m sure
youre all wondering why this potion is necessary. Well, in all honesty, it isnt, but it is quite
simple, and suppose you could use it as some sort of disguise if you really wanted to tack a
purpose onto it.
&7our two cups of water into your cauldron, and bring it to a simmer, not a boil. *oull find a
cup to use ne$t to your cauldron and a pitcher of water on each table.( =ottie watched,
amused, as 0ndrea spilled her water on the table. &)or "erlins sake, youre !ust pouring
water,( 7rofessor 1yer said with a sigh. =ottie took the !ug from her and carefully measured
the two cups before pouring them into her cauldron.
=ottie found the instructions on the blackboard fairly simple. .nce the water simmered, it
was !ust a matter of adding the ingredients called for and stirring a certain amount of times.
0t the end of an hour, =otties potion was a light turquoise and 0ndreas was a deep brown.
&*our potion should be blue#green by now,( 1yer said, pacing through the rows. &,owe%(
=ottie looked up. &/ood. Woolbright% What happened%( 0ndrea was blushing furiously.
&1id you even stir% 0t all%( He sighed. &'tay after class,( he said before turning on the ne$t
student.
&Why dont you !ust shut up%( 0ndrea hissed to =ottie.
&1idnt say anything>( =ottie said back. &1idnt have to,( she added. 0ndrea spun around
and glared at her. &ts not my fault youre horrible at making potions. *ou know, d suggest
that you actually try to figure it out, but m afraid youd !ust embarrass yourself.(
0ndrea glared at her, but didnt say anything in response. &f your potion is the correct
color,( 1yer began over the babbling students, &you may put it in a flask to continue ne$t
class and clean up. 7lain rags and water will be okay to use with this potion, but try not to get
any on your hands or youll look like you transfigured your arms for a gorillas.(
"aking sure that 0ndrea saw her smirk, =ottie carried her cauldron to the front of the room
and poured her potion into a flask that the professor gave her. &/ood work, ,owe,( 1yer
said, not quite making eye contact. &tll sit for a few days and by then it will be magenta.(
=ottie nodded and took her cauldron back to her table. &m sure glad dont have to stay
longer,( she said as she rinsed her cauldron out. 0ndreas fiery gaze didnt falter. &Well, ve
got to go to our ne$t class,( =ottie continued. &.h, what is it again%(
&1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts,( 0ndrea muttered.
&.h e$cellent. ll see you there, then.( =ottie laughed at her own sarcasm and left the
classroom. 'he spotted a prefect who she didnt recognize and waved. &@$cuse me, do you
know where the 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts classroom is%( she asked.
&Third floor,( she said.
&/reat> Thank you>( =ottie started running, her bag bouncing behind her. 'he had already
made it to the classroom when the bell rang. 'he sat in the front row, and pulled out her book
F/efense in /ar+ 2imes by 8atriona +uinlanG.
0 wave of first years burst through the door. They werent 7almyitors, and for a moment
=ottie nearly panicked, before she remembered what the prefect had said about classes with
other Houses. The other House must have been "aelioric, because the boy who had worn
fine robes the day before## 8olm, she remembered ## sat ne$t to her.
&8omfortable enough%( =ottie grunted, inching her seat away from him. 2efore he could
answer a second wave of students rushed in? this time =ottie recognized her fellow
7almyitors.
&/ood day,( a woman said. The class muttered an unenthusiastic greeting. The woman
walked carefully around her desk and stood before the class. 'he seemed shorter now. =ottie
could spot a thick te$tbook on the floor in front of the professors chair. Without the added
height boost, she must have been at least a head shorter than =ottie.
&"y name is 7rofessor @mma /abaldon. will be your 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts
professor for the ne$t seven years.( =ottie tried not to make a face, but that idea did not
please her. 'he couldnt name it, but something about this woman bothered her. The
professor tucked her short hair behind her ears, causing it to stick up awkwardly in the back.
&0s this school is based on fighting the darkest of all evils, this will be the most important
class you will take.( =ottie noticed that most of the professors so far had gone through great
lengths to e$plain why their class was the most important. &t is important, especially in our
situation to move quickly, and cover everything in depth. -ightly reading is vital, since will
not e$plain that information, assuming that you have the knowledge to build off of it.(
The door burst open and 0ndrea ran in. 1irt caked her hands and arms. 'he searched for a
seat and looked quite distressed when she discovered that all of them had already been taken.
The professor sighed. & suppose youll be wanting to sit down, then%( 0ndrea nodded
timidly. &0lright then, "issB(
&Woolbright,( 0ndrea offered.
&"iss Woolbright.( 'he flicked her wand and a desk appeared, cramped between two
"aelioric girls seats. & do hope you like where you are sitting, because these will be your
seats for the rest of the year, unless if see fit to move you.( =ottie couldnt help but grin as
she saw 0ndreas e$pression of outrage at being forced in the back row for the entire year.
&-ow, "iss Woolbright, would you like to offer any e$planation as to why you were late on
the first day%(
0ndrea shifted uncomfortably. &7rofessor 1yer made me stay,( she said, eyes cast at her
desk.
& do hope you didnt fail so miserably, as to get detention on your first day%( 0ndrea
blushed, but didnt respond. &n this class, punishments are severe for those who cause
trouble, or lag behind. We do not have enough time for !okes and incompetence.(
Without anymore discussion, 7rofessor /abaldon began her lecture. =ottie took notes, but
couldnt help but let her eyes glaze over as /abaldon babbled about ancient evil, offering no
e$planation as to how this lecture would help anybody when faced with dark magic.
t felt like an eternity before the bell finally rang. =ottie was amazed to discover that she had
completed all of her classes for the day, but was less thrilled when the teacher handed out
slips of paper that e$plained a reading assignment and an essay to be turned in on )riday
when they had their ne$t class.
0s =ottie left the room, relieved to finally be able to make it to the common room and take a
rest, 0ndrea trotted up behind her. &Thanks for helping me out.( 'arcasm was dripping from
her voice.
&Why did you e$pect me to help you%( =ottie didnt care how cruel she sounded anymore.
&Well, it was your fault was late, but##(
&"y fault% How is it my fault that youre terrible at 7otions%(
/laring, 0ndrea hissed, &0nd now m stuck in a terrible seat>(
=ottie rolled her eyes and began walking to the common room so she could start her 7otions
homework. &*oull be having a better time here once you stop blaming everybody for
everything you do, you know.( 'he turned around !ust as she reached the staircase and added,
&-obody seems to like it, do they%(
2reakfast the ne$t morning was an interesting affair. =ottie sat stiffly, cutting her )rench
toast into tiny slivers. 'he wasnt as interested in eating it, as she was in destroying
something as slowly as possible. 0ndrea seemed to have the same thing in mind, as she
pushed her hash browns across her plate half#heartedly. Aulianne sat between them, trying to
strike up a conversation in her own awkward way. =ottie felt bad for her. 'he obviously
didnt know that they despised each other.
=ottie got up and left before the bell rang. The prefect, 'tanley, had told her where to find the
classroom for her first class, .cclumency. The class was in the dungeon, he had told her. The
same staircase she had taken to get to 7otions would take her down one floor. Then, he
instructed with a chuckle, she had to go through a tapestry of a former "inister of "agic who
had tragically died when trapped in a magical revolving door, and down the staircase she
found there.
'he realized why he was laughing once she spotted the tapestry. -o matter how tragic the
event might have been, the sight of the poor old man pushing the door in circles brought her
into a giggle fit that lasted until she reached the classroom. 'he wasnt the first one there.
-early all of the 7almyitors were sitting cross#legged on the floor in a clump. 'he took a
place near the back of the group and waited for the bell to ring. ,ight as it did, 0ndrea and
Aulianne ran in and took a seat in the back of the clump.
0 man appeared from a door behind the desk. =ottie hadnt noticed the door, and was
surprised when it swung open. Audging by a few startled gasps around her, she wasnt the
only one. The man was very large, bigger than anybody =ottie had ever seen at least. The
girth of his arms were !ust about as wide as his head. His legs, though quite short were strong
enough to hold up the mans weight.
&/ood day, class,( he said in a low voice. &"y name is 7rofessor 2reckenridge.( He paused.
=ottie guessed it was for a dramatic effect. &This is not a class to be fooling around in. Weve
only five years for you to master this skill.(
&)ive, sir%( 0ndrea repeated, raising her hand. &Were at school for se(en years.(
&1ont you think know that%( 2reckenridge muttered something under his breath about the
disrespect shown by students at this school and wiped his bald head with a handkerchief from
his pocket. &<nfortunately for you, you are e$pected to begin your duties in the war by your
si$th year. 2eing the little spies that you are all destined to be, you need to master these
skills, or else come to terms with your own premature death.(
=ottie shifted uncomfortably on the floor. This teacher didnt even need to say that his class
was the most important. &-ow, although learning .cclumency and =egilimency are two very
different e$periences, the two of them go hand in hand. will teach both of them, in this same
classroom. The two classes are right after each other. -o, there will not be any break between
them.(
=otties stomach leapt. This class sounded like the most difficult yet, and she didnt even
know what .cclumency or =egilimency were. &0nd of course, since you are all "uggle#
borns, or half#bloods, d assume, doubt any of you know what .cclumency or =egilimency
are.( He wiped the sweat off his brow.
&d suggest taking notes, now,( he said, crossing his arms. =ottie was finding it difficult to
balance her parchment on her knees and write the class name on the top of her page. 'he
suddenly felt very annoyed at this professor for not providing tables for the students to write
on. &=egilimency is a skill that allows the =egilmens to interpret the memories and emotions
from the target.
&/rowing up with all "uggles, m sure you all would refer to this as mind-reading. =ottie
could feel her quill shaking. "elanie would often warn her friends about the 1eath @aters
who could read minds. &When a =egilmens enters a targets mind, the target generally goes
through uncontrollable flashes of memories, and e$periences the same emotions they did
originally.(
=ottie had stopped taking notes. That e$perience sounded all too familiar to her. 'he
suddenly remembered a masked 1eath @ater holding her by the arm. He didnt say anything,
but she could feel something that wasnt supposed to be there that forced her to relive
memories of stealing food, and running from other 1eath @aters.
&He#Who#"ust#-ot#2e#-amed is supposedly the most skilled =egilmens alive today, which
is why you lot also need to learn .cclumency. m sure you all can guess that .cclumency is
the skill of being able to block =egilimency. 2oth of these take quite a bit of magical talent,
and highly doubt that any of you will master them until your adulthood, if you do at all.(
2efore the bell rang, 2reckinridge went on to e$plain all of the difficulties and problems with
the origin of the branch of magic. .nce it finally did, =ottie rolled up her sloppily taken notes
and stuffed them into her bag.
2y the end of the day, =ottie had taken two more new classes, 1ueling and Herbology, and
was absolutely e$hausted. 'he hardly had time to finish her .cclumency and =egilmency
homework before her eyes refused to stay open and collapsed into sleep.
Chapter #: Chapter $i%: The $omber $pirit
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: hope you all like this chapter> 0nd hope you all will !oin me in wondering
what would do if didn3t have The2ird and 1eanine. "y stories would make absolutely no
sense, that3s what. 'o woot for them>
: : :
8hapter 'i$; The 'omber 'pirit
Weeks passed faster than =ottie would have imagined. -ever having been in school, all she
had for references were the old stories her mother used to tell her of her grandparents
e$periences in old boarding schools, all of which were destroyed by the 1eath @aters long
ago. 'ince she was only a first year, she had time to rela$ in the common room after she had
finished her homework, unlike the upper classmen who spent nearly all of their free time
hunched over books.
'he took a great liking to a game called /obstones. t was very similar to marbles, which she
used to play with her old friends, e$cept that each /obstone squirted sticky goo at the
unfortunate loser. t was a very entertaining pastime, though she could only play it about once
a week, as to not use up too much of her limited soap supply.
'eptember quickly turned into .ctober, and the weather got much colder. =ottie was
suddenly very thankful for the sweaters and scarves the school provided. The first years had
finally started learning actual magic in 8harms and Transfiguration. =ottie was now able to
turn a match into a needle, but she was still behind her 8harms class and had not yet
succeeded with the spell, =umos. 0ccording to 7rofessor 'tainthorpe, her thoughts were not
illuminating enough while she tried to light her wand.
'he e$celled, though, in 7otions, where she was always the first to finish her concoction, and
always had done it the most accurately. 2y late .ctober, she was getting special tutoring to
be ahead of the class.
The Wednesday of Halloween, =ottie had been shocked to see what a festive mood
everybody was in. Halloween at the 8amp meant 1eath @aters going on rampages and
destroying everything. .ften people would walk down the streets on -ovember first to find
bodies piled on the streets, mangled and wide#eyed. This day, though, she walked into the
/reat Hall to find pumpkins decorating every table and all of the red vested prefects in flimsy
bat#shaped masks.
=ottie sat down ne$t to Aulianne who smiled at her, halfway through a bowl of e$tremely
sugared oatmeal. &The "aeliorics have a half#day today,( she informed =ottie. &They dont
have to go to any of their classes after lunch> Weve still got .cclumency and =egilimency,
though. 7almyitor says its too important for us to miss a day.(
=ottie groaned. &@verything is too important for her.( 'he stole a glance over at the "aelioric
table, where 8olm was there to return a smirk. &2ut everybody knows that the "aeliorics are
!ust the ones who didnt have enough skills to do anything else.(
Aulianne shrugged and continued to pick at her food. =ottie sighed and a sipped her orange
!uice in response. Aulianne was nice company, but she wasnt very fun to talk to and had
become close friends with the other 7almyitor girl, 'ophie. 0ndrea didnt get along with
anybody, so =ottie found herself without a close friend. 'he had been getting along fine
without one, though, and decided that it was very possible to go through all seven years the
same way.
The bell rang, forcing =ottie to gulp down all of her orange !uice before running to
Transfiguration. Having now mastered their first Transfiguration, the first years were now
forced to sit through the theory and e$planation of new spells before they were allowed to go
to their ne$t class, History.
0t first, =ottie was looking forward to History. The 7almyitors were in a class all by
themselves, and although it was still History of "agic, it had added emphasis on war and
spying tactics. 0fter two classes, though, the sub!ect proved to be e$tremely dull. 'tudents
were first forced to memorize a series of wizard wars, who the spies were, what their strategy
was, whether or not they succeeded and why. 0fter, they memorized the same sequence of
questions with goblin wars. =ottie had already began to dread each class. -ot only was it
boring, but she had to pay attention and take notes or else fall behind.
0fter an e$am on two sets of goblin wars and another set of long notes in .cclumency and
=egilimency, the students were finally released to en!oy the rest of the holiday.
0 group of "aeliorics laughed as =ottie trudged by. &'hut up, will you%( she snapped at
them. &ts not my fault that your classes are so simple that you can miss as many days as you
want and not be behind.(
8olm 'crivener, the most annoying "aelioric, laughed out loud. &.h youre !ust bitter
because you have to go to e$tra classes. -o need to take it out on us. Were a month ahead of
schedule, which is why we get the day off.(
&*oure ahead of schedule,( =ottie snarled, &because all you learn is how to shoot sparks at
targets.( 'he smiled in a falsely sweet way and stomped back to her common room. =ottie
turned the hands on the clock to read seventeen minutes after four Fthe time changed every
few weeksG and crawled through it, though she had more trouble pulling her bag full of books
inside the thin passage.
&Well you look happy to be here,( remarked a bat#masked 'tanley. &What happened today,
,owe%(
=ottie sighed and fell onto the couch. &The stupid "aeliorics got the day off. Theyre !ust
rubbing it my face.(
&1ont worry about it,( he said with a wave of his hand. &They always get half of Halloween
off. "aelioric claims its because theyre ahead of schedule, but really he !ust loves
Halloween too much to deal with his students.(
=ottie was comforted by this thought and made a mental note to tell 8olm 'crivener ne$t
time she saw him. &2esides,( 'tanley continued, &Weve got a feast tonight> -o need to look
so grim. The Halloween feast is always the best.( =ottie didnt want to tell him that a feast
probably would have been more fun with a friend, so she !ust shrugged in response and
opened her history book to start some homework.
&0h, come on now, ,owe.( 'tanley shut the book. &Who does homework on Halloween%(
&Well its due tomorrow, isnt it%(
&-one of the teachers care if youve got it done or not. They dont really e$pect anybody to
do the homework on Halloween. Thatd !ust be stupid, dont you think% Todays supposed to
be fun>( He threw her book back into her bag. &/o on and put that stuff upstairs. =angley is
sneaking some food up here for the evening>(
=ottie smiled at him and swung her bag over her shoulder. &0lright,( she said and ran to the
stairs. &2e right back>(
1ownstairs in the dormitory, she found 0ndrea sitting on her bed, her nose in her history
book. &'tanley says that nobody actually does homework on Halloween,( =ottie said loudly
as she dropped her bag on her bed. &Theyre going to have a party in the common room.(
&*es, well, -m going to sit here and finish my homework.( 0ndrea shut her history book and
pulled out her book for 7otions.
&.h, you !ust need to finish the e$tra essay 1yer gave you for your dreadful 7otion last
week.( =ottie ran out of the room, shouting, &Have fun with your e$tra homework>(
<p in the common room, 'tanleys friend =angley was sitting in the best armchair with his
duffle bag on his lap. &8mon, =angley, wheres the food%( 'tanley demanded. &m not
keeping my part of the bargain if you dont keep yours.(
&m offended,( =angley said, slapping a hand to his chest melodramatically. &*ou think
wouldnt get you food like promised% 0fter go through so much personal ris+ to bring this
to you, all you can think of is the food. -othing even close to a Ethank you =angley. 0ll you
do is take> Take, take, take, take##(
&.h shut up, )ungus>( 'tanley playfully hit him over the head. -obody had ever told =ottie
why everybody called =angley #ungus, but she assumed it had to do with the time he used up
all of his soap months before he was going to get another bar.
&)ine, fine, but maybe ne$t time you could thank me.( =angley laughed and opened up his
duffle. 2ottles of pumpkin !uice were stuffed in along with large loafs of bread, bags of
chocolates and potato crisps.
&.h e$cellent>( 'tanley said, grabbing one of the bottles. &/ood !ob, )ungus. Dnew could
count on you.(
=ottie sat down on the couch and dropped a few of the snacks on her lap. &Whered you get
this food anyway%( she asked through a mouthful of potato crisps.
&m sure ll be long gone when you find out,( =angley said. &.ff serving my purpose as a
noble spy in the war, and whatnot. *ou know how it is.(
=ottie laughed, suddenly wishing she was older and could make friends with =angley and
'tanley and all of the upperclassmen. They made such better company than all of the first
years. 'he en!oyed herself very much, listening to their complaints and stories about their
own years at 0lsemore before 'tanley announced that it was about time to head down to the
/reat Hall for the feast.
The /reat Hall was even more decorated than it had been in the morning. /iant spiders hung
from webs on the ceiling and the pumpkins had now been carved into !ack#.#lanterns. =ottie
took a seat ne$t to 'tanley on the bench before her empty place setting. 'he had been getting
an uncomfortable feeling that he wanted to be a mentor, not a friend, but couldnt find it in
his heart to leave a friendless first year all alone. He was a prefect, after all.
8lynalmoy stood before the chattering students and waved a hand. 'ilence slowly crept over
the /reat Hall. & hope that today was more of a rela$ed day than the last month,( he said
with a smile.
Hurriedly, 7almyitor stood up, and added, &2ecause it is not going to get any easier.(
"aelioric cut in the students complaints with, &2ut for tonight, dig in>( He clapped his
hands and food piled up before the students, but =ottie noticed the e$tra sweets dispersed
across the table.
'he piled her plate with potatoes, steak, and vegetables, but also with brightly wrapped candy
and chocolate cakes. &Want to see if you can kill the house#elves%( 'tanley asked, eyeing the
amount of food on her plate. =ottie wasnt e$actly sure what he meant, so she !ust muttered
something incomprehensible through a mouth of food.
Her plate was still half full when she heard it. The noise was faint, but =ottie could make out
a moaning sound. t sounded like a very far away and old buildings support squeaking, or
maybe a dying cat. &1o you hear that%( she asked, turning to 'tanley.
&What%(
&That noise. =isten>(
He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, apparently listening hard. &-o, dont hear
anything. ts probably !ust some sort of scary decoration youre hearing. 0 prank or
something.(
=ottie frowned and kept eating, though she was distracted through the rest of the feast by the
noise. )inally when all of the students were beginning to leave for the comfort of their
dormitories, =ottie was able to creep away from her House#mates and follow the sound of the
noise.
The sound grew louder the more stairs she climbed. =ottie was nearly out of breath from
trying to find the sound, but she was thankful it wasnt moving. 0fter climbing five sets of
stairs and going across seven corridors, the noise was ear splitting. 'he must have been close,
but there was no door in sight, only three paintings and a tapestry.
'uddenly struck by an idea, =ottie pushed aside a tapestry, and gasped when she saw what
was behind it. t looked like a girl, maybe a little older than her, but she was transparent,
colorless, and it looked like she was floating.
The girl turned around. =ottie screamed and stumbled backwards, through the tapestry. The
girl glided easily through the wall and shouted, &Who are you%>(
=ottie stuttered, but couldnt find an answer to the question. &Wh#what are you4
&What% Have you never seen a ghost%( The girl sniffled. &.r am !ust so ugly that you cant
tell%(
=otties mouth was wide open. &####what4 *oure a ghost%(
&Well of course am,( the girl said huffily. With a dramatic sigh, she added, & died, didnt
%(
&*oure dead%>( =otties legs were shaking. &When did you die%(
& dont e$actly know, anymore,( the ghost said wistfully. &When youre dead for so long,
you start to lose count of years.(
&Why are you here4( =ottie asked, now leaning on the wall for support. &1o##do you haunt
the school%(
&Haunt this school%( The ghost seemed amused by the idea. &Why would do that%(
& dont know. Thats what ghosts do, isnt it%(
& used to haunt a school, but had to leave because of that horrible ,iddle boy. *ou know,
he is reason m dead in the first place.(
&,iddle% ,iddle killed you% Who is ,iddle%(
&2om ,iddle,( the ghost said, gliding until she was inches from her face. &*ou know, the
/ar+ 3ord, as they call him these days.(
&*ou##*ou were killed by the 1ark =ord%>(
The ghost giggled, and floated through the wall =ottie was leaning on and emerged on the
other side of her. &.oh yes,( she said delightfully. &t was positively miserable.
&Why did he kill you%( =ottie was beginning to lose her fear of the ghost. 'he had never seen
one before, but this girl wasnt very frightening.
&Well dont know. Why do people do anything% Why did ,iddle become evil% Why did
Harry decide to fight him%( 'he sighed and began to drift down through the floor. 'eeing
=otties puzzled e$pression, she added, &Harry 7otter% The 8hosen .ne. The 2oy Who
=ived%(
=ottie bit her lip. &ve heard of a 8hosen .ne beforeB !ust in reference, though. Who was
he%(
The ghost now had lost all signs that she had been crying. &How do you not know of Harry
7otter%( 'he almost sounded offended. &@verybody knows about #amous .arry otter.
&Well, dont.( =ottie was beginning to get annoyed with this moody ghost. &Who was he%(
&He was the 2oy Who =ived. When he was !ust a baby he survived one of *ou#Dnow#Whos
attacks.(
&2ut thats impossible>(
The ghost squealed in delight. &Well thats what ,iddle thought,( she said. &He thought he
was invincible, but Harry put him out for over a decade.(
&How% How did the 1ark =ord come back%(
&Well, nobody knows, do they% 7eople thought he had died before the battle at the "inistry
of "agic.(
=ottie didnt really understand what she meant by "inistry of "agic, but nodded anyways,
desperate not to get the ghost worked up again. &0nd Harry tried to fight him%(
&He was destined to fight him,( the ghost corrected. &We all thought he would win, but
,iddle attacked before he was ready. 0nd Harry died, left this mess behind, and never came
to see me again.( 'he was beginning to tear up again.
&Well he died, what did you e$pect%( =ottie asked.
&Well - died, didnt %>( the ghost shouted. &0nd m still sitting here and talking to you.(
'he coughed faintly through a sob. &He could have at least had the decency to come and say
goodbye.(
=ottie hurriedly changed the sub!ect. &2ut why are you here now%(
& had to leave Hogwarts.( 'he sniffed loudly and wiped away a silver tear. &With all of those
terrible 1eath @aters who laugh at meB 2ut always will miss my toilet.(
=ottie didnt want to ask what Hogwarts was, and she didnt like this ghost very much. &ve
got to go,( she said, turning to leave. &@rmB ll see you>( 2efore waiting for the ghost to
respond, she began to run down the stairs she had come up to the /reat Hall.
.nce at the ground floor, she stopped and turned to run down the familiar pathway to the
common room. 'he tried to run as quietly as she could, so as not to get caught by a professor.
'he had spent too much time with the ghost, and was now out of her common room far too
late.
The grandfather clock was in sight. 'he picked up speed, and got to the clock !ust in time.
Aust as she was reaching up to get the hands##
&,owe>(
=ottie froze. 'he turned around and felt her stomach drop when she saw a very cross looking
7rofessor 7almyitor standing before her. &What do you think you are doing out this late%(
&## was !ustB( =ottie decided that the truth would be better than trying to think up a
comple$ lie, and then having to defend it. & heard %rying during the feast, so went to see
what it was, and##(
&"iss ,owe, in these dangerous times, you dont go parading about the school if you think
you hear something funny.( 7almyitor narrowed her eyes for a moment, and stared at =ottie.
'uddenly, =ottie was reliving her meeting with the ghost. 7almyitor began to speak, and the
image suddenly dissolved. &*ou inform a professor who can##(
&t wasnt anything dangerous, though>( =ottie felt her face going red. Her head suddenly
hurt. t was as though somebody had shaken her in search of something. &t was !ust a ghost
who was crying> 'he said she came her from##er##Hogsomething.(
7almyitor raised an eyebrow. &Hogwarts%(
&*es> That was it> 'he had to leave Hogwarts because of the 1eath @aters.( =ottie took a half
step backwards. 'he suddenly didnt feel so comfortable being alone with 7almyitor. &0nd
she told me about er##Harry 7otter, the 2oy Who =ived, and about##(
&Where did you find this ghost, "iss ,owe%(
&@rmB it was up a lot of stairs. -early at the top of the school.(
&0lright, ,owe, get to bed right away.( Without another word, 7almyitor trotted off in the
opposite direction.
Trying to repress a smile, she clambered through the clock into the common room. t was
nearly deserted when she got there, e$cept for 0ndrea sitting on the bed with her huge
7otions book on her lap.
&Where have you been%( she asked.
&/etting myself out of a weeks worth of detention,( =ottie answered with a laugh. &0nd
discussing history with a ghost.(
Chapter &: Chapter $even: Andrea
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author Note!: 3m sorry this chapter took so long> 3ve been so busy with school and
rehearsal> Thanks so much to The2ird and 1eanine for making this chapter readable.
: : :
8hapter 'even; 0ndrea
'now drifted down past the frosted windows of the 8harms classroom. &"iss ,owe, are you
listening to me%( 7rofessor 'tainthorpes voice cut through =otties short lived fantasy of
rela$ing in the common room by the fireplace.
&What%( =ottie blinked and turned away from the window. &'orry.(
& am not here during the holiday to daydream of snowflakes,( the professor said sternly.
&*ou know you are seriously falling behind in this class, and need to catch up in order to rise
to your second year.(
& know>( =otties fingers were turning white with frustration. & know> know> +now5
'he had fallen so far behind in 8harms that she now had to have e$tra classes during the
8hristmas Holiday. t was 8hristmas @ve and =ottie was e$tremely an$ious to leave so she
could see all of the decorations being put up.
'tainthorpe flicked her wand, letting the miniature door on her desk lock again. &-ow, !ust
concentrate on the spell.( =ottie could hear the hidden frustration in 'tainthorpes voice.
&<nlocking the door is as easy as moving your finger? its !ust an e$tension of what you have
control over.(
=ottie bit her lip. 'he didnt quite understand 'tainthorpe, but wasnt about to tell her after
four days of individual tutoring. 'lohomora5 she shouted, waving her wand.
The door stood, completely unaffected. 'tainthorpe tried to hide a sigh. &"iss ,owe, want
you to go over your wand movements and reread the chapter on this spell before coming back
on the twenty#si$th.( The corner of her lips twitched. & believe we both can have a break for
8hristmas.(
Through gritted teeth, =ottie muttered, &Thanks,( gathered her stuff and left the classroom.
&What were you doing in there%( 0lly was leaning against the wall across from the door.
&What were you doing waiting for me%( =ottie really didnt feel like talking to her right now.
&ts 8hristmas holiday, you know,( 0lly continued on nastily. &*ou dont have to go to
classes.(
=ottie turned away from her former friend and started heading down the corridor. &"aybe
thats not what was doing,( she shouted without turning around.
0lly caught up with =otties slower pace easily and smirked. &.h dont try that,( she said,
laughing. &E(erybody knows that youre already behind in 8harms.(
&.h yeah%( =ottie dropped her bag and pulled out her wand. &1o you want to see how far
behind really am%(
)or a moment, 0lly actually appeared to be frightened before laughing nervously. &*ou
couldnt even shoot sparks at me,( she sneered. "eeting only silence, she added, &/o on
then> 7rove me wrong>(
=otties wand was shaking. 2oth of them knew she couldnt do it. 'he could feel tears
beginning to well up in the corners of her eyes and her face turning a fiery red. 1esperately,
she switched her wand from her right to her left hand. &What are you doing%( 0lly asked,
laughing.
0lly hadnt stopped laughing when =otties palm made contact with her face. 7ower surged
through her hand, but bubbling guilt quickly flooded her stomach. 'he beat 0lly, but now she
had to suffer the consequences. 'taring determinately straight ahead, =ottie waited for some
sort of retaliation, but it never came. 0lly didnt yell or scream, but simply held her hand to
her cheek and stared at the ground, unable to make eye contact.
n a moment of sheer panic, =ottie picked up her bag and ran down the corridor. Her heart
pounded in her chest. 'he couldnt tell if 0lly was following her or not, or even if other
people could see her running down the corridor crying. 'he reached the clock, turned the
hands, and crawled into the common room.
0pparently, some sort of 8hristmas celebration was going on. 0ll of the upper classmen were
socializing to 'tanley and =angleys dreadful caroling. They stopped singing when they saw
=ottie walk in, teary eyed and red faced. &,owe%( 'tanley whispered, as though he was afraid
to say her name as to embarrass her.
=ottie dropped her bag where it was and ran down the stairs to her dormitory. The dorm was
empty, and she collapsed onto her bed. 'he hadnt e$pected any of it to be like this. 'he was
magic, but she couldnt even unlock a door without a hair pin, while the rest of her class had
mastered it two weeks before. 'he still hadnt made a friend, and her parents never wrote
back.
Her pillow was thoroughly wet from tears when she had to look up to gasp a breath of fresh
air. The dorm wasnt deserted anymore.
0ndrea stood timidly in the door frame. ,age built up in =ottie. Why hadnt 0ndrea told her
that she was there% "aybe she could have let her close the curtain or go somewhere more
private, instead of embarrassing herself in front of somebody else who hated her.
=ottie furiously pulled the curtains around her four poster, and began beating the feathers out
of her pillow. &@rmB dont really know what happened,( 0ndrea said as quietly as she
could over the noise. =ottie could tell that 0ndrea had intended to let her fill the silence that
followed with an e$planation. nstead of doing that, =ottie !ust buried her head into her
pillow.
0nother silence followed.
& brought your bag down for you. 0nd told everyone else that you had !ust gotten some bad
news from the camp, and were really upsetB 0nd 7almyitor handed these out today. guess
you werent there to get them. ts a letterB !ust put it on your bagB @rmB 'orry.(
There was a shuffling of boots on a stone floor and the sound of a door slamming. =ottie
looked up from her pillow and stared at the grey curtain across from her. 'he couldnt figure
out why 0ndrea would ever apologize, or even try to help her. =ottie wouldnt try to help
0ndrea if she had been in this situation.
Hadnt they been fighting since 'eptember% Had it all been =otties fault, then, if 0ndrea was
able to forget about it so quickly% =ottie pulled aside the curtains to her four poster. -obody
else was there. 0ndrea must have warned 'ophie and Aulianne. Hands shaking, she picked up
the parchment neatly folded on top of her duffle bag.
/ear 3ottie,
&our father and - are happy to hear youre ha(ing a good time at s%hool. Were sorry that we
ha(ent written yet, but rofessor Maeliori% only %omes to pi%+ up letters on%e e(ery few
months, and we %ant afford to ha(e letters lying around in %ase if any /eath Eaters find
them.
'll of your friends +eep passing by here as+ing what happened to you. rofessor Maeliori%
told us to tell people that the /eath Eaters had found you %ausing trouble, and we ha(ent
seen you sin%e. -ts been so hard to a%t li+e something that horrible has 1ust happened, but be
sure to +eep your head down when you %ome to (isit.
Merry "hristmas,
Mum and /ad
=ottie folded the letter up, trying not to start crying again. 'he missed her parents so much,
and couldnt help but feel completely hopeless at the thought of not seeing them at all for the
ne$t seven years, save for a few days in the summer.
'he took a deep breath and wiped her puffy eyes. 'he couldnt afford to stay like this for very
long. 'he still had to catch up in 8harms and go apologize to 0ndrea.
Her stomach sank from guilt. 'he wished that 0ndrea would !ust come down here so she
didnt have to face the upperclassmen. 'he couldnt help but wonder if this would be easier if
she wasnt so scared.
Holding her breath, she snuck up the stairs, trying to avoid any sort of scene. 1espite her
good intentions, the room fell into silence as she entered. 'tanley didnt looked as concerned
as he did puzzled now, but =ottie could tell that everybody was e$pecting some sort of story.
The silence stretched longer than she could bear. @verybody in the room was frozen, staring.
=ottie was !ust about ready to turn around, when she spotted 0ndrea bouncing up and down
on the balls of her feet. =ottie couldnt hide her curiosity and stared for maybe a little longer
than she should have, causing a few students to turn and see what she was looking at. "ore
and more people noticed =otties gaze until everybody was staring at 0ndrea, who didnt
seem to catch the change in attention.
)inally noticing that the entire room was watching her, 0ndreas bouncing slowed until she
stopped completely. 'he screwed up her face in thought. 2reaking the stiff concentration,
0ndrea finally pushed through the crowd of upperclassmen. 'he reached the door and threw
her arms around =ottie. &.h =ottie>( she said almost too loudly. & am so, so sorry for your
loss>(
=ottie tried to play along as best she could. &Thanks,( she said quietly. &m !ust really
upset.(
&What happened%( 'tanley asked.
& !ust##!ust got a note from my parents.( =ottie was beginning to en!oy play#acting. &.ne of
my friends from the camp has gone missing. 'he was last seen with 1eath @atersB( 'he
paused dramatically. &-obody really wants to say anything, but we all know what happened.(
@verybody seemed to be looking down at their shoes. &1amn,( 'tanley said, scratching the
back of his head. &Thats terrible. They dont seem to care how old anybody is.(
&'he was only si$,( =ottie added. &'he was fighting the 1eath @aters because my parents had
to tell all of my friends that d been murdered when left.( 'he was especially proud of this
last detail. Trying to seem like she was crying again, she took a rattling breath. &## think
!ust want to go and think for a while. !ust##!ust wanted to come up and tell you all that m
okay.(
&0lright.( 'tanley nodded slowly. &Aust take care of yourself, ,owe.(
&Thanks.( =ottie stared at 0ndrea for a second and raised her eyebrows before running down
the stairs again. .nce in her dormitory, she sat at the foot of her bed, and stared at the floor,
hoping that 0ndrea had gotten the signal.
There was a knock on the door and 0ndrea poked her head in. &@rmB wasnt sure what
you meant when you##( 'he stopped, staring at =ottie. &0re##are you okay%(
=ottie smiled. &*eah,( she said. &Thanks forB you know, covering me.(
0ndrea shrugged. &t was nothing. hope didnt put you too much on the spot.(
&-o.( =ottie shook her head. &t was sort of fun.( 'he laughed nervously.
&*eah, it was,( she agreed, also laughing.
t was suddenly like neither of them had ever argued before. They sat laughing for nearly ten
minutes before =ottie stopped, looking at the ceiling. 'he found it hard to make eye contact,
knowing how horrible she had been. &1oes this mean were friends then%(
& suppose it does.(
=ottie bit her lip. &m##m sorry forB you know, making fun of you before.(
0ndrea smiled weakly. &ts okay. was sort of mean too.(
Together, they decided that maybe it wasnt the best idea to go out to the common room after
the scene they caused. n the first hours of their friendship, 0ndrea proved herself very useful
in giving advice once =ottie told her why she actually was upset.
&-o, that wasnt your best idea,( she said at first. &'he might tell somebody.( 'he paused and
thought for a moment. &.r perhaps not,( she added. &We all know that 0llys not the most
humble of peopleB m not quite sure if shed want to admit something that could embarrass
her like that.(
=otties stomach dropped. &Well what am supposed to do% =ie%(
&Who do you think theyll believe if you do%( 0ndrea asked, raising her eyebrows. &Aust
dont say anything,( she continued. &0ct as if nothing happened and hope 0lly is too scared
to tell anybody.(
The ne$t morning, =ottie woke to find the usually grey common room decorated with red and
green streamers that shimmered so brightly that she had to shut her eyes immediately to avoid
the glare.
Aulianne was staring at her through squinted eyes. &*oure up then%( she asked.
&"aybe not for long if being up means m going to be blinded.(
0ndrea sat up threw her blanket over the streamers? the glare faded away. &*ou think youd
be able to do something about it, besides !ust complaining,( she said playfully. &"erry
8hristmas. Have you checked your letters yet%(
=ottie raised her eyebrows. &1idnt we !ust get letters yesterday%(
&1ont be stupid.( 0ndrea rolled her eyes. &=etters from 7almyitor. Theyre on the floor ne$t
to your bed.(
The letter turned out to be a warm For as warm as 7almyitor could beG letter for the holiday. 0
hurried scribbled note at the end e$plained that since the schools founding, the heads have
given each student a gift that could further their magical ability, to follow the old tradition of
gift giving. =ottie was thrilled to find two vials of rare potion ingredients that they hadnt
been supplied as first years.
&Whatd you all get%( she asked the room, holding her vials up to the light.
&0 'neakoscope,( 'ophie said with a shrug.
&0 Transfiguration book>( 0ndrea sounded absolutely thrilled.
Aulianne frowned. &Wand polish.( 'he pulled out her already scuffed wand. &m not that
messy, am %(
=ottie couldnt help but laugh out loud. &7oor thing,( she said, still snickering. &*oure going
to need a new wand by third year.(
0ndrea and =ottie spent the rest of the day in the common room. 0ndrea helped =ottie
practice 0lohomora until she had successfully unlocked all twelve of the bathroom stalls
twenty seven times each and =ottie e$plained the potential pitfalls of a certain potion for an
essay that 0ndrea had to write.
2y five they both had perfected their e$tra homework and were free to en!oy the spectacular
8hristmas dinner. =ottie had always spent her 8hristmases trying to ignore the cold and
sharing a loaf of bread with her family. 'he had never seen decorations as e$quisite as the
glittering icicles hanging from the ceiling of the /reat Hall or what looked like colorful lights
but actually turned out to be shimmering fairies.
The food was even better than the Halloween feast. "ince pies, plum pudding, roasted ham,
bottles of eggnog, entire turkeys, roasted potatoes, fruitcakes and other foods that =ottie
couldnt even identify lined the 7almyitor table. @ven 7rofessor 7almyitor was in such a good
mood that she let =angley and 'tanley sing their adapted 8hristmas carols to mock 1eath
@aters until the other Houses complained about their awful singing.
The rest of the holiday was spent in the same merry mood. =ottie impressed 'tainthorpe with
her sudden talents at 0lohomora, and was rewarded with the last few days of the break to
rela$. There was a gloom filling the entire castle by the last day of holiday. @ven the
professors were dreading school the ne$t morning.
=ottie and 0ndrea spent their last night of break complaining to each other about their
upcoming classes. 'tanley and =angley amused all of the lowerclassmen with their horror
stories of the first day back after break. =ottie was so warm and comfortable that she nearly
fell asleep sitting on the floor watching them act out a rather nasty encounter with 7rofessor
/abaldon. 'he was so tired that 0ndrea had to help her to the dormitory in order to avoid a
nasty falling down the stairs accident.
Aulianne and 'ophie followed them down the stairs, both so e$hausted that they could hardly
keep their eyes open. .nce snugly in bed, =ottie could !ust make out snow drifting to the
ground through the dark window. 'he was nervous !ust thinking about her classes the ne$t
day, but was grateful not to have to go through 0lsemore alone anymore.
Chapter ': Chapter (i)ht: A *ra+ti+al ,e!!on in O++lumen+y
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
8hapter @ight; 0 7ractical =esson in .cclumency
8lasses after the holiday took a more intense turn. =ottie and 0ndrea found themselves with
more homework, but !ust as =ottie had guessed, having a friend mollified the blow. With
0ndrea to help her, =ottie managed to pass 8harms. =ottie wasnt able to return the favor?
she !ust couldnt help herself when 0ndrea had trouble with a problem, and ended up telling
her the answer and never actually teaching her anything.
The first year 7almyitors still hadnt learned anything practical in .cclumency and
=egilimency, but instead devoted all of their to time sitting on the floor taking notes on
whatever 7rofessor 2reckenridge deemed necessary. 0ll of the other first years were thrilled
when 2reckenridge announced, late one )ebruary afternoon, that he would be performing
=egilimency on each student in the ne$t class.
&)inally>( groaned 0ndrew 5ictorsen, one of the 7almyitor boys. &Weve been taking notes
for nearly si$ months now>( The other boys grumbled in agreement.
=ottie stuffed her hands into her pockets and pushed passed the boys. &Hey =ottie>( called
0ndrea down the long corridor. Aust catching up, she added 90re you e$cited for tomorrow%9
'hrugging, =ottie continued towards the /reat Hall.
0ndrea raised her eyebrows. &Why not%( she asked. -ot responding, =ottie picked her pace
up to a trot. &Why not4 0ndrea ran and stood in front of =ottie, arms crossed.
& dont know>( =ottie dodged 0ndrea and continued down a flight of stairs. & dont really
want a professor having full access to my memories, is all.(
0ndrea ran down the stairs behind =ottie. &Whats wrong with that% What do you have to
hide%( 0ndrea paused for a moment thoughtfully before gasping in realization. &.h dont tell
me this is about all of that 8hristmas eve business.( =ottie didnt respond. &t is, isnt it%>(
0ndrea laughed triumphantly. -ostrils flaring, =ottie spun around and glared at her. &.kay
fine, its a sore spot, know,( 0ndrea continued. &1ont worry, - wont tell anybody? you !ust
have to block him from your memories.(
&1ont be stupid, 0ndrea,( =ottie said as she continued down the stairs. &His 1ob is
performing =egilimency and .cclumency. How could a first year outsmart him%(
&.h, dont know.( 0ndrea smiled wryly. &2ut its worth a try, isnt it%(
=ottie sighed and turned down a corridor towards the 7almyitor clock with 0ndrea following
at her heels. &2ut we havent even picked up our wands in that class,( =ottie said. &How
would know how to do anything%(
t took 0ndrea a half second longer to think of the answer. &Well, thats what the library is
for, isnt it%( =ottie changed the time on the clock and clambered into the common room with
0ndrea following. &'o what do you think%(
& dont knowB( =ottie bit her lip. & mean, we could try, but if we could learn everything
from books, what would be the point of going to school%(
0ndrea shrugged and added, &2ut if we didnt use the library, what would be the point of
having one%(
=ottie rolled her eyes. &2ut##( 'he fell into an armchair and started an$iously picking the
stuffing out. &)ine. Whatever. We can try. ts not going to work though.(
&@$cellent> 'ave my seat>( 0ndrea turned around and started weaving through the crowds of
7almyitors to the stairs leading to the girls dormitories. 'he returned half a minute later with
a stack of torn, leather bound books.
&What%( =ottie asked, half laughing. &Were you e$pecting this%(
& was !ust trying to get ahead while canB( 0ndrea said defensively.
=ottie snatched the book on the top of the pile. &How old is this book anyways%( The cover
of the volume looked as though it was ready to fall apart if she touched it.
&.h, dont know,( 0ndrea said, pulling another one off the top of the pile. &t was rescued
from an old library right before the 1ark =ords reignB guess these ones !ust barely made it
though,( she added as a chunk of pages fell out of her book.
=angley laughed from across the room at 0ndreas horrified e$pression. &1ont worry about
it, firstie,( he shouted over crowds of students. &ts !ust a binding spell to fi$ it.( He didnt
even need to rise from his seat for the pages to magically reattach themselves. &Aust turn Eem
slowly ne$t time>(
0lso laughing at 0ndrea, =ottie opened up her book. &0re you sure were allowed to be
doing this%( she asked, searching through the fading table of contents.
0ndrea cleared her throat. &Well##( she eyed 'tanley who was busy in conversation with
some seventh year girls &##technically these old ones have to stay in the library, but nobody
notices when theyre gone.( There was no librarian at 0lsemore, so there was hardly ever a
professor in the library to catch a student taking out one of the precious books. &0nd the
students do it all the time. *ou heard =angley> 0nd hes even friends with 'tanley>(
=ottie squinted at the light te$t, but didnt look up. &.kay, as long as nobody will careB(
'he sighed over#dramatically. & cant read any of this. The print is nearly the same color as
the page.(
=angley caught =otties comment as he was passing to pull 'tanley away from the older girls.
&.h, thats an easy one, too,( he said, whipping out his wand. He muttered an incantation and
suddenly the ink on the page was the grey color of the stone. &ts only temporary,( he
warned. &'o !ust pray it doesnt fade while youre reading>(
=ottie watched him leave before skimming through the newly readable table on contents.
&This entire book is about .cclumency,( she said. &Where do start%(
&1ont be stupid6 you start at the beginning.( 0ndrea spun her wand carelessly through her
fingers. &.kay, this book says that you need to clear your mind firstB it doesnt really
specify how, though.(
=ottie opened up to chapter one in The 2asics of .cclumency and searched for any more
clarification on the process of .cclumency. &.h, heres something. O%%lume%y is a
%ompli%ated pro%ess in whi%h one must %lear his or her mind to a(oid a 3egilmens ha(ing
a%%ess to memories and emotions7 Thats all it says.(
.ver the ne$t few hours, the common room got more and more deserted until 0ndrea and
=ottie were left in the common room alone. =ottie slammed the last book shut. &Were done.(
'he threw the book back onto the pile. &Weve looked through every single book and there
isnt anything here. Theres nothing to do. guess ll !ust have to make up some story or
something.(
0ndrea looked up. &What% 2ut were so##(
&-o, were not close.( =ottie stood up and shut the book in 0ndreas hand. &Were never
going to figure this out. Honestly, hes a professor in =egilmency and were ne(er going to
outsmart him.(
0ndrea slowly put the book on the pile. &2ut hes going to find##(
&*eah, and so what% m going to get a few days of detention% m going to get e$pelled%
Theyre going to send me to the 1ark =ord and kill me% Whats the worst that could
happen%( 'he stood up and crossed her arms. &We missed dinner. m tired and hungry
and##(
&.kay, fine>( 0ndrea picked up the stack of books. & get it> =ets !ust go to bed and hope for
your sake that you retained enough information from those books.(
=ottie spent the rest of the ne$t day trying to clear her mind, but found her attempts to cause
more mental clutter. When she entered the classroom for .cclumency, her mind was so full
of worries that she had nearly given up all hopes blocking 2reckinridge.
2reckenridge stormed into the classroom and anchored himself in front of the class.
9Woolbright,( he spat, pointing at 0ndrea, &you first.(
'lowly, 0ndrea rose to her feet and pulled out her wand. &/o ahead and try to stop me,(
2reckenridge hissed, &any way you can.( He pulled out his own wand. 3egilimens5
=otties grip on her wand tightened as 0ndrea stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. 0fter
watching her try to ward off his attacks for a few unsuccessful seconds, 2reckinridge lifted
his wand smirking. &/ot it%( he asked as 0ndrea pulled herself up, using the wall as support
and nodded warily.
'mirking, =ottie asked, &Happy we wasted all of our time looking this up%(
0ndrea shot her a warning glance and shushed her loudly. =ottie watched each student face
2reckinridge apprehensively. =otties stomach flipped when she realized that she was the
only one left in the room who had not had her turn yet. 'hakily, she stood up and stood
directly across from the professor.
He had !ust raised his wand when the room faded out around her. t was an unnervingly
familiar e$perience. )lashes of the past flew by =otties eyes. 'he couldnt tell if she was
standing or had fallen, but felt as though she was upside#down, either way. n the "uggle
8amp, she spotted an older boy and threw a rock at his turned back, !ust managing to hide
beneath a garbage bin in time. Her mother cried as she left for 0lsemore. 0 man at .din
0lley stuffed a piled of robes into her duffle. Her hands were stuck to the vory Table. 'he
left the 8harms classroom to find 0lly waiting across the hallB
=ottie stopped breathing for a moment. -o, he couldnt see that. The memory continued?
0llys taunts reached a crescendo until the memories suddenly ceased.
The .cclumency classroom spun back into focus. =ottie hadnt fallen to the ground, but was
leaning heavily against the wall. 7anting, she sat down ne$t to 0ndrea and stared intently at
the ground, determined not to make eye contact with 2reckinridge again.
The bell for the end of classes rang !ust as she sat, and 0ndrea helped her stand back up. &'o
whatd you think%( 0ndrea asked in a hushed voice once the classroom was out of earshot.
&Thats happened to me before,( =ottie said shakily.
&What%(
&'omebody##1eath @aters and##( =ottie shook her head &##7almyitor. They did that before.
ts happened before.(
&0re you sure%( 0ndrea asked suddenly. &m sure 7almyitor wouldnt do that to a student
without good reason.(
& think she would.(
0ndrea shrugged wordlessly and turned the time on the 7almyitor clock.
n the common room, an e$cited crowd was forming around a piece of parchment pinned
against the wall. &What does it say%( 0ndrea asked loudly.
&.h, nothing special,( 'tanely said, passing by with arms full of 8harms te$t books. &Aust the
usual 5alentines 1ay trip to .din 0lley tomorrow.(
&Tomorrow%( 0ndrea asked. &.h, does this mean we get new soap%(
&*eah, thank "erlin,( 'tanley said with a laugh. &Hows your soap supply holding up,
,owe%( he asked, noticing =otties solemn e$pression.
&ts fine. have enough left for a few more days, so could really use a new bar,( she
answered dully. Without another word she pulled her duffle down the stairs into the
dormitory, 0ndrea following at her heels.
0ndrea, leaning in the doorway of the dormitory, asked a little too loudly, &Whats wrong%(
0fter a prolonged silence, she continued, &s it about that =egilimency thing%(
& !ust didnt like that is all,( =ottie answered, flopping onto her bed. & dont like that people
have control of my memories. 0nd maybe more people can do it. "aybe the entire school can
do it> What if theyre going to do it for every class to find out##(
&2reathe, =ottie,( 0ndrea muttered. &ts fine. Thats why youre learning .cclumency to
begin with. Who would you rather have access to your mind anyway, 2reckinridge or the
1ark =ord%( 'he put her .cclumency book back in her bag. &We have tomorrow off, so
dont stress out. /et some rest for .din 0lley tomorrow.(
@arly the ne$t morning, 0ndrea shook =ottie awake. &8ome on> /et up>( =ottie groaned.
&@verybody else is up,( 0ndrea continued, throwing a pile of clothes onto =otties face. &0ll
of the first year 7almyitors will have to miss if you dont wake up5 0nd m telling you, if
dont get any soap until 0ugust because of you, ll he$ you so##(
&.kay> .kay> Aust shut up for a second so can change.( =ottie snatched the clothes that
0ndrea had so unceremoniously thrown on her face and changed behind the curtain of her
four#poster.
'he !ust barely had time to put on a scarf when 0ndrea grabbed her by the wrist and pulled
her up the staircase, through the common room, and through endless corridors to the @ntrance
Hall.
&)irst years%( 7almyitor said sternly, pacing up a row of 7almyitor first years. =ottie and
0ndrea snuck into the short line, trying to hide their panting. 8hecking off a list of names,
7almyitor sighed. &0lright, then. /o ahead, and dont break off from the group.(
7almyitor held out a large cauldron. &-ow, everybody put a finger on this.( =ottie glanced at
her suspiciously before placing her finger on the rust caked cauldron. &This is called a
7ortkey. t will take you to .din 0lley.( 'he smiled at the confused looks on the first years
faces. &ThreeB twoB one>(
0 scream escaped =ottie when she was pulled from the ground. 'he could hear the other first
years shouting as they bumped into each other on their !ourney. 'uddenly, a loud clanging
filled her ears and she was lying on the floor of .din 0lley.
7ushing herself up, she muttered, &What the hell was that%(
0ndrea shrugged and rubbed her back. &Who cares, as long as were here.( 'ighing, she said,
& really needed to get out of school for a bit.(
=ottie didnt say anything, but secretly agreed.
&8ome on then>( 'tanley waved the first years towards him. He pointed at the nearest set of
wood double doors. &*ou can refill your toiletries in there.(
&Thank you>( 0ndrea shouted, pushing through the crowd to get through the doors. =ottie
apologized as she shoved through crowds of upperclassmen to catch up with her friend.
&What was that about%( =ottie asked, half laughing, once she finally reached 0ndrea.
0ndrea didnt respond, but filled her bag with new soap, a new toothbrush and toothpaste.
&t was sure nice of you,( a loud voice cut through the crowd, &to let the people who have
been waiting much longer go first.(
&*ou know what%( =ottie spun around to find the "aelioric boy ## 8olm ## collecting his
soap. &.h its you.( 'he rolled her eyes.
8olm smirked and picked out a new toothbrush. 8lenching her fists, =ottie resisted the urge
to hit him. He did not belong at 0lsemore. He was far heavier than the other bony first years.
He was different in every way from his weight to his overly fancy robes.
&*ou !ust didnt move fast enough,( she spat. &The entire worlds at war now, and you have
to fight if you want to win.( =ottie smiled, eyeing the "aelioric boy. &n times like these, you
cant afford to be a pampered, por+y prince.(
Turning a deep scarlet, 8olm snatched his bag of toiletries and stormed out. =ottie laughed
coldly waved as he left.
&That was a little cruel,( 0ndrea said quietly once he left.
&What% *ou too% .h come on, hes a git and you know it.( =ottie sighed at 0ndreas
e$pression. &Hes not like us.(
0ndrea kept a stony silence until they reached a room filled with quills and ink. &*ou know,
would apologize if had said something like that,( she finally said, loading her bag with new
quills.
=ottie rolled her eyes and dropped her ink refills in her bag. &Well guess youre !ust a better
person than am,( she replied stiffly. &He has it coming for him. mean, he could at least try
to act like everybody else instead of being such a pompous ass. d give him three years here
before he either leaves or gets himself killed.(
0ndrea dropped her bag, spilling quills all over the floor. &=ottie> Thats horrible>( she
shouted, as she bent down to scoop up her bag.
&Well its true. n a war like this you cant afford to##(
&=ottie, were first years. Were not fighting the war yet. He has !ust as much time as we do
to learn how to fight.(
,olling her eyes, =ottie followed 0ndrea out of the store and into the last set of doors.
7rofessor 8lynalmoy stood at the door, eyelids drooping from boredom. &*ou can get one
thing from this room, but only one,( he repeated tonelessly. =ottie imagined the three heads
taking turns with the most boring !ob of the day.
&ve been waiting for this all day,( =ottie said brightly as she searched through piles of
books for something that might interest her.
&1ont change the sub!ect, =ottie,( 0ndrea muttered, inspecting a 'neakoscope. &*oure
going to feel bad soon enough. 0nd who knows, maybe hes a great fighter.(
&.h come on>( =ottie abandoned the pile of books and looked through shelves of potion
ingredients. &@verybody knows that people who arent good at anything else get into
"aelioric? thats why there are so many more of them. 8olm 'criveners !ust a big loaf of
worthlessness.
0ndrea sighed. &)ine, think whatever you want. 2ut dont come complaining to me when
youre rotting with guilt.(
=ottie selected a thin vial of fairy eggs for potion making and waited for 0ndrea to pick what
she wanted. &*oure defending him a lot,( she said matter#of#factly. &'eems like you li+e him
or something.(
,olling her eyes, 0ndrea said, &-ow not even youre that immature, are you%(
&.h youre !ust angry because hit the nail##( =ottie grabbed the book from 0ndreas hand
and held it above her so 0ndrea, being much shorter, couldnt reach it &##right on the head>(
&1ont be stupid, =ottie>( 0ndrea reached for the book. & !ust feel bad for him, is all>(
=aughing, =ottie held the book tight to her chest and started running past the crowds of
students to the 7ortkey. 0ndrea panted behind her, !ust barely keeping up with =otties pace.
&/ive it back>( 0ndrea shouted through fits of giggles. &8ome on>(
=ottie stopped and changed directions, circling around a crowd of seventh year 8lynalmoys.
&ll give it back if you can get it from me>( =ottie shouted, throwing the book in the air and
catching it. &/o on then>( 'he tossed the book again. &Try to##(
&,owe>( 7almyitor pushed her way through the first years waiting for the prefect. 0ndreas
book fell to the floor. &What do you think youre doing%(
&@rmB -othing, 7rofessor> mean##we were !ust having fun.(
7anting, 0ndrea added, &ts !ust a game, 7rofessor.(
7almyitor narrowed her eyes and scoffed. &We dont have time for worthless games at
0lsemore, ,owe.(
&*es, maam,( =ottie said quietly, handing the book back to 0ndrea.
7almyitor shoved a small 7ortkey in the two friends hands. 2lushing a light pink, =ottie
glanced around at the other students staring with raised eyebrows. The last thing she saw
before the 7ortkey whisked her back to school was 8olm waving snidely behind 7rofessor
7almyitor.
Chapter -.: Chapter Nine: Colm"! Tale
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
8hapter -ine; 8olms Tale
@$ams were fast approaching. 2y mid "ay, professors stopped teaching new material and
devoted all class time to reviewing. Their e$ams were scheduled for the last ten days in Aune.
The days without e$ams were free days for the students to study and opportunities for the
teachers to grade. The students would then have the first two weeks of Auly to rela$ and visit
their families for a day before picking up a specialized tutoring schedule until the ne$t school
year officially began.
7rofessor 1yer had already approached =ottie about individual tutoring over the summer to
get ahead for second year. =ottie proudly boasted the list of potions he had scheduled for her
to learn whenever she was sure 0lly, who did not have any advanced classes scheduled for
the summer, was in earshot. <nfortunately, 7rofessor 'tainthorpe had also scheduled
remedial 8harms tutoring for =ottie? she didnt tell anybody but 0ndrea about those classes.
0ndrea was thrilled to find that she was chosen for advanced Transfiguration and 8harms
classes, but unlike =ottie, kept her accomplishments to herself.
The end of Aune found =ottie and 0ndrea camping out in the library. 0ndrea flipped
frantically through the pages of her 7otions book. &'o to make a 'welling 'olution, first you
add the puffer#fish eyes to the##(
& dont %are>( =ottie dropped her head onto her 8harms book. &This entire thing is so stupid>
We dont need to know how to name everything% What does it matter when youre
fighting%>(
&-ot every part of the war has to do with fighting, =ottie,( 0ndrea said seriously. &Thats
why we have three Houses.(
&0t least 1ueling and .cclumency have some reason behind learning. Whats the point of
History and Herbology% .ONE023&>(
&.h, dont be so over dramatic.( 0ndrea rolled her eyes. &Theyre !ust e$ams. 0nd all you
have to do is study and then weve got a rela$ing summer.(
&@asy for you to say> *ou do well in all of your classes> *ou dont have a hard time in
anything>(
&.h dont lie, =ottie. *ou know how hard work !ust to get an 0 in some classes. *oure !ust
bitter because you left all of your studying off until last minute and you +now youve got to
pass this or else spend the rest of your time here in remedial classes.( 0ndrea smiled
shrewdly before flippantly adding, &0nd somebody in remedial classes isnt any use to
anybody.(
=ottie glared at her and picked up her 8harms book. .nly 0ndrea was clever enough to turn
her own biggest insult back around at her. &The class is so unhelpful,( she muttered under her
breath. 0ndrea grimaced but didnt respond. & mean, 'tainthorpe could at least try to teach
us something. cant learn everything from books you know.( 'he dropped her book back on
the table. &<gh> E-m rofessor 0tainthorpe, she said in an old croaky voice. - dont
allow anybody to ha(e sna%+s in my %lass, e(en if - made them miss lun%h for spe%ial
tutoring. - gi(e tests e(ery wee+ and a half and -89
&=ottie, shut up and study.(

With the help of the other 7almyitors, =ottie felt fairly confident during the 8harms written
e$am. 'he was lucky to have the hardest test first, unlike 0ndrea who had to take her 7otions
e$am last. The practical e$am was a slight disaster when =ottie was supposed to grow a rose
bush to twice its size, but instead caused thorns to shoot out of the bush and not cease until
'tainthorpe magically destroyed the bush.
The )lying e$am was probably the biggest waste of time =ottie could have imagined. The
first years raced around the grounds and the five people that finished last had to write an
essay on the importance of flying in a war. @ven the worst flyers in the class passed.
Transfiguration was fairly frustrating overall, but =ottie was sure that she at least got an 0.
1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts was no more challenging than Transfiguration and =ottie was
confidant that her shielding charm gave her a passing mark. 2esides 7otions, 1ueling was
=otties favorite e$am. 'he got paired up with 8olm 'crivener from "aelioric for a
&friendly( duel and received an immediate . for disarming him and locking his legs together
before he even cast on !in$.
0fter their last e$am, =ottie and 0ndrea rela$ed in the common room with the other first
years. .ver the period of studying, the seven 7almyitor first years had gotten much closer.
&That 8harms e$am wasnt as bad as thought it would be,( said 1evin Hackett.
&'peak for yourself,( =ottie piped up. &1id tell you about the rose bush%(
&*es, =ottie,( 'ophie said, laughing. &*ou told us all at least seven times.
Aulianne shrugged. & quite like that story,( she said brightly. &ts pretty##( 'he stopped,
spotting 'tanley walking by and stared at the floor, now a shade pinker than she had been
before.
&Howd e$ams go, firsties%( he asked, falling onto an armchair with them.
&Th#they were okay,( Aulianne whispered.
&'ome of them were challenging,( 0ndrea said seriously. &2ut think we all did fairly well.(
&History was the worst>( @dgar 7ayne said, throwing a te$t book onto the floor.
&Well youve got another year before youre doing them again, so thats nice, right%( 'tanley
kicked his feet onto the table and 0ndreas pile of 8harms books. 'he glared at him and
snatched the books off the table. &.h lay off it, Woolbright,( he said cheerily. &*ouve got
two weeks off, and then the rest of the summer to have a light schedule. 2esides, youre
going to have to trade those books in soon enough.(
0ndrea gently dusted the cover of her book. &*es, well it would be horrible for a first year to
have a giant foot print on their book wouldnt it be%(
&Well, if that poor first year asks you who put a footprint on their book, give you full
permission to tell them the story.( 'tanley laughed out loud and Aulianne chuckled under her
breath, staring determinately at the floor. &Well, with these two weeks, do you all plan on
playing some +uidditch% ts nearly a tradition by nowB .f course, you need to talk a
professor into supervising, but##(
& dont even know the rules to +uidditch,( =ottie interrupted. The other first years agreed
bitterly.
&*oud think they could at least teach us +uidditch in )lying,( 1evin said.
&1ont worry, firsties,( 'tanley said, patting 'ophie on the head. &The "aelioric prefect has
agreed to teach a little class so you all wont be left out.(
&Well thats good,( 0ndrea said curtly.


The +uidditch class turned out to be a complete disaster. The first years hadnt even finished
their first scrimmage before =ottie fell off her broom, bringing 8olm down with her.
&What was that about, ,owe%( 8olm shouted indignantly.
&What% .h m sorry>( =ottie pushed herself up and wiped the mud off of her robes. &ts
your own fault for getting in the way>(
& wasnt in the way> was playing my position in the game> What the hell were you doing%(
& was trying to get past all of you> ts not my fault if thats nearly impossible>( =ottie
pushed 8olm, sending him to the ground.
&Whoa, first years>( the "aelioric prefect ran up to =ottie who was still glowering at 8olm
on the ground. &Take it easy.(
gnoring the prefect, 8olm whipped out his wand and shouted, helantio5
=ottie stuck her tongue out. &/ood try, 'crivener. 2ut nothing##( 'he completely lost her
voice, when she felt something fall onto her shoulders. Horrified, she realized that they were
her earlobes and they was growing so fast that it was now nearly at her elbow.
&.h thats !ust it5( =ottie shouted. Aust as 8olm was picking himself up, =ottie pulled back
her fist and punched him hard in the face, en!oying the satisfying crunching noise that
followed.
&.h "erlin>( 8olm shouted, falling back to the ground, clutching a hand over his nose,
which had started bleeding profusely.
&Thats it>( The prefect stepped between the two. &This is !ust +uidditch and you two !ust
made it into such a huge deal that##,.W@>( The prefect had to hold both of =otties
shoulders to keep her from tackling 8olm. &8ome on, both of you>( He grabbed one of
=otties overly#large ears and 8olms shoulder and dragged them both off the pitch.
&Aust go back to the common room, everybody,( the prefect shouted behind him. &'orry these
two ruined it for everyone.(
The prefect marched =ottie and 8olm up the lawn, through the front doors and into the
@ntrance Hall. &Aust you wait until 7almyitor has her say with you.(
&Wait##why cant we go to "aelioric%( 8olm whimpered through the streams of blood
flowing from his nose.
&1o you think m that stupid, 'crivener%( The prefect opened a door on the left side of the
@ntrance Hall and dragged the pair down a narrow staircase behind him. &Hed !ust take the
whole thing in good fun.( The prefect stopped in front of a large, sturdy door. &0nd
+uidditch is no !oke,( he added seriously before knocking on the door.
&*es%( came a voice from inside.
&7rofessor%( The prefect pushed =ottie and 8olm through the door. &Thought you might want
to see these two.(
7almyitor arched an eyebrow. &What happened to them%(
&'he hit me>( 8olm shouted, wildly reaching for his wand.
&0nd would assume that ,owes ears are a product of your wand%(
&Well##er##(
&1ont even try to lie to me, 'crivener. ,oydan, thank you for bringing them to me.(
&0nytime, maam.( The prefect called ,oydan smirked and left the office.
&'o.( 7almyitor sat down behind her desk and laced her fingers. &Whos responsible for
this%(
&He is>( =ottie piped up. & was !ust flying and he got in my way. He started fighting with me,
and the ne$t thing know, he was he$ing me. This was the only thing could do so he
wouldnt do anything worse>( =ottie averted her eyes, suddenly realizing that 7almyitor
could perform =egilmency. 'he busied herself by trying to push her earlobes ## now well
passed her knees## out of the way.
&-o, she lied> 'he hit me first, and had to he$ her !ust to##(
7almyitor put up a hand. &ve heard enough out of the two of you. /o to the hospital wing,
and come back at eight for detention.(
What4 8olm dropped his blood stained hand.
&-o>( =ottie barked. &Thats not fair>(
& dont care what you think is fair, "iss ,owe. *ou are going to suffer the consequences for
your actions.( 7almyitor surveyed the outraged first years with crossed arms. &-ow go to the
hospital wing>(
&2ut##but my nose hurts too much to##(
7ushing 8olm out the door, =ottie glared at 7almyitor and sneered, &=ets go, you wuss.(


&Honestly, =ottie, you couldnt have thought about it for more than two seconds%( 0ndrea
slapped her forehead overdramatically.
&Well what would you have done if somebody had made your ears grow to the floor%( =ottie
asked, hugging her knees.
& would have behaved like a normal human and told somebody.(
&@asy for you to say,( =ottie growled, &all you e(er do is rat people out.(
&Well maybe do, but at least havent had two fistfights in the last year. 0nd at least can
fly.( 0ndrea paused, chewing the corner of her lips to hide her grin. &1id tell you that that
"aelioric prefect told me was really good% He recruited me for his informal team> m
playing 'eeker>(
&Well thats good,( =ottie said distantly, rubbing her earlobe. &Where did he learn that spell
anyways% t has nothing to do with fighting at all.(
'ighing, 0ndrea muttered, &7robably !ust picked it up somewhere.(
&,owe>( 'tanleys voice echoed from the other side of the grandfather clock. &Whatve you
been up to% heard you got in a fight with a "aelioric>(
&*eah% 'o%( =ottie stared glumly at the fire.
&'o what is it with you and 7almyitor%(
& dont know>( =ottie threw her hands up in the air. &'he hates me, or something. get in
trouble for the smallest things> m glad shes not a professor? d be failing that class.(
'miling wryly, 0ndrea muttered, &1ont need her to be a professor to failB(
&.h, shut up>( =ottie shouted playfully and tossed a pillow at 0ndrea, knocking her glasses
off and sending them scattering to the floor.
&Well, however you managed to do it,( 'tanley intruded seriously, &youve got detention.
0nd 7almyitors detentions are the worst.(
=ottie tore her eyes from 0ndreas futile search for her glasses. &What am going to have to
do%>(
'tanley shrugged. &Well how bad was it% What did you do, make a mess%(
&@r##( =ottie blushed &## hit someoneB but he he$ed me first>(
&.h "erlin.( 'tanley patted =otties shoulders in a dramatic way. &/ood luck.( He turned
around to leave for his dormitory.
@yes wide, =ottie half grinned and half let her !aw drop. &What45 *ou cant !ust tell me
something like that and walk away>( she shouted, !umping over the back of her chair and
grabbing onto his arm.
'tanley spun around, laughing. &1ont you worry, little =ottie,( he cooed sarcastically. &m
sure the big scary 7rofessor 7almyitor wont hurt you.(


7amyitor, apparently, was not in the best of moods when 8olm and =ottie arrived at her door
at eight oclock that night.
&*es% Who is it%( 'he peered down her nose at the two nervous first years. &.h its you.
Well go on.(
=ottie shuffled into the center of the room, keeping her gaze determinedly at the floor. 'he
didnt like being forced in a room for so long with a skilled =egilimens.
&*ou will be cleaning and labeling the potion ingredient !ars for 7rofessor 1yer today,(
7almyitor said stiffly, not looking up from a parchment she was reading. 'he pointed to a
shelf filled with stained and broken !ars. &-o magic.(
=ottie glared at 8olm and motioned to pick up one of the !ars, one that had a dark red
substance that looked suspiciously like blood covering the inside. &ts all your fault were
doing this,( she hissed, picking up a wet rag and trying to fit her hand through the !ars neck.
&*oure the one who broke my nose>( 8olm shouted back. =ottie rolled her eyes. &0nd it still
hurts too>(
&-o talking.( 7almyitor still didnt look up from her paperwork.
The first years cleaned the bottles quietly for some times, only intruding the stiff silence with
grunts of frustration every now and then. =ottie nearly dropped her !ar when a loud bang
echoed from above them.
7almyitor hit her desk, causing =ottie to actually drop the !ar this time. &f that is 'tanley and
=angley## swear> Why ever made 'tanley a prefect, ll never knowB( 'he glared at =ottie
and 8olm. &Aust finish this up and go back to your common rooms,( she shouted as she ran
through the door.
=ottie shrugged as the door slammed and pulled out her wand. &What are you doing%>( 8olm
shouted, staring at her wand. &1o you want to get us into more trouble%(
&'hut up>( =ottie hissed, pointing her wand at the broken glass. &ts better than !ust leaving
it here. !eparo5 'he watched as the pieces formed back together again. &'ee% 'hell never
know if we used magic or not.(
Through laughter, 8olm said, & think shell know that you tried to charm that one.(
&What% .h.( The !ar was oddly misshapen and haphazardly balancing on a point. 2lushing,
=ottie picked up another !ar and busied herself with it. &Well you couldnt do any better.(
& wouldnt try,( 8olm said. &ts not worth getting detention again.(
&d rather have detention again,( =ottie growled, &than !ust brea+ing somebody elses
things.(
&.h dont be such a hero. Who do you think you are%( 8olm snarled. &Harry 7otter%(
2urning a deep red, =ottie hissed, &What do you mean%(
&What% 1ont tell me youve never heard of Harry 7otter.(
& have>( =ottie nearly dropped her other !ar. &## !ust##(
&1ont know much about him%(
=ottie didnt reply.
&What, they never taught you%( 8olm asked incredulously.
&-o> What% How much do you know%(
&@verything. know how he was the 8hosen .ne. He was destined to fight the 1ark =ord
since birth, when he defeated him the first time.( 8olm raised his eyebrows impressively.
&He had two friends, ,on Weasley and Hermione /ranger. They went with him to fight.(
=ottie had stopped cleaning her !ar and listened intently. &What happened to them%(
&The 1ark =ord and his followers ambushed them. They were on a special mission with the
.rder of the 7hoeni$.( -oting =otties confused e$pression, he added, &0 group of wizards
dedicated to defeating the 1ark =ord. .h> 0nd there was this school##called Hogwarts##that
everybody went to. 0nd the Headmasters name was 0lbus 1umbledore. He led the .rder,
but then he was murdered by B @rmB(
& thought you knew e(erything.( =ottie crossed her arms, trying to hide her curiosity.
& do> @r##oh> His name was 'nape. 'everus 'nape> 0nd he murdered 1umbledore. 2ut
nobody knew what side he was really on, because maybe 1umbledore had ordered him to kill
him.(
&2ut why would he do that% Why would anybody want to die%(
& dont know. He must have had a good reason.( 8olm picked up =otties misshapen !ar.
&2ut they never found 'nape. He never went to the battle. He was a spy for both sides and
apparently the best .cclumens of modern times.(
&2ut how did 7otter die%(
&He was killed by the 1ark =ord,( 8olm said simply. &He tried to be a hero and failed.
Weasley and /ranger died tooB think. Well, they never found their bodies, but they were
last seen with 1eath @aters.(
=ottie stared at the ground. &He shouldnt have brought them with him,( she said.
&Who%(
&/ranger and Weasley.( 'he picked up her !ar and pretended to be busy again as she heard
footsteps approaching down the corridor. &They were no help to him and he !ust got them
killed.(
&,owe> 'criverer>( 7almyitors graying hair was nearly standing on end. &/oB !ust##!ust go.
0nd stay away from the fourth floor.(
=ottie bit her lip, trying not to laugh, and left the room before 7almyitor could change her
mind.
&,owe> Wait up>(
&What do you want%( =ottie asked, not even bothering to turn around.
&1o you really think that 7otter should have gone to fight alone%( 8olm asked, panting to
keep up with her brisk pace.
&*es. do. He accomplished nothing but killing everybody by getting help.( =ottie glared at
8olm. &/oodnight,( she said, turning sharply down an unknown staircase.
.nce she was sure he was out of earshot, she hit the wall in frustration. Aust to get away from
8olm, she had taken a staircase she had never seen before and had to wait until 8olm left
before heading back to the common room.
'll students,( a serious voice rang through the hall, &must report to the :reat .all
immediately.
=ottie stared at the ceiling. What had happened% 'lightly panicked, she ran up the stairs
where she came, praying that 8olm took another route. .nce she had reached the main
corridor, she !oined a frantic crowd of students pushing forward towards the /reat Hall.
The crowd was frustrating, but at least it moved quickly. .nce in the /reat Hall, =ottie sat
quietly at the 7almyitor table, leaving a space ne$t to her for 0ndrea when she showed up.
&'tudents, quiet down please>( 8lynalmoy said from the front of the hall.
The hysteria in the hall was rather disturbing. =ottie had no idea what was going on, but
obviously the older students did.
;uiet5 7almyitor waved her arms frantically before the students. That did nothing but to
add to the panic.
0.<2 -25 shouted "aelioric, arms crossed.
.bviously shocked at a teacher using such language, the students were silenced immediately.
&-ow,( "aelioric continued, &be assured that you are all completely safe. There is a charm
on the building to keep you all hidden. 'o please dont panic when##(
&Whats going on%>( shouted a 8lynalmoy.
"aelioric took a breath and continued. &We are tracking every student. *ou are all perfectly
safe.(
=otties stomach fell. Where was 0ndrea%
&1ont panic if you cant find a friend immediately,( "aelioric continued as he saw other
students searching for their classmates. &*our friends are all here. We have checked every
table.(
=ottie rela$ed slightly. 0ndrea was somewhere, even if she couldnt see her.
&-ow,( "aelioric said calmly, &try to remain calm through this and be as helpful as you
can.( He paused to make sure that nobody was about to shout in protest. &1eath @aters are
approaching the school.(
Chapter --: Chapter Ten: The ,o+/down
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
8hapter Ten; The =ockdown
The hall was silent. @very student waited for "aelioric to say something more. 'tanding
before the staff table, 7almyitor took a deep breath. &We dont want any of you to panic,( she
said sternly. &The 1eath @aters are not even aware that the school is here. We have our most
valuable spies trying to get information on what they are doing so near by.(
=ottie couldnt breathe. 1eath @aters% 'he thought she had been rid of them for good when
she came here.
&We are going to have a lockdown,( 8lynalmoy said forcefully. &-one of you are to leave
this room. We will con!ure cots if we must spend the night.(
The three heads turned to each other and conversed in low tones. 'tudents rose to find their
friends from other houses and make sure that they were safe. 0 passing 7almyitor bumped
=otties shoulder, !olting her back to reality. 'he stood up as well. &0ndrea%( she called.
There was no reply. &0ndrea%>( she shouted a little louder. -othing.
)rantically, =ottie ran up and down the 7almyitor table. &0ndrea% 0ndrea>( -obody noticed
her cries in the panic of the hall. Hands shaking, she forced herself to come to the conclusion
that she had been avoiding. 0ndrea wasnt there. 2ut "aelioric said they knew where
everybody was. Why did he lie% 1id he !ust forget 0ndrea%
1espite =otties best efforts, tears fell down her face in torrents. Her best friend was probably
dead by now and nobody cared. &,owe%( 'tanley turned away from her conversation.
&=ottie, whats up%(
&'he##shes not here>( =ottie shouted through gasps of air.
&Whos not here%(
&0ndrea> cant find her>(
&=ottie, the heads know where everybody##(
&Well they must have forgotten her> cant find her anywhere>( 'he stood on the 7almyitor
table and surveyed the entire hall. &'hes definitely not here,( she said more firmly. &'he may
be small, but d see her in an instant>(
&=ottie>( 'tanley pulled her off the table. &*ou need to calm down. *ou##=.TT@>(
=ottie broke out of 'tanleys grip and ran up to where the heads ignored the utter chaos in the
room. & cant find 0ndrea>( she shouted. The three heads turned around.
&@$cuse me%( 7almyitor turned around slowly, staring down at =ottie venomously.
&0ndrea> 0ndrea Woolbright> 'hes gone missing> think the 1eath @aters##(
&"iss ,owe,( 7almyitor began, & assure you that she is here. *ou probably !ust cant find
her. @very student was in the castle when we got the alarm, with the e$ception of a few
seventh years on the +uidditch 7itch. 0ll of the seventh##(
&0ndrea was with them>( =ottie shouted. 'he pounded her fists against her legs. &'he was
playing +uidditch with them because##(
&"iss ,owe, do not want any more of your ridiculous lies. -ot one first year is permitted to
leave this castle after seven oclock.(
&Well maybe she broke the rules>( =ottie had to hold onto the table to keep herself from
collapsing. &Why wont you believe me%(
&"iss ,owe, suggest if you wish to become a master .cclumens, that you keep your
emotions under control.(
& 1.-T W0-T T. 2@ 0 "0'T@, .88=<"@-'> A<'T W0-T T. '05@
0-1,@0>(
&=ottie.( "aelioric took her shoulder. &8alm down. 'hes a small person. 'hes probably !ust
lost in the crowd.(
&'H@' -.T> 5@ =..D@1 )., H@,> =@T /. .) "@>(
=ottie pushed "aeliorics steady hand off her shoulder and ran back to the table. &'tanley,(
she panted. & have to go find her> -obody will believe me>(
&,owe, this is a lockdown. *ou cant leave. 0ndrea is fine and youd !ust get yourself killed
trying to find her.(
&m sorry,( =ottie said through gritted teeth, &but m not going to let my friend die.(
'he ran to the door and tried to pull it open in vain. How could she get out% 'canning the
room, she spotted some professors pulling out their wands. They looked like they were going
towards the door. =ottie leaned against the wall casually, trying to give off an air of glum
resignation.
7rofessor 'tainthorpe cracked open the door. =ottie crept closer. Aust as she and 7rofessor
2reckenridge left the hall, =ottie stuck her foot in the door. 'he could feel the eyes of some
students on her, so returned to leaning on the wall for a few seconds until the curious students
decided that she wasnt up to anything. )inally, when she was fairly sure that nobody of
importance was watching, she slid through the door.
'tainthorpe and 2reckenridge were halfway down the corridor. =ottie hastily crept in the
other direction. 'he broke out to a run upon reaching the @ntrance Hall and pulled the doors
open so quickly that they slammed very loudly once she was outside.
3umos, =ottie whispered. Her wand lit a narrow path along the green grass. The silence of
the grounds was even more overwhelming than the chaos of the /reat Hall. 'he wished that
there was a whole group of students with her. 'he wasnt ready to take on 1eath @aters by
herself.
0 chorus of laughter interrupted her thoughts. 'hakily, she followed the noise, being sure to
stay out of the light of her wand. )inally, a flickering fire illuminated the trees around her.
No$. =ottie spotted a bush close to the 1eath @ater campsite. +uietly, she managed to get
herself in a rather uncomfortable##though safely hidden##position behind it.
&Tell me, girl,( a deep voice echoed across the lawn, &where did you get them nice robes
again%(
&##my father gave them to me.( t was 0ndrea. =ottie strained to see her face. They had hurt
her, =ottie could tell. 'he quivered under the 1eath @aters stares.
&0nd who is your father%(
& cant tell you his name,( she said quickly. &He told me never to tell a 1eath @ater his
name.(
&.h no%( 0 1eath @ater raised his wand and hissed, "ru%io5
0ndreas screams made =ottie shake with rage.
&*ou see, girl,( one 1eath @ater shouted over her shrieks, &were not stupid. We can tell
when youre lying.( The 1eath @ater who was cursing her lifted his wand, leaving 0ndrea
whimpering on the ground. Towering over her, he delivered a sharp kick to her ribs.
<nable to watch anymore, =ottie shot sparks across the campsite, keeping them low to the
ground so they would e$plode on the other side of a patch of trees.
&Whered that come from%( asked a large 1eath @ater.
&.ver there>( The man who had kicked 0ndrea pointed in the opposite direction.
&Well tie Eer up,( ordered the first 1eath @ater. &Well come back,( he taunted with a smirk
at 0ndrea. &"aybe well meet a friend of hers.(
The biggest 1eath @ater muttered an incantation, causing ropes to fly out of his wand and tie
0ndrea to a tree. &=ets go,( he shouted.
.nce the 1eath @aters were far enough away, =ottie left her hiding place. &0ndrea>( she
whispered. &0ndrea, its okay.(
0ndrea opened her eyes slowly. &=ottie%( she breathed. &H#How did you find me% How did
you know was missing%(
&How would not know you were missing%( 0ndrea smiled weakly. &-ow, hold still. need
to get these ropes off.( Worried that the 1eath @aters would return, =ottie bit the rope, trying
to break its thick threads. The rope was thick and after about twenty seconds, her gums
ached. 'he tried to push air between her teeth to get the strands of rope out, but couldnt use
enough time to make a significant difference. The rope snapped. =ottie revealed her
bloodstained teeth with a weak smile.
&8ome on>( =ottie held out her hand to 0ndrea.
&=ottie, ## dont think can stand.(
&8ouldnt have been more wrong>( came one of the 1eath @aters voices from nearby.
&.kay.( =ottie ran a hand through her hair an$iously. &.kay, this is going to hurt, but its the
only way weve got.(
8arefully, =ottie picked up 0ndrea, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees and shoulder.
0ndrea gasped for breath sharply. &m sorry,( =ottie whispered.
The 1eath @aters were near the camp by now. Holding 0ndrea as tightly as she could, =ottie
started towards the castle. 'he could see 0ndreas eyes drooping as she ran.
&=##=ottieB(
=ottie couldnt respond before 0ndrea lost consciousness.
&Hey, you>( shouted a 1eath @ater.
'wearing to herself, =ottie dodged behind a tree.
&Who was there%( asked one of the men.
& thought saw a girl,( the first one answered. He pulled out his wand and turned to where
0ndrea had been. &.i> Where did the other girl go%(
=ottie didnt wait to take advantage of the distraction. <sing a sudden burst of adrenaline, she
ran up to the castle. The door to the @ntrance Hall was well in sight. 0s =ottie approached,
the door swung open.
&,owe%( t was 'tainthorpe. &What##(
&7lease,( =ottie shouted. &The 1eath @aters had her. They##theyre looking for us.(
&8ormag,( 'tainthorpe said quickly to 7rofessor 2reckenridge. &/o sort that out. 8ome with
me, ,owe.(
7anting heavily, =ottie followed 'tainthorpe to the hospital wing on the third floor. 'he
couldnt even feel her arms anymore. n the hospital wing, the nurse, 7rofessor Waterman
Fwho also taught a Healing 8lass for upperclassmenG rushed over. &What on earth
happened%( she asked.
&0pparently,( 'tainthorpe said grimly, &we missed one student in our count.(
&.h, =ord.( Waterman took 0ndrea gingerly out of =otties arms and placed her on a nearby
bed. &0re you hurt, ,owe%( she asked.
&-o. dont think so.( =ottie sat down on a bed opposite 0ndreas. &"y arms hurt,( she
added.
&Well, thats to be e$pected, dear,( Waterman replied busily. &"arianne##( she turned to
'tainthorpe &##go and get the heads. m sure theyll want to see this.(
&m on my way.( 'tainthorpe spun around and left the hospital wing at a run.
Taking a deep breath, =ottie rubbed her eyes tiredly. ,elief flooded her, but anger still
flickered in her shaking hands. Why had nobody believed her% f she hadnt gone out alone,
0ndrea would have died. Well they would learn to trust her soon enough.
&What happened%( 7almyitor burst through the doors of the hospital wing. &Where is she%(
'he paused, spotting =ottie sitting on the bed. &,owe% What are you doing here%(
&What am - doing here%>( =ottie shouted. &- !ust saved 0ndrea from 1eath @aters because
you wouldnt believe me>(
&8alm down, ,owe.( The other two heads and 'tainthorpe came running through the door.
&"arianne, where did you find her%(
&.utside, in front of the doors to the @ntrance Hall. 'he had Woolbright in her arms.(
=ottie nodded vigorously. &2ecause##(
&s it safe to revive her%(
(WH* W.-T *.< ='T@- T. "@% " -.T =*-/>(
7almyitor raised and eyebrow. & am not listening to you because you are completely
irrational when youre angry. Why you are in my house, dont know.(
2lushing, =ottie stared at the ground. f she ever wanted to be an .cclumens, she would need
to control her emotions.
&t seems to me she has a broken rib,( Waterman said. &0s long as administer a pain potion,
she should be fine for the time being.( Waterman pointed her wand at 0ndrea and said,
Enner(ate.
/asping, 0ndrea opened her eyes wildly. &Wha##wh##(
&Take this dear.( Waterman gave 0ndrea a small cup. &ts for pain.(
0ndrea drank obediently. =ottie was surprised by her calmness. "aybe she could learn how
to control her emotions from her.
&What happened, Woolbright%( demanded 7almyitor.
&##( 0ndrea looked at =ottie and smiled weakly. & was playing +uidditch with some
seventh years,( she said. &They wanted me as their 'eeker because m small and light. .ne
of them said that they saw figures approaching. They left to go tell somebody, and stayed
behind to clean up the brooms.(
&2ut how did they see you% With all of the enchantments on the castle##(
&We might,( 0ndrea began, not making eye contact with any of the teachers, &have been
playing a little too far away from the castle.(
"aelioric chuckled. &"ust have been ,aydon you were playing with, eh% Well ll give him
a talking right when see him.( He nodded mockingly seriously at 7almyitor.
&Then%( 7almyitor said, ignoring 8lynalmoys smile.
&Then the 1eath @aters caught me,( 0ndrea said shakily. &There was nothing could do.
was so outnumbered and dont know enough magic.( 0n awkward silence ensued and was
only broken when 0ndrea continued. &They kept asking me who was and when wouldnt
tell them, they cursed me.(
&What was the curse%(
& dont know, but the incantation was "ru%io.
'tainthorpe gasped. 7almyitor put a hand to her mouth.
&Whats wrong%(
&That is not a friendly spell to be hit with,( "aelioric said with a grimace.
&0nd then sparks shot in the air. think it was =ottie,( 0ndrea continued. =ottie nodded. &2ut
the 1eath @aters thought it came from the other direction, so they went to go check it out.
When they were gone, =ottie came and carried me back to the castle.(
& must say,( said 'tainthorpe, & am very impressed, "iss ,owe.(
=ottie tried to hide her smile with a shrug.
&'he not only escaped from several 1eath @aters, but she also saved a fellow student.(
& believe a celebration is in order>( "aelioric said gleefully.
&1eath @aters or not,( 7almyitor intervened, &you still left the castle when told you not to.(
Aaw wide open, =ottie shouted, &WH0T%> meanB( 'he coughed and looked at the floor. &
was##was !ust doing what thought was right.(
&What you thought was right nearly got you killed.
=ottie had the strong urge to talk back, but kept herself under control. 'he couldnt lose
control of her temper, especially with 7almyitor around. 'he would never become a master
.cclumens if she let her emotions run loose.
&.h look at that,( 7almyitor hummed, meeting =otties stare. &'hes learning. 'elf#control is
the first step to success in my house.( 'he shifted her gaze to 0ndrea. & would suggest
stopping your +uidditch sessions with older students. 0 girl your size can only get hurt.(
2ehind her back, "aelioric shook his head and mouthed 9-ts o+ay.
&We should let these girls get their rest -aesa,( 'tainthorpe said quickly so 7almyitor
wouldnt notice what "aelioric had !ust done. &Theyve had a rough night.(
7almyitor replied by clucking her tongue. &5ery well,( she said. &/ood evening.(
8lynalmoy broke his silence. & suggest,( the quiet man said, &that both of you spend the
night in here.( 0fter a pause, he added, & can only imagine the questions waiting for you
behind that grandfather clock of -aesas.( With a smile, he opened the doors to the hospital
wing and left, followed by 'tainthorpe and 7almyitor.
"aelioric stood in place for !ust a moment longer, saying, &-o matter what 7rofessor
7almyitor said, you girls did an e$cellent !ob. /oodnight>( He slipped through the door and
shut it carefully.
&What was that all about%( =ottie blurt out.
&What%(
&Why does 7almyitor hate me%( =ottie pouted. &What did do wrong%(
0ndrea shrugged. &m not sure if she really hates you,( she said. & think she !ust e$pects a
lot from you.(
=ottie flopped onto the bed. & doubt that. can hardly perform a disarming charm without
help. 0nd you heard her? can never be an .cclumens because cant control myself.(
&*ou did a pretty good !ob at that campsite.(
=ottie shrugged and sat up to pull off her boots.
&.h dear,( came 7rofessor Watermans voice from a potions closet. &We dont have much
for the 8ruciatus 8urse, but the pain potion gave you should be enough.(
)ascinated, =ottie watched as Waterman prodded 0ndreas ribcage with her wand, suddenly
healing the in!ured bone. .nce 0ndrea had taken all sorts of medicines, Waterman put out the
torches lining the wall and returned to her dormitory.
=ottie crawled into her bed, still in uniform and tried to make herself comfortable.
&Hey =ottie% 0ndrea whispered from her left.
&*eah%(
&Thanks.(
Chapter -2: Chapter (leven: Never 0ad a Chan+e
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note!: 3m so sorry for the lateness of this chapter> Thanks so much to The2ird for
beta3ing this chapter> 8hapter twelve is with the beta already, so hopefully it won3t be too
long.
8hapter @leven; -ever Had a 8hance
8lynalmoy was right. The moment they returned from the hospital wing, 0ndrea and =ottie
were bombarded with questions. 0ndrea was rather humble every time she told the story,
preferring to stop further questioning by being completely honest. =ottie, on the other hand,
loved the attention.
&They nearly he$ed me>( =ottie e$plained dramatically late one Auly afternoon to a group of
8lynalmoys. 0lly stood in the back with crossed arms, unimpressed. &'even times,( =ottie
added.
&How did you get away%( asked one of the boys in her year.
&Well 0ndrea was tied up. was so worried that she was going to die> 'he was hardly
breathing, you know.( =ottie paused dramatically. &'o pulled and pulled at the ropes, but
they wouldnt come undone> 'o had to gnaw them off.(
0 chorus ofohs and ahs followed.
=ottie continued, &'o grabbed 0ndrea and ran>( 'he mimed carrying 0ndrea in her arms
and looked behind her. &2ut then saw the 1eath @aters running behind me> .ne of them
grabbed me by the hair, but spun around and stunned him>( =ottie pulled out her wand and
pointed it at 0lly. ='M5
&.h please,( 0lly said over the gasping crowd. &*ou couldnt he$ anyone if you tried>
*oure in remedial 8harms.(
&Want to try me%( =ottie asked with raised eyebrows.
&What are you going to do, hit me%(
'mirking, =ottie pointed her wand at 0lly. The crowd cleared away to avoid the he$.
helantio5 she shouted. Without a moments pause, she took off down the corridor,
grinning at 0llys shrieks of disgust.
The middle of Auly brought the day when the students were allowed to go back and visit their
families. =otties birthday had been the previous day, Auly seventeenth. 0ndrea had written
an e$tremely thoughtful card that =ottie folded and kept on her bedside table. 'ophie and
Aulianne had worked together on a series of hilarious drawings that they got 'tanley to
magically animate. @ven 'tanley gave =ottie some stolen chocolates from the kitchens.
The morning of the eighteenth, the students were given their old clothing from the camps for
the trip. =ottie felt rather awkward in her torn clothes. Her shirt was tighter and reeked
strongly of mildew. The holes in her pants that were once over he knees now were a few
inches above them. The teachers handed out some dirt for the students to rub on their faces,
legs and arms so they would look e$actly how they had before they left.
'tainthorpe got a 7ortkey and accompanied the students going to the =ondon camp. When
they arrived in an old, crumbling building, =ottie recognized it as what she used to call the
Turtle 2uilding.
=ottie smiled at 0ndrea as they waited to be let out in turn, as to not bring attention to their
location. &This is weird isnt it%( she asked. 0ndrea nodded. & want to go back and see my
old friends, but##(
&They think youre dead,( 0ndrea finished. &*ou better not. tll be hard avoiding them
though, with the way you all used to prance around like you owned the entire camp.(
&Hey>(
&What% They arent your friends anymore, are they%(
&-o. Well ##(
&Woolbright> ,owe> /o on.( 'tainthorpe held open the door for them.
&/ood luck,( 0ndrea muttered as she hastily ran in the opposite direction.
&*ou too,( =ottie whispered at 0ndreas retreating back.
The camp was different now. .r maybe =ottie !ust never noticed what she was living in. t
was no longer !ust a rough place for a child to grow up, but a real prison.
0 woman on the street cried silently, cradling a small childs body. The child could not have
been older than ten. ts eyes were wide open, stunned with fear. =ottie continued on her way.
0n old man limped by. =ottie could see blood staining his clothes and leaving a trail across
the pavement.
'he stood stonily and watched him collapse to his knees.
The sky was grey, matching the bleak atmosphere perfectly. =ottie felt as though she were
somewhere between storms.
0 middle#aged woman cowered in the grasp of a 1eath @ater. =otties first instinct was to
run, but she suddenly couldnt feel her legs. The masked wizard threw the woman to the
ground and delivered a sharp kick to the ribs. =ottie watched in horror as the woman cried in
agony.
&/et a move on, girl,( the 1eath @ater grunted, &before finish this one off.( He slashed his
wand in the air. =ottie spun around so she wouldnt have to witness the result of the 1eath
@aters destruction. 'hrieks cut through the oppressing silence.
Had she !ust never noticed this before%
& told you>( 0 familiar voice shot through the silence. &That we need to avoid those older
girls at all costs. 2ut did anyone listen to me%(
=ottie held her breath. t was "elanie. 7robably everybody else was with her too. They
would recognize her immediately. Thinking quickly, she took a sharp turn down an alley and
prayed that they wouldnt follow.
&Well they were picking on me>( squeaked a voice that could be none other than 7ips, the
youngest of =otties old friends.
&*eah, "elanie.( This time it was .live. 'tomach sinking, =ottie realized that .live must
have assumed her old position as second in command.
&We cant !ust let them bully us around>( said Hattie.
&Weve got more people than they do,( added 0le$a.
=ottie couldnt help herself. 'he moved her head !ust enough so she could see her old friends.
They all looked about the same, e$cept for 7ip who was maybe a bit taller. Hatties front
teeth had grown back in.
&)ace it, "elanie,( 'hawnee said. &We cant beat a 1eath @ater until were all a little older.(
=ottie suddenly felt the urge to throw up. 'he wanted to go and save her old friends. They
didnt know what a hell they were living in.
The sound of their voices died away until they were gone for good.
Her old buildings door was !ust in view. =ottie entered silently. "en and women had taken
advantage of the buildings hallways and had set up a temporary ground there. =ottie stepped
over their sleeping bodies, wondering if they had !ust recently moved in or if she had !ust
never noticed them before.
The door to her familys room swung open. &=ottie>( 7osy ,owe grabbed her daughter in a
tight embrace. &.h weve been wondering when you would visit> 8ome inside>( =ottie didnt
really have a choice whether to come inside or not, because her mother had picked her up and
carried her in. &.h> "y baby> ve missed you so much>( 7osy wouldnt let go. =ottie half
laughed and half gasped for breath.
&=et the girl breathe,( came a voice from the hallway.
&1ad>(
-athaniel picked =ottie up as well. &Hows my girl doing%(
=aughing, =ottie answered, &m good. m learning a lot at school. 0nd dont let these
clothes fool you. ve got uniforms and robes and##( she lowered her voice &##even my own
wand>(
-athaniel tousled =otties hair. &We are so proud of you,( he said. &/oing off to fight the
warB(
7osy nodded approvingly. &0nd theyre feeding you well, notice.(
When the time came to leave, =ottie nearly opted to stay. Her mothers crying combined with
her fathers futile attempts at comforting her made =ottie miss her parents even more.
&How were your parents%( asked 0ndrea meeting =ottie on the stoop of her building.
&They were good. They made me a little homesick, though.(
&"ine too.(
&Hey>( =ottie smiled mischievously. &What would you say if we went to see our old friends
again% ll visit yours if you visit mine.(
&-o way,( 0ndrea replied flatly. &=ottie, were dead. ,emember%(
&Well wouldnt it spook them if came back% Wouldnt that be a laugh%(
&-o>( 0ndrea shouted. &t wouldnt> *ou would get us both into trouble> 0nd wouldnt
suggest risking anything anymore, especially after what you did this summer.(
&What did this summer,( =ottie grumbled, &saved your life> 'o wouldnt complain. dont
see the problem>(
&.f course you wouldnt,( 0ndrea sighed. &f you thought your friend had died, and then she
came back, how would you feel%(
&d be happy>(
&2ut what would you tell them%(
&The truth.( =ottie started running in the direction her friends had !ust gone. &"aybe theyd
believe me this time> "aybe we could save them from this##(
&=ottie, no>( 0ndrea grabbed =otties arm, halting her path. &m not letting you get yourself
e$pelled for something this stupid. We cant save everyone. 2y training for the war, youre
doing your part. 8ome on>(
=ottie let herself be dragged back to the Turtle 2uilding, where they had arrived with
'tainthorpe. 'he didnt complain, but spent the time making sure her mental images of this
visit were detailed. There were too many horrors to take note of them all.
0ll of these people. They never had a chance.
&How was your family%( 'tainthorpe asked, standing in the doorway of the building. They
were the first students to return.
&@r##good,( 0ndrea answered timidly, dragging =ottie inside. &They missed me. 0nd Helen##
my little sister##(
&Wait,( =ottie interrupted. &*ou have a little sister%(
'tainthorpe laughed at 0ndreas glare.
&=ottie how did you not know this%( 0ndrea sighed. &ve tal+ed about her before.(
&Well dont know>( =ottie rolled her eyes. &)ine then, how many siblings do have%(
&*ou dont have any>( 0ndrea slapped her forehead. &Honestly =ottie, would it really kill
you to listen to me for once%(
=ottie stared at the floor. 'he didnt know what to say. How could she focus on 0ndreas
petty problems when her entire world had been changed% & do really miss my old friends,
though,( she added.
'tainthorpe nodded knowingly. &ts a horrible thing, to lose a friend.(
Chapter -3: Chapter Twelve: A Traitor at Al!emore
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note!: 'orry for the delay guys> 3m sure you3ll be happy to hear the progress 3ve
been making. !ust started chapter twenty one today, so things are moving along nicely. "y
dear beta, The2ird, cleaned up this chapter... a lot> 'o thanks so much to her>
: : :
8hapter Twelve; 0 Traitor at 0lsemore
The /reat Hall bustled with e$citement on the first day of term. The students had stopped by
.din 0lley days earlier to e$change their robes and books.
'crawny first years in tattered clothes clustered at the end of the hall? =ottie felt especially
tall seeing them. They seemed to be absolutely terrified by the idea of 'orting. The ceremony
was a lot more interesting this time, =ottie realized, since she didnt have to worry about
herself and the future of her friendships.
&0lvin, 'amuel,( was the first to be 'orted. The "aelioric table erupted in applause when the
heads finally made their decision. The numbers of student in each House apparently varied
through the years, as the number was e$tremely different than it was last year. There were
only four new 7almyitors. The teachers didnt seem bothered by the odd numbers of students
in each House, so =ottie tried to rela$ and en!oy the first years nervousness.
&=ook at them gobble down that food>( she said gleefully, watching a first year fit an
ungodly amount of mashed potatoes into his mouth at once.
&1ont laugh>( 0ndrea hit her lightly on the shoulder. &Theyre !ust hungry. *ou were
hungry on your first day too.(
&Well, yeah, but##W.W>( .ne girl had !ust stuffed an entire roll into her mouth. &0ndrea,
that was amazing. *ou should try it.( =ottie pushed a roll in front of her face. &Here>(
/laring at her, 0ndrea hissed, & really dont think##(
&.kay> .kay>( =ottie took the roll herself. &ll try it.(
The rest of the feast was rather uneventful, save for =ottie nearly choking to death on the roll.
=ottie watched 7almyitor lead the four first years to the common room. t was lucky, she
noticed, that there were two girls and two boys. t would be awfully lonely to live in a dorm
alone.
The second years kept the same dormitory as the year before. =ottie was relieved to stay in
her own bed, since she had been dreading leaving the room she had grown so attached to.
The first years looked so uncomfortable in the common room. =ottie wanted to go and
introduce herself, but 0ndrea stopped her. &*oull !ust make them more nervous,( she told
her.
'o =ottie, 0ndrea, 'ophie and Aulianne sat away from the new students, in the farthest corner
of the common room. =ottie didnt really pay attention to the debate that 0ndrea was having
with 'ophie and Aulianne, only butting in with &*eah>( or &Thats right>( occasionally to
make 0ndrea feel less outnumbered. nstead, she busied herself with eavesdropping on and
older group of students conversation.
'he had seen this particular group of girls with 'tanley, so they must have been seventh
years, like him. )rom what =ottie could see out of the corner of her eye, the seventh years all
congregated tightly around a coffee table.
&Where did you get it%( =ottie overheard.
&0 1eath @ater sold it to me,( answered a rough voice##like sandpaper. &8ost a fortune, too.(
=ottie noticed a lull in her friends conversation and realized it was her turn to speak. 'he
shot a desperate glance at 0ndrea and shouted, &*eah, youre right>( Her friends stopped the
conversation and stared. Aulianne blinked. =ottie quickly turned back to the other
conversation.
&Well what do you do with it%( asked another voice.
&7lant it,( said the raspy voice again. &t !ust sits there, looking like a normal deck of cards,
and##(
&Well e$cept for the blood stains,( interrupted one of the seventh years.
=ottie sat on her hands to hide their quivering. 'omebody at 0lsemore was affiliated with
1eath @aters% t was scary enough to find that 1eath @aters had gotten close to the castle, but
now they were inside of the castle% 'he had spent all of her life running from 1eath @aters,
and whenever she got close to getting away from them, they !ust inched closer.
&Well that disappears when you charm it,( replied the girl with the deck in her hand.
& dont know about this, @lla,( said another voice. &How does it work%(
&'o you do this spell, right%( The girl with the raspy voice, @lla, paused. =ottie imagined her
friends nodding enthusiastically. &0nd set them out. The ne$t person who picks them up##(
.ut of the corner of her eye, =ottie could see @lla drawing a line across her throat.
&2ut isnt that sort of obvious,( sneered another voice, &if somebody picks up a deck of cards
and suddenly they die%(
&Thats the genius part.( @lla lowered her voice to a whisper so =ottie had to strain to hear it.
&The curse starts to take effect, but the person !ust feels sick for a few days before they kick
the bucket.(
&Then how do they die%(
&1unno. "ust be something really violent though. =ook at all this blood>(
=ottie had heard enough. 'he rose to her feet, interrupting her friends debate. &@r##0ndrea%
she stuttered tactlessly. &## cant find my wand. 8an you help me look for it in the dorm%(
7uzzled, 0ndrea looked from =ottie to 'ophie, who shrugged in reply. &'ure,( she said. &ll
be right back.(
=ottie didnt wait for 0ndrea to stand before she took off down the stairs. 'he reached the
dorm and paced until 0ndrea came in. &Have you looked under your bed yet%( she asked,
getting on her knees to search the ground.
&-o.( =ottie sat down on her bed. &ve got my wand. !ust needed to talk to you.(
0ndrea furrowed her brow. &Whats up%(
& heard seventh years talking.(
&Were you eavesdropping%(
&*es, but thats not the point.( =ottie took a breath. &Theyve got something 1ark. ts a deck
of cards, or something, but they got it from 1eath @aters>(
0ndrea looked skeptical. &What does it do%(
&t kills whoever touches it.(
&Well are you going to tell somebody%(
&Who would tell%(
&7almyitor.(
&2ut then the girls will know who told> cant have my name floating around 1eath @ater
camps.(
0ndrea rolled her eyes. &Honestly, thats not important right now. What if you were the one
who touched these cards%(
&Well, - wouldnt, now that ##(
&2ut what if you were% We cant !ust let somebody die. dont care if youre coming with
me. -m telling.( 0ndrea stood up. =ottie did as well.
&.kay. )ine, ll go, but if those girls find out it was us##(
&They wont. 8ome on.(
0ndrea and =ottie ran out of the dorm and up the stairs.
&1id you find it%( asked Aulianne, coming down the stairs.
&*eah>( =ottie shouted hurriedly. &Turned out to be in my pocket the whole time> What a
laugh> 2ye>(
=ottie and 0ndrea left the bewildered 'ophie and Aulianne and scrambled out of the
grandfather clock. They ran up the stairs towards the @ntrance Hall until##
&Woolbright> ,owe> What are you doing out after hours%(
=ottie spun around. .f course, it was 7rofessor /abaldon. 'he was one of the most rude and
annoying professors in the entire school. &7rofessor, we really need to go see 7rofessor
7almyitor,( she said.
&Well good thing,( /abaldon replied stiffly. &2ecause thats e$actly where youre going.(
=ottie could see 0ndrea blushing as they were marched up the stairs to 7almyitors office.
/abaldon didnt even knock before entering.
&@$cuse me%( sniffed 7almyitor, carefully slipping something under her desk.
&8aught these two out of their common rooms,( /abaldon reported.
&,owe, you seem to make trouble wherever you go,( 7almyitor said, not staring at =ottie, but
instead at 0ndrea, who seemed to shrink under her gaze.
&ts not that, 7rofessor,( =ottie said hastily. &We were coming to your office anyways.(
7almyitor cleared her throat and stared straight into =otties eyes. &0nd it could not wait until
tomorrow% am very busy, ,owe. think you should reevaluate when you think is
important.(
&'hes not lying>( e$claimed 0ndrea. &'he##we overheard some upperclassmen talking
and##(
&0nd theyve got a pack of## dont know##cards or something> 2ut theyre dangerous. They
said it curses anyone who touches it. Theyre planting it in the school to start killing
everybody one by one>( =ottie started back at 7almyitor determinately. 'he didnt like
=egilimency, but she would let go of that if it meant saving the school.
'ure enough, moments later, she began reliving the evening. 'he watched the 'orting, choked
on a roll, was told off by 0ndrea for trying to scare the first years and finally eavesdropped
on the seventh years. Her hands started shaking again as she rewitnessed the scene, moment
by moment.
&Well,( said 7almyitor suddenly. The flashback stopped. &We must see about these seventh
years.( 'he turned to /abaldon, the corners of her lips twitching into a false smile. &Thank
you, @mma.(
/abaldon seemed a little disappointed that there was going to be no punishment. &*oure
welcome,( she said before leaving.
7almyitor waited patiently with a smile plastered on her face for the door to shut before very
clearly rolling her eyes. &*ou two,( she began once /abaldons footsteps faded away, &might
want to wait in here. cant imagine those seventh years will be very happy to have been
caught.( Without another word, 7almyitor strode out of the office, leaving 0ndrea and =ottie
alone.
t was a rather small office for such an important person in the school. There were no
windows. The floor was made out of large, cold stones. 2ookshelves lined every inch of wall,
but there were no books on them. nstead, rolls of parchment were carefully organized onto
the shelves. =ottie inspected them further and found that they were records of every student
who had once gone to the school.
&'top it, =ottie,( 0ndrea said shakily. &Thats none of your business.(
=ottie rolled her eyes and walked over to 7almyitors desk. &What was she writing before%(
she asked, opening a drawer.
&=ottie, no> *oure going to get us in trouble>( 0ndrea sat down on the floor with her back
against the wall. &Were lucky to not be in trouble as it is. Aust sit down and dont touch
anything.(
&2ossy, bossy>( =ottie muttered, sitting down ne$t to 0ndrea. &What do you think theyre
going to do with them%(
& dont know,( 0ndrea said shakily. &They cant keep them here, but they cant let them go
either. "aybe theyll re#train them for our side.(
=ottie shook her head. &.nce you become a traitor, you cant go back.(
&1o you think there are more%( asked 0ndrea. &"ore traitors, mean.(
&*es. There must be.( =ottie shivered. 'he had felt so safe at 0lsemore. -ow what%
&Was it all of the seventh year girls in 7almyitor%(
& think so,( she said. &There were about seven of them.(
&What are they going to do with so many students missing%(
& have no idea.(
The door opened. 8lynalmoy stepped into the small room solemnly. &0ll of the heads,( he
said softly, &would like to thank you for your actions tonight.(
&*oure welcome,( =ottie said indignantly.
&d also like to add,( he continued, &that you shouldnt go around talking about this.( He
glanced at the door. &The school will be grateful that the traitors have been caught, but they
might also be suspicious if they know you are the ones who told us.(
=ottie and 0ndrea nodded.
&Weve got them all outside, so dont leave the office yet. Wait until 7rofessor 7almyitor
returns.(
8lynalmoy turned and left. 0ndrea and =ottie sat in silence for a moment before 0ndrea said,
&They must##(
0 shriek from one of the students cut through her words.
=ottie stood up. &What are they doing to them%>( she shouted.
& think shes !ust angry,( 0ndrea said hopefully. &*ou would be too, wouldnt you%( =ottie
raised her eyebrows. &Well, mean##you know what mean.(
7almyitor stuck her head into the office. &*es,( she said once she entered as though
answering some unasked question. &Well m glad thats##mostly##taken care of.( 'he cleared
her throat. &2ut suppose should escort you two back to your dormitory.(
&What did you do with the cards%( 0ndrea asked on their way down the corridor.
&They have been properly confiscated.(
&2ut what did you do to the seventh years%( =ottie piped up. &Where did they go%(
&We have taken them to a retraining center to##(
&2ut that !ust means youre killing them, right%(
&,owe##(
&Where did they go%(
7almyitor spun around, pointing her finger in =otties face. &They have been properly dealt
with,( she said sternly. & do not want to repeat myself.(
They reached the clock. 0ndrea looked at 7almyitor e$pectantly. =ottie stuffed her hands into
her pocket and glared at her. &/oodnight,( was the only response. =ottie watched as
7almyitor hurried down the hall. 'he must have been going back to deal with the traitors.
=ottie and 0ndrea crawled through the clock to find an empty common room. &They must
have sent everyone to bed,( 0ndrea whispered.
=ottie glanced over her shoulder. &"aybe thats a good idea,( she said. &8ome on.(
The girls floor was eerily silent. =ottie stopped in front of the empty seventh years dorm.
&*ou go ahead,( she said to 0ndrea.
&=ottie##(
&m not going to do anything stupid. !ust want to look around.( =ottie glanced in the empty
room. &ll shout if anything happens.(
0ndrea laughed nervously. &.kay. 2ut m holding you to that promise.( 'he trotted to the
second years dorm and entered as quietly as possible with quivering hands.
=ottie turned to the empty dormitory. 'he couldnt believe that every 7almyitor seventh year
girl had been a traitor. 'ure, she was close with everybody in her year, but she wouldnt
become a 1eath @ater if one of them wasB would she% 2ut if the seventh year girls were
1eath @aters, were the boys% 8ould 'tanley actually be a traitor%
=ottie shivered and entered the lonely room. 'he didnt want to snoop, but what if she found
something% The wind outside howled. =ottie glanced over her shoulder. 'he checked the
seven beds and bedside tables.
3umos, she whispered. The wand light illuminated the entire room. 'he gave the room one
last check over before giving up. 'he turned to leave when something glinting in the wand
light caught her eye.
t was a key, large and polished to a heavy shine.
Wingardium 3e(iosa, =ottie said. 'he carefully guided the levitating key to one of the
empty beds. t was !ust a key, but if a deck of cards could kill somebody, =ottie didnt want
to risk anything.
+uietly, she bundled the key in a sheet and stuffed it under her arm. =ottie reached her own
dorm and hid her key as well as she could in her duffle. 'he quickly changed into her
pa!amas and clambered into bed.
Wide awake, =ottie spent hours listening to the wind howling. t was as though the castle was
mourning the loss of so many students. 'ure, 0lsemore was better than anything she had ever
had before, but it felt like no matter where she went, she would never escape the danger of
the war.
Chapter -4: Chapter Thirteen: The Other $ide o1 the 2all
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note:Hey, this chapter was up pretty fast, eh% Thanks so much to The2ird for
being an e$tremely quick beta this time> hope you all like this chapter. Hopefully, with
summer on the way, my updating will become more frequent>
8hapter Thirteen; The .ther 'ide of the Wall
@ven though the key was covered in bed sheets, the ne$t morning, =ottie nearly gave into its
temptation. .nly 0ndrea noticed her odd behavior in classes that day, but !ust assumed that
the previous nights business had distracted her.
@ven during dinner, =ottie retained a stoic silence. 0ndrea gave up in trying to figure out
what could be wrong and introduced herself to the shy first years. =ottie finished her supper
as quickly as she could manage and rose from the table. &=ottie%( 0ndrea turned from the
first years. &Where are you going%(
=ottie had considered telling 0ndrea about the key, but knew that 0ndrea would !ust tell
7almyitor before she could check anything out for herself. & !ust feel sick,( =ottie answered.
& think m going to bed.(
)rowning, 0ndrea muttered, &.kay.( =ottie turned to leave, but 0ndrea stopped her. &1ont
worry about the seventh years,( she said. &m sure theyre fine.(
&*eah.( =ottie started towards the door. &Thanks,( she called behind her.
The corridor was completely deserted. =ottie ran back to the common room, looking over her
shoulder every few minutes. 'he nearly ran into the clock, stopping !ust in time to change the
time and dive in. 'he sprinted down the stairs to the girls floor, taking the last four steps with
a running !ump.
Her duffle was already opened. 'he pulled the bundle of sheets out triumphantly and
unwrapped the key H it looked safe enough. The sheets had covered it all day and they hadnt
been affected at all. 8arefully, she pulled the key out and pocketed it. 'he didnt feel like she
was about to die. 2ut didnt the pack of cards kill days after it was touched% =ottie suddenly
regretted her decision. 0s she climbed back up the stairs, she decided that she would take a
trip to the hospital wing as soon as she felt sick.
What door did this key open% Was the door even at 0lsemore% =ottie started down the
corridor, sticking the key in every door she found. 'he decided to work her way up from this
floor. t was rather tedious, and she had to run quickly, because she couldnt be caught
e$ploring the school during dinner when she was supposed to be sick.
2y the third floor, =ottie was starting to lose interest. What were the odds that this key
actually opened a door at 0lsemore% 1inner was nearly over? she could hear the distant
voices of students leaving the /reat Hall. =ottie looked around desperately.
0 hunched and withered man was weaved into a fading tapestry hanging on the wall across
from her. The torchlight flickered across his face and made his dull eyes glimmer to life. The
rest of the stone wall was blank, e$cept for a rusting suit of armor whose face almost seemed
to move when the light illuminated it.
The voices were getting closer. =ottie ran to the tapestry and stood as still as she could behind
it. Aust as she got situated and the voices were right around the corner, a clanging of metal
interrupted her panicked thoughts.
'he peeked out from behind the tapestry. The suit of armor had moved. t held its hand out,
as though waiting for somebody to put something in its palm. =ottie pulled out her key. The
suit opened its hands wider.
The voices must have been nearly there. Thinking hastily, =ottie dashed to the armor and
dropped her key in its hand. t promptly wrapped its fingers around it, turned around and put
the key in a perfectly sized hole in the wall. The wall split to reveal a gap !ust big enough to
crawl through. =ottie paused. What was on the other side of the wall% Was it worth risking
the danger to not get in trouble for snooping% 'he fell to her knees and pulled herself through
the hole !ust as the voices passed her. )rom her spot on the ground, she could see the suit of
armor step in front of the hole, covering it innocently.
=ottie grinned and pulled out her wand. &3umos.( The passage revealed was only tall enough
for her to push her way along on her stomach. Deeping her wand between her teeth, she used
her arms to pull her entire body down the corridor.
0 tiny door appeared to her left. =ottie unlatched it and maneuvered awkwardly to get
through.
7ast the door was an empty hall. t was pitch black H =ottie could only see as far as her wand
light shone. ,elieved that it was large enough to stand in, =ottie pulled herself to her feet.
)lickering torches illuminated the entire room. 0ged benches formed a pentagon in the
center. t must have been used for some sort of meeting place.
.versized trunks were scattered around the perimeter of the hall. =ottie ran over to the first
one and opened it carefully. Dnives in scabbards lined the inside of the trunk. =ottie decided
that she would need some evidence for her discovery, so dragged it along with her as she
checked the other trunks.
n the seven trunks she visited, =ottie found bottles filled with some dangerous looking
substance, a silver ring with a faded crest, a small snuffbo$, some robes and what looked
suspiciously like snakeskin. =ottie dragged the trunk back to the door leading to the tiny
corridor, but once she pulled her hand on the doorknob, the torches in the hall put themselves
out, leaving her in darkness.
Her wand light illuminated the open trunk. 'he didnt have enough time to move out of the
way when the contents of the trunk flew out. =ottie stood, dumbstruck, at the levitating
ob!ects. 'he moved her wand before her defensively. 'uddenly, everything flew towards her.
The snuffbo$, the robes, the ring and the snakeskin didnt scare her as they were all relatively
harmless, but she was rather concerned about seven knives.
=ottie ran through the hall, but the knives followed. 'he dodged to the right, but, if anything,
the knives only sped up. 'he tried weaving, her way to the door, but she couldnt escape.
They were right behind her? she could feel the tips of the blades brushing against her back.
'he was quickly losing stamina.
0 knife sliced through the sleeve of her robe and cut her arm. =ottie changed direction, !ust to
find a knife right in between her eyes that cut across her nose and cheek? it only stopped
when =ottie wrestled it away and down to the ground.
'he ran back to the large trunk and stuffed the harmless, floating ob!ects in it. With a sudden
idea, =ottie !umped in after, letting the knives come down at her. They grazed her legs and
cut her arms as they came down. =ottie hopped out of the trunk quickly and shut it with all of
her force.
7anting, =ottie opened the little door to the corridor. 'he could hear the knives straining to be
released. 'he pushed the trunk through the door and followed suit, with her illuminated wand
held in between her teeth.
/etting out of the narrow hallway proved to be much more difficult than getting in was. 'he
had to push the trunk forward first and then pull herself. 0fter what must have been ten
minutes =ottie reached the tiny crawl space in the wall. The suit of armor was still guarding
it. =ottie reached over the trunk and tapped the suits legs. t stepped out of the way with a
clatter.
&-ot a very graceful suit of armor,( =ottie panted as she pushed the trunk through the
passage and then pulled herself out. &0re you%(
'he pointed her wand at the trunk. &Wingardium 3e(iosa.( 8arefully, she steered the trunk
down to the 7almyitor clock. The trunk must have been influenced by magic, because she had
a rather difficult time controlling it.
The trunk barely fit through the clock. The clock, though, =ottie realized, must have been
magicked to fit everybody because even the largest of people managed to get through it. The
common room was relatively deserted. 0ll of the people left either didnt notice or didnt care
that a second year was guiding a trunk down to the dormitory.
=otties dorm was completely silent when she entered. @verybody was asleep. 'he must have
been down in the hall longer than she thought. The trunk landed with a thun+ on the ground.
-obody stirred. =ottie pulled off her robes to change into her pa!amas.
&=ottie%(
=ottie looked up from her duffle. &0ndrea>( she hissed. &/o to bed>(
&m not a dog, =ottie.( 7utting on her glasses, 0ndrea clambered out of her bed. & thought
you were in the hospital wing for the night. Whats that trunk%(
=ottie put a finger to her lips. &ts nothing,( she whispered. &=ets !ust go to bed. m tired.(
&=ottie, youre hurt>( 0ndrea shouted. &What##( =ottie put a hand over her mouth to shut her
up.
&m fine,( =ottie whispered calmly. &m !ust going to go wash off and go to bed.(
0ndrea raised her eyebrows and stared at the trunk again. &ve never seen a crest like that on
a trunk,( she said, pushing =otties hand away.
& doubt you have,( =ottie sighed. &=ook, ll tell you, but you dont tell anyone else, okay%(
0ndrea nodded. & found this key under one of the seventh years beds. t led to a really long
secret passage on the third floor. found all of the stuff in the trunk there.
&=ottie>( 0ndrea slapped =ottie lightly on the shoulder. &*ou shouldnt go e$ploring
dangerous places by yourself> What if there were 1eath @aters in there%(
&f 1eath eaters were in the school, m sure they would have attacked us by now.(
&Well##nevertheless, you should have taken the key straight to 7almyitor>( 0ndreas blue
eyes sparkled with curiosity behind her glasses. &2ut first, can see whats inside%(
&'ure.( =ottie unlatched the trunk. &m warning you, though, last time this thing was
opened, it attacked me. *ou might want your wand.( =ottie waited for 0ndrea to get her
wand from her bedside table before opening the trunk.
-othing happened. &Thats interesting,( =ottie said thoughtfully. &Well, better this way than
before. The magic must be contained in the passage and not in the trunk.
&Wow.( 0ndrea cautiously tiptoed closer to the trunk. &0nd you found all of this%(
&*eah.( =ottie eyed the trunk. The knives had fallen on top of the robes, which covered
everything else she had found. &Well, no.( =ottie never knew what led her to lie, but
suddenly she reached down and pulled out the robes, trying to take as many ob!ects with her
as she could. &The robes are mine. took them off to run faster.( )rom what she could see,
she had managed to grab the snakeskin. & found the rest of it,( she said, carefully putting the
robes with the snakeskin in her duffle.
0ndrea held up one of the bottles. &This is sort of scary,( she said, e$amining it in the little
bit of moonlight that came from the window. & cant open this.( 'he threw the bottle back
and picked up one of the knives. & cant get this out, either,( she grunted. &1o you think
theyre enchanted so only one person can use them%(
=ottie unsuccessfully tried to free a knife from the scabbard as well. & dont know. They
seemed to open themselves pretty well on their own down in that chamber.(
0ndrea dropped the knife. &"aybe we shouldnt touch enchanted ob!ects. dont want to get
the entire dorm killed.( =ottie fell a shot of guilt run through her, though not enough to return
the robes and the snakeskin. &=ets !ust take this to 7almyitor tomorrow.(
Chapter -5: Chapter Fourteen: A $hadowy 3i!+overy
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! note: Thanks so much to The2ird for beta3ing this chapter> t3s thanks to her that
have a chapter title 0-1 this chapter doesn3t suck.
: : :
8hapter )ourteen; 0 'hadowy 1iscovery
&0 secret chamber, ,owe%( 7almyitor stood, arms crossed, in her office.
=ottie and 0ndrea had waited all day to tell 7almyitor about what they had found. 'he had
been so unimpressed by their story that =ottie was slightly disappointed.
& promise m not lying>( =ottie shouted. 'he bit her lip, remembering 7almyitors advice
about controlling her emotions and calmly e$plained, &How else would have gotten these
cuts% ts on the third floor. *ou give the key to the suit of armor and it opens the chamber
for you, but the passage is so small that you need to crawl through it to get to a door.(
&There is no suit of armor on the third floor.(
=ottie gaped at her. &What% 2ut saw it> t held out its hand and gave it the key, and##(
&"aybe,( inter!ected 0ndrea, &you need the key to see the suit of armor%(
&"iss Woolbright, ve been teaching at this school for fifty years. like to believe that
know everything about this castle by now.(
&2ut what if it was here before the school started%( 0ndrea asked rationally. =ottie was
impressed with how composed 0ndrea remained. &-obody can know everything about a
place as magical as this, can they% Was the castle built strictly for the school%(
&0s a matter of fact, it was a gift.(
&)rom who%(
=ottie en!oyed their verbal sparring. t was like watching two children throw a rock back and
forth.
&0n old wizarding family,( answered 7almyitor dully? arguing with a second year clearly did
not amuse her. &*ou would not recognize the name.(
&8ould you tell us anyways%(
7almyitor sighed. &The 1umbledores. 0berforth 1umbledore presented us the castle as a gift
when he found out about our cause.(
&1umbledore>( =ottie shouted, thrilled to recognize something from the still rather new
wizarding world. &0lbus 1umbledore was killed by 'everus 'nape>(
7almyitor stared at =ottie. &*es, ,owe, he was. f you dont mind us getting back on topi%,(
she growled, &0berforth would have informed us of any secret passageways.(
&2ut what if he didnt know%( 0ndrea asked.
&*eah>( =ottie found this story quite e$citing. &What if its been here for years and years,
built a thousand years ago maybe> What if those seventh years !ust found the key and
discovered the passageway like did% Then they used it for their own purposes>(
&This is not a fairytale, ,owe.( 7almyitor stared down the bridge of her nose at the
overe$cited second years. &-evertheless, if those traitors were involved with these artifacts,
they deserve a thorough inspection.(
&We couldnt open any of them,( 0ndrea said. &They must be enchanted to seal shut when
they leave that chamber.(
&We will find a way to open them,( 7almyitor said curtly. &0nd trying to open them was a
very foolish thing to do. *ou could have killed the entire school.(
Her calmness unnerved =ottie.
&Thank you for giving these to me. will show them to the other heads and we will manage
to open them somehow.(
&Wait> Why cant we help%( =ottie e$claimed. &-m the one who found it in the first place>(
&,owe, you are a second year. The dangers of allowing you to be in charge of items as
valuable as these##(
&We wouldnt be in charge> *ou could tell us what to do.( =ottie pouted, her brows furrowed
in defiance. & !ust think we should be kept up to date, since you wouldnt have this if it
werent for us.(
7almyitor stared at =ottie. )or a brief moment, amusement flickered behind her dark eyes.
&)ine, ,owe.( 7almyitor smiled coldly. &m sure @mma will be e$tremely pleased,( she
added sarcastically, not taking note that neither =ottie nor 0ndrea had any idea what she was
talking about. & will speak with the other heads and you can come help inspect these
tomorrow after dinner. -ow go to the hospital wing and get those cuts looked at.(
The ne$t night, =ottie and 0ndrea shoveled down their food and waited in front of
7almyitors office, discussing what spells they might learn to open the 1ark ob!ects. &*ou
know,( said 7almyitor on her way down the corridor, &no matter how fast you two eat, you
will still have to wait until the end of supper before anything happens.(
=ottie shrugged. &Aust not that hungry, suppose.(
&"mmB( 7almyitor unlocked her office. &*oull have to sit on the floor,( she stated without
apology. =ottie dryly wondered if 7almyitor had a disorder that did not allow her to con!ure
chairs. &We arent doing much today, but noting everything found.( 'he pointed to two sets
of parchment, quills and ink. &@ach of you take one artifact at a time. -ote color,
measurements, inscriptions and anything else you can think of. 0nything you could need is
beside the trunk.( 'he paused. &0nd tell me if you find anything unusual or dangerous,( she
added.
)eeling rather defeated, =ottie sat on the floor ne$t to 0ndrea and pulled one of the bottles
out. The glass, when held to the light was thick and amber and was corked by an emerald
stopper. The liquid inside was e$tremely dark against the glass and =ottie couldnt tell
e$actly what it was, though she had a sinking suspicion that it was human blood. @very time
she thought she was close to finishing the bottle, 0ndrea pointed out something else to note.
)inally, once 0ndrea was satisfied with =otties notes on the bottle, she was allowed to move
onto one of the knives. t was covered by a brown leather scabbard. The metal inside was
rusting and the blade was slightly dull, but =ottie could still make out some sort of crest on
the front. t was hard to make out the details, but what looked like two dogs were on either
side of the crest with two stars and sword inside.
2y the end of the evening, =ottie had only finished the one bottle and the knife? 0ndrea had
done the snuffbo$, two knives and a bottle. The two second years left the office after curfew
with an e$cuse note from 7almyitor.
The girls passed a deserted classroom. The door was only open a crack, but =ottie noticed
some shadows, flickering and changing shape in the torchlight. Who would be out so late
after hours% 0nd more importantly was it for good intentions% &.h>( she e$claimed, reaching
into her pocket. & left my wand in 7almyitors office,( she lied. &ve got to go back and get
it.(
0ndrea narrowed her eyes. &.h. .kay. @r##do you need the note%(
&WellB( =ottie sighed overdramatically, & guess dont need it. ll !ust dodge anybody
see.(
&.h. -o.( 0ndrea pushed the note into her hands. &Here, take this. ll meet you at the
dormitory.(
&'ee you,( said =ottie on her way back through the hall. 'he kept walking until 0ndrea was
well out of earshot and then crept back up to the open door.
&The 1ark =ord doesnt have to find out,( a low voice said. &He can !ust think the 7almyitors
died, or something, if he even notices that theyre gone at the ne$t meeting.(
&*ou cant lie to him,( responded another voice. This one was a girl. &*ou may be trained in
strategy, but youd be absolutely pathetic at .cclumency. He always knows when somebody
is lying. -ot even the best of the 7almyitors could use .cclumency against him. 0nd hell
notice theyre gone. He always notices.(
&Well all m saying,( began the males voice, &is that the 1ark =ord doesnt need to find out.
Well only get ourselves killed if we tell him. Who ratted the 7almyitors out anyways%
&"ustve been another 7almyitor. ts !ust horrible, "ichael. @lla was our best spy. cant
believe the heads, espe%ially 7almyitor, trusted her.( 'he laughed coldly. &1o you know how
many plans the 1ark =ord found out about because of her% Who knows where she is nowB(
&1ead, thats where,( "ichael answered stiffly. &*ou know that the heads cant do anything
with traitors like us once they find us out so they !ust kill us.(
=ottie held her breath, her hands shaking so violently in her pockets that her wand fell to the
ground. The traitors conversation stopped. =ottie snatched her wand and began running,
untilI
&Hey, you> Whatre you doing out after hours%( The girl came out of the opened door with an
illuminated wand in =otties face. 'he wore a red prefect vest.
=ottie hid her shiver well and took a deep breath. & was working with 7almyitor,( she said,
handing her note to the traitor.
&=ottie ,owe and 0ndrea Woolbright%(
&0ndrea went to the common room,( =ottie lied coolly. & left my wand in 7almyitors office
so had to go back.( The words were escaping her lips like water flowing out of a faucet. t
was almost like the truth.
&How long have you been here%( asked the prefect with raised eyebrows.
&Aust walking by.( =ottie pulled out her wand. &/ot my wand, so now m heading back to
the common room.( The prefect couldnt find any signs of deception in =otties blank stare.
&)ine,( she said, handing the note back. &Hurry up and go back to your dorm.(
=ottie smiled. &Thanks>( she said and trotted down the corridor, trying to seem completely
unaffected. .nce at the stairs, =ottie began running. 'he reached the clock in no more than a
minute and clambered into the common room. 'he ran down the stairs and into her dorm.
@verybody was already asleep. =ottie changed into her pa!amas and fell into bed.
&=ottie%( 0ndreas voice came from the ne$t bed.
&*eah%(
&1id you find your wand%(
&What% .h. *eah. did.( =ottie paused. 'he didnt like lying to 0ndrea. &f tell you a
secret, you cant freak out. .kay%(
&.kay.(
& ran into some other students. dont know who they are. .ne of them was a prefect and
one was named "ichael. think they were traitors too. 0nd from how they talked, it sounded
like there are a lot more traitors in the school.(
-e$t to her, =ottie heard the rustling of sheets. &0ndrea%( she whispered. &0ndrea, what are
you doing%(
&1o you still have that note%( 0ndrea asked as she pulled her robes over her head.
&0ndrea, no. *ou said you wouldnt freak out>(
&m not freaking out,( 0ndrea responded. &m being responsible.(
&Whats going on%( asked 'ophie from across the room.
&Why are we awake%( came Auliannes voice.
&m going to see 7almyitor,( 0ndrea whispered back.
&t cant wait until tomorrow%( asked 'ophie.
&-o, it cant.( 0ndrea got up and stood in the doorway. &ll be back soon. Aust go to bed.(
'he slammed the door behind her.
=ottie groaned and fell back into bed. &Aust go back to bed, guys. 'hes not coming back
soon.(
&Whats up with her%( asked Aulianne.
&'hes !ust nervous,( =ottie said. &0nd shes not going to rest until she thinks shes finished
playing the hero.(
Chapter -: Chapter Fi1teen: The In!pe+tion
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note!: .kay so 3m going to try something new this time. 3m going to do chapter
dedications because owe so many people so many things>
'o this chapter is dedicated to all of my loyal reviewers> *ou guys really make my day and
help my story grow. Thanks so much>
0nd of course, what would a chapter of HT be without thanking The2ird. don3t think you
guys could believe how dedicated she is. 'he went over my chapter not only once but
TH,@@ times> 'he really is incredible.
: : :
8hapter )ifteen; the nspection
&'ll students will report to the :reat .all immediately.(
=ottie was barely up for breakfast when she had to throw on her uniform and run back to the
/reat Hall. 8haos ensued in the hall. The teachers were clearly trying to line the students up
in an organized manner, but the students were far too frantic to obey.
=ottie ran over to 0ndrea, who she spotted waiting patiently by the 7almyitor table. &Whats
going on%( she asked. &-ot 1eath @aters again, right%( ,ealization suddenly dawned on her.
&0ndrea, please dont tell me that this is because##(
& dont know anymore than you do,( 0ndrea snapped. &0nd be quiet. *oure only helping
the pandemonium.(
7almyitor rushed by, tucking her flyaway hair behind her ears. &.rganize yourself>( she
shouted. &@ach House stand by their table and line up by year. )irst years closest to the door
and seventh years closest to the staff table>( .nly a fraction of the students heard the demand.
Those who actually knew what to do moved slowly and sluggishly.
&0lright come on>( 0ndrea stepped out of the line. &7almyitors, line up in order of year>
Hurry up>( )or such a small person, she could yell surprisingly loud.
The 7almyitors listened. The older students seemed so impressed that a second year would
stand up to an entire House that they listened to her. They all shuffled to their spot in line and
waited for the other Houses to figure out what they needed to do.
&Well m impressed,( =ottie told 0ndrea when she finished directing. &"ove over 'tanley>
The future prefe%t is ready to take over.( =ottie was impressed. @very now and then she
noticed 0ndrea, so often reserved, break out and become the leader of the pack. )or a split
second, =ottie felt a surge of !ealousy. 'he wished that everybody would listen to her.
&'hut up>( 0ndrea smacked =ottie playfully on the shoulder, suddenly snapping her back to
reality.
"aelioric stood in the middle of the hall, patiently waiting for the students babble to die
away. &Thank you all for cooperating so early in the morning,( he said to the students. &
assure you this shouldnt take long. Well have you to your classes in no time. We are !ust
going to perform a simple spell on each of you in turn. The easier you make this for us, the
easier it will be for you. 0fter that we will either tell you to sit down and en!oy your breakfast
quietly or follow one of the teachers to a chamber a little ways down the corridor.(
Teachers stood at the front of each line, waiting. &This does have to do with last night,
doesnt it%( =ottie whispered.
0ndrea put a finger to her lips.
&*ou ratted them out>( =ottie shouted and put a hand over her mouth after receiving some
nasty glares from the working professors. &.h you promised me you wouldnt freak out>(
& didnt. was much more calm than you are. !ust did what was right. -ow shut up.(
=ottie opened her mouth to retaliate, but shut it when she noticed 2reckenridge, 7almyitor,
"aelioric, 8lynalmoy, /abaldon and 1yer all standing at the front of the lines with their
wands out. They must have been doing =egilimency, =ottie realized. 'he made a note to
avoid these teachers when she had a secret.
1istantly, she heard a professor hiss, &3egilimens5(
There was a collective wince from the first years who were being inspected. =ottie grimaced
sympathetically? a lot of these first years have probably never e$perienced =egilimency
before.
=ottie craned her neck to see the 8lynalmoy line. The prefect she had seen the night before
shifted her weight uncomfortably. 'mirking, she turned back to the 7almyitor line. 0ll of the
students who had been checked were now shakily eating breakfast. -ot surprising, since the
teachers had !ust finishing going through the first years and 1eath @aters hardly would target
first years as spies.
=otties stomach grumbled with hunger. 'he didnt want to be the target of =egilimency, but
she was hungry enough to comply.
The professors moved steadily down the line. 2reckenridge was one person ahead of =ottie
and !ust finishing up. 0s he turned to her, =ottie took a deep breath and attempted to clear her
mind.
&3egilimens,( said 2reckenridge, pointing his wand at her.
The familiar sensation of a forced flashback ensued. 'he pulled herself through the tiny
corridor? knives chased her through the secret chamber? she e$amined a bottle in 7almyitors
officeB 0nd suddenly it stopped. Her mind was blank. There was nothing left for
2reckenridge to find.
'uddenly, the flashes of scenes started again. .nly this time they werent her memories. 'he
was tall and muscular, standing in front of 7almyitors desk. The actual scene was hard to
make out? it was much more blurry than her own memories, but an$iousness ran through her
like a hurricane. =ottie could hear whispering from across the desk. This had never happened
beforeB There had never been traitors at the school before H no, they had never discovered
traitors at the school before. Who knew how many students had betrayed the school.
The memories stopped. @verything was black again until =ottie was dragged back to the
present by 2reckenridges voice. &mpressive, ,owe,( he said with a chortle. He patted her
heavily on her shoulder. &/o and shut up that stomach of yours.(
=ottie smiled sheepishly and sat down at the 7almyitor table, waiting for 0ndreas turn to be
over. What had !ust happened% 'he had !ust been 2reckenridge, she knew it, but how%
0ndrea sat down ne$t to her. &Well that was uneventful,( she said casually. &Why did they
have to check me% Would they really think that the##(
&That the person who ratted out the traitors would turn out to be a traitor herself%(
0ndrea glared at her. =ottie smirked. &Thatd be interesting, wouldnt it%( she continued.
&How clever though. -obody would suspect you.(
&What are you trying to say%( asked 0ndrea seriously.
&.h you know what mean> .h.( 7almyitor shushed her on her way down the "aelioric line.
"ost of the teachers had finished checking the third years and were moving onto the fourth
years.
They were getting to the upperclassmen. The real threat. They had to check the
lowerclassmen, !ust to be sure, but the chances of a first year being a 1eath @ater were rather
slim.
)inally, the first culprit was caught. 0 burly fourth year "aelioric was escorted Frather
roughlyG out of the hall. =ottie shivered. 0ndrea put her fork down and stopped eating.
&What%( =ottie teased. &)eeling guilty%(
&-o,( 0ndrea said shakily. &-#not at all.(
0nother fourth year, a 8lynalmoy this time, was caught. 0nother followed. How many
traitors could there be% 0nd even if they were using =egilmency, what about the 7almyitors
who knew .cclumency%
They were on the si$th years now. =ottie poured her milk into her cereal silently. How did
1eath @aters find the students anyways% Wasnt the school well protected%
.ut of all of the Houses, 7almyitor was definitely taking the heaviest blow. t was the
smallest to begin with, and now had lost two fourth years, a fifth year, four si$th years and
seven seventh years.
-ow the entire House had been checked. The 7almyitors settled at the much emptier table to
watch the uncovering of all of the traitors. =ottie pitied the first years. They hadnt even been
at 0lsemore a week and now had to watch something as traumatizing as this.
)rom the "aelioric table, 8olm smirked at =ottie and 0ndrea. &.h look at him,( =ottie
snarled. &How can he be so smug during something like this% m surprised that hes not a
traitor.(
&1ont say things like that,( 0ndrea hissed.
)inally, all For =ottie hoped allG of the traitors were uncovered. The students sat in silence,
waiting for a teacher to say something.
7almyitor cleared her throat. &m sure that was !ust as unnerving for you as it was for us,(
she said calmly. &0nd m sure that you all have heard some form of whats going on.(
0 rumble of nervous whispering erupted in the hall.
&Traitors were discovered in the school. 'everal, in fact. We never would have found out,
were it not for one student.( 0nother burst of murmuring overtook the hall. =ottie felt 0ndrea
shift uncomfortably in her seat. &The identity of that student will remain a secret, but know
that if you happen to learn something like this, you must tell the school or be considered a
traitor yourself.(
&Wow,( =ottie breathed. &0 bit harsh, isnt it%( 0n$iety flooded her. What if they found out
about the robes and the snakeskin%
&8lasses will continue as normal today,( 7almyitor announced. The bell for classes rang. &ts
second period now.(
=ottie stood up and picked up her bag. 0ndrea didnt move. &0ndrea%( =ottie asked. &0re
you coming%(
&What%( 0ndrea looked up. &.h. *eah. ll be right there.(
t was 0ndreas turn to have a quiet day. 'he didnt speak a word, not even in 8harms, her
best sub!ect.
=ottie sat in the common room alone that night. 0ndrea was nowhere to be found. 0ll of the
other 7almyitors Fthe few that were left after the purgeG shared her melancholy.
'uddenly, 'tanley stood up from and clapped his hands together. &8ome on, guys>( he said
almost desperately. &This isnt that bad> We can pull through and##(
&'tan,( =angley grunted from the corner. &1o us all a favor and shut up.(
f 'tanley was upset, he hid it very well. 2lank faced, he collapsed back onto the couch and
stared moodily at the fire for the rest of the night.
'uddenly fed up with being alone, =ottie turned to Aulianne and 'ophie who were both
staring blankly at their 7otions books. &Hi.(
&Hi,( they echoed dully.
&Have#have you seen 0ndrea%( =ottie asked, trying to sound casual.
'ophie shook her head. & saw her in the common room earlier,( Aulianne said, picking her
head up from her book. &2ut she left right when a few more people came in.(
=ottie rested her head in her palm and tried to sit silently with her classmates, but only went
two minutes before getting frustrated and leaving.
1ownstairs in the dormitories, =ottie found 0ndreas bed empty. 'he must have been in the
shower. 0 folded piece of parchment sat on her neatly#made bed. t was probably !ust
homework, but then where were her books%
=ottie glanced around. -obody was in the dorm. -obody would know if she read it. What
would be the harm% 'he picked up the parchment. t wasnt homework, but a letter. =ottie
wanted to put it down, but despite her best intentions, found her eyes glued to the page.
/ear Mum and /ad,
.ow ha(e you been4 0%hools been o+ay. 0e%ond year is a lot more %hallenging than first
year was.
-m writing be%ause -m in a dilemma and - dont +now who - %an tell. 3ottie and - found
some girls to be traitors. 2hey were wor+ing for /eath Eaters. We went to the head of our
.ouse immediately, of %ourse. 2oday we had a s%hool meeting, where they un%o(ered an
unner(ing amount of people to be traitors as well.
2he %aught traitors ha(e been ta+en away. - dont +now where they went, but presumably
they were +illed be%ause on%e somebody is e$posed to the s%hool, they %ant be let go.
- dont +now what to do now. - +now what - did was right, but - ha(e %aused the death of
se(eral of my s%hoolmates. - might as well ha(e +illed them with my own hands.
- %ant tal+ to anyone about this problem. 2he tea%hers are %old and unfeeling and if - re(eal
myself to any students, - run the ris+ of being +illed by traitors who were not %aught.
2he only person who +nows what -(e done is 3ottie. - %ant e(en tal+ to her, though, be%ause
she told me not to tell anybody in the first pla%e. - dont +now. Maybe she was right.
lease write ba%+. - really dont +now what to do and - %ould use your ad(i%e. 0end .elen
my lo(e.
3o(e,
'ndrea
=ottie folded the letter and put it back on her bed, now regretting her decision to read it. f
0ndrea couldnt talk to =ottie, did she even consider them best friends like she did% =ottie
changed silently into her pa!amas. Whose fault was it% f 0ndrea hadnt told, what would
have happened%
=ottie fell into bed and closed her curtains. The door opened and somebody walked in,
smelling strongly of soap.
&0ndrea%( =ottie asked.
&*eah%(
-ow was her chance. 0ll she had to do was apologize and everything would be okay again.
&@r##goodnight.(
0ndrea paused as though waiting for =ottie to continue. =ottie heard a sigh through the
curtains of her four#poster. &/oodnight, =ottie.(
Chapter -#: Chapter $i%teen: Neville ,on)bottom
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 'orry again for the lateness of this chapter> "y computer had some technical
difficulties that prevented me from accessing my chapter for a while. t3s kind of sorted out
now, so hopefully 3ll update kind of soon>
Thanks to The2ird for doing a spectacular beta !ob> There were quite a few mistakes in this
one, so 3m very grateful to her for helping me fi$ them>
This chapter is dedicated to my dog, -ikki.
: : :
8hapter 'i$teen; -eville =ongbottom
0lsemore was quiet with so many people missing. "any older students had lost some good
friends, so the hallways, usually buzzing with their laughter, were unusually silent. The
younger students were petrified of being turned over to 1eath @aters, so spent their days
keeping their heads down, avoiding anybodys gaze. =ottie grew so restless that she and
0ndrea spent hours in 7almyitors office sorting out the 1ark ob!ects.
&,owe, you need to concentrate if youre going to try and open anything,( 7almyitor scolded.
=ottie sighed. This was almost as bad as 8harms tutoring the previous year. & dont think
this stuff is ever going to open,( she replied bitterly.
&Well it must,( said 0ndrea cheerfully, &because whoever used this stuff had to open it,
right%(
&@$actly.( 7almyitor pulled her wand out. &f you dont want to be involved, youre welcome
to leave.(
&-o, its okay.(
&)ine.( 7almyitor demonstrated a wand movement. &This movement, plus the incantation,
>eldario, is used to remove the dark properties of an enchanted ob!ect. ts not very powerful
and works best with smaller ob!ects.( 'he pulled out two old silver coins. &These coins have
been cursed. f anyone but me touches it, it will burn. 'o go ahead and try.(
)eeling rather self#conscious, =ottie copied 7almyitors wand movements and said,
>eldario5
'he peaked over at 0ndreas work. Her coin was glowing brightly and shuddered so violently
that it clanged against the desk. =otties gave a feeble twitch.
&0lright,( 7almyitor said, leaning against her desk. =ottie did not like her smirk. &/o ahead
and try to pick it up.(
0ndrea reached warily for her coin and picked it up. -othing happened. )eeling a little more
confident, =ottie reached for hers.
&.W>( 'he dropped the coin, sending it clattering to the floor. Her palm was a bright pink.
7almyitor sighed. &*ou never were very good at 8harms,( she lamented. &Woolbright, you
try that spell on everything. ,owe, you check the artifacts shes finished for any noticeable
change.(
=ottie glared at 7almyitor and sat down, waiting for 0ndrea to finish the first item. "aybe it
was more fun for 0ndrea, who got to use her wand finally, but =ottie found the hours wasted
in 7almyitors office hardly better than sitting in the lonely corridors alone. 'he picked up the
knife 0ndrea had !ust charmed and tried to open it.
&-o difference,( she said, setting it to the side.
They continued that cycle with every knife until 0ndrea picked up the small snuffbo$, flicked
her wand and muttered, >eldario5 0s she reached to pick up the nearest bottle, =ottie
noticed it shake ever so slightly. =ottie tried to open it. t still stuck. 'he held it to her ear and
shook it to check its contents. 'omething inside rattled, !ust loudly enough for her to hear it.
2iting her lip, =ottie stared at the snuffbo$. Was there any harm in keeping it for herself% 'he
should probably !ust tell 7almyitor right away. 2ut then what would she do% =ottie would
probably never see the snuffbo$ again and get no credit for finding it. The corners of her lips
twitching, she imagined 7almyitors reaction when she revealed the snuffbo$s secrets to her.
Hiding her smile at the thought, she said, &-o difference,( and palmed the bo$ and sliding it
up her sleeve.
-one of the other ob!ects were any different. =otties eyes unfocused as she tried to sound at
least remotely interested.
&Well, suppose well try a more powerful spell in a few days,( 7almyitor said with a
furrowed brow. &"erry 8hristmas, you two.(
&*ou too>( 0ndrea said cheerfully.
&"mhmm.( =ottie made sure that the snuffbo$ was securely up her sleeve.
0ndrea and =ottie left the office. =ottie let the snuffbo$ slide to her hand and pocketed it
quickly. &'o where do you want to go%( she asked casually.
& dont know. 1o you still have homework to do before the break is over%(
&0re you kidding me% havent even started>(
&=ets go to the library then.(
&'ounds good to me,( =ottie agreed and followed 0ndrea to the library. .nce they settled in
two stiff wooden chairs, =ottie pulled out her History book and started an essay on the
difference between old#fashioned communal schools and modern boarding schools. 0ndrea
busily scribbled notes in her 8harms book.
0fter about ten minutes of silent working, 0ndrea put her quill down. &ve got to go to the
bathroom,( she said. &ll be right back.(
&.kay.( =ottie watched her leave and waited a few moments. .nce the door clicked shut, she
stood up and dashed to the 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts shelf.
'he scanned the rows of books quickly, finally deciding on 2he /estru%tion of /ar+ Magi%
by Wilhelm Waldvogel. Tucking the dusty book under her arm, she darted from bookshelf to
bookshelf until finally settling at her table and cracking the book open. 'he only had time to
flip through a few pages and spot a particularly nasty illustration of an unfortunate man being
killed by a charmed egg beater before 0ndrea wandered back into the library.
7anic rose to =otties chest. 'he couldnt let 0ndrea see her with this book out? there was no
other e$planation as to why she was doing e$tra research on 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts,
one of her least favorite classes. 0ndrea was only a table away. 0t a complete loss, =ottie
picked up the heavy book, slipped it on her chair and sat on it before picking her quill back
up and pretending to be engrossed in her essay.
0ndrea flipped through her own History te$tbook and looked up at =ottie quizzically before
asking, &0re you taller than usual%(
=ottie awoke with a start. The dorm was dark. 'he opened her four#poster to find everyone
else sleeping peacefully. What time was it% .ne% Two% =ottie got out of bed, shivering as her
toes skimmed the ice#cold, stone floor. Why not !ust go back to bed% 'he didnt have any
classes the ne$t day, so did it really matter if she was tired%
'he opened her duffle and dug to the bottom. The snuffbo$ was cold against her fingers and it
rattled as she pulled it out of the bag. 'he tried to open it, but the dusty bo$ didnt budge.
+uietly, she picked up the book on dark ob!ects from the library and pulled a sweater on over
her grey pa!amas.
The common room was empty, save for =angley snoring on the sofa. =ottie crept past with
her snuffbo$ and her book. The corridor outside was deserted as well. The torches that lined
the hall were all e$tinguished. .nly the moonlight from the scattered windows lit her path.
'he didnt dare light her wand, in case of wandering prefects.
'he headed up a narrow staircase to a deserted classroom that 'tanley told her about on the
fourth floor. The fourth floor was lit with torches. That must have meant that there were
teachers and prefects patrolling. =ottie tip#toed towards an open door a little ways down the
corridor.
&0re you sure you saw somebody in the staircase, @mma%( =ottie froze. 'he could hear
footsteps coming up the stairs. The voice sounded like 7rofessor 'tainthorpes.
&*es.( That was definitely 7rofessor /abaldon.
=ottie held her breath and ran to the door of the deserted classroom, trying in vain to keep her
clunky footsteps light against the stone floor. 'he held her breath until the voices passed.
&'he was definitely a girl and fairly small. "aybe a second or third year, would guess,( said
/abaldon. &0nd the only dorm close to that staircase is the 7almyitor common room.(
/abaldon was getting quieter. The pair must have turned a corner because 'tainthorpes
&=ets check one floor up,( was barely audible.
=ottie released her breath and opened the library book. There must have been some spell in it
that could help her open the locked snuffbo$, especially now that it had lost most of its dark
properties.
=ottie thumbed through the book and tried what must have been ten spells. "aybe the spells
actually would have worked, but she was !ust so bad at 8harms that it didnt work for her.
&.pen, stupid thing>( she shouted, shaking the snuffbo$. &.kay, if this spell doesnt work,
m giving 0ndrea a try,( she said aloud as she opened the book to a random page.
The spell illustrated was 'bno%hio.
=ottie couldnt e$actly tell what the moving illustration of the cursed ob!ect was doing, but it
looked somewhat similar to the spell 0ndrea had practiced earlier that day. The books
e$planation of the spell was also less than helpful.
-n %ases su%h as un%ursing %urs?d ob1e%ts, it often assists the wit%he or wi*ard in ,uestion to
fo%us solely on the draining of magi%+ properties from the ob1e%t. 2he no(i%es of magi%+ who
%annot yet refine the subtly of this art tend to, after performing the proper wriste mo(ements,
literally pull the /ar+e Magi%+ from the ob1e%t.
,ather puzzled by the difficultly deciphered book description, =ottie followed the wrist
movement illustrated by the moving drawing on the page and yelled, 'bno%hio5 )or a
moment nothing happened until she, realizing what the book had said about &novices of
magick,( started to pull her wand away from the snuffbo$.
=ottie gasped. t was as though an invisible string was holding her wand and the snuffbo$
together. 'he pulled hopelessly for a few moments before feeling something snap.
"li%+5
The snuffbo$ opened. 'hocked at her own achievement, =ottie dropped her wand. 'he
scrambled to pick it up, keeping eyes fi$ed on the bo$. t wasnt magical anymore. What was
she afraid of%
=ottie suddenly wished that 0ndrea was with her to pick up the bo$ and inspect it herself.
=ottie inched towards the bo$ and prodded it with her wand. -othing happened.
Tentatively, she picked up the bo$ and peered inside. The culprit of the rattling fell into her
fingers. t was a charm, or maybe a figurine. t depicted a great ma!estic bird, intricately
carved to spread its wings with its head facing the ceiling as though nobility waiting to be
dealt a deadly blow. .r maybe it was flying. =ottie turned the figurine so its face was staring
at her. -ow it looked like it was in flight, cutting through the air like a curse.
The figure was about half the height of =otties palm. t had a dull silver shine that made the
bird seem as though it were moving, eyes glinting with life when it caught the moonlight. t
was icy to the touch and no matter how long =ottie held it in her palm, it remained cool.
'omething else was in the snuffbo$. =ottie tapped the bottom of the bo$, causing yellowed
parchment to fall out and drift to the floor. 'he scrambled to pick it up and unfolded it. The
fading ink was hardly readable on the darkening parchment. =ottie held it under the light
from the window.
2he lo%ation of the head,uarters of the Order of the hoeni$ is Number 2wel(e :rimmauld
la%e.
-Ne(ille 3ongbottom
=ottie stared at the note. t seemed so important, but she didnt know why. The .rder of the
7hoeni$ was the group dedicated to fighting the 1ark =ord, she knew that. 2ut then who was
-eville =ongbottom, and where was /rimmauld 7lace%
'he carefully folded the note and slipped it into her pocket. 'he didnt know what she
planned to do when she got to the dorm, but she couldnt stay here until morning and be
caught by a teacher.
Deeping the bird figurine safely in her palm, =ottie crept back down the corridor. 'he didnt
meet any teachers or prefects on her way back, but did have a rather close call with a
temperamental portrait.
The common room was empty this time? =angley must have woken up and gone back to his
dormitory. =ottie inched down the stairs and down the hall to her dormitory, carefully
avoiding the squeaky spots? she couldnt afford to be caught out, not with what she was
carrying.
=ottie pushed the door open slowly. ,elieved to find everybody asleep, she continued to
tiptoe past 0ndreas bed to hers.
&Honestly =ottie% 0gain%(
=ottie whipped out her wand and spun around. 3umos5 The bird figurine clattered to the
floor. &.h, its !ust you,( she sighed, spotting 0ndrea, sitting up in her covers.
0ndrea stepped out of her bed. &Aust me% What are you doing here% hope you arent making
these late night ventures a habit.(
&-o, no, dont worry about it.( =ottie casually dropped her wand. &.ops>( 'he fell to her
knees and picked it up, snatching the figurine along with it. &8ome on, lets !ust go to bed
before Aulianne and 'ophie wake up.(
&*oure up to something,( 0ndrea said slyly.
&0ndrea##no##lets !ust go to bed. ts not a big deal.( =ottie sat down on her bed. &'ophie
and Aulianne get so worked up when we wake them up late at night.(
&When you wake them up late at night,( 0ndrea corrected. &Well m not going to shut up
until you tell me what youre doing. 0s a matter of factB( 'he made a face. &m !ust going
to talk as emphati%ally as - possibly %an until--
&.kay>( =ottie stared restlessly at Aulianne, who turned over in her sleep. &.kay, but not
here, alright%( 'he pocketed the figurine and note from -eville =ongbottom and snuck out of
the dormitory. 0ndrea followed her down the corridor and into the deserted seventh years
dorm.
&What are we doing here%( 0ndrea asked with a shiver. &8ant we go to the common room%
This place gives me the creeps.(
&2ecause we cant be overheard,( =ottie answered, shutting the door behind her. &-obody
would dare come in here after what happened.(
&@$cept you,( 0ndrea pointed out.
&Well, yeah, but m##( =ottie sighed. &*es, e$cept me,( she said hurriedly. &2ut thats not
important>( 'he took a breath. 8ould she really trust 0ndrea% &.kay, this is a big secret,(
=ottie said seriously. &ts not like last time. *ou really cant tell anyone. 0nd if you do,
well both be in trouble.(
0ndrea raised her eyebrows. &What did - do%(
&Well, nothing,( =ottie said cautiously. &2ut if you do tell someone, ll never talk to you
again.(
&.h yeah, m sure,( 0ndrea breathed with a wave of her hand.
&m serious, 0ndrea> wouldnt be happy either, but m serious. *ou really cant tell
anyone about this. ll never say a word to you again if you do> .kay%(
0ndrea bit her lip for a moment and glanced around at the deserted dorm. &2ut what##(
&O+ay4(
0ndrea stared at =ottie. 'he didnt want to lose her best friend, but she couldnt keep a secret
that would prevent them from ending the war.
&Well%(
&)ine,( 0ndrea said solemnly. & wont tell anyone.(
&'wear on your life%(
&*es>( 0ndrea sighed a stream of air slowly. & swear,( she added at =otties raised
eyebrows.
&.kay.( =ottie glanced at the door and the windows. &'o remember when we were checking
the dark ob!ects with 7almyitor%( 0ndrea nodded. &Well## took this.( =ottie pulled out the
empty snuffbo$.
/asping, 0ndrea snatched the bo$ from =otties hands. &*ou stole this% =ottie, youre going
to get e$pelled> We need to take this back to 7almyitor. What if its really important%(
&Well then we can deal with it. We know enough, dont we% ## 1ont answer that.( 'he
pulled out the bird figurine. & managed to open it,( she added. &)unny that you couldnt and
could, right%(
0ndrea set her !aw. &*es, how funny,( she growled through clenched teeth. &What spell did
you use% do hope it wasnt illegal.(
&.h give it up,( =ottie dismissed. &There are no rules in times like this.(
0ndrea glowered up at her.
&2ut theres more,( =ottie said. &nside was this.( 'he showed 0ndrea the trinket.
0ndrea seemed not to breathe as she pulled the bird from =otties hands. &ts a phoeni$>(
she e$claimed. &ts a ma!estic sculpture, isnt it% 'o detailed>(
&0 phoeni$%( =ottie repeated.
&ts a birdB obviously. 0 magical bird thats born from the ashes when it dies.(
&.h> =ike the Order of the 7hoeni$> get it>(
0ndrea rolled her eyes. &*es, e$actly,( she said. & wonder if theyre connected.(
&They are,( =ottie said confidently. &This was in it too.( 'he showed 0ndrea the scrap of
parchment.
&.h wowB wow5( 0ndrea read the parchment several times. &How long have you been
keeping this%(
& !ust found it,( =ottie answered. &What do you think it means%(
&Well thats a bit obvious, isnt it% t means that the location of the .rder of the 7hoeni$ is at
/rimmauld 7lace. .f course, have no idea who -eville =ongbottom is, but##(
&Who cares%( =ottie interrupted. &We !ust need to find /rimmauld 7lace and find the .rder.(
&2ut do you really think that theyre still there%( 0ndrea asked skeptically. &d guess that
this was made before the war ended. f the .rder had been reformed, m sure the heads
would know about it, right%(
&"aybe,( =ottie said. &2ut wed find valuable stuff there anyways, even if it was
abandoned.(
&2ut how would we find it%(
& dont know.(
0ndrea sat down on one of the abandoned beds and put a fist to her chin. &Well, since you
wont let me tell anyone,( she said coldly, &what we need to do is find this /rimmauld 7lace
and see if we can find any information that could help our side.(
&.kay,( =ottie agreed. &Then lets go to the library tomorrow to see if we can find its
location.(
=ottie and 0ndrea spent nearly all of their free time for months in the library, searching for
information on the .rder of the 7hoeni$. <nfortunately, no books had been published on the
.rder, since the 1eath @aters chose what could be published and what couldnt. 'o all of the
information =ottie and 0ndrea found was in handwritten essays.
1ay after day, =ottie struggled over the rushed and cramped handwriting on fading
parchments as her boredom grew to an unbearable level. @ven 0ndrea was hardly keeping up
on her homework, because she spent all of her time searching. The afternoons in the stuffy
library were absolutely intolerable. 'unlight shone through the narrow windows and sapped
all of =otties energy as she sluggishly searched for anything that might give her some sort of
clue.
& give up,( =ottie said after a particularly long dinner in early )ebruary, throwing a scroll of
parchment to the floor. &This has taken months and were still not getting anywhere. m
e$hausted and##( 'he stopped. 0ndrea hadnt said a world. =ottie wasnt used to ranting
without interruption. &0ndrea%(
0ndrea looked up, eyes wide. & found it,( she whispered.
&What%(
0ndrea pulled off her glasses, rubbed them on her sweater and put them back on. &Here, see%
0e%ret )eepers are a (ital part of the #idelius "harm. 2he #idelius "harm is used to
magi%ally %on%eal people and pla%es until the %hosen 0e%ret )eeper re(eals the lo%ation.
&'o what%( =ottie asked. &Were looking for Ne(ille 3ongbottom, remember%(
&1ont you get it%( 0ndrea asked, slapping her palm against the table an$iously. 'he lowered
her voice. &The .rder of the 7hoeni$ was located at -umber Twelve /rimmauld 7lace and
-eville =ongbottom was their 'ecret Deeper. -obody can see /rimmauld 7lace e$cept for
people who were told the secret. 0nd now that we found the note from him, assuming that
its actually from him, we know the secret too.(
Chapter -&: Chapter $eventeen: Andrea"! 3i!+overy
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note Thank you so much to The2ird for helping me with this chapter>
This chapter is dedicated to my dog, 2ow.
0lright guys, with the release of 1H !ust around the corner, !ust want to confirm that 3m
continuing writing and dont plan on stopping ## the story, though, will become 0<. *ay>
Happy reading>
: : :
8hapter 'eventeen; 0ndreas 1iscovery
0nother 5alentines 1ay rapidly approached and the students of 0lsemore were allowed to
visit .din 0lley again to refill their supplies.
With careful planning, =ottie and 0ndrea managed to cut every line and gather their toiletries
and school supplies as quickly as possible. 0ndrea, who was quite smaller than even most
first years, slipped through breaks in the line and collected everything before anybody noticed
that she was there. 2y the time they reached the room where they could choose one ob!ect for
themselves, everybody else was still waiting in line for a new bar of soap.
t was eerily quiet in the room of miscellaneous items. 0ndrea and =ottie pushed right past
the shelves of books, potion ingredients and chess sets and stopped in front of the 1efense
0gainst the 1ark 0rts materials. & dont know what any of this is,( =ottie said slowly.
&WellIerIthats a 'neakoscope,( 0ndrea replied. &2ut thats the only thing can identify.
How are we supposed to choose one%(
&=ets !ust take evrything,( =ottie said, picking up the 'neakoscope.
&=ottie> 0ndrea grabbed it back. &Were only allowed to have one thing per person,
remember%(
&Well nobodys here right now.( =ottie smiled at 0ndreas disapproving glare. &ts going to
an important cause isnt it%(
0ndrea picked up a small mirror. & suppose,( she muttered.
&Here, come on.( =ottie started filling her bag with one of every ob!ect she could get a hold
of. &.h dont tell me youve never done this before,( she said to 0ndrea, who was still
holding the mirror.
0ndrea didnt glance over her shoulder as she slid the mirror into her pocket, but glared at
=ottie instead. & told myself d never do this again when left,( she hissed under her breath.
=ottie didnt need to ask what she was talking about? she had told herself that shed try to
stop stealing when she left the camp also. That hadnt worked out as well as she had wanted,
but it was all in an effort to win the war, wasnt it%
&Hurry up,( =ottie answered in response to 0ndreas glares. &@verybody will be showing up
soon.(
'ure enough, seconds later, 7almyitor pushed the doors open and stood in the doorway.
&,owe% Woolbright%(
=ottie nearly panicked, but recovered quickly and dropped everything that she hadnt
managed to tuck away and spun around, smiling innocently. 0ndrea wasnt doing as well,
though, and froze with her back to 7almyitor.
&What are you doing here already%( 7almyitor asked with a raised eyebrow.
&We wanted to get here first,( =ottie lied coolly. &=ast year we didnt get very good choices
because everybody else got here before us.( 'he was grateful that 7almyitor was staying in
the doorframe. f she got any closer, she might have been able to detect =otties lies through
=egilimency. .r see the hidden 1ark detectors up her sleeve. &'o this year we#er#cut the lines
a bit and got here early.(
0ndrea turned around !ust enough so 7almyitor could see her nodding vigorously.
'miling knowingly, 7almyitor said, &0lright. Well, remember, only one item per person.(
=ottie picked out a nice shield cloak and stuffed it in her bag. 'he turned to 0ndrea, whose
hands were shaking, and stuffed another one into her hands. &-o, see, this cloak is the same
thing we wanted last year, but they were all taken,( she said slightly too loudly, checking to
make sure that 7almyitor was listening out of the corner of her eye. &t might be a little too
small, but hey none of those little first years !in$es could reach the top of our heads anyway,
right%(
0ndrea gave her a puzzled look, but didnt protest. 'he folded her new cloak and slipped it
into her bag and left through the other door with a glance back at 7almyitor.
& really cant stand lying,( she said through gritted teeth.
& think youre in the wrong House,( =ottie chuckled. &*oure going to be horrible at
disguises.(
&-ot that youre very good at much else,( called a voice from behind them.
=ottie didnt need to turn around to guess who it was. -obody else she knew made remarks
that stupid. &*ou know, 'crivener, there are other people in this school besides us,( she said,
with her back still to him.
&Well, yes, but nobody else is wandering around this early with nothing to do, are they% What
did you do wrong%(
&0nd what e$actly are you doing%( /ritting her teeth, =ottie spun around and reached for her
wand. &Aust looking for trouble%(
& !ust ran into you, if thats what you were asking,( 8olm answered swiftly. & was
wondering what you were doing out so early, considering that youve already gotten
everything before most people are even halfway finished.( He paused. =ottie held out her
wand so that 8olm could see it. &'o what have you been up to% 'tealing%(
=ottie was about to open her mouth to retort, when 0ndrea spun around and shouted, &'hut
up> Aust shut up, will you% 0nd leave us the hell alone>( 8olm looked stunned for only a
moment, but then pulled out his own wand.
2efore he could even open his mouth to say an incantation, 0ndrea flicked her wand very
matter#of#factly and muttered an incantation that =ottie didnt recognize. 8olm smirked at
first when 0ndrea put her want down.
&'ee% =ike said, youre not good at##( 0 chunk of dirty blonde hair fell from his head.
mmediately, =ottie doubled over with laughter. 0ndrea chuckled too and tucked her wand
away.
8olm, rubbing his brand new bald spot glared at them. &*ou##youre going to pay for this>(
he shouted.
=otties laughter brought her to her knees. 'he pounded her fist against the cobblestones.
&,eally%( she gasped. &*ou think were scared of you% *ou cant charm your way out of a
paper bag>(
0ndrea smirked. &=ets go,( she said, helping =ottie to her feet. & dont want to hear him
start crying.(
=ottie snorted through her laughter and began walking. 1istantly, behind her, she heard,
&etrifi%us 2otalus5(
0ndrea limbs obeyed and snapped together as though 8olm was pulling invisible puppet
strings. 7romptly, she fell to the ground, completely unable to move.
&0ndrea%( =ottie fell to her knees and tried to pull 0ndreas arms from her body. They were
completely stuck. &What did he do%(
0ndrea clearly couldnt move her mouth. =ottie glared up at 8olm, who was now completely
bald.
& cannot believe,( she began, starting towards him, &that you would ever do something so#(
&,owe>( =ottie stopped in her tracks. t was 7almyitor, of course.
&,owe, what do you think youre##( 7almyitor raised an eyebrow at 8olms lack of hair.
&'crivener%(
&Woolbright did it,( 8olm said, pointing at 0ndrea who was still lying a good ten feet away.
&'he !ust insulted me and insulted me and then##( He paused for dramatic effect. &Then she
did this.(
=ottie e$ploded in laughter and rubbed 8olms bald head. &Hey, dont think its that bad.
ts a pretty good look for you.(
&,owe, that is very much enough.( 7almyitor pulled =ottie away from 8olm by the back of
her robes.
&Well what about 0ndrea, huh%( =ottie snapped. &'hes still lying there. 'he can hardly
blink>(
7almyitor sighed heavily and flicked her wand. mmediately, 0ndrea scrambled to her feet,
shouting, &Hes lying, 7rofessor> He provoked me> ts completely his fault> His hair will
grow back in two seconds? he did more harm to me> nearly hit my head>(
&2e that as it may,( 7almyitor began, rubbing her temples, &you attacked him when you
could have found a teacher.(
=otties !aw dropped. &*ou cant actually be saying##(
&1etention, Woolbright.(
0ndrea seemed to shrink. &m sorry, 7rofessor,( she sniffed.
&-aesa%( 7rofessor 'tainthorpe ran down the alley. &Whats going on%(
&.h, !ust second years dueling. -o big deal,( 7almyitor said sarcastically. &Woolbright, of all
people> Woolbright> 'he has detention tonight.(
&.h, -aesa, you were hoping to take tonight off,( 'tainthorpe said with a sideways glance at
0ndrea.
&Well, for the good of the schoolB(
&1ont worry about it -aesa. can take care of the detention tonight.( 'tainthorpe smiled
genuinely. &*ou take your night off.(
&Thank you, "arianne.( 7almyitor rubbed her eyes. & need a few hours of free time for my
own mental health.( 'he spun around on her heel and strode down the alley.
'tainthorpe turned to the three second years. &'crivener, suggest you find a teacher to help
you back to the hospital wing to see what 7rofessor Waterman can do with your hair.(
=ottie had to bit the inside of her lip until her eyes watered to stop herself from laughing.
&8ant you do anything%( 8olm asked.
&m afraid dont know how to grow hair,( 'tainthorpe said carefully. &0t least not with
7rofessor Watermans efficiency.(
8olm glared at the professor and headed down the alleyway.
&1ont worry, Woolbright,( 'tainthorpe said calmly. &ll see you tonight after dinner.(
)latware clattered against 0ndreas plate. 'he rested her face in her palms and sighed
heavily.
&.h stop being so over dramatic,( =ottie said bitterly, dropping a healthy sized dollop of
mashed potatoes onto 0ndreas plate. &1etention is !ust detention. *oull be out of it in two
hours at most and then you can get back to the common room.( 0ndrea opened her mouth to
speak, but =ottie stopped her before she could. &0nd youll forget about it in a month or so.
'o !ust eat and forget about it.(
0ndrea spooned the mashed potatoes back onto =otties plate. &'ure, its no big deal for you,
but 7almyitor was so angry at me> hope shell forgive meB(
=ottie stared at the mashed potatoes that had been unceremoniously plopped in front of her.
&.f course she will. Her !ob is to be angry at people.( 'he turned her plate upside down over
0ndreas and watched the potatoes fall, splattering 0ndrea with potato bits.
Through gritted teeth, 0ndrea said, &Well 8olm 'crivener didnt get a detention.(
=ottie laughed sheepishly and wiped some of the potato goop off of 0ndreas glasses. &'he
probably guessed that having to walk by all of the older students completely bald was
punishment enough. d take detention over that any day.( =ottie scowled. &'hame she let
him fi$ his hair, really. think he looked rather good bald.(
0ndrea broke her glare and smiled. &m going to go,( she said. & need to go change out of
these clothes.(
=ottie followed a silent 0ndrea through the bustling /reat Hall and down the stairs to the
7almyitor common room. =ight from the glimmering fireplace danced across the shadowed
dungeon floor, bathing =ottie and 0ndreas feet in a shimmering glow. &*ou can wait down
here,( 0ndrea said, finally breaking the mind numbing silence. &ll be right back.(
=ottie collapsed onto her favorite chair and rested her head against the patched arm. 'he felt
bad for 0ndrea, but continued coming to the same conclusion? she was being e$traordinarily
overdramatic. 1etention is never fun, but its not like she was being asked to sacrifice her
life.
0ndrea came upstairs in !eans rolled up several times at the bottom and a shirt that came
down to her knees. & dont know what might have to do,( she whispered. & dont want to
get my uniform dirty.(
&B.kay,( =ottie said, at a complete loss for words.
&*ou dont have to come with me if you dont want to,( 0ndrea muttered, turning towards
the e$it. &ll be back later tonight.(
=ottie sighed heavily. &.kay. ll see you tonight.( 0ndrea was halfway out of the common
room, when =ottie added, &Have fun,( with a sly smile.
The door in the clock slammed. =ottie rested her head in her hands. 'he should have !ust
stayed in the /reat Hall and finished her dinner.
The door creaked open and 'tanley stepped into the firelight. &)eeling sick%( he asked.
&0ndrea has detention,( =ottie e$plained. &'he wanted to change clothes or something.(
&0h, the first detention.( 'tanley nodded knowingly. &0 milestone, d say. Who gave it to
her%(
&7almyitor.(
&ve yet to meet a seventh year who hasnt gotten at least one from her.(
=ottie rolled her eyes, muttering, &.ver#controlling##(
&d watch what you say,( 'tanley said quickly. &'he knows everything that goes on in this
castle.(
&Well 0ndreas !ust over#reacting. mean, its 1ust detention. 'he was acting like it was the
end of the world.(
&That type of person always takes it a little too seriously.( 'tanley paused as the door opened
and =angley poked his head in. &=ook, ve got to go. f 0ndreas upset when she gets back,
tell her to talk to me.(
&.kay.( =ottie waved at his retreating back.
0n hour and a half later, =otties eyes were drooping when someone shouted, &m back>(
=otties head snapped up.
&/lad to see you en!oyed your detention,( =ottie grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
&.h, it wasnt bad at all>( 0ndrea sat down on the coffee table across from =otties armchair.
&We !ust worked on stuff for her class. helped her grade the first years homework>(
&*eah, well dont get used to it. "ost detentions arent like that.(
&.h, know,( 0ndrea said with a dismissive wave. &2ut dont plan on getting any more
detention, anyway.(
& wouldnt be sure of that,( =ottie said. 'he lowered her voice and continued. &7almyitor is
always looking for an e$cuse to give detention.(
0ndrea frowned and said, &Well ll !ust lay low around her.( 'he paused and, seeming to
remember why she had been so e$cited in the first place, said, &Wait> 2ut guess what>(
&What.(
& asked 'tainthorpe what she knew about the .rder of the 7hoeni$.(
=ottie turned away from the fire. &0nd%(
&'he told me a lot. How they were trying to find the 1ark =ord. Their headquarters was
hidden magically by aIa #idelius "harm.(
&We already knew that.(
&2ut now it !ust confirms it. 'o we know that nobody can see it unless if the person whos
been given the secret, the 'ecret Deeper, tells them> =ongbottom must have written a bunch
of these and handed them out so new .rder members could see the location.(
&Wow.( =ottie tried to absorb all of that information at once. &'o we found one of
=ongbottoms original snuffbo$es and now we can see /rimmauld 7lace, but nobody else
can%(
&-ot if we dont show them the note.(
&1id she tell you anything else%(
&*es>( 0ndrea scooted the coffee table closer. &The first 'ecret Deeper was 0lbus
1umbledore, but before he was murdered he switched it to someone else.(
&How did he know to switch%(
&-obody really knows, dont think. 7eople thing that maybe he was planning it with
'everus 'nape. He changed 'ecret Deepers so the .rder could continue and grow even with
him gone.(
&0nd the person he changed to was -eville =ongbottom%(
2y now the common room was empty.
&7robably not,( 0ndrea said. &'tainthorpe said that they switched a lot because the name of
the 'ecret Deeper kept getting leaked.(
&How%(
0ndrea shrugged. &0 spy%(
&.h.(
&'o -eville =ongbottom must have been the last 'ecret Deeper>( 0ndrea said triumphantly.
&1o you think hes still at /rimmauld 7lace, then%(
& doubt it. The .rder was destroyed after the 1ark =ord took over. would guess hes not
alive anymore.(
&2ut /rimmauld 7lace is still there%(
&Well, if =ongbottom didnt tell any 1eath @ater, theyd never be able to destroy it. Theyd
never even be able to see it. 2ut thats not all 'tainthorpe told me? apparently, the
headquarters of the .rder is in =ondon.(
&@$cellent> 'o we can go find it this summer>( =ottie paused and stared at 0ndrea for a
moment. @verything was starting to fit together, but still one piece of the puzzle was missing.
&2ut how would 'tainthorpe know all of this%(
Chapter -': Chapter (i)hteen: 4rimmauld *la+e
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note:3m really, really sorry for the long wait for this chapter> went out of town
for a month, so didn3t really have any computer access. hope won3t have that long of a
gap between updating again, but with the school year starting up again, updates won3t be as
quick as they were earlier in the summer. 'o thank you all for being so patient with me>
This chapter is dedicated to the lovely folks over at H7)) who recommend my story this
month. Thank you so much. can3t tell you how honored am>
0nd once again, thank you to The2ird who worked tirelessly on this chapter>
: : :
8hapter @ighteen; /rimmauld 7lace
The end of the school year passed in a blur and before she knew it, =ottie was casting the last
spell in her final e$am.
&/ood !ob, ,owe,( 'tainthorpe said with a nod. &Have a nice summer.(
t felt as though a ball of tension was released in =otties chest. &Thanks so much,( she said
with a wave.
0ndrea was waiting outside for her. &0re you ready%( she asked seriously.
&*eah, my e$am was fine, thanks,( =ottie muttered dryly.
0ndrea stared at her disapprovingly,
&,eady for what%( =ottie sighed.
&We need to study up before we try to go to this /rimmauld 7lace,( 0ndrea said, thrusting a
pile of dusty books into =otties arms.
=ottie groaned loudly. &0re you kidding me% !ust finished e$ams>(
&Well if you want to take your chances with nothing in the entire headquarters being
dangerous, then guess we dont have to study. .r could !ust tell 7almyitor about the
noteB(
&)ine>( =ottie shouted. &.kay, you win. =ets go study. 2ut how are we going to make it
look normal that were studying right after we finished e$ams%(
0ndrea looked as though she was going to throw her pile of books in =otties face. &.kay,
we wont study tonight, but tomorrow well find a place to start studying. .kay%(
=ottie grinned. &'ounds good to me>(
Weeks later, =ottie and 0ndrea were buried under books in an empty classroom. =ottie again
was scheduled to have advanced 7otions tutoring, and also .cclumency and =egilimency
tutoring. 'tainthorpe never approached her for remedial 8harms classes, which was a big step
up from the previous year. 0ndrea was taking Transfiguration and 8harms and had already
been recruited to be 'eeker on a newly formed +uidditch team.
Having made sure that =ottie spent nearly every waking moment studying, 0ndrea was
finally pleased with =otties progress the day before they left for the camp. -either of them
was sure how to escape the group and get to /rimmauld 7lace. 0ndrea had found a spell
from an ancient book that, she said, could direct her to any place as long as she had her wand.
)inally, the day arrived for the students to visit their families. =ottie didnt fit in her old
clothes anymore, so the teachers had to give her somebody elses to wear. 0ndrea brought
along her duffle and hid the soap and clean clothes with food. 'tainthorpe trusted her enough
to believe that there was only food in the bag with only one glance? luckily for them,
'tainthorpe wasnt a talented =egilimens and wasnt able to tell that they were lying. =ottie
hid the phoeni$ charm that she had found with =ongbottoms note in her pocket, figuring it
would probably useful since it was somehow connected to the .rder.
The day outside was clear and slightly too cold? the light didnt shed onto the camps.
@verything inside the fence was grey or brown and layered with dirt. =ottie and 0ndrea
walked briskly past the parents huddled around the crying children, too focused on their goal
to notice the misery around them. .nce out of view of 'tainthorpe, they broke into a run.
&Where are we going to change%( =ottie panted.
0ndrea stopped suddenly, pointing to a sewer entrance.
&-o way,( =ottie said flatly. &m sorry, ve been down there before and dont ever want to
go back. 1o you know how many bodies are down there%(
&Well what else do you want to do% 8hange in the middle of the road%(
=ottie frowned and grabbed the bag from her. &)ine, lets go, but can we please make this
fast%( 'he stared down at the gutter with disgust and slipped down through the gutter H or
tried to. 0fter getting stuck halfway down, she had to get 0ndrea to help push her through
until she could feel the rungs of a ladder beneath her.
=ottie gagged at the smell as they reached the bottom of the sewer. 0ndrea took the bag from
her, pulled out her own clothes and threw the rest at =ottie. &Aust change quickly,( she said.
&Try to breathe through your mouth.(
=ottie tried to focus on changing, but out of the corner of her eye she noticed a body floating
by, face down, in a stream of murky water. &How are we going to wash off this dirt%( she
asked, determinedly not staring at the dead body. &f you say were going to use that water
I( she pointed at the stream of water &Iyoure sadly mistaken.(
&.f course not,( 0ndrea said as she pulled on her robe. &Wed catch the plague if we tried
that. There are a few flasks of water in there. 2ut try not to use all of it? want to give some
clean water to my family.(
&,ight.( =ottie poured some water onto her hands and washed her face with the bar of soap.
&Here.( 'he tossed the flask and the bar of soap to 0ndrea. 0s 0ndrea was washing her face,
she asked, &How are we going to get the dirt back on when were going to school%(
&.h, ve got some !ars in there, dont worry about it,( 0ndrea said, sarcasm dripping from
every syllable. &1irt comes from the ground, =ottie.(
=ottie laughed and rolled her eyes. 'omething down the corridor made a splashing noise.
&@W>( =ottie backed up as close to the wall as she could. &What was that% 0ndrea, lets get
out of here.(
&'hut up>( 0ndrea whispered. &1o you want to get caught% .kay, do you have your wand%(
=ottie nodded. &,ight, me too. .kay. We have to go all the way down until H hold on.(
0ndrea waved her wand and hissed, &/is%essio5 Number 2wel(e :rimmauld la%e.( Her
wand tip lit up red.
&/reat,( =ottie said sarcastically. &What does that mean%(
&t means were going in the wrong direction,( she said. &Hold on.( 'he turned in a slow
circle until her wand finally turned green once she was facing the other direction. &.kay,
were going that way.( 'he started to walk and stopped. &=ight up your wand, will you%(
&,ight.( =ottie pulled out her own wand. &3umos.(
What she saw made her want to vomit. -ot only did bodies litter the entire system, but
various limbs were randomly strewn about as well. 'omething crunched under her foot? a
human finger broke off the flesh of a rotting hand.
&Aust dont look at it,( 0ndrea said. &=ook straight ahead.(
&How does all of this stuff get here%( =ottie asked, staring determinately at the tip of her
wand.
&Well, the bodies have to go somewhere, dont they% bet the 1eath @aters !ust shove
everything down here every once and a while because they dont know what else to do with
them.
&How lovely,( =ottie remarked, carefully stepping over a decapitated body.
&Hold on, think were getting close.( 0ndrea waved her wand around in a circle. t flashed
bright green. &.kay, lets go up the nearest ladder.(
0ndrea went up first and waited for =ottie so she could help pull her out of the gutter. &-ot
quite like how it was when was seven, eh% What were they thinking in making those so
small anyway%( =ottie asked, rubbing her rib cage as she stood up.
&That they dont want people to fall down it.(
The world outside was different. t was clean and the houses fairly looked well taken care of.
=ottie turned around to inspect the entire neighborhood. t was completely deserted. -ot even
in the windows were there people bustling about doing their daily business.
&Where is everybody%( =ottie asked.
&m not sure,( 0ndrea said, scratching her head. &"aybe theyre H .H>( Her wand was
flashing. &Hold on, think were getting really close.( =ottie could feel the phoeni$ pendent
starting to grow warmer in her pocket.
They broke into a run, 0ndrea holding her wand out in front of her, and =ottie clutching the
pendant, which was now beginning to burn, in her pocket.
&Where are you going%( shouted a voice from the side.
0ndrea gasped and dropped her wand. 'he fell to her knees to pick it up. 0 masked 1eath
@ater grabbed the scruff of her robes. &/et up.(
0ndrea scrambled to her feet. &Im sorry, sir butI(
&*ou know the rules about being out,( the large 1eath @ater snarled. He pulled out his wand.
&0nd you know the consequences.(
&*es, sir, were sorry,( =ottie piped up. 'he kept her face blank and impassive. 'he was no
great .cclumens, but she knew she could at least hide her emotions better than 0ndrea. &We
meant to be home a long time ago, but we passed by the camps on the way and wellB we
couldnt help ourselves.(
The 1eath @ater didnt let go of 0ndreas robes. &0nd who are you%(
&WereI(
&Were /reybacks granddaughters>( 0ndrea said quickly. &)enrir /reyback is our
grandfather.(
The 1eath @ater waited a moment and then let go of 0ndreas robes. =ottie thought she could
see his arm quiver. &Well run along home then,( he grunted. &0ndIerIdont tell your
mother about this. /o.(
0ndrea leading the way, they turned a sharp corner and started running. &Thanks>( =ottie
shouted behind her as they went.
.nce they were out of earshot, they stopped running. &Whos /reyback%( =ottie asked.
0ndrea shrugged. &0 1eath @ater. 0nd a werewolf too, think. He died in the last battle.(
&.h.( =ottie tried to make a mental note of that for the future. &0re we really off course
now%(
&-ot at all>( 0ndrea said gleefully. & had my wand in my hand and could see where it was
pointing> *ou know, this is actually really thrilling>(
&d say,( =ottie growled. &0re we close%(
0ndrea halted and stared straight ahead of her. &5ery close,( she said through a grin.
0 house H a manor H that had definitely not been there before was suddenly in front of them.
.vergrown vines covered most of the front of the building? the lawn was completely yellow.
&Welcome to -umber Twelve /rimmauld 7lace>( 0ndrea said triumphantly.
=ottie went first. 'he ran up the aging stairs and pulled the door. t was unlocked. The
phoeni$ charm was no longer pleasantly warm, but radiating so much heat that tears formed
in the corners of =otties eyes. &1amn it>(
&WH. 10,@' 1'T<,2 "* H.<'@%(
=ottie !umped. &Whos there%( she shouted, wand out.
&"<//=@'> - "* H.<'@> -'<=T-/ TH@ H.-.,02=@ -0"@ .) 2=08D>(
0ndrea pointed towards a portrait behind moth#eaten curtains. &=ook>(
0n old woman in a portrait screeched, &)=TH*, 1,T* 2=..1 - "* H.<'@,
1'T<,2-/ "* 7@08@>( The paint was dim and the canvas was dusty, but the womans
eyes still looked so alive that =ottie actually believed that an actual person was being tortured
on the other side of the wall.
&What do we do%( 0ndrea whispered.
&Well, its a portrait? dont think she can do anything.( =ottie looked around nervously. &t
looks pretty deserted to me. =ets go.(
/oosebumps crept up =otties arms and neck as they crept through the house. &This is not at
all what had in mind,( she said, eyeing a wall of elf heads. &*ou would think a headquarters
for an 0nti#1ark =ord group would be a little lessB evil looking.(
&0greed.( 0ndrea stopped before a door. &Here, lets go in here.( They entered a large
drawing room.
0fter about thirty minutes of inspecting, they had a considerable amount of curious ob!ects,
including an old set of 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts books with indistinguishable titles,
bottles filled with mysterious liquids and a music bo$ that they found 'pellotaped to the
bottom of a sofa? delicate curls of smoke started rising out of =otties pocket.
&We should move on,( 0ndrea said quietly as to not wait the portrait that had finally shut up
after fifteen minutes of screaming. &We dont have much more time before we have to go
back.(
They tiptoed back to the front entrance and up the stairs.
&.kay, lets split up the upper rooms,( =ottie whispered.
They crept up the stairs and each went into their own separate rooms. The room =ottie ended
up in was a bedroom. t was mostly empty, save for a large bed in the middle and a heap of
what looked like brown rags. =ottie crept over to the bed and gasped at what she saw. The
pile was not rags, but a tiny body of a frail looking creature with huge ears. =ottie gagged at
the smell and turned around quickly, only scanning the room once before leaving the rotting
carcass to its peace.
'he trotted to the ne$t bedroom. There were two empty beds along the wall and a portrait
with no sub!ect pinned up. To =otties relief, there were no bodies in this room. 'he opened
every drawer and cupboard that would open, only to find cobwebs. )inally, she dropped to
her knees and checked under the beds. =ight from the tiny window filtered through the dust
and illuminated a tiny book beneath the closest bed. =ottie fell to her stomach and pulled the
book out.
Her fingers brushed the leather book covering and immediately, the phoeni$ pendent in her
pocket felt as though it was on fire. Tears in her eyes, she reached for the charm, to try and
pull it out whenI
&)ind anything%( 0ndrea whispered from the doorway.
=ottie wrapped her hand around the !ournal, covering it completely and stared at 0ndrea as
she climbed to her feet. The pendent still burned in her pocket, but she couldnt pull it out
without 0ndrea noticing. Why should she lie and not tell 0ndrea about the diary% =ying
never got her anywhere last time and 0ndrea !ust found out soon enough anyway. The book
was made of leather and had strings wrapped tightly around it, keeping it shut. What was
inside% 7robably something really important. &-othing,( she said quickly. & didnt find
anything, e$cept for a few spiders.( 'he would tell 0ndrea after she inspected it a few times
and then they would take it to 7almyitor, telling her that they found it somewhere hidden in
the castle.
& only found this.( 0ndrea held up a moth#eaten sweater with a large : on it. &Hardly of any
value.(
& wouldnt worry. We still found a lot,( said =ottie casually. &Will it all fit in your bag%(
& can try. 0nd if worst comes to worst, can !ust shrink our clothes.(
.nce 0ndrea turned her back, =ottie slipped the diary back into her pocket. @verything else
fit in 0ndreas bag, as it turned out, but packing lost them precious time. They were running
late by the time they left the manor. The farther away from /rimmauld 7lace they got, the
less the pendent burned. =ottie was e$tremely relieved to feel the chilly metal against the
burn in her leg.
&We should,( =ottie panted, &see if one of the 1eath @aters willI(
&Will what%(
They stopped dead in their tracks. t was a 1eath @ater, but a woman this time.
&WillIwillI(
&Help us back home,( 0ndrea said matter#of#factly. &We got lost.(
The woman paused for a moment before saying, &*ou know the rules about being out at this
time.(
&*es,( =ottie said, finally starting to wonder what time people were allowed out. &We were
coming from a friends house andI(
The woman ts+-ts+ed from behind her mask. & smell a rat,( she hissed. &8ome with me.(
There was little either of them could do. 2efore they could ever reach for their wands, the
woman had grabbed hold of their wrists and 1isapperated.
.nce the feeling of being pushed through a far#too#small space subsided, =ottie found herself
in a cold room of stone. There were no windows. =ottie glanced over at 0ndrea, whose face
was screwed up with concentration.
The woman led them to another room. This one had similar, stone, windowless walls, but was
crowded with people. <nmasked 1eath @aters sat and stood, laughed and conversed like
normal people. =ottie found the sight e$tremely strange.
&Hey everybody,( the woman 1eath @ater croaked. &=ook what found wandering down the
street.(
t didnt take long for the 1eath @aters to put their masks back on and return to their
intimidating selves. The 1eath @aters circled them. 0ndrea glanced at =ottie with hopeful
eyes. =ottie couldnt return any comfort.
&'o who are you%( asked a low, male voice.
&Were granddaughters of )enrir /reyback,( =ottie said, praying that their supposed parents
werent in the room. Audging by the lack of cries of disbelief, they werent. &We were leaving
the manor of a friend when we ran into her.( =ottie !abbed her thumb in the direction of the
woman who had caught them, but could not find her. 'he was lost in a sea of masks.
&0nd whose house were you at% Who would be stupid enough to let you out even when they
knew it was against the 1ark =ords =aws%(
=ottie stared at 0ndrea. 0ndrea opened her mouth, apparently out of 1eath @ater names.
&Well%(
& recognize these girls,( a smooth voice said from the entrance of the door. He was old,
probably in his eighties, with shoulder length grey#speckled black hair. &d recognize them
anywhere. Theyre students at the school.( The phoeni$ charm flared in =otties pocket.
=ottie had little idea what he was talking about, but nodded anyway, trying to ignore the
burning sensation on her leg.
&We were letting them visit their homes. bet these two went to somebody elses house.
Theyre always the trouble makers.(
&m not sure,( said the other 1eath @ater carefully. &*ou know the 1ark =ord will have to
hear about this.(
&.h he will be told, be assured, White.( The stranger raised his eyebrows. &t is much easier,
know, to punish these girls under the school code rather than trying to take matters into your
own hands. doubt the 1ark =ord would be pleased.(
The 1eath @ater H White H waited and finally said, &,ight. Take them.(
The greasy haired man took both of them by the wrists. The man led them out of the room,
and as they left, =ottie was sure she saw a flash of scarlet from the shadows. They went down
two narrow, steep staircases and outside to where the deserted skyscrapers in the city almost
completely blocked the sun.
=ottie wondered where they could be going and which side this man was really on. Was he
taking them to see the 1ark =ord% f he was, why didnt he !ust leave them with the 1eath
@aters%
&*ou two should know better than to leave the camps like this,( snarled the man.
His overly long fingers dug into =otties arm. &*oure hurting me,( she growled.
&Thats the least of the punishment youll get for this,( the man said. & would en!oy this
quiet while you can before 7almyitor gets a hold of you two.(
=ottie stared at him. He knew 7almyitor% &*ouIyoure taking us to 0lsemore%(
&.f course am. 1ont be daft.(
&Who are you%( asked 0ndrea bluntly.
& wouldnt worry about me,( said the man. &*oull find out soon enough.(
They spent the rest of the walk in silence. =ottie was grateful to the man for saving them
from the 1eath @aters, but maybe 7almyitors punishment would be worse than the 1ark
=ords wrath.
.nce they reached the camp, the man put on a 1eath @ater mask and let the girls into a house
so they could change back into their "uggle clothes before letting them through the fence
and marching them through the streets.
&Whove you got there%( asked a masked 1eath @ater in a thick cockney accent.
&0 couple of brats tried to get over the fence,( the man said, digging his fingernails into their
arms.
&.oh, we should take Eem to the Eeadquarters them.( The stranger pointed his wand in
=otties face. t took a great deal of self#control to not reach for her own wand.
&ts quite fine, 1errick,( the spy said calmly. & can handle these two myself.(
The 1eath @ater made a grunt of disappointment and walked away.
&*ou two should be grateful that didnt !ust lea(e you there.( The man picked up his pace.
=ottie almost had to run to keep up with him. The leather !ournal and the phoeni$ charm
bounced in her pocket.
)inally, they reached the crumbling building where the students met every year. The man led
them through the door and immediately they were greeted by 'tainthorpe.
&There you are>( she shouted. &Where were you two%(
&We were,( =ottie began, but was immediately cut off by the spy.
&They were in the 1eath @ater headquarters,( he said. He took off his mask.
'tainthorpe froze. &0nape%( she whispered.
=ottie froze as well. 'nape% The one who had murdered 1umbledore%
The corner of 'napes mouth twitched. &ndeed, "issI%(
&'tainthorpe,( she said quickly.
'nape smiled. &.f course,( he sneered.
=ottie had to bite her lip to stop herself from screaming. The heat from the pendent had
grown so intense since the arrival of 'nape that it was about three minutes away from burning
a hole in her pants.
There was a loud %ra%+ from upstairs. )ootsteps ran down the staircase and stopped in the
doorway.
&'o you found them>( 7almyitor said indignantly. &Where ha(e you two been4( she
demanded, emphasizing every word.
&They had taken it upon themselves to e$plore =ondon and got themselves caught,( said
'nape. & found them at the =ondon Headquarters.(
&'everus%( 7almyitor dropped her anger for a quick moment before quickly reassuming it.
&Well thank goodness you found them.( 'he turned and stared at =ottie like some sort of bird
of prey. &,owe, what were you thinking% 0nd Woolbright, I(
&7lease, 7rofessor,( 0ndrea said quietly. &WeIwe had found information about the .rder of
the 7hoeni$.( 'ilence followed. &tI(
&'urely this is not a conversation to be having here,( interrupted 'nape.
&+uite right, 'everus,( 7almyitor said. &"eet me in my office.(
'nape grabbed =ottie and 0ndrea by the wrists and 1isappearated.
7almyitors office was hardly big enough to fit all three heads, 'tainthorpe, 'nape, =ottie and
0ndrea. The two girls shrank into the corner when they saw that both "aelioric and
8lynalmoy had come too. "aeliorics usually cheery demeanor was noticeably absent.
The adults turned to 0ndrea. &8ontinue,( 7almyitor said.
&WeI=ottie had found aIa note from Ne(ille 3ongbottom.( The adults e$changed
significant glances. &t said 92he lo%ation of the Order of the hoeni$ is Number 2wel(e
:rimmauld la%e. We figured that =ongbottom must have been the 'ecret Deeper. 'o we
went to /rimmauld 7lace and checked it out. @verything we found is in my bag.(
7almyitor swept over to 0ndrea and snatched her bag. &That was e$tremely foolish of you,(
she hissed. &We have people trained to handle possibly dangerous ob!ects. Why didnt you
tell us when you found the note%(
0ndrea fell silent. =ottie knew it was her turn to say something, but she knew what the
consequences would be if she told. 7almyitor seemed to sense her nervousness and rounded
on her. &,owe%(
&I found it in the snuffbo$ that found last year.(
&That snuffbo$ has been in my officeI(
& took it.( =ottie stared at the ground, the back of her neck burning red. &0nd opened it.
found that note.(
7almyitor crossed her arms. &0nything else%( she said, clearly restraining herself from
yelling.
&0nd a little phoeni$ charm.( 'he pulled out the charm which was now tinged with red and
so hot that it turned her palm pink. & didnt want to tell anyone because was afraid would
get in trouble that had stolen it.(
&*ou feared right.( =ottie cowered under 7almyitors glare. &We will keep all of this for your
safety,( 7almyitor growled. 'he plucked the phoeni$ charm from =otties hand, and stared
down as she noticed the burning metal as well. &0nd then you decided to run back alone and
you got caught.( 7almyitor turned to 'nape. &*ou should thank "r. 'nape for saving you.(
=ottie and 0ndrea muttered quiet thank#yous.
&Woolbright,( 7almyitor said sharply. &*ou will resign from the +uidditch team for this
summer.(
0ndrea nodded glumly.
&.utside of your class work, dont e$pect either of you to have any obligations this summer,
as youll be scrubbing the castle from basement to tower without magic.(
=ottie sighed. )air punishment, a lot better than she was e$pecting. 'he looked up. 'nape
frowned, making the wrinkles on his forehead even clearer.
&"eet me here tomorrow at si$ in the morning and you can start on the dungeons.(
Chapter 2.: Chapter Nineteen: The Three 5room!ti+/!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Well, like always, thanks so much to my outstanding beta, The2ird> We had
quite a few late nights with this one. Thanks so much, The2ird>
This chapter is dedicated to the memory of my /randma 2etty.
: : :
8hapter -ineteen; The Three 2roomsticks
The girl knew she wasnt supposed to be out at this hour, but the owl she had received from
her grandmother seemed more than urgent and the Three 2roomsticks wasnt very far away.
0 1ementor glided past her. The girl, holding her breath, shrank into the shadows and hid
behind an overflowing trashcan. The 1ementor stopped suddenly and turned to face her.
&I dont have anything,( the girl said to the 1ementor with a quivering voice. &m not a
"uggle H m g#going to my grandmothers. ts right over there.( 'he pointed to the Three
2roomsticks in the distance. 'he was still very young, but had dealt with 1ementors before.
This was the first time one had come so close.
0 bony, scabbed hand immerged from the 1ementors cloak and reached towards the girl.
The air seemed to thin around her. 0 suffocating silence took the breath out of her lungs and
blinded her to everything e$cept the towering, hooded figure.
.er father writhed and twit%hed on the ground7 her mother %oughed into her hands,
sha+ing the entire bed7 her grandmother @
&'T.7>( the girl pleaded.
The 1ementors long, spindly fingers wrapped around her tiny wrist. &'top> -o> =et me go>(
Her bare feet scraped along the cobblestones as the 1ementor drew her towards it. The girl
screamed, trying to pull away with all of the strength she could muster. Her tiny frame shook
uncontrollably as the 1ementors blind, scabbed face emerged from its hood.
E$pe%to atronum5
0 silver evanescent goat charged towards the 1ementor, brandishing its large horns and
catching it by the bottom of its cloak. mmediately the 1ementor loosened its grasp on the
girls wrist, dropped her to the ground and was gone.
The girl pushed herself up off the cobblestones and ran to the 7atronus con!urer. 'he pushed
her long, curly brown hair out of her face, wrapped her arms around his waist and hid behind
him.
&ts okay, -ora,( the old man said. n earlier years, his gravelly voice had hurt her ears, but
after years of seeking refuge in the old mans inn, his voice had become a source of comfort.
&t wont come back. 8ome on, let me take you to your grandmothers.( The old man offered
-ora his hand. 'he took it, and followed him to the Three 2roomsticks.
&-ora%( a weak voice called once they entered the deserted bar.
&m coming>( -ora yelled up the stairs, letting go of the old mans hand. 'he took a sharp
left and ran up two flights of stairs to the apartment she shared with her grandmother.
The withering frame of her grandmother lay, tucked neatly into her bed. -ora ran to her
bedside and placed a hand on her sweating palm. &-ana, are you okay%(
&*es, -ora,( she said softly. &*es, m fine.(
The old man, coming from the staircase, approached the bed as well. &,osmerta%(
,osmerta put a hand up. &m quite fine, 0berforth,( she said calmly, struggling to pronounce
each word. &Time is finally taking its toll on me, suppose.(
&-o, ,osmerta,( he said. &t cant be that. *ou are still young.(
&-ana%(
&ts okay, -ora,( ,osmerta said softly with a charming smile. &m going to be fine soon.(
&-ora, go downstairs,( 0berforth demanded.
-ora stood and tearfully turned to her grandmother.
&We need to speak in private,( ,osmerta said. &1ont worry, -ora? it wont be long.(
-ora spun around on her heel and ran down the stairs. 'he sat on the bottom step with her
head buried in her hands. 0t the age of seven, she had lived through very little of the war, but
suffered all of the consequences. Her father had been killed by a 1eath @ater when she was
two years old and her mother had died of some unknown disease only two years earlier. -ow
she lived with her grandmother above her familys old bar in the deserted village of
Hogsmeade.
)rom the frosted windows of the Three 2roomsticks, -ora could see the towers of the school
looming over Hogsmeade. t used to be warm and welcoming, her grandmother always told
her. t used to teach students how to be good witches and wizards, before the 1ark =ord took
it over.
-ora, now fed up with waiting, tiptoed up the stairs and waited in front of the door to the
apartment. 'he had to strain to make out their hushed voices.
&0berforth, she shouldnt have to take on such responsibility.(
& can keep her hidden, but until we know what it is, its too dangerous for me to keep it. The
1ark =ord has been searching for me for years. He doesnt even know that she e$ists.(
&0ndI( ,osmerta paused &Iand wantIwant her to beB(
'ilence followed.
&-ana%( -ora opened the door and ran in. ,osmerta didnt respond. &-ana%(
0berforth put a hand on her shoulder.
&-o>( -ora shouted, running over to her grandmothers bed. Her eyes were wide open, but
blank and lifeless. The dullness of the candlelight reflected in them. -oras eyes welled up
with tears. &-ana> -aI(
0berforth stepped over to the bed and closed ,osmertas eyes before kneeling down to the
girl. &-ora,( he said seriously. &-ora, look at me.( -ora forced herself away from her
grandmothers body and stared at 0berforth, unable to control the tears falling down her
cheeks. &*our grandmother is gone,( he said. &0nd now you need to take her place.( He held
up a large, gold locket with an ornate ' engraved on it.
&This is your grandmothers locket. *ou want to help defeat the 1ark =ord, right%( -ora
nodded. &Deep this safe and dont let anybody see that you have it. can keep you safe at the
Hogs Head until youre eleven. m going to get in contact with an old friend to see if she
can take you in after that.(
-ora bit her lip and nodded again. 0berforth held out the locket. 'he took it, put it around her
neck and tucked it into her shirt. t was e$tremely cold.
&0nd dont try to open the locket, either,( 0berforth continued. &ts for your own good.(
-ora stared at him, her hands shaking. 'he wanted to go and stand by her grandmothers bed
and cry. 'he wanted to go back to the days when she had both parents living together, but she
knew 0berforth wouldnt let her. 'he wasnt allowed to go back to the time when life was
easy. 'he clutched her hand around the locket and backed away from 0berforth.
&,un to the Hogs Head,( he said coarsely. & need to deal with this.( He gestured to the
body. -ora shuddered. )or a moment, she wished he hadnt saved her from the 1ementor. f
she didnt have a soul, at least she wouldnt have to deal with this pain.
-ora stood for a moment, hoping she wouldnt cry in front of 0berforth. &/o,( he repeated.
'he backed up and started running down the stairs. The locket pounded against her heart,
causing cold chills to run through her entire body. Without looking back, she ran down the
cold, unfriendly streets of Hogsmeade village.
Chapter 2-: Chapter Twenty: The 6u))le 7evolt
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thank you a million times over to The2ird for beta3ing this chapter> We
were up until three in the morning working on it last night>
This chapter is dedicated to the awesome guy met in 'cotland who made me the !ournal
handwrite my chapters in.
: : :
8hapter Twenty; The "uggle ,evolt
Third year began and the schoolwork got more difficult. =ottie found writing the numerous
essays and keeping up with her reading quite challenging, especially with the bulbous
calluses on her hands left over from a summer of cleaning the entire school. 0fter all of that
scrubbing and polishing, there was little left of 0lsemore that =ottie couldnt find. 2y
.ctober, the blisters had disappeared, but the essays werent any easier.
The third years had to take up two new classes along with all of their other sub!ects. The
classes that both =ottie and 0ndrea had been placed in were 0rithmancy and "agical
8reatures. "agical 8reatures was much easier than every other class at 0lsemore? all the
students had to do was walk and feed various types of animals. 0rithmancy, on the other
hand, was a pure disaster. t only involved counting and recounting various characters in
peoples names, locations and historical eras to predict various events that had already
happened. 0pparently, once they were skilled, theyd be able to predict the future in a very
boring, inconsequential way.
The night of Halloween, =ottie and 0ndrea took a break from essay writing to en!oy the
festivities. The staff table was emptier than =ottie had ever seen it? the few teachers there had
darkened faces that flickered with fear every time there was a particularly loud chorus of
cheers came from the students.
The new first years, still unaccustomed to regular meals and feasts, were almost completely
blocked by the mounds of food on their plates. 0ndrea did not find the plight of the first
years overly stuffed plates amusing, and now that 'tanley had left the school, =ottie had
nobody to laugh at their e$pense with.
0ndrea had grown much more serious since the beginning of school. 'he cut at her meat
furiously and ate as though she wasnt going to eat again for several months.
&0ndrea,( =ottie said through a mouth full of chicken, &slow down. *oure going to choke.(
/lancing around nervously, 0ndrea swallowed her food and shrugged. & dont knowB( she
said, looking over her shoulder. & !ust have a funny feeling, like something isnt right.(
0s if on cue, 7almyitor ran through the front doors of the /reat Hall. Her high heels clacked
against the stone floor until she reached the staff table. 'he leaned into the few teachers there
and whispered seriously before turning around to face the students. &There has been a revolt,(
she said over the deafening silence. &'tudents who have family in the =ondon camp, please
go to the entrance hall.(
=ottie heart froze. 0ndreas silverware clattered on her plate. They stood up in an instant and
ran to the entrance hall. 'tudents already crowded together, talking in a low buzz. The air
seemed to be vibrating with an$iousness.
&0Ia revolt%( =ottie whispered to 0ndrea, who stared at the floor. &0 re(olt4 Why were
they revolting% 1ont they know were going to help them soon%(
&-o, dont think they do,( 0ndrea said softly. &2esides, didnt you want to revolt when you
were there%( 'he e$haled loudly. & !ust want to know if my family is okay. 0hit5
=ottie blinked at 0ndrea. 'he had never heard her swear before. &ts okay, 0ndrea,( =ottie
said, putting a hand on her shoulder. &Theyre all fine. m sure theyre all fine.(
&How do we know% How do you know your family isnt dead%(
=ottie took her hand off of 0ndreas shoulder and stared at her. Her ribcage seemed to shake
beneath her skin. How did she know% How could she be so sure%
&@verybody>( 7almyitor shouted over the whispering students. &@verybody calm down. We
will be 0pparating in groups. )ind a professor who will help you.(
There werent many students from the =ondon camp, twenty or twenty#five at most.
7almyitor approached =ottie and 0ndrea. &*ou two,( she said stiffly, &cant be left alone in
the 8amp after what happened this summer.(
0ndrea was nearly in tears.
&7rofessor /abaldon will be accompanying you to visit your families.(
/abaldon held out her arm. &=ets make this quick,( she said in a bored voice. & dont want
to be at that camp for long.(
=ottie closed her eyes and held onto /abaldons arm? when she opened them, they stood on a
pile of rubble.
The old building that the school used as an 0pparation site was gone. .nly a crumbling,
spiral staircase remained. The night sky was black and starless. The moon was nowhere to be
seen? only a 1ark "ark shimmered, green above the 8amp.
0ndrea turned to =ottie. &=et#lets go to your family first. Th#th#theyre closer.(
=ottie could tell that 0ndrea was !ust being polite, but she was dying to find her family.
&.kay,( she said, ignoring 0ndreas stare. 'he turned to /abaldon, who looked horribly out
of place. &=ets go>( 'he broke into a run with 0ndrea close at her heels. /abaldon was a
several paces behind them, panting to keep up.
The door to the apartment building her family lived in was completely knocked down. They
ran through the hallway, passing the dozens of huddled people taking refuge in the building.
=ottie pounded on her familys door. &"<"> 101> ts me> .pen up, please>(
The door cracked open and 7osy peeked out. &=ottie>( she shrieked, grabbing =ottie around
the shoulders in a tight hug. &.h, thank goodness.( 7osy stared at her and put her down when
she felt her shaking. &=ottie, whats wrong%(
&Wh#wheres dad%( =ottie stuttered. &Where is he%(
7osy put a hand on =otties shoulder. &1ont worry,( she said in a soothing voice. &Hes
completely fine. He was in!ured, but nothing serious. Hes sleeping it off right now.(
=ottie wasnt convinced.
&Here, hes on the bed.(
=ottie ran in to her parents old bed. -athaniel was fast asleep with a makeshift bandage
wrapped around his shoulder. The blood seemed to have no end? it ran across the mattress
and dribbled off the bed frame. &8an you do anything%( she asked to /abaldon.
The professor sighed and pulled out her wand. 'he pulled off the bandage, causing -athaniel
to stir, but not to wake and muttered an incantation. 2efore =otties eyes, the wound healed
itself.
&Thanks,( =ottie said, turning to her mother. &"um, we need to go. 0ndrea still needs to see
her family.(
7osy nodded. &Deep my daughter safe, will you%( she asked /abaldon. & love you, =ottie.(
&=ove you too, "um>( =ottie shouted, as they ran back out the door.
=ottie had never been to 0ndreas home before. The run was much farther than she thought it
would be. @very few minutes /abaldon would spin around, wand e$tended, checking to
make sure that there were no 1eath @aters following.
'uddenly, /abaldon shouted, &".5@>( and took a sharp dive into a narrow alleyway.
0ndrea spun around and followed /abaldon, pushing =ottie down behind a dumpster.
2reathlessly, =ottie picked herself up and poked her head out to see what was approaching.
The other two crouched in the shadows, watching the scene in front of them play out,
horrified.
0 "uggle dragged himselfB or herself F=ottie couldnt tellG across the bloodstained
pavement. The skin on its face seemed to have melted, leaving parts of muscle and bone
completely e$posed. The "uggle cried out in pain, waving a partially skinless arm in the air
to try and catch someonesIanyones attention. =ottie looked away, staring determinately at
the floor.
Hoarse laughter drowned out the "uggles cries as a 1eath @ater approached. /abaldon
pushed =ottie and 0ndrea farther into the shadows. The masked 1eath @ater, wand raised,
stood before the decaying "uggle, laughter shaking hisIor her Fagain =ottie couldnt tellG
entire frame. &)ilth>( the bitter voice hissed. t flicked its wand and the dying "uggle
screamed as the 1eath @ater guided it through the air and dropped it unceremoniously in the
dumpster.
.nce the 1eath @ater was out of earshot, /abaldon rose. =ottie immediately turned to the
dumpster where the "uggle was still crying, but /abaldon stopped her. &ts hopeless,( she
said under her breath. &We dont have time.(
/rudgingly, =ottie continued running, following 0ndrea, who now was sprinting faster than
ever. )inally, she stopped at a much smaller apartment building and pushed the door open.
'he ran down a flight of stairs, with =ottie and /abaldon following closely, and pounded on
the first door they reached.
0 girl opened the door. )or a moment, =ottie thought that it was 0ndrea? they were nearly
identical, e$cept that this girl had no glasses and was even tinier. &0n#0ndrea%( she stuttered.
&Helen,( 0ndrea said quickly, sweeping into the apartment. &Where are "um and 1ad%(
The girl didnt reply.
&Helen%(
&"ums#"ums in the other room. 0nd 1#1#1addyB(
&-o. -o he didnt.(
=ottie wanted nothing more than to leave and let 0ndrea find out the news by herself.
&He#hes dead, 0ndrea>( the girl shouted, tears streaming down her face.
0ndrea dropped her wand and didnt bother picking it up. =ottie turned to /abaldon, who did
not seem affected at all.
&What%( 0ndrea asked, her voice strangled and slightly too loud. &-o, hes okay, isnt he%(
0 petite woman with curly brown hair came in from another room. <pon seeing 0ndrea, she
ran over to her and embraced her. &ts okay, 0ndrea,( she whispered. 0ndrea stared at the
ceiling, fighting back tears. &ts okay to cry.(
mmediately, tears streamed down 0ndreas face and she buried her head in her mothers
shoulder, sobs shaking her entire body. &s#is#is he here%( she stuttered.
&-o,( her mother said quietly. &We didnt have time to get him from the 1eath @aters before
they turned on us.(
0ndrea wiped her eyes with her sleeve and turned to /abaldon. &8ant you do something%(
she pleaded. &*ou helped =otties dad.(
&<nfortunately,( /abaldon said through clenched teeth, &magic does not work like that.(
0ndrea fell to her knees and crumpled on the ground. Her little sister H Helen H ran up to her
and put a hand on her shoulder. &ts okay, 1rea,( she said through tears. &"ummy said
1addys happier now. 'he said that hes free and outside of the gates now.(
=ottie wiped her eyes.
&*es,( 0ndrea said, picking herself up and putting a hand on her sisters shoulder. &He is.
2ut##(
/abaldon cleared her throat behind them. & hate to break this up,( she said sounding far less
than sympathetic, &but we really need to get back to the school. )or your own safety,( she
added.
0ndreas breathing slowed. &8anIcan !ust have one more minute%( she asked, tears
welling in her eyes.
/abaldon sighed and said, & suppose you may.(
0ndrea turned to her sister and held her hands tightly. &Helen, you need to be strong for
1addy, okay%( she said. &'tay inside for the ne$t few days. t will be dangerous. When things
clear up, dont get yourself into any sort of trouble. m going to come and help you when
m older. Were going to beat the 1ark =ord and well all be in a better place H outside these
gates.( Her little sister nodded seriously. &.kay,( 0ndrea said with a deep breath. &=ets go.(
0s they were leaving, 0ndrea turned to her mother. & love you "um, Helen. 'tay safe>(
=otties body ached from the running by the time they were back on the street. &We need to
get to the 0pparation spot,( /abaldon yelled. &8ome on.(
=ottie held a stitch in her side as they continued on. t felt as though the remains of the Turtle
2uilding werent getting any closer? =otties legs burned with each step.
&Hey, you>( They stopped and turned around. 0 1eath @aters mask reflected the 1ark "ark
that was shining above their heads. He stood on the top of a makeshift barricade, his wand
out. &Where do you think youre going%(
/abaldon pulled her wand out and stood protectively in front of =ottie and 0ndrea. &=eave us
alone,( she hissed.
The 1eath @ater waved his wand and shouted, '>'/' )E/'>!'5
&,un>( /abaldon shouted, pushing =ottie and 0ndrea out of the way. They froze, staring at
the curse hurtling towards the professor. &,<->( she demanded again? the light of the curse
reflected the fear in her eyes.
They didnt need to be told again. They ran and didnt look back until the sound of a body
hitting the stone ground echoed through the camp. =ottie froze in her tracks, her legs unable
to carry her any farther. &s sheI%(
&'hes dead,( 0ndrea said, in shock. &H#he killed her.(
The 1eath @ater climbed down the barricade.
0 boy came running up to them from the opposite direction. &What happened%( he asked,
eyeing /abaldons body. t was 8olm.
&What the hell are you doing here%( =ottie demanded.
8olm smirked but didnt answer. The 1eath @ater was gaining on them. &*ou need to run5
=ottie shouted, shoving 8olm forward. 0ndrea and =ottie broke into a run again.
&'houldnt we get the body%( 8olm asked, starting to waddle along with them.
&-o,( =ottie panted. &-o time.(
The 0pparation spot was in sight. 8olm slowed, clutching a stitch in his side. &1amn it>(
=ottie shouted, shoving him to the ground. &=ets go>(
8olm groaned from the ground, but =ottie and 0ndrea didnt turn around. The 1eath @ater
cackled cruelly, but his laughter was cut short when he tripped over 8olm and fell face flat on
the pavement. 'lowly, the 1eath @ater pushed himself up, growling at the pair.
&*ou know,( the 1eath @ater cooed, looming over the two teenagers. & !ust killed a man
who looked an awful lot like you.( His laugh cut through 0ndrea like steel.
-N"EN/-O5 she hissed.
)ire shot out of her wand and caught on the mans robes. He shouted as the flames grew in
intensity until they almost covered his entire body. =ottie backed away from him and put a
hand on 0ndreas shoulder. 'he lowered her wand and slowly turned away from the 1eath
@ater. The flames from the burning mans robes flared behind her, framing her body grey
against the blaze.
&0ndrea, lets go,( =ottie said shakily.
0ndrea let her wand fall to her side and nodded.
&Help me>( 8olm groaned from the ground, halting =ottie in her tracks. &I cant walk.( He
looked up at them. He had scraped his face and arms badly.
&Honestly, 8olm, dont think we can carry you,( =ottie said frankly.
He pushed himself up and shouted, &ts your fault m here in the first place>(
0ndrea ran over to him and pulled out her wand. &Wingardium 3e(iosa.( 8olm shouted as he
levitated into the air. &.h shut up,( 0ndrea said. &f you want us to help you, !ust take what
you get.(
They ignored the 1eath @aters screams of agony and ran to the 0pparation spot where
7almyitor was waiting for them with crossed arms.
&Where is 7rofessor /abaldon%( she demanded. &0nd what happened to this boy%(
0ndrea shook her head and looked at =ottie. 7almyitor rounded on her as well.
&'hes dead,( =ottie breathed. &That 1eath @aterI( she pointed to the man on fire &Ikilled
her. 0nd 8olm wasnt even supposed to be here> He snuck inIor something and got himself
hurt.(
&Thats a lie,( 8olm moaned from the air. &'he pushed me.( He pointed to =ottie.
&He wasnt running,( =ottie said. &We needed to get away from a 1eath @ater.(
7almyitor turned to 0ndrea, who remained silent.
'omething on the "uggle barricade, !ust hardly in sight, e$ploded. The flames from the
1eath @aters body caught and started to burn the remains of the barricade, causing screams
to shoot through the 8amp. &We need to leave,( 7almyitor said hoarsely, waving her wand at
8olm. He fell to the ground and, whimpering, pulled himself to his feet. &Were going to
1isapperate.( 'he offered her arms to the three students and in a moment they were gone.
& need toBto go to the dormitory,( 0ndrea said once they were in 7almyitors office. Her
voice was strained, as though she was restraining tears. Without waiting for a reply, she ran
out of the office.
0fter a tense pause, 7almyitor rounded on =ottie. &What happened%( she demanded.
&HerIher father was killed,( =ottie e$plained.
8olm snorted from the floor. &-o wonder she wasnt butting in as much as normal.(
&*ou shut up>( =ottie snarled.
7almyitor held a hand up and stared at =ottie. &8ontinue.(
=ottie took a deep breath. &0 1eath @ater followed us when we were going back to the
0pparation site. He killed /abaldon withIwith the Dilling 8urse and followed us. think he
was the same man who#who killed 0ndreas father. 0ndrea cursed him when she found out
and heI( she paused and took a breath &Ihe lit on fire.(
7almyitor put a hand to her mouth. &1ear @mmaB( she said softly. mmediately, she
regained her composure with a brisk, &Well>( 'he glanced to the door that 0ndrea had left
open. &*ou,( she said to =ottie, &should go help your friend in her time of need. ll help
'crivener here to the hospital wing.( 7almyitors newfound compassion was surprising and
slightly unnerving.
=ottie left the office silently, trying to respect 7almyitors grieving. 'he couldnt force herself
to run anymore, so took her time getting downstairs. n the 7almyitor common room,
Aulianne and 'ophie sat, waiting.
&Whats with 0ndrea%( 'ophie asked once she saw =ottie.
&There was trouble at our 8amp,( =ottie said. &Her father was killed.(
The two other 7almyitor girls sat in silence. &s she in the dormitory%( =ottie asked. Aulianne
nodded.
Holding her breath, =ottie hobbled down the stairs and into their dormitory. &0ndrea%( she
said with a knock. &0re you okay%(
&1o you think m okay%( 0ndrea asked, turning around furiously. &ll never see him again.(
=ottie sat down on the bed ne$t to 0ndrea and looked at the floor. 'he really didnt know
what to say at a time like this. &m sorry,( she said awkwardly. &-o, really am, 0ndrea. 2ut
dont really know what else m supposed to tell you. meanI( 'he stopped. "aybe
saying, &My dad is still ali(e,( would be a poor choice. &1oIdo you want to talk about
him%(
0ndrea took a breath. &m not sure, =ottieB m really not sure. HeIhe was protective and
kind andI( 'he bit her lip and buried her head in her hands. & cant talk about it anymore,(
she said through silent tears.
=ottie nodded and said, &.kay. Well ll be here. When youre ready.(
Chapter 22: Chapter Twenty8One: 5ereavement
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: .kay guys, know that its pretty much disgusting how late this chapter is.
m really sorry for the wait, but my life was sort of flipped upside#down with college
applications. -ot only that, but the play that my beta and are both in is opening on
Thursday, so neither of us have any time. 0nyway, this chapter got up eventually and m
still working>
'o, here we go. Thanks so much to The2ird who stayed up late on tech week with me to
finish this> This chapter is dedicated to the amazing cast and crew of .ur Town.
: : :
8hapter Twenty#.ne; 2ereavement
7rofessor /abaldons death did not affect the students nearly as much as it affected the
teachers. "aelioric took over teaching 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts, &but only until we find
a suitable replacement,( he e$plained on the first day of his class. His lessons were much
more entertaining than /abaldons had been? the students spent less time in lectures and more
time in practice duels.
0ndrea was having a hard time focusing on her lessons through her grief. -one of the other
students from the =ondon 8amp had lost a family member, so the teachers were somewhat
understanding when she turned in her schoolwork two days late.
8olm, on the other hand, was benefiting greatly from his trip to the 8amp. 7almyitor, much
to =otties rage, didnt even punish 8olm for sneaking out of the school? getting in!ured was
apparently punishment enough. 'purred on by the teachers lack of interest, he twisted the
story in favor of himself and pressed it upon anyone who was in the vicinity.
&We were running from the 1eath @ater,( he divulged to a group of third year "aeliorics.
<nknown to him, =ottie stood at the back of the group with crossed arms. 'he cleared her
throat pointedly and 8olm widened his eyes before adding, &0nd ,owe pushed me to the
ground. The 1eath @ater came running towards me, so tripped him, even though my leg was
broken. He fell and hit his head and weI(
&=iar.( =ottie could feel her fists shaking against her legs. &*ou didnt trip himIhe fell over
you. didnt push you down? pushed you forward and you fell. 0nd 0ndreaI(
&'hes !ust angry because now shes getting in trouble for being such a coward>(
=otties face burned red with rage. 'he opened her mouth to respond to 8olm, but no sound
came out. )inally, she turned on the crowd of onlookers and shouted, &=@05@>(
With open mouths and furrowed brows, the crowd dispersed. =ottie spun around and stared at
8olm, still unable to form words out of pure rage. 0fter a tense moment of silence, she finally
said, &*ou need to shut the hell up, you liar. -one of the stuff happened like that and you
know it>(
&*oure !ust bitter,( 8olm sneered, &that - stopped the 1eath @ater andI(
&-. *.< 11-T>( =ottie roared. &*oure in denial> *ou didnt do anything but fall on
your fat ass>(
0fter a moment of shock, 8olm, resuming his sneer, shook his head condescendingly. &7oor
thing,( he hummed.
&*ou think,( =ottie snarled, &that youre such a hero>( 'he spun around on her heel and stood
with her back turned to him for a moment. 2iting her lip to prevent herself from crying, she
pounded down the corridor. Holding her breath, she stopped at the foot of the staircase and
turned her head !ust enough to be able to see 8olm out of the corner of her eye. He stared
determinately at the floor, the flickering torchlight leaving his face in shadow.
'lowly, 8olm looked up? the afternoon sun shining through the window glimmered in his
dark eyes. =ottie suddenly turned away and ran up the stairs, the hairs on the back of her neck
standing up as 8olm continued to watch her.
7rofessor 7almyitor was, apparently, much closer to /abaldon than anybody had e$pected.
=ottie didnt see her at meals for nearly a week, but passed her office nearly every day on her
way up from the common room.
,ed light filtered through the dusty windowpane early one morning as the sun was rising?
=otties silhouette set black against the morning sun as she paced down the corridor. 0fter
days of being taunted by 8olm at the breakfast table, =ottie woke up an hour early !ust to
avoid him. 'he was climbing the stairs past 7almyitors office when a door suddenly
slammed. =ottie stopped in her tracks. 0 small creature padded off past her. =ottie couldnt
see its face, but its ears were so large that they flapped behind it as it ran. t seemed to be
wearing a burlap sack as a tunic, but before she could get a second glance, it had disappeared
around a corner.
2affled by the sight, =ottie stood rooted to the place, until she heard voices.
&-aesa, its time to get back in the field again.( t was 8lynalmoys voice. &The rebellion
needs you.(
&m not sure if m ready yet,( 7almyitors voice croaked. &Without @mmaB 'hes been
with us since nearly the beginning, you know that.(
& do, yes, but we cant stop fighting !ust because somebody close to us is gone.( 0 sob shot
through the stillness of the corridor. 8lyalmoy spoke again, this time his voice quiet and
comforting. &=ook at )orna$ H hes doing better than ever.(
&,yan,( 7almyitor said so softly that =ottie had to strain her ears to hear. &We were fighting.
We were having an argument andIandI(
&What were you fighting about%( 8lynalmoy asked.
0 pause engulfed the two heads and the eavesdropper.
&0 student,( 7almyitor said. &0 certain third year who she thought was getting out of line.(
0nother meaningful pause followed. =ottie imagined 7almyitor raising her eyebrows
pointedly. 8ould they have been talking about =ottie% -o, she was !ust being egotistical.
&*ou know its not right to have favorites, -aesa. 2ut thats beside the point now. @mma
forgave you? you two were the closest of friends. 'he wouldnt hold a petty argument with
her all the way into the afterlife.(
=ottie could hear 7almyitors sigh through the thick dungeon walls. &Thank you, ,yan,( she
said. &*ou always can lighten my spirits. ll be in the =ondon Headquarters today,( she went
on seriously. &0s soon as get ready.(
8lynalmoys footsteps got closer to the door while he asked, &-aesa, have you ever
considered giving up this !ob% With the 1eath @aters, mean% ts too much for you. *ou
cant teach, coordinate and fight at the same time.(
&-o,( 7almyitor replied. & cant. -ot yet. Theres nobody to replace me.(
& suppose,( 8lynalmoy said, cracking the door open. &2ut try to get some rest, will you%( He
opened the door completely and began to leave.
&,yan%(
He stopped in the doorframe and turned around. &*es%(
=ottie could feel the pause radiating between them. &Thank you.(
8lynalmoy shut the door and started walking down the corridor in the other direction, arms
folded behind him. He stopped and leaned against the wall for a moment with his eyes shut.
His somber mood could not hide the smile that crept onto the corner of his lips. =ottie stood
frozen to the spot and watched as he stood back up and continued on down the hall.
0fter hearing about =ottie and 8olms episode, the entirety of the third year "aeliorics and
7almyitors were in a House feud. 8harms class, which the two Houses shared, became nearly
unbearable, as the 7almyitors and the "aeliorics refused to talk to each other.
n an unsuccessful attempt to get the classes to work in pairs, =ottie and 8olm were forced to
be partners to master a 8heering 8harm. =ottie was feeling far from cheerful, so had a rather
hard time trying to make 8olm happy. 0fter twenty minutes of failing, =ottie finally !ust gave
up and decided to curse him and make it look like innocent incompetence.
0fter five minutes of he$ing, 8olm had turned blue and was beginning to suspect something.
&7rofessor>( he whined. &,owe is doing it all wrong. This cant be an accident.(
'tainthorpe eyed =ottie who smiled innocently. &Well, clearly 'criveners =egilimency skills
are lacking,( =ottie said with a shrug. &2ecause if he %ould look into my mind, hed know
that was honestly trying.(
&'hes lying> 8ant you tell% f shes not lying, then this is a complete accident too>
/ensaugeo5
=ottie looked down to see her teeth growing out of mouth at an e$ponential rate. 'he put a
hand over her mouth and, shouting with rage, ran toward him, her other hand clenched in a
fist. &Thats enough>( 'tainthorpe shouted, standing between the two feuding students. 'he
waved her wand and =otties teeth stopped growing, but didnt shrink to their normal size.
&*ou can get that fi$ed after class in the hospital wing,( she said with a grimace.
&@verybody, sit.(
The third years shuffled to their desks and sat down, nervously glancing at each other. =ottie
burned a furious red under everybodys glares.
&-ow lets be serious,( 'tainthorpe hissed through the staring contest of the Houses. &There
are more important things than who said and did what. The affair at the =ondon 8amp was a
very seriousI(
-e$t to =ottie, 0ndrea dropped her wand with a clatter. 'he kneeled under her desk to
retrieve it, but didnt come back up. With a furrowed brow, =ottie peeked under the desk to
find 0ndrea with her head buried in her hands, shaking.
'tainthorpe paused. &8lass dismissed,( she said.
@verybody packed up their stuff silently and left, staring at 0ndrea under the desk. =ottie
knelt down and put a hand on 0ndreas shoulder.
&,owe, you too,( 'tainthorpe said. &/o get those teeth shrunk.(
=ottie tore herself away from 0ndrea and stared at 'tainthorpe, eyes wide and pleading. &2ut
I(
&/o.(
'tainthorpe flicked her wand and the classroom door flew open. =ottie backed away from
'tainthorpe, keeping her !aw set and ran out of the classroom. .nce =ottie was safely out of
earshot, 'tainthorpe knelt down and stared intently at 0ndrea.
&Woolbright%(
& dont want to talk about it.(
&Woolbright, theres !ust no getting around this,( 'tainthorpe said. &-ow, lets get off the
floor##if not for your sake, then for mine. "y old knees cant handle much more of this.(
0ndrea dropped her hands from her face and picked up her glasses. Wiping her eyes with her
sleeve, she stood up and shuffled to 'tainthorpes desk. 'tainthorpe flicked her wand and a
large, stuffed armchair appeared behind 0ndrea. &'it.(
0ndrea sat, keeping her eyes glued to the floor.
'tainthorpe took a breath. &How are you doing%( she asked.
&How am doing% 0re you serious%( 'tainthorpe pushed her chair back a few inches and
raised her eyebrows. &m doing horribly> cant concentrate on any of my classes and all of
my marks are slipping and my family keeps writing me and telling me all of their troubles
andI(
& know this will never be fine again,( 'tainthorpe said quietly, lacing her fingers on her
desk. &2ut eventually gets easier.(
& dont want it to get easier,( 0ndrea said through gritted teeth. & want him to come back.
7rofessor /abaldon healed =otties dad, why couldnt she heal mine%(
&Theres a difference between death and a flesh wound.(
&2ut magic is magi%. t can do anything.(
'tainthorpe sighed and said, &f magic could reverse death, do you think we would be
fighting this war%(
&I suppose not.( 0ndrea stood up furiously. & !ust hate it> hate this entire warIit only
hurts everybody. The only way can help my family is by not seeing them and becoming
completely detached from them. dont want to fight anymore. !ustI!ust want to run
away>(
'tainthorpe stared at her and leaned forward in her chair, her gaze never shifting. 0ndrea
couldnt do =egilimency, but if she could, she was sure that shed see some memory
lingering in the professors brown eyes. &'omeone once told me,( 'tainthorpe said solemnly,
&that sometimes we have to choose between what is right and what is easy.(
Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty8Two: Arithman+y
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: .kay, so it3s been pretty long since the last update. know and 3m sorry
about that, but the good news is that 3m officially done with the college admission process>
*ay> 0t least one thing is taken off my plate, so 3m hoping to be able to focus more on
writing. That being said, 3m going out of town for the ne$t two weeks, so 3m not promising
many updates. do have quite a good more first drafts of chapters already written though.
Thank you so so so much to The2ird who beta3d this chapter in the middle of midterms.
*ou3re beautiful and amazing>
,ight so, this chapter is dedicated to my fabulous 8alculus teacher, who is a much better
teacher than 7rofessor "oon.
: : :
8hapter Twenty#Two; 0rithmancy
0ndrea didnt go to any more classes that day and =ottie had to suffer through .cclumency
and 0rithmancy by herself. Thankfully, she didn3t have to deal with 8olm3s pestering, as she
didn3t share any classes that day with the "aeliorics. .cclumency was fairly uneventful. The
third years all en!oyed 7rofessor 2reckenridges anecdotes about his first attempt at using
.cclumency while in disguise, which ended in a rather bizarre cat and mouse chase through
the sewer system of a small country village. n 0rithmancy, 7rofessor "oon, an aged and
withering man Fwho had so many charts of numerical patterns pinned up on the wall that at
first glance =ottie thought it was wallpaperG, delivered a rather longwinded lecture about how
to tell whether or not a person was alive through numerical patterns. =ottie found the whole
idea rather ridiculous? she figured that if she didnt know whether or not somebody was alive,
she clearly didnt care enough about them to go through a series of mathematical operations
!ust to find out.
&.ne must take the character number,( "oon drawled, &and divide it by the heart number.(
=ottie scribbled that down and stared at the professor e$pectantly. He took a long breath and
continued in his monotonous tone. &*ou multiply that by two and add it to the cubed root of
the social number.(
)or a moment, =ottie envied 0ndrea. Why was this class even taught%
&The result of that must be compared to a chart of the lunar calendar, which shows various
ranges of numbers for months past. .nce you find the range in which your result lies, you can
find out the time your sub!ect passed to the minute. f the number is not in on the chart, your
sub!ect is still living.(
The bell rang for the end of classes. =ottie threw her parchment up in the air in celebration.
0fter messily packing her bag, she ran down the stairs to the 7almyitor common room,
desperate to not be seen by 8olm 'crivener.
'he turned the clock to the correct time and slipped through the base, pulling her duffle bag
behind her. &0re you back already%( 0ndrea asked from the sofa.
& could say the same to you,( =ottie responded. &Why so cheerful%(
0ndrea shrugged. & wouldnt say cheerful. !ust talked to 7rofessor 'tainthorpe for a while
and she !ust put things into perspective for me. meanB its not going to get better right
away, but now can cope.(
=ottie sat down on the sofa ne$t to her. &Well thats good,( she said.
They shared a moment of silence.
&What did miss in classes%(
=ottie turned to her. &Honestly 0ndrea, you !ust had a minor breakdown and youre thinking
about what you missed in %lasses4 We didnt do anything in .cclumency. 2reckenridge
warned us against poor technique. 0nd who cares about 0rithmancy, really%(
&- do.( 0ndrea grabbed for =otties bag. &'how me your notes.( 'he riffled through the
contents of the bag for thirty minutes before dropping it on the floor. &Honestly, would it kill
you to organize this% 7ut your notes in your book or something> )ind the notes for me.(
=ottie smirked and dumped the contents of her bag onto 0ndreas lap. &f you want it so
badly, you can find it yourself.(
0fter five minutes of 0ndreas frustrated searching, she finally found the notes and read over
them. =ottie stuffed the rest of her notes back into her bag.
&This formula makes no sense, 0ndrea said with a frown.
&Thats what thought, but "oon insists that it works.(
&What do you do with this result% What does it tell you%(
=ottie shrugged and rested her head in her hand, eyes closed tightly in concentration. & dont
know. *ou need a lunar calendar chart with some sort of number range. ts supposed to tell
if somebody is deadB or something.(
0ndrea gasped loudly and dropped the notes.
&What%( =ottie asked, opening one eye. &Whats wrong%(
&This is e$actly what we need>( 0ndrea shouted. &.h, =ottie>( 'he threw the notes into
=otties face. &Why didnt you take better notes%(
&m sorry, what do we need this for%(
0ndrea leaned in and intently whispered, &t might give us a clue about Ne(ille 3ongbottom.
&=ike what%(
&Honestly =ottie why are you so thick sometimes% f =ongbottom is alive, maybe we can find
him. m sure we could find more clues somewhere.(
&0nd if he isnt%(
&WellB then we could find a tombstone orIor something.( 0ndrea put down =otties notes
and stood up. &'tay there, m going to get my 0rithmancy book. "aybe it will have the
formula.( 'he disappeared so quickly that for a moment =ottie thought she had 1isapperated.
n a moment, 0ndrea was back, carrying an oversized book. &.kay,( she said as she sat
down, dropping the book on the coffee table. &ll look for the formula and you get your
parchment and quill ready.(
=ottie rolled her eyes playfully. &.kay.(
& /.T T>( 0ndrea waved the book in triumph. &.kay.( 'he eyed =ottie skeptically. &*ou
know maybe should do this. Here give me the quill.(
=ottie tapped her knee impatiently as 0ndrea calculated the number. 'everal times, she
groaned, hastily crossed something out and wrote something under her scribbles.
&.kay thin+ this is right,( 0ndrea said slowly after five minutes of checking over her work.
& think the final number is thirteen point si$ three four twoB with rounding. That should be
e$act enough right%(
&'ounds like it.(
&.kay, now we need to find it in the chart.( 0ndrea thumbed through the pages of the book.
&.h wow. =ottie, this chart goes on for over a hundred pages.(
&-o way> 'eriously% What are they doing, the history of everything%(
0ndrea flipped to the beginning. &0ctually, it looks like it,( she said, wide eyed. 'he pulled
her glasses off and wiped them on her robes. &.kay, ll start at the beginning and you get
your book and start at the end. Well meet somewhere in the middle.(
=ottie stared at her. &1o you honestly want me to##(
&*es>( 0ndrea cut her off. &-ow go get your book and hurry up.(
Hours passed and =ottie and 0ndrea were still camped out in the common room, surrounded
with piles of e$tra books and parchment they had gotten from the library. They looked like
prisoners of a bizarre type of fort.
&Hey, third years>( =ottie looked up, for a moment e$pecting 'tanley to be standing in front
of them. t wasnt him, but the new prefect who was appointed after 'tanley left, a
temperamental fifth year girl named "atilda Deith. &*oure hogging up the best seats in the
common room to do your homewor+4
The common room was much more crowded now. "ost of the students had !ust returned
from dinner.
=ottie and 0ndrea e$changed a glance.
&'coot>( "atilda shouted, pushing the pile of books onto =otties lap. &'ome of the older
students want to sit down.(
0ndrea opened her mouth to retaliate, but closed it once "atilda pulled out her wand. &=ets
go,( she said to =ottie under her breath. &We can go grab a few bites of dinner and then go to
the library.(
@ach carrying a minimum of seven books and their bags full of their scraps of parchment,
=ottie and 0ndrea hobbled up the stairs to the /reat Hall. The Hall was nearly completely
empty when they reached it. 7almyitor and 8lynalmoy sat at the staff table, conversing
seriously.
&=ets !ust sit here,( =ottie groaned, dropping the books onto the bench. 0ndrea set hers
down carefully and sat across from her.
&7almyitor looks tired,( 0ndrea observed, staring at the head table.
&'he said she was going to the 1eath @ater headquarters,( =ottie said casually as she scraped
the remains of a shepherds pie onto her plate. & was walking by her office this morning and
overheard her talking to 8lynalmoy.(
0ndrea seemed much more concerned about this than =ottie had been. &'he was with 1eath
@aters%( 'he furrowed her brow. & didnt know she was still actively spying. Thats
dangerous, isnt it, for someone her age%(
=ottie shrugged. &Well shes good at it, isnt she% 0nd she said it herself H theres no one
good enough to replace her.(
&.ne of the students who left already, maybe%(
&Well she did say that she wouldnt need to have that !ob for long. 0 few more years, she
said. wonder what shes waiting for.(
0ndrea stared at her. &"mm wonder,( she hummed, sarcasm saturating every word. &We
should go soon anyway,( she continued. & think 7almyitor is starting to guess that were
talking about her.(
=ottie stole a glance up to the staff table. ndeed, 7rofessor 7almyitor stared at the two of
them suspiciously from over a coffee mug.
&@ars like a bat,( =ottie murmured before wolfing down the rest of her dinner. &,eady%(
&*eah, lets go. We only have a few more hours before the library closes.(
The two third years piled their books into their arms and toppled off to the library. =ottie
could feel 7almyitor3s eyes on her as she left the /reat Hall. They clambered up the stairs and
made their way into a corner filled with spindly, dust#coated chairs.
&Where did you leave off%( 0ndrea asked.
& was at JKLM. How about you%(
0ndrea sighed and said, &m !ust at the beginning of the nineteenth century. 'o we only have
about a hundred and eighty years to go.(
& highly doubt hell have died before the formation of the .rder, 0ndrea,( =ottie said
blankly. &8ome on, were done. Hes not dead.( 'he reached for her book.
&-o>( 0ndrea snatched her book and held it to her chest. &We have to be sure> What if we
find out that he actually died a long time ago%(
&Well then we wouldnt have gotten into /rimmauld 7lace, right%( =ottie rolled her eyes.
&*ou can keep going, but m not going to. Hes not dead, 0ndrea.(
&)ine. ll do it by myself.( 0ndrea picked up her book and stormed to the ne$t table.
=ottie put her feet up on the table and stared at the ceiling, purposefully ignoring 0ndreas
sighs of frustration coming from the other table. 'he shut her eyes and tried to rela$ in a chair
shaped like a human spine. 9'eriously, you3d think they want to kill you with these things,9
she muttered.
9Well maybe they3re made like that so people like you wont fall asleep,9 0ndrea retorted,
eyes moving so quickly that they blurred blue behind her thick glasses.
=ottie rolled her eyes and tilted her chair so that it leaned against the wall. The day had been
a long one. 0nd who was the student 7almyitor had been arguing with /abaldon about%
7robably 0ndrea, =ottie decided. +uiet, brilliant 0ndrea was her favorite.
7oor 7almyitorB t was the first time =ottie ever felt real pity for the woman. 'he didnt
know that she had any friends and now her best friend had died. 8lynalmoy seemed to be
doing a fairly good !ob comforting her, though. 'he got back from the 1eath @ater
headquarters alive, didnt she%
=ottie shuddered. 'he couldnt imagine having to keep company with 1eath @aters and
pretend everything was fineB
0ndrea shut her book noisily and stomped over to her. &ts not there,( she panted. &Hes still
alive.(
& told you,( =ottie teased. &8ome on lets go tellI(
The lights turned off. @verything was pitch black? =ottie could hardly see 0ndrea through the
pervasive darkness.
&0ndrea% What happened%(
& thinkI thinkIoh hold on. 3umos. The light from her wand illuminated a narrow beam
leading to the door. & think after hours, the lights !ust turn off. "aybe its a warning%(
&"aybe,( =ottie echoed. &8ome on, we should get out of here before were caught, and show
7almyitor what we found.( 'he lit her wand as well and, carefully avoiding all of the
particularly squeaky floorboards, they crept out of the library.
-obody was patrolling the pitch#black hallways. =ottie and 0ndrea crept along, sure to keep
their wand light away from the portraits, so they wouldnt wake up and tell the heads of their
midnight escapades.
They were climbing down the stairs to 7almyitors office, when =otties book fell from her
sweaty palms. 'he swore as it clunked down the stairs and landed right in front of
7almyitors door. 'ilence followed.
&1o you think she heard us%( =ottie whispered to 0ndrea, lowering her wand.
&Well if she didnt hear the book, she definitely heard you, 0ndrea hissed.
They made their way down the stairs to find 7almyitors door shut in front of them.
&*oure lu%+y, 0ndrea commented, rolling her eyes.
&Hey, ll take luck over detention. 8ome on, help me find my book.(
&=ooking for this%(
n a moment of horror, =ottie dropped her wand. The light didnt shine any higher than their
ankles, but =ottie knew e$actly who stood before them. The hair on her arm prickled against
her skin, which suddenly felt as if it had been doused with cold water.
=ottie scrambled for her wand and held it in front of herself defensively. The light seemed to
be intensified by her fear and, brighter than it had ever been before, it illuminated the entire
corridor. 7almyitor looked even more tired than she had at dinner. 0 vein bulged on her
forehead and her eyes bugged out of her face. &/et your wand out of my face,( she growled.
'urprised, =ottie lowered her wand, muttering, No$. 0ndrea followed suit.
With a flick of 7almyitors wand, the door to her office swung open. &n,( she demanded.
With a glance at 0ndrea, =ottie shuffled into the office and stood as far in the corner as she
could. 'lamming the door behind her, 7almyitor strode in and sat down at her desk. The
lights flashed on so =ottie could see 7almyitor properly. 'he was an anomaly in a nightgown.
@verything about her seemed off.
Her eyes flashed dangerously at them. &.ut of bed after hours%(
0ndrea turned to =ottie. <nfortunately, =ottie had !ust turned to 0ndrea, so the pair stood,
having a silent battle of the will. 7almyitor cleared her throat.
&@rIwe were in the library and all the lights went out. We#we were going to the common
room, whenI(
&*ou know can tell when youre lying.(
=ottie was surprised by 7almyitors bluntness.
&.kay.( t was =otties turn now. &We werent going to the common room right away, but
we were coming to see you. 'ee, we wereIwere using the 0rithmancy we learned today
about how to tell if someone is alive or not.(
7almyitor arched an eyebrow.
&We were trying to find out more information about -eville =ongbottom,( 0ndrea piped up.
&Woolbright, that is the !ob of trained adults, not third years.( 0ndrea blushed. &-ow,
suggest that you twoI(
&2ut hes not dead>( =ottie interrupted. &We figured it out with the formula that 7rofessor
"oon gave us. Hes not dead>(
7almyitor raised a hand to silence =ottie. &*ou know, ,owe, @mma was right about you.(
=ottie shrank away from 7almyitor. &*ou are far out of line. 2elieve it or not, this war does
not center around you.(
&7lease, 7rofessor,( =ottie persisted. &Aust look at this.( 'he took 0ndreas calculations and
the charts from the book. &The number 0ndrea calculated isnt anywhere on this chart, so he
must beI(
&,owe, your place is to study, not to try and fight. "erlin knows you would be hopeless if all
we could use you for was 0rithmancy.( 7almyitor and =ottie met eyes. &-evertheless, what
you found may prove to beB( 'he arched an eyebrow and glanced at 0ndrea searchingly.
&B<seful,( she finished. & will show it to 7rofessor "oon in the morning.(
=ottie couldnt help but smile. 'he turned to 0ndrea, who did not look as relieved.
&-ow would suggest you head to bed. f find you two arent in your beds in five minutes,
you will have much more to worry about than your ne$t 0rithmancy e$am.(
Chapter 24: Chapter Twenty8Three: The *hoeni%"! $e+ret
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Hey guys> This has been a long and tiring chapter. The2ird and nearly
stayed up until three working on it. 'o a big round of applause for her. *ay The2ird>
This chapter is dedicated lovingly to the memory of my <ncle =ew.
: : :
8hapter Twenty#Three; The 7hoeni$s 'ecret
=ottie was only one bite into her warm cereal when 7almyitor appeared before her and
0ndrea.
& would like you to meet me in my office.(
t was not a request.
0ndrea stood up immediately and beckoned at =ottie to follow. With one last look of longing
at her breakfast, =ottie stood up and trotted along after her.
The bags under 7almyitors eyes were e$traordinarily apparent in the dim light of her office.
The phoeni$ pendent that =ottie had given 7almyitor at the end of the summer sat on her
desk, glimmering tauntingly. & spoke to 7rofessor "oon, and your calculations have proved
to be correct. 8ongratulations.( 'he pushed 0ndreas calculations across the desk towards
them. The phoeni$ charm fell from her desk onto the floor. =ottie reached down to pick it up?
it was cool to the touch again.
&0pparently -eville =ongbottom is still alive.(
The charm suddenly grew warm.
&-ow all we need to do is find him,( continued 7almyitor.
&Wait, this thing !ust got hot,( =ottie said, holding out the charm.
&Then put it down, ,owe.(
&-o, mean it !ust got warm again. t was hot when we were in /rimmauld 7laceIit was
nearly burningIand when we were near 'nape.(
0 vein in 7almyitors forehead pulsed threateningly. Mr. 'nape.(
&"r. 'nape.(
7almyitor laced her fingers on her desk. Her dark eyes pierced =ottie, sending pins and
needles rocketing up the back of her neck. Tapping her long, painted fingernails against the
desk, she carefully surveyed =ottie with raised eyebrows.
=ottie could feel her mind being pulled apart and rummaged through. Her stomach lurched as
echoes from past conversations slowly grew in volume. )amiliar voices shot through her head
I0ndreas, 8olm 'criveners, her mothersB )rantically, she broke her gaze, eyes
transfi$ed on the floor.
7almyitor heaved a heavy sigh. &,owe, dont follow.(
=ottie turned to 0ndrea, but her eyes were so intently focused on the wall, she didn3t seem to
notice anything. @$asperated, =ottie turned back to 7almyitor.
&Well is 'napeI"r. 'napeIa member of the .rder of the 7hoeni$%(
&*es, he was.(
=ottie punched her first in the air. &*es> 'ee% t gets hot whenever youre near or when you
mention something about The .rder of the 7hoeni$> 'ee% ts getting hot now> =ook.( 'he
grinned and held it out into the light. &.arry otter5 .WWW>(
0ndrea gasped. & got it> We need to find where -eville =ongbottomI(
&.w> 'top it>(
&'orry =ottie. We need to find where theIthe 'ecret Deeper lives, right% 'o what if we put it
on a map and say the 'ecret Deepers name% m sure it will get hotter when it gets close to
his location.(
Tiredness emanated from every one of her pores as 7almyitor stared at 0ndrea. &Woolbright
I(
&8an we !ust try it%( 0ndrea asked, e$asperated.
7almyitor pursed her lips and flicked her wand. &)ine,( she said. 0 con!ured map appeared
on her desk. 'he held out her hand and, reluctantly, =ottie dropped the phoeni$ charm into
her palm.
&-eville =ongbottom,( she said casually. 1espite =otties constant warnings, she hissed and
dropped it heavily on the map. =ottie whistled in an &ItoldIyouIso( sort of way, but
only received one of 7almyitors infamous glares in return. 7almyitor scooted the charm onto
@nglands spot on the map and waited. &Well its not much warmer,( she said. &That may
mean that hes here or not. =et me try a few other countries.( 'he ran the pendent over an
ocean, muttering, &8oldB(
'he checked the 0mericas, 2ritain, taly, 'pain, 0ntarctica and all of 0sia before running the
pendent over )rance. Hissing under her breath, 7almyitor removed her hand from the pendent
and stared at the third years. & suppose should congratulate you, Woolbright. *ou have
shown reasoning that is rarely seen in members of my house.(
0ndrea smiled.
&t seems that our -eville =ongbottomI( she winced as the pendent flared red &Iis in
)rance.( 7almyitor cleared her throat and sat up straighter in her chair. &*ou two may go to
your first class,( she continued. & will look into this.(
=ottie had trouble concentrating through 7otions, but still had much more success than
0ndrea. Her 'hrinking 'olution was the correct color of green and had a watery te$ture.
0ndreas, on the other hand, was so thick, her wooden stirrer snapped in half.
7rofessor 1yer sauntered over to 0ndrea and stared at her potion in disgust. &*oud think a
student would tell me if their potion was stewing into the realm of complete hopelessness.(
He sighed and waved his wand? the potion evaporated. &-o, Woolbright, theres no point in
trying again.( 0ndrea dropped her stirrer de!ectedly. &Aust watch "iss ,owe.(
2lushing furiously, 0ndrea turned to =ottie and sighed. &m !ust distracted,( she said. &Well
even if had been trying, probably wouldnt do much better butI(
=ottie couldnt let herself lose concentration due to 0ndrea when she got to the very precise
procedure of adding the beetle wings. &Hold on for a second, can you%( she muttered as she
added one wing and stirred forty#five degrees clockwise.
&What%( she whispered, now waiting for her potion to reach a boil.
1yer turned to her with raised eyebrows.
&'orry,( =ottie muttered. &AustBworried was doing it wrong.(
.nce he had turned his attention to another unsuspecting victim, =ottie hissed to 0ndrea,
&8an you !ust focus, please% cant get in trouble in my best class.( The bell rang. =ottie put
a cover on her potion and left it in the third years shelf before following 0ndrea silently to
History.
.nce the class began, 0ndrea grew completely silent and busied herself with her notes. =ottie
tapped her quill against the table impatiently and stared at her empty roll of parchment. =ottie
shot a subtle glance at 0ndrea3s parchment. 'he gasped. 9*ou3re not taking notes> What are
you doing%9
0ndrea didnt have the usual neat, careful outline in front of her. nstead sat what looked like
some kind of chart. &Aust trying to figure out a bit more about &ou )now Who.
&-o, dont know who. What are you talking about%(
0ndrea sighed. &*ou know, N3. .ur friend who lives in )rance.(
&.h. ,ight.( =ottie rolled her eyes. &Why dont you !ust let 7almyitor do her !ob%(
&'shh>(
The class dragged on for what felt like days. .nce they were dismissedIa good si$ minutes
after the bell rangI=ottie and 0ndrea made a beeline for 7almyitors office. =ottie pulled
desperately at the bronze doorknob, but it was locked.
=ottie put her ear to the door, but all she heard was mumbling and whispering. 0ndrea leaned
in as well and sighed. &=ets !ust wait until later,( she said. & think well !ust get in trouble if
we try to eavesdrop.(
)or the rest of their classes, =ottie had to resort to making ridiculous, gruesome faces at
0ndrea to prevent overwhelming boredom. 0fter what felt like hours, the professor wiped the
blackboard clean and dismissed them for the day. mmediately, =ottie and 0ndrea sprinted to
7almyitors office and burst through the door.
&Well%( =ottie asked e$pectantly.
&Well what, "iss ,owe%( 7almyitor looked at them above a roll of parchment that e$tended
off the table and curled up on the floor by her feet.
&7alI7rofessor, we know that you were looking into -eville =ongbottom.(
&0nd what makes you think m going to tell you what found out, ,owe%(
&2ecauseIbecauseIif it werent for me, you wouldnt have known about him>(
&f you hadnt stolen the snuffbo$, we would all have found out about this much earlier on.(
&2ut 7rofessor,( 0ndrea said, brandishing her scroll of parchment. & think figured out a lot
aboutI(
&"iss Woolbright, the way you will help the cause is by concentrating on your studies, not by
trying to take my !ob. We have narrowed a long list of possibilities.(
0ndrea dropped her parchment and leaned against 7almyitors wall sulkily.
&The only two wizards in the country we know of with the correct age range and alliance are
2ill Weasley and a man called 5ictor D. =ontelles.(
&Well who is it%( asked 0ndrea.
7almyitor sighed heavily. &Woolbright, 2ill Weasley has been tracked to have only one
identity. 'o it must be this =ontelles.(
&'o how are we going to find him%( asked =ottie. &/et a bigger map%(
&Hardly,( 7almyitor answered with a cold laugh. &We have contacts who used to be members
of the .rder who can help us.( 'he rolled up her e$tremely long piece of parchment and
added, &-ot you two.(
&2utI(
&Thank you, "iss ,owe,( 7almyitor said. &That is quite enough.(
&0ndreaI0ndrea%(
0ndreas eyes were unfocused, pointed towards the phoeni$ charm. =ottie tapped her on the
shoulder and she suddenly snapped back to attention.
&7rofessor,( she began cautiously, &would you mind if takeIborrow the charm% promise
ll take care of it.(
&Woolbright, this is an e$tremely valuable artifact. 1o you think it would be wise to entrust it
in the hands of a third year with a record for ignoring rules%(
&7rofessor, !ustB have an idea andI(
&*ou two and your ideas> When will you give up on trying to run the war for us%(
&Well dont know>( shouted =ottie. &2ut we seem to be have helped you a lot more with
our pitiful third year ideas than your dead best friend, havent we%(
'omething inside of 7almyitor seemed to crumple. 'he sat, gasping for breath, staring
blankly at the top of her desk. 'lowly, she raised her gaze, raw and accusing. 0 chipped nail
shook, pointing to the door. 9.ut.9
&I(
Out.
0 sickening thump reverberated dully against the stone walls of 7almyitors office.
&.h hell5
=ottie spun around. .n the other side of the doorframe stood 8olm 'crivener, furiously
rubbing a lump on his forehead. 0ndrea, blushing furiously, protested hurried apologies.
&1ear "erlin.( 7almyitor stood up and swept around her desk to where 8olm was standing.
&What on earth were you doing, boy, standing that close to the door%(
&I was !ust trying to find out wh#what ,owe wasI(
&"iss ,owe can handle herself,( 7almyitor said flatly.
=ottie shifted her gaze from 8olm, on the verge of tears, to the charm on the desk in front of
her. Deeping her eyes slanted towards 7almyitor, she palmed the phoeni$ and dropped it into
her pocket.
&m so sorry>( 0ndrea shouted. & !ust opened the door and hit him. I really didnt mean
to. I(
&Thats quite enough, Woolbright.( 7almyitor turned to =ottie and raised an eyebrow.
&,owe, Woolbright, go back to the common room. 'crivener, leave the spying to our house,
will you% /et to the hospital wing, if youd like.(
.nce they had safely left 8olm going in the other direction and were a good flight of stairs
away from 7almyitors office, =ottie hissed, &*ou should thank me.(
&Why% )or nearly making her cry% *ou should know better, =ottie. 8omments like that !ust
arentI(
=ottie pulled the charm out of her pocket and slipped it into 0ndreas hand, whose !aw
dropped.
&.h =ottie> Thank you>( 0ndrea squealed, pulling =ottie into a tight hug. &Thank you so
much>(
&1ont worry about it. 2ut in return, you need to tell me your idea.(
0ndrea nodded feverishly. &.f course will.( =ets !ust wait until we get to the common
room.(
They ran along in silence, 0ndrea staring at the phoeni$ charm, =ottie leading the way so that
0ndrea wouldnt run into anything. The common room was crowded. @very upperclassman
in sight was preoccupied with one of "atilda, the prefects, long#winded stories of her
various +uidditch accomplishments. =ottie and 0ndrea took advantage of that distraction and
found the most secluded corner in the common room.
&.kay,( =ottie said, !ust audible over the roars of laughter coming from the center of the
room. &Whats your idea%(
&,ight, so, 5ictor D. =ontelles.(
&*es%(
&Thats not a very )rench name, is it%(
& wouldnt know,( =ottie said with a shrug.
&.h. Well. ts not. mean, it sounds like it, but )rench people hardly ever use Ds, dont
they% 'o what do you think that D stands for%(
&ve no idea.(
&f Ne(ille 3ongbottom is the 0e%ret )eeper and hes going by 5ictor D. =ontellesI( 'he
paused, raising her eyebrows e$pectantly.
&0ndrea, actually have no idea where youre going with this.(
&ts an anagram>(
=ottie blinked. &2less you.(
&-o, look. "y dad andI( 'he stopped suddenly and stared at the floor. 7olitely, =ottie
averted her gaze and nodded silently. &0#anyway,( 0ndrea said feebly, &myImy dIwe
used to play word games like this.( 'he pulled out a parchment and a quill. &=ook.(
8arefully, she wrote out 9Ne(ille 3ongbotom is the 0e%ret )eeper. <nder it, she wrote the
name 9>i%tor ). 3ontelles and crossed out all of the corresponding letters in the sentence
above it.
&'ee%( she whispered, brandishing the parchment. &@very letter in his name comes from a
letter in the sentence.(
&2ut what about the other letters% What do they mean%(
&m not sure,( 0ndrea said, resting her head on her fist. &"aybe its a city orIorI(
&0n address%( =ottie suggested.
&*eah>( 0ndrea stared at the remaining letters and ran her fingers over the phoeni$ charm.
&tIitB .h, need to go to the library.( 'he stood? =ottie stood as well. &-o, =ottie, you
stay here,( 0ndrea said apologetically. &t will look to suspicious if were together. 0nd
youll get in so much trouble if 7almyitor finds out you stole the charmB again.( 'he smiled
weakly. & promise ll be back soon.(
=ottie sighed and fell back into her armchair as 0ndrea slipped through the clock. 'he didnt
know how she was going to get that charm back without 7almyitor seeing her.
With her head in her hands, =ottie sank into the state in between consciousness and sleep, the
rhythmic laughing of the older students lulling her further into rela$ation.
5ague images of metallic phoeni$es and mysterious )rench men haunted her subconscious. t
felt like seconds later when she woke to a much quieter and rela$ed common room. =ottie
blinked the sleep out of her eyes, and the room slowly blurred into focus. 'he could see
"atilda in the far corner of the room, chatting Fa little less energetically nowG about her latest
endeavors in History of "agic. -e$t to "atilda rested Aulianne, who was braiding her hair
absentmindedly, humming to herself. =ottie shook the hair out of her eyes, scanning them
across the room.
9/lad to see you3ve en!oyed your nap.9 =ottie !umped two feet out of her chair, sending
papers cascading to the ground. t was 7almyitor.
Chapter 25: Chapter Twenty8Four: ,ottie"! Fli)ht
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Hey guys, it has been an ungodly amount of time since the last update and
3m so sorry> had some family issues and then my computer broke and deleted all of my
files. t wasn3t a good time, to say the least. 2ut at least an update came out of The2ird and
sitting up until all hours of the morning, right% "a!or thanks again to her for being a fantastic
beta and listen to my fanfic woes while sick.
This chapter is dedicated to the cast of "acbeth.
: : :
8hapter Twenty#four; =otties )light
=ottie quickly averted her gaze. The dark windows suggested that it was well after hours.
0ndrea hadnt returned yet.
&1ont you try to avoid me,( hissed 7almyitor. 'he grabbed the third years chin and forced
her to make eye contact.
=ottie could almost feel the anger burning from the professors eyes. &ImI(
&'hut up.(
7almyitor pulled =ottie to her feet. 0ll of the other 7almyitors stood at the other side of the
common room, watching. &/ive me the phoeni$,( 7almyitor demanded. =ottie shook her
head. &/ive it to me. dont want to have to repeat myself again.(
&I dont have it.(
&1ont lie to me. know you stole it. Who else would have%(
& 1.-T H05@ T>( =ottie shouted. &=et##me##go>( 'he broke out of 7almyitors grip and
stumbled into the center of the common room.
The circle of students closed around her. 7almyitor swept through the crowd, looking much
more like a bird of prey than a professor. =ottie spun around once, staring at every
nightmarish face. 'he followed her instincts from the 8amps. 'he ran.
=ottie didnt bother to look back to see if she was following.
'he was !ust out of he clock when she ran into 0ndrea. &=ottie>( 0ndrea shouted. & figured
it outI(
&0ndrea, we dont have time.( =ottie continued to run, beckoning for 0ndrea to follow.
&/ive me the charm.(
&What%(
&=isten to me,( =ottie panted. &*oure going to be in a lot of trouble if you dont give it to
me.(
0ndrea started, fumbled in her pocket for the pendent and dropped it into =otties palm.
)aintly in the distance, 7almyitors high heels clicked against the stone as she emerged from
the clock.
&=ets go back,( 0ndrea whimpered, grabbing =otties elbow. &8ome on, were going to get
in trouble. =ets go back.(
&Deep running>( =ottie shouted, wrenching her arm free from 0ndreas grasp. &1ont follow
me H go that way>(
&Why% What did you do%(
&=ook H ##Hell.( =ottie clutched a stitch in her side. &7almyitor found out that took the
charm> *ou need to leave me so she doesnt know you were involved>(
0ndrea stopped for a split second. 7anting, she stared at =ottie and said, &-o, its my fault
too.(
&8ome on>( =ottie grabbed her wrist, pulling her further down the corridor. &8ome on, we
need to go.(
&=ottie we#were not going to get away,( 0ndrea wheezed. &=ets !ust stop and face it.(
&-o, no, no, no. Were going to be in so much trouble andI(
&=ottie, m stopping. dont care if you dont, but m tired and dont want to run
anymore.( 0ndrea stopped? =ottie didnt.
'he could only hear the vague echoes of 0ndreas apologies to 7almyitor over her own
footsteps. .range light filtered through the gap between the wall and a tapestry, which
depicted @uphrasie the @$cellent escaping a rather enthusiastic mob of "uggles laden with
tar and feathers. 'he veered right and slipped into the open doorway behind it. )lickering
torches illuminated the high barrel#vaulted ceilings, decorated with cobwebs and the tops of
the dusty, iron staircase. 'he stole a glance behind her before rushing down the stairs. =ottie
could hear 0ndrea and 7almyitors steps through the ceiling, hurrying by and 7almyitors
sharp voice shouting profanities.
=ottie stared at her knees, praying that 0ndrea wouldnt think of the hidden staircase. 0
sudden rage rose inside of her like a cobra. Who was 0ndrea to betray her best friend%
1usty light filtered into the narrow staircase ## two silhouettes kept =ottie palled in shadow.
&,owe>( hissed 7almyitor. &,owe, you are going to regret ever having been sorted into my
house ifI(
=ottie didnt stay to hear what she had to do to regret being sorted into 7almyitor? she pushed
open the painting covering the other e$it and hurtled herself into the corridor.
&,owe, this is your last chance>(
'he didnt even consider turning back.
etrifi%us 2otalus5
=otties arms and legs snapped together. 'he struggled for a moment before losing her
balance and falling forward. The ground made contact with her nose, which crunched in
protest under the force. Warm blood dripped down her face, into her eyes and puddle on the
floor.
0ll =ottie could see was 7almyitors pointed shoes. &8owardice as have never seen,( she
hummed, pushing =otties stiff body over with the tip of her foot.
=ottie, only able to move her eyes, glared at 0ndrea who shrank back into the wall.
7almyitor whipped out her wand and smirked. &That hurts, doesnt it%( =ottie winced at sight
of the wand. &=ocomotor body>( =ottie lifted into the air. &-ever in my fifty years of
teachingB stealing, lying, sneaking awayB( 'he faded off, focusing on guiding =otties
floating body up the staircase. 'everal times, =ottie bumped into the wall, causing a !et of
pain to shoot through her body? she was sure that it was no mistake of 7almyitors.
7almyitor took a glance at =ottie3s face, which was now freely bleeding all over the floor. 'he
clucked her tongue, gazing over the mess on the carpet. 9Woolbright, you wait outside.9 'he
flicked her wand carelessly, bumping =ottie into the frame of the door. 9.h, e$cuse me,
,owe.9 With a smirk, she entered the door, =ottie trailing halfheartedly behind her, and
flicked her wand. 0t once, =ottie was released and fell once again, smashing her nose against
the cold, stone floor. =ottie yelped, clutching her face in agony.
'he sat there for a moment, unable to will herself to get up and face 7almyitor. The door
clicked and locked. &/et up.(
'lowly, =ottie pushed herself to her feet, not looking 7almyitor in the eye. 2lood soaked her
entire front, causing her shirt to stick to her chest. 'he wiped her face with the back of her
hand and stared at the floor. The chair that usually sat opposite the professors desk was
noticeably absent.
&This may be the final straw, ,owe.( 7almyitor hadnt sat either, choosing instead to tower
over =ottie. &*ou cant go three months without getting yourself into trouble. 2elieve me, if
we had known the kind of trouble you would cause, we would have left you in =ondon.
*oure lucky your friend Woolbright e$plained why you did it, otherwise your consequences
would have been...dire.( 7almyitor held her palm out.
=ottie dug into her pocket and pulled out he phoeni$ charm. t flared with heat suddently.
Hissing through clenched teeth, she dropped it into 7almyitors hand. With raised eyebrows,
7almyitor stared at the burning charm.
There was a knock on the door. With a flick of 7almyitors wand, it opened. 7rofessor
'tainthorpe poked her head in and tentatively said, &-aesa, know youre not interested in
what she has to say, but strongly suggest you take a look at what Woolbright discovered.(
Her gaze shifted to =ottie. &0nd perhaps you should take ,owe to the hospital wing. 'hes
going to pass out if she loses anymore blood.(
&That will be the least of her problems,( 7almyitor responded, eyeing =ottie curiously.
&Where is Woolbright%(
0ndrea stuck her head timidly through the doorframe. =ottie turned her back to her, tears
stinging the corner of her eyes. &I think figured out where to findBfind 5ictor D.
=ontelles,( 0ndrea e$plained, pulling out a sheet of parchment. &The phrase 9Ne(ille
3ongbottom is the 0e%ret )eeper is an anagram for 9>i%tor ). 3ontelles, eighteen
0omptebree.
7almyitor cleared her throat. &0nd this 'omptebreeB(
&ts a street in 7aris,( 0ndrea said. &I figured it out with the charm =ottie gave me,( she
added hastily.
7almyitor looked from 0ndrea to =ottie and back again. & cannot say am not impressed,(
she said in a business like tone. &This is the sort of work we e$pect from fifth year
8lynalmoys. wonder why we didnt put you in 8lynalmoy,( she wondered aloud. 'uddenly,
she stood up, picked a file from the third shelf up and scanned the first page. &0h. .f course.(
'he smirked at 0ndrea from over the file and quickly put it away.
&Well then we are all very fortunate that ,owe here stole the charm from my office,(
7almyitor continued sarcastically. &'he could have !ust asked, butI(
&We did>( =ottie shouted. &We asked you and you said no> f hadntI(
& hate to burst your little delusional bubble,( 7almyitor cut in fiercely, &but this school
functioned perfectly well before you two came along, and we will after you leave.( @ven
without =egilimency, =ottie could see something glimmer in the corners of her eyes.
7almyitor turned to 'tainthorpe. &'o hes in 7aris,( she said. &*ou know what this means,
dont you%( 'tainthorpe nodded. &/ood. ll keep you updated on your date of departure.(
With a side#glance at =ottie and 0ndrea, she added, &-ow is there anybody who can
accompany you%(
&We can>( =ottie piped up, wiping the dried blood off of her face with her hand.
0fter a pause, 7almyitor began to chuckle to herself. &,owe, youve !ust broken about every
school rule in the course of three months. 1o you really think d let you travel all the way to
)rance%(
&Well, itd get me away from here, wouldnt it% 0nd wouldnt get into trouble there,
promise. Were the ones who found it in the first place? we should get to go>(
&m afraid no matter how many over enthusiastic third years d like to send to their graves,
it !ust doesnt work that way,( she responded sarcastically.
&WellB( =ottie didnt know e$actly where she was going. &Well, if you dont let us go then
wont tell you what else found out.( 0ndrea shot her a quizzical glance. Hastily, =ottie
tried to block her emotions, preparing for what she knew would come. 7almyitor glanced at
her searchingly, but the all too familiar sensation never began. Why wasnt she using
=egilmency%
&"arianne, could you go and get ,yan and )orna$ for me%(
'tainthorpe spun on her heel and left the office. 7almyitor surveyed =ottie, twisting one of
her glittering rings around her finger.
&Wait outside,( ordered 7almyitor suddenly. &0nd if you try to run again, well snap your
wand and ship you straight back to =ondon.(
=ottie and 0ndrea shuffled into the corridor. .nce the door shut behind them, =ottie turned to
0ndrea, hissing, &/ood going.(
&What%(
&)or turning us in> )or turning me in>(
&=ottie youre being absolutely ridiculous. There was no way we were going to get away
from her. =ook what happened to you when you tried>(
&Well at least - wasnt a coward.(
&0 coward> "e% )or choosing to face the consequences instead of running away% d
reconsider my definition of cowardice if were you.(
=ottie stared at the floor in a moody silence. 'he could hear the other two heads and
'tainthorpes footsteps approaching. 'he sat down against the wall and stared determinately
at the floor. 0ndrea followed suit.
"aelioric was the first in the group. &,owe%( He stopped walking and stared at =ottie, still
covered in her own blood. -ow that the adrenaline of being caught had worn off, her nose
throbbed painfully with each heartbeat. 'tainthorpe leaned over and whispered something in
"aeliorics ear. &0h, of course,( he said, and with that, the three professors entered
7almyitors office, shutting the door behind them.
0 feeling that =ottie quite couldnt describe bubbled inside of her stomach. 'he glanced
sideways at 0ndrea, who was sulking to the floor and immediately turned to her own shoes.
&'orry,( she finally muttered.
&1ont worry about it.(
0ndrea smiled and pushed =otties shoulder playfully. &2ut ne$t time try and fall
backwards,( she !oked.
&0nd break my skull% -o thank you.(
&What is your secret%( 0ndrea asked suddenly. &1id you find anything out%(
=ottie laughed. &-o, was lying. /lad she didnt use =egilimency.(
0ndrea frowned. & thought she did. "aybe you blocked her.(
& doubt it. 'hes been doing =egilimency for, like, seventy years. ve only been learning
.cclumency for three years.(
0ndrea smiled mischievously. &m not sure,( she cooed. &f anything it was a simple level of
=egilmency. 0ndI(
&'shh>( =ottie hissed. 'he thought she had !ust heard the conversation switch from
e$planation of the situation to debate over the topic at hand. 8autiously, she moved over to
the door and pressed her ear against it.
&t may seem recklessB( t was 7almyitor. &2ut its not all together unbelievable, )orna$.
Theyll be with "arianne, after all. 2efore this evenings events, was considering letting
them participate in whatever they had discovered anyway.(
&-aesa, know you like to have your favorites,( "aelioric began, &but maybe you should
remember that ,owe has broken a remarkable amount of rules in the past year. 0nd you
know that like to give students a bit of leeway, but even for meI(
&-ot to mention,( 8lynalmoy inter!ected, &she !ust spent about twenty minutes running from
you. s that the way toI(
&2ut think about her training, ,yan.(
There was a meaningful pause. =ottie was sure that more was going on in the office that she
could hear.
&=ooks bad for us,( =ottie said grimly as she pulled her ear away from the door. &2ut you
cant say tonight was boring, eh% 0nd how did you find out that it was an anagram, anyway%(
0ndrea blushed and shrugged humbly.
The door clicked open. 0ndrea and =ottie scrambled to their feet. t had only been since the
end of summer that she had faced so many adults in 7almyitors office.
7almyitor cleared her throat. &0s a group,( she said clearly, &we have decided that it would
be advantageous for you two to accompany 7rofessor 'tainthorpe to )rance this summer.(
=ottie turned to 0ndrea, !aw hanging open. &2ut you will be required to train with 7rofessor
2reckenridge for three times a week and 7rofessor 'tainthorpe twice a week outside of your
classes. 0nd if your grades drop,( she said, staring pointedly at =ottie, &you will spend your
summer here.(
"aelioric looked resigned on the issue. 8lynalmoy kept his eyes politely averted. &0nd
,owe,( 7almyitor added, &if you do any more stealing, not going to )rance will be the least
of your worries.(
=ottie nodded and turned to leave when 7almyitor stopped her. &0nd would suggest not
mentioning this to the other students. 7almyitor smirked, took off a ring, e$amined it and put
it back on. &.h and ,owe, what was it that you were saying earlier% What else did you find
out%(
0stonished, =ottie glanced at 0ndrea. &@rII was lyIer mean bluffing.(
)or a second, she thought 7almyitor was going to hit her. 'he picked up a hand and swept
across the office. nstead, she patted =otties shoulder in an awkward congratulations. &/ood
!ob,( she said. &t wont be long now.(
Chapter 2: Chapter Twenty8Five: The *ro1e!!or!" 4rud)e
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note *ay> -ew chapter> love this time> Haha.
Thanks again to the amazing The2ird for catching an embarrassing amount of typos and
awkward sentences in this one> *ay>
0 reviewer requested this and think it3s a good idea. n the previous chapter, 7almyitor
caught =ottie, who !ust stole the 7hoeni$ charm. They figured out that -eville =ongbottom is
living in )rance, under the alias of 5ictor D. =ontelles. =ottie volunteered her and 0ndrea to
travel with 7rofessor 'tainthorpe to find him, and after a long discussion, the professors
finally agreed to let them go to )rance.
This chapter is dedicated to the certain man who was the inspiration for 7rofessor 1yer.
: : :
8hapter Twenty#)ive; The 7rofessors /rudge
7rofessor Waterman waited with pursed lips in the doorway of the hospital wing. &2roken
nose,( she tutted as =ottie and 0ndrea rounded the corner. &7oor thing.( =ottie almost
believed her, but the professors furrowed brow and steely eyes hinted otherwise. =ottie
stood, dumbstruck in the threshold. &*ou do want to get fi$ed up, dont you%( Waterman
continued, waggling her eyebrows. &7rofessor 7almyitor wouldnt have it otherwise, right%
/ot to be big and strong for your trip this summer, eh%(
=ottie could only shrug. 'he had known Waterman fairly wellIspent a good amount of time
in the hospital wing, but she had never seen her act like this. &How do you know about that%(
she stuttered as Waterman dragged her to an empty hospital bed. 0ndrea hesitated in the
doorway.
&.h, we all know about your little trip. 7rofessor 7almyitor sent all of the staff an owl to tell
us of your upcoming ad(enture.
The bitterness in her voice made =ottie uneasy. &*ou know, my nose doesnt even hurt that
much,( she said cautiously. & bet can go and itll fi$ itself.
&.h no, no, no, no, no.( Waterman patted =ottieIa bit too forcefullyIon the shoulder.
&-easa wouldnt have it. "ust keep her little star nice and well.( 'he whipped out her wand
and !abbed it silently in =otties direction.
=ottie winced. 'he could feel the bone straighten itself, crack and lock into its right position.
&-ow we must do something about all that blood,( Waterman tittered, throwing a generic,
eggshell nightgown at =otties face. &*ou will stay here tonight. t wouldnt be proper for
you to mingle with common students in our state. *ou.( 'he looked up at 0ndrea, who was
still lingering in the doorway. &*ou may leave now. /o on, head back to your common room.
*our little friend is fine with me. What are you waiting for% /o> /o, go, go>(
=ottie sunk back against the wall and stared at 0ndreas retreating back. 'he didnt
understand why Waterman was so angry. 'ilently, she pulled the curtain shut around her bed
and changed into the hospital nightgown.
Waterman returned, carrying a tray with a tiny, scarlet bottle on it and muttering obscenities
under her breath. &Here.( 'he thrust the bottle in =otties direction. &1rink up.( =otties face
split into an uncomfortable grimace? Waterman sighed dramatically and shifted her weight.
&Honestly, child, its not going to kill you> ts !ust 2lood#,eplenishing 7otion.(
8arefully avoiding Watermans gaze, =ottie let the chunky potion slide down the back of her
throat. t tasted like iron. &/ood,( Waterman said. &-ow sleep.( With a flick of her wand, the
lights above =otties bed were e$tinguished and the curtains flew shut.
1arkness engulfed her. =ottie rolled onto her side and pushed the corner of the curtain to
reveal the empty hospital wing. &1ont know why she always acts like this,( =ottie could hear
Waterman saying from her office. Her silhouette was charcoal against the golden light. &ts
always the trouble makers. Have you seen how she treats that dreadful 'tanley% 0 prefect,
with his marks%(
&.h, its not completely out of the normal,( replied a deep, resounding voice that =ottie
immediately recognized as 2reckenridges. &ts !ust how -aesa is. 0nd shes got a good
reason.( =ottie saw his large silhouette move toward Watermans. Her eyelids fluttered with
the weight of drowsiness and in her disillusionment, their figures almost melted into one.
&@ven,( 2reckenridges voice continued, lower and more serious now, &if we cant see why
at the moment.(
Heaviness overtook =ottie, pressed down on her like a stone. The bed seemed to disappear
beneath her as she fell into her dreams.
'he was drowning in light. t wove through her arteries and sent pain shooting into each limb.
The tips of her fingers throbbed. 'hadows and colors all blended into one, blurry image,
making her eyes water and her stomach churn. &<p>( 7rofessor Watermans voice was shrill.
@very syllable felt like a cheese grater running its way across her eardrum. &Time to get up>
1ont want to be late for classes, do you% *our little friend was nice enough to bring you a
fresh uniform. The house#elves are taking care of your blood stained one.(
=ottie rolled over. @very limb ached as though the weight of the entire castle had been
pressed on it.
&/et up5 Waterman shook her by the shoulder. =ottie groaned. The skies could fall and it
wouldnt be as painful as this.
&m dying,( she moaned. & cant move.(
&1ont be stupid>( Waterman tapped =otties head with her wand? !ets of pain shot down
=otties body, lingering in her toes. &ts a common side effect of the potion you took. *oull
!ust have to manage for today. t should be gone before nightfall. -ow hurry up. 8lasses start
in ten minutesIand doubt -aesa would be very happy if you thanked her by missing your
classes.(
&.hI"erlins beard,( =ottie groaned, sitting up. Her uniform sat at her feet. 'he picked up
her wand from the bedside table, flicked it to close the curtains around her bed and changed.
The thought it took to pull her uniform on alone sent knots down her spine.
&Hurry up>( Waterman called, a grim smile splattered across her face. &.nly three minutes
left.(
2oots tucked under her arm, =ottie slung her bag over her shoulder and dashed out of the
hospital wing. 'he ran up a flight of steps before realizing that she had 7otions first in the
dungeons. @ach step sent shots of singing pain through her veins. Her lungs were on fire. The
world around her spun in circles as she took the last four steps with a leap and staggered,
leaning against the wall.
The door to the 7otions classroom was shut. =ottie pushed it open with her shoulder and
stumbled, still barefoot, to her seat beside 0ndrea in the last row. 7rofessor 1yer, whose back
was to the class turned around slowly, one manicured, peppered#with#grey eyebrow raised.
&,owe,( he said.
=ottie, wheezing, glanced up. 1yer swam in and out of her focus. &7rofessor 1yer,( she
coughed, clutching her stomach.
&1ont take that tone with me,( he snarled. &=ate% 0fter a restful night in the hospital alone%(
& wouldnt e$actly call it a restfulI(
&1ont talk back,( hissed 1yer, raising his wand between them so it divided his face in two.
&/et started on your potion.( He whipped around, his thicker, leather robe swaying after him.
&0nd put your shoes on,( he added with a sharp glance back at her.
&m sorry,( 0ndrea breathed in the ne$t seat. & came in trying to get you for breakfast, but
Waterman wouldnt let me in.(
=ottie smiled weakly and whispered, &That hag.(
&-o talking.( 0 !et of sparks shot from 1yers wand and flew right between the pair. Wisps
of hair ne$t to =otties ears fluttered in its wake.
=ottie looked from 0ndrea to 1yer and back again. 0ndrea shrugged and nodded in the
direction of the blackboard, where 7rofessor 1yers slanted handwriting meticulously
instructed the students on how to create the perfect 'cab#'trengthening @li$ir. =ottie pulled
her cauldron toward her. The directions were simple enough. 'he could see 0ndreas thin,
watery potion boiling hopelessly ne$t to her.
'he began following the instructions, carefully stirring the e$act amount of times.
.ccasionally, she tried something different when she spotted a flaw in the directionsIan
e$tra beetle wing here, two more pinches of 1o$y droppings there? it all made sense.
The class period was winding down, and students who had finished were cleaning up and
leaving early. n a fit of annoyance, 1yer had sent 0ndrea sulking out into the corridor,
scolding her &pathetic e$cuse for a liquid.( =ottie tapped her stirrer against the side of the
cauldron and raised her hand to be marked.
&What is this4 1yer asked, his face contorting like a raisin.
&ts myImy potion, 7rofessor,( stammered =ottie.
&1id you read the instructions%(
& did, bI(
&1id they not e$plain that it should become a rich shade of maroon%(
&They did, butI(
&0nd what color is this%(
=ottie mumbled a swear into the cuff of her sweater.
&@$cuse me%(
&ts blue. 'ir.(
&8an you tell me why%( 1yer straightened and stared down his nose at her, his blue eyes as
piercing as the shade of her potion.
&7lease, professor.( =ottie rose to her feet. 'he was nearly his height. & !ust altered the
instructions slightly toI(
'ltered4
&7leaseI(
&1id you not think there was a reason for the way they are% 1id you not stop to think of the
danger you were putting your classmates in% .r are you so selfish that you dont care% *ou
wanted the gloryIdestroying the castle, a few petty livesIthese things dont matter when
youre destined for great things, do they%(
=ottie stared at him, through his wrinkled brow into his icy eyes. ,age and nausea
intermingled in the pit of her stomach to make her fingertips quiver. &Have a good day, sir,
she hissed, picking up her bag and sweeping to the door. &0nd try the potion,( she added. &t
works better than yours.(
&*ou,( he growled, &insolent, littleI(
=ottie didnt wait to hear what else he had to say about her. 'he stepped out into the corridor
and slammed the door behind her.
&Hes in a good mood, huh%9 0ndrea asked, perched in an alcove a few feet above the
ground.
& dont understand his problem. Waterman tooIshe was cursing and swearing at me the
entire time. Why is everyone so angry with me%(
0ndrea averted her eyes and shrugged.
& dont care though,( =ottie went on. &"y head is +illing me. 0pparently a side effect of
2lood#,eplenishing 7otion is wanting to die.(
/rimacing, 0ndrea hopped down from the wall. & thought that might have happened,( she
said as she rummaged through her bag. &ts a pretty easily cured problem, but guess
Waterman was too angry to tell you. Hold on.(
0ndrea dropped her bag and dashed up the stairs. =ottie leaned against the wall and shut her
eyes. The lights from the flickering torches burned through her eyelids, which throbbed with
the same rhythm as her pulse.
&Here,( 0ndrea panted, emerging from the stairs again. 'he tossed a flask into =otties hands.
'eeing =otties skeptic face, she sighed, &.h go on. ts not poison. WhatIdo you think
would attempt to murder you or something% /o onIdrink up.(
)rowning, =ottie took a swig of the flask and coughed. &.range !uice%( she asked, wiping the
bright liquid from her chin.
&1ont ask me. !ust read the books, not write them. 1rink the whole thing though, or your
headache will come back.(
=ottie finished the rest of the !uice in one gulp and handed the flask back to 0ndrea.
&Thanks,( she said. 0lready, the weight against her forehead was beginning to alleviate.
&-ow hurry up,( 0ndrea went on, making her way to the staircase. &Weve got 2reckenridge
ne$t.(
=ottie groaned as they headed up the stairs. &0t the rate m going, d !ust be better off
avoiding all teachers,( she mumbled as they climbed up to 2reckenridges classroom.
&*eah. Well. think youve got more to worry about with the students,( added 0ndrea.
1evin Hackett and @dgar 7ayne rushed by, shooting glares as they climbed up the stairs.
&The gits,( =ottie growled at their backs. &What are they mad about%(
&Well your little stint last night may notve seemed that unusual to you, but it was pretty
remarkableIthe scene you caused and not one day of detention% @specially those two, who
get caught for putting one toe over the line.(
=ottie rolled her eyes as they filed into the classroom. &Well thats dumb, she said, finding a
seat on the floor against the wall.
&"orning, everyone,( grunted 2reckenridge from the front of the room. The class mumbled
an unenthusiastic hello. He surveyed the class, only pausing for a moment to e$change a
glance with =ottie. &n order to properly evaluate how were progressing, well be having a
pop quiz on .cclumency( The class moaned its disapproval. &0ndIsince we dont have
time to get the whole class in one go, selected four studentsIat random. 'o. 7ayne, you
first.(
The other two boys whispered encouraging words of advice as @dgar stood to face
2reckenridge. 0ndrea, brow furrowed, leaned over to =ottie and whispered, &This is weird.(
&d say. 7ayne is a pathetic e$ample of our class,( =ottie responded. &Whatd he choose him
for%(
&-ot that,( 0ndrea hissed. & meanI(
3egilimens5
=ottie smiled grimly as @dgar struggled under 2reckenridges curse.
& mean, 0ndrea went on, &that there are only se(en of us. We could fit everyone into one
class, if he planned efficiently enough.(
&.h. Thats weird.(
&*eahB( 0ndrea trailed off into her thoughtfulness as @dgar 7ayne stumbled back to his
seat. &5aliant effort, 7ayne,( 2reckenridge said. &WoolbrightIyour turn.( 0ndrea looked up
and gulped. &*es, thats right,( 2reckenridge went on. &Hurry up now.( 0ndrea got to her
feet warily. 3egilimens5
=ottie rested her head in her hands as she watched 0ndrea struggle to defend herself. 0ndrea
sank to her knees and fell against the gold, granite round. 2reckenridge let it go on longer
than was necessary, =ottie thought. t was pretty clear 0ndrea never had a gift for the artIit
seemed it was almost for 2reckenridges own amusement. &Well, well work on it,( he said
while 0ndrea got to her feet. &Hm. HackettIyour turn.(
1evin stood up. He was almost as tall as 2reckenridge already. His black hair flopped
casually in front of his face. He smiled at 'ophie as he faced 2reckenridge. 3egilimens.
1evin did considerably better than 0ndrea. He didnt fall to his knees, though he did swagger
to the desk and held it for support. His eyes were blank with concentration. He was about to
crackI=ottie could tell by his e$pression. 2reckenridge had him cornered and he was about
to fall into his own memories.
=ike clockwork, everything fell into place. 1evin shouted, &"erlin>( and slumped against the
desk.
&8lose,( 2reckenridge hummed. &5ery close to the appropriate level, in any case. =ets hope
the ne$t one doesnt prove my failed teaching any more. Hm.( He glanced between Aulianne
and =ottie in feigned conflict. Aulianne shrank. &0hI,owe. =ets give it a try, then.(
=ottie glanced at 0ndrea, who was still panting against the corner, and stood up. Her wand
flittered nimbly through her fingers as she squared off with 2reckenridge. 'he took a gulp of
air forced her mind to go blank. 3egilimens5
)irst, there was nothing. 0 chilly blankness filled the voice between them as they determined
who had dominance. 0nd then it hit her like a wall. "emories from days agoIyears agoI
filled her entire being. -oB 'he couldnt feel the memories slipping away as her defenses
fought him off. 'he could see the classroom nowI2reckenridge with his wand pointed
between her eyes and the class gaping at the pair from the floor. 'he was still standing.
5oices echoed through her head. 'he tried to blink them away. 8lynalmoys soft mumble,
'll of the heads would li+e to than+ you for your a%tions tonight. Her mothers warm
voice, 3ottie, dear4 !<N5 t was /abaldon. !<N5
2reckenridge was smiling now. No8
t was like the sound completely evaporated from her surroundings. The memories were
gone. 2reckenridge frowned and tightened his grip on his wand. .ther students whispered to
each otherI=ottie couldnt hear any of it.
0nd then it stopped.
Her knees had locked, but she was still standing. &,ocky beginning,( said 2reckenridge with
a pat on her shoulder that made her legs quiver. &2ut impressiveIvery impressive. WellI(
he turned to the rest of the class &H guess thats all for today. Have a good day, everyone.
,oweIstay behind, will you% WoolbrightIyou too.(
=ottie leaned against the wall and watched the class leave. Her chest swelled with pride. 'he
had done the bestIshe was the best in her class, better than 0ndrea, even. 0he was going to
)rance to investigate for the war? 7almyitor had let her off for stealing because of her skill.
&1ont get too e$cited, ,owe,( 2reckenridge said grimly. &*ouve got a lot to go. t seems
you two areIahIat very different levels. Well get you started on advanced classes tonight
Iintense rounds of .cclumency. We usually dont start that until fourth year, but it might
prove useful for you.( He flicked his wand and the door creaked open. &Have a good day,( he
said, ending the meeting. &'ee you tonight.(
=ottie turned to 0ndrea, and together they headed to the /reat Hall for lunch. & !ust dont
understand why theyre all so mad,( =ottie said as they sat down, !erking her head in the
direction of the other students. &Aust because m better than them, doesnt mean they should
be mad.(
0ndrea looked up from her sandwich.
& meanIEm not a better person. m !ust better .cclumencyIand =egilmency too, d
wager. 7oor @dgar looked like he was about to cry.(
With a well timed mouthful of sandwich, 0ndrea shrugged and mumbled a muffled,
&"mphfffm.(
=ottie sighed and let her spoon sink into her soup bowl. &Whatever.(
That night, =ottie and 0ndrea waited an$iously outside of 2reckenridges classroom.
&'hould be interesting, dont you think%( =ottie said, rolling her wand between her thumb
and her forefinger. &ntense rounds of .cclumency. 'ounds like a good challenge.( 'he
surveyed 0ndreas e$pression before adding, &8lass is getting pretty boring.(
"onstrous footfalls thundered up the corridor as 2reckenridges shaved head rounded the
corner. &'orry Ebout that,( he puffed. &Was Eaving a meeting with your head of house. 'hes
interested in the progress youIahIyou two are making.( He unlocked his classroom door.
Torches leapt to life immediately, licking the dark, stone walls.
&Why are we having such intense lessons%( 0ndrea asked suddenly. &0re we planning on
spying on 1eath @aters% thought we were !ust going to get in contact withI(
&WellIahI( 2reckenridge cleared his throat. His eyes went blankIhis face, dark and
e$pressionless. &.ur dear 7rofessor 'tainthorpe is not as gifted with the subtle art. t is !ust a
precaution, you see. We want you fairly confident in case if somethingIhopefully notI
should happen.(
=ottie nodded. &Thats a good idea,( she said.
&2utI( 0ndrea frowned. &Wouldnt itI(
&*ou know, we better get started,( interrupted 2reckenridge, his voice raising. &Woolbright,
your main problem is that you get frustrated if anything doesnt work. 0ll one has to do is
break your preliminary defense and your memories come spilling out.(
0ndrea sighed heavily and leaned against the wall. &1oes it matter that much%( she asked.
&What can a 1eath @ater do with memories%(
2reckenridge narrowed his eyes. & think you know the answer to that question,( he growled.
&f you want to be caught by a 1eath @ater with no way to escapeIfeel free to leave now. f
notI( he pulled his wand out &Iget ready.(
=ottie watched shrewdly as 2reckenridge easily broke 0ndreas defenses. He was rightIshe
seemed to be doing okay at first, but once one thing went wrong, it was all over. 0ndreas
knees buckled her eyes were wide open and glazed over behind her glasses. &-oB( she
whispered, face contorting with grief. =ottie wondered what she was relivingIwhat secrets
she had to hide. 0t last, 2reckenridge let it stop. &@ven worse than before, Woolbright,( he
said, his thick shoulders twitching in annoyance. & know some prefer to wear their hearts on
their sleeves, but in a war like thisIit is quite foolish.(
&m trying, 0ndrea mumbled from the ground. & !ust dontIdont understand what to do.(
&@mpty your mind>( bellowed =ottie and 2reckenridge at the same time.
0ndrea whipped around and glared at =ottie. & know that,( she retorted. &2ut if concentrate
on emptying my mind, then m too busy thinking about that and how to do itIand then my
mind isnt very empty, is it%(
&-ot like that, =ottie laughed. &*ou cant !ust think about a blank wall and hope the 1eath
@ater goes away. ts !ust something you have to let happen. *ou have to hide your feelings
from the world. They can search as much as they want, but they wont find anything.(
&Well said, ,owe,( 2reckenridge beamed. &ts not as much about becoming a mindless fool
than it is about hiding your real thoughts behind a labyrinth of defense. *ou will learn that
keeping this defense up can be ta$ingIand the former option is generally easierIespecially
while sleeping. That being said, there may be times when you must keep your mind protected
for daysIweeksIon end. -ot for this trip, most likely, but in the not so distant future.( He
raised his bushy eyebrows.
&With that in mind,( he continued, & may ambush you at some points before you leave, when
you least e$pect it. *ou must begin to keep at least a basic defense up at all times.( He pulled
out his wand once more. &-ow. WoolbrightIagain. 3egilimens5
Chapter 2#: Chapter Twenty8$i%: The ,e)ilimen!9 Tri+/
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Whew. This has been a long, long chapter to edit. =ets !ust say there is very
little remaining from the first draft. Thank you to The2ird for whipping this one into shape>
This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful class of NMML. We did it guys>
: : :
8hapter Twenty#'i$; The =egilimens Trick
The halls of 0lsemore became cold and drafty as -ovember turned to 1ecember. The trees
around the dark castle, already bare, were coated with snow and often dropped piles of ice
and dead leaves on unsuspecting students. That winter was the coldest the students had ever
e$perienced at 0lsemore. t became a common fashion for students to wear all three changes
of sweaters and pants at once to keep warm.
7rofessor 2reckenridge had ambushed =ottie four times in the hallways? she managed to
block him fairly well, though faint echoes haunted the corners of her mind. Three times,
=ottie heard her mothers voice, slow and comforting. 7angs of homesickness overtook her,
but she managed to retain her mind#shield the entire time. .nce she thought she could feel
him nonverbally trying to break through her defenses during one of his lectures. 0ndrea, on
the other hand, had only been ambushed once, and failed miserably.
&*ou think the teachers cant figure out a warming charm or something%( =ottie asked
through a shiver on the way to one of their private lessons with 'tainthorpe.
0ndrea shrugged. &0 castle like this would probably take a lot of magic to keep heated, d
think,( she said. Her breath clouded in the steely air in front of her.
&Well think itd be a good investment,( =ottie said huffily. 'he stopped in front of
'tainthorpes office door and eyed it warily. n their last session, 'tainthorpe facilitated a
diagnostic friendly duel between the two third years. =ottie had done fairly well in a shower
of flashy wand work, but despite her best efforts, she wound up being defeated by 0ndreas
well#timed disarming spell.
&Well, come on then,( 0ndrea said impatiently, pushing =ottie through the door.
'tainthorpe smiled as =ottie was flung unceremoniously into the classroom. &/ood evening,(
she said.
=ottie rubbed her back, muttering, &@vening.(
&Tonight, well be doing something should have taught you much earlier,( 'tainthorpe said,
pulling out her wand. &Well be mastering the shield charm.( =ottie opened her mouth to
respond, but 'tainthorpe put a hand up. & know you have learned this in your 1ueling class,
but several of your shields have been rather unstable.(
=ottie scowled.
&'o, Woolbright, send a !in$ H a fairly harmless one, please H at ,owe. ,owe, you try and
defend yourself.(
=ottie nodded at 0ndrea with a smirk. &*ou ready%( she asked as she whipped out her wand.
0ndrea responded by waving her wand and shouting, 2arentallegra5
rotego5
0ndreas !in$ shot through =otties shield. The light shattered like glass and hung in the air,
shimmering and evanescent? she had to stop it from hitting her face with her forearm. The
force of 0ndreas spell knocked her backwards, off of her feet and caused her to land
violently against the base of 'tainthopres desk. The curse shot down her limbs. mmediately,
her legs began to do a sort of tap dance.
#inite, 'tainthorpe chuckled.
8heeks burning, =ottie pushed herself up. &ts not fair,( she muttered, de!ectedly slipping
her wand into her pocket. & wasnt ready.(
&Well you have your chance to prove yourself,( 'tainthorpe said airily.
&*ou bet.( =ottie flicked her wand at 0ndrea and shouted, etrifi%us 2otal8
rotego5
0ndrea !abbed her wand, eyes screwed up with concentration. The spell bounced off of the
shield and hit the leg of 'tainthorpes desk, making it quiver precariously.
They practiced the spell for the entire lesson before 'tainthorpe finally let them leave.
2ruised and sore, =ottie hobbled down the corridor, leaning on 0ndrea for support. &*ou
really dont think you can walk%( 0ndrea groaned. 2eing considerably taller than her, =ottie
understood why 0ndrea was complaining, but wasnt about to forgive her for he$ing her
eight times in a row.
&-o, dont think can,( she said with a mischievous grin.
&.h>( 0ndrea pushed =otties arm off her shoulder with a playful glare. &*ou lying, horrible
I(
&0wB the two bestest fwiends are fighting%( mused a mocking voice from down the hall.
=otties head snapped up. &-o,( she hissed under her breath.
&What%( 0ndrea asked, looking up at her.
&ts her.
=ottie pulled her wand from her robes and stared across the hallway at 0lly .verton.
0llys dark eyes were !ust as beady and unperceiving as ever. 'he had grown nearly a foot
since their first year so that she was now nearly a head taller than =ottieIshe completely
towered over tiny 0ndrea. Her brown, side swept bangs threw her features into shadow.
&.h dear.( 0 frown line appeared in 0ndreas brow.
&What do you want, .verton%( =ottie asked loudly.
& heard you were in ,emedial 8harms again. Her voice was hard and cold, her consonants
sharp, bitter and unfeeling. & must say, was a bit surprised when heard that Woolbright
was taking the class with you. 'hes not spectacular, but shes at least not nearly as pathetic
asI(
&*oure !ust !ealous,( 0ndrea cut in coolly, &because you lost =ottie as a friend.(
&=ost her% =ike you ever thought was friends with her in the first place%(
=otties wand dropped a few inches. &What%(
&*ou honestly think was friends with you%( 0lly laughed cruelly. &*ou !ust looked so
patheti% that felt bad for you.(
1isappointment dropped into =otties stomach like a paperweight. &Im not pathetic,( she
said softly.
&.f course youre not,( 0ndrea said hurriedly. &.verton, get out of here, or else ll call
7almyitor.(
&0w what will scary 7almyitor do to me% /ive me detention%(
0ndrea did not falter. &*ou need to leave. ,ight now.(
=otties mind was racing. 7athetic% 'he wasnt pathetic. 'he was the best .cclumens in her
class. 'he was going to )rance because of her talents. f anybody was pathetic, it was 0lly
.verton, stupid 0lly .verton who didnt know the first thing about the war. Wasnt it =ottie
who was top of her class in .cclumency and 7otions% Wasnt it =ottie who could block a
=egilimency attack nearly every time% Wasnt it =ottie who was 7almyitors favorite%
&m not pathetic>( she shouted.
0lly looked up and smirked. &.h, yes you are,( she sneered. &*oure the most patheticI(
&=isten to me>(
=otties voice echoed through the hall and stunned everything into silence.
& am not pathetic>( 'he rushed towards 0lly and held her wand to her throat. &0nd dont you
ever, e(er call me that again,( she growled.
0lly didnt know anything. 'he was never going to play a significant part in the warIshe
couldnt spy or fight or do anything helpful.
0lly blinked down at =otties wand. &"erlins beard, talk about an overreaction. ts not even
worth it. *oure not even fun to make fun of anymore. ts !ust embarrassing.( 'he turned on
her heel and started walking down the hall with a call of, &Ta#ta>(
=ottie moved to follow her, but 0ndrea grabbed the back of her robes and held her back.
&=ottie, no>( she shouted, digging her heels into the stone ground.
With all of her effort, =ottie continued forward, dragging a shouting 0ndrea behind her.
&=.TT@> 'T.7 T>( 0ndrea hit =ottie continually on the shoulder. &T' -.T W.,TH
T, =.TT@> *.<,@ -.T 70TH@T8 0-1 *.< D-.WI(
=ottie halted suddenly, causing 0ndrea to fall backwards onto the stone.
2efore them, 7rofessor 2reckenridge stood, chuckling with his wand gripped in his fist.
=ottie panicked. 'he wasnt ready for this. 8arefully, she inched to the side, hoping he would
aim at 0ndrea instead.
)rom down the corridor, she heard, 3egilimens5
mmediately, =otties last#minute block was shattered. 'he could feel 2reckenridge digging
through her mind, selecting memories. He was !ust looking for the one that would disturb her
most, she could tell as she went through flashes of fighting older "uggles in the camps,
sifting through mysterious 1ark ob!ects in 7almyitors office and shopping in .din 0lley.
'he knew e$actly where he was going and worked as hard as she could to stop him, doing
anything and everything to focus on clearing her mind and losing all emotions. 0llys face
suddenly flashed in her mind. t was two years ago, and she was staring at her as =ottie sat
down ne$t to her on her first day of school and muttered nervous greetings.
&-o,( =ottie growled, trying to push him from her mind.
He dug farther into her memory.
0lly laughed as =ottie emerged from 'tainthorpes classroom, late one winter evening.
-ts "hristmas holiday, you +now. &ou dont ha(e to go to %lasses.
&/et out,( =ottie muttered aloud.
E(erybody +nows that youre behind in "harms.
&/et out>(
=otties hand twitched as she watched her past selfs hand do the same.
&'top it>(
0lly in the memory staggered backward. =ottie in person did the same.
&7lease, stop>(
2reckenridge did not listen to her. 2reathless, =ottie stumbled backward and slammed
against the stone wall.
=ottie groaned, feeling the back of her head. 2lood trickled down her fingers, but she could
barely comprehend the pain as more memories flew past her crumbling mental boundary.
0 tortured and beaten 0ndrea reared in the back of her mind, so clear and tangible that =ottie
could feel the cold breeze that had haunted her that night. Weathered ropes bound 0ndrea a
tree and cut into her fleshI=ottie could still see the blood dribbling down her forearms and
staining the mud beneath her.
t dissolved. This wasn3t a memory that 2reckenridge wanted.
'uddenly, her hands were stuck to the vory Table? she pulled, straining her muscles, but it
would not release her. 7anic rose from her center and sloshed around her stomach like boiling
water. 'he could see it all again, the scarlet o$, the blue ants andIa snake, glowing an
iridescent green.
-oI=ottie felt 2reckenridge shuffling, searching. The image was replaced with another,
more recent memory.
7rofessor /abaldon was lying face up against the =ondon 8amps tarnished pavement. Her
eyes were shocked, wide open, dead. Her stiff hand was in a fist? her wand had been blown
several feet away.
The memory melted. 2lackness engulfed her as 2reckenridge searched.
0 thin strip of wood in her hand, eleven#year#old =ottie sat with an old piece of parchment,
muttering, '(ada )eda(ra7
mmediately, =ottie knew how horribly wrong that was. t seemed adventurous and fun at the
time, but now she felt disturbed, unclean. 'he tried to block the memory, but 2reckenridge
did not let up.
'(ada )eda(ra.
&'top>(
'(ada )eda(ra5
&'T.7>(
'(ada )eda(ra5
&/@T .<T>(
'>'/' )E/'>!'5
<nable to contain herself any longer, =ottie screamed. The flashes of memories stopped
immediately and suddenly she was lying on the cold floor, covered in sweat.
&=ottie, stop it>( came 0ndreas terrified voice.
=ottie couldnt hear her? she was still screaming.
)ootsteps approached hurriedly? =ottie recognized 2reckenridges clunking strides and the
click of 7almyitors pinpoint heels.
=ottie hadnt stopped screaming.
&,owe>( t was 7almyitor now. &,owe, calm down. *oull wake the entire castle.(
&8ome on now, ,owe,( said 2reckenridge, grabbing her shoulder. &8ome on, now. *ouve
always done well before.( He shook her lightly. &This shouldntI(
7ulling free from the large professors grasp, =ottie turned onto her side and vomited all over
the floor.
&7rofessor>( 0ndreas worried voice barely rose above the babble of confused teachers
emerging from their offices. &We need to get her to the hospital wing.(
&-o, we wont,( 7almyitor said sternly. &'he !ust needs to get to bed. 8ome on, ,owe.(
Hatred rose in =ottie like a cobra striking its prey. &7lease,( she snarled, &let me go to the
hospital wing. dont feel good.(
&-o, you will go to the common room and getI(
& need to get to the hospital wing>( =ottie pounded her fist against the ground. 0 !et of pain
landed in her shoulder. & need a 1reamless 'leep 7otion or something>(
&There will be no easy way out for you, ,owe,( 7almyitor said and turned sharply to
7rofessor 2reckenridge, who was offering a hand to help =ottie up. &-o, she doesnt need
any help. /et up, ,owe. *oure going to the common room.(
=ottie couldnt believe what she was hearing.
'he looked up. -early every professor in the school was crowded in the corridor, silently
watching the scene.
'hakily, =ottie got to her feet and stared at all of the teachers before her. 'omebody had
already vanished the mess on the floor. Trying to avoid everybodys gaze, =ottie picked up
her bag and turned to 0ndrea. &1#do you want to go to#to the dormitory%( she whispered.
0ndrea looked curiously from =ottie to 7almyitor. &@rIokay.( 'he started to shuffle away,
constantly turning around to meet the gaze of all of the teachers.
The common room was crowded, so nobody took any notice of 0ndrea and =otties late
entrance. They snuck down to the dormitory easily? =ottie flopped face first onto her bed and
shut her eyes. 'he could feel 0ndreas gaze burning into the back of her skull.
&=ottie%( 0ndrea said cautiously. =ottie didnt respond. &=ottieIwhat did you see%(
=ottie did not pick her face up from her pillow. &-othing,( she sighed.
&1ont even try to lie to me. may not be a good =egilimens, but m not stupid.(
=ottie looked up, eyes burning with the effort of holding back tears. &AustI!ust things from a
long time ago,( she said furiously. &Why didnt 7almyitor let me go to the hospital wing% m
obviouslyI(
&=ottie, it couldnt have been that bad. Why did .verton upset you so much%(
& dont know> .kay% !ustI !ust dont know.( 'he slammed a fist into her pillow. &'tupid
0lly .verton with her stupid, idiotic name calling>( she roared, beating her pillow
mercilessly with every syllable.
0 stretch of silence followed. /rowing tired of watching the pillow squish under her fist,
=ottie dropped her hands and stared at the floor. &Im not pathetic, am %( she asked
quietly. & thoughtI thought was doing so muchB thought was helping. m notInot
I(
&=ottie, dont be stupid>( 0ndrea said e$asperatedly. =ottie drew her knees to her chest and
wrapped her arms around her legs. 'he kept her eyes tightly shut, preventing 0ndrea from
noticing that they had begun to water.
&.f course youre not pathetic,( 0ndrea said more softly. =ottie felt a hand on her shoulder.
'he did not open her eyes. & mean youre not top of our class. -ot in grades at least. 2ut
youre the best in .cclumencyIand 7otions> 0nd you saved me from the 1eath @aters in
our first year, and you found all of those traitors and 1ark ob!ects last year, and we went to
/rimmauld 7lace alone and got all of that stuff> What has .verton done% 'hes sat on her
bottom in a classroom and has nearly failed 7otions and Transfiguration>(
0 grin cracked =otties stony face. 'he looked up, trembling laughter shaking her ribcage.
&'hes failing 7otions and Transfiguration%(
0ndrea nodded in a mockingly serious way. &.h yes. 'traight 1s, ve heard. 'omebody said
they even saw her get a 2 on her last homework.(
They spent a good hour abusing 0lly .verton and pointing out all their own
accomplishments. 2y the time 'ophie and Aulianne entered the common room, they were
both roaring with laughter.
&0re you okay, =ottie%( 'ophie asked immediately.
&We heard you had a bit of aIa run in with 2reckenridge,( Aulianne added at =otties
puzzled e$pression.
&.h,( she said, her heart sinking? she had completely forgotten about her failure at
.cclumency and the scene she had caused. &*eah, m fine. IerI !ustIyeah. m fine.(
Aulianne and 'ophie e$changed glances. &Well, alright,( Aulianne said. &2ut if you wake up
and you think youre going to be sick, vomit to the right, so you dont hit 0ndrea.( 'he
smiled.
0ndrea smiled too, though hers was far less genuine. &@rIthanks that Aulianne? it was really
Iconsiderate.(
&-o problem>(
Aulianne and 'ophie went on to busily change into their pa!amas and get ready for bed.
=ottie sighed and laid back down on her own blankets, not bothering to change out of her
uniform or take off her boots. & dont know what got into me tonight,( she confessed once
she was sure 'ophie and Aulianne werent paying attention. & can usually block him really
well.( 'he turned on her side so she could face 0ndrea who had already changed into
pa!amas and was in bed.
&*ou were !ust upset. *ou let your emotions get away with you.( 0ndrea paused before
adding, &-ow dont get offended or anythingI mean this in the best possible way, butB(
0ndrea twirled her wand between her fingers, as if waiting for =ottie to attack her once she
spoke. &*ou tend to sort of blow your top when somebody insults you.(
=ottie sat up, but 0ndrea raised her hands defensively. &ts not a bad thing>( she said
quickly. & mean, growing up how we did, of course youd be a bitIermIsensitive, but
think it !ust upsets you more than other things do.(
=ottie fell back into her pillow and sighed. &"aybe.(
& !ust think you got so upset that you put your guard down and 2reckenridge took advantage
of that because he knows how you are.(
& suppose.( =ottie turned over onto her other side so she was staring at the wall. Aulianne and
'ophie shut the curtains of their four poster beds and ruffled under their sheets for a few
moments before growing silent.
&2ut at least one good thing will come of this,( 0ndrea said brightly.
&What%(
9"aybe everybody will be...9 0ndrea paused, her eyes glimmering with what looked like
hope. 9-icer%9
Chapter 2&: Chapter Twenty8$even: ,e)ilimen+y
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
8hapter Twenty#seven; =egilimency
0ndrea was right about one thing. The ne$t day, all of the teachers who had previously been
rather ruthless with =ottie were treating her normally again. -aturally, they offered no
e$planation of their previous behavior.
&Well at least you arent being picked on, right%( 0ndrea said the ne$t day in 7otions, after
7rofessor 1yer had given =ottie full marks for her 8ombustion 8oncoction.
&2ut its not like can !ust erase my memory,( =ottie responded glumly as she packed up her
cauldron.
0ndrea rolled her eyes and pushed open the dungeons thick, bronze door with her shoulder.
&That should be the least of your worries, right now. *our grades, on the other hand, should
be a bit higher on your list of priorities.(
&ts not my fault>( =ottie said indignantly. &The teachersI(
&*es, yes, +now, but it doesnt matter how it happened. 0ndrea hitched her bag farther
onto her shoulder and glanced back at =ottie. &*ou still need to fi$ it.(
7rofessor 7almyitors attention was, apparently, the price to pay to be generally accepted.
The old professor didnt even acknowledge =otties presence when they passed each other in
the corridors. 0fter several futile attempts to catch the professors attention, =ottie eventually
gave up and found an alternate route around 7almyitors office to avoid awkward moments.
8hristmas holidays came to an end and Aanuary brought frigid winds into the halls of
0lsemore. The e$tra classes were going as tediously and slowly as humanly possible, while
regular classes continued to pile homework on the third years? the workload was so
overwhelming that =ottie and 0ndrea spent every night doing homework until the early hours
of the morning.
The night before the students trip to .din 0lley in )ebruary, =ottie and 0ndrea were
scheduled to have another lesson with 7rofessor 'tainthorpe. =ottie complained loudly on the
way? for the past month and a half, they had been practicing the dullest spells from their
1ueling class. 'tainthorpe never seemed to be satisfied with =otties performance.
&8ome on, we ha(e to go,( 0ndrea said impatiently as she dragged =ottie from the common
room.
&When agreed to do these lessons, didnt know wed be doing stuff from first year,( =ottie
said loudly as they passed 7almyitors office. &ts !ust soI(
'he fell silent immediately. The door to the office cracked open and 7almyitor slithered out.
Her footsteps fell silently as she glided in the other direction.
&7rofessor%(
7almyitor slowly swiveled around. 'he looked like a disgruntled, old cat. =ottie couldnt put
her finger on why she craved her Head of Houses attention, but she had been finding her
absence rather disturbing.
&/ood luck with your lesson,( 7almyitor said curtly, before heading down the other stairway.
=ottie stared at her retreating back. &Whys she acting like that%( she asked as they continued
on their way.
0ndrea rolled her eyes. &Who cares% Things are back to normal arent they%(
&@$cept that 7almyitor is ignoring me.(
&Well why do you care% 'he wasnt e$actly nice to you, was she% ts more peaceful this
way.(
&7eaceful( wasnt e$actly the word =ottie was thinking ofI&boring( seemed more
appopriate. t was almost like she had become one of the normal students again. @ver since
arriving at 0lsemore, she had always had a hunch that the heads of the school were keeping
some secret about her magic from her. -ow, the teachers treated her like everyone else.
&=ottie%(
They were standing in front of 'tainthorpes office door. 0ndrea had her wand out. &0re you
ready%( she asked. & think we might be dueling today.(
'till distracted, =ottie slipped her wand from her pocket and rolled it between her fingers as
0ndrea pushed open the door.
E$pelliarmus5
=ottie reacted immediately. The !et of red light was !ust passing through the doorway when
she flicked her wand and shouted, rotego5 The spell bounced off of her shield and hit
'tainthorpe. =ottie caught the professors wand hastily and grinned.
&5ery good, ,owe.( 'tainthorpe retrieved her wand and tucked it into her pocket. & knew
wed get here eventually.( 0ndrea had mastered this particular scenario two weeks earlier.
&Were at the point,( 'tainthorpe began, &where you need to be ready for an attack at any
time. m sure youre familiar with this process from 7rofessor 2reckenridge.(
=ottie grimaced? she had successfully blocked several more of 2reckenridges ambushes, but
the memory of her failed attempt still burned clear in her mind. 2reckenridge claimed that a
1ark wizard wouldnt have stopped searching through her memory !ust because she asked
nicely, but =ottie found the whole thing a bit cruel. 0ndrea, on the other hand, had not even
managed to block him in the classroom when she was prepared. Her frustration grew
e$ponentially with every failure.
&Today,( 'tainthorpe said, dragging =ottie away from her own thoughts, &we are going to
learn something even more advanced.( =ottie could feel 0ndrea perk up with e$citement.
'tainthorpe beamed. & didnt even learn this until my fourth year. m not sure if you two
can both master the 'tunner before we leave, so in the event that you dont, the mpedimenta
spell is nearly as effective.(
=ottie leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. &What does it do%( she asked.
'tainthorpe smiled wryly. &ll show you. f youll !ust run towards me, ,owe.(
=ooking skeptical, =ottie trotted towards 'tainthorpe, who shouted, -mpedimenta5 =ottie
froze immediately. The effect was not as drastic as the full body bind, but it felt as though the
air had turned to peanut butter.
0ndrea laughed at =ottie struggling against the spell. 'tainthorpe smiled as well. &t will lose
effect soon,( she told =ottie. &This spell can stop your opponent, but it wears offIit is handy
forIfor quick getaways...( 'tainthorpe trailed off, her attention suddenly preoccupied with
the dusty floor. =ottie didnt know how to perform =egilimency, but she could feel memories
lingering behind the professors troubled, old eyes.
&'o.( 'tainthorpe turned back to =ottie and 0ndrea and smiledIas if nothing had ever
happened. &The wrist movement is very similar to the 'hield 8harm, e$cept it is less of a
flick and more of a !abbing wave.(
=ottie imitated the wrist movement twice without her wand before 'tainthorpe said, &'o
stand a little ways away from each other and practice.(
The lesson was a slight disaster. 0fter her second try, 0ndrea succeeded in stopping =ottie
completely. =ottie, though, had only made 0ndrea stumble back a few steps after seven tries.
With growing frustration, =ottie waved her wand at 0ndrea and shouted, -mpedimenta5
The !et of light collided with 0ndrea. The energy, instead of freezing her, blew her
backwards and off her feet. The force was so great that she slammed against the back wall,
causing the shelf above her to collapse. 'everal heavy volumes tumbledIthey were only
inches from a dazed 0ndreas head before 'tainthorpe froze them.
&HmB( she said as she guided the books back to the newly repaired shelf. &"aybe a bit too
powerful for your own good,( she said, laughing. &2ut effective, nonetheless. *ou !ust need
to refine your technique.(
0ndrea stood up, rubbing her back. &d say so.( 'he gave =ottie a playful nudge on the
shoulder. &That was pretty great, =ottie, but ne$t time can you save it for the 1eath @aters%(
The rest of the lesson was quite en!oyable. With a boosted confidence, =ottie managed to
stop 0ndrea two more times, and by the time they left, she was in quite a good mood.
They were halfway down the corridor when heavy footsteps pounded up behind them. .ut of
the corner of her eye, =ottie could see 8olm 'crivener sidling up behind them, a smug grin
spread across his face. &0ndrea,( she said, her voice ringing with sarcastic concern, &is the
ground shaking%(
0ndrea had to clamp a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter.
&What do you want, 'crivener%( =ottie asked.
& heard,( 8olm said, raising his voice, &that you two are leaving the castle this summer.(
=ottie made to turn around, but 0ndrea put a hand on her arm and marched her forward,
down the stairs. &ts none of your business,( 0ndrea said without turning back to him.
&'o its true then%( he panted, running to catch up with them. &*ou two always stray away
from the castle.(
&1id you hear us, 'crivener%( =ottie growled, her voice growing in volume. 'he itched to
turn aroundIshe didnt trust him enough to have her back to him.
The imposing door of 7almyitors office loomed above them. 8olm went on, &ts a shame.
was really looking forward to beating you, Woolbright, at +uidditch.(
=ottie stopped. &gnore him,( 0ndrea growled through her teeth. &Aust leave it alone.(
&0nd you, ,owe.(
=ottie wrapped her long fingers around her wand.
&*oure !ust 1ealous, because your stupid, ugly friend is a better flyer than you. *oure !ust
I(
='M5
8olms face slid from smug to stunned as he slammed against the cold, stone wall. ,obes still
smoldering from =otties 2lasting 8urse, he groaned and pushed himself up, wand e$tended.
&*ouI(
&,owe.( 0 horrifyingly familiar grip clutched =otties shoulder. Her arms seized with fear.
'he had forgotten whose office they were right in front of.
&7rofessor, mI(
&1ont you know ever know when to keep your head down%( 7almyitors voice was
dangerously low. t quivered with each syllable. =ottie could feel the old professors many
rings digging into the skin on her shoulder. &n.( 'he pointed a painted fingernail to her office
door. &Woolbright, you too. 'crivener, get to your common room, now.
/lumly, =ottie pocketed her wand and shuffled into the far#too#familiar office. 'he slumped
down in the stiffed#back chair and stared at the back of ornately carved, silver picture frames.
0ndrea settled down ne$t to her. &*ou !ust cant have a civil conversation, can you%( she
sighed.
&ve had enough of you two,( 7almyitor said? the door slammed behind her. &We give you
special permission to have an educational e$perienceIyou cannot go bragging about it to the
other students.( 'he folded her hands on her desk. =ottie avoided her dark eyes.
&-ot only does it make the student body question our integrity, but if one of them were to tell
a 1eath @ater of special permissionI(
&*ou think there are still traitors%( =ottie asked suddenly. Her heart pounded in her throat.
&-o, there are noI(
&1ont you check before you bring people into the school%(
&.f course we check.(
&Then why does it matter if people know% Who cares if theyre !ealous%(
!owe. 7almyitors hand was flat against her desk. 2lue#purple veins bulged at the base of
her wrist. & assure you that you are perfectly safe from 1eath @aters if you keep your mouth
shut.(
&Then what are we supposed to tell them% *ou !ust saw 'crivenerIthe fat lump. He
wouldnt shut up? he !ust kept as+ing and as+ing and as+ing andI(
7almyitor silenced her with a twitch of an eyebrow. &Tell them you are continuing your
detention from last summer.( The corner of her lips trembled, on the verge of what looked
like a smile. &=ess than satisfactory work naturally leads to more punishment.(
=ottie gritted her teeth. &.f course.(
0ndrea glanced between the two with the same e$asperated look she adopted around 8olm
'crivener. &'oB( she began. &/reat. )antastic. Thank you, 7rofessor. "ay we leave now%(
7almyitor pulled her wand out and waved it lazily, allowing the door to click open. &*es,
suppose you may. .h, and ,owe%(
=ottie spun around in the doorframe. &*eah%(
&-o more fights.( 7almyitor grimaced. &.r you really wont be allowed to take your trip.(
"arch brought warmth back to the halls of 0lsemore and the students, =ottie included, were
more than happy to shed their winter layers. 'ometimes, on a particularly fine spring day,
=ottie would not wear her sweaters at all, but instead en!oy the weather and dodge the
teachers who were notorious for being the most uptight about the uniform. 0long with the
good weather, "arch also brought an e$citing announcement from 7rofessor 2reckenridge.
&Today,( he said in one of =ottie and 0ndreas private tutoring sessions, &we will begin
learning =egilimency. -ow, dont get all e$cited already.( He raised a hand at =ottie, who
had been unable to contain the grin that spread across her face. &0lthough talents for
.cclumency and =egilimency usually go hand in hand, the powers needed for =egilimency
are very different.(
2reckenridge paced around =ottie and 0ndrea, as though inspecting them for their
worthiness. &This material is not usually taught until fifth year,( he said. & doubt you will
need it on this !ourney, but 7rofessor 7almyitor wantsB ahB you prepared in any case. *ou
do understand that we are putting a great trust in your hands. When given the power to delve
into others minds, the first thing you must know is when it is appropriate.(
=ottie fidgeted uncomfortably. 'he didnt care about rules? she !ust wanted to learn.
&Dnow that you are never to use this against an ally, e$cept in an emergency situation.( He
paused thoughtfully before adding, &.r here. Here you will learn and practice against each
other. *ou two should be apt enough at blocking now, but for these few lessons, ask that
you keep your defenses to a minimum.(
=ottie glanced warily at 0ndrea? well she had nothing to worry aboutIif talents for
=egilimency and .cclumency went hand in hand, 0ndrea wouldnt be close to breaking into
her mind for months. 0 sudden sinking feeling in =otties stomach followed that thought and
guilt swelled inside of her.
&-ow, if by some odd chance,( 2reckenridge continued, &you do need this skill, you will be
well prepared.( 8heerfully, he nodded at =ottie and added, &*ou may even be good enough
to do it nonverbally soon.(
&7rofessor%( 0ndrea waved her hand meekly through the air. & thought we dont learn
wordless magic until the end of fifth year.(
&=egilimency is different.( 2reckenridge crossed his arms and stood before the two of them.
&*es all non#verbal magic is e$tremely difficult, but it is more the intent in =egilimency,
rather than the way to say the incantation. t is similar to .cclumency in that senseIthe
incantation is !ust a security blanket that will allow you to use until the proper time.(
&2ut 7rofessor,( 0ndrea protested, you use the incantation in class.(
2reckenridge peered at her. & am giving you students fair warning,( he responded coldly. &
could and will ambush and trick you eventually, but at your classmates current levelB Well,
no more talk of that, eh% Turn to face one another, wands out. Woolbright, you first.(
0ndrea pulled her wand out apprehensively. 'he knew that =ottie, being a much better
.cclumens, would be able to reflect her easily. =ottie wondered secretly if 0ndrea was
hiding anything from her.
&When you say the incantation, you need to concentrate only on breaking into her mind,(
2reckenridge instructed. &f you do not need it badly enough, it will not happen. @ye contact
is essential, but once you get into the targets mind, breaking eye contact will not
immediately e$pel you.( He turned to 0ndrea. &,eady%(
'he nodded nervously and raised her wand. 3-3egilimens5 she stuttered.
=ottie braced herself for the blow as much as she could, short of doing actual .cclumency,
but it never came.
&'top blocking me>( 0ndrea shouted, her face strained with concentration.
&m not. *ou must be doing it wrong.(
&+uite fine, quite e$pected,( 2reckenridge hummed, giving 0ndrea a friendly pat on the
back. Her glasses quivered on the tip of her nose. &Aust a vague idea of the theory is not quite
enough. ,owe% Would you like to give it a try%(
&1efinitely.( =ottie pointed her wand at 0ndrea. &,eady% 3egilimens5
There were no sudden surges of emotion or flashbacks that werent hers, but a pressure
between her eyebrows intensified as she tried harder and harder to push into 0ndreas mind.
&-othing%( 2reckenridge asked. The sound of his voice broke the unmoving tension like a
knife snapping a rope.
=ottie rubbed her forehead. &-o, but have a headache now.(
&nterestingB Well that is nothing to worry about. *oure quite ahead as a matter of fact.(
=ottie swelled with pride and turned to 0ndrea, who did not return her grin. &'o,(
2reckenridge went on, &for the rest of this class, we will work on the theory only. We can try
again at the ne$t meeting.(
2ut at the ne$t meeting, =ottie was no closer to breaking into 0ndreas mind. 0ndrea, if it
was possible, had regressed? her face reddened more and more with each failure.
&ts not a big deal,( =ottie said one 0pril afternoon, on the way to their ne$t lesson. &He said
himself that we wont need to know it.(
&*es, but we will e(entually, 0ndrea said, pouting.
&*eah, in two years you need to know it. think thats sufficient time, dont you%(
0ndrea glared at her and said, &Well its not like youd know what m talking about. *ouve
nearly figured it out already.(
=ottie grinned sheepishly. t was trueIshe had been improving, but was it really something
to get so upset about% 8ouldnt she !ust be better at one thing% 'ometimes, =ottie found
0ndreas academic obsession a bit annoying, but she was the only best friend she had and she
was not about to lose her.
They reached 2reckenridges door. &=ook,( =ottie said, before reaching for the handle. &
know its tough to have trouble in something, but this really isnt a big deal. f figure it out
and you dont, think thatll be enough to get us through.( 'he smiled.
&-ot a big deal for you, maybe,( 0ndrea growled moodily. 'he knocked on the door. 0 grunt
from inside told them that they could enter.
&/ood evening,( 2reckenridge said from his position, leaning against his desk. & believe you
know the drill. Woolbright, you first.(
0ndrea pulled out her wand and half#heartedly mumbled, 3egilimens.
=ottie had to hide her smirk at 0ndreas pathetic attempt. 'he felt nothing bearing towards
her, no sudden need to block her mind.
2reckenridge stared at 0ndrea. &@rB yes, well, well work on that. ,owe, would you like to
give it a try% should see how much more we have to go.(
=ottie nodded. 'he was determined to succeed this time. 0fter a month of embarrassing
failure, she was ready to get it right. .ver the month of training, she had improved greatly?
now the pressure between her eyes was an invisible ball of energy that she could force closer
and closer to 0ndrea. 'he knew that all she had to do was push the energy past 0ndreas
natural defense and she would succeed. 0ndrea had noticed =otties improvement as well and
looked less than thrilled as =ottie drew her wand.
3egilimens5
There it was again, that little pea of energy. @yes focused with concentration, she willed it
forward. t passed in front of 2reckenridge easily, who glanced at =ottie with a furrowed
brow. 0ndrea seemed to notice as well, because she looked more nervous. The energy was
inches from 0ndreas forehead. With all of the concentration she could muster, =ottie willed
it forward.
The defense brokeIsuddenly =ottie swam in emotions and memories that werent hers.
@lationIpure !oyIhappiness like she had never known before filled her. t was very
different on the other side of a =egilimency attack. -o scenes played out before her, only
foreign emotions and occasional phrases ran through her mind. 'he was so happy that she
must have been laughing out loud. 'lsemore7 echoed through her mind in a familiar
voice. Wit%h7 war7 rebellion. Aoin us.
0nd then it stopped. =otties wand came back into focus and she stared at a very shaky
looking 0ndrea.
&mpressive,( said 2reckenridge approvingly. &>ery impressive. assume you didnt see
anything%( =ottie shook her head. &"mmB mpressive !ust the same. What did you feel%(
&Happy,( =ottie gasped. &,eallyBreally happy. heard a few things.( 'he turned to 0ndrea.
&What was that%(
&When 8lynalmoy told me was a witch,( 0ndrea mumbled to the floor.
&0h that is a popular one,( 2reckenridge said knowingly. &,owe, you think you understand
the practical theory now%(
=ottie nodded. &ve understood it for a while,( she said. &2ut its taken me this long to get it
right.(
&Well you get it. Thats what matters,( 2reckenridge said. &Want another go%(
&.h yes>( =ottie e$claimed, pulling out her wand. 0ndrea shrank a little in her spot, but
=ottie took no notice. 'he raised her wand and stared at 0ndrea, who looked like she was
going to say something, but couldnt before =ottie shouted, 3egilimens5
t was easier this time to break through 0ndreas mind. The pinpoint of energy glided through
the air toward her and a very different emotion filled =ottie. ne$plicable grief made her eyes
water with pain. Horrible things were going to happen to her if she didnt fall to her knees
and pound the floor with misery. "ant you do something4 t was 0ndreas voice. =ottie
head pounded with sadness. 0ometimes8 'tainthorpe this time 8we ha(e to %hoose
between what is right and what is easy.
t stopped. =ottie was on her knees, fists against the floor. 0ndrea huddled in the corner with
her head pressed against her knees. &*ouIyou two okay%( asked 2reckenridge. =ottie
nodded shakily? 0ndrea gave a nervous sort of squeak. &What did you feel%( he asked =ottie.
'he took a deep breath. &'ad. ,eallyIreally sad. 'he stared at her shoes. 'he wished
0ndreas soft sobs from the corner would stop. t had been nearly five months since her
fathers death and even though she acted like it didnt bother her, it could not have been
plainer that it did. =ottie felt a sudden surge of affection for 0ndrea, who hid her feelings so
carefully, as to not upset any of her classmates.
&I dont think want to try again tonight,( =ottie decided. 'o the rest of the lesson was
passed with 0ndreas feeble attempts to perfect the art.
0pril crept in and the bit of winter chill that was left in the 0lsemore castle vanished
completely. =ottie got better at =egilimency with each lesson. 'he was soon able to not only
feel the targets emotion, but hear several lines from the scene and occasionally see a figure
or two. 2reckenridge urged her to try it nonverbally, told her it would be pointless if she went
about shouting incantations, but =ottie never even tried, for fear of failure.
t was not until Aune, when 0ndrea had by then involuntarily revealed her entire life story,
that =ottie finally attempted =egilimency wordlessly. &-ow, its not the moving of the energy
that you need to think about,( coached 2reckenridge, &but the con!uring of it. )ocus now.(
=ottie stared intently at 0ndrea who watched her dully from the other side of the room.
&1ont try mouthing the words, thats !ust as bad isnt it%(
=ottie scrunched up her face. )inallyIafter what seemed like hours of 0ndrea tapping her
foot impatientlyIthe ball of energy began to form again. t took a lot of self#control not to
cry out in triumph. 0ndrea of course had no idea what was coming, so looked that much
more surprised when they plunged into her memories.
This time it was guilt. 'he had !ust told on so many students in the school. What was going to
happen to them% Where they going toI
&/ood show, good show>( 2reckenridges loud claps brought both of them out of the events
of the previous year. &'ee% told you that youd be able to do it. /ood !ob. -ow, Woolbright,
if only we could get you to understand at all>(
2reckenridge and =ottie laughed heartily, but 0ndrea, who looked somewhat less than
amused, pulled her wand out and shouted, &'top making fun of me> ts not funny or cute. ts
not my fault that m not good at one thing. .ne thing> Who cares about .cclumency
anyway%( 'he turned on her heel and stormed out.
0n awkward silence followed.
&@rI better go after herB( =ottie mumbled. &'ee you in class tomorrow>( 'he took off
through the doors of 2reckenridges dungeon office and up the single flight of stairs to the
7almyitor common room. 'he could hear 0ndreas thudding steps before her, but they never
stopped until =ottie heard the door to the clock slam.
The common room was crowded, but 0ndrea was nowhere to be found. &=ottie>( called
Aulianne, waving from a deserted corner of the room. &Whereve you been%(
&'omewhereI meanIerItutoring. Wheres 0ndrea%(
Aulianne shrugged. & saw her in here a minute ago, but she ran downstairs before had a
chance to say hello. 'he did look a bit upset though. Hey, where are you going%(
=ottie took off down the stairs, disturbing the loud conversation of some upper classmen.
&0ndrea%( she called, running down the corridor to the dormitory. &0ndrea%(
'he pushed open the door to find 0ndrea huddled on her bed, staring at her covers. &0ndrea
I(
&What%( 0ndrea snapped.
=ottie cautiously sat down on her own bed. &WhIwhats wrong%(
&.h, you know whats wrong.(
=ottie frowned. &-o. dont.(
/laring at her, 0ndrea began, &m si%+ of being the target.(
&Well, we take turns. We both have to be theI(
&*ou would have to, if were any good at =egilimency. 2ut m not, so you dont have to do
anything. dont want you rummaging through my head anymore> *ou dont understand
what its like.(
&0ndrea, you need to get used to it. *ou need to figure out how to block it anyway. *oure a
7almyitor.(
)uriously, 0ndrea looked up. Her glasses were fogged with tears. &1o you really think so%
m no 7almyitor. m the only one in the class whos still struggling so much in
.cclumency. ts not like m not good at other things. m nearly top of the class in all of the
other sub!ects>( 'he stared at the door and added, &ts not like make fun of you for being
horrible at 8harms.(
=ottie stared at her, blocking her emotions, not letting them get in the way. &That was low,(
she hissed. &7lease, 0ndrea, m trying to help you, dont you see%(
0ndrea crossed her arms. &f you were trying to help me, you wouldnt perform =egilimency
on me three times a week.(
&Well how else am supposed to learn it%( =ottie couldnt believe they were getting into this
argument. Why couldnt 0ndrea see that she needed a target to practice on% 'he was the best
in the classIcouldnt 0ndrea !ust make one little sacrifice%
& dont know, but talk to 2reckenridge or something,( 0ndrea said bitterly. & cant stand
you taking advantage of me one more time.(
=ottie nodded. 0ndrea was the only friend she had. 2esides, she was good enough at
=egilimency as it was. &.kay,( she sighed. & will.(
=ottie never actually did talk to 2reckenridge. 'he got about as far as the corridor outside of
his office before getting nervous and turning back. 2y the ne$t lesson, 0ndrea looked
absolutely betrayed when they faced each other again, but =ottie smiled reassuringly.
2reckenride watched e$pectantly as =ottie screwed up her face, hissed under her breath and
gave off, if she said so herself, a very convincing imitation of concentration. -othing
happened. =ottie mirrored 2reckenridges shock as convincingly as possible with a flustered
glance at her wand and a sigh.
&'orry, 7rofessor,( =ottie apologized as they left the classroom. 'he used .cclumency to
prevent him from uncovering her lie.
Halfway to the common room, 0ndrea turned to her. &Thanks.(
&0nytime,( =ottie said, trying to sound cheerful. Truthfully, she was rather concerned about
not practicing for an entire month, but she didnt want to tell 0ndrea that.
0 first year passed by, seeming very nervous about walking by two third years alone. =otties
eyes followed him and she smiled, before turning to 0ndrea. &=ook, you head to the common
room,( she said. &m going to run up to the /reat Hall and grab some pudding.(
&.kay. ll be there.(
=ottie waited until 0ndrea had gone down the staircase before advancing on the first year.
&.i> *ou there> What are you doing out this late%(
The first year fumbled and dropped a package that squelched, suggesting left over cake
inside. &Im !ust going t#to the common room,( he said, puffing out his chest.
&What house are you in%(
&"#"aelioric.(
7erfect. He would never know. The boy watched her curiously as she concentrated on
summoning the energy and breaking into his mind. t wasnt very difficult at all. @ven
0ndreas mind was more complicated.
The visions this time were more vivid than they had ever been before. 'he heard a 1eath
@ater torture a small boy and felt horrible, pounding fear, immeasurable grief again, as the
same scrawny boy cried by his mothers sickbed, happiness as 7almyitor came to tell him that
he was a wizardB -othing out of the ordinary.
The visions stopped. =ottie found the boy laying on his back. &WhIwhat did you do to me%(
he panted, trying to pick himself up.
&-othing,( =ottie said with fake concern. &*ou !ust fell over. *ou should go back to the
common room and sleep.(
The boy nodded shakily. &ThIthanks.(
He stumbled away, leaving his cake behind. 'mirking, =ottie picked it up and headed to her
own common room.
&Whereve you been%( asked 0ndrea once =ottie entered the dormitory.
& got the last bit of cake,( =ottie said, throwing the package to her. With a smirk she added,
&7ractically had to wrestle it out of a first years hands.(
Chapter 2': Chapter Twenty8(i)ht: Arrival in *ari!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thank you to The2ird for the quick beta !ob>
.kay, a reader reminded me to do those little chapter#before summaries. 'o##here we go. =ast
chapter, 8olm 'crivener approached =ottie and 0ndrea about their summer activities? things
got a bit heated and 8olm ended up in this hospital wing. =ottie finally successfully
performed =egilimency, but 0ndrea was not pleased with being the targets of so many
attacks. To help her friend, =ottie did not break into her mind in lessons, but instead practiced
on unsuspecting first years in her free time.
Thanks to my 2iffle, 8heddabitz, "erlynne and The2ird for help with the )rench>
This chapter is dedicated to the foot doctor who FapparentlyG saved me from losing a toe>
: : :
8hapter Twenty#@ight; 0rrival in 7aris
2y the end of Aune, 0ndrea was much happier that her mind wasnt being broken into daily.
=ottie got a surprising amount of practice on unsuspecting first yearsIshe noticed that all of
the younger students began avoiding her in the corridors. .nly 7rofessor 2reckenridge
seemed concerned about their trip? =ottie hadnt shown him a successful display of
=egilimency in weeks.
@$ams marked the official end of the year. The .cclumecy test was almost laughable. =ottie
was sure she got an .. &How about trying some =egilimency, eh%( 2reckenridge asked
desperately. &)or e$tra credit.(
=ottie tried not to laugh as she agreed. 'he didnt even reach for her wand. 2reckenridge
wasnt using strong .cclumency, =ottie could tell? if he were, she would not have been able
to break into his mind.
.nly a vague, shadowed face appeared in her mind. 'he could see nothing but a large,
hooked nose and sheets of black hair. ,age coursed through her veins like water running
down a faucet. 'omething about that face seemed unnervingly familiarB
&.ho, that is quite enough, quite enough,( chorused 2reckenridge. &/ood !ob, ,owe. dont
know why was worried about your abilities. We all go through blocks, dont we%( He
chuckled heartily and patted =ottie heavily on the shoulder. &Have a safe trip.(
=ottie nearly danced out of the e$am room to meet up with 0ndrea, who, !udging by her
skewed glasses and bitter scowl, wasnt feeling quite as giddy. &Howd e$ams go%( =ottie
asked.
&.cclumency was a complete disaster.( 0ndrea scoffed as they rounded the corner on the
way to the common room. They were scheduled to depart the ne$t morning at four and were
only allowed to bring as much as they could carry in the small pack that 'tainthorpe had
given them.
That night, =ottie fell asleep quickly. 1eath @aters haunted her dreams? 2reckenridges
mysterious hook#nosed enemy lurked in the shadows.
'he could only have been asleep for minutesImaybe secondsIwhen 0ndrea shook her
awake. &8ome on,( she whispered. &Weve got to go>(
&"mmB AustI!ust five more minutes.( =ottie rolled over.
&=ottie>( 0ndrea grabbed a chunk of =otties hair and pulled to wake her up. &We need to be
in 'tainthorpes office in ten minutes> Hurry upIget dressed>( =ottie groaned and sat up.
0ndrea clamped a hand over =otties mouth to silence her. &0nd dont be too loud. We cant
wait Aulianne and 'ophie. @w> 3ottie5 she hissed, wiping =otties drool off on the
bedspread. & know youre tired, but thats !ust gross.(
8huckling to herself, =ottie leapt out of bed, threw on a robe and ran with 0ndrea down the
dark halls of 0lsemore to 7rofessor 'tainthorpes office. 'tars still glimmered beneath the
thick layer of clouds and haze outside.
7almyitor, "aelioric, 8lynalmoy and 'tainthorpe were crowded in the office waiting for
them. =ottie rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn as she entered the stuffy room. 7almyitor had
already dawned her tidy, ironed dress robes. 8lynalmoy, =ottie could tell, had thrown on the
same wrinkled clothes he had on the day before. "aelioric was still in his red and gold
striped pa!amas.
&Why do we have to leave so early%( =ottie asked as she slumped against the wall.
&2ecause 1eath @aters monitor the use of registered and unregistered 7ortkeys,( 7almyitor
snapped, her frown lines deepening. 'he was clearly not a morning person.
&What would be the point of watching 7ortkey use,( mumbled =ottie, &if all someone had to
do was wake up early to go wherever they wanted%(
"ool it,( 0ndrea whispered.
&.f course theyre still watching,( 7almyitor went on, &but this does make chances better for
avoiding them. *ou will be undercover, in any case.( 'he held out two flasks. &This is called
7oly!uice 7otion. wouldnt call it scrumptious, but it will make you assume the form of
another. *ou will use this for traveling. .nce the situation is secure, you may stop taking it.
<ntil then, ,owe, your name is Hannah )innigan. *our grandfather was a classmate of Harry
7otter, but his children were corrupted by the 1eath @aters when they attended Hogwarts.
*ou were in 'lytherin house and have mediocre magical ability. /ot that%(
2row furrowed, =ottie nodded, trying to remember it all.
&Woolbright, youre @laine 2a$ster. *oure a half#blood, but you pretend to be a pureblood.
*ou were sorted into 'lytherin as well and e$celled in Transfiguration.(
&,ight.(
'tainthorpe held a silver inkpot in her outstretched palm. &Here is the 7ortkey,( she said. &t
will leave in five minutes, so suggest you two take your 7otions.(
=ottie held the flask up to the light. The liquid was dark, almost black, and looked so thick
that it seemed more like a solid. &8heers,( she said. 'he drank the entire glass, 0ndrea beside
her. .nce the liquid touched her lips, she felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. The potion was
so thick that it stuck to the back of her throat. 'he glanced at 0ndrea, who had her eyes shut
so tight that it looked like her head might burst. =otties stomach lurched as 0ndreas skin
morphed, reddened and stretched.
=ottie fell to her knees and leaned her face against the cool stone. The bones in her fingers
crunchedIshortened? her fingernails grew until they were elegant and shiny. 0 layer of red
paint stretched itself across the surface of them? =otties eyes widened.
=ottie gasped and stared at the ceiling, eyes wide. 'he pushed herself to her feet and stared at
her new body before turning to 0ndrea. @laine 2a$ter was !ust about as tiny as her, but her
hair was long and blond, unlike 0ndreas brown, shoulder length cut.
&,eady to go%( 'tainthorpe held out the 7ortkey. &/oodbye -asea, ,yan, )orna$. ll send
word when we arrive.(
=ottie placed a finger on the 7ortkey. With a sudden !erk, she was gone. They traveled
quickly. =ottie could feel 0ndrea bumping against her elbow. t was odd seeing someone
elses body, but knowing that it was 0ndrea.
The spinning finally stopped. =ottie slammed against the ground? her knees scraped against
the stone.
&Welcome to 7aris,( said 'tainthorpe, grinning at her surroundings.
&.i> *ou there>(
=otties heart skipped a beat. 0 1eath @ater, short, but still rather menacing, waddled toward
them. &Where dyou think youre going% Who are you anyway% What are you doin using
7ortkeys%(
=ottie reached a hand into her robe and wrapped her fingers around the handle of her wand.
'tainthorpe smiled at the 1eath @ater and e$plained, & am "arianne 'tainthorpe, personal
assistant to the 2a$ter family. am accompanying these two girls on holiday.( =ottie could
see the tip of 'tainthorpes wand emerge from her robe.
&0nd why did yeh use a 7ortkey%(
n a very quick bit of wand work, 'tainthorpe confunded the 1eath @ater. He sat on the
ground, gazing unconcernedly at the top of =otties head. &Thank you,( he hummed.
&,emember to get inside for curfew.(
&*ou are (ery welcome.( 'tainthorpe flashed him a smile before spinning on her heel and
beckoning for =ottie and 0ndrea to follow.
&-ot so fast>( shouted an approaching voice. This time there were more. -o less than ten
1eath @aters ran towards them, wands out.
&2ehind me,( breathed 'tainthorpe. =ottie and 0ndrea both obeyed instantly. =ottie stared
blankly at the approaching rush of dark wizards. &<se magic if you must,( 'tainthorpe went
on. &2ut only defensively. /ot that%(
=ottie had dealt with 1eath @aters before and knew that usually they werent too bright. f
they didnt try to kill her immediately, she thought she might stand an okay chance.
0 flash of redItwo of the 1eath @aters wands clattered to the stones. 'tainthorpe !abbed her
wand furiously and, with another flash, three 1eath @aters fell, stunned, to the ground. The
few left charged toward them, shooting spells with incantations that =ottie did not recognize.
rotego5 'tainthorpes shield blocked her, =ottie and 0ndrea and reflected the he$es back
at the 1eath @aters. The professor smirked with almost a bored confidence. The 1eath @aters
shouted profanities as their own curses rebounded upon them.
=otties cheers were cut short by the approach of a faint scuffling sound. 'he spun around
!ust in time. 0 1eath @ater behind them raised his wand. rotego5 =ottie shouted. Her
shield glimmered confidently, orange and red, untilI
=ike shards of broken glass, the light of their shattered shield intermingled with the 1eath
@aters dark purple he$ and flew toward them. &1<8D>( =ottie screamed. 'he hurled her
weight onto 0ndrea and pushed her down, out of the line of fire? the asphalt scraped her face
and bruised her arms. 'afe from the ground, =ottie could feel the !in$ flying above her head,
grazing her hair. 'he panted against the warm pavement? 0ndrea groaned ne$t to her.
0 scream. 'tainthorpe hadnt ducked in time. The he$ didnt kill her or even knock her down,
but she stumbled forward a few paces and froze. Her face was strained and oddly still.
=otties mind went blank. 'he could feel the 1eath @aters footsteps, five pairs in front and
one from behind. 'he pushed herself up from the pavement and shouted, E$pelliarmus5
The wand flew out of 1eath @ater behind thems hands. He stared at her as she caught his
wand. &0ndrea% 0ndrea> /et the other ones>(
&What%( 0ndrea groaned from the ground. &.h>( 'he held her wand out from the ground.
-mpendimenta5 'he pushed herself up and planted her feet against the stone.
-mpedimenta5 0tupefy5
The oncoming 1eath @aters froze. 'tainthorpe gasped and fell to her knees. &/ood !ob,
girls,( she said. &-ow we !ust need to get out of here. 8ome onIrun>(
)or her age, 'tainthorpe was a shockingly fast runner. &Why,( =ottie panted, &wereIthey
speakingI@nglish%(
&2order control,( 'tainthorpe said without looking back.
&2utIbut theyI(
&The 1ark =ord hasI@nglish supporters in nearly every countryIreporting back to him,(
wheezed 'tainthorpe.
/asping, =ottie nodded. 0 stitch formed in her side as they careened around a corner.
They were going for too long. =otties legs burned in protest. "ucus swelled in her lungs,
causing her to cough into the inside of her elbow and wipe her mouth on the back of her
hands. Her feet ached more and more with each step. t felt like they had been going for
hours.
'tainthorpe held out a hand to stop the pair of sprinting students. &Here we are,( she said.
=ottie looked up, clasping a stitch in her side. 'he didnt really understand what she was
supposed to be looking at, but 'tainthorpe seemed rather impressed. &8onvincingB very
clever,( she muttered to herself.
n front of them stood a huge pile of anything and everythingIdoors, footrests, bed frames,
even dead bodies, arranged like a barricade. 0bove, a single )rench flag fluttered solemnly in
the wind.
&s that their headquarters%( 0ndrea asked.
'tainthorpe nodded.
&Thats not very clever at all,( =ottie said. &0 barricade is the first place to look.(
&Without the history behind it, it wouldnt seem so, no,( 'tainthorpe said. &These started
popping up everywhere once 1eath @aters began to invade the countryIa call to history,
always thought. The 1eath @aters destroyed them, but left the wreckage as a reminder to the
"uggles in case if they planned any more revolts. 0nyway, in we go. *our potion is starting
to wear off.(
=ottie looked down? her hair was growing longer and turning from brown to blond again. &@r
Isorry to be rude,( she began, &but how do we get in%(
'tainthorpe smirked. &Here, follow me.( 'he pushed aside one of the carcasses and found a
hole !ust big enough to crawl through. 'he beckoned =ottie and 0ndrea on and disappeared
into the barricade.
=ottie stared at the hole where 'tainthorpe had !ust been. &Well come on then,( said 0ndrea,
shoving her glasses back on. t was dark inside. =ottie had to keep one hand in front of her to
not crawl into the walls of the mazelike tunnel. The place felt like a giant anthill.
)inally, 0ndrea stopped crawling. They emerged in a huge opening, like a meeting hall,
complete with balcony. 'tainthorpe was already discussing something with an official
looking man in fluent )rench.
&)ancy bit of magic,( =ottie said casually, the corners of her lips switching. &What the hell
was 7almyitor thin+ing, sending us with a 7ortkey% There must have been ten 1eath @aters
there.(
&magine how bad it would have been if wed gone at night,( 0ndrea replied.
'tainthorpe returned to them, grinning and clutching a silver coin. &Well weve won half the
battle,( she said triumphantly.
&Who was that%( asked 0ndrea, gesturing in the direction of the )rench man.
&Head of the underground rebellion over here,( 'tainthorpe e$plained. 'potting the surprised
look on =otties face, she added, &*ou didnt think that -aesa, ,yan and )orna$ were
running the rebellion all around the world, did you%(
&-o.( Truthfully, =ottie had imagined 7almyitor as queen of the world.
&Well,( continued 'tainthorpe, &he was shocked to find that some of the .rder of the 7hoeni$
is still around. Hed heard of 0lsemore, of course. He was more than happy to give us a
hand.(
=ottie eyed the silver coin that 'tainthorpe held. &'o thats it, then%(
&.h, youll see.( 'tainthorpe moved toward the e$it of the barricade and shook her head as
=ottie make an impulse toward her flask of 7oly!uice. &-o point in going undercover
anymore. The 1eath @aters over here will have identified those aliases. 8ome on.(
They crawled back through the tunnel outside of the barricade and emerged in the bright
sunlight. ,ows of ancient, crumbling buildings lined the streets, where occasionally, =ottie
could see a telephone booth or a streetlamp that reminded her of what the city used to be.
&8lever,( remarked 'tainthorpe. &2rilliant use of magic. -othing too complicated, but clever
nonetheless.(
'he led them down the old "uggle street. There were no 1eath @aters about? it was very
much like =ondon outside of the camps. &0re there "uggle camps here%( =ottie asked.
&.h yes,( 'tainthorpe said with a nod. &ts not quite as severe as it is in @ngland, but most
big cities have a camp. e$pect theres one around here somewhere.(
They walked along in silence for about twenty minutes, their backpacks thumping against
their backs. &Try not to look,( 'tainthorpe advised as the gates of the "uggle camp came into
view. &*ou havent been there in years? it will be rather disturbing.(
=ottie couldnt help herself. 'he slowly turned to face the camp. t was horribleIalmost
e$actly the same as =otties camp, but somehow made worse by =otties detachment from it.
8hildren lined the gates, their tiny, dirty faces pressed up against the bars hopefully.
=ouge, %hien, shouted one of the 1eath @aters, grabbing a little boy by the scruff of his
neck. He leaned over until his face was an inch from the "uggle childs and growled,
;uest-%e ,ue tu regardes4
The little boy shook his head. !ien, he stuttered.
The 1eath @ater scowled and threw the "uggle to the ground. etit merde, he spat.
'tainthorpe didnt wait for the 1eath @ater to notice them. 'he grabbed =ottie and 0ndrea
and shoved them to the ground behind an old "uggle dumpster. The smell was so familiar,
rotting flesh and sour milk? it reminded her of crouching under trash piles to avoid 1eath
@aters. 'he peaked inside of the dumpster? it held naked, "uggle bodies with decaying faces.
)rom her hiding spot, =ottie could see the 1eath @ater search for the ob!ect of the childrens
attention in vain.
High#pitched squeals filled the airIthe sound of children crying. The 1eath @ater had given
up looking for them and had turned his attention to the "uggles. 'tainthorpe tapped =ottie on
the shoulder to signal for her to follow. They went on their way. =ottie didnt look back.
&Were not far now,( 'tainthorpe said as she picked up her pace. &'hould beIaha>( 'he
stopped? a grin stretched across her face.
&What%( =ottie asked. &Whats there%(
'tainthorpe stepped aside to reveal an old "uggle parking meter. t was quite unimpressive.
'he held up the coin, causing 0ndrea to, &.ooh,( understandingly, but =ottie still cocked her
head. 'tainthorpe dropped the coin into the meter and waited.
>otre nom4 a female voice from the meter asked.
=ottie stumbled back a few steps. There had been a lot of parking meters in the camps? none
of them had talked.
&"arianne 'tainthorpe,( 'tainthorpe said coolly. &8harlotte ,owe et 0ndrea Woolbright.(
0 tense moment of waiting followed, but 7rofessor 'tainthorpe did not seem at all concerned?
indeed, she looked rather e$cited. 'omething inside the parking meter clicked and it began to
spin clockwise, slowly sinking into the ground.
&Hop on now,( 'tainthorpe said, grabbing the top of the meter. =ottie glanced down and
gasped. 2eneath them was a steep, spiraling staircase that stretched on into immeasurable
darkness. =ottie carefully descended the stairs. The steps were steep and short, making it very
hard not to fall.
&=ight your wands, think,( 'tainthorpe instructed as they carefully continued downward.
&The light will disappear soon. 0hIthere it goes now.( 0bove, the sound of stone grinding
on stone echoed down the entire passageway, leaving them in complete darkness.
3umos, =ottie whispered. 'tainthorpe and 0ndrea did the same.
&Where are we going%( 0ndrea asked.
&ts a series of underground passageways,( 'tainthorpe e$plained. &Theyre used for the
rebellion. We had a similar one in @ngland, but it was discovered about ten years ago.(
&'o now what do we use%( =ottie asked.
&The sewage systems, if we must.( 'tainthorpe wrinkled her nose. &-o doubt you two
understand the downside to that.(
=ottie winced. 'he and 0ndrea had used the sewers the summer previous to find /rimmauld
7lace. &There arent any dead bodies in this one, are there%( she asked.
&.h, no. The )rench do much better than we do at disposing of their dead.( They reached the
bottom of the stair. The floor beneath was stone, but it was so flooded with puddles that they
might as well had been wading through a stream. &They take turns collecting the bodies and
giving them a proper funeral.(
&That seems rather time consuming,( 0ndrea said.
&@$actly why we dont do it. Hm, is this it%( 'tainthorpe raised her wand to read a street sign
ne$t to another spiral staircase. &-o, dont think so. The man at the barricade said it was
about a mile.(
They continued on in silence until 0ndrea asked, &1o you do this a lot%(
'tainthorpe paused. &/o on little e$cursions, you mean% -o, not very often. n my youth,
was always the first to volunteer. 2ut after a while, age creeps up on you and the 1eath
@aters begin to recognize you.( 'he paused again. &-aesa still goes out fairly often.(
&To spy on the 1eath @aters%( =ottie asked.
'tainthorpe looked at her out of the corner of her eye. &'he does many things. Her skills help
our side greatly.(
&What about "aelioric%( 0ndrea asked.
&He only goes to big battles.( 'tainthorpe checked another sign, shook her head and
continued on. &Hes a superb dueler, even at his age. ,yan, of course, rarely goes out? he still
does do quite a bit of the strategic planning, though.(
&0nd 2reckenridge%(
&.h yes,( 'tainthorpe said, nodding so that her shadow distorted in the wand light. &Hes out
almost every evening. t took quite a lot of scheduling for him to fit your tutoring sessions
into his day.(
=ottie blushed. &'orry,( she mumbled.
&.h, nothing to be sorry for,( 'tainthorpe said with a wave of her hand. &t was quite
worthwhile, hear. Have you really mastered =egilimency%(
=ottie hid her grin in front of 0ndrea. &-early,( she said. & could ne(er break an .cclumens,
butI( 'he stopped. 'he had almost said, 9but - had no problem with the first years. &2utB
could do it when 2reckenridge let me.(
&mpressive. 0nd you, Woolbright%(
&@rB(
&'hes coming along,( =ottie answered swiftly. &'he almost blocked me completely the other
day.(
'tainthorpe looked impressed.
0ndrea smiled at =ottie and mouthed, 2han+s.
&.h, here we are.( 'tainthorpes wand light reflected off of a rusting, metal plate that read,
90omptebree. &<p we go.(
/oing up the stairs proved much more difficult than going down was. t felt like it went on
for miles. .nce or twice, =ottie tried skipping a step, but would only end up twice as tired as
before. )inally, they reached the top. =otties head bumped against the stone, causing her to
swear loudly. 0ndrea looked at her disapprovingly, but 'tainthorpe laughed sadly. 'he
tapped on the stone above with her wand and it opened up.
The daylight was blinding. =ottie rubbed her eyes. No$, she murmured.
&Were going to have to be a bit more low key this time,( 'tainthorpe said. &Were not as
protected as we were before.( 'he led them to another dumpster and hid behind it for a few
minutes. &They wont recognize you two, but they will recognize me. 'o go on without me if
you need to. /ot that% m sure "r. =ontelles will hide you.(
=ottie nodded, but her throat was dry. 'he prayed that no 1eath @aters would catch
'tainthorpe. The idea of having to go on alone was terrifying.
&0lright. ,eady% /o.(
They ran. 'tainthorpe counted the houses as they went. They didnt see any 1eath @atersI
the street was mostly deserted, but with so many houses, =ottie was worried somebody was
watching. &'top,( 'tainthorpe breathed, holding out a hand. They were in front of number
eighteen. The door was a faded red. 7aint chipped off the wood, leaving light pink behind in
the mahogany.
'tainthorpe turned to the pair and smiled. &,eady%( 'he climbed onto the stoop and knocked
with the brass, lion head knocker. They stood in silence for a few minutes? a light above them
was e$tinguished. 'tainthorpe knocked again. =otties heart fluttered. 'he thought she could
hear footsteps drawing nearer. 1usty rubies around the side of the lion knocker glimmered as
the door opened.
The man inside was not at all =otties idea of the heroic -eville =ongbottom. He was pudgy,
with a round face and dark eyes that did not glimmer like 7rofessor "aeliorics. His hair was
a dull brown, peppered with grey. He wore short, threadbare robes, khaki pants and an
untucked shirt. His eyes were lined with dark circles.
Est-%e ,ue %est la Maison de Monsieur >i%tor ). 3ontelles4 'tainthorpe asked.
The man eyed her suspiciously. Oui, he said.
Ae suis 7rofessor "arianne 'tainthorpe. Ae suis partie de la r?(olution anglaiseI0lsemore
0cademy.(
;ui sont-elles4 The man pointed at =ottie and 0ndrea with his wand. =ottie wrapped her
fingers around her own.
/es ?tudiantes. =ottie ,owe et 0ndrea Woolbright. Elles sont i%i a(e% moi par%e ,uelles
ont d?%ou(ert ,uel,ue %hose dimportant, 'tainthorpe said. =ontelles furrowed his brow and
squinted. 'tainthorpe went on, Est-%e ,ue (ous %onnaBsse* ,uel,uun ,ui sappelle -eville
=ongbottom%(
=ontelles stared at 'tainthorpe, who smiled knowingly back at him. His eyes grew wide and
he took a step out of the doorframe.
.ermione4
Chapter 3.: Chapter Twenty8Nine: 0ermione"! Tale
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to The2ird for the beta !ob> *oure the bestIeven if you are a
'lytherin.
n the last chapter, =ottie, 0ndrea and 'tainthorpe arrived in 7aris, only to have to fight off
several 1eath @aters. They travel through )rance and finally arrive at =ontelless home, only
to have -eville recognize 'tainthorpe for who she really is.
This chapter is dedicated to my cat, =eo, who call my =ittle =eopard.
: : :
8hapter Twenty#-ine; Hermiones Tale
0 great silence permeated the room. =ottie could feel it sinking into her bones, through the
windows and down the floorboards. Her gaze never shifted from =ontelless face.
)inally, 'tainthorpe spoke. &-eville.( 0 smile of unabashed happiness stretched across her
thin lips. 'he moved first, breaking the static stillness that had captured the room. 0rms wide,
she embraced him.
=ottie and 0ndrea e$changed significant glances as the two adults laughed, hugging tightly.
'tainthorpe e$plained, &/irls, this is -eville =ongbottom. We went to school together.(
0ndreas eyes grew wide under her thick glasses. &Hermione%( she repeated. &Hermione
:ranger4
=ottie gasped. Hermione /ranger had been friends with Harry 7otterI8olm 'crivener had
told her that when they had detention together in first year. 2ut she had disappeared after the
warIshe was assumed dead. f Hermione /ranger wasnt dead, whoelse was hiding%
&*oure ali(e4 =ottie asked.
=ontellesI=ongbottom beamed. &Dnew it was you,( he said cheerfully. &,ight when saw
you. recognized your eyes.(
&2ut thought you had died, =ottie went on. &Dilled by the 1eath @aters, 8olm 'crivener
told me. f you were alive, why didnt you tell someone% Why didnt you help the cause
earlier%(
'tainthorpe shook her head. &/oing undercover was the most could do,( she said solemnly.
&They had killed Harry and ,on. What was supposed to do% could help !ust as much this
way.(
0ndrea still looked doubtful. &How do we +now, though% dont think the real Hermione
/ranger would abandon her friends like that.(
& didnt abandon them.( 'tainthorpesIHermiones voice rose and quivered.
The hairs on the back of =otties neck stood up. 'tainthorpe had always looked !ust barely
composed, but =ottie had never seen her break down. -ow, her hair was flying in every
direction? her eyes were red and watering. -ow she seemed helpless.
&.nce they died, theyIthey died. 'tainthorpeIHermiones voice shook. Tears glimmered
in her eyelashes. &They have been dead forIfor fi#fifty years. -othing can do will change
that. 2his is how can help, by teaching, by preparing the ne$t generation to fight the battle
couldnt win.(
=ottie was overwhelmed with curiosity. &2ut how did you meet him%( she asked. &Harry
7otter, mean.(
Hermione sighed and shut her eyes for a moment. & met him and ,on when we were eleven.
t was so long ago, but still remember it perfectly.(
=ottie sat down on the cold floor. 'he could tell that this would be a long story. 0ndrea
followed suit. -eville flicked a battered wand and con!ured two squishy armchairs for
Hermione and himself.
& grew up a "uggle. had no idea of the magical world or my own powers until got my
letter from Hogwarts, e$plaining everything. found myself thrust into a world where could
completely reinvent myself. didnt have to be the ugly girl with a weird name anymore. 'o
when got my te$tbooks, studied. was determined to fit in, to know everything and more.
met Harry and ,on on the train ride to Hogwarts.( 0fter a moments silence, she added, &
met -eville too, didnt % *ou had lost your toad.(
-eville smiled sheepishly.
&'o we went to Hogwarts,( Hermione continued. &This was long before the 1ark =ord had
taken over, mind you. Harry, when he was a baby, had defeated 5oldemort on aI( 'he
stopped, seeing the horrified looks on =ottie and 0ndreas face. &m sorry,( she said quickly.
&Harry used to make us use the name. He always repeated what 1umbledore said.(
-eville chimed in with her, and together, they recited, #ear of a name in%reases fear of the
thing itself.
&Well he did have a point, didnt he%( -eville said. &)olks today are more scared than ever.(
&0nd with good reason.( Hermione sighed.
=ottie shivered. The name haunted her, echoed in the back of her mind. 0 shiver crept up her
spine. 'he spun around. -othing was behind her e$cept the peeling stretch of gray wall.
&Well, anyway, Harry had sort of defeated *ou#Dnow#Who as an infant, and was deemed
2he =oy Who 3i(ed, only later to become 2he "hosen One. 'he looked up at the ceiling.
&'o we met on the train, but we werent e$actly friends then. 0ll of us were sorted into
/ryffindor, but it wasnt until Halloween that we actually became friendly. )rom that day on,
we were together until the end. +uite like you two, really.(
'he smiled at them. =ottie stared at 0ndrea. 'he didnt know why, but that thought made her
very uncomfortable.
&We had so many adventures together,( continued Hermione. &n our first year, we rescued
the 'orcerers 'tone from 5olIsorryI*ou#Dnow#Whose clutches. n our second yearI
well was paralyzed for half of it.( 0 smirk crossed her face. &2ut Harry destroyed the Heir
of 'lytherins monster and saved ,ons younger sister from the 8hamber of 'ecrets.(
=ottie glanced at 0ndrea, whose !aw hung open limply.
&n the third year, you rescued 'irius 2lack from the dementors,( -eville added. He had been
keeping track of her adventures on his fingers.
&0nd 2uckbeak,( Hermione said with a laugh. =ottie didnt understand half of this, but
Hermione and -eville seemed to be en!oying themselves. &n fourth year, Harry got entered
in the Triwizrad Tournament. He witnessed 5I*ou#Dnow#Whose rebirthing. 2y fifth year,
nobody believed his claims that *ou#Dnow#Who was back. 7oor Harry had to go through an
entire year of being alienated.(
& wonder if *ou#Dnow#Who would have been defeated earlier if anyone had believed him,(
said -eville thoughtfully.
Hermione looked at the dusty floor. &We can only wonder,( she said. &We cant go back that
far with Time#Turners.( 'he shook her head as though to rid herself of the idea and went on.
&We all went to a battle at the old "inistry of "agic. Theyre !ust ruins now. -eville was
there too, remember% *ou#Dnow#Who 1ust escaped, but at least people believed Harry thenI
they had no choice.(
.ut of the corner of her eye, =ottie could see the light from the window diminishing.
'hadows slowly crept along the floor as silence overtook the group. -eville rose from his
chair and shuffled to a dusty, off#white marble fireplace. With a flick of his wand, the log
inside ignited. He watched the flames dance and lick the bottom of the chimney for an entire
minute, before adding, &Harry also formed the 1.0 that year.(
&.h yes.( Hermione grinned. &We formed a groupIThe 1.0 or 1umbledores 0rmy. Harry
taught us defensive skills. think its how both of us survived the war,( she mused, gesturing
between her and -eville. &*es, the 1.0 really marked Harrys beginning as the leader.(
&n our si$th year, a battle erupted in Hogwarts.( -eville tapped his wand against his knee as
he remembered. &1eath @aters had broken into the school andHand that was the night
1umbledore was killed.(
&Dilled by 'everus 'nape>( =ottie blurted, thrilled to finally know something.
Hermione nodded. &)or our first five years of school, he was the 7otions "aster. n our si$th
year, he taught 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts.(
&He was your tea%her4 0ndrea asked.
&We met him,( =ottie said. &=ast summerIwe met him when we went to /rimmauld 7lace.
Oh5 0nd thats why he recognized you>(
0ndrea frowned. &2ut if he was a teacher, why would he do something like that%(
&1umbledore had a great trust in 'nape,( Hermione said sourly.
&2ut how do you know what side hes on%(
&Well that was the question. We never actually found out. 7almyitor believes that he is one
hundred percent on our side.( Hermione shrugged. &0fter our si$th year, Harry decided he
wasnt going back to Hogwarts. He had important things to do. 'o ,on and followed him.
We loved him, so we went with him.(
)rom the corner of her eye, =ottie could see 0ndreas mouth completely open in
concentration.
Hermiones eyes started to water at this point. 'he glanced at the window, which was now
completely dark. =ottie could hardly make out the black horizon of other townhouses against
the night sky. &We followed him out of school and on a !ourney that would taken us "erlin
knows how far,( Hermione said. &t happened at Hogsmeade,( she said in a whisper. &We
were taking a break to meet with some of our old professors to ask questions andIsuddenly,
1eath @aters surrounded us.(
Her voice broke. &There was little we could do. We called for backups, but we were still so
outnumbered. When *ou#Dnow#Who appeared, he k#killed Harry.( 'he snapped her fingers.
&Aust like that. He fell so slowlyIlike our entire world eroding before our eyes. .nce he was
gone, we knew the war was over. 2ut the 1eath @aters didnt leave without killing as many
as they could.(
&/inny died right after Harry,( -eville said solemnly. &=ike she gave up the will to live, once
he was gone.(
&)enrir /reyback killed ,on,( Hermione said, dabbing the corner of her eyes with her sleeve.
&0nd Hagrid.(
&2ut /rawp got him back,( -eville attempted.
=ottie raised her eyebrows and glanced at 0ndrea, whose mouth was now hanging so wide
that =ottie thought she had broken it.
&0nd so many people we didnt even know,( Hermione continued, ignoring -evilles effort
to change the sub!ect. &.ne woman died with a child in her arms.(
-eville looked gloomily at the floor. & saw "elinda 1uffIyou know, she was a /ryffindor
a few years older than usIget hit. 'he looked soIsadIlike she lost all the hope in the
world.( -eville shook his head.
0 silent moment passed between the four of them in a sort of vigil for the dead. 8uriosity
burned inside of =ottie, but she restrained herself as long as she could to respect Hermione
and -evilles feelings. 0fter about a minute and a half, she asked, &'o you two were both
members of the .rder of the 7hoeni$%(
Hermione smiled. &.h yes,( she said with a nod. &WeI mean Harry, ,on and !oined right
after 1umbledore died.(
&*ou knew 1umbledore%(
Hermione laughed. &-ot quite as well as Harry did. *ou would think they were grandfather
and grandson. 2ut after 1umbledore died, Harry took charge of the .rder.( Her faced
darkened against the firelight. &ts not that he wasnt a good leader, he was !ust young. He
hadnt even finished school.(
&1umbledore was the 'ecret Deeper as well,( -eville added. &2ut right before he died, he
switched and gave Tonks the secret. ts like he knew or something.(
&0nd then,( Hermione said, &when she was in danger, we switched to =upin. We could have
easily !ust let the secret die with her, but we needed to keep using /rimmauld 7lace as our
headquarters. We had nowhere else to go. 'o after =upin it wasI(
&Dingsley.(
&0nd think 0berforth was the last,( Hermione said, &before you, -eville.(
&We still dont now how 0berforth was put in danger,( said -eville. &7ersonally, think he
!ust got a bit bored of us and wanted to go back to the Hogs Head. He mentioned something
about his goats needing him. 'o was the last. .nce Harry died, everything got a bit quiet.
There werent many of us left. @ven after the battle, .rder members were dropping like
do$iesI1eath @aters were hunting us down. There werent even enough of us to keep
passing the secret around. We knew the only way to keep /rimmauld 7lace a safe haven for
the members was to get me out of the picture. 'o they gave me an alias and shipped me out
here. 1id you knowI(
&That your name and address is an anagram for 9Ne(ille 3ongbottom is the 0e%ret )eeper4
Hermione finished. -eville looked stunned. &0ndrea, here, figured it out.(
&0 bit like you, is she%( -eville chuckled.
Hermione glanced at 0ndrea out of the corner of her eye and said, &m sure shell be rattling
collectors tins under peoples noses any day now.(
0ndrea, who didnt understand the !oke at all, decided not to take it offensively, since it was
clearly all meant in good fun.
&*es, but the .rder did like us to use anagrams,( -eville went on. &t was Harrys ideaIand
a clever one at that because an .rder member would have no problem remembering how to
find me if they needed to. 'o, came out here. The 1elacours would check on me sometimes,
but was mostly on my own. picked up )rench fairly quickly with some tutoring from
/abrielle and lived my life as a "uggle. ts been horrible, having to stay up here if
anybody comes and decides to reform the .rder. tried a few times, but after 5oldemortsI
sorryIvictory, people were too scared to start a rebellion.(
&Well )orna$, -aesa and ,yan did start one. They had no idea you were still around,(
Hermione said.
&"y snuffbo$ idea didnt work then.(
&'nuffbo$%( =ottie asked.
&.h yes.( -eville shifted in his chair. & made about one hundred and fifty. They !ust looked
like normal wizarding antiques, but if you performed the proper set of spells, it would open.
The .rder could use them to pass along the secret, if they tried to reform the group.(
=ottie looked up. &0ndIand what would be in it%(
&HmB it was a parchment, written by me, that stated the location of the .rder of the 7hoeni$
and a small phoeni$ figurine. 8lever invention that wasIit grows hot whenever youre near
someone in the .rder.(
&.r,( 0ndrea said with growing e$citement, &if you put it on a map, it would grow hot
around the area where an .rder member is>(
&Hm, never thought of that.( -eville rested his chin on his fist. & suppose it would work,
with the charms put on it.(
&t does>( 0ndrea e$claimed. &Thats how we found you.(
&2ut why was it burning,( =ottie began, &that day after we visited /rimmauld 7lace in
7almyitors office%(
&2ecause was there,( Hermione said. 0fter a moment, she added, &'nape was there as
well.(
-evilles eyes grew wide. &*ou two visited /rimmauld 7lace%( he asked. &How did you find
it%(
&Well, d found a snuffbo$ at the school,( =ottie e$plained, her chest swelling with pride. &
found it in a secret chamber, which found using a key from the traitors dormitory.(
&-o ones been in /rimmauld 7lace for years,( -eville said, looking over his shoulder. &1id
you find anything%(
&-ot much.( 0ndrea shrugged.
&0 few dead do$ies,( =ottie listed, ticking them off on her fingers, &some bottles and a few
other things. 7almyitor took it all, though.(
&They snuck out of the "uggle camps when they were supposed to be visiting their families,(
Hermione said in a clear attempt to reassume her role as teacher. &They remind me of us
when we were younger.(
&2ut why, asked 0ndrea, struck by a curious idea, &did you keep switching 'ecret
Deepers%(
&2ecause the 'ecret Deeper kept getting discovered,( -eville answered automatically
&2ut how4
-eville frowned. &Im not sure.(
&0 spy>( =ottie suggested with a gasp. &'nape, probably>(
Hermione shook her head. &Honestly ,owe, sometimes think youre the female
embodiment of Harry and ,on put together. -aesa trusts 'nape.(
&'o did 1umbledore,( -eville said coldly.
&2ut where did she meet 'nape anyway%( =ottie went on. &7robably at a 1eath @ater meeting
or something.(
&,owe, wouldnt be so sure of things that you dont fully understand. -aesa was only a few
years older than us in schoolIhe was her teacher.(
=ottie stared. &7almyitor went to Hogwarts%(
&.h yes,( Hermione said. &1o you remember her, -eville% 'he dated "arcus )lint for a
month or two.(
)or some reason, =ottie had never imagined a school age 7almyitor. t was as if she was born
a strict, seventy#something woman with a secret affinity for pink nightgowns. &1id "aelioric
and 8lynalmoy go to Hogwarts too%( she asked.
&*es, they were in the same year as -aesa. didnt notice ,yan much thenIhe was in
,avenclaw, but remember )orna$ barging into the common room, complaining loudly
about -aesa.( Hermione laughed. &"ade for each other, would have saidIthey fought
about as much as ,on and me. -aesa never seemed interested though.( Hermione shrugged.
&0nd in his age, )orna$ has gotten a lot quieterIseems to like the solitude.(
& dont think 7almyitor likes "aelioric much,( 0ndrea said thoughtfully. &-ot in that way at
least. think they would argue too much together.(
& think 7almyitor argues too much with everyone,( =ottie said wryly.
Hermione snorted with laughter. 0ndrea smiled nervously.
&2ut if 'nape kept putting people in danger,( =ottie began, eyeing -eville, &we should do
something about him before he finds out about you.
-eville shrugged. &When was younger, the mere idea of that would have terrified me. 0t
this age, though, wonder if he would even bother. The .rder ended long ago.(
&Then you should restart it>( =ottie shouted. &How else are we going to defeat the 1ark
=ord%(
-eville smiled. &*oure too young,( he said. &*ou wouldnt understand everything behind
the movement. f !oined youIand claimed to have reformed the .rder, it would be no
different than how it is now.(
&Thats not true. The man in the barricade didnt ask any questions when 'tainIerIHerI
ermB(
&Hermiones fine for now,( Hermione said helpfully.
&,ight. The man at the barricades didnt ask any questions when Hermione told him about
the .rder, did he% t would unify the rebellion around the world with a name that everyone
can recognize.( =ottie was proud of herself for her 0ndrea#like phrasing.
&'he has a point,( Hermione said. &There could be representatives from each country that
meet and give each other ideas.(
&0nd,( 0ndrea piped in, now willing to share her thoughts since the idea was approved by a
teacher, &make sure theyre not stepping on each others toes with their parts of the
rebellion.(
&-ow youre all against me%( -eville asked !okingly. &Why cant you !ust let an old man live
out the rest of his days in peace%(
&f youre not going to do it,( said Hermione sternly, &then you better pass the secret along to
me. This idea is too good to pass up.(
&Why would we come all the way out here if we werent going to do anything with the
knowledge we gained%( asked 0ndrea, raising her eyebrows.
&What was your mission anyway%( -eville asked. &What would you have done if turned out
to be a mad old man locked up in a town house with a fascination for word games%(
&We would have reported it to the leaders and gone on with our lives,( Hermione said,
patting him good#naturedly on the back. &"aybe brought you some crossword puzzles. 2ut
since youre not insaneI( =ottie raised her eyebrows suspiciously at -eville as Hermione
went on, &our mission is to get you back to 0lsemore safely and see what you can do to help
the cause.(
=ottie looked up at him, making her eyes as round as possible. &We need somebody to be a
leader and stand up for the .rder.(
&1ont think dont know what youre trying to do,( -eville chuckled, staring down at
=ottie. &2ut you do raise a good point. ll come, but dont want to be a surprise when get
there.(
&@$cellent>( Hermione pulled out her wand, flicked it and muttered an incantation. 0 silver
otter burst from her wand tip, swam around her once and frolicked out the window. &Aust sent
word to 7almyitor,( she e$plained to =ottie and 0ndrea.
=ottie stretched and yawned casually. &'o what do we do now%( she asked. &"ission
accomplished on day one. Weve still got all of Auly here, dont we%(
&We do,( Hermione said, e$amining her fingernails. &2ut something tells me well find
something to keep us busy. .h, heres -aesa now.(
0 silver glow emanated from the window and shone clear against the black sky. Warmth
spread across the little house and tingled in =otties fingertips as a four#legged creature glided
through the glass. t was a catIa big cat like those =ottie had seen pictures of in books.
&/ood idea,( it said. t spoke in 7almyitors voice. &,eforming the .rder will bring the
revolution together.( The leopard seemed to grow less and less solid by the minute. =ottie
could see the living room clearly through its body. t shimmered and flickered, casting an
eerie white glow across their faces.
&Whats happening%( =ottie asked.
&t might be the distance,( Hermione said. &.r maybe -aesa isnt feeling particularly
cheerful right now.(
&m shocked,( =ottie said.
The leopards mouth was moving. &'shh>( Hermione hissed. &ts still talking.(
=ottie leaned in, holding her breath.
&/o to 2eau$batons,( it said, !ust barely audible. &'tart uniting the cause. /et those two a
dueling tutor. They could use it.(
The leopard stretched its back and paced once around the room. =ottie felt a rush of warmth
as the tip of its tail brushed against her ankles. t stopped in front of the fireplace. Through
the cats misty body, =ottie could see the flames dancing and licking the bottom of its paws.
t opened its mouth. =ottie strained her ears and heard, faintly above the cackling of the fire,
&8areful, ,owe.( The image flickered and faded, leaving only a wisp of silver behind.
Chapter 3-: Chapter Thirty: 5eau%baton!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! note: Thanks to The2ird for being super quick> n the last chapter, Hermione told
her story and 7almyitor told them to go to 2eau$batons and get =ottie and 0ndrea a dueling
teacher.
This chapter is dedicated to my cat, 'am.
: : :
8hapter Thirty; 2eau$batons
They spent the rest of the night in -evilles townhouse? Hermione advised they try to lay low
for the day, since the 1eath @aters would surely be on the look out for them. &/etting to
2eau$batons will be harder enough,( she told them. &ts heavily guarded, but m sure
theyll recognize -eville and me.(
&Whys it guarded%( asked =ottie.
&ts a school,( -eville answered from the stove? steam rose from vegetables cooking in a
frying pan. &Well, it used to be. -ow its sort of like an army training base.(
&'ort of like 0lsemore, then,( 0ndrea said.
&0 bit,( said Hermione, still perched in her armchair. &Which is why were heading over
there. 2ill and )leur run the school, dont they%( she asked. -eville nodded. &.h, it will be
no problem getting in, then. Well !ust have to get past the 1eath @aters.(
&1eath @aters>( =ottie shouted, dropping her wand. &There are 1eath @aters around there%(
&There are 1eath @aters everywhere, =ottie,( 0ndrea muttered, her nose stuck in an old
8harms book she had found on -evilles bookshelf. &HonestlyB(
Hermione and -eville e$changed amused glances.
&2ut if theyre in front of the school, why dont they !ust go in%( =ottie asked as she slipped
her wand back into her pocket.
&ts hidden,( -eville e$plained, spooning cauliflower and zucchini onto four plates. &Thats
why its going to be so much trouble or us to get there. 0nd its dangerous to send a 7atronus
messenger, because the 1eath @aters would definitely see it. -obody uses owls anymore and
)loo 7owder is out of the question. 0pparating wont work, of course. .ur best bet is to head
over there and hope 2ill and )leur see us before the 1eath @aters do.(
=otties !aw hung open. &That sounds awesome>( 'he brandished her wand in front of her
like a sword. & dont understand why the adults get to do all of the cool things,( she went on.
&d love to go on adventures like that and help the cause. cant wait to tell everyone at
school what we did this summer.(
&*ou better not,( 0ndrea said before Hermione opened her mouth. &*ou know what
7almyitor said about telling anyone. 0nd if you get me in trouble on more time, swear.
'he returned to the yellowing pages of her book.
&d love to see what 'crivenerI( =ottie stuck her tongue out and squinted her eyes in
disgust &Iwould say whenI(
&IifI(
8if he found out.(
0ndrea laughed dryly. &Hed probably say the only reason he didnt get to go is because hes
too valuable.(
&0 modern day 1raco "alfoy%( -eville asked Hermione.
&-ot ,uite as bad,( she said as she picked at her food. &These two !ust have struck up some
kind of rivalry with him.(
&2ecause hes stupid and fat and wont leave us alone,( =ottie said through a mouthful of her
dinner. 0ndrea didnt say anything, but =ottie could see the corners of her mouth twitching.
&0nd 0lly .verton too,( she continued. & dont know why shes even in the school. They
should !ust have left her in the camps to rot.( Hermione raised her eyebrows. Hurriedly,
=ottie added, &0nd it wouldnt have even been that bad. The half#blood camps cant be
nearly as awful as the "uggle camps.(
&Theyre less crowded, anyway,( Hermione said.
They spent the rest of the evening sitting over their empty dinner plates listening to Hermione
and -evilles tales of childhood and school days. =ottie found them fascinating and !umped
with e$citement when one of them would mention Harry 7otter. 'he had heard all of the
stories, of course, but there was something about the friendship he had with Hermione and
-eville that satisfied her thirst for information.
That night, =ottie and 0ndrea fell asleep on cots that -eville had con!ured in the living room.
=ottie woke to 0ndrea shaking her awake and the smell of scrambled eggs. Audging by the
light pouring in from the window, it was not early in the morning, but for =ottie it might as
well have been. Her body ached with tiredness as she pushed herself out of bed and trudged
over to the long, mahogany table. @ggs and potatoes were piled onto -evilles faded china.
'he took a seat on a rickety, three#legged stool. &WhIwhIwhat time is it%( she yawned.
&-early eleven,( Hermione responded from the sink. &We let you two have a bit of a lie#in
because the 1eath @aters would be e$pecting us to leave early again.(
&How are we getting to the school%( 0ndrea asked.
&ts a bit south of here,( -eville said. &0nd since we cant 0pparate or go by 7ortkey or
)loo, well be flying.(
=ottie attempted to spoon a bite of potato into her mouth, but ended up hitting the side of her
face instead. 'he had only ever used a broom during the occasional )lying lesson and was not
very good at all. 'he wasnt the only one who looked nervous? both Hermione and -eville
seemed to be mentally motivating themselves for the !ourney ahead. .nly 0ndrea looked
confident.
&@rIand how far will we be going%(
&t shouldnt be too far,( -eville said. &"aybe an hour in the air before we land in a safe
zone and go the rest of the way on foot.(
=ottie gulped. &0nd you think its likely well run into 1eath @aters% n the air4
&Well,( Hermione began, &there probably are air patrols. 2ut when we find out where they
are, well do what we can to avoid them.(
&Where are we getting brooms%( 0ndrea asked.
&ve got my own,( -eville said, &and others recovered from /rimmauld 7lace.( He pointed
toward a pile of brooms in the corner. They each took one and, after -eville searched through
the several peepholes around his house and the other three strapped their bags to their backs,
shuffled outside.
=ottie inspected the broom she picked up. t was caked in dust and the paint was chipping,
but on the handle, she could vaguely read, #irebolt.
0ndrea pushed her glasses farther up her nose and looked at her own broom. The handle read,
"leansweep Ele(en in curly calligraphy.
&Were going to take off,( Hermione said, &and head west first before changing directions.(
'he laughed at =otties puzzled e$pression and said, &1ont worryI!ust follow me.(
=otties stomach gurgled as she kicked off the ground and followed 0ndrea in front of her.
They started off slowly. =ottie wasnt a great flyer, but she could tell that this broom was
superb. t seemed to know her fearful spasms from her actual attempts at steering and catered
to her needs.
-eville turned back and laughed. &-ot quite like Harry on a broom,( he observed. & guess
that ruins my theory. *ou two were starting to seem so alike that thought you were related.(
=ottie chuckled through a shiver and flew on toward 0ndrea. &0 b#bit nippy up here, eh%(
she asked. 0ndrea smiled but didnt reply.
The sky ahead was clear? being at this altitude with the wind blowing in her face made =ottie
grip her broom tightly to stop shaking. 'he suddenly regretted her lack of layers.
&Were going to have to be careful,( Hermione shouted back at them. &ts clearer than
e$pected, so try to keep asI( 'he stopped. 'omething black had !ust flown by in a blur. &/et
your wands out,( she hissed back at them.
=otties hands were so numb that she fumbled with the sycamore handle of her wand and
nearly dropped it. &What was that%( she asked 0ndrea.
&What do you think% 0shh5
There it was again, that blur of black moving so quickly that =ottie could hardly see it. 0 !et
of black sparks shot from the 1eath @ater toward the four. =ottie froze on her broom, but
0ndrea pushed her out of the way !ust in time. The sparks brushed the bottom of her hair.
&Thanks,( she said breathlessly.
Hermione and -eville were both flying with one hand steering and the other shooting !ets of
red light at the 1eath @aters. .ccasionally, =ottie would let go of the )irebolt and shoot a few
herself, but most of the time, she huddled behind the adults and dodged curses. The )irebolt
was perfect? it avoided spells sometimes without her even steering.
The 1eath @aters shouted rapid )rench at one another, disappeared and reappeared close by.
Their brooms were so good that =ottie could hardly even see them. There were only three left
IHermione and -eville had 'tunned the others.
.ne approached -eville, wand drawn, the other 0ndrea. The third was suddenly nowhere to
be seen. =ottie guessed he had gone for help. -eville 'tunned one easily? it fell from the sky,
limp as a ragdoll. Aets of light colored the sky. 0ndrea was a good enough flyer that she could
dodge the curses shot toward her until Hermione finally caught the second 1eath @ater with
her !in$.
=ottie felt a sudden tug on her broom. 'he swore loudly as she was pulled away from the
other three. 'pinning around, she saw the last 1eath @ater pulling the )irebolt toward him.
'he pointed her wand, but her mind was completely blank. The other three hadnt noticed her
yet. &.i> 0 little help here>( =ottie could hear the 1eath @ater laughing as he pulled out his
wand. 'truck by a sudden idea, =ottie waited and let herself be dragged back far enough until
I
W.'M5
'he kicked the 1eath @ater in the face and sped off to re!oin the others. &/reat !ob,(
Hermione said. &5ery creative.(
&We better land down here,( -eville said shakily. &Theyll be sending more soon and
searching the skies for usIwell want to be on the ground.(
They landed in a forest clearing. Hermione gathered all of the brooms, shrank them and stuck
them in her bag.
&.kay, were a bit farther away than would have liked,( -eville said, staring at his wand
lying flat on his palm. &Well have to go southI( he pointed in front of him &Ito be able to
see the castle. 8ome on and keep your wands out.(
=ottie followed along warily, spinning around every time a twig snapped or a tree rustled.
&ts fine, 0ndrea said reasonably. &We would be able to tell if it were a 1eath @ater.(
They walked for an hour. =otties limbs pounded with soreness as they passed tree after tree.
)inally, Hermione held her arm up and whispered, &Theres a group of 1eath @aters up
ahead. Hear them%( =ottie strained her ears and heard distant laughter. &Theyre resting,(
Hermione went on. &f we go around them quietly enough, we should be okay.(
Hermione led the way, walking lightly on her feet and avoiding anything that would make a
noise if she stepped on it. The other three followedIoccasionally, =ottie would have to grab
onto a tree or a rock For 0ndreaG to keep from falling.
0 horrible smell filled her nostrils. =ottie nearly gagged as they got closer. 0nd then she saw
themIfive 1eath @aters huddled around a fire. =ottie found the source of the smell
immediately? a human leg stuck out of the flames. 'he could see the flesh melting away and a
piece of chalk white bone amidst the blood.
The 1eath @aters were singing a rousing chorus of some )rench fighting song and didnt
seem to notice as the four crept by. &Were almost there,( Hermione whispered. & can see the
castle from here.(
,elieved, =ottie did a little skip, but regretted it immediately when her foot caught on a rock
and she fell, face pressing against the dirt. 'he stared up at 0ndrea, horrified.
;uest-%e ,uil y a4( shouted one of the 1eath @aters, rising.
&,un>( hissed Hermione. Without another word, the four took off sprinting toward the forest.
The 1eath @aters were far enough behind that their spells wouldnt hit them, but they were
quickly gaining.
=otties legs were going to fall off if she ran any farther. @ven though she was cramped from
flying, she moved as quickly as she could. The forest was thinning? a line of saplings creaked,
thinning steadily until the sun broke through their dense leaves. 0 huge pile of wreckage and
mossy boulders sat before them.
2hisIisItheIschool%( =ottie panted.
&ts notIquiteIas badIas you think,( -eville said over his shoulder.
They reached the front of the ruins. -eville knocked loudly on what seemed to be a large
boulder. &2ill>( he shouted. =ottie looked behind herIthe 1eath @aters were now within
shooting distance. &2ill, its me> -evIerI5ictor>(
.ne of the 1eath @aters raised his wand and sent purple sparks shooting toward them.
&"ove>( =ottie shouted, knocking 0ndrea away from the blast. They got out of the way !ust
fast enough that the curse only hit the corner of 0ndreas glasses, which shattered. 'hards of
the lens scraped 0ndreas face. 0ndrea and =ottie slammed against a rock, their heads down
to avoid any more curses.
Hermione spun around !ust in time to see a second curse flying at herIit collided with her
and she crumpled to the floor.
&2ill>( -eville shouted louder, pounding against the rock and staring hopelessly at
Hermiones crumpled body. =ottie could see Hermiones chest rising and falling, labored
though it was. E$pelliarmus5 -eville shouted at the 1eath @aters. 0tupefy5 -medimenta5
2==>(
The rock opened. =ottie looked up to watch it morph into a huge oak door to reveal an old
man with long, graying red hair and a fang for an earring. His face was wrongIunnatural.
'cars across it distorted his skin and made one eye seem to be drooping down his face.
&5ictor%( he asked through a hoarse voice. &Who areIHermione%(
He stood there in the doorway, mismatched eyes widened.
&-o time to e$plain,( -eville panted. &8an you !ust bloody let us in%(
2ill whipped out his wand and pointed it at Hermione. Her limp body lifted into the air and
was steered through the great oak doors. =ottie helped 0ndrea stand up and gave her a
shoulder to lean on.
2eau$batons revealed itself before them. 0 tall rock stretched and curved into a winding
staircase that reached farther than =ottie could see? ridges in the stone e$tended and became
steps. 0 pair of boulders flattened as though by giant, invisible hands, and became a dusty
floor. "oss grew so rapidly upward and formed into a ceiling, and ivy weaved itself into
walls. The entrance hall was big and musty, but still elegant.
&What happened%( 2ill asked, on their way through the entrance hall.
&8hased by 1eath @aters,( -eville said. &0nd its okay if you call me -eville here.(
&Who are these two%( He motioned toward 0ndrea and =ottie.
2hump. &.w>(
=ottie glanced at 0ndrea, whose eyes were squinted and whose arms were e$tended in front
of her like some delirious zombie. Without her glasses, her greatest danger was not 1eath
@aters, but walking into a wall. 'tifling laughter, =ottie steered her around obstacles by her
elbow.
&'tudents at 0lsemore,( -eville said. &Where are we going, the hospital wing%(
&*eah, !ust upstairs.( 2ill took his wand in both hands and carefully ascended the stairs with
Hermione gliding in front of him.
&*ou know about 0lsemore, dont you%( -eville asked. &The school of the rebellion back at
home.(
&,ight, right. Here we are.(
The 2eau$batons hospital wing was much nicer than the one at 0lsemore. +ueen beds with
light blue privacy screens around them lined the walls. 2ill placed Hermione gently on one of
the mattresses and sat down on a visitors stool.
&0h> 5ictor>( squealed a girly voice from the corner. 0 stunningly beautiful woman glided
into the room, her blond hair billowing behind her. Her hair wasnt like =otties shade of
blondInot patchy and stringy? it was perfectly highlighted and always hit the light in the
right ways. 'he was old, but age suited her. The lines on her face were not blemishes, but
marks that perfected her even more. Ne(ille5 ;uel suprise5 our,uoi es-tu i%i4
&Here on a mission,( -eville answered in @nglish.
2ill looked up and smiled, his distorted face stretching in odd directions. &)leur,( he said,
pointing to the bed where Hermione lay. &=ook who it is.(
)leur gasped. &@rmione%( she whispered. &2ut zought she wasIwasIwhat Eappened to
Eer%(
&t was a 1eath @ater,( -eville e$plained. &can you do anything for her%(
&.f course>( )leur snapped. 'he stared at =ottie and 0ndrea. &Cem as well%(
&0h, yes. 'houldnt be too difficult, hope%(
&-ot at all. <n moment.
=ottie glanced at 0ndrea, whose hands were bleeding from holding onto the shards of her
glasses too tightly. =ottie winced as pain twinged along the scrapes across her face.
&How did Hermione get here%( 2ill asked. & thoughtIsheI thought she hadIwith ,on.(
&'o had ,( admitted -eville. &'hes been under cover at 0lsemore, as a teacher there.(
&Well why wouldnt she tell us%( 2ill flipped his long hair out of his face. &Weve all been
grieving here for fifty#three years and shes rela$ing in a cozy teaching !ob%(
)leur returned with a tray of potions. 'he poured one into Hermiones mouth, waited ten
seconds and emptied a second bottle. 'he turned to =ottie and raised her wand? =ottie
winced. &.h dont be so silly,( )leur cooed. 'he flicked her wand and =ottie could feel her
cuts healing in double time. )leur did the same to 0ndreas hands. &Tsk, tsk,( she hummed,
holding the shards of 0ndreas glasses up. & do not know Eow well can fi$ zees. Cey were
Eit by 1ark magic, non4 0ndrea nodded. &Well, we will try. !eparo5
The glasses flew back together, but there was something wrong with them. They were off
center? the lenses seemed to be upside#down in their frames and the earpieces stuck out at odd
angles.
&We may Eave to do zis ze old fashioned way.( )leur handed 0ndrea the broken glasses
Fwhich snapped in half during the transferG and a roll of 'pellotape.
Hermione stirred. &2ill%( she asked? her throat was dry. &)leur%(
&@rmione>( )leur embraced her in a tight hug. &Where Eave you been% understand zat you
were undercover, but could you not send word zat you were alive%(
Hermione smiled. &*ou sound more and more like "olly Weasley every day.(
0ndrea rolled 'pellotape over her broken glasses moodily.
&'o what made you reveal yourself to us%( 2ill asked.
&t was their idea, really,( Hermione said, gesturing toward =ottie and 0ndrea who were now
both sitting on the bed opposite. &.h, this is 8harlotteI( =ottie cleared her throat &Ioh,
mean =ottie ,owe and 0ndrea Woolbright. Theyre students at 0lsemore.(
&.f course,( 2ill said, nodding.
&'o =ottie here stoIerIdiscovered a note from -eville telling her about the .rderB(
Hermione e$plained the whole story. =ottie beamed with pride whenever one of the adults
would glance over at them, impressed. 0ndrea was still sulking with her unfortunately
deceased eyewear.
When Hermione finished the story, 2ill nodded. &'ounds a lot like you, ,on and Harry.
Watch out 5oldemort, weve got the new 8hosen .ne on our hands.( He laughed, but the
hairs on =otties neck stood up.
&Thats what weve been saying,( Hermione went on, trying to recover her momentum.
&=ottie had the idea of turning the .rder into an international organization that kept tabs on
each countrys part of the rebellion. We talked to -aesaIshes one of the leaders in @ngland
Iand she said while were here, we may as well get a head start.(
&nteresting idea,( said 2ill, scratching his scarred chin.
&0nd we could Eave liaisons between zee countries,( )leur suggested.
&0nd meetings at /rimmauld 7lace,( -eville said.
&2ut what about 'nape%( =ottie asked.
2ill raised his scraggly eyebrows. &'nape is still ali(e4 he asked. &"erlin, thought he died
years ago.(
&2ut he knows the secret, doesnt he%( =ottie persisted. &He could get into our meetings.(
&7almyitor would let him in anyway,( Hermione said, rubbing her temples. &@ven after what
he did to 1umbledore, she still trusts him.(
'ilence followed as everybody tried to digest that. 1umbledores death seemed to be perfect
proof of 'napes untrustworthiness and yet nobody dared to contradict 7almyitor.
&'o,( 2ill said after a prolonged pause. &ts settled then% -eville will restart the .rder and it
will be used to unify the rebellions around the world.(
&'ounds good to me,( Hermione said.
&@$cellent.( -eville rose from his chair. &Well, we are planned to be here for about fifteen
more days.(
&We can start meeting some of the students,( Hermione said. &What ages are they%(
&0ll ages,( 2ill said with a glance at )leur. &Weve been housing pure#blood families, adults
who want to help. We get as many "uggle#borns out as we can, but you know how that
goes.(
&0re there any beds available%( Hermione asked. &)or =ottie and 0ndrea%(
&m sure we could find some.(
&.h, zere are two>( )leur e$claimed. &Two on top of zee Eighest tower. ,emember, 2ill% We
were going to Eave Aean zee caretaker stay up zere, but ze stairs were too Eard on Eis knees.(
&,ight.( 2ill glanced at =ottie who was restraining her laughter at 0ndrea, whose eyes
seemed to be magnified to three times their normal size under her warped lenses. &'o you
two will probably want to head up there and put your stuff down.(
&Here, take these.( Hermione handed them two brooms. &n case if you need to make a quick
escape.(
=ottie took the )irebolt and followed 2ill out of the hospital wing. He led them up a long,
winding staircase with doors on either side. & can see,( =ottie panted, &why this would be
hard on someones knees.(
2ill laughed and said, &0 lot harder to navigate than Hogwarts, eh%( He stopped and
frowned. &2ut you two have never been to Hogwarts, have you% "erlin, talk about an end of
an era.(
=ang5
The door to the right of them quivered in its frame. =ottie stumbled back a few steps and
pulled out her wand. 2ill laughed heartily. &-othing to be worried about,( he said, patting
=ottie on the back. &Aust dueling practice.( He opened the door and stuck his head in.( =ottie
peaked in as well and was shocked to see two men who were considerably older than her with
their wands drawn. 'ttention5 -l faut garder la %hateau$, 2ill told them, a grin spread
across his face. 'till laughing, he shut the door and e$plained, &Were less of a school here
and more of a training ground. We take anybody who wants to come and study as long as
they prove that theyre not a 1eath @ater first. .h, here we are.(
2efore them was an aged door with rusting hinges. 2ill turned the doorknob and pushed?
nothing happened. &Hold onIit sticks.( He rammed his shoulder into the door until it gave
way. &ts a bit dusty,( 2ill said, gesturing to the stuffy room. &-othing a quick charm
couldnt fi$ though.( He flicked his wand and, as though it were being sucked up by an
invisible force, the dust and cobwebs disappeared. &There you go,( he said. &*ou can drop
your stuff off and go back down and meet Hermione. dont know what she wants you to do
for two more weeks. "aybe you should !oin one of the training groups.(
&Thatd be great>( =ottie said.
&ll go ask Hermione about it.( He left, pulling the door e$tra hard to ensure that it closed.
=ottie dropped the )irebolt onto the bed and her duffle bag ne$t to it. &8ool here, huh%( she
said.
& guess.( 0ndrea dropped her pack and pulled out her clothes in neatly folded piles. & dont
know why they couldnt fi$ my glasses though.(
&.h, come on,( =ottie groaned. &Theyre still fun%tional at least.( The thickly 'pellotaped
bridge crinkled ominously. &@rIlets go downstairs and check out the castle.( =ottie slipped
her wand into her pocket, pulled the door e$tra hard to get out and took off down the stairs.
,olling her eyes, 0ndrea ran off after her.
The castle was huge and elegant. t gave off the air of what used to be very well taken care of,
but after surrendering to the cobwebs on the highest arches, went so quickly downhill that
nobody saw it go. t was more confusing than 0lsemoreIdoors opened to stretches of blank
walls and staircases led to nowhere in particular.
&=ottie, wait up>( 0ndrea said, running behind her. &We dont have to see the whole thing
today, you know.(
&,owe> Woolbright>( Hermione emerged from a door that =ottie hadnt noticed before. &
could hear your footsteps a mile off. ve been talking to 2ill and we thought maybe itd be
good for you two to practice your dueling with some of the teachers here.(
&8ool>( =ottie shouted.
&"eet "onsieur Aean 2ahorel.( Hermione gestured towards a frail looking old man in a
threadbare robe. Thin, white hairs poked out from underneath a navy blue knitted cap. &He
battled against 5oldemort in the first and second wars and has fought several duels in this
war.(
=ottie let out a low whistle.
&@r,( 0ndrea began tentatively, &does he speak @nglish%(
&.f course speak @english,( 2ahorel said in a rough )rench accent. & teach students about
your age,( he went on, &but zey do not speak your language.( His face seemed to be stuck in
an e$pression of disgruntlement. &'o you will attend zee classes when zey duel against each
ozer and do private lessons in @english as well.(
=ottie raised her eyebrows. This man was not kidding around when it came to dueling. E*our
first lesson is tomorrow,( 2ahorel went on. &Well see Eow much work we Eave for zee ne$t
two weeks.(
Chapter 32: Chapter Thirty8One: The 3uelin) Tutor
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! note: 'orry for the wait, guys? was out of town.
Thanks to The2ird for coming over and having a good laugh over this chapter with me... and
fi$ing my errors.
This chapter is dedicated to my cat, 8rookshanks. F*es, know. His name is 8rookshanks.G
: : :
8hapter Thirty#.ne; The 1ueling Tutor
=otties eyelids sunk with e$haustion. The sun had not yet risen, but she was already
crouched in the corner, waiting in 2ahorels 1ueling classroom. &*oud think he would have
the decency to at least show up on time.(
&Have some appreciation, will you%( 0ndrea snapped. &Hes elderlyIhes lived through
three wars and hes taking his time to help us. AustI(
&/ood morning.( 2ahorels hunched form appeared in the doorway. & Eope you are awake
ee#nough to pay proper attention.( He pulled his wand out and pointed it at =ottie. &*ouI(
he raised his eyebrows, causing the wrinkles on his forehead to deepen &Iopen your eyes.(
He dropped his wand and slipped it into his robe. &Ce first trick to a master dueler is to
always win.(
=ottie scoffed.
0ndrea chewed on the inside of her lip nervously. &How can be sure youll always win%(
&1o whatever you mustIto be a master dueler you must sur(i(e5 He shouted this so
vehemently that saliva sprayed the ground before him. &*ou must survive by any means
necessary.(
=ottie frowned, raising her eyebrows at the pool of spittle with distaste. &2y any means
necessary%(
&f a 1eaz @ater is trying to keel you and you only use defensive magicI(
&t would be an honorable fight>( 0ndrea finished, raising her voice to match 2ahorels tone.
&*ou would die.
0 moment of silence. =ottie gulped and glanced between 2ahorel and 0ndrea, who looked in
need of a 8heering 8harm.
&Would you razzer be honorable or alive%( he scowled, slamming his palm against his desk
with a resounding smack. &'o you two will duelIa friendly duel, please. do not want a
student to perish. Try to win by any means necessary. 0re you prepared% 'lle*.
=ottie scrambled to her feet and pulled out her wand. 'he lowered her head in the form of a
bow toward 0ndrea and stood, spinning her wand in her palm. )or a few short seconds, they
looked at each other with apprehension. =otties slack e$pression matched her blank mind.
2efore she could !erk herself out of hazy uncertainty, 0ndrea broke the silence.
E$pelliarmus5
rotego5 =otties natural instinct took over and she created a shield around herself. The
spell was strong enough to repel 0ndreas he$, but not strong enough to reflect it back at her.
7anting, she glared at 0ndrea and waited for her to make the ne$t move. &1o not wait>(
bellowed 2ahorel. &1o not wait for your enemy to attack you. 1o not rely on your defenses.(
&@rI( =ottie twirled her wand between her fingers, trying to decide what spell to cast.
&<se your instinct>( 2ahorel barked.
0ndrea waved her wand again and shouted, E$pelliarmus5
=ottie blocked it againIher shield this time was strong enough so that the disarming spell hit
0ndrea who promptly dropped her wand. =ottie smirked and turned to 2ahorel.
&@et is not over>( He shot sparks at the floor, which ricocheted against the padded walls.
&*ouIget your wand back> Would you give up zat easily%(
0ndreas eyes widened. =ottie could almost see tears fogging up her glasses. 'hakily, she
reached for her wand.
-mpedimenta5 =ottie shouted. 0ndrea froze, half bent over.
&/o>( 2ahorel yelled.
With the only thing that came to mind, =ottie !abbed her wand and cast a blasting curse.
0ndrea slammed against the padded walls and sank to the floor.
&/ood, good,( 2ahorel said. He waved his wand and unfroze 0ndrea. 'he got to her feet,
glowering at =ottie. & knew 7almyitor was on to somezing.( He smiled slyly. &*ouI( he
pointed at 0ndrea. &*ou could learn from ,owes creativity.( =ottie swelled with pride and
grinned at 0ndrea, who did not smile back.
&m sorry,( 0ndrea said slowly. &There must be a mistake. *ou want us to play dirty% To
cheat%(
&0ll is fair in love and war, zink zee e$pression is.( =ottie nodded along with 2ahorel
vigorously. &When an evil wizard is trying to Eurt you or kill you, Ee will not play fairly.(
0ndrea shrank against the wall. &ll !ust have to get used to it then,( she grumbled.
&Tomorrow, you will duel wiz my students,( 2ahorel continued, purposefully ignoring
0ndreas surly e$pression. &Cey use nonverbal incantations, so you will not know what ees
coming at you.(
&Then how do we block it%( 0ndrea demanded. Her hair seemed to stand on end. Her fists
shook as she narrowed her eyes behind her fogged glasses.
&<se your imagination>( 2ahorel !erked his arm into the air maniacally. &2e ready for
anyzing. *ou must be able to respond to nonverbal spells in order to survive.(
&2ut how can we surprise them if we need the incantations%( 0ndrea persisted.
&=earn>( 2ahorel scoffed in disgust and surveyed 0ndrea for a silent second, his face
darkening. When he was quite finished, he handed each of them a large stack of crumpled
and stained parchments. &Cese are some spells you may find useful. "aster ze first twenty by
tomorrow and you may stand a chance.(
=ottie unrolled one of the scroll and stared. &How can we learn all of them in one day%(
& am sure you can manage.( 2ahorel flicked his wand and the door burst open. 0 hinge
cracked against the padded wall. &We meet Eere tomorrow at one in zee afternoon.(
0ndrea stood rooted to the spot, staring hopelessly at the old man. &8ome on5 =ottie urged
from the doorway. .nce they were safely out of the classroom, the door slammed behind
them.
&8ool, huh%( =ottie said as they ascended the stairs to their tower dormitory. &That guy really
knows what hes talking about.(
&2ut he wants us to play dirty>( 0ndrea whispered furiously. &Have you looked at the spells
on that list% Half of them are 1ark "agic. Were no better than the 1eath @aters if we use
these.(
&tIit all depends on how you use them,( =ottie said uncertainly. &f you use them
defensively, then its okay.(
&Whatever you say,( 0ndrea said, ramming the door to their dormitory open with her
shoulder. &2ut m not going to use them.(
=ottie sat down on her bed and read over the parchment 2ahorel had given her. &How am
supposed to practice these, then% cant learn all these by myself.(
&Well m sure you can find someone here who speaks @nglish wholl help you,( 0ndrea
snapped. &m going to write to my mum.(
&.kay.( =ottie headed toward the door awkwardly, the list of spells in one hand, her wand in
the other. &ll catch you at lunch, then.(
'he wrenched the door open and found herself face to face with 2ill. &.h.( 'he !umped back
a step, startled. &Hi,( she said with an apologetic smile.
&Hey,( he said, taking a step down one stair. & was !ust coming to see how your lesson with
2ahorel went.(
&.h. t was great>( =ottie leaned against the marble banister. &0 new way of dueling, though.
We have a 1ueling class at 0lsemore, but its really formal. This is a lot more realistic.(
&*eah, its tough to get over the rules of the classroom,( 2ill said, &but once you do, you start
winning a lot more.( =ottie could glimpse a smile under his scars.
& was !ust going to practice, actually,( said =ottie after a pause. &2ahorel gave me about
twenty new curses to learn by tomorrow and 0ndreas writing to her family, so cant work
with her.(
&.h, ve got the perfect place for you.( 2ill turned on his heel and ran down a few steps.
&8ome on, its down in the basement.(
=ottie followed him down the set of winding stairs, while he e$plained, &ts quite a
remarkable invention. 2ahorel made it himself, actually.( They reached the ground floor and
began descending the stairs into a shadowy basement. 8obwebs filtered any light that made it
down that far. 0 repetitive drip resounded on the stone walls. &ts not real of course, and it
wont retaliate, but it sure looks realistic.( He pushed open an oak door to reveal a dark,
dingy room with artificial light filtering in from crystal orbs suspended above. n the corner, a
figure stood, wand arm outstretched. &/o on,( 2ill urged.
=ottie lit her wand and approached. n the dusty light, the figures face seemed to move and
smile, like it knew she was there and that she had let her guard down. =ottie inched even
closer. n her wand light his features were suddenly completely illuminated. Terror filled her
lungs and spread through her body? her heart leapt to her throat, constricting her breathingI
legs shaking, she screamed.
The 1ark =ord stood before her, white, wa$y and still. 2ut somewhere, =ottie still saw a
lifelike gleam in its eyes. &WhIwhat is this%( =ottie stuttered, backing away so quickly that
she bumped into the opposite wall. 'he had only ever seen posters of the 1ark =ord, never in
person. 0nd even though the posters moved and hissed at passersby, this figure was even
more lifelike in its calm demeanor.
&-o need to be afraid,( 2ill said, putting a hand on her shoulder and causing her to !ump
again. &ts completely artificialIeverything is !ust bewitched to look real.(
&Was it really necessary to make it him though%( =ottie asked with a shiver.
& think 2ahorels theory was that once you face the real thing, it wont be as scary the
second time.(
& doubt it,( =ottie grumbled. 'he took a breath. &2ut it cant hurt me, right%( 2ill shook his
head. &Then guess its worth a try.(
&The reactions to the curses are realistic too. /ive it a go.(
2iting her lip, =ottie searched through the scroll of spells and picked one that seemed easiest.
&@rB 0tupefy5
The figure seemed to burst into life. t walked toward her until the !et of shimmering scarlet
light hit it square in the chest. t didnt fall over immediately? instead it stumbled back and
slumped against the wall.
&-eed to work on that,( 2ill said from behind her, &but pretty good for a first try.(
The figure stood back up mechanically and reassumed its position against the wall. &This is
great>( =ottie told 2ill. 'he glanced over her shoulder at the figure, a chill suddenly creeping
up the back of her neck. &@rIthanks so much.(
&-ot a problem,( 2ill said. &m going to head up to see how the elves are doing with lunch.
Aust call if you need any help.(
&.kay>( =ottie waved at his retreating back. The door shut, and =ottie was left alone with the
figure. t seemed alive now that 2ills comforting presence was noticeably absent.
'lowly, =ottie turned back to the figure. )rozen with an eerie smile, it was even creepier
when it wasnt moving. &m not afraid of you.( Her voice quivered. &*ou d#dont scare me.
*oure nothing. 0tupefy5
The spell was more effective now, though still not perfect. The figure immediately fell
backward, but life still glimmered in its red eyes. t picked itself back up. n the dim light, it
seemed to be sneering at her. &*ou dont scare me,( =ottie said more loudly. &*ou dont>
0tupefy5
This time it worked. The !et of light seemed to catch it off guardIit fell over, eyes shut tight.
Hours passed and =ottie remained locked up in the tiny room, practicing every curse until it
was perfected. 0 knock on the door startled her. 'he was consumed by tunnel vision? all she
saw was the figure of the 1ark =ord before her. The door opened.
&=ottie%( t was 0ndrea. &=unch is almost over. thought we were going toI=.TT@>( Her
eyes widened under her glasses. &WH0TI(
&-o, its okay>( =ottie said enthusiastically. &ts !ust a figure to use for practicing. ts not
real. =ook. 0e%tumsempra5
/ashes appeared in the figures black, silk robes. 'carlet poured from the 1ark =ord as it
crumpled to the floor. 0 pool of artificial blood ran down the stones on the floor and
surrounded =ottie and 0ndreas shoes.
0ndrea shouted profanities and bolted to the corner of the room, away from the blood.
&=ottie, thats really 1ark "agic,( she whispered with a side#glance at the crumpled 1ark
=ord.
&-ot when youre using against a 1eath @ater,( =ottie said. &m going to do what have to,
to survive this war. Theres a reason 2ahorel is still alive, you know.(
0ndrea wrinkled her nose. & still dont like it.(
&)ine. Then you dont have to use these spells tomorrow.( 0 moment of stiffness passed
between the two friends. &1o you want to go to lunch, then%(
&'ure,( 0ndrea said, turning and leaving the room. =ottie followed, glancing over her
shoulder at the figure of the 1ark =ord. &How many of those curses have you learned%( asked
0ndrea.
&0bout half,( =ottie said nonchalantly. &"ost of them were a lot easier to figure out than
thought.(
& would imagine,( 0ndrea muttered.
&What%(
&Well everything ve read says that 1ark "agic is simpleIas long as you mean it.(
&"aybe thats why 2ahorel made the target the 1ark =ord, then,( =ottie said thoughtfully.
&2ecause everybody hates him.(
&.r is scared of him,( 0ndrea added. &)ear can also spur 1ark magic.(
& dont think so,( =ottie said as they entered through the doors of the /reat Hall. The Hall at
2eau$batons was much more elegant in its age than 0lsemores. nstead of long tables, there
were clusters of small, circular tables meant for groups of four of five people. &7eople who
use 1ark "agic arent afraid of their targets. That doesnt make sense. 2ahorel isnt afraid of
anything. The 1eath @aters cant be afraid of the Muggles, =ottie said. &.h, hi>( 'he waved
at Hermione and -eville, who were sharing a pot of stew.
0ndrea waved politely and turned to sit at a table out of their earshot. &*ou dont think they
are%( she asked seriously. &Think about itIwhat if the "uggles revolted% -ot the tiny camp
revoltsI mean if e(ery "uggle revolted. They must be terrified. 0nd think about having to
report that to the 1ark =ord.( 'he shivered.
=ottie frowned. & guess so.(
Hermione stood up from her stew and swept over to them. &How was your lesson%(
0ndrea opened her mouth to answer, but =ottie quickly intervened, &/reat. t was really cool.
Howre the plans for the .rder going%(
Hermione shrugged. &ts hard to get people to !oin,( she said. &-ot,( she added hastily,
&because its not a good idea. Theyre !ust afraid to use the name. 0fter what happened to the
old .rder members, can you blame them%(
& thought that was why they were here. To train,( 0ndrea said thoughtfully.
&Well, yes, but they were hoping for a nice undercover !ob, d bet,( Hermione e$plained.
&2ut for every ten people who say no, we get one yes, so its not a complete waste of time. 0
lot of them have family in other countries who they say would be happy to !oin up too.(
&'o were really going international,( 0ndrea said. &Thats e$citing.(
&*es. -aesa is particularly enthusiastic.(
=ottie laughed. &ve never seen her enthusiastic in my life. @$cept maybe in detention.(
=otties an$iety woke her early again the ne$t morning. Her stomach flipped over as she
pushed herself out of bed. 8lass wasnt until one in the afternoonIshe knew she had no
chance of getting to sleep again. 'he had never really dueled against anybody who wasnt her
age and hoped that 2ahorel would set her against 0ndrea.
The red morning light shone through the dusty windows. 0ndrea was still sleeping. 1eciding
not to wake her, =ottie scribbled a note.
:one to pra%ti%e. 0ee you at one.
'he stuck it on the tiny table beside 0ndreas bed and tiptoed out of the dormitory. The castle
had succumbed to silence. =otties own breath was magnified. Her own pulse was deafening
Iit roared in her ears, but it couldnt have been as loud as the thoughts careening through her
head? all of the old, dark portraits along the wall were snoozing, leaning their heads against
their frames.
'omething in front of her e$ploded. =ottie froze in her tracks and spun around. &Watch it>(
she shouted to two teenage boys dueling fiercely before her. .ne boy lowered his wand and
smiled, pushing a mop of sweaty blond hair out of the way of his blue eyes. =ottie realized
that they probably didnt speak @nglish. &@rB sorry,( she said awkwardly, bounding down
the stairs. .nce she reached the landing, she spun around and said, &8arry on.(
'he could hear the boys laughter as she descended the steps to the basement. The door to her
training room stood a!ar. The figure of the 1ark =ord leaned casually against the wall, his
pointed teeth glinting in the little light found in the dingy room.
The night before, she had practiced each spell, but she was far from perfecting any of them.
-n%endio5 she shouted lazily at the figure. ts robes caught on fire. )or a few moments,
=ottie watched it run about the room in circles with grim satisfaction until the figure mended
itself.
/iffindo, she tried. 0 rip appeared in its robes? crimson blood flowed from underneath.
&0re you really going to use that against a real person%( came 0ndreas voice from the
doorway.
=ottie turned around. &Why shouldnt %(
&2ecause you could seriously hurt someone.(
&2ahorel wouldnt have said it was okay to use if he wasnt prepared to heal the people who
get hurt,( =ottie answered automatically.
&*oure worried,( 0ndrea said, triumph ringing through her voice. & can tell. *oure afraid
youre going to hurt someone.( 'he pushed her taped glasses up her nose. &0nyway, !ust
ran into 2ahorel and he says we need to eat breakfast,( 0ndrea went on, observing =ottie
shrewdly. &8ome on, then. =ets go.(
=ottie could hardly stomach her breakfast and ran right back down to the training room once
she had finished half of her oatmeal. 0t a quarter to one, 0ndrea came in with the same
disapproving frown to tell her that they needed to get to the 1ueling classroom.
0 line of students, some even younger than her and some as old as 2ill and )leur, stood with
their backs to the wall. =ottie and 0ndrea !oined the back of the line. The door cracked open
and 2ahorel stepped in. The class did not greet him. He began addressing them in )rench
with the occasional glance at =ottie and 0ndrea. 0fter demonstrating several wrist
movements, he clapped his hands and the class started pairing up. =ottie turned to 0ndrea,
but felt an arm on her elbow. 'he turned to see the blond boy smiling at her. -ow that =ottie
could see him properly she saw scars lining his freckled face. He was tall, over a head higher
than herself. His wavy, blond hair fell over his face in a casually handsome way. &"onsieur
2ahorel says zat we are dueling partners,( he said in a heavy )rench accent.
&.h,( =ottie said, nervousness swelling in her stomach. His dueling skills, she knew, were
superb for his age and she did not en!oy losing. 'he turned to 0ndrea, but was disappointed
to see her being taken to one of the dueling courts by the blond boys friend.
&@re,( the blond boy said, gesturing to one of the narrow lanes. =ottie stood at one side and
waited nervously as the boy situated himself on the other side. &0re you ready%( he asked
politely. =ottie nodded and bowed warily.
0 tense moment passed between them before the boy flicked his wand. 0 !et of red light flew
toward her, blowing wisps of her hair back. rotego5 she shouted. His spell bounced off
her shield. The boy did not wait before firing another !in$. ts purple light shattered =otties
shield. 'he dodged to the side and picked herself up, grimacing at him.
0tupefy5 she shouted. The boy blocked it easily. Taking a page out of his book, she sent
four 'tunners at him in a row. He blocked all of them, but =ottie could see his defenses
weakening.
He slashed his wand and the stones on the floor in front of =ottie e$ploded. 'he was blown
back and slammed against the floor, her elbows rubbed raw by the ground. The last thing she
saw was the boys 'tunner racing toward her before everything went black.
'he woke to the blond boy e$tending a hand to help her up. 'he took it and stood up,
grinding her teeth. &Cat was a very impressive duel for a zird year.(
&m going to be a fourth year,( =ottie growled. &0nd dont want it to be Epretty good,
want to win.(
&Well you Eave two more weeks to learn, zen, eh%( the boy said, a grin cracking against his
lips. &We Eave ten more minutes. Would you like to try again%(
&'ure.( =ottie pulled out her wand ad patted it against her leg irritably. &=ets go.( 'he
bowed and raised her wand. Without waiting for him, she shouted, /iffindo5
The back of his robes split to reveal a long, shallow gash, dripping scarlet underneath. The
boy looked down in surprise, raising his bushy eyebrows as the narrow line of blood running
down his chest? he only let the cut delay him for an instant. Aabbing his wand toward her, he
shot another !et of red light her way. =ottie dodged out of the way and nearly collided with
the blond boys friend who was still dueling with 0ndrea.
-n%endio5 =ottie shouted. )lames shot out of her wand, but the boy met them with a
fountain of water that overpowered her spell. Water drenched her robes. The pressure of the
spell caused her to stagger and fall to the floor.
2arantallegra5 she yelled from the ground. The boy seemed to be baffled by this move and
didnt move quickly enough to dodge the spell. His legs started dancing furiously. =ottie
scrambled to her feet and sent a series of 'tunners again? he blocked every one. 0 !et of red
light flew toward her and her wand was immediately knocked from her hand.
&.kay, okay,( she said, holding her hands in the air.
&1o you give up%( asked the boy, !in$ing his own legs to stop the dancing. He ran a hand
over the cut on his chest? blood stained his palm, but the wound was not deepIhis face
remained calm and stoic.
&Well you didnt present me with many other options, did you%( =ottie retorted. &/ive me
my wand.( The boy tossed the wand to her.
&*ou may want to Eelp your friend, zere,( he said, gesturing to 0ndrea. &'he does not seem
to be doing well.(
=ottie turned to see one of the older students trying to heal a large, dripping gash across
0ndreas face. &These people are ferocious,( she breathed. &Thank you very much,( she told
the older student, quite loudly. &m going to the hospital wing now.( 'he gestured toward
herself, made a walking motion, and pointed toward the door.
He didnt seem to understand her, but waved cheerily as they left the classroom. &Half of the
!in$es he used were 1ark and probably illegal, 0ndrea said as they turned down the
corridor.
&0ndrea, were practically illegal,( =ottie said. &Whore you afraid of upsetting% The 1ark
=ord%(
They entered the hospital wing and immediately a plump Healer with piercing grey eyes
swooped upon them. & hurt myself,( 0ndrea tried to e$plain, pointing at the gash on her
face. &@rB was in 1ueling 8lass.( 0ndrea mimed cursing =ottie with an imaginary wand.
The woman, apparently offended by 0ndreas assumption that she did not speak @nglish,
bustled off to fetch a potion. &Honestly, why dont think bring along a translator if nobody
knows @nglish%(
&"y dueling partner knows some,( =ottie said. & wonder where he learned it.(
0ndrea narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but shut it when the
severe looking Healer returned with a bottle. 'he pointed to a stiff wooden chair. 0ndrea sat.
=ottie watched, amused, as 0ndrea had to endure the womans intrusive questions in an
accent so thick that she was hardly understandable.
No, 0ndrea repeated. & was dueling. 7ractice dueling. With another student.(
The Healer rolled her eyes and continued to swab a thick orange paste onto 0ndreas face.
0fter fifteen minutes of the irritated Healer shouting at 0ndrea in rapid )rench, they left the
hospital wing, 0ndrea sporting an unnecessarily large bandage over her cheek.
&Honestly, think she was !ust being passive aggressive,( 0ndrea said, gesturing to the
bandage on her face.
&What were you saying earlier%( =ottie asked without hesitation.
&Hm%(
&0bout my dueling partner.(
&.h.( 0 smile poked out from beneath 0ndreas bandage. &Well it seemed to me that youI
you knowIli+ed him.(
&What%( =otties heart pounded against her ribcage. &Thats ridiculous,( she said roughly.
&Hes older than us. 0nd he hardly speaks @nglish.( 'he stared at the ground, using all of her
knowledge of .cclumency to stop herself from blushing.
&.h, dont know,( 0ndrea persisted. &He knew some @nglish and hes not mu%h older than
us. *ou two seemed to be having a good time together. 2etter than my partner, at least,( she
added darkly. E think he was honestly trying to kill me.(
=ottie forced a laugh, but her heart still hammered in her chest.
&8an duel with you ne$t time%( 0ndrea asked.
=ottie froze. 'he stammered for an answer. &WellBerB dunno. "y partner and haveBan
interesting dynamic going on. want to try and beat him before we leave.(
0ndrea stopped walking too and turned back to =ottie, a grin stretching across her face.
&ts not like that, =ottie lied, rather convincingly if she did say so herself. & dont even
know his name. Hes !ust a really good dueler. Thats all.(
0ndrea sighed. &)ine,( she said. & guess can work on beating my partner too, then.(
The ne$t morning =ottie and 0ndrea reentered the dueling classroom to find 2ahorel waiting
for them, his knitted cap pulled tight over his ears. &/ood morning,( he said stiffly.
&"orning,( =ottie replied brightly. 0ndrea hummed her salutation.
Without waiting, 2ahorel asked, &.w were your duels yesterday%(
When neither responded, he said, &Cey were not e$cellent, will tell you. Eave reviewed
zem. Woolbright, did you even study%( 0ndrea flushed scarlet. &,owe, see you tried some
of ze new spells, but you do not fully understand zee technique. )ranOois seemed impressed,
Eowever.(
=ottie blushed red too, her heart leaping to her throat. &s that his name%( she managed to ask.
&*es,( 2ahorel said. He continued speaking to 0ndrea, commenting on her technique, but
=ottie stared dreamily out the window. 'he imagined herself sitting on the +uidditch field
with the blond boyI)ranOoisItalking in )renchB writing long letters in neat
handwritingB The outraged, stupid reaction of 8olm 'criveI
&,owe,( 2ahorel snapped. &7ay attention.(
&,ight, sorry,( =ottie mumbled, pulling out her wand.
& am going to show you your duels. 7ay attention. ,owe, you first.( He waved his wand in a
complicated pattern and two shimmering, pale green figures appeared from his wand. They
were life#sizeIalmost perfectly lifelike, save for the fact that they were see#through and
green. =ottie stared at her own face and frownedIshe had never noticed how messy her hair
was before. &/o on>( shouted 2ahorel at the memories. &*ou know what to do.(
mmediately, the figures ran into place. =ottie saw her own strained bow. &*our pause, Eere,(
2ahorel commented, &is far too long. *ou lost the duel right zere.(
=ottie watched herself fight and with each passing minute, felt an overpowering urge to
knock 2ahorels wand out of his hand. 'he grimaced at each pause, each blunder? it all
seemed so obvious now.
&*ou see%( asked 2ahorel once the duel ended.
&*eah.( =ottie stole one more glance at the misty image of )ranOois before he evaporated
into nothingness.
The class went on. =ottie hardly watched 0ndreas duel. 'he leaned back against the wall and
imagined )ranOois holding her hand before she went back to 0lsemore, smiling at her, teary
eyed.
&=ottie% 0ndrea nudged her gently. &*ou awake%(
&Huh% What% .h. *eah.( =ottie glanced around. 2ahorel had left. &'orry,( she said quickly.
&I must have fallen asleep or something.(
0ndrea smirked. &-o problem,( she said. &Were supposed to meet here tomorrow to duel
again.(
&Were dueling again%( =ottie asked, suddenly alive again.
&0pparently. He wants us to perfect those spells he gave us.(
&0re you going to%( =ottie asked.
&-o.( 0ndrea stood up. &m going to find some other spells to use instead. 2ill showed me
the library the other day.(
=ottie stood up as well. &ll come too>( she said. E havent seen the library yet.( They went
on their way, =ottie following 0ndrea down the complicated twists and turns of the corridors
until they finally reached a set of monumental doors. 0ndrea had to stand on tiptoe to reach
the doorknob. 'he pushed the doors open and let =ottie in.
t felt like she had stepped into a pool of dust. The books looked so comfortable and neat on
their shelves that =ottie had a suspicion that they hadnt been touched in decades. &8ome
on,( 0ndrea whispered. &2ill showed me where he keeps some books in @nglish.(
=ottie didnt really pay attention as 0ndrea led her to a tiny stack of books in the corner with
recognizable authors and pronounceable titles. &m going to study these,( 0ndrea said.
&.kay,( =ottie whispered. & think m going to look around for a bit.( 0ndrea nodded and
cracked open the first book. =ottie went on, passing the table where 0ndrea sat with a speed
that shouldnt be allowed in a library. 'he could hear voices speaking in low )rench farther
on.
The back of the library, it seemed, was where all of the useful information was saved,
because it was much more inhabited. .ther older boysIaround )ranOois ageIlined the
maple tables. =ottie kept her head turned as she passed them, pretending to be searching for
something. 'he walked into a row of shelves and averted her eyes until, with a pang of
e$citement, she saw him.
)ranOois seemed to notice her at the e$act same moment. He turned and grinned, pushing his
hair from his eyes. &@rIhi,( =ottie said with an awkward wave. 'he stared at her hand in
horror, flopping back and forth like a fish. 'he had a sudden urge to blast it off suddenly. &/#
good duel, yesterday, eh%(
)ranOois smiled.
&.h, erB( =ottie pulled a book from the shelf. & found what was looking for,( she said,
showing him the cover of the book. His smile broke and he began to laugh. =ottie glanced at
the cover of the bookIthe faded painting on the cover illustrated a particularly gruesome
image of a man turning inside#out. =otties face burned. &@rB yeah. This is what want. 'ee
you,( she said, running out of the shelf with the book clutched to her chest. 'he returned to
the table where 0ndrea was sitting.
&)ind anything% 0ndrea asked without looking up.
&This.( =ottie showed 0ndrea the book. 0ndrea shot her a disapproving glance. &m not
going to use any of this magic,( =ottie said hurriedly. & was !ustBcurious.( 'he smiled and
flipped through its ancient pages.
t turned out to be a 7otions book and, although it was in )rench, it had several moving
illustrations. =ottie didnt look too hard at the picturesIshe was not particularly interested in
it. The book opened to the most used and worn out page with a fading illustration. &8uriosity
is what begins everyones interesting the 1ark 0rts,( 0ndrea snapped.
=ottie looked down and gasped. The drawing before her showed a snake shedding its skin.
&That looksI(
&What%( 0ndrea peered over her shoulder.
&.h.( =ottie pulled the book to her chest, so that 0ndrea couldnt see it. &That looksI
completely evil.( 'he glanced down at the drawing again. t looked e$actly like the snakeskin
she had found in the hidden chamber in second yearIthe one 0ndrea knew nothing of.
&*ou should put that back,( 0ndrea said with a gesture toward the book. &ts the schools.(
& will, dont worry.( =ottie tucked it into her bag and said, &.nce get a good look at it.(
Chapter 33: Chapter Thirty8Two: A *ra+ti+al ,e!!on in ,e)ilimen+y
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 'orry about the absurdly long wait, friends. This was completely my fault.
"oving into college is time consuming> 0s always, thanks to my wonderful beta, The2ird for
keeping me on track with this one. miss you, chica>
This chapter is dedicated to my awesome hall#mates. This place wouldn3t be half as fun
without you guys>
: : :
8hapter Thirty#Two; 0 7ractical =esson in =egilimency
3ottie was drowning in sna+es. 2hey were e(erywhere8below her feet, under her arms,
winding around her ne%+. 0omewhere in the ba%+ of her mind, she +new this was a dream,
but she wasnt able to es%ape. 0he writhed in their grasp, but they only held onto her tighter.
One slithered up her leg and wrapped itself around her waist8its s%ales were %old and
reminded her of8the sna+es+in8the sna+es+in from the se%ret %hamber and illustrated in the
/ar+ Magi% boo+. 0he %ould feel its brittle s%ales in her fingers. 2he reptiles %oiled around
her shoulders6 she tossed the s+in and it s+idded a%ross the slee+, wooden floor.
2he sna+es paused. 2hey turned, tongues li%+ing the air. 'nd then they left, slithering away
from 3ottie.
=ehind them, they left a boo+8small and made from leather.
&The diary>( =otties eyes flew open. 'he sat up and looked around. 'he could !ust see the
sun emerging above the horizon from the window of the tower dormitory.
&@$cuse me%( 0ndreas groggy voice was hardly audible from the opposite bed. &What
diary%(
&.hIerImy diary,( =ottie lied quickly. 'he hadnt told 0ndrea about the diary. &d been
writing a !ournal, but had lost it. 0nd !ust remembered where it is.(
&.h.( 0ndrea turned over. &Where is it%(
&@rIits wrapped in one of my sweaters.(
&.h. /reat. m happy for youIbut now m going back to bed.(
&"mm. "e too.( =ottie stared at the ceiling and listened as 0ndreas breathing became slow
and rhythmic.
How could she have forgotten about the diary% 'he had originally found it in /rimmauld
7laceIwhere was it now% =ottie rolled over, mentally skimming every corner of 0lsemore.
0ndrea woke an hour later. =ottie, sitting up against the graying wall, watched her roll over
and slowly push herself up to sitting. &What time is it%( 0ndrea asked, pulling her taped
glasses off of her bedside table and pushing them up her nose.
&'even.( =ottie didnt take her eyes off of the window. &We should go down to breakfast so
we can be ready for our duels today. need to practice more so can beat him.(
0ndrea rubbed her eyes under her glasses. &2eat who% That boy4 0 shrewd grin cracked
0ndreas face. &Why do you care so much%(
&Honestly, 0ndrea, cant !ust have some academic interests%(
0ndrea raised her eyebrows. &-ot usually, no.(
&Well. like dueling.( =ottie pushed her covers off and stood up. &0nd m going to beat
)ranOois by the time we leave whether you approve of the spells use or not. -ow, come on.
=ets go down to breakfast.(
=ottie was early to 1ueling 8lass. 'he sat cross#legged in one of the dueling courts, running a
list of spells through her head. t seemed easy enough. f she could overpower )ranOois right
at the beginning, she would win before it was over.
&What are you doing Eere so early%( asked a familiar voice.
=ottie didnt turn around to face )ranOois, but a smile spread across her face. &/etting ready
so can beat you.(
&7sh.( )ranOoiss laughter was loud and booming. & Eave four years more e$perience zan
you. Eave dueled and destroyed 1eaz @aters? do you really zink you can defeat me%(
&*es.( =ottie stood up and pulled out her wand. &How about starting the duel a bit early%(
)ranOois laughed again. &0s you wish.( He sauntered to the other side of the court, pulled out
his wand and bowed. =ottie inclined her head andIimmediatelyIshouted, etrifi%us
2otalus5
)ranOois blocked it easily.
=ottie !abbed her wand toward him again. 0tupefy5
With the slightest wave of his wand, a shower of sparks shot toward =ottie.
&'hit> rotego5 The shield was strong, but not strong enough to block the entire curse.
'parks flew toward her, burning the edges of her face and creating little holes in her robes.
2arentallegra5 she yelled. 2locked. 0tupefy5 2locked again.
With a running start, )ranOois swished his wand. WaterImore water than =ottie had ever
seen all at once in her lifeIflew out. t covered the entire floor? =ottie was drenched up to
her ankles. &Water%( she asked. &Hah. *ou think water can hurt me%(
The door opened. 2ahorel stood silently in the frame. 7anic rose in =ottie as she worried he
would get angry? instead, he raised his eyebrows and motioned for them to continue. His feet
squelched as he tread through the water. 'he watched the entire class file inside. 0ndreas
eyes were wide behind her he nodded toward )ranOois. &Well% 8arry on.(
=ottie reacted immediately. 0tupefy5
rotego5
0tupefy5
)ranOois smiled as he blocked it and sent one more 'tunner in her direction. =ottie didnt
react quickly enough? her shield flickered. n a last attempt to avoid the curse, she dodged to
the side. 'he missed the spell successfully, but all of the water caused her to skid across the
floor. 'he slammed against the padded wall and fell onto the damp ground.
&Well done, )ranOois,( 2ahorel said. &8reative.( He turned to the rest of the class and began
addressing them in )rench. )ranOois took the opportunity to trot over to =ottie through the
water and offer a hand up.
&Cat was very impressive,( )ranOois said.
& didnt win.( =ottie stood up and wrung the water out of her robes.
&'tillIit was quite good. *ou Eave not been training for long and you still put up a very
creative fight. 0re you in pain%(
=ottie rubbed her side that had slammed against the wall. &0 bit,( she said.
&@re, let me take you to zee Eospital wing.( )ranOois leaned over to 2ahorel, muttered a few
words in )rench, and opened the door to the classroom. &.w long will you be Eere%( he
asked as they headed up a flight of stairs.
&@rIabout a week and a half only.(
&*ou will Eave to train hard, zen, if you want to beat me before zat.( )ranOois boomed with
laughter. =ottie smiled shyly. &0nd quickly too,( )ranOois added. & believe 2ahorel will
soon begin using distractions to make zee duels more realistic.(
&What kind of distractions%(
&.hInozing out of zee ordinary. 0B Eow you say ?pou(antard4
=ottie shrugged as they rounded the corner. 'he had never heard of one before.
&.r ahB well. 'ometimes Ee uses !ust physical barriers to make it more realistic, you
understand%(
Oh. *es.(
&Well.( )ranOois stopped walking. &@re is zee Eospital wing. *ou can get zat in!ury looked
at.(
2ahorel didnt mention distractions until their second to last 1ueling class. & assume you are
familiar wiz zee ways to protect yourself against 1ark creatures%( he asked, rolling the tip of
his wand through his graying fingers.
&@rIno,( 0ndrea said. &-ot really.(
&What Eave zey been teaching you%( 2ahorel flicked his wand? two rolls of parchment
appeared and dropped into =ottie and 0ndreas laps. &*ou will learn zese and perfect zem.
Tomorrow, you duel.(
=ottie felt like she had swallowed a live fish. Her stomach churned as she lined outside of the
1ueling classroom the ne$t day. 'he tossed her wand and caught it by the handle, reviewing
the list of spells in her head. 'he knew all of the theoriesIor she hoped she did? she wasnt
able to find any real way to practice against the 1ark creatures, so the best she could do was
to memorize the spells.
2ahorel skulked down the corridor. =on1our, he said to the class as he pushed open the
door.
&What are those%( 0ndrea asked, pointing toward trunks piled in the corner.
&1o not open zem. *ou will see shortly.(
The other students filed in. The oldest man, who could not have been much younger than
2ahorel himself, sulked in the corner, muttering to himself in gruff )rench. 0 girl with dark
eyes and hair, only slightly older than =ottie and 0ndrea, eyed the trunk warily.
&1o you think he could be hiding distractions in there%( 0ndrea asked =ottie in an undertone.
&nvisibility cloaks and stuff%(
& dunno,( =ottie said. &7robably.(
The stillness was broken when )ranOois, booming with laughter, crossed the threshold of the
classroom with his friend. The class glared at him, but before he could say anything, 2ahorel
clapped his hands together to draw attention. He began addressing them in )rench.
.ccasionally, one of the other students would glance at =ottie and 0ndrea out of the corner
of their eye, but would quickly snap back to attention. 2ahorel clapped his hands again and
they broke off into their partners.
0fter a quick bow, )ranOois and =ottie began dueling so quickly and fiercely that several
other pairs dodged out of the way. =ottie sent 'tunner after 'tunner at him, but he managed
to block each other. 0e%tumsempra5 she shouted.
This time, )ranOoiss shield shattered. Aust in time, he dodged to the side, but the curse
snagged his leg. 'houting )rench profanities, he picked himself up and faced her again.
2lood gushed down his leg, staining the hem of his robe and leaving a trail of scarlet behind
him. 2efore he could send another curse at her, 2ahorel appeared behind him and flicked his
wand. The trunk closest to the pair flew open and with a sharp hissing noise, a dead body
appeared. The lifeless form of =ottie ,owe stared blankly at the ceiling, creating a barrier
between the two duelers.
=otties legs nearly gave out. )ear rushed through her veins, freezing her heart and clogging
her throat. @verything around her faded away into nothingness. -o class, no 2ahorel, no
)ranOoisIonly =ottie and the body.
2ut she wasn3t dead ## she was dueling. How could she be there and here% =ottie stared
numbly, her wand dropping several inches in her sweaty palm. 90 2oggart,9 she gasped.
What had she read about 2oggarts% =aughter killed themIand the incantation to make them
go away wasIwasI!-ridi++ulus, she said feebly. -othing happened. 'he backed up so
quickly that she ran into 0ndrea, who had lowered her wand to watch her fight.
!idi++ulus5 she shouted again. The corpse shuddered. ts arms slapped against the floor
and its eyes rolled into the back of its head.
)ranOois didnt take the opportunity to attack, instead watching her battle with the 2oggart.
=ottie tore her eyes away. )ranOoiss eyes were wideIstaring. =otties heart beat faster. f
she could get the 2oggart to turn to himI!idi++ulus5
"ra%+5
The 2oggart changed shape. t was a body still, but not hers anymore. 0 smaller frame with a
mop of blond hair lay spread#eagle on the cold floor. t was )ranOoiss turn to stumble
backwards a foot. He !abbed his wand toward the 2oggart.
=ottie looked from the 2oggart to him, a sly smile spreading across her face. -ow was her
chance. &Oppungo5 she shouted. With an e$plosion like a canon, birds flew out of her wand,
pecking at every inch of )ranOois they could reach. =ottie chuckled to herself before
shouting, -n%endio5
)lames surrounded )ranOoisIthe birds that had been attacking him caught on fire and,
instead of falling to the ground limp, they attacked more ferociously than before.
8ruel laughter erupted from =ottie before she could hold it in. The 2oggart shuddered even
more violently and, with a crack, it disappeared. )ranOoiss cries of pain filled the hall. His
robes engulfed him in flames, burned bright red against his pale skin.
'rrete*5 shouted 2ahorel. He flicked his wand shot a stream of water, drenching the
flames. &,owe is zee winner,( he said, the wrinkles on his forehead deepening.
1ripping with water, )ranOois picked himself up. His face was raw and pink from the burn.
#eli%itations, he said, e$tending a hand. &*ou are ruthless.(
&Thanks.( =ottie smiled. & hope youre not too hurt.(
&-ot very Eurt, no,( he said. & should probably go down to zee Eospital wing to get zis burn
and zis cut looked at.( He began limping toward the door, leaving a trail of blood from his cut
leg behind him.
&HereIll walk with you.( =ottie pulled the classroom door open and smiled.
&=ottie%( 0ndrea asked, lowering her wand in the middle of her duel. &Where are you
going%(
&ll see you later,( =ottie said. &1ont worryIohIand watch out.(
&WhatI0,/H>( 0ndrea stumbled back into the wall after her dueling partners 2lasting
8urse hit her square in the chest.
&We Eave more in common zan first zought,( )ranOois said as they left the classroom.
&What%(
&*our 2oggartI(
Oh. =otties face burned red. & thinkIthatI was !ustI(
&Cat was your sister, no% 'he looked very much like you.(
=ottie stopped in her tracks. Her sister% He didnt think it wasI&*eah, my sister,( she said.
&@rIHelen.( =ottie felt a plunge of guilt for using 0ndreas sisters name. &'hes still in the
"uggle campsIonly nine years old. m hoping she turns out to be a witch like me, but
worry about her, you know%(
& understand completely,( )ranOois said as he began limping up the stairs. &"ine is my
brozzer. E@ is about your age, would say. E@ is training now, but soon Ee will fight !ust like
everybody elseI worry zat Ee will getB( He cast his eyes toward the floor and ran a hand
through his hair.
&*eahB( =ottie stopped in the threshold of the hospital wing door.
)ranOois grinned and limped up to the Healer. =ottie leaned against the stone frame and
listened to what had happened. The Healer nodded gruffly and retreated into his office to
fetch some potions. With a glance behind her, =ottie shuffled inside. &ts nothing serious,
hope%( 0 smile inched across her face.
Non, non. )ranOois waved a hand in the air casually. &@ !ust will use some potions to fi$
zees burn.( He sighed and rested his chin in his hands.
=ottie did the same. t was her last dayIif she didnt ask him how he felt about her now, she
probably would never know. t was stupid to think he liked her like she didB but he was
always so nice to her. f there were a way she could find outB
=ottie sat up? an idea hit her like a 2lasting 8urse. There was a way she could find out. 'he
wasnt supposed to use =egilimency e$cept for emergencies, butB
)ranOois hissed as the Healer applied a thick, orange paste to the raw burns on his arms. He
nodded at the instructions to sit and wait for the paste to heal the burns before leaving.
)ranOois sighed dramatically and gave =ottie a knowing smile.
=ottie glanced over her shoulder? nobody else was in the hospital wing? nobody would see.
)ranOois probably wouldnt even know. 'he watched him through the corner of her eye until
his eyes glazed over. 'he focused on drawing up the bead of energy. 'he was a little out of
practice, but in a minute, the bead was there.
)ranOois, rela$ed and unsuspecting, was one of her easiest targets yet. 'he rushed into his
mind. mages and voices she didnt recognized filled her head. )ranOois and his brother
dueled side by side? pride swelled inside of her. 'orrow filled her as he filed through a funeral
procession, eyes downcast. 2ut the sorrow disappeared as butterflies quickly replaced them.
The girl had a swoop of chestnut hair and eyes that glimmered when she spoke to him. Her
laugh tinkled as she leaned against him, resting her hand on his knee.
-oB =otties stomach plummetedIthat wasnt )ranOoiss memoriesIthat was her.
The memory shifted. The girl was close to himItoo close. Her dark hair skimmed his arms
as she leaned closer and closerB
&*ou have a girlfriend4 =ottie shouted.
)ranOois stood up. &What was zat%( he asked drawing his wand. &What did you do to me%(
&*ou didnt tell me you had a girlfriend>( =ottie roared.
&What does zat Eave to do wiz anyzing%(
&t has to do with e(erything5 =ottie drew her own wand. &How are you confused about
this% HowI(
)ranOois stared at her. He reached a shaky hand to her shoulder. &=ottieI(
0tupefy5
0 shield appeared in front of )ranOois, causing the spell to rebound on =ottie. 'he leapt onto
the bed, avoiding the he$ by centimeters.
;uCest-%e ,ui sCest pass?4 demanded the gruff#looking Healer as he stormed out of his
office.
)ranOois turned to the Healer and began animatedly describing what had happened. =ottie
stumbled off the bed. 'he could feel tears forming in the corner of her eyes. 2efore the
Healer or )ranOois could notice her, she took offIout of the hospital wing, up the stairs and
into the tower dormitory.
&=ottie%( 0ndrea stood up from the bed? her glasses were off and her face was lined with cuts
Ifrom an unsuccessful duel, =ottie guessed. &What happened%(
&He has a girlfriend>(
&What%(
&He had a girlfriend all along. He led me on and didnt tell me about her.
&Who% .h.(
=ottie fell onto her bed and slammed a fist into her pillow. & hate him,( she growled. & hate
every part of him. HisIhis stupid hair. 0 tear tripped from the tip of her nose and fell onto
her bedspread. &0nd his uglyIugly blue eyesIand his idiotic a%%ent.
&@rI=ottieI(
&What%( =ottie spun around furiously.
0ndrea inched toward her. &=ottie, did he tell you thatIthat he was dating someone%(
&-oIarent you listening% Thats the pointIhe didnt tell me.(
&How did you find out then%(
=otties first dropped to her side. &HeIahII(
&=ottie,( 0ndrea began cautiously, &what did you do%(
/uilt swelled up inside of her like boiling honey. &I used =egilimency.(
What4
& dont know.( =ottie pressed her face into her pillow. &t seemed like a good idea at the
time. 2ut now he hates me and m in trouble for he$ing him.(
&*ou he$ed him%( 0ndreas voice raised an octave.
&t didnt hit him> 2esides he deser(ed it.( =ottie picked up her head, sighed heavily, and let
it fall back onto the mattress.
0ndrea took a breath and held it for a minute. &Well, the good news is were leaving
tomorrow morning. 0nd look at the bright side.( 'he smiled shrewdly. &*ou completely
slaughtered him in your last duel.(
Chapter 34: Chapter Thirty8Three: Fran:oi!9! Farewell
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: try not to be overly apologetic, but am seriously sorry for this ridiculous
wait, you guys. t won3t happen again? this was sort of an anomaly of poor scheduling. hope
you en!oy the chapter>
.nce again, thanks a million to The2ird for helping me with this chapter Fat one in the
morning, no less>G
This chapter is dedicated to my first crush... who will remain nameless.
: : :
8hapter Thirty#Three; )ranOoiss )arewell
=ottie awoke with a headache the ne$t morning. The windows were still darkIit could not
have been later than five. &8ome onIwere leaving early again,( 0ndrea said from the other
side of the room. &7ack up.(
/roggily, =ottie reached under her bed to get her e$tra pair of pa!amas. &Were not using a
7ortkey again, are we%( she asked. &2ecause that went over really well last time.(
&Well obviously we cant 0pparate that far.(
&We cant%(
&=ottie, of course we cant.( 0ndrea zipped her duffle bag closed. &Honestly.(
0 moody silence crept over them as =ottie stuffed robes into her bag. &8ome on,( 0ndrea
said, swinging her bag over her shoulder and picked up her broom.
&.h, dont tell me were flying.(
0ndrea swung her bag over her shoulder, spun on her heel and pulled open the door. &How
else would we get there% 8ome onIwere going to be late.(
=ottie hastily dropped the rest of clothes in her bag and zipped it shut. They ran down several
flights of stairs, their footsteps echoing up the timeworn building. &.h good, you brought
your brooms,( Hermione said once they reached the @ntrance Hall.
&Were flying again%( =ottie groaned.
&Aust to a check point,( Hermione said. &)rom there, well be close enough to 0pparate. t
will !ust be the four of us.( 'he indicated herself, =ottie, 0ndrea and -eville. &'o you
definitely want to keep your wands out in case if we run into any 1eath @aters on the way.
2utI!ust for some e$tra security, were going to perform 1isillusionment charms on you
both. ts not as good as an nvisibility 8loak, but its the best we can do.(
&1isoIwhat%(
&1isillusionment, =ottie,( 0ndrea snapped. &,eally, we learned about it in 8harms last year.(
&.h.( =ottie could feel the color rising in her cheeks as she carefully avoided Hermiones
gaze. &'orryI meanIm !ust preoccupied with all of thisIermI.cclumency andI(
&1ont worry about it,( Hermione said. &'orry, this may feel a bit odd.(
=ottie winced as Hermione tapped her wand against her head. t felt like water was dribbling
down her spine. 'he looked down. Her feet were thereIshe could almost see them, but they
had the same te$ture and image of the floor beneath her. 'he marveled at her semi#invisible
hands in silence as Hermione turned to 0ndrea.
&=ottie%( asked a voice from behind her.
=ottie didnt turn around. 'he recognized the voice immediately. 1eterminately, she stared at
Hermione and -eville charting out a flight plan on an unrolled map. )ranOois took a step
toward her. &*ou are leaving,( he said.
&*es.( =ottie turned her head !ust enough to see him behind her. )ranOoiss blond hair wilted
into his eyes. & dont want to talk to you.(
&=ottieI(
&=eave me alone.( 'he pushed past 0ndrea and ran to the corner of the @ntrance Hall.
)ranOois rushed to follow her.
&=ottie, !ust want to tell youI(
&1ont touch me.( =ottie pushed his hand off of her shoulder.
& !ust wanted to tell you zat did not tell zee E@aler about what Eappened yesterday.(
=ottie turned her head !ust enough so she could see him out of the corner of her eye. &*ouI
you didnt%(
&-o.(
=ottie turned around completely so she could face him. With her 1isillusionment charm still
working, he could see right through her.
&HeyI=ottie%( 0ndrea called from the front of the @ntrance Hall. &Were about to go.(
=ottie pushed past )ranOois to !oin the others. He put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. 'he
sighed. &/oodbye.( 'he rushed to 0ndreas semi#invisible side. )ranOois did not follow her.
Hermione pushed the great doors of the @ntrance Hall open. &"ount your brooms, everyone,(
she said.
/rudgingly, =ottie mounted the )irebolt and pushed off the ground. The summer breeze
whipped her tangled, blond hair against her back. /oosebumps tingled on her arms. 'he
craned her neck around, e$pecting to see )ranOois waving goodbye. 0gainst the silhouette of
the castle, pallid in the mornings blackness, there was nothing.
=otties stomach churned. 'he turned to 0ndrea, but could only see a vague outline of her
form beneath the 1isillusionment charm.
@verything seemed different. )ranOois hadnt told anyone what she had done? why not% 'he
would have told on him, if he had done the same. 'he glanced around at the outlines of
Hermione and -eville? they would never know what she had doneIshouldnt she be happy%
)ranOois was taking over her life. He was a stupid boy and was keeping her from focusing on
what really mattered. The war, her =egilimency andI=ottie gaspedIthe diary. t was in her
dorm somewhereIshe was sure.
Her emotions had gotten ahead of herIshe had let her feelings cloud what was really
important. With a pang of guilt, she remembered 7almyitors words to her years ago. f she
wanted to become a master .cclumens, she would have to keep her emotions under control.
They flew in silence for half an hour. =otties heart fluttered as she thought of the tiny black
diary.
2efore her, Hermiones 1isillusionment charm flickered and faded off. =ottie looked downI
her arms were back to their normal appearance.
&Were almost there,( Hermione called back to them. 'he pointed below her and started to
descend in a mild dive. =ottie looked down. Wilderness stretched on as far as she could seeI
splotches of green and darker green set against a brown floor.
=ottie followed Hermione into the dive, her knuckles growing white as she clutched the
)irebolts handle. They landed smoothly in the forest. Hermione gathered the brooms, shrunk
them, and dropped them into her bag. The colorful beads sewn onto the bags e$terior !ingled
as she slung it around her shoulder. &-aesa should be e$pecting us soon.(
&0re we 0pparating to the school%( =ottie asked.
0ndrea raised her eyes behind her broken glasses. &0re you serious, =ottie% 1ont you think
1eath @aters would have found us now if we could 0pparate willy#nilly into the school%
There are obviously protections around it.(
Hermione and -eville e$changed glances. &0ctually, 0ndrea,( Hermione said, &we will be
0pparating.(
=ottie swung her fist in the air triumphantly. &Hah>(
&2ut you are right, there are protections. -aesa is going to take them down for precise the
instant we 0pparate.(
0ndrea hummed a victory tune back at =ottie.
&Were !ust going to wait for -aesa to send word that it is safe.(
&What is that thing she uses to talk to you%( 0ndrea asked. &That silver thing.(
=ottie sat down against a tree. 'he hardly listened as Hermione e$plained, &ts a 7atronusI
used to protect the caster from 1ementors.(
'he was !ust a walk away from the diary. There was a mystery behind it, she was sure. 2ut
she couldnt even begin to fathom whose it wasI1umbledores, 'napes, maybe even the
1ark =ords himself% Her heart fluttered as she thought about it. 0he would get to show
7almyitor what she had discovered and get all of the credit.
&=ottie% Were ready to go.(
=ottie looked up. 0 wisp of silver was all that remained of 7almyitors leopard 7atronus.
&/rab onto my arm,( -eville said. =ottie did so and grimaced as they disappeared.
7almyitors office spun into focus. =ottie slammed against the wall and held on for balance as
the ground rocked beneath her.
&Welcome back.( 7almyitor did not look up from a scroll of parchment. Her usual bun fell
loose, allowing fly#aways to frame her face in a sort of insanity#halo. -ew frown lines etched
across her face as she spoke. 'he rubbed her temples with two fingers as she surveyed her
papers.
7almyitors sharp monologue drowned out as =ottie imagined her reactions to the diaryIan
approving glance, maybe even a smile. =ottie knew she would be recognized. 'he wondered
if the heads would make an announcement about her cleverness.
&,oweIare you listening%(
&What% .hIerIyes.(
7almyitors eyebrow twitched. &WellIas was saying, remember to keep this trip a secret.
We dont want word going around the students. -f you were paying attention, you would
know that you are to tell them that you were cleaning the ruins of the =eaky 8auldron.( 'he
smirked at their confused glances. &Thats an old =ondon 7ub. ,ecently, we found several
decaying "uggle bodies inside. *ou can only imagine the smell.(
&-ot !ust imagine it,( =ottie mumbled, bitterly remembering the terror#stricken bodies
floating through the sewers of the =ondon camp. 0ndrea rolled her eyes. &s that that, then%(
=ottie asked, making a motion to the door. Her heart pounded in her ears. The diary was so
close. &/reat>( =ottie said before anybody responded. &Thanks for the trip. ,eally. had a
fabulous time. 'ee you>(
=ottie swung the door opened and stared at the corridor before her for a millisecond before
setting off running. 'he reached a staircase and nearly fell down it. The diaryB
&Hey, where are you going%( 0ndreas voice called from the top step.
&@rI !ust remembered something>( =ottie shouted back without stopping. &0nd really
have to go to the bathroom,( she added, !ust for good measure. 'he reached a landing and
turned down another corridor. 'he could see the clock? it was !ust down the hall, but before
she could reach it, something stood in her way.
&Where in "erlins name have you been%( the colossal figure asked. =ottie sighed heavily as
she tried to maneuver around 8olm 'criveners mass.
&-one of your business.( 'he pushed him out of the way and wrenched the clock open.
&=ottie>( n a flurry of blond hair, Aulianne ran across the common room and embraced her.
&Where have you been% 'ophie and I(
&ts a funny story, really.( =ottie freed herself from Auliannes grasp by kicking her lightly
on the shin. &ll tell you in a second. really have to go to the bathroom.( 'he waved
hurriedly and dashed down the stairs, leaving a stunned Aulianne behind her.
The door to her dormitory flew open as though it knew she was coming. 'he could hear
hurried steps from the common room. 'torm clouds diluted the light to a murky brown
outside. The steps were drawing closer. )rantically, =ottie dropped to her stomach and
searched for the tiny leather book. t must have been thereIshe hadnt moved it.
&=ottie%( she heard 0ndreas voice ask from the end of the corridor.
Her heart thudded against her ribs. '%%io diary5 she hissed. 2efore she even saw it coming,
the book was safe in her palm.
'he rose so quickly that, for a moment, blackness blurred the corners of her vision.
&=ottie, what are youI(
&Toilet>( =ottie shouted as she dashed by 0ndrea into the bathroom across the corridor.
7anting, she slammed herself into a stall and sat down.
&=ottieI( 0ndreas feet were visible in the crack between the door and the floor. &IWhat is
your problem%(
& dont make fun of you when you feel sick.( =ottie ran her fingers across the leather cover.
&=ookIcan have some privacy, please% ts reallyIermIdistracting to have you standing
here.(
&When find out what youre up to, youre going to be in so much trouble.(
=ottie held her breath. The door closed.
Her hands shook so violently that she nearly dropped the book on the tiled floor. t was
e$actly the size of her hand and made of dark brown leather. 0 thin, decaying string held it
closed. 8arefully, she unwound it.
t opened. The pages beneath had yellowed on the corners. Through the bathrooms
overwhelming scent of soap, =ottie could smell the dust layered on the paper. 'he turned the
cover.
=ottie had to clamp a hand over her mouth to muffle her scream.
92his is the diary of .arry otter, it read. =ottie punched the air victoriously. Holding the
book like a baby, she flipped through the pages. They were blankIall of them. The !oyIthe
rush of e$citement that had once filled her suddenly became sharpIstabbing disappointment.
He couldnt have !ust forgotten about it. He should have known that somebody would find it
one day. 2ut could that be why it had sat, discarded and uncared for, in /rimmauld 7lace for
over fifty years%
&=ottie% 0re you feeling okay%( t was 0ndrea again. &1o you want to go to the hospital
wing%(
&-#no, m fine.( =ottie could feel her nose tingle and the corners of her eyes begin to sting.
'he had been so e$citedIso proudIbut it turned out to be nothing. Wiping her eyes, she
stoop up and flushed the toilet with her foot.
&1ont you want to wash your hands%( 0ndrea asked in a fabulous impression of 7rofessor
7almyitor.
&What% .h. ,ight.( =ottie brushed her arm against her hip to make sure the diary was safe in
her pocket. 'he carelessly ran her hands under the stream water and sulked across the hall
into the dormitory.
&Whats wrong, =ottie%( 0ndrea asked.
&-#nothing.( The tension felt as thick as peanut butter. &t was 8olm 'crivener,( =ottie lied.
&Why does he bother your stoma%h4 0ndrea asked as she took folded clothes out of her
duffle bag.
& dont know. !ustIhate him.( =ottie flopped onto her bed and sighed. &m so tired,( she
said. &1id 7almyitor say anything else important%(
&-ot really. 2ut she was kind of curious as to what you were up to.(
&.h m sure ll give her all of the sticky details if she asks. *ou know when its so
e$plosive thatI(
&.kay. @w. 'top.(
&=ottie% 0ndrea%( 'ophie poked her head through the door. &'afe to come in then%(
&*eah,( =ottie said through laughter.
&'o whats up%( 'ophie asked.
&What do you mean%(
&Where the hell have you been%(
&.h. Hah.( =ottie e$changed a glance with 0ndrea before turning back to 'ophie and
Aulianne and e$plaining, &7almyitor made us go to an old pubIThe =eaky 8auldronIto
clean it.(
&Why%(
=ottie stared at 0ndrea helplessly.
&'he was still upset about that sneaking away business from last year,( 0ndrea said swiftly.
&t was pretty dreadful.(
&'ome old "uggles crawled in there to die,( =ottie added dramatically.
&When did you get those%( Aulianne asked.
&/et what%(
&-ot you, she said to =ottie. &0ndreaIyou have different glasses.(
=ottie turned and raised her eyebrows. 'he couldnt believe she hadnt noticed earlier.
0ndreas glasses couldnt have been any more different than her old ones. Whereas the old
ones were about half the size of 0ndreas face, these were much smaller and more portable.
nstead of being round, half circles, these were rectangular.
&They look good, 0n,( =ottie said,
&1ont call me that.(
&2ut they do> *ou lookIlookI(
&.lder,( 'ophie finished.
&Well thank you.( 0ndrea blushed. & broke the old ones and 7almyitor had to send to .din
0lley to get me new ones because it was quite urgent. m almost completely blind without
them. 0nd these have a charm on them so that they wont fall off when m dueling.(
&Well thank "erlin for that,( =ottie said. & would hate for you to go back to the old ones.(
&.h shut up.( 0ndrea sat back in her bed and smiled at the canvas of her four#poster.
=ottie fell into bed, and something sharp poked her side. The diaryB 'he had almost
forgottenIagain. 'he had gotten distracted with her friends and almost forgot the task at
hand. 'he didnt feel like laughing anymore. 'omething about the diary made her weak,
nauseated even. 'he pulled the book from her pocket and placed it on the bedside table.
'he glanced at the windows where the sun had finally given into the storm clouds. ,ain
pounded against the window and a summer chill crept upon the castle. 0 draft ran through the
dorm. =ottie shivered and stared at the diary, captivated by the book in the grey light.
Chapter 35: Chapter Thirty8Four: The 3iary o1 0arry *otter
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 3m always apologizing, but really mean it##3m sorry for the really long
wait on this one, guys. To make up for it, here3s an e$tra#long chapter>
Thanks as always to my lovely beta, The2ird, for sprucing up this chapter>
This chapter is dedicated to my awesome aunt and uncle who came and visited this weekend.
: : :
8hapter Thirty#)our; The 1iary of Harry 7otter
0 beginning#of#classes gloom to infiltrate the castle as the last two weeks of holiday sped by.
0ndrea spent her last weeks on a +uidditch team that, with her help, pulled itself from last to
first place. To keep 0ndreas suspicions quelled, =ottie stopped sneaking off without her and
later took advantage of 0ndreas +uiddich games by stealing away into the library.
The diary remained !ust as suspicious and !ust as empty through all of her inspections. =ottie
had tried every revealing spell she found in the ancient tomes from the library, but,
unsurprisingly, none worked.
n the last days of holiday, =ottie gave up trying to find a spell to open it altogether, but
didnt stop carrying it. t felt almost wrong to leave it alone in the dormitory. @ven when she
left it for a few minutes to shower, she could sense its absence and feel a growing paranoia
that it would get taken.
.n the first day of term, =ottie grimly donned her uniform. With the start of term feast !ust
fifteen minutes away, she desperately searched for some place to carry the book in her
pocketless outfit. The rectangular bulge on her stomach was painfully apparent when she
tried keeping it under her sweater, and she almost broke the seam in her skirt trying to fit it in
the waist? finally she settled on slipping it into the top of her boot before running down to the
/reat Hall. &@$cited for fourth year%( she asked 0ndrea as she plopped down ne$t to her at
the 7almyitors table.
&m nervous,( 0ndrea said. &0pparently the workload increases a lot.(
&*eah, but were prepared,( =ottie whispered. &We must be two years ahead in dueling
now.(
&*ou are going to get yourself in trouble,( 0ndrea said seriously. &1ont use any of those
spells you learned this summer. *ou could seriously hurt someone, =ottie.(
&2utI(
&'hh>(
The doors opened. The first years, even smaller than =ottie had ever seen, shuffled inside
behind "aelioric. &s it !ust me,( 0ndrea began, &or are there fewer new students this year%(
=ottie frowned. 'he hadnt noticed, but with a quick head count, she discovered that there
were only twenty#nine first years. &Thats weird,( she said under her breath. &There are forty
of us. What does that mean%(
&-o idea.(
The sorting began. "ichael 0nderson was immediately sorted into 7almyitor, but it took
nearly five silent minutes to sort 'amantha 0lls into "aelioric.
&1o you think,( =ottie whispered, &that it has to do with the 1ark =ord%(
&What%(
&How few firsties there are. 1o you think he could beIcould be eliminating "uggle#borns
from the population%(
& dont know,( 0ndrea said thoughtfully. &He clearly doesnt like "uggles, so its
plausible.(
& dont think he would do that. meanI(
&'hut it, will you%( snapped "atilda Deith, the si$th year prefect. Her splotchy face frowned
menacingly over a large, white parsnip.
=ottie stuck her tongue out at the back of "atildas head and sulked through the rest of the
sorting. t seemed to be taking especially long this year. @very decision seemed increasingly
painful for the heads to make. &t the Table broken%( 0ndrea whispered. &ts not lighting up
nearly as brightly as it normally does.(
& dontI(
0 chorus of applause cut =ottie off. 7almyitor stood before the students with crossed arms.
&Welcome,( she said, &to the beginning of a new year. We would like toI( she grimaced
though saying such kind words stung &Ie$tend an especially warm welcome to our new
students and staff.(
"umbles echoed through the hall. &-ew staff%( =ottie asked.
&1ue toIto the tragic death of 7rofessor /abaldon, we have had to hire a new 1efense
0gainst the 1ark 0rts professor.( 7almyitor stood as still as a stone in front of them. Her lips
hardly moved as she spoke. =ottie could tell that she was putting up her best defenses to
appear strong in front of her students.
&7lease !oin me in welcoming 7rofessor ,obert 1ewitt.( 7olite applause filled the hall.
& was kind of hoping "aelioric would stick to it,( =ottie said as she clapped her hands
together. &He made the class at least a little bit en!oyable.(
&He has more important things to do,( 0ndrea said.
&@n!oy your feast,( 7almyitor said from the head of the hall.
=ottie lunged for the chicken immediately and piled it onto her plate. &Honestly, =ottie,(
0ndrea said as she furiously buttered a roll. &'ave some for the first years. Theyre
practically starving.(
The first class the fourth year 7almyitors had the ne$t morning was 1efense 0gainst the 1ark
0rts. =ottie kept the diary tucked safely in her boot as they headed to the classroom.
&This 1ewitt guy better give us a break,( =ottie said loudly as they took their seats. &We
havent dueled for about two months.(
&0nd what if dont, 8harlotte%( came a smooth voice from the back of the classroom.
-early the entire class !umped. 1ewitt glided to the front of the room. He reminded =ottie of
a 1ementor at first? his long cloak completely hid his legs. His steps were so even that =ottie
felt as though he wasnt walking at all? it seemed the earth was moving away from him and
he contented himself to watch it go by. The light never caught his face, though =ottie thought
she could make out a short beard and sunken cheekbones. &Welcome to 1efense 0gainst the
1ark 0rts,( he said with a flashy smile.
&ts =ottie, not 8harlotte,( =ottie said with her hand in the air.
&8harlotte, sir.
&"mmB sir. =ottie slumped back in her chair. 'he had thought that nobody could be worse
than /abaldon, but apparently, she was wrong.
&Well, contrary to 8harlottesI( =ottie ground her teeth &Iwishes, will not give you a
break. -o, you !ust had a very long holiday, believe. 'oIup. Take out your wands.(
=ottie pulled out her wand and glanced around. -obody else seemed to be as concerned about
this new teacher as she was. &*ou will be dueling. .h no.( He smiled at 0ndreas attempt to
inch towards =ottie. &-o, no, 0ndrea. ll be picking your partners.(
-one of the other students seemed unnerved that 1ewitt was referring to them by their first
namesIor even knew their names at all. &8harlotte, you and @dgar will duel.(
=ottie shrugged at @dgar 7ayne and pulled out her wand. &Im not very good at dueling,(
he confessed as they made their way to the other side of the room.
Hiding a smile, =ottie said, &Well thats okay. meanIm not too great either.(
.nce all of the other pairs had been made, 1ewitt flicked his wand and hissed, &/o.(
0fter a quick bow, =ottie shouted, 0tupefy5
@dgar tried to make a shield, but it flickered and died before the spell even reached him. He
managed to dodge out of the way quickly enough and held his wand out. E$pelliarmus5
The spell was not strong at all. =ottie could feel her wand quiver as the spell collided with
her, but managed to hold onto it. 'he smirked, but before she had time to celebrate, a searing
pain scorched her ankle and shot up her leg. t felt like fire had spread across her bone and
was pressing against her 0chilles heel. Her leg collapsed, causing her to plummet to the
ground. 'he clutched her ankle, hissing and spitting profanities at the floor.
@dgar looked !ust as surprised as =ottie was. The panic rose in his voice as she said, &tIit
was !ust a disarmingI(
.ut of the corner of her eye, =ottie glanced at 0ndrea. The goal was to win, wasnt it% 0nd
now was the perfect time to catch @dgar off guard. 0e%tumsempra5 she shouted from the
ground.
@dgar shouted in pain as the spell hit his shoulder. 2lood gushed from his wound like water
from a tap. 8lutching his arm, he sank to his knees. The room grew silent to =ottie? all she
could hear was her own pounding heart, which drowned out all of the other duelers
incantations and shouts. 0tupefy,she growled, pushing herself up off he ground. @dgar
rolled out of the way !ust in time. 0tupefy. 0tupefy5
0t least one of =otties 'tunners hit him? eyes still wide in shock, @dgar keeled over. His
head hit the ground with a loud smack. /rinning triumphantly, =ottie spun around to watch
the progress of her other classmates. The room was silent. @very other student stared at her,
dumbstruck. 1ewitt grinned from behind his desk.
& didnt know we were supposed to actually hurt them,( Aulianne said blankly.
&We werent,( 0ndrea said, an #told#you#so sort of smirk creeping onto her face.
&Well done,( snarled 1ewitt. &*es, well done, 8harlotte.(
&I=ottieI(
&1evin,( he went on, &maybe you would like to take dear @dgar to the hospital wing%(
1evin stared blankly from his from his passed out best friend to =ottie. &.#okay.
Enner(ate. @dgar sat up slowly, rubbing his blood#soaked arm. &8ome on, mate,( 1evin
said, giving @dgar a hand up. &=ets take you to get that patched up.(
&Take a seat, class,( 1ewitt said. The door clicked shut. &Have you all taken note of what
8harlotte did% 'he did not let him take his turns. *ou do not have to be polite when dueling.
Well done, 8harlotte? you are ruthless.(
=ottie stared blankly at the professor? somehow that didnt seem like a compliment.
& want you all to write a paper on a famous dueler in history,( 1ewitt said. &0 foot long. )or
tomorrow.( /roans of frustrations filled the classroom. &@$cept you, 8harlotte. Take the
night off.( =ottie burned bright red. &The rest of you, want a description of their tactics and
signature spells. 8lass dismissed.(
The class filed out slowly. =ottie felt some particularly vile glances in her direction, but she
kept her focus solely on the latch of her bag, which was now suddenly incredibly interesting.
&8harlotte%( =ottie looked up. 'he was now alone with 7rofessor 1ewitt. The corners of his
lips upturned into a sly smile. &8ongratulations.(
=ottie shivered. &Th#thanks.( Without another word, she dashed out of the classroom.
&What did tell you%( 0ndrea asked once =ottie shut the door to the 1efense 0gainst the
1ark 0rts room behind her. &<sing 1ark "agic will !ust get you in trouble. 1o you believe
me now%(
&tll get me in trouble now,( =ottie said indignantly. &2ut youll get in trouble later for not
using it. 'oIermIwhats our ne$t class%(
&1ueling. 0nd hope for our classmates sake that we wont have to fight again.(
When =ottie entered the common room that night, the crowd fell silent. With the hairs on the
back of her neck standing up, =ottie went with 0ndrea and took a seat in the most remote
corner she could find. &-ews travels fast, huh%(
&0nd with good reason,( 0ndrea said as the volume began to steadily increase again. &*ou
did almost killI(
&.kay, okay, thats a bit of an overstatement, dont you think% ts !ust a little cut. @dgars
fine.( 0ndrea didnt respond, but pulled out a te$tbook and buried her nose in it. &*ou know
what% )ine. m leaving. dont want to sit here and be told what a horrible person am for
winning a duel. /ood night. 0nd good luck on your essay.(
The common room silenced again as she left. With a flurry of dirty blond hair, =ottie spun
around furiously and pounded down the stairs. &'tupid @dgar 7ayne,( she growled to her
reflection in the window ne$t to her bed. &Aust because he doesnt know how to duel doesnt
mean its my fault.( 'he leaned down to untie her boots. &.r my proI(
The diary toppled out of her shoe. Thick, yellow pus oozed out of her boot and pooled on the
cold wooden floor. 'he pinched the corners of the little book and pulled it out of the goo. t
was completely clean. -othing covered the old !ournal e$cept its dark, cracking leather and a
thin layer of dust. 'he stared, dumbfounded, completely ignoring the pulsating pain in her
foot. 0n angry scorch mark was left where the book had beenIright where she had felt a
burn when she was dueling.
What spell had @dgar performed that made it burn% t had hurt so badly right after he tried to
disarmed her. =ottie pointed her wand at the book. E$pelliarmus. The brown leather turned
bright red for a moment before cooling back to its original color.
=ottie grabbed it off the bed. t fell open to the last page. t was no longer empty? a hastily
scribbled sentence read, 9-f you ha(e found this, you are a true friend6 you +now what to do
ne$t.
otter, =ottie growled. Why were there so many security measures% t all seemed a bit
ridiculous.
&=ottie%(
+uicker than she could have 5anished it, =ottie stuffed the diary in the front of her pa!ama
shirt. &What%( she asked.
0ndrea peaked in. &8an come in%(
&Well its your room too, isnt it%(
& !ust wanted to say m sorry.(
=ottie let the pause stretch on to the point of awkwardness. 'he couldnt believe that 0ndrea
was apologizing for something so insignificant when something so mysterious was hidden
under =otties sweater, !ust waiting to be revealed.
0ndrea took a breath and continued. &*oure !ust doing what you were toldIand it works.
guess m !ust !ealous.( 0ndrea chewed the inside of her lip as she thought. &2ut thats not to
say,( she added, &that m not worried about you. think 1ark magic is a bad habit to get
into.(
&WellIyou may have a point.( =ottie wasnt sure if she could sound interested even if she
tried. 2eing upset with 0ndrea was so inconsequential compared to what she had !ust found.
&1ont worry about it. Thanks.( 'he smiled.
&0ndI was wondering if you could help me with my dueling essay,( 0ndrea said quickly.
& mean, not a lot, butI(
&Wait, do my ears serve me correctly% Me help you4
&Well, its !ust that cant decide between writing about <rsula the <nbeatable or 0dolfo the
0mazing,( 0ndrea said. &Thats all need help with, really.(
&f were you,( =ottie said thoughtfully, &d do something totally une$pected likeIlike the
1ark =ord or something. nformation will be easier to find and youll get points for being so
relative to the times.(
&.hB( 0ndrea looked winded. &=ottie, think you may be getting yourself in too deep.(
&What do you mean%(
&The first thing you think of is the 1ark =ord%(
=ottie snorted. &7lease. t wasnt the first thing thought of. ve been thinking about it since
he assigned it. meanIdo what you want. !ust think 1ewitt might en!oy the creativity.(
0ndrea smiled meekly. &IerI think might do <rsula,( she said timidly.
=ottie scratched the back of her neck. &.hIgood idea,( she said. & mean, shes who
thought of first also. /ot to loveBerBher.(
0ndrea nodded and looked at the floor. &*eahB WellIthanks. m going to go work on
that.(
&.kay.( =ottie waved. &/ood luckIdont work too hard.(
The door clicked shut. mmediately, =ottie reached for the diary. t said his friends would
know how to open it? then what did she have to do% &Harry 7otter is my friend,( she told the
diary. -othing happened. & would trust Harry 7otter with my life.( 0gain, the diary was
unaffected.
)or an hour, =ottie tried as many combinations of sentences including &Harry 7otter( and
&friend( that she could think of. .nce she even tried throwing it against the wall, though she
had no conviction that it would work. )inally, when Aulianne came in to ready for bed, =ottie
gave up, stuffed the diary safely in her duffel and fell into a fitful sleep.
Thunder crashed outside? the entire castle seemed to quiver in its wake. =ottie sat up.
Through her four#poster curtains, she could hear the rhythmic breathing of her dorm mates.
=ightning flashed and illuminated the entire dormitory for a fraction of a second. 0drenaline
pumped through her veins.
,estlessly, she rummaged through her duffel and pulled out the diary. & am aIerI
companion of Harry 7otter,( she whispered with a new determination to figure the thing out.
&Harry and are very closeIow>(
The ragged edges of the book sliced the top of her finger. 2lood welled on top of the cut and
dribbled down the side of her hand, leaving a trail of scarlet behind. &"erlin.( 'he tried to
push the book out of the way, but it was too late. The drop of blood splashed against the
leather cover of the diary.
.nce again, the book glared red. =ottie dropped it and watched it glow until it returned to its
regular brown. 'he opened it hungrily. This time, it was filled with that same hurried writing
from the front. @very single page was full of scribbles.
'he turned to the beginning. 3umos. Her wandlight illuminated the book completely.
8arefully, she began at the front.
9- assume if you are reading this, it read, 9you are a friend. - made it so that only my own
friends blood %ould open it. -t was a bit of /ar+ magi%, but the se%urity is worth it.
=ottie put the book down. How had she opened it then% He had died fifty years agoIhow
would he know she was going to find the !ournal%
9- also guess if you are reading this, the worst has happened. -m putting e(erything - +now
in this 1ournal, so hopefully, it %an gi(e you some help in defeating >oldemort.
=ottie screamed and dropped the book as though its cover were made of acid.
&What%( 0ndreas groggy voice came from the ne$t bed.
=ottie e$tinguished her wand. &t wasIwasI( 'he had never seen the 1ark =ords name
printed before. &0 spider. .ne crawled out of my bed.(
&Honestly% Thats it%( 0 rustling of sheets told her that 0ndrea had rolled over. &/o to bed,
=ottie.(
&"mm. ,ight.(
'he sat there for a good five minutes. .nce she was sure 0ndrea had fallen asleep, she lit her
wand again.
9My parents were enemies of >oldemort.
=ottie shivered, but made sure not to scream again.
9.e offered them high-ran+ing positions as /eath Eaters, but they turned him down. 2hey
were both members of the Order of the hoeni$. Not long after, a prophe%y was made by
0ybill 2relawney, predi%ting the birth of a boy who %ould o(erthrow >oldemort7
Hours passed. =otties eyes remained glued to the page as she read the story of =ily and
Aames 7otter. The grey#tinged sun peaked through the dark storm clouds when =ottie read the
line, 90o .agrid too+ me from the rubble of our :odri%s .ollow home, under /umbledores
orders, to my aunt and un%le. #or ten miserable years, - li(ed with my un%le, >ernon
/ursley, my aunt, etunia /ursley and my %ousin, /udley /ursley.
-umbness spread through =otties body in less than a second. 0ll she could feel was the
pulsing of her heart in her fingertips. t wasnt possible thatB The book tumbled from her
hands and landed, softly, innocently unaware of the havoc it had caused.
How did she not know% How had her mother never told her% 'urely 7almyitor knewIand
that was why she let her go to )rance, open the enchanted ob!ects. 'he must have thought that
=ottie has some special power because ofB
The sound of curtains sliding open brought her back to her sense. Hastily, she stuffed the
book under the covers. &=ottie%( came 0ndreas voice from the other side of the curtain.
&*ou awake%(
&*eah,( =ottie said, opening her curtains. &'orry, had a rough night.(
&=ooks like it.( 0ndrea chuckled as she laced up her boots. &Have you slept at all%(
&-o. !ustI!ust kept thinking of those spiders crawling all over me.( 'he shivered.
&"mm. Terrifying. Well, you better hurry up. We have 7otions first.(
The dungeon that morning felt twenty times colder than it had ever in this part of the year.
Thin layers of ice formed on the cylinders of purple liquid they were going to have to boil.
&We might have to start layering our clothes early this year,( 0ndrea said as they waited for
7rofessor 1yer to show up.
&'ounds good,( =ottie said distractedly. Her mind was tucked into the ankle of her boot along
with Harry 7otters diary.
0ndrea surveyed her through the rims of her new glasses. &What has been wrong with you
lately%( she asked. &*ou never seen to be completely paying attention. thinkI(
&/ood morning, class,( 1yer croaked from the doorframe. The 7almyitor and 8lynalmoy
fourth years rumbled a tired hello. & know if you were to pick a time to have class, it would
not be early in the morning. 0nd know you will have trouble focusing during this period.(
&True,( murmured 'ophie.
&'o todayB( 1yer went on, describing the potion they were making and each specific
direction. 0ndrea sat beside =ottie taking frantic but miraculously neat notes. @very thought
=ottie had echoed what she found in the diary.
&7sst.( 0ndrea nudged her not#so#gently. &*ou might want to start working. reckon youll
get a T if you !ust sit there like that for the entire class.(
&.hIerIright.( =ottie blankly pulled out whatever ingredients reached her fingertips first.
2eside her, 0ndrea was lighting a fire. =ottie did the same. 'lyly, she glanced over at
0ndreas handwritten instructions and poured some water in to boil.
)ifty minutes later, the potion she had was bright orange and spewing what looked like
miniature quiches? she wasnt particularly concerned.
&,owe,( 1yer called from across the room. &=ets see it, then.(
=ottie held up her cauldron.
&"mmB This potion makes me wonder if you even took my class last year.( =ottie could
hear 0lly .vertons laughter from two rows behind her. &@very technique taught you, you
ignored. This potion is supposed to be red with hints of gold, not orange with hints of %hun+s.
This is a difficult potion and e$pected themI( he nodded to the rest of the class &Ito fail,
but not you. 'ad.(
&.kay,( =ottie said. .ne grade% .ne grade was nothing compared to the secret she had
discovered.
The bell for the end of class rang. &-o marks for today, ,owe,( 1yer said as she packed up
her bags.
&1oIdo you not care%( 0ndrea asked in the corridor. =ottie shrugged. &WeIweve got
8harms ne$t. WeIhey where are you going%(
=ottie turned around. 'he had been headed down the stairs instead of up, unconsciously going
to the 7almyitor common room. &.h, erIsorry. /ot a bit distracted.( 'he ran up the stairs,
two at a time. &Wh#what are we doing in 8harms this year%(
&ve got no idea,( 0ndrea said. &2ut think were a bit ahead from this summer.(
The 8harms room was much emptier than it normally was. .nly the seven 7almyitor fourth
years filled the first two rows of desks. &/ood morning,( Hermione said from the front desk.
'he smiled at 0ndrea and =ottie. &Today, unlike in most of your classes, we will not have a
practical lesson. nsteadB(
The lecture continued. =otties eyes unfocused as she watched the !agged motions of the
quills in the front row. Hermione seemed not to notice that =ottie was not taking notes.
=ottie glanced around the room. -obody was paying any attention to her. 'lowly, she
reached into her boot and pulled out the leather diary. 0ndrea didnt even look her way. 2oth
nausea and e$citement filled her at once. 'he opened the book, but the writing that had
previously been crammed into every inch had disappeared. 'he reached for her wand. 'he
almost had muttered the incantation, when Hermiones head snapped toward her. &,owe,
what are you doing%(
=ottie looked up. The entire class stared at her with her wand pointed to the empty book on
the desk. &@rIerI(
&What is that%( Hermione took the book from the desk.
&-o>( =ottie rose to her feet. &/ive it backIits mine.(
&"iss ,owe, if you wish to write in diaries, you have plenty of time to do it after class.(
Hermione reached to open the front cover.
&-oIE$pelliarmus5
The spell shot from her wand with such a force that =ottie stumbled backwards a few steps.
The entire class fell silent and watched the spell, seeming to be in slow motion, crash into
Hermione. 'he collapsed with the strength of it. The diary flew through the air, red from the
spell and landed in =otties open palm.
0ndrea shrieked and ran to Hermiones side. &HerIerI7rofessor 'tainthorpe, are you
alright%(
Hermione delicately picked herself up and brushed off the lining of her robe. &*es, thank you
dear. t seems that todays lesson must be cut short. 8lass dismissedIe$cept you, ,owe.(
The class packed up, murmuring to each other under their breath. &'omething is definitely off
about her,( =ottie heard 1evin Hackitt tell @dgar. &f shes so willing to attack all of these
people.(
=ottie turned to Hermione as the class filed out. 'he looked rather less than amused.
&-ow,( Hermione began.
&m sorry>( e$claimed =ottie. & really am. !ustIthat diary is really important andI(
&That does not give you any right to attack a teacher,( Hermione said. &What is that book%(
& found it,( =ottie e$plained, &in /rimmauld 7lace. tIit was Harry 7otters !ournal.(
'ilence. &What%(
&*eah.( =ottie glanced at her lap. &t was. !ust found out.( Hermione held out her palm. The
veins beneath her thin skin seemed to pulse with e$citement. &ts empty at first glance, but
figured out how to open it.(
&How%(
&Here.( =ottie took the book back. Wincing, she picked the scab off her finger and pressed
the blood to the cover of the book. Warmth emanated from the !ournal as it glowed red again.
Hermione stared hungrily at the book. =ottie thought she could see tears creeping into the
corners of her eyes.
&2ut you knew him,( =ottie said suddenly, struck by an idea. &m notInot sure if something
in here is true or not.(
&What%( Hermione inched closer to the book.
)lipping through the pages, =ottie found the sentence she had read last. &Here,( she said. -
li(ed with my un%le, >ernon /ursley, my aunt, etunia /ursley and my %ousin, /udley
/ursley.
Hermione blinked. 0pparently, that was not the mystery she was e$pecting. &*es,( she said.
&ThatIthats right. He grew up with his aunt and uncle.(
0 wave of nausea crashed onto =ottie. 'he slumped back into her chair for a moment,
completely numb with shock.
&Why%( Hermione asked.
&1o you know what my mothers maiden name is%( =ottie whispered. /ursley.
Chapter 3: Chapter Thirty8Five: The *otter ,e)a+y
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: This was a long wait##thanks for sticking with me everyone> -ow that the
summer is approaching, it should be much better. 0 million thanks to my beta, The2ird, for
flying halfway across the country to see me and help me finish this chapter>This chapter is
dedicated to the cast and crew of One #lew O(er the "u%+ooCs Nest. /reat show, everyone>
: : :
8hapter Thirty#)ive; The 7otter =egacy
=ottie could see her hands shakingIcould see the diarys pages quiver, but she couldnt feel
anything. 0ll she saw before her was Hermione, who froze so suddenly that, for a moment,
=ottie thought she had been petrified.
0 streak of white lightning ran across the swirling storm clouds. The roar of thunder that
followed seemed to begin at the very pit of the castle and run like a shiver up its walls. ,ain
thudded against the windows and the glass rattled to a breaking point. /roans and shouts
from disgruntled students wafted up from the grounds. This wasnt the half of it though,
=ottie knew. The real storm was still to come.
&*ou,( Hermione stuttered. &*oureI(
&1udley 1ursley was my grandfather. HeIhe died long ago. hardly remember him. He was
murdered.(
&They probably found out who he was,( Hermione said. Her eyes were fi$ated on =ottie.
&2ut whyI(
Hermione shook her head. &*ou dont know what it was like, back then, right after Harry
died. The 1eath @aters killed anybodyIeverybody who had some relation to Harry. .nly a
few of us escaped. ts a miracle that they didnt find your grandfather sooner.(
&2ut what does this meanIfor me and my family%( =ottie asked. )eeling was slowly
returning to her? accompanying it was a bone#freezing chill that slowly crept up her spine,
one vertebrae at a time.
&)or your family, it means they must not tell anybody their true identities. They would be
taken directly to 5oldemort.(
=ottie froze, her eyes thrown open and yet somehow immeasurably heavy. &0ndIand for
me%(
& couldnt say,( Hermione said, staring at the worn top of her desk. Her eyelashes shook
with the weight of the moment. &Though would guess you will become a new rallying point
for the rebellion.(
Me4 =ottie drew the diary into her chest. &2utIbut Iwhat would be able toIm not
I %ant. -m fourteen.
&m not saying e$pect you to,( Hermione e$plained. 'he glanced at =ottie with a curious,
heavy look; her brown eyes darkened and her mouth moved into what almost appeared to be
a smile. & doubt others will agree with me, though. Harry was the center of the war. 0
prophecy made him so. 7eople will think youre destined to destroy 5oldemort.(
=ottie winced. The name and the thought hit her chest like a brick. &'o Im Harry 7otters
I(
&)irst cousin, twice removed, believe.(
&2ut whyIwhy could open the diary%( =ottie asked. &t said he made it so only friends
could.(
&*ou had to spill a drop of blood on it to get it to reveal itself%( Hermione asked. =ottie
nodded solemnly. &He must have enchanted it to only open for the blood of certain peopleI
his friends. m sure if tried, it would open as well.(
&2ut he couldnt have known - would open it.(
Hermione frowned thoughtfully. &Well he had to make it so he could open it,( she began. &t
must have recognized your blood as his.(
=ottie flipped through the pages of her book blankly, taking in everything. The bell for the
ne$t class reverberated through the corridor. &I need to goB go to 1efense 0gainst the
1ark 0rts,( she said numbly.
Hermione nodded stiffly. =ottie didnt need to use =egilimency to see that a lot of difficult
memories were surfacing in her mind. Her eyes were muggy and her voice dull, like distant
thoughts prevented her from the present. & will tell -aesa about this,( she said. & am sure
shell want to know. 1ue to the nature ofB your actions earlier, will, however, need to give
you detention. TonightIafter dinner.(
=ottie rose to her feet. What did she care about detention when she !ust found out that she
was related to the Harry 7otter%( 'he nodded silently and made her way toward the door.
&0nd ,owe%( Hermione said as =ottie turned to doorknob to leave. &1ont forget the book.(
.utside, 0ndrea stood with her arms crossed. &'o%( she asked, her tone hushed. &0re you
e$pelled%(
=ottie shook her head. &-oIno ImB Were late for class, arent we%(
&.h> *oure right>( 0ndrea took off down the corridor. &Well can only guess,( she said as
they ran, &that you got detention at the very least.(
=ottie shrugged. Her legs pounded against the ground, !olting her awake with every step.
They burst into the 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts classroom. &'orry,( 0ndrea apologized.
&WeIwe wereI(
&=ate,( 7rofessor 1ewitt finished. &-e$t time there will be consequences,( he added with a
smarmy smile.
'till apologizing, 0ndrea found her seat? =ottie followed. The class turned around to stare at
=ottie. &0lright, class.( 1ewitt flicked his wand. )rom his desk, what looked like white sticks
flew and landed before each student. He flicked his wand again and tweezers flew to
everyone as well. &f you look in your book, you will find several symbols that you can carve
Ieach with its own meaning. They will illuminate and detect certain types of magic around
you. t is particularly useful in sticky situations Hfor e$ample, if 1ark magic is being used in
the vicinity.(
0ndrea stared at her desk. &This is a bone,( she whispered. &Human bone.(
&.h doubt that,( said 'ophie casually ne$t to her. &7robably dog or something.(
=ottie flipped open her book and began carving silentlyIshe didnt care which symbol? it
really didnt matter anyway. 'he was so absentminded that her hands got a little ahead of
themselves. =ittle shards of bone flew like tiny daggers in every direction. 0ndrea flinched as
a particularly !agged one broke the lens of her glasses.
Ow, =ottie, youre doing it all wrong.( 0ndrea assumed a slightly too#loud tone as she took
off her glasses and mended them with a quick incantation. .ere. =et me help you.( 'he
leaned in and whispered, &'o, whats it all about% What is that book%(
&tIits the diary of Harry 7otter,( =ottie said under her breath.
What4
&'shh>( =ottie leaned in so close that the tip of her nose brushed against the bone. &He made
a !ournal so future generations could learn how to defeat the 1ark =ord.(
&2ut where did you find it%(
&/rimmauld 7lace.(
&*ou mean youve had it all this time and you havent told me%(
& didnt know what it was until a few weeks ago.( =ottie finished carving the first symbol. &
!ust managed to open it last night. tI( =ottie looked up.
7rofessor 1ewitt towered above her, arms crossed. &@n!oying your conversation, 8harlotte%(
&@rInoIermIsorry.( 'he returned to carving and mouthed, 93ater, to 0ndrea.
0t the end of the class, =ottie packed up her bag and followed 0ndrea to the /reat Hall for
lunch. &'o.( 0ndrea sat down and put a sandwich on her place.
&The diary,( =ottie whispered, scooting farther away from the seventh year on her other side.
&ts kind of like an autobiography. havent read that much. only got to when he defeated
the 1ark =ord for the first timeIwhen he was a baby.( =ottie sighed at the sandwich on her
plate. There was nothing she wanted less than to eat. &2ut it said he lived after that with his
cousin, 1udley 1ursley.( 'he paused significantly.
&'o%(
=ottie swallowed a swig of water. &1udley 1ursley was my grandfather,( she whispered.
&WH0T%(
0 si$th year grunted with disapproval at 0ndreas outburst. &'orry.( 0ndrea blushed
furiously. &I saw a hairIermIin my food.( 'he turned back to =ottie. &0re you
serious4
&*eah,( =ottie breathed. &1ead. 0nd ve got detention with HermIerI'tainthorpe
tonight.(
That evening, =ottie knocked on Hermiones office door? the diary was tucked safely under
her arm. 0 nervousnessIor e$citement, she couldnt tellIfilled every part of her. 'he
wanted to learn more about Harry 7otterIher newfound cousin, but the way Hermione had
looked at her when she found out made her stomach squirm. Hermione said she didnt e$pect
=ottie to lead the war, but the grief hidden in her eyes betrayed her.
&8ome in,( Hermione called.
=ottie cracked the door open. There it was againIthat look. 'he placed the diary down on
the table. &Hi,( she said, sitting in the straight#backed chair across from Hermione.
Hermiones stare unnerved =ottie. )or a moment, =ottie thought she was doing =egilimency
and put up a hasty block, but she then realized there was no magic involved at all. =ottie
looked away.
&Well.( Hermione broke the silence. &=ets take a look at this, shall we%( 'he handled the
book like a treasure, gently lifting it from the table. )ondly, she ran her fingertips over the
cover and flipped through the yellowing pages.
&0 lot of stuff m sure you already know,( =ottie said, staring at her lap to avoid Hermiones
gaze. & only got to right after he defeated the 1ark =ord for the first time.(
Hermione smiled? her eyebrows furrowed and her face seemed to contort as she stared down
at the familiar handwriting. =ottie watched as tears ran down her wrinkled face and pooled on
the desk. &m sorry,( she said, her eyes scanning the tiny print before her. &t !ust brings
back all of these memories.(
&tsIerIno problem.( =ottie felt the urge to smile back, but stared at the shelves of dusty
books instead.
&This is so detailed,( Hermione went on. &@verything is here. The troll on HalloweenIoh,
had forgotten this.( 'he put the book down. &-ow, must tell you why really asked you to
bring the book,( she said seriously. &2ecause m sure you know that know a lot of this
alreadyI was there after all.( =ottie nodded, keeping her eyes on the desk. & confess it is
somewhat of a sentimental thing,( Hermione went on. &*ou can only imagine how much
miss him and ,on. 2ut you see, Harry had plans. m sure of it? he wasnt the kind who
would run us into a !ourney without knowing what he was doing. They went wrong, though.
5oldemortIsorryItricked himIcaught himIbefore he could e$ecute any of his ideas.(
&0nd you think he wrote them in this diary%( =ottie asked.
&@$actly. .r at the very least it will !og my memory. /ive me more to reportImore details.
'o hope you dont mind if we skip a few years. The early years, while interesting, dont
hold much information.( 'he turned the pages to near the very end. &0nd as much as hate to
do itIwell this is detention after allIwould you copy it down as read it% =ets think of it
as lines. will need my own copy to show -aesa, after all.(
=ottie looked up. &*ouIyou mean can keep it%(
& dont see any harm in it,( Hermione said carefully. =ottie didnt need to use =egilimency
to see what that she desperately wanted to keep it, to hold onto that little part of Harry left.
&There is no more hidden magic in hereIand after all, what is important is the words.( 'he
cleared her throat. &0re you ready%(
&.h.( =ottie rummaged through her bag and pulled out a roll of parchment, a quill and ink.
&,eady.(
&Here we go. 9-n my si$th year, rofessor /umbledore had me for pri(ate lessons se(eral
times. -n ea%h lesson, we would wat%h a s%ene from >oldemorts8
=ottie dropped her quill. & cantB(
&-onsense,( Hermione said. &1umbledore and Harry always used to say, 9#ear of a name
only in%reases fear of the thing itself. ts not going to hurt you.(
=ottie picked up the quill. Her fingers shook so badly that she could hardly write. @ach letter
seemed to sting, heightening her an$iety until the word was finally on the page. 'he cringed
at the sight of it.
&,eady% .kay.( =ottie continued. We would wat%h a s%ene from >oldemorts life in a
ensie(e8
&0 what%(
&7#@#-#'##@#5#@. ts a device used to store and view memories. ,eady then% EThe first
sceneB(
The diary went on. =ottie scribbled along as it described each story, each vignette in detail.
The clock struck eight, each chime beating fear farther into =otties mind, when Hermione
closed the book. & think that is enough for you tonight,( she said. &m sure you have
homework you need to do. 0nd should report thisI( she held up the copy of the diary &I
to -aesa.(
&.kay.( =ottie stood up and took the diary.
&.h, and =ottie% spoke to -aesa about yourIermInewfound relative.(
&*eah%(
&'he will be having a conversation with you about it shortly,( Hermione said as =ottie made
her way to the door. &n the meantime, she made it clear that you are not to tell anybody.(
/uilt plunged into =otties stomach? she had only told 0ndreaIand 0ndrea wouldnt tell
anyone, right% 2ut how could she be sure% Hermione raised her eyebrows knowingly. &'ame
time tomorrow,( she said. &/oodnight.(
The door clicked shut. =ottie waited until she was safely out of earshot before breaking into a
run. Her boots thudded against the floor and echoed down the entire corridor. 'he looked
down at the old !ournal clenched in her fist. f she had found out she was related to Harry
7otter in the camps, she would have loved it, would have bragged about it, but now all she
could think of was 5oldemort, the hood of his billowing cloak hiding scarlet eyes, searching
for her, torturing her, killing her.
'he stopped at the 7almyitor clock and clambered inside after setting the time. The common
room was packed. @verywhere she turned, somebody was laughing or shouting across the
room. =ottie felt sick to her stomach. Her vision was a blur of bodies and quills, the fire
crackling hazily in the corner. 'he spun around, searching for an armchair, rubbing her
forehead furiously.
&Well, how was it%( 0ndrea shouted from behind a tower of books so high that it would have
put 2abel to shame. &The detention%( she asked, poking her head around her fort. The tower
wobbled precariously.
&ll tell youIermInot here. s the dorm empty%(
&*eahIAulianne and 'ophie are over there.( 0ndrea pointed to a table near the entrance to
the common room where the two fourth years sat side#by#side scribbling essays.
&=ets go then.( 'ilently, they slipped out of the crowd of screaming teenagers.
.nce the door shut, 0ndrea asked, &'o whats up%(
&We read the diary.(
What4 *ou attack a teacher and you get to read a diary for detention%(
&Well thats not all. meanI had to copy it down too.(
&.h you poor thing.(
&'hut up, =ottie snapped. & have something important to tell you.(
&.kay, okay, m listening.(
&'o in the diaryIwe read about these scenes that 7otter and 1umbledore watchedI
memories from the 1ark =ords past.(
&*eah%( 0ndrea leaned in, interest sparkling in her eyes.
&*eah. We read about his mum. 8an you believe it% Turns out the 1ark =ord is a half#blood.
His dad is a "uggle. His mum was mad and gave his dad a lo(e potion. .nce baby 1ark
=ord was bornITom ,iddle Ar.Ishe left him off the potion and he ran away. 2ut the really
interesting part is that his mother is the great#great#great something of 'alazar 'lytherinIone
of the founders of Hogwarts.(
0ndrea let out a low whistle. &1id you read anything else%(
&*eah.( =ottie leaned in so that their foreheads almost touched. &His mum diedIright when
he was born. He grew up in an orphanage. He didnt know he was a wizard, but he was kind
of aware of his powers. Harry wrote about how he said he could make things happen.
1umbledore went to visit him when he was turning eleven to tell him.(
&1id you read anything else%(
=ottie shook her head. &There wasnt time. 2ut m going back tomorrow. .hIandIwell.
Hermione said that 7almyitor told her to tell me not to tell anyone about Harry beingI(
The door creaked open. 'ophie poked her head in. &.h thank "erlin,( she said. &ts so
crowded up there.(
=ottie raised her eyebrows at 0ndrea. &Well you know what mean,( she said. &AustBkeep it
to yourself.(
The ne$t night, =ottie found herself back in Hermiones office, carefully avoiding her gaze.
The room was small and cramped with spell books and photo albums that were older than
0lsemore itself. There was only one tiny square window in the corner, beside Hermiones
desk, which seemed gigantic compared to the size of the room. Hermione read every memory
and described what she remembered Harry telling her while =ottie took notes.
>oldemort has split his soul into se(en pie%es, she read. 9.e has hidden the pie%es in
artifa%ts %alled .or%ru$es. =efore >oldemort %an be +illed, all of the .or%ru$es must be
destroyed.
&Horcru$es%( =ottie repeated. &What do they do%(
&They will keep you alive,( Hermione e$plained. &'ince part of your soul is preserved. 2ut
its e$tremely 1ark magic and your soul is unfi$able after. "ost 1ark wizards are content
with one, but 5oldemort made si$.(
& thought there were sevI(
&The last part is himself. Harry led us on an e$pedition to find oneIthat was when
5oldemort attacked.(
&1id he know what artifacts they are%(
&He had ideas,( Hermione said. &0nd think he was right. =ets see. There was the ringI(
she counted off on her fingers. &Ithe diary, the snake, Hufflepuffs cup, something of
/ryffindor or ,avenclaws and 'lytherins locket.(
&'lytherin%( =ottie asked. &=ike the founder of Hogwarts%(
Hermione nodded. &'ee here% 9>oldemort %olle%ted things8he sear%hed for ob1e%ts as old as
.ogwarts itself from the founders. .e got the lo%+et of 0lytherin and the %up of .ufflepuff6 -
thin+ he too+ something of :ryffindor or !a(en%laws as well.
&'oIin order to kill the 1ark =ord for good, wed need to destroy all of these Horcru$es
first% 0ll si$ of them%(
&.h, Harry destroyed the diary,( Hermione said with a casual wave of her wrinkled hand. &n
second year. He killed it with a basilisk fang. 0nd 1umbledore destroyed the ring, though not
without consequences. t killed his hand.(
&Dilled hisI(
&Hand, yes. t decayed. 'o we must be careful when dealing with themIvery dangerous, you
know.(
&Wow.( =ottie looked back at her desk and inspected her notes.
&'o, think were done for the evening,( Hermione said suddenly. &Thank you very much for
letting me see this. t means so much to me. 0nd will see you in class.(
=ottie forced a smile. &*eah,( she said, stuffing the diary in her boot. &'ee you in class.(
.nce again, the common room was packed when she got back to the 7almyitor dungeon, but
0ndrea didnt need a signal to follow =ottie down the stairs to the dormitory. &Whatd you
find out tonight%( she asked once the door was safely closed.
&'o heIthe 1ark =ordIhas these things called .or%ru$es. Theyre bits of his soul kept in
little trinketsIob!ects, you know.(
&'o if he dies,( 0ndrea began with a furrowed brow, &hell still have part of his soul
preservedIso all he needs is a new body.(
&@$actly.(
&How many are there%(
&'i$. Hes the seventh bit.(
&.h that makes sense.( 0ndrea nodded and sat on her carefully made bed.
&Why%(
&'even is a very magical number, isnt it% 'plitting it into seven probably made each part
more powerful.(
&/reat. Aust what we need.(
0ndrea stared with little amusement at =ottie. &Well, what are they%(
&.h, well theresI( =ottie imitated Hermione and ticked each one off on her fingers &Ihis
pet snake, the locket of 'lytherin, the diary and the ringIbut theyve already been destroyed.
.h, and Hufflepuffs cupBand something of /ryffindor or ,avenclawsIthey think.(
&Wow. He sure did protect himself.(
=ottie gazed around the common room heavily before resting her face in her hands. .f course
the responsibility was hersIit was Harrys first, and as his only magical relative, naturally,
she inherited it. 'he sighed, imagining herself trying to destroy all of those Horcru$es.
0ndrea pushed her glasses farther up her nose and reassumed a businesslike stance. &,ight.
'o what are we going to do about this%(
We4
&WellIthats what we do, isnt it%( 'he blushed. & mean 7almyitor always gets irritated
with us butting in, but thoughtI(
&.h> Thats brilliant>( =ottie beamed. &'o what do you want to do%(
&Well, was thinking,( 0ndrea began, &that we could go to the library and have a look
aroundIread up on the end of the war and see if we can find what the 1eath @aters were
trying so hard to protect.(
8lasses the ne$t day could not have gone slower. 0s soon as they were let out from a
particularly frustrating .cclumency class, which consisted of 7rofessor 2reckenridges fond
tales of his childhood e$periences with =egilimency, =ottie and 0ndrea made a beeline for
the library. t was a dusty )riday afternoon. The library looked deserted.
0ndrea carried a large stack of yellowing parchment to the table while =ottie pulled out the
diary. &There arent any books written about the end of the war,( 0ndrea e$plained. &Well,
none that arent biased toward the 1ark =ord. 2hese8 she gestured to the pile of pamphlets
&Iare all firsthand accounts of people who were alive.(
&Well thats even better. Here, you read those and ll start looking through Harrys !ournal
for stuff about Horcru$es.(
They sat in silence for ten minutes. 0ndrea discarded rolls of parchment so quickly that at
first =ottie thought they must have been blank. =ottie flipped through the end of the !ournal,
scanning for any familiar words.
&Here, look at this.( 0ndrea pushed her glasses up. &This is the account of 1ean Thomas.(
'he shrugged. &0pparently he was the same age as Harry. 9On%e &ou-)now-Who too+ o(er,
e(erything was shrouded in dar+ness. E(en /eath Eaters didnt +now who to trust. /ra%o
Malfoy had 1oined the Order shortly before it was destroyed. !umor has it, /umbledore
%on(in%ed him the night he died, but - wont ha(e any of it. /ra%o Malfoy is as e(il as his
father and twi%e as powerful. - ha(ent seen him sin%e the Order dissol(ed and some people
seem to thin+ he was +illed. -(e got a feeling that hes still out there, waiting for it to be safe
so he %an po+e his o(erly blea%hed head out again.
&Hm. 'ounds interesting,( =ottie said without looking up from the diary. &We should ask
Hermione about thatIwait.(
&1id you find anything%(
&1id % =isten to this. 9On the night of /umbledores death, we tra(eled to a %a(e where >8
the /ar+ 3ord8had hidden a .or%ru$8the lo%+et of 0lytherin. We tra(eled o(er a la+e filled
with -nferi to a tiny island with a stone basin filled with li,uid. -t wouldnt disappear, so in
order to get to the bottom, /umbledore had to drin+ it. -t made him see horrible things,
though -m not sure what they were. .e rea%hed the bottom of it and we got the lo%+et8only
- dis%o(ered later that it wasnt the real one. 2he real thing was stolen by someone who %alls
himself !.'.=.
&'o somebody got to the locket before Harry did%(
&/uess so.(
&Well thats good, isnt it% Hasnt it been destroyed%( 0ndrea asked.
& dont know. Harry made it seem like it wasnt.(
&1efinitely something else to ask Hermione,( 0ndrea said as she put the parchments back
onto their shelves. &=ets go see her tomorrow, right after breakfast.(
The grey sun was !ust peaking over the horizon when 0ndrea and =ottie knocked on
Hermiones door. &7rofessor 'tainthorpe%( 0ndrea called. &7rofessor, its usI=ottie and
0ndrea. We have a question.( The door opened, but instead of Hermione before them, stood
-eville.
&-eville>( =ottie said, startled. &Weve you been%(
He chuckled. &Aust been doing some .rder business. 8ome in, Hermione and were !ust
having some tea.(
The door shut behind them and Hermione looked up from her saucer. 'he seemed to have
grown more wrinkles overnight. Her eyes drooped with tiredness, but still a contented smile
stretched across her face. &/ood morning,( she said. &s anything the matter%(
&-o.( =ottie pulled out the diary from her duffle bag. &0ndrea and !ust had some
questions.(
&"aybe you could help too, -eville,( 0ndrea added.
&*eah.( =ottie opened the diary to the flagged page and placed it on the table. &Here.(
-eville and Hermione crowded around the book. -eville leaned in close, as though
e$amining every inch of Harrys handwriting. =ottie read them the passage again. &'o this
,.0.2. personIcould he have destroyed the locket%(
&Thats a thought,( Hermione said, quickly scanning the te$t. &Though for some reason
dont think so. remember Harry talking about it as well. We couldnt figure out who it was.
doubt if heIor sheIstill has the locket or even if they figured out how to destroy it.(
&2limey.( -eville leaned back on his chair. &'o we need to find ,.0.2. before we can
destroy the Horcru$%( =ottie stared at him with, her eyebrows furrowed. He chuckled again,
and said, &Hermione e$plained it all to me this morning.(
&We also found,( 0ndrea said, raising her voice, &a first hand account of the end of the war,
written by 1ean Thomas.(
&.h 1ean,( Hermione repeated softly. &He made it through the final battle beautifully, but
when the 1eath @aters found out he wasIwell maybe wasIa "uggle#born, they took him
straight to 5oldemort.(
-eville dropped his head in a moment of bereavement.
&tIit talked about 1raco "alfoy,( 0ndrea said.
Hermione hummed thoughtfully while -eville made a noise that sounded quite like a hissing
cat. &*es, "alfoy disappeared right after the war ended,( Hermione e$plained. &@verybody
in his family was a 1eath @ater. He was too until he tried to kill 1umbledoreI(
&WH0T%(
&*eah,( Hermione said with a shaky laugh. &5oldemort had told him to kill 1umbledore,
even though he knew he wouldnt be able to do it.(
&Then whyI(
&He wanted him to fail,( Hermione said. &He wanted to punish his father. 2ut 1umbledore
offered him safety with the .rderIand he took it. He disappeared right after that and we
havent seen him since.(
&1ean seemed to think he was still alive,( 0ndrea said thoughtfully.
&0s do ,( Hermione agreed. & think hes !ust hiding. Hes afraid that we wont accept him?
the 1eath @aters definitely wont.(
&ts fine with me if hes dead,( -eville said moodily.
&-eville>(
&1o you remember how horrible he was to me%( he went on. &n first year, he did the =eg#
=ocker 8urse on me.(
Hermione chewed on the inside of her lip. & mightB might know someoneB need to go
to the library.( 'he stood up suddenly and darted out of the room.
&Typical,( -eville mumbled. &'he used to do that all the time. guess well find out what this
is all about soon.(
'ure enough, the ne$t day when =ottie and 0ndrea showed up for breakfast, Hermione met
them at the 7almyitor table. &.nce youre done,( she said, & have someone to introduce you
to.(
=ottie and 0ndrea e$changed glances. mmediately, they both began to shovel food into their
mouths as fast as they could. Within minutes, they followed Hermione to her office.
&=ottie, 0ndrea, d like to introduce you to 8aractacus 2urke,( Hermione announced. &"r.
2urke, this is =ottieI8harlotte ,owe and 0ndrea Woolbright? theyre both students.(
&How do you do%( the man sneered. He was an odd, old fellow. @ven in his e$treme age, he
gave off the air of undeniable unpleasantness. His hair was so white that it was nearly
transparent. 'pots lined every inch of his skin, so that =ottie couldnt tell what its original
color was, though at the moment, he looked a bit purple. To top it all off, an e$tremely thick
monocle magnified his left eye.
&@rmB hi,( =ottie said with a quivering smile.
&How do you do%( 0ndrea asked faintly.
&We were wondering,( Hermione said in a near shout, &if you had any idea where 1raco
"alfoy could be hiding.(
&1raco "alfoy%( wheezed the old man. =ottie could see his ribcage rattle with every breath.
&*esIthe "alfoys were loyal clients of mine. @ven in my age when dear "r. 2orgin took
care of the shop, kept close tabs on the "alfoy family.( =ottie noticed a gold ring on his
pinky that looked like it was worth more than the entire 7almyitor common room. &=ucius
never did appreciate his transactions with "r. 2orginIhe often called me into his private
quarters to avoid 2orgin all together. am sure young 1raco is in one of his familys many
hideouts.(
&2ut wouldnt his father find him there%( Hermione asked. &=ucius "alfoy is still a 1eath
@ater.(
&m sure young 1raco knows how to not be found.(
&Thank you so much, "r. 2urke,( Hermione said. &f you could tell us the location of these
hideoutsI(
&.h that would be a severe betrayal of trust, "aam,( "r. 2urke said. His monocle wobbled
dangerously.
Hermione looked at him curiously. =ottie could see some sort of nonverbal e$change
happening, but couldnt understand what was going on. 'oon enough, -eville !oined in as
well, and the entire silent conversation ended with him giving "r. 2urke a firm handshake.
=ottie thought she could see the glint of something gold between their fingers.
&5ery well,( "r. 2urke said after casually slipping whatever he was holding into his pocket.
&f you wish to speak with the young "aster "alfoy, will find him for you and bring him
here.(
&.h thank you so much, "r. 2urke.(
&*eah, thanks>( added =ottie.
& will send you wordI( the old man hobbled toward the door &Iwhen have found him.(
Chapter 3#: Chapter Thirty8$i%: Colm"! $e+ret
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, as always, to The2ird for working on this chapter with me>
This chapter is dedicated to my boss, who actually cracks me up with everything he says.
: : :
8hapter Thirty#'i$; 8olms 'ecret
1ays passed !ust about as quickly as "r. 2urkes elderly frame inching across the grounds of
0lsemore. @very morning, =ottie would steal a hopeful glance at Hermione, who would only
grimace in return. 2efore =ottie knew it, the stormy, damp 'eptember had transformed into
an irritable .ctober. 'till, there was no sign from "r. 2urke? =ottie imagined him limping to
every possible "alfoy hideout, monocle quivering threateningly.
2efore she knew it, it was Halloween and the prefects had donned their festive bat masks.
The feast did seem a bit meager this year, though it was still enough food for everyone to
have their share. & was !ust saying,( =ottie e$plained to 0ndrea through a mouthful of
chicken, &that dont think its fair that we dont know whats going on. meanI-m the one
who found the diary.(
&There isnt anything going on? thats the problem,( 0ndrea said. & doubt "r. 2urke will
even find him. 2esides, were lucky they let us know this much to begin with. 1o you know
how many seventh years leave here without being nearly as involved as we are%(
&Were !ust persistent. Thats all,( =ottie !oked. &<h oh.( 'he frowned. .ver at the "aelioric
table, 8olm smirked at them over a mountain of mashed potatoes. & can smell trouble
brewing.(
&What%( 0ndrea looked up. &.h. *ou know, the more you argue with him, the more you
encourage him. f you ignore him, he wont bother you as much.(
&Worth a try,( =ottie said with a shrug. 0fter a beat, she pretended to be laughing animatedly
at a !oke 0ndrea told. &ts not working,( she said through gritted teeth. 8olm was still staring
at them like a fo$ waiting to pounce.
&Well it hasnt been long enough,( 0ndrea hissed back, determinately staring at the head
table. &Aust give it time.(
&-o, its making it worse. =ook, hes coming over hereIoh "erlin.( =ottie stared up at
8olm, who towered over her with his hands on his hips. &*ou know, if you dont mind, d
like it if you stopped walking,( she said mockingly. &"y bowl is shaking with every step you
take.(
&,ough night, see,( 8olm retorted. & was !ust coming over to tell you to stop staring at
me.(
&'taring at you4 =ottie repeated. &m sorry. !ust looked up and you were staring at me.
&Why would stare at you%(
&=ottie, stop it. *oure encouraging him,( 0ndrea whispered. &f you stop, hell go away.(
&*eah, ,owe, listen to your friend.(
&*ou know, 7almyitor is going to notice youre over here,( =ottie growled. &'hes going to
give you detention if you dont leave.(
&.h boohoo detention.( 8olm sneered. &*ouve been getting plenty of detentions yourself,
hear. 2ut you know what think%( He leaned in so that his dirty blond hair almost touched
=otties forehead. & think youre !ust lonely. *ouve got no friends and you want company.
ts patheti%.
& have so got friends.( =ottie got to her feet. &"ore than you, especially, you pig.(
8olm straightened up, the corner of his lip curling threateningly. &/et away from me,( he
hissed, &you "udblood.(
&.h, you did not !ust say that.( =otties words reverberated in the tension between them and
got lost somewhere in between. &Thats it. )uriously, she grabbed him by the arm and
dragged him down the 7almyitor table. =ottie could hear students whispering, but to her they
sounded like !eers. 'wiftly, she pulled the door open and pushed 8olm through.
&=ook, 'crivener,( she hissed. The door slammed shut. & may be "uggle#born, but m ten
times stronger than youll ever be. ve got powers that you can only dream of. could read
and manipulate your simple mind and you wouldnt even know what happened to you. ve
got lots of friendsIyou only wish that you could have a friend as good as 0ndrea, but you
dont because youre a fat, spoiled, asshole who has to make fun of other people to feel okay
about himself.(
&s that what you think of me%( 8olm boomed.
=ottie took a step back. Twice her girth and a head taller, he dwarfed her in comparison.
&'poiled% *ou think so% m spoiled4 was pampered when hid from 1eath @aters in my
parents basement for months at a time% m sure compared to your tragedy at the camp, that
was !ust a far%e.
=ottie took another step back. 'he could feel the rage that had been compressed for years
spilling out of him.
&*ou think your parents pretending you dont e$ist is being spoiled%(
=ottie stared at her shoes. &-#no,( she muttered. &0re your parents 1eath @aters%(
&Thats what the 1ark =ord thinks,( 8olm said bitterly. &Theyre working for usIfor
0lsemore. 2ut if *ou#Dnow#Who had found out about me, wouldve been sent to
Hogwarts. "y parents had already promised "aelioric that d !oin our side, so had to hide
every time 1eath @aters came over. TheyIthey were suspicious. They had a feeling was
there.(
)reezing guilt slid down her throat and landed heavily in her stomach like an ice cube. &I
I( 'he didnt know what to say. 2efore she had to do anything, the door clicked open and
Hermiones head poked out.
&What is going on here%( she asked. & saw you, ,owe, storm out and youve been gone for
almost five minutes.(
&'#sorry, 7rofessor,( =ottie said. 'he could see 8olm staring at her out of the corner of her
eye. &We were !ustItalking.(
&Well, come in and !oin the feast,( Hermione said. &The puddings almost gone.(
&8ome on,( =ottie said gently. &=ets go, 8olm.(
He looked up, a smile creeping across his face. Deeping his distance, he followed =ottie and
Hermione into the /reat Hall. =ottie sat down silently at the 7almyitor table in her empty
spot.
&What happened%( 0ndrea asked. &What did you do to him%(
&ll tell you later.( =ottie began picking absent#mindedly at her fudge.
& mean, saw you take him outside,( 0ndrea went on, &and it got all quiet. 0nd about three
minutes later HerIerI'tainthorpe went out to see what was going on.(
&ll tell you later, =ottie repeated. &.kay% really dont feel like talking about it right
now.(
&.h. .kay.( 0ndrea e$amined at her own dessert silently for a few minutes. The clinking of
cutlery grated =otties mind as she silently recounted her previous conversation. 8olm had
always seemed so arrogant, but now she could see how scared and lonely he really was? she
almost felt bad for him. &*ou know,( 0ndrea said suddenly, &that was a really foul name
'crivener called you.(
=ottie shrugged.
&@specially since "uggle#borns are doing the ma!ority of the fighting. Were the ones giving
our lives to save him from his own kind.(
&2ut were all people in the end, arent we%( =ottie stood up, letting her fork fall to the table
with a clatter. &m tired,( she said. &m going to the common room.(
=ottie took her time heading down the staircase. @very step seemed to be a struggle against
the earth. 'he was !ust at the 7almyitor clock, when a voice behind her called, &Hey, wait
up>(
=ottie turned. 0ndrea stood with crossed arms before her. &What is going on%( she
demanded. &1id 'crivener attack you or something%(
=ottie shook her head and clambered through the clock.
&Hey, dont run away from me.(
=ottie grunted and descended the stairs to the dormitory, pulled off her boots and climbed the
stairs back to the common room. &.kay,( 0ndrea said, huddled on a stool in the corner. &ve
played the surly silent game with you? now you have to tell me what happened.(
The common room had a few occupants. Three first years sat on the cold, hardwood floor in
front of the fire. 0 crack of thunder brought =ottie to her senses. 'he leaned against the wall
in the corner. &*ou cant tell anyone,( she said seriously. 0ndrea nodded.
5oices were drawing closer. The feast must have !ust let out. &When took 8olm outside to
yell at him,( =ottie whispered, &he told me about his childhood and you knowI meanIwe
both know theres no way he was raised in the camps.(
7eople began trickling through the clock. &Well he told me how his parents are spies. guess
theyre 7urebloods and went to Hogwarts, so the 1ark =ord knew about them and they were
recruited young. 2ut apparentlyI( =ottie leaned in closer as people began filling up the
empty space &Ithe 1eath @aters never officially found out about him, but they had their
suspicions. 'o theyd come and scope it out. 8olm had to hideIfor months sometimes, he
saidIwhile they searched the house. 0pparently, his family had agreed to let him come
here.(
&Wow,( 0ndrea breathed.
&2limey.(
=ottie spun around. @dgar 7ayne sat behind her, scratching his chin.
&@dgar,( =ottie hissed. &Were you !ust eavesdropping% That was private.(
&Well am a spy, arent %( He grinned, but his smile vanished when he saw the look on
=otties face.
&m telling you, 7ayne,( she growled, &dont tell that to anyone.(
&.r what, youll curse me again%( -either =ottie nor 0ndrea laughed with him. &-o, no,
understand,( he said. & wont repeat it.(
&/ood.( =ottie waved her wand menacingly. &.r else.(
t was @dgars turn not to !oin in as =ottie chuckled. 'he waited until he was out of earshot
before turning to 0ndrea and saying, & dont trust him.(
&.h please. Who is he going to tell%( 0ndrea asked. &2esides, dont think its a big deal if
people know.(
&"aybe not to you,( =ottie said. &2ut 8olm seemed pretty upset about it. =ookI dont want
to talk about it anymore. <p for a game of /obstones%(
The ne$t morning, 0 trail of whispers scuttled over the chipped tabletop, between the goblets
of orange !uice, under the curves of the flatware. =ottie raised her eyebrows significantly, but
0ndrea shook her head. &ts always like this,( she said calmly. &*oure !ust being paranoid.
,ela$.(
=ottie shrugged. & dont know,( she mumbled as she piled hash browns onto her plate. &
sure hope youre right.(
0ll through 8harms, =ottie couldnt concentrate. 'he shifted her weight back and forth
through Hermiones lecture. 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts was even worse. 'he
purposefully sat ne$t to @dgar in this class, but every time she glanced over at him, he was
unusually busy taking notes.
.nce lunch began, =ottie stared at the "aelioric table an$iously. 8olm was nowhere to be
found. The whispers were much more noticeable now? they ran up and down all three House
tables and crept in on her. They quite reminded =ottie of the game she would play as a child,
when she would whisper a secret down a line and see how it would change by the end.
&m really glad can trust you.(
=ottie looked up. 8olms bulky form stood before her, his face contorted into silent rage. He
spun around without another word and headed toward the door.
&8olmIwait.( =otties flatware hit the table with a clatter. The whispers rose in volume as
she followed him out of the Hall. He began toward the stairs. &8olm>( =ottie ran to catch up
with him. Her hand brushed his arm and he spun around. &1ont say anything,( =ottie said
before he could open his mouth. &2ecause know what its going to be and know deserve
it. 2ut please believe me when tell you that - didnt spread it.(
&f you didnt tell anyone, then how did everyone find out% ve had people asking me about
it all dayIpeople who have never talked to me before.(
&WellI did tell 0ndrea,( =ottie confessed. &2ut only becauseI(
& thought we had a dealI(
&We never did> never agreed to anything. *ou !ust started spilling your heart out to me and
didnt know what to do.(
&'o thats what you think%( 8olm spat. & thought that was an agreement to stop fighting.
thought we wereI(
&/oing to start being friends4 =ottie sneered. & would never be friends with you.( Her
stomach flipped over. /uilt grew e$ponentially inside of her. &Well, you thought wrong, you
selfish ass.( Without another word, =ottie stormed back to the /reat Hall and flopped down
ne$t to 0ndrea.
&What happened this time%( 0ndrea asked without looking up from her meal.
&He thinks - spread the rumor>( =ottie said. &That cow. didnt tell anyone but youIoh
could +ill @dgar 7ayne.(
&2e careful about saying things like that.( 0ndrea looked up from her plate. &2ecause we all
know you a%tually could.(
=ottie groaned and sank onto her elbows, staring at the scratched 7almyitor tabletop. &This
will all die down soon,( she said to herself. &Theres no way theyre going to gossip about it
for this long. meanIhow interesting is he%(
8olm 'crivener was, apparently, interesting enough to be the topic of hushed conversations
for weeks. @very time his name was mentioned, =ottie grated her teeth and bit down on her
tongue to prevent herself from saying anything. @dgar 7ayne had become uncharacteristically
quiet in classes and managed to avoid =ottie in the common room every night.
n the last days of -ovember, the castle became so cold that students took to con!uring fire
and keeping it in !ars hidden in their pockets. n the early days of 1ecember, Hermione called
her and 0ndrea into her office.
=eaning against her desk was a man about Hermiones age. His hair was completely silver,
matching his perfectly grey eyes. t seemed that every detail of his fine robes were decorated
with some kind of snake. He seemed to shimmer green. =ottie guessed he would have been
quite handsome if he didnt look as though somebody were trying to convince him to eat food
that they had picked off the floor.
&=ottie, 0ndrea, this is 1raco "alfoy,( Hermione said, beaming.
&1ont get too e$cited, kids,( "alfoy sneered with crossed arms. & dont know why /ranger
called me hereI didnt even know you were still alive,( he added. &2ut sure enough old
2urke showed up at my door, telling me that you wanted to meet me.(
Hermione beamed. &*ou cant pretend youre not relieved, /ra%o, she said cheerfully.
'u %ontraire, "udblood.(
=ottie stood up immediately and drew her wand. &'ay that one more time,( she growled.
"alfoy laughed, his cackles high and sharp. &What, are you a Mudblood too%( he sneered.
&Well us Mudbloods are fighting the war for you and keeping you safe,( =ottie said.
&ts okay, =ottie,( Hermione said with a smug glance at "alfoy. &m quite used to itIand
he is not going to change his vocabulary any time soon.(
&,ight you are, /ranger.(
&Wait, thought he was on our side,( 0ndrea said. =ottie could hear the insult burning under
her words.
& am,( 1raco said casually. & had no chance. f the 1eath @aters knew were alive, they
would kill me immediately.(
&.h, so youre being selfish, =ottie hissed. & understand now.(
"alfoy shut his eyes for a moment and heaved a sigh. &*ou dont know what it was like,( he
said slowly, &having the 1ark =ord taking revenge on my family. 1umbledore offered us
protection. "y mother and hid with the .rder, but my father wouldnt come alone. When
the 1ark =ord attacked 7otter, went along with the .rder members. had given my word,
after all, to 1umbledore.(
He grimaced. &"y father killed my mother. 8alled her a filthy 2lood Traitor. He turned to
me, but 1isapperated !ust before his curse hit me. He still thinks he killed me.(
&Wow,( Hermione whispered. & didnt know that, 1raco. m sorry.(
&ts no problem,( "alfoy said hurriedly, reassuming his slick persona. &The woman was
getting old anyway. 'he !ust would haveIhaveI( he put a hand to his forehead and
muttered, &held me back.(
Hermione rose and put a hand gingerly on his shoulder. &1raco,( she said softly, &its okay.
*ou dont need to pretend anymore. There arent many of us left. We need to stick together.(
& dont need anybody.(
&Weve all lost people,( Hermione said. 1raco turned around and stared out the window at
the darkening sky. &-eville lost his entire family and his only friends. How do you think felt
whenIwhen lost ,on%(
=ottie could feel a lump in her throat. 'he had thought wizards had everything. 'he never
realized that they had suffered !ust as much as the "uggles.
&The only thing we can focus on now,( Hermione said, &is ending this. t will end, 1raco. 2ut
we need some information first.(
"alfoy turned around, silver eyebrows arched. &s that what this is all about%( he asked. His
eyes were bloodshot.
&WellIpartly,( Hermione confessed. &m also trying to find as many of us as can. We
need to stick together, you know.(
&What do you want to know%( "alfoy asked.
&1o you know about 5oldemorts Horcru$es%( Hermione asked shortly.
&1ontIsayIhisIname,( 1raco said through gritted teeth. &0ndIwhat% HorI(
&IHorcru$es, yes.( Hermione nodded.
&-o, dont.(
&Well.( Hermione began e$plaining. The entire story took nearly ten minutes to get through.
0s she listed the potential Horcru$es, =ottie sank into a sitting position against the wall.
& cannot tell you the location of any of those items,( 1raco said, still leaning casually against
the wall. &Though would bet my wand that your suspicions about his snake are correct. "y
fatherImyImy father told me that the 1ark =ord had instructed him to protect the snake at
any means necessarilyIwith his life, if he had to.(
Hermione leaned back into her chair. &'oIthe snake,( she said, tapping her fingernails
against the desk. &t should be easy enough to find.(
& would think so,( 1raco agreed. &The thing hardly ever leaves his side. f you can find the
1ark =ord, you will find the snake.( He paused, glancing around the room. &ts been a long
dayIfist dealing with 2urke and then -aesa 7almyitor. 'he has not changed one bit since
Hogwarts, let me tell you.(
&*ou knew 7almyitor%( =ottie asked, her interest sparked once again.
&.h yes. 'he is only a few years older than meIand was a member of my House. think
will retire to my room now.( He cleared his throat and swept his robes up in a flurry of green
fabric. & will see you tomorrow, /ranger.( He nodded coldly toward Hermione and left the
office.
.nce the door clicked shut, 0ndrea muttered, &What a character.(
-umbly, =ottie nodded in agreement.
&Well that was quite a night, wasnt it%( Hermione said suddenly. &'orry to rush you two out,
but itll be after hours soon. Hope that was interesting for you.( The door shut.
=ottie blinked and stared at Hermiones door. &Well she sure herded us out fast,( she said.
&Well bet you dont know how emotional that is for her,( 0ndrea said, on their way back to
the common room. & meanIif all of your friends died, something like this would certainly
bring back memories.(
& guess.( =ottie climbed through the 7almyitor clock into the crowded common room.
&7ayne>(
&What%( 0ndrea asked.
&Hold on.( =ottie ran after the sliver of a robe that had !ust whipped around the corner to the
stairs for the boys dormitories. 'he grabbed the hem of @dgars sleeve and held on with an
iron grip against his struggles for freedom. &.h, no,( she growled. &*oure not going
anywhere until you e$plain this.(
@dgar sighed and stopped struggling. Her turned to face her, hanging his head. &m sorry,(
he said. & never meant for it to spread like this. was !ust so mad about that 1efense 0gainst
the 1ark 0rts lesson that told 1evin. meanIhes my best mate. 2ut some third years
overheard me andIwell you can see how it spread.(
&*ou told /e(in4 =ottie roared. & wouldnt trust him to make my bed.(
.ey, @dgar growled, reaching his hand into his robe. =ottie knew he held the handle of his
wand. & said he is my best friend. 1ont you dare talk about him like thatI(
&0nd you8 =otties voice reached a threateningly low level &I couldnt trust you to !ust
keep your mouth shut. -o wonder you two are friends.(
@dgar drew his wand in an instant. ts tip quivered so close to =otties throat that she could
feel power surging off of it. 2ut =ottie was too quick for him. 'he already had her own wand,
pointed right at the pit of his stomach. Without flinching she said, &*ou know what can do,
7ayne. m perfectly willing to show you again.(
The pair maintained eye contact for a full minute. =ottie didnt blink. 0 part of her secretly
hoped he would try somethingI!ust so she could show him that she was not afraid to curse
him into oblivion. @dgar looked away first. He glanced at the floor and lowered his wand
slowly, though he didnt put it back into his pocket.
&.kay, look, m really sorry,( he said. & dont know how it got to be like this. had no idea
people would be that interested in 'crivener. meanI( @dgar laughed nervously, still eying
=otties wand pointed at him &Iwho cares about the fat lump%(
&ts important to him,( =ottie said fiercely. &He never meant for anyone to know, and now
e(eryone does.(
& cant believe you actually care about him,( @dgar said. &His parents are in with the 1ark
=ord. Who cares whatI(
&His parents are spying for us. ts different.(
@dgar stared at her. &Hes a pureblood. We cant trust him.(
&Who cares%( =ottie shouted. 'he !ust wanted to scream, curse him and kick him in the shins
all at once. &snt that kind of thinking what were fighting against4 "erlin, 7ayne, you are
stupid. =ottie tightened the grip on her wand and inched closer to him. &f you dont get out
of my way right now andIdont you dare point that thing at meIE$pelliarmus5
@dgars wand went flying in the opposite direction. His eyes widened as =ottie inched closer
to him with her wand up. &=isten to meIno listen to me. 'he grabbed his arm, which had
been subtly reaching toward his wand on the ground. &*ou broke a promise to me andIand
8olm never even did anything to you>(
& told you, ,owe,( @dgar said, the desperation in his voice rising, & !ust told 1evin.
honestly didnt mean for anyone else to find out.( His dark eyes moved from her face to her
wand and back again. &1ont curse meIpleaseIafter what happened last timeI really am
sorry, ,owe.(
=ottie scowled and lowered her wand. 'he turned away from him and started to descend the
stairs to the girls dormitory.
&@rI,owe%(
=ottie spun around and glanced at @dgar, who stood nervously at the top of the stairs. &*es%(
@dgar glanced at her wand again. &1o youIdo you forgive me%(
With a frown stretching across her face, =ottie surveyed him. 'he glanced at his wand, which
still lay abandoned halfway down the stairs, and back at him. &)ine,( she said, turning around
and walking back into the common room. &Whatever.(
Chapter 3&: Chapter Thirty8$even: The 4uilt o1 6r; 6al1oy
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks so much to The2ird for helping me out with this chapter>
This chapter is dedicated to the amazing waiter from the "oroccan restaurant went to last
night. Thanks for the bread, sir>
: : :
8hapter Thirty#'even; The /uilt of "r. "alfoy
With @dgar 7ayne as a neutral acquaintance and 8olm 'crivener back as an enemy, the
universe seemed to realign itself once again. The whisperings that had plagued =ottie at every
turn stopped? 8olm was still followed by rumors and camouflaged snickers, but that was the
least of =otties concerns. 'he took to reading the diary into the early hours of the morning in
her free time. 'he had gotten through all si$ of Harrys years at Hogwarts by 8hristmas
holiday.
With a week off of classes, =ottie took to studying the diary all day by the fireside. 0ndrea
learned that it was futile to try and reason with her at these times and tagged along with
'ophie and Aulianne until =ottie was quite finished.
The last part of Harrys account was the hardest to read. =ottie could almost feel the panic
rising through the aging pages. t was almost suffocating. Harry had become a friend, a close
confidant. He trusted herIhis cousinIwith everything. 0nd she trusted himIshe would if
she could somehow talk to himIreach through the yellow pages of the diary and grasp
whatever piece of his memory was left.
92hey +illed them, =ottie read. 9Malfoy +illed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. 2here was an atta%+ on
the =urrow. 'lmost e(eryone got away8they were almost safe, but Malfoy %aught Molly with
her ba%+ turned. 'rthur went ba%+ to help her7
=ottie put the book down. "alfoyI/ra%o "alfoyIthe man who was was staying in the
castle% Who Hermione trusted% Her heart did somersault in her chest.
'he leapt to her feet and looked around. 'he had to do somethingIshe had to. 'he took a
frantic lap around the common room, as though she e$pected him to be hiding under one of
the sofas, waiting for her. 0fter deciding that the common room was clear, she took out
through the clock and ran down the halls. =ottie pounded up the stairs, searching.
Her breathing became heavy. 'he clutched a stitch in her side. ,unning around in circles was
not going to help anybody. 'he had to stop and come up with a plan. Where would he be%
Who did he know%
=otties stomach lurched again. 'he didnt have time for this. 0 1eath @ater was sitting
comfortably in the castle, probably plotting its destruction, and nobody had a clue. 'he had to
stop him. /roaning with frustration, she took off to the only place she had seen him beforeI
Hermiones office.
'he ran up the stairs in record time and veered left down a corridor. Hermiones door was
ahead. 'he swung it open with such a force that it smashed against the bookshelf on the wall.
&=ottie%( Hermione glanced up from a stack of essays. &WhatI(
&"alfoy>( =ottie raged.
&What%(
&Where is he%(
&Hes in the /reat Hall, having lunch. WhatI(
&-o>( =ottie turned back to the doorway. & cant e$plain now. We need to get him out of
here.( 'he took off down the corridor, her heart beating in her chest. 0 1eath @ater at
0lsemore surely meant that the 1ark =ord could be here any second.
-mpedimenta, Hermione said calmly. =ottie stopped in her tracks. Hermiones footsteps
drew towards her.
&=et me go,( =ottie growled. The spell felt like a brick wall that had made itself at home
against her windpipe.
&,owe, would you please e$plain your sudden rage against 1raco before you go off to
murder him%( Hermione asked, her voice quivering with laughter.
&ts not funny,( =ottie said. 'he pushed against the spell harder. &n the diaryIin .arrys
diaryIit wrote about how "alfoy +illed theItheI dont know their nameIthe Weasels%(
&The Weasleys%(
&*es> He +illed themIhes a 1eath @ater>( =ottie could feel the spell relenting. 'he pushed
with all of her weight against it.
&=ottie, you dont understand. "alfoyI(
The spell broke. =ottie stumbled forward, lost her balance, and slammed against the wall. &
have to go find him>( she shouted as she turned to the ne$t corridor and began descending the
steps to the /reat Hall.
Her heart pounded in her throat. 'he pulled her wand out and pushed the doors open to the
/reat Hall. What seemed like every student turned their head as she ran down the aisle
between the "aelioric and the 7almyitor table. 'he could see "alfoy, with his stupid,
manicured eyebrows arched in surprise.
The Hall was silent as =ottie pounded down to the staff table. 0e%tumsempra5 she shouted.
0 scarlet gash slid across "alfoys ivory face.
&,oweI( 7almyitor got to her feet &Iwhat on earthI(
=ottie didnt notice the dangerous glint in 7almyitors eyes. 0ll she could see in front of her
was "alfoy. 0tupefy5 she hissed.
This time, 1raco was ready. His shimmering shield rebounded =otties curse. =ottie dodged
out of the way in a single step. &Hes a 1eath @ater>( she yelled. 0 collective gasp echoed in
the Hall. &Hes a murderer.(
1raco rose to his feet. n a flurry of his emerald robes, he walked calmly down the Hall until
he was only inches away from =ottie. 'he noticed that his wand was concealed in his long
fingers, pointed directly at her heart. 'carlet blood slowly dripped down of his elegant
features and pooled on the /reat Hall floor. &=isten to me,( he hissed, his silver eyes glinting.
0 sudden memory consumed her the moment their eyes connected. 'he was very young,
maybe three or four. The door to their one room flat opened and a large, crumpled form with
graying, blond hair fell onto their floor. &This is yours,( grunted a 1eath @ater who was
standing above the dead body. &2loody thing tried to start a revolt.( His voice was slick.
=ottie, huddled behind her mothers legs, could see a lock of blond hair under his hood. The
1eath @ater turned his masked face to =ottie and knelt down. Her nose almost touched the
cool metal of his mask. His silver eyes glimmered in the firelight. n a flash, his wand was
out, pointed against =otties throat. =ottie remembered her mothers scream, and her fathers
involuntary !erk toward her. They were frozen in that moment of static fear for a good
minute, before the 1eath @ater tucked his wand away. He left without another word,
sweeping his robes behind him.
=ottie looked up at "alfoy. &*ou killed my grandfather,( she said, her voice shaking. &*ou
killed the Weasleys. *oure nothing but a lying 1eath @ater> 0tupe8
E$pelliarmus5 =otties wand shot from her hand. The force of the spell pushed her
backwards several paces. 7almyitor lowered her wand. &-ow that is quite enough,( she said.
&8arry on with lunch.(
0s all of the other students began to cautiously nibble at their food again, 7almyitor strode
down to separate =ottie and "alfoy, who were still glowering at each other with the hatred of
several generations. &*ou two are behaving like children,( she said as she bent down and
picked up =otties wand. &-o, ,owe, you dont get this back until you cool your head. "y
office. -ow.(
'till holding the diary to her chest, =ottie sulked to 7almyitors ever#familiar office? "alfoy
trailed behind. The door slammed shut behind them. &@$plain,( 7almyitor said as she settled
herself at her desk.
&7rofessor, hes a 1eath @ater.(
& am no such thing.(
& have proof>( =ottie flipped through the pages of the diary maniacally. &=isten to this
I9Malfoy +illed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley8
0 shrill chorus of laughter cut her off. &That%( sneered "alfoy. 2hat is why you see it fit to
attack me%(
&1ont laugh>( =ottie yelled, color rising to her cheeks. 'he couldnt belie(e he was laughing
at a time like this. 'he !ust wanted to hurt himIto curse himIif only 7almyitor would give
her back her wand. &*ou killed my grandfather tooIyears ago. *ou left him dead at our
door, remember%(
&That was my father,( "alfoy said.
&*ourI(
&"y fathe is a 1eath @ater. .e killed the Weasleys, not me. 1ont !udge me by the errors of
my father.(
&Well you dont !udge m because of my "uggle family, then>(
&0re you two finished yet%( 7almyitor rubbed her temples. & would e$pect behavior like this
from you, ,owe, but 1raco% *ou are more than forty years her senior. 0ll is cleared up, is it
not% 8ontrary to what you believe, ,owe, 1raco is not a 1eath @ater. There. 8an we all go
on with our day% Without bloodshed%(
& very much agree,( "alfoy said. &-ow that the trial is over, may continue on with my
business%(
&.f courseI.h, not you, ,owe.(
=ottie sighed and turned back to face 7almyitor. &*es%(
7almyitor waited until "alfoy closed the door before getting to her feet. 'he swept toward
=ottie threateningly slowly. &/ive me the book.(
&2utI(
&We tried to let you keep it. 8learly you cannot be trusted with the information.( 7almyitor
e$tended her palm.
&2ut Harry is my cousin. t rightfully belongs to me.(
7almyitor leaned down so that she was face to face with =ottie. =ottie quickly put of a block
of .cclumency as she peered into the professors cold, brown eyes. &Harry 7otter,( she
hissed, &is dead. That diary belongs to nobody in particular. Aust because you are related to
the )amous Harry 7otterI( she stood up to her full height &Idoes not mean this war is only
yours to fight. f you want to pick up where he left off, you will have a lot of errors to fi$
where he failed.(
=ottie looked away? she flushed red. Her hands were very cold. &I was !ust trying toI(
&Help%( 7almyitor returned to her desk and perched in her straight#backed chair. .elp by
doing what youre told. We are very capable of running this war without you or your famous
cousin.(
=ottie did not say anything. Throat dry, she took a step toward 7almyitors desk and slapped
the diary onto the tabletop. 'ilently, she left the office and let the door slam behind her.
&That was quite a show,( said a familiar voice from across the corridor. 0ndrea rounded the
corner with her eyebrows raised impressively.
& dont want to talk about it.(
&We all make mistakes, =ottieI(
&Well not me, okay%( =ottie groaned and slammed her fist into the wall. 7ulsating pain
throbbed across her knuckles. &m not supposed to do things like that anymore.( Her
stomach sank with the realization. &ll never become a master .cclumens if let my
emotions run wild like that.(
They walked down the stairs silently. 0ndrea thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip. &*ou
know,( she said as they reached the bottom step. &Thats not very healthyIto hold onto your
emotions like that. mean, you were given a gift and youre a very talented .cclumens, but
you dont need to restrain yourself all the time.( =ottie stopped and turned her head to look at
0ndrea. 0ndreas eyes were stern behind her thick glasses. &=ook at 7almyitor. 'he doesnt
look very happy at all, does she%(
)rustration hit =ottie in waves. What did 0ndrea know about .cclumency% &That doesnt
matter? dont you see%( =ottie said slowly as though she were e$plaining to a very young
child. &Were not here to be happyIwere here to finish this war. .ur feelings dont matter
Iwho cares if youre sad or lonely4 f being sad keeps you alive, what does it matter%(
0ndrea surveyed her over the top of her glasses. &There are things worse than death, =ottie.(
=ottie opened her mouth, but closed it again. 'he couldnt think of anything to sayIthere
wasnt anything. &I left myI forgot to get myImy wand back from 7almyitor,( she
finally said. 'he carefully avoided 0ndreas gaze by staring at the top of her head. &ll meet
you in the common room later.(
=ottie turned around and heaved a sigh. 'he heard 0ndreas footsteps retreating to the
7almyitor clock. 0ndrea couldnt be right, could she% =ottie tried to swallow, but her throat
was still too dry. What could be worse than death%
The castle was silent as she ascended the steps to 7almyitors office. t was still lunch, =ottie
guessed. @verybody must have been in the /reat Hall. 'he was crossing the corridor
perpendicular to the entrance when hushed voices stopped her in her tracks.
&There is no way to be sure,( said a voice. 0 nearby door stood a!ar. & doubt we will be able
to find him, if he doesnt want to be found.( =ottie instantly recognized that sneer. t was
"alfoy.
&Here, let me help you with that,( said another voiceIHermiones. 'he muttered an
incantation that =ottie did not recognize. 0 sharp intake of breathIthe spell must have hurt.
&,owe may not be the most gifted at 8harms, but she certainly has a skill in 1ark "agic.(
Hermione paused. &2ut -aesa seems to trust him.(
& would trust )enrir /reyback before -aesa 7almyitor,( "alfoy said. &Have you ever
wondered why she trusts him%(
&2ecause,( came Hermiones voice, &she knew 1umbledore was on to something.( =ottie
could hear a growing coldness in her words and terseness in her tone.
&0nd look where that got him. 1umbledore trusted anything on two legs.(
&Thats true.( =ottie heard Hermiones footsteps draw closer to the door. &He trusted you and
that didnt do him any good.( 2efore Hermione left, =ottie rushed down the corridor, and
turned out of sight.
7almyitors door was before her. =ottie pushed it open with her shoulder.
&,owe>( 7almyitor spun around and lowered her wand. 2ehind her, a shimmering, white doe
stood in the windowsill, pawing at the ground.
&IerI was !ustIis that a 7atronus%(
7almyitor glanced sideways at the doe, which immediately lowered its head and evaporated
into fine silver. &*es. *es, it is.( 'he turned back to face =ottie and raised her eyebrows.
&What do you want%(
& !ust wanted to get my wand back,( =ottie said, still staring at where the doe had
disappeared. & dont like to go far without it.( =ottie winced, waiting for 7almyitors refusal
Iwaiting for the lecture, maybe even the detention.
&What% .h, yesIof course.( 7almyitor pulled the sycamore and walnut wand out of her
pocket and tossed it distractedly in =otties direction, her eyes still focused on the patch of
wall where the doe had !ust disappeared. =ottie caught her wand and slipped it into her
pocket. 'omething told her that she would not have gotten it back if the 7atronus hadnt been
there.
&Thank you, 7rofessor,( =ottie said as she left the office and shut the door behind her.
+uestions swam through her mind so quickly that she developed a minor headache. Who was
7almyitor communicating with% 0nd who was Hermione and "alfoy talking about% These
thoughts carried her all the way to the common room where she collapsed into an armchair
ne$t to 0ndrea.
&Well you sure seem to be in the festive mood today,( 0ndrea remarked.
&*oull never guess what !ust overheard,( =ottie whispered.
&.h dont tell me youve been eavesdropping again.
&WellIyes, but Hermione and "alfoy were talkingIthey got kind of angry at each other,
actually, but they were arguing aboutIabout someone 7almyitor trusts. 0nd about why she
trusts him andIand things like that. Who could that be%(
&Who cares%(
&2ut then, when got my wand back, there was a 7atronus in 7almyitors office? you know,
like the one she sent as a messenger to us in )rance. That must be from someone far awayI
she wouldnt !ust communicate by 7atronus to "aelioric or something. Who could she be
talking to%(
0ndrea paused? a frown etched across her face. & think that the more important question,(
she said, &is if theyre all talking about the same person.(
Chapter 3': Chapter Thirty8(i)ht: The <i!itor
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! note am so e$traordinarily sorry for the absurd wait on this chapter. have
definitely not given up on this story? have actually written up to chapter si$ty#one. 0
situation beyond my control delayed this chapter, but never fear> =ottie3s plight continues>
=ike always, thank you to The2ird for helping me greatly improve this chapter>
This chapter is dedicated to my acting class. Here3s to our wonderful beginning, and the ne$t
three years we will spend together.
: : :
8hapter Thirty#@ight; The 5isitor
'everus 'nape traced his inde$ finger lazily over the tattoo on his left forearm. t was days
like this that made him consider drasticInoIfoolish things. 8ooped up in his dark =ondon
townhouse, he often found himself questioning this war, the rebellion, even the 1ark =ord
himself.
,ain thudded against the window, causing the its grimy glass to shudder. 0 darkness
stretched across the horizon; rows of abandoned homes and slippery, black pavement. .n a
clear day, he could usually see the edge of the "uggle camps; bruised and dirty children with
their tiny, inconsequential faces pressed against the cold, steel gates. Who would have
thought the "uggles would have kept procreating in their filthy camps% The 1ark =ord
certainly had not. t certainly benefited the "udblood school 0lsemore, considering "uggle#
born rates had been steadily rising since 7otter3s death. He had heard, though, that it was
becoming increasingly difficult to rescue these children from their homes. The 1ark =ord
was onto the rebellion, and even though 0lsemores castle was protected with every sort of
1efensive 8harm imaginable, 'everus was confident that the 1ark =ord would find a suitable
traitor soonIa crack in 0lsemores seemingly impenetrable armor. The corners of his mouth
twitched into a smile at this thought.
0 crackling fire was the only source of light. t palled 'everuss face and his many shelves of
books and potion ingredients into shadow. f he was lucky, the rain would relent by nightfall,
so he could make a tour of the =ondon camps and meet with one of 0lsemores impenetrable
forces? appearances had to be maintained, after all.
'everus stretched his long arms and rose to his feet. He strode to the window and gazed out at
the foggy horizon. 0 dementor glided by, its bony fingers reaching out, searching for a
suitable soul to consume. .ccasionally, a "uggle would find its way out of the camps, but
the stupid thing never got far before getting caught Fby a 1eath @ater if they were lucky, or
by a dementor if they were notG. 'everus particularly en!oyed savoring the other "uggles
reactions when he was presented the honor of dropping the bodies off at the camps.
'ometimes he wondered if this is what the 1ark =ord had envisioned for his filth#free <topia.
0 knock on the door broke the silence. 'everus arched an eyebrow. He hadnt been e$pecting
company yetIcertainly not with the current weather. Well, he could guess who it was. He
flicked his wand? the door creaked open.
&=ucius.( He hid his surprise well.
&'everus.( =ucius inclined his head, causing his sopping wet, silver hair to fall in his eyes.
&8ome in.( 'everus pushed the door open wider. &1ry your robes by the fire. ll make some
tea.(
=ucius stepped through the threshold? rivulets of water dripped from his cloak and pooled on
the wooden floor. (-ot up to coming to the senior meeting today, 'everus%( The door shut
behind him with a weighted slam.
'everus pulled opened a drawer and removed two tea bags. & had other things to attend to,(
he said. He placed two teacups full of water on the table. With a flick of his wand, steam
curled from them instantly. 2lackness seeped out of the heavily scented teabags and weaved
through the water, staining it completely. &The 1ark =ord allows his most trusted followers
to take certain liberties and carry on business as they see fit.(
=ucius straightened in his chair, a peacock flashing its feathers. 'everus smirked at the
image. &0 small place you have here,( =ucius said, gesturing around 'napes dark living
room. & would think the 1ark =ord would supply his most trusted with nicer
accommodations.(
&.h he has.( 'everus carefully placed his tea bag in his water to steep. & chose this second
home myself to be close to the camps, in the chance that the "uggles will decide to revolt
again. =ife in a manor can get monotonous for old men like us.(
=ucius took a sip of his tea. f he took any offense, he did not show it. His silver eyes
reflected the crackling firelight. &ts a shame you could not make it to the meeting today,( he
said, drawing lazy circles in the air with his wand. &*ou could see what have been saying
first hand.(
'everus raised his eyebrows. &0bout the 1ark =ord%(
&*es.( =ucius lowered his voice as though he was afraid of being overheard. &*ou cannot
deny that he is getting older.(
&-o,( 'everus said carefully, pulling his teabag through the hot water like a fish on a reel.
&2ut he has taken measures beyondI(
&*es, yes, know about the measures.( =ucius rose to his feet and rolled his thumb around
the handle of his wand. &2ut if they were a%tually beyond my imagination, should not he
have stayed young%(
&-othing stops a man from aging. He can live as long as he pleases, but there is no )ountain
of *outh. @ven -icholas )lamel chose to die eventually.(
&Well the 1ark =ord seems uneasy about it,( =ucius went on, pacing around 'everuss living
room, running a finger along the dusty spines of his books.
&He has e$pressed his concerns to you.( 'everus let doubt ring through is voice.
&-ot e$actly.( =ucius dropped his hand and turned to face 'nape. &Tell me, 'everusIif you
were a man of over one hundred and twenty years of age, would you not be concerned%(
& very much doubt will live that long,( 'everus said with a shrug. &What makes you think
the 1ark =ord fears his age%(
&The way he is acting,( =ucius said as he settled himself at the window. &f you had been at
the meeting today, you would understand. He is terse, much stricter with the young recruits.
f were a !unior 1eath @ater, would have run away long ago.(
'nape got to his feet and crossed to his favorite armchair. &0s much as that says of your
character, =ucius, it says very little for the 1ark =ords. *es, he has become more stern with
the children, but do you doubt that those brats deserve it%( 'everus leaned in like a cat about
to pounce. &Those students have been spoiled at Hogwarts? without having to deal with
"udblood filth? their little lives have been too comfortable. When the best are picked to !oin
our ranks, they have quite a transition to make.(
0 smile began to stretch across 'everuss face as he launched his ne$t attack. &@ven in the
older days, he was known for dealing with new recruits quite strictly. =et us not forget young
1raco.(
=ucius spun around. His hair stuck up in each direction? his silver eyes widened manically.
'everus could see his wand quivered in his hand. &1raco is dead,( =ucius said. The grey and
black sky through the window formed a sort of anti#halo around his head.
&He is.( 'nape leaned back lazily in his chair. &We all saw you kill him, after all.(
&What do you mean by that%(
&-othing.( 'nape rolled up the sleeves of his robe, e$posing his blackened 1ark "ark. &*ou
do not think it is possible, though, that he 1isapperated !ust in time% That curse of yours was
quite destructive. t is quite possible, would guess, that he took a page out of our dear friend
7eters book.(
&7eter 7ettigrew,( =ucius spat, &was an imbecile.(
&2ut an imbecile who survived until that goat of a man killed him.(
=ucius opened his mouth and stood, waiting for a retort to come to him.
&t is interesting,( 'nape continued, pushing himself out of his chair and pacing across his
living room. & never saw you this sensitive before your stint in 0zkaban.(
&1o you doubt the 1ark =ord%( =ucius spat, sweeping across the room to follow 'everus.
&1o you doubt his spies and agents who confirm that 1raco is dead%(
&0pparently you do,( 'everus said.
&I would never doubtI(
&*ou told me yourself.( 'everus took a step forward. =ucius retreated. &*ou believe the 1ark
=ord is growing incompetent in his old age. *ou think it is wise to confess these feelings to
his most trusted follower%(
&Aust because the 1ark =ord trusts you, 'everus, does not mean we all do.(
&,eally.( 'everus folded his hands. &t could not be that you are simply envious of the high
esteem in which the 1ark =ord holds me.(
&-otInot at all,( =ucius spluttered.
&1o you really doubt my allegiance, =ucius% 1o you forget who killed 1umbledore when
your son was too cowardly%
&"y son is dead>( =ucius slammed his palm against 'napes desk.
The pair glared at each other in silence. 'everus observed =uciuss glinting, frantic eyes? he
could feel the fear pouring out, filling the room with a palpable tension that even the most
ine$perienced of =egilimens would be able to swim in.
=ucius was the first to break away. He turned to the floor and pushed his robes aside in a
flurry. &WellI must go.( He cleared his throat. & have a meeting with *a$ley.( He strode
across the room and opened the door.
'nape didnt turn around. He stared at where =ucius had !ust been, a smirk spreading across
his face. =ucius had broken.
&'everus.( The door shut.
'everus turned around. &*our son is dead,( he repeated. He chuckled lowly to himself.
&Thats what you think.(
He settled in his black armchair and rolled his sleeve up again. His 1ark "ark was etched
black against his pale skin? it was always black now. 2efore the 1ark =ords second reign, it
had disappearedIit was almost invisibleIconvenient for hiding from "inistry officials.
-ow, the 1ark "ark was a treasure, a thing to be cherished, despite the initial pain of
receiving it.
'everus sighed. The rain was not relenting. The sun remained hidden. @ven the thought of
patrolling the camps did not cheer him up? all of those filthy children would be hiding with
their parents or nestled under wreckage.
"ra%+.
'everus raised his eyebrows and turned toward the door. Aust on cue, there was a knock. He
waited a moment. 0nother knock.
He swept across the room. His eyes warmed as the door creaked open. &Hello, -aesa.(
Chapter 4.: Chapter Thirty8Nine: The ,e)ilimen+y *ro1e!!or
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: *ou guys know the drill. =ike always, so sorry for the long wait. "y beta
and are doing our best with our crazy schedules, and if you guys can stick with us, this story
will get posted>
.n a side note, finished writing the entire story. F'o you know 3m definitely not
abandoning it. t3s all down>G thought you all would be interested. t clocked in at seventy#
eight chapters, though that is sub!ect to change as edit.
Thanks as always to The2ird for being amazing and helping me so much> This chapter is
dedicated to my awesome barista. Thanks for always being friendly and making delicious
0mericanos>
: : :
8hapter Thirty#-ine; The =egilimency 7rofessor
'trings of brightly colored lights glimmered in the /reat Hall, casting pools of pinks and pale
greens onto the dark tabletops. 'now drifted by the window, piling on the grounds below,
creating a pristine, white 8hristmas outside of the dark halls of 0lsemore. The students
shifted uncomfortably in their seats. 0 chill had settled on the castle? =ottie pulled her
sweater up to cover her numb, pink nose between bites of the feast.
t was not the merriest of 8hristmases. The /reat Hall was unusually silent. 0n ominous
mood had settled into the stomachs of the students, preventing anybody from feeling
particularly chatty? admittedly it could have been because everybodys mouths were too
numb to talk.
=ottie nudged 0ndrea and pointed toward the staff table. &Who is that%(
0 stranger sat, observing the students with a look of distaste. He talked to no one, and yet
appeared to be the ob!ect of the professors undivided attention. 7rofessor 1yer leaned over
his plate and murmured something to 7rofessor 'eward, the )lying teacher, who shrugged
and shot a quizzical glance at the intruder. His dark hair masked his face, but something
about the man seemed oddly familiar to =ottie.
0ndrea nibbled the crust of a piece of thinly buttered bread. &-ew professor%(
&n the middle of the year%( =ottie stabbed a chicken breast and lifted it precariously onto her
plate. &-obodys left, have they%(
&-ot that heard.( 0ndreas wide eyes narrowed as she scanned the rows of teachers for a
missing face.
The melancholy murmur of the students died down as 7rofessor 7almyitor strode to the front
of the hall. &This is an unusual circumstance,( she announced, &but please !oin me in
welcoming a new professor.( 'tudents turned to each other and whispered hushed questions
to their friends. &7rofessor 2reckenridge, due to duties in the war, can no longer commit to
teaching full time.(
.f %ourse. -ow that =ottie looked at the row of teachers, 2reckenridges massive frame was
clearly the only one missing.
&Taking his place will be a very e$perienced and well trained wizard. 7lease welcome
7rofessor 'everus 'nape.(
The applause was quietIpolite, as the students again turned to their neighbors and mumbled.
8learly, =ottie wasnt the only one who had heard of 'napes escapades as a 1eath @ater.
&Thank you,( 7almyitor went on, the sarcasm in her voice quivering on the verge of anger,
&for that warm welcome. f you are all finished with your feast, you may return to your
common rooms now.(
=ottie stood up immediately. The back of her neck tingled. 'he turned her head around
slowly to see 'nape, amongst the crowds of professors, staring directly at her. 'he snapped
back to 0ndrea, her heart leaping to the base of her throat. &=ets go to the dormitory,( she
said.
0ndrea furrowed her brow, but followed her down the stairs to the 7almyitor common room
without question. &He gave me a funny feeling,( =ottie said. They sat down, e$hausted, in
front of the fire.
&Well of course he didIyouve heard the stories of him being a 1eath @ater.(
&-o, thats not all though.( =ottie leaned in closer. &He was staring at meIweirdly. 1o you
think he +nows4 0boutIabout my cousin, mean.(
&.h =ottie, dont be stupid. Who would have told him% @specially with his reputation,
7almyitor wouldntI(
&2ut she trusts him> Thats the problem. 'he might think she has to tell him or something.(
&WellI( 0ndrea spluttered for a moment, searching for words. &Well, hes a =egilimens,
right% "aybe he was reading your mind by accidentIlike he couldnt help himself.(
&t doesnt work like that,( =ottie snapped. &*ou dont read minds in =egilimency. ts more
complicated than that. 0nd you cant !ust not help yourself.
&"aybe you cant,( 0ndrea said, rubbing her palms wearily over her face. The point of her
nose stuck though her fingers momentarily. &Hes betterImore e$perienced, mean,( she
added hastily after spotting =otties e$pression of outrage. &"aybe hes so powerful that he
does it by mistake. He must be good.(
&,eally good.( =ottie sat back in her armchair and stared into the dancing flames of the fire.
&.therwise he wouldnt be able to trick 7almyitor for this long.(
When 8hristmas holiday ended, the 7almyitor fourth years waited e$pectantly outside of the
=egilimency classroom for their first lesson. & wonder what happened to 7rofessor
2reckenridge,( Aulianne whispered for the tenth time since the announcement of his
departure.
&Hes in a war,( =ottie answered. 'he pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes in her best
impression of 7almyitor. &1ue to the circumstances, he is too busy saving the world and no
longer has time to commit to teaching lowlifes such as us.(
&*eah,( 1evin Hackett said. &Hes more needed there. !ust hope this 'nape guy is any
good.(
& assure you, "r. Hackett,( drawled a voice behind them, &that he is more than !ust good.(
=ottie turned around. 'everus 'nape stared impressively back at the class. &Well%( he asked.
The door swung open. The students were silent as they filed inside. When 2reckenridge had
taught, the room was bare? now, seven dark, wooden chairs loomed in a straight line against
the wall. 'helves of books covered almost every inch of stone. &'it,( said 'nape from the
threshold.
=ottie sat in the chair closest to the door? she figured, if anything else, an easy escape would
be the key to surviving the class.
&/ood morning,( he snarled from the other side of the room, though clearly from his
e$pression, he thought the morning was anything but. & am here to teach you the useful and
severely under#practiced arts of .cclumency and =egilimency. have learned from your
Head of House that you are the students here with the most natural ability.( =ottie felt 0ndrea
shift uncomfortably ne$t to her. &That is why you are in this classIthat is your place in this
warIto spy.(
He turned to =ottie and 0ndrea. 1ark eyes glinting with recognition, he said, & havent seen
you two in several years.(
The class turned, eyes wide with surprise. 0 memory hit =ottie like a slap in the faceI0nape
had been the one who had rescued them from the 1eath @ater headquarters years ago. &-aesa
was feeling kind that day,( he said, &!udging by the fact that you two are still alive.(
=ottie smirked? 0ndrea !ust whimpered and sank in her chair. 0 low babble of murmurs
chorused through the classroom, but 'nape cut them off with a mere twitch of his eyebrow.
&-ow, lets see if youre as talented as 7rofessor 2reckenridge insinuated. He held out the
word long enough to send what appeared to be an earthquake through 0ndreas spine. He
pulled out a scroll from his pocket and scanned over a list of names. &Woolbright%(
0ndrea stiffened in fear and slowly got to her feet.
&=ets do a basi% task to begin.( 'nape pulled out his wand. &<se .cclumency. 7rotect
yourself. 3egilimens.
=ottie raised her eyebrows and watched as 0ndrea struggled with the attack. )or a moment,
she seemed to have control, but the ne$t, she fell to her knees against the stone ground. 'nape
did not stop? he did not relent. He towered over her, watching her fight in vain. 7art of =ottie
wanted to yell, to stop him from continuingIanother part was too afraid.
&7athetic,( 'nape finally spat. &Three years of training and this is the best you can show me%(
0ndrea did not look up. 'he sat on her knees, staring at the floor.
&7rofessor, thats unfair,( said @dgar 7ayne, thrusting his hand in the air. &0ndreas the worst
in the class.(
The energy in the classroom shifted. =ottie felt it like a wave, overtaking her completely as
heat rose to her cheeks. The students sat in silence, all knowing it was true, but all too
uncomfortable to confirm it. The air weighed on =otties shoulders. 'he leaned back in her
chair and stared blankly at @dgar.
'nape arched an eyebrow. &Then who is the best%(
0ndreas face burned red under the gaze of the class. 'he did not look up. &=ottie,( she
whispered.
0 silence permeated the room, interrupted only by the slight creak of wooden chairs as
everyone turned their gaze toward =ottie. 'he felt nothingIno swell of pride or flush of
embarrassment. 'napes face, also, was unaffected, unsurprised. He waited, letting the quiet
take on its own life. =ottie waited too, waiting for it to die.
&Well%( 'nape finally said. &0re you going to show us your mastery%(
=ottie stood up. 'nape was quick and observantIclearly, he was talented. Her heart did not
flutter as she crossed to face him. Her .cclumency was already starting to take effectIfeel
nothing, think nothing. 'he barely heard him whisper an incantation, but as he raised his
wand, she felt a small impact, like a little wave, crashing against her feet.
Her mental block absorbed the attack. The room was silent. 0ll =ottie could see was 'napes
dark, beady eyes, trying to force their way into her mind. The impact was growing strongerI
a weight pressing against her chest. =ottie couldnt help but smirkIthis was all 'nape had to
show them%
0nd then everything fell apart. The pressure against her block e$ploded. @verything turned
upside#down. =ottie may have been pushed off her feetIshe couldnt tell. 0ll she could hear,
all she could feel, was the graze of a spell across her cheek. 'he tried to see the classroom
and remember where she was, but her vision was consumed by the corpse#littered =ondon
camp. 1eath @aters were approaching. Her immersion was so complete that she could smell
the burning corpses littering the alleyways. Her heart thumped against her ribcage. 8olm
'criveners silhouette appeared against the darkening sky.
=otties eyes snapped open. 'he was flat on her back on the ground. Her chest rose and fell
rapidly? she could hear her own panting, but still felt like she wasnt taking in any o$ygen.
The ceiling was spinning, swimming in and out of focus.
&2his is the best you have to show me%( 'nape asked, his tone wavering in a consistent
vibrato. &2his is all you have learned in three years%(
=ottie pushed herself off the ground and shuffled back to her chair, staring resolutely at the
ground.
&The simplest of tasks,( 'nape went on. &/uard your mind. n this twisted world, it is all you
can rely on. )riendship means nothing. t is !ust a means of weakness that the 1ark =ord uses
to e$ploit the ignorant. f you constantly put your trust in others, there is no way you will
survive.(
&2ut what is there to live for without friends%( 0ndrea asked, rising to her feet. =ottie could
feel the entire class staring at her. 'he resisted the urge to smile back at 0ndrea? this was no
time to show weakness.
&'it down, Woolbright,( 'nape spat. &*ou are a child. *ou do not understand this war.(
& dont understand4 0ndrea stood up so suddenly that her chair swayed ominously. &
dont understand the war% ve li(ed this war. ts all ve ever known. was born into a world
where was treated like dirt, where could only live from day to day because never knew if
would survive the night. have had to suffer my whole life and the only chance of escape
was offered was to become a soldierIto give up my free will and possibly die for a cause
that they wont let us fully understand. 0nd what have you done%( The tips of 0ndreas
nostrils flared dangerously. &*ouve been hiding for fifty years. *ouve been a coward for
fifty years while letting %hildren die for you.(
&1ont call me a coward.( 'napes long, spindly fingers fle$ed, as though itching to draw his
wand. &*ou have no idea what the adults in this world have had to do. have been spying for
over half a centuryIa !ob most difficult and dangerousIa !ob that you all are supposed to
possess the talent for. 2ut from what -(e seen, none of you will ever be successful. None of
you will survive long enough to be useful.
&Thats not true.( =ottie got to her feet as well, so that she and 0ndrea stood shoulder to
shoulder in front of the class.
&0h, finally the master speaks,( 'nape drawled, taking obvious pleasure from their outrage.
& am sure you have spent your years being told how spe%ial you are. -aesas little favorite,
arent you% 2ut you will never be a master spy.( He stood tall and swept a finger lazily to
indicate the pair. &-either of you. 0nd do you know why%(
-obody spoke. -obody dared to take a breath. The air in the class was still.
&*ou cannot control your emotions. f you cannot control your mind, what do you have% *ou
are useless.(
&Thats not true>( 0ndrea took another step forward.
=ottie on the other hand sat back down on the floor. 'nape was right. Her breathing slowed as
she stared at her shoelaces. That was the first thing 7almyitor had taught her and, somehow,
she was still unable to e$ecute it. The only reason she was at 0lsemore, the only reason she
was alive, was to spy. f she lost control of her mind, what did she have left%
&=ife isnt about fighting, 0ndrea was saying. &=ife isnt about fulfilling your duty for some
greater good. ts aboutIabout loveIand friendshipI(
&Harry 7otter believed that as well.( 'nape crossed his arms, preparing for the final blow.
&0nd look where hes gotten us now.(
0ndrea stood for a moment. =ottie could sense the tension from her seat. The class held its
breath as 0ndrea slowly sat back down, cross#legged, on the ground ne$t to =ottie. 'he did
not take her eyes off of 'nape, did not blink behind her thick glasses.
&*ou want to prove that you are worth something%( 'nape asked, drawing his slender wand
from his pocket. He addressed the class, but =ottie could feel his stare boring into her skull,
and hers alone. &Try again.(
=ottie pushed herself to her feet and carefully avoided eye contact with 'nape. 'he took a
breath. 'he had to clear her mind. When she had control of her mind, she could succeed.
,eleasing her breath in one slow stream of air, she opened her eyes and nodded at the hook#
nosed professor.
He didnt even use an incantation. =ottie could feel his presence coming toward her, like a
looming shadow. 'he couldnt let her trepidation make her weak. 'he had to focus. 7ressure
formed in her forehead as he tried to break down her mental barricade. 'he breathed steadily
and watched him.
The pressure grew stronger. =ottie kept her mind blank? she closed her eyes and let
nothingness sweep over her. 2ut the tension did not relent. t grew more and more powerful.
0 small tingle of an$iety began in =otties toesIno, panic would only make things worse.
'he kept breathing.
Her unease spread up her body and settled in her stomach. f 'nape succeeded, she would be
proven wrongIthe class would be embarrassed? 0ndrea would be ashamed of herB =otties
eyes widened. 0nd with that, with that minute show of e$pression, everything broke.
@motions hit her like a wave? she drowned in her past thoughts as 'nape uprooted each
memory. )aces swam through her vision, blurring it. 'he felt removed from it all, a third
party observer, and yet as poignant images rose in her minds eye, she was throttled into the
thick details of her past.
0 single moment stood out among the rest. =ottie held the diaryIHarrys diary. Hermiones
silent e$pression of shock, her quiet battle with nostalgia, played out before her. =ottie
uttered, 0o -8-m .arry otters8
#irst %ousin, twi%e remo(ed, - belie(e.
t stopped. The room fell back into focus. =ottie was on her back again. 'he pushed herself
up, her stomach lurching, panic rising.
&8lass dismissed,( 'nape hissed.
&What%( @dgar 7ayne shouted. &We have to sit through this argument and then you !ust
shove us out%(
'nape turned to him, angling his head slightly. &8lass dismissed,( he repeated. @ach syllable
struck sharply and precisely. 0ndrea recoiled.
1azed, the class stuffed their parchment into their bags and filed out of the door. =ottie stood
in the center of the room, staring at the hem of 'napes robes. &*ou too, ,owe,( he said. He
swept to the desk and leaned against it, the thick strands of black hair falling in his face. He
snapped his head around and, black eyes glimmering, shouted, &=eave>(
=ottie hopped with surprise. 'winging her bag over her shoulder, she ran out of her room.
&What was that about%( 0ndrea asked from the doorway.
&He knows,( =ottie said, beckoning 0ndrea to follow her to the common room.
&What%(
&0boutIabout my family, =ottie said under her breath. &0bout him being my you know
what.(
&.h. WellIthat cant be too bad.( 0ndrea set the time on the 7almyitor clockIfour minutes
past eleven. &Hes a teacher, after all. 7almyitor knows. d be more afraid of her, honestly.(
&2ut hes a /eath Eater5 =ottie followed 0ndrea into the common room and collapsed onto
a stiff, wooden stool.
&Honestly, =ottie, if he can block 7almyitors =egilimency, nobody else is going to get the
secret out of him,( 0ndrea said, perching herself on the edge of a graying sofa.
&Thats an understatement. Hes good.
&Well of course he is.(
&-o.( =ottie leaned in urgently. &Hes really good. Hes more powerful than anything had
imagined. He makes what 2reckenridge was teaching us a !oke. That was my strongest
defense and he broke it in a matter of minutes.(
&Well, then its settled,( 0ndrea said, annoyance in her voice raising. &Theres no way we
can beat him. Thats it. The end. We lose. s that what you want%(
&-o, butB( =ottie leaned her face against the palm of her hand, thinking. &There must be
some way to beat him. He cant be the best =egilimens ever.(
&0nd youre proposing that you are%( 0ndrea asked, raising her eyebrows. &=isten, =ottie,
!ust dont worry about it. *ou did loads better than anyone else could do. )or all intents and
purposes, youve basically mastered .cclumency and =egilimency.(
&-o havent>( =ottie stood up in e$asperation. &f 'nape can beat me, havent mastered
it.(
0ndrea pursed her lips.
&Well then, youre !ust lucky hes on our side, arent you%(
Chapter 4-: Chapter Forty: 3etention with $nape
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
8hapter )orty; 1etention with 'nape
7rofessor 1ewitts sly grin greeted the fourth years as they filed into his classroom, late on a
chilly "arch afternoon. The occasional snowflake drifted down past the window, reminding
the students of the unusually rigid spring unfolding. &/ood morning,( 1ewitt said from his
desk. With his impish little smile and overe$tended frame, he resembled a cross between an
oddly cheerful dementor and an elf.
=ottie sat down in the back row. 1ewitt, even after months, never failed to unnerve her.
0ndrea sat down as well, her lips pursed as she surveyed the professors e$pression. &Why is
he so giddy%( she whispered.
&Wands away,( 1ewitt instructed gleefully. &Today will be a lecture.( He flicked his wand
and a stretch of straight, neat handwriting appeared on the blackboard. He swept across the
room and settled against the front of his desk. &Today, we will discuss the 1ark =ord.(
1ewitt waited patiently for the classs murmurs to fade away. =ottie merely e$changed a
quizzical glance with 0ndrea. &t is important,( he went on, &to understand our enemy.
.therwise, how would we be able to defeat him%(
=ottie shifted squeakily in her wooden chair.
&The 1ark =ord rose to power in the JKLMs. 0s several (irtuous wizards tried to resist his
power, others became his followers and soon learned the power and gifts he could give them.
The 1ark =ord offers richesIoh yesIa wonderful reward for serving him loyallyI
protection, power, land, connections. 7ureblooded families shared his viewsImany of them
had been feeling resentment toward "udbloods for years.(
The class was silent. 0fter a moment, =ottie realized that her mouth was hanging open in
surprise, and shut it hastily.
&0 history of this 7ureblooded sentiment dates back over a thousand yearsI'alazar
'lytherin, the noble )ounder of 'lytherin house, created a 8hamber that held a monster to kill
all of the "uggle#borns crowding the Hogwarts halls.(
=ottie glanced significantly at 0ndrea who widened her eyes in return. &0s the 1ark =ord
gained power,( 1ewitt went on, &so did his followers. They were the most fearsomeIthe
most respected wizards of their time.(
0ndrea thrust her hand into the air. & find that hard to believe,( she said. &-obody respects
1eath @aters.(
&-o%( 1ewitt slammed his knuckles against her desk, bent low so he was face to face with
her. &*ou do not admire a flawless feat of 1ark "agic%( he snarled, a grin visible beneath
his words.
0ndrea spluttered, her blue eyes moving furiously to keep his gaze. &-#no.(
&How unusual.( With another knock against her desk, 1ewitt straightened up and turned to
the class. &0nd the rest of you% 0re you opposed to the display of 1ark "agic, despite its
artistry%(
The class remained silent. =ottie could only vaguely feel a pulse in her hollow body.
&The 1ark =ord gained followersIyesIgrew an army. 0nd of courseIyou all know about
the famous fall of Harry 7otter. 0fter that, the 1ark =ord gained an even greater amount of
1eath @aters, even more followers willing to carry out his word and create his perfect world.
&With a throng of 1eath @aters, the 1ark =ord easily conquered wizarding 2ritain and, only
days later, "uggle 2ritain, which fell as easily as a tower of cards. )oolish "uggles have no
means of governing themselves. The 1ark =ord imprisoned themIas am sure you all are
well aware. He waited for them to eventually die out, but, as you are also well aware, they
!ust kept reproducing. -ow, fifty years laterI(
&This lesson is better suited for a history class, would think.(
Heads snapped to the door to see 7rofessor 'nape, leaning casually against the wooden
frame. 'trands of black hair fell into his face, lightly obstructing his piercing gaze.
&0hB 'everus, my old friend.( 1ewitt crossed the room and placed a hand on 'napes elbow
as greeting. & was wondering when you would finally stop by.(
'napes smile never faltered? =ottie had the impression that it was fake, but she couldnt be
sure? 'napes defenses were so on guard, she could sense them from her seat. &*es, ,obert,
apologize for not visiting earlier. 0lthough the timing is unfortunate, do suggest that you
dismiss the class, so we can have more privacy.(
1ewitt smiled this time. He towered over 'nape, whose head !ust grazed the bottom of his
short beard. &1ismiss the class%( he repeated.
n 'napes first few months of teaching, he had asserted a certain authority over several of the
other professors. The students feared himIavoided him when they heard the rustle of his
cloak or the click of his boots against he ground. 2y "arch, every 7almyitor student Fand a
few from other Houses as wellG had e$perienced his uncontainable power. ,umor had it that
nobody had yet succeeded in blocking him, which at least made =ottie feel slightly better
about her failures.
The teachers, while not adopting the students fear, also possessed a sort of awe in regard to
the notorious man. They had all heard his stories from the war. "any of them hadnt even
been alive when 'nape was first spying. n fact, the only professors who did not seem at all
intimidated by him were the three heads, considering that all three had had him as a professor
at Hogwarts. 7almyitor seemed especially close to him.
8ome to think of it, =ottie noticed that Hermione had not spoken with him at all. 0t the staff
table, they were always separated by a row of silent professors.
&)orgive me, 'everus, but am in the middle of a lesson,( said 1ewitt. &These students are
lucky enough to be learning the story ofI(
&*es, am well aware of the lesson plan,( 'nape said. &7erhaps you do not understand the
importan%e of my interruption.( 0s he spoke, he carefully gestured a long finger along his
left forearm.
1ewitts bushy eyebrows came together as he contemplated this. t was a silent staring
contest, a battle of wills, as 'nape and 1ewitt glared at each other. &5ery well,( 1ewitt
finally said, breaking their eye contact. &8lass dismissed.(
The students sat, blinking at the tension between the two professors. &He said,( 'nape
repeated, turning his oversized nose toward them, &class dismissed.
mmediately, the students !umped to their feet. /rabbing their bags, they dashed out of the
room to avoid 'napes impending wrath.
=ottie hesitated at the doorway, waiting for 0ndrea. The door slammed behind them. &8ome
on,( 0ndrea urged, crossing a few steps into the hallway. &=ets get out of here.(
&-o.( =ottie held out a hand to tell 0ndrea to shut up. &Wasnt that suspicious%( she asked.
&=ottie, its 'nape. He could be handing out candy and giving hugs and still be suspicious.(
&-o, but did you see what he did%( =ottie pointed to her own left forearm. /oosebumps leapt
up her skin. &He was pointing toward his you-+now-what.
&-o, dont.(
&His 1ark "ark.( =ottie lowered her tone. &0ll 1eath @aters have one. That must mean hes
a 1eath @ater.(
&2ut =ottie, we +now he was a spy for them. .f course he would have one.(
=ottie frowned. &2ut then what about 1ewitt%( she asked. &This is proof.
&ts not proof of anything, =ottie, though ll admit that he seems like the type.( 0ndrea took
off her glasses and rubbed them against the hem of her robe in thought. & wish we could hear
what theyre saying.(
=ottie smirked. &.f course we can,( she whispered. 'he beckoned 0ndrea toward the door
and pointed at the gap at the bottom between it and the floor.
&.h, =ottie, come on.( 2ut =ottie wasnt listening. 'he dropped to her stomach and turned
her head so her ear was ne$t to the crack.
& see no harm in it,( 1ewitt was saying. &We can meld their little minds early.(
0ndrea sat down ne$t to =ottie. Her glasses pressed awkwardly against her cheeks as she
strained for any wisps of the conversation.
&*ou are being far too ob(ious. That is the problem.( 'mack. =ottie imagined 'napes palm
slamming against the wooden desks. &f there is not one child left in that class who does not
believe you to be a 1eath @ater, would be highly surprised.(
1ewitt scoffed. &t does not matter,( he said. &-one of these children will survive another
year, once we unlock the castle.(
=ottie clamped a hand over 0ndreas mouth to muffle her gasp.
&'peaking of which, have you gotten any closer to finding his weakness%( 1ewitt asked.
'nape hesitated only for a fraction of a second. &-o,( he said. &<nfortunately not.(
1ewitt roared and, =ottie assumed, slammed his fist against the blackboard. 0 small cloud of
chalk came out from under the gap, stinging =otties eyes. &How could you not%( he asked,
ignoring 'napes hushing noises. &*ou have been here for over two months. 0re you not the
most skilled =egilimens alive%(
&2eside one, yes,( 'nape said stiffly.
&What%( There was a pause, in which =ottie could imagine tiny gears clicking in 1ewitts
brain. &0h, of course. .ur =ord is, of course, more skilled than you. 0 foolish thought.(
0nother pause while 1ewitt had to gather his momentum. &2ut how could you not have
found "aeliorics weakness yet%( he went on. &The old fool wears his heart on his sleeve.
The =egilimency of a child could invade his pathetic mind.(
&t is not a matter of skill,( 'nape e$plained, his voice quivering. &t is a matter of discretion.
,egardless of his inability for .cclumency, )orna$ "aelioric knows far too well the
e$perience of a =egilimency attack. He would know right away if tried to invade his mind.
have to find another way.(
1ewitt scoffed. &This should have been reported to our =ord,( he said, desperately trying to
end the argument. &f you cannot complete this simple task, why are you here%(
&To keep an eye on you.( 'napes cold laugh cut through the room like steel. &t was reported
to the 1ark =ord. He gave the information only to his most valuable and loyal followers.(
1ewitt paused again. He had lostIeven =ottie could tell. His clunky footfalls stormed
around the room while he waited for another idea to strike him. &What about the other
attack%( he said finally.
&TheB other attack%( 'nape repeated. &0h, of course. ,ecent information have gathered
makes the castle more vulnerable to us.(
=ottie sat up and glanced at 0ndrea with wide eyes. &7almyitor,( 0ndrea whispered. &We
have to tell her.(
The dialogue inside stopped. 0 pause was followed by a shuffle of footsteps. &@$cuse me,
,obert, but believe we have guests.(
:o, =ottie mouthed. 'craping her knees and hands, she pushed herself to her feet and tried
to scramble out of the corridor. 'he ran as quickly as she could, almost rounding the cornerI
when a long, thin hand clamped on her shoulder and stopped her dead in her tracks.
&What are you doing here, ,owe%( 'napes thin voice cracked.
&=eavingIgoing to the common room,( =ottie answered calmly. 'he kept her back to him? if
she turned around, he would see the lieIsee the panic in her eyes. 0ndrea was frozen in her
tracks a step ahead. -othing held her back but pure fear.
&*ou two are always digging your own graves,( 'nape said, pushing =ottie away from him.
=ottie still stared determinately ahead. &,emember that if it werent for me, you wouldnt be
alive. Think of that ne$t time you spy for anything you are not assigned to.(
=ottie nodded and, a chill creeping up her spine, inched farther down the corridor.
&1etention,( 'nape said. &Tonight after dinner. 1ont be late.(
/roaning, =ottie turned around to protest, but 'nape was gone. The door to the 1efense
0gainst the 1ark 0rts room creaked on its hinges.
&Were lucky,( 0ndrea breathed, &that he didnt kill us.(
&*eah, but d say were pretty unlucky still.( =ottie glanced back again. &They want to kill
us.(
&0nd we have detention.(
&Honestly, 0ndrea, is that the worst thing you can think of right now%(
&-o, but it certainly doesnt help, does it%( 0ndrea sighed and started down the corridor.
&8ome on, we really do have to tell 7almyitor.(
=ottie glanced around at the corridor in a haze. The students, chattering as they passed by,
seemed unusually innocentIthey were all blinded by the war? they could not see any
immediate threat. The calm surroundings did not match =otties inner panic.
&=ottie%( 0ndreas voice brought her back to the present. 0ndrea pointed to the door, where
they could both here the muffled frustrations of an argument.
&Whether or not you trust him, -aesa,( said a familiar voice, &you should at least question
him more thoroughly.( t was Hermione. The e$asperation beneath her words was so clear
that even 0ndrea could hear it. &*ou cannot deny his past is suspicious. t is unsafe to have
him near our students.( Hermione lowered her voice. =ottie and 0ndrea had to shuffle closer
to the door in order to hear. &f anything happened to our students, -aesaI(
&-othing will happen to the students.( 7almyitors voice was eerily calm and collected. &
trust 'everus more than most of the faculty here.(
.ow4 Hermiones voice reached an usually pitchy register. &How can you trust him when
you know what he has done% Hes been keeping a low profile for all this time and he
suddenly appears out of the blue. Aust because you admired him as a professor, -aesa, does
not mean he is a good person.
&He is the most intelligent man have ever met,( 7almyitor said. &He has gone through
e$tensive questioning and knows what is at stake. 0nd !ust because you did not know where
he was doesnt mean we all didnt.(
&*ou mean you had contact with him%( Hermione asked. &2efore he showed up after
rescuing ,owe and Woolbright from those 1eath @aters, he could have been pronounced
dead. *ou mean to tell me that you had contact with him this entire time and you told
nobody% mean this respectfully, -aesa, but think you need to reevaluate your loyalties.(
0 chair scraped against the stone. =ottie imagined 7almyitor !umping to her feet defensively.
Hermione continued to speak. &=ook at what youve created,( Hermione said in earnest.
&=ook at what is around you. ts wonderful, -aesa. f this continuesIif we do what we must
Iwe may live to see 5oldemorts demise. know you like him, -aesa, but is it really worth
it to sacrifice all of this for aIa friendship4
& am not sacrificing anything, 7almyitor said. &'everus 'nape is as innocent as you or me.
have submitted him to questioning, however? do not forget have employed =egilimency
against him.(
&2ut he can do .cclumency>( Hermione paused. =ottie could hear her frustrated breathing
through the stone walls. & apologize, -aesa, but dont think can continue this
conversation. f you cannot take the lives of your students seriously, dont think can
e$plain. 1espite the fact that he can teach and give knowledge that 8ormag could not, that
knowledge is not worth the lives at stake.( The door cracked open. =ottie and 0ndrea
scrambled down the hall out of view. &Thank you, -aesa.(
Hermione appeared in the corridor, hair frazzled, eyes bugging out of her skull. =ottie could
hear 0ndrea3s breath catch in her chest as the professor slowly walked by.
&'he doesnt seem to want to hear anything bad about him,( 0ndrea said.
&"aybe shell listen to us. 8ome on.( =ottie trotted back to 7almyitors door and knocked
twice.
&'everus%(
&@rB( =ottie pushed open the door.
&.h.( 7almyitor frowned. Her hair was not pulled back in its usual bun, but it fell across her
shoulders in a tired sort of way. The rings that usually cluttered her fingers were strewn aside,
lying across her desk and looking unusually dull. The bags under her eyes were deeper and
darker than =ottie had seen them. Wrinkles lined her solemn face. &*es%( she asked
impatiently.
&.hIer,( =ottie stuttered, beckoning 0ndrea to follow her into the office. &We were !ustI
ermIcoming to tell you about something we overheard.(
7almyitors gaze did not falter. &ts about 'everus, is it%(
&WellIermI(
&*es,( 0ndrea said.
)or the first time since coming to 0lsemore, =ottie could see desperation in 7almyitors eyes.
& dont know why everyone here believes him to be on their side.( Her voice was calm in a
way that was deeply frightening.
&7rofessor, we overheard him,( 0ndrea said gently. &He was talking with 7rofessor 1ewitt.
TheyIthey mentionedI( The look in 7almyitors eyes stopped 0ndrea completely.
=ottie took a breath and tried to gather steam. &They were talking about finding 7rofessor
"aeliorics weakness,( she said. &They said they need to get into the castle. They said that
they were going to kill everybody. 7rofessor, if that isnt proof, dont know what is.(
&'everus 'nape is not a 1eath @ater,( 7almyitor said. =ottie could see her regaining
composure, putting up a block. &He is a spyIa very gifted spy.(
&2ut, 7rofessor, he mentioned an atta%+. )ear poured from 0ndreas voice. &f we dont do
something, people could die. 8ould you at least %he%+ to make sure%(
& am sure.( 7almyitor got to her feet. Her hair magically read!usted itself as she spoke.
&'everus 'nape is not a 1eath @ater. am willing to stake my life on it. -owI( Her eyes
flitted to the window, where an ephemeral silver glow lingered. &f am not mistaken, you
have a detention tonight. suggest you go to the common room and get your work done
early.( The door magically swung open.
Taking the hint, 0ndrea left the room and pulled =ottie along with her. The door slammed.
&Wow,( 0ndrea breathed, but =ottie interrupted her by raising a hand in the air.
&=isten,( she whispered.
Through the door frame, they could hear 7almyitor hiss an incantation. &,yan%( 7almyitors
voice croaked.
0ndrea tugged on =otties arm. &8ome on,( she said. &We should get out of here.( Without
looking back, the pair rushed across the corridor and down the stairs towards the 7almyitor
common room.
& cant believe it,( 0ndrea said once they were settled into their favorite oversized
armchairs.
&What%( =ottie asked.
&@verything. 7almyitor wouldnt even try to look into it.(
&*eah,( =ottie said with a half#laugh. &"ust be in love with him or something.(
0ndrea frowned. &-ot only that,( she said. &0bout 'napeIand 1ewitt. 1ewitt is being so
ob(ious. How could she not believe us%(
=ottie shrugged wearily. They should !ust give up trying to figure out 7almyitors actions, she
thought dully.
&2ut then why would 7almyitor hire him%( 0ndrea persisted.
& dont knowImaybe 'nape told her to.(
&0ndIwhatIshe believed him because shes so in lo(e4 0ndrea scoffed.
&*eah>( =ottie placed a dramatic hand on her forehead in a delicate pose. &He seduced her
!ust so he could get 1ewitt inside the castleIand from thereIthey can destroy us all5 HahI
hahIhah.(
&=ottie, this is serious, 0ndrea said. *et under 0ndreas solemn stare, =ottie could make
out a miniscule smirk.
&.h, what a lo(e story,( =ottie went on, rolling her eyes heavily. &ts so romantic. f true
love isnt serious to you, dont know what is.(
&*ou know what is%( 0ndrea pulled a book out of her bag. &This =egilimency essay due
tomorrow. @ven youre going to have to work hard on it. f you cant even block his attacks,
homework is all you have to rely on for a mark.(
&ts unfair, =ottie grumbled, collapsing into her armchair and pulling out her own te$tbook.
&He is the best =egilimens in the world, he said. We have no chance against him.(
&-o, hes the best e$cept one.(
&.h.( =ottie rolled her eyes. &Well good thing the /ar+ 3ord isnt in our class then, because
he would mess the curve up for everyone.(
&1o you really think its the 1ark =ord, though%( 0ndrea asked. &0fter all, 'nape has been
playing spy for this long. He must be tricking *ou#Dnow#Who.(
&-ot if hes spying on us. Then he has nothing to hide.( =ottie sighed and dropped her book
onto her lap. &t doesnt matter anyway,( she said. &f 7almyitor doesnt believe us soon,
were all going to get murdered anyway.(
1inner that night was a grim affair. 2oth 7almyitor and 8lynalmoy were noticeably absent
from the head table. "aelioric was separated from 'nape and 1ewitt by 'eward, 1yer and
Hermione. =ottie and 0ndrea kept glancing up at the staff table an$iously, as though
e$pecting 'nape and 1ewitt to leap to their feet and strangle them all.
& still cant believe he gave us detention,( =ottie said grumpily over her chicken. &He
shouldve known that wouldve !ust made us want to tell 7almyitor more.
&Well he probably knows she wont believe us,( 0ndrea said bitterly.
The pair glanced up at the staff table, where 'nape sneered back over his uneaten food. & !ust
cant believe him,( =ottie said, pounding a fist on the table. &Hes our teacher. He betrayed
our trust. wish we had 2reckenridge back.(
&Why did 7rofessor 2reckenridge leave anyway%( 0ndrea asked.
=ottie shrugged. &'omething about his talents being needed elsewhere.(
&2ut if 'nape is better than 2reckenridge,( 0ndrea began thoughtfully, &why didnt they send
him4
& dont know. "aybe 'nape ripped his face off or something.(
&3ottie, dont say things like that.(
&"erlin, m only 1o+ing. 'nape is probably !ust too recognizable or something.(
&7robablyB( 0ndrea glanced back at the staff table. =ottie did as well. 'napes plate of food
had vanished. He raised his eyebrows at the pair and got to his feet.
&/uess thats our cue,( =ottie sighed.
&This may not be too bad,( 0ndrea said as they e$ited the hall.
&*eah and 7almyitor may not be hopelessly in love with 'nape.( =ottie read!usted her bag
slung over her shoulder. &=ets go.(
They walked in silence. The only sound that followed them was the consistent drip of a pipe
overhead. When they reached the .cclumency classroom door, 0ndrea knocked. The door
swung open. 2o$es of parchment stacked to almost human height lined the walls.
&/ood evening,( 'nape said from the desk. &Tonight, am giving you the most dull and mind
numbing task could create.( His upper lip curled with distaste as he surveyed the pair.
&"aybe this will deter you from any further espionage.(
=ottie groaned to herself and stared at the bo$es. The =egilimency classroom had once been a
place of comfortIa place !ust for 7almyitors, where =ottie could e$cel. -ow, it !ust filled her
with dread to walk by the door, knowing she would have to further embarrass herself from
'napes incredible power.
&*ou will be sorting these various papers,( 'nape said. & want them sorted in chronological
order by their dates, but also want a list of them in alphabetical orderIand in which bo$
may find them. When this is finished, come to my office ne$t door and tell me. *ou may not
leave until inspect your work.( He turned to the door and added, &0nd keep in mind that
can hear e(ery word you say. f your conversation deviates from the task at hand, you will get
to sort my even larger files tomorrow night.( He gave them one distasteful glare before
leaving the classroom. The door clicked shut.
&This is going to take hours, =ottie groaned.
&Well the faster we get started, the faster we can leave.( 0ndrea pulled some spare parchment
and a quill from her bag. &*ou make piles by decade and write down the titles, so we can
make an alphabetical list.(
'napes assessment of how mind numbing this activity was turned out to be accurate. The
pages did not even have any writing on themI!ust the title and date on top. &The rest is
probably in invisible ink,( 0ndrea said, &so that we dont read it.(
They were only half of the way through the papers when one caught =otties bleary and tired
eye. &@rB( 'he held out the page e$tra far to get 0ndreas attention. &'ummer NMPJ,( she
said loudly. &Written inB NMPM.(
With her eyes squinting behind her glasses, 0ndrea scooted toward =ottie and looked at the
page. 'he gasped when she saw it. =ottie raised her eyebrows significantly. .n the page
before them, words in invisible ink were !ust beginning to show through. .nly a few were
visible.
'tta%+7 was printed on the page. )arther down was, /eath, and plan7 =ottie
squinted and she could !ust make out a long word. t was still mostly invisible, but she could
see that it started with a large =.
&What could it mean%( =ottie whispered.
0ndrea cleared her throat pointedly. &-o, =ottie,( she said loudly. &ts title is NMPJ, but its
dated NMPM.(
The door opened. =ottie scrambled to put the parchment in the DEFEs pile, while 0ndrea
hastily scribbled down the title.
&How is your progress%( 'nape asked from the doorway.
&Were about halfway done,( 0ndrea said quickly.
'nape smirked. & suggest you increase your pace,( he said. E*ou will be here well past
midnight if you continue like this.(
0ndrea sighed and went back to work. =ottie3s attention, on the other hand, was focused more
the e$ecution of a particularly rude hand gesture towards the door.
Three hours and several paper cuts later, 'nape finally let them go. &What time is it%( =ottie
asked 0ndrea blearily.
&Half past one,( 0ndrea said, pointing to a grandfather clock in the corner. nk was smeared
across her palm and speckled on her face.
&What was that parchment about%( =ottie asked, suddenly as they rounded a corner.
& dont know,( 0ndrea said. &=ooks like theyre planning to attack something this summer,
though.(
&2ut what4
0ndrea shrugged. E"aybe we should tell 7almyitor,( she suggested half#heartedly.
& guess,( =ottie said. &2ut she wont believe us anyway. suppose were sort of obliged to
try.(
0ndrea wrenched open the 7almyitor clock. &"aybe,( she said, &well finally get to prove to
her what an evil, cantankerous villain 'nape is once and for all.(
Chapter 42: Chapter Forty8One: *ro1e!!or 3ewitt9! O11er
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: .kay, so ve got some sad news, but its coupled with a bit of good news as
well. 2ecause we realized that we were going way too slow to @5@, finish this story in time,
The2ird and decided to part ways with this story. 'o, farewell, The2ird> *ouve been
absolutely amazing with every aspect of this story>
)illing the role of beta will be the phenomenal coolhPMMM> 'hes absolutely awesome, and
you can anticipate "<8H shorter waits from now on. We will absolutely move quicker than
two chapters a year.
'o thank you all for being patient with me, and hopefully this story will begin to move again>
Thanks to coolhPMMM for all of your help with this chapter.
This chapter is dedicated to The2ird for all of her amazing help through the years.
: : :
8hapter )orty#.ne; 7rofessor 1ewitts .ffer
7almyitor wouldnt have any of it. =ottie and 0ndrea told her about what they saw, but were
immediately dismissed. They persisted through an hour long appointment, trying to convince
her to at least as+ 'nape about the parchment, but she refused to listen.
Her vulnerability from earlier that week vanished completely. nstead, she sat with her arms
crossed and lips pursed as =ottie and 0ndrea repeated all of the incriminating evidence. n the
end, she !ust shook her head.
&"aybe,( =ottie said as they de!ectedly left her office, &shes actually a 1eath @ater herself.
"aybe thats why she doesnt care. 'he wants 'nape to attack whatever this is.(
&.h, =ottie, dont even say things like that,( 0ndrea said. &7rofessor 7almyitor would ne(er
do anything like that. 'he practically built this school. Why would she start sabotaging us
now%(
& guess,( =ottie laughed, &but wouldnt put it past her to have some stupidly complicated
plan that kills us all.(
They tried to convince 7almyitor of 'napes corruption eight more times that year. @very
time, she sent them from her office with a heightened temper. @very time, =ottie and 0ndrea
thought up a more and more elaborate and absurd story as to why 7almyitor would not listen.
=otties personal favorite was that 'nape was a vampire, and 7almyitor was a werewolf, and
that they were in an everlasting battleIshe did not want anybody to finally finish him off but
her.
&2ut that wouldnt work,( 0ndrea had said. &The full moon was last night and we saw her at
the staff table for dinner.( 'ndreas favorite was that 7rofessor /abaldon had been engaged
to 'nape before she died and that 7almyitor was making him work for her to fulfill the
promise he never kept.
&*oure such a romantic,( =ottie scolded. &'nape doesnt have it in him to love another
human being. think he would !ust drop dead.(
The rest of their classes pushed on. 2y Aune, still nobody had succeeded in blocking 'napes
attacks, but =ottie thought she had made e$treme progress by suggesting that they !ust kill
him, so that they could pass the ne$t teachers class.
The students had started referring to 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts as !ust /ar+ 'rts, since
all 1ewitt seemed to do was tell them about all of the fantastic things 1ark "agic could
accomplish.
0fter a particularly disturbing 1ark 0rts class about the most effective way to torture magical
ability out of toddlers, 1ewitt pulled =ottie aside. &-o, 0ndrea,( he said as the class filed out.
&*ou go. need to speak privately with 8harlotte.(
0ndrea gave =ottie a quizzical look, but packed up her bag and shuffled toward the door. &
!ust wanted to comment,( 1ewitt said to =ottie once they were alone, &on your talent.( The
door slammed shut. 7anicked, =ottie spun around so she was facing the front of the room and
not 1ewitts piercing gaze. &1ont worry about the door,( 1ewitt said. & !ust dont want us
to be overheard.(
0s she turned around, =ottie pulled her wand out of her pocket and fidgeted with the handle,
to avoid his gazeIand to have it close at hand if she needed it.
&@ver since that first class, 8harlotte, your first duel with @dgarIever since that day, knew
you were differentItalented.(
&@rmIthanks,( =ottie croaked.
&*ou have a capability for cruelty far more evolved than any of your classmates. *ou +now
what you need to survive. *ou know and you are willing to e$ecute it.( He smiled.
=ottie !ust blinked back at him, too bewildered to even speak.
&*ou are ruthless,( 1ewitt said.
=otties throat was dry. Her heart rattled in her chest. &Th#thank you,( she said, still keeping
an eye on the door, and her mind buzzing with all of the spells she knew to block 1ark
"agic.
&There is a perfect place for cruelty in this war,( 1ewitt said. &*ou have always known that.
There is a place that benefits immensely from your kind of unfeeling.(
nstinctively, =ottie tightened the grip on her wand.
&*ou think you can attack me%( 1ewitt laughed. &*ou know nothing. *ou are a child. have
learned e(erythingIevery form of 1ark and defensive magic. am capable of defending
myself and even more. *ou have nothing against me.(
'haking her head, =ottie slung her bag over her shoulder. &No,( she said. &I cant.(
1ewitt took a step toward her. =ottie took a step back. &*ou can be more powerful than you
ever imagined.(
=ottie didnt turn around to see him as she pushed through the door. 'he stopped in the
frame. 'taring at her shoes, she repeated, &No.(
'he slammed the door behind her. 0 chill ran down her spine, unrelenting. 'he could feel
1ewitts presence on the other side of the wall, could hear his words in her ear. 'he was
ruthless, heartless, and, according to 1ewitt, a perfect candidate for a 1eath @ater.
-o, she would never become a 1eath @aterIshe couldnt. Her entire e$istence was founded
against them. Thats why she was here at 0lsemore in the first place. 'he was born to hate
1eath @aters.
=ottie stopped in the middle of the corridor, temporarily consumed with an image of herself
in black robes and a 1eath @ater mask. 'he would have nothing to worry about, nobody to
fear. 0he would be in power. The 1ark =ord would praise her skill and reward her
accordingly.
-umbly, =ottie leaned against the wall, suddenly unable to support her own weight. Her
family, her friendsIthey were all "uggles. 'he could never kill them. 0nd 0ndreaI
betraying her would be the worst of all. 0ndrea was the only person she had. n a dark war
where she was pulled away from everything she ever knew, 0ndrea was her only friend.
-o. =ottie took a deep breath and pushed herself completely straight. t was as simple as that
I!ust no.
0s she rushed through the corridor and down the winding stairs, the offer hung over her,
lingered on her shoulder like a heavy shadow. t would be easy, a tiny voice in her mind
repeatedIso easy to give it all up. Who cared about 0ndrea% They were all as good as dead,
since 7almyitor still believed 'nape to be innocent. Would it be wrong to save her own life%
'he blinked. 'he stood in the common room, surrounded by talking and laughing people,
completely unaware. &Hey, whats wrong with you%( 0ndrea waved her down from a sofa
beside the fireplace.
&What%( =ottie looked at her and frowned. 0 rush of guilt flooded her, made her stomach
boil and bile rise in her throat. .ow could she have thought to leave% t would be easy to give
it all up, but would she ever be able to live with herself%
&*ou look sick,( 0ndrea said. &0re you okay%(
&*eah.( =ottie sat down, wondering if she should tell her. 0ndrea would want to know that
1ewitt had tried to make her !oin the 1eath @atersB 2ut would =ottie be able to hide the fact
that she had actually considered his offer% &=isten,( she said, sitting down on the sofa ne$t to
0ndrea. &We ha(e to try and tell 7almyitor about 1ewitt.(
&Weve tried,( 0ndrea said. &Theres no point anymore.(
&-o, this is serious.( =ottie looked over her shoulder. &1ewitt pulled me aside andIand he
asked me ifI( =otties throat had gone dry. Her heart shook like a rattle in her chest. &He
asked me to !oin the 1eath @aters.(
&What%( 0ndreas mouth hung open. &Aust like that% He !ustI!ust asked you%(
&He said that there is a pla%e for my kind ofI( =ottie stopped. He had said her kind of
%ruelty. 8olor rose to her face. &"y kind of talent,( she finished.
&1id he really think he would have a chance%( 0ndrea asked. &'eriouslyIhow stupid is he%
-ow we know for sure how evil he is. Why did he ever think you would say yes%(
=ottie pretended to smile as 0ndrea laughed. &*eah,( she echoed. Her stomach flipped.
1ewitt knewIhe was smarter than he made himself out to be. He knew that out of all of the
7almyitors, =ottie would be the only one to even consider it.
s this what had happened with the traitors years ago% Had it been that easy% They hadnt
gone looking for evil, but when it asked, they considered it. 0t her core, =ottie was no better
than them.
&*oure really upset about this, arent you%( 0ndrea asked seriously. &=ook, =ottie, dont
take it personally. He asked because he knows youre good at .cclumencyInothing more. t
has nothing to do with you.(
=ottie !ust nodded. 'he could never tell herIshe could never tell 0ndrea that it had
e(erything to do with her. t wasnt her talent, but her cruelty. @ven if she had been the worst
.cclumens in the world, 1ewitt still would have asked her.
&8ome on,( 0ndrea said, standing up. &=ets go tell 7almyitor. That will make you feel
better, even if she doesnt believe us. 0t least well get a laugh.(
&.kay.( =ottie stood up too. &Hang on, let me !ust drop this stuff off first.( 'he gestured
toward her bag and started down the stairs to the dormitory.
The fourth years dorm was completely empty. =ottie glanced out the windows as she
dumped her duffle bag onto her bed. 1ark grey clouds swirled above and the sun was
nowhere in sight. 0s though it had been waiting for her, a droplet of water splashed against
the window. The downpour started immediately after that? raindrops fell from the sky and
pitter#pattered against the glass window.
=ottie spilled the contents of her bag onto her bedspread. 2ooks and spare parchment
tumbled out. The last thing to fall, floating gracefully onto the pile of miscellanea, was the
crisp snakeskin that she had found years before. =ottie couldnt suppress a smile as she was
reminded of her long#past second#year adventures. n a moment of slight nostalgia, she
rummaged through her trunk for the spare robes she had found hidden in the chamber as well.
Their dark purple fabric was accented with delicate golden embroidery. 'he was !ust folding
them back up when 0ndreas voice came floating down the corridor.
& was thinking,( 0ndrea said from the other side of the corridor, &that maybe we shouldnt
mention 'nape at all.(
7anic flooded =ottieIshe hadnt told 0ndrea about what she had found. With a wild glance
over her shoulder, she stuffed the snakeskin and the robes into her bag, !ust as 0ndrea
rounded the corner and poked her head in the door.
&8learly 'napes sort of a touchy sub!ect,( she said. &"aybe we should only talk about
1ewitt.(
&That makes sense,( =ottie agreed, swinging her bag around her shoulder. Together they
headed up the stairs, through the common room and into the main corridor. &@specially,( she
went on, &since 7almyitor is definitely smarter than 1ewitt. f she uses =egilimency, she
might see his memories with 'nape too.(
=ottie hadnt thought of that. 7almyitor could use =egilimency against 1ewitt, but couldnt
she use it against her as well% =ottie couldnt block 'napeIshe hadnt used .cclumency
properly in monthsI7almyitor would be able to invade her mind in a matter of seconds.
7almyitor would knowIshe would know that =ottie had considered the offerIhad
considered betraying them allIfor her own welfare.
=otties stomach flipped unpleasantly. &*ou look sick again,( 0ndrea said as they started
climbing the stairs.
&Im fine.(
&=ottie, youre never going to believe that 1ewitt !ust chose you randomly, are you% This
isnt healthy. *ou didnt do anything to deserve thatIhes !ust crazy.( They rounded the
corner to the corridor leading to 7almyitors office. &1o you hear that%( asked 0ndrea.
=ottie looked up. 0ll remnants of guilt were immediately forgotten? from 7almyitors door
came a panicked sort of scuffling sound. Hushed voiced hissed obscenities at each other.
Together, =ottie and 0ndrea broke into a run. The door was wide open. Hermione, -eville
and all three heads of houses crowded around an unrolled parchment, whispering furiously.
&We have to go now,( "aelioric said, pointing a thick finger at the parchment. &@nter from
the dungeons and corner them in the towers.(
&That will make it easier for them to escape, )orna$,( 8lynalmoy said. &We need about a
hundred soldiersIwe need to storm each entrance equally and block them in.(
&We may be killed if we do that,( said 7almyitor coldly. &We need to get somebody on the
sideIand somebody in the air reporting.(
&We need to go now,( Hermione e$claimed, desperation rising in her voice. &-aesaIthink of
all of the studentsIof 2ill and )leur.(
&7ull yourself together, "arianne,( 7almyitor said. &7anicking will not do anybody any
good.(
&Tell me, -aesa, why didnt you know about this%( Hermione went on. &f you are so deeply
entangled in the 1eath @atersI(
&There are far more people who rank higher than me,( 7almyitor said through gritted teeth.
&-ot everybody is involved in everything.(
&2ut if you dont know everything, what is the point% What is the point of teaching your
students to lie and cheat if they cannot even prevent attacks%(
7almyitor got to her feet and pulled her wand out. Hermione did not back down.
&-aesa, "arianne, this is helping nothing,( -eville said, putting a hand on Hermiones
shoulder. &We have to focus at the issue at hand.(
&+uite right,( said "aelioric.
n the hallway, =ottie turned to 0ndrea. &2eau$batons,( 0ndrea whispered. =ottie nodded.
&'hould we go in%( 0ndrea asked. =ottie nodded again.
&@rmIprofessors%( 0ndrea asked, timidly poking her face through the door.
There was a miniature pause, followed by "aelioric asking, &Wheres your other half, then%(
=ottie stepped into the doorframe as well, smiling sheepishly. &-ot this again,( 7almyitor
groaned. &=isten, you two, we dont have time for this right now. There are moreI(
&7leaseI7rofessor 1ewitt is a 1eath @ater,( 0ndrea interrupted. &"aybe hes the one who
made the attack on 2eau$batons.(
&How did you hear about that%( 7almyior snapped.
&-ot to be rude, 7rofessor,( 0ndrea said, &but you were speaking pretty loudly.(
The heads of houses looked at each other. &n any case,( 7almyitor said, &we have to go
defend the castle nowIwe dont have time to worry about a fourteen#year#olds
premonitions. *ou two are !ust like "r. 7otter himselfIhe accused 'everus 'nape of
treachery until the day he died.(
=ottie e$changed a miniature glance with Hermione. &0tIat least let us help, then,( =ottie
said. &=et us come and fight.(
&,owe, are you insane%( 7almyitor asked.
&ts dangerous, you two,( "aelioric interrupted shooting a warning glance at 7almyitor.
&We wouldnt want to risk your lives.(
&Why not%( asked 0ndrea, crossing her arms. &Thats what were here for, isnt it% f you
want us to learn, what better way to do so%(
&*eah,( =ottie said. &0nd we could help.(
&ts not worth it,( 7almyitor said. &7lus, in your uniforms, you will stick out like a sore
thumb.(
&Thats okay.( =ottie unzipped her bag and pulled out the purple robes. & have these. could
use .cclumencyIwe could pretend to be 1eath @aters. 2esidesInobody can block 'nape
anyway? it will be my only practice all year.(
&0s a matter of fact,( said 8lynalmoy thoughtfully, &they might be useful. Having two
soldiers that dont actually look like theyre fightingB They could be quite versatile.(
&!yan,( -aesa hissed, spinning around and shooting him a glare.
&m sorry, -aesa,( 8lynalmoy said, &but think you may actually want to consider them.(
"aelioric frowned at 7almyitor, whose gape e$pression matched Hermiones wide eyes.
&=isten, well get somebody to keep an eye on them,( he said to 7almyitor. &They could be
more helpful than any of us in thisIwhy dont we leave them withI(
&1raco,( Hermione suggested. &=ets leave them with 1racoIhes too recognizable to fight.
m sure hell want to do something useful.(
7almyitor frowned. 'urrounded by eager eyes, she gave up with a sigh. &)ine,( she said.
&)ine. "arianne, -eville, go get 1raco. )orna$ and ,yan, you know what to do. ll make the
7ortkey.( The adults nodded and broke ranks. 0mong the chaos, =ottie e$changed an e$cited
glance with 0ndrea. &7ut those robes on,( 7almyitor demanded, busily searching through the
shelves.
=ottie handed 0ndrea the smaller of the purple robes. They pulled off their uniform ones and
slipped the new ones over their heads.
7almyitor held out a rusty cauldron in her arm. &ortus,( she mumbled. 'he looked up from
the 7ortkey and stared at them. &=isten, you two,( she said seriously, &no matter what the
others say, this is a very foolish mission to send you on. 2oth of you have more important
things in store. =isten to me carefully.( 'he placed her palms on her desktop and leaned in to
emphasize the gravity of the issue. &<nder no %ir%umstan%es are you to sacrifice your
personal safety for another. This is !ust one battle. We have more than half of the war left to
fight and we cant go on with you two getting yourselves killed. 1o you understand%(
With a dry throat, =ottie nodded. 'he saw 0ndrea doing the same.
&-o,( drawled a voice from outside. & dont care what you say, "udblood, am not
sacrificing my own well being for some snot#nosed brats.(
&=ooks like "alfoys here,( 0ndrea groaned. =ottie had to conceal her chuckles under
coughs as Hermione, -eville and "alfoy burst into the room.
&.h good, 1raco,( 7almyitor said coldly. &*ou made it.(
&=ook, -aesa, dont know who signed me up for this, but will not go.( "alfoy crossed his
arms.
& thought we were under the agreement that you need to return a favorIwe are housing you
here, after all.( 7almyitor stood in triumph behind her desk. "alfoy gaped at her, rage boiling
in his cool, grey eyes. &*ou promised you would do what you could to be useful to us,(
7almyitor went on. &This is how you can help. 7rotect these girlsIit should not be very
challenging. We will only give them tasks in enclosed areas. They will not be out in the
open.(
The door burst open. "aelioric and 8lynalmoy, followed by 'nape, 1yer and 'eward filed
in. &8ouldnt find 1ewitt,( "aelioric said. =ottie widened her eyes at 7almyitor who silenced
her with one sharp glare. &.kay, 'eward, you will meet up with an air troop there and keep a
look out in the skies. 1yer, you and ,yan will dispatch the soldiers at our headquarters.
'everus and -aesaIwellIyou know what to do. ll be leading the ground soldiers.( The
adults all nodded to each other in silent, solemn recognition.
=ottie frowned. 'he wondered how often they did thisIhow often they e$changed orders,
never knowing who would survive to see the ne$t day.
&"alfoy, ,owe, Woolbright,( 8lynalmoy said gently, &you three come with me until we give
you a mission.(
-ow =ottie and 0ndrea nodded, giving their own little acknowledgement of the danger
ahead.
&@verybody grab on to the 7ortkey,( 7almyitor said. &t will leave in ten seconds.(
'hakily, =ottie put a finger on the cauldron. 'he shut her eyes and took a breath. 0 silence, a
!erk, and the group disappeared.
Chapter 43: Chapter Forty8Two: The 5attle at 5eau%baton!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 0 million thanks to coolhPMMM for all of the help> This chapter3s for you>
: : :
8hapter )orty#Two; The 2attle at 2eau$batons
2eau$batons was in ruins. The once elegant stairway was a canvas of spell debris? crumbling
stone, blood and corpses all lined it in an eerie painting of war. The very castle seemed to
quake, cowering under the 1eath @aters might. @ven though it was the middle of the day, all
of the light seemed to be dimmed. ,ain pounded against the large glass windows, causing
them to rattle in their panes.
They appeared in the middle of the entrance hall. 2oth =ottie and 0ndrea fell onto their
backs. =ottie sat up. The adults stood silently. There were no 1eath @aters to be found, but
they knew that they were out there, !ust biding their time.
'omething rumbled overhead. =ottie looked up. The ceiling seemed to be shaking. =ottie
frowned. "aybe she was !ust nervousIbut, no, it was really shaking. 0 stone above rattled
violently. 0nother did too. The stones began crumbling and falling and suddenly, there
wasnt a ceiling anymore.
=ottie heard a screamIshe wasnt sure if it was her own. 0 strong hand grabbed her by the
arm and dragged her across the floor, away from the shower of rocks, and into a safely
barricaded hiding spot. The stones slamming against the ground was deafening. =ottie
pressed her hands over her ears. 0nd then it stopped.
@verything was silentIe$cept for somebodyIsomewhere, groaning. =ottie looked up.
1ebris stung her eyes. 'he looked around. 0ndrea sat ne$t to her? her eyes were drawn wide
and her bottom lip trembled. 0 large gash from where a rock had hit her bled on her shoulder.
=ottie was suddenly aware of her own painIa stinging in her leg. 'he looked down. 'carlet
blood stained her purple robe.
&*oure not hurt,( said a voice. t was not a question. =ottie craned her neck around to see
'nape, standing, still holding the cauldron 7ortkey. &-either of you. -ow come on. *our
little chaperone has been separated from us, so were going to have to make due.(
Trembling, =ottie stared around her. The ground of the second floor had completely caved in.
'tanding in the entrance hall, =ottie could see directly to the third story. The stones from the
fallen ceiling created a barrier, blocking them off from half of the hall.
&Where is everybody else%( =ottie asked.
&We dont have time to worry about that,( 'nape said. & have to get you two to safety before
can be useful. dont know what -aesa was thinking, bringing you along.(
&2ut were supposed to help,( 0ndrea said timidly.
&Well young 1raco is not here. have more important things to do than babysit. We have to
find somewhere safe for you two to wait.(
&The dormitory,( 0ndrea said. &We stayed there this summerIin the tower. Theres only one
way to get in.(
&/ood.( 'nape cast his eyes toward the corpse#lined stairway. &Where is it%(
&Aust all the way up the stairs to the top floor.(
'nape tucked the cauldron under his arm. &,ight. 7ull your wands out.(
=ottie did as she was told. n the utter silence of destruction, every other noise seemed
magnified. Her own heavy breathing, 'napes delicate footfalls, and 0ndreas quiet shuffles.
&Where are the 1eath @aters%( =ottie asked as 'nape led them to the foot of the stairs.
&Aust because you cant hear them does not mean theyre not here.( 'nape ascended the steps.
=ottie and 0ndrea followed, clinging onto the banister as they shuffled around the bodies.
They reached the ne$t story and stopped. Where the floor should have been, there was a
gaping hole that plummeted down to the entrance hall. The stairway continued, but a gap
separated it. 'nape !umped across easilyIalmost as if he could fly. 0ndrea slipped her
glasses into her pocket and took a running start. 'he was in midair for a split#second before
landing safely on the other side.
t was =otties turn? she ran and leapt. The ground disappeared beneath her and she traveled
to the other side of the staircase. 'he was almost there, butIshe wasnt going to make it. 'he
could feel herself beginning to fallIand she wasnt going to make it.
Aust when she braced herself for the inevitable, a surprisingly strong hand reached out and
caught her arm. 'he hung in the air for a moment, before 'nape pulled her onto the ground.
&Thanks,( she said breathlessly. He !ust twitched a thin eyebrow and continued to lead them
up the stiars.
=ottie turned to 0ndrea incredulously. He had saved herItwice. He couldnt be a 1eath
@ater, could he% 0ndrea seemed to understand =otties inner monologue and !ust shrugged.
They were nearing the top floor, when the deafening silence was finally broken. 0 light hiss
came from a lower story. &What is that%( =ottie whispered.
&The 1ark =ords snake,( 'nape answered. &'he goes everywhere with him. We can only
assume that he is here.(
&snt thatI( 0ndrea lowered her voice &Ia .o%r%ru$%(
=ottie glanced at 'nape to see if he seemed surprised. f he hadnt known about the Hocru$es,
he hid it well. &We should kill it,( =ottie hissed. &Thats one useful thing we can do here.(
'napes lip curled. &,ight. =ets focus on keeping you two alive first.( He flicked his wand
and the door to the tower dormitory burst open. He ushered them inside and slammed the
door.
The dorm was almost as =ottie and 0ndrea had left it the year beforeIe$cept wrong. The
beds were in the right place, but the sheets were rumpled. The curtains were torn. 0ndrea sat
down on the bed that had once been hers. 0 moment passed before her ear#piercing scream
filled the entire room.
&What is it%( =ottie asked, rushing over to her. mmediately, her heart caught in her throat. 0
terribly familiar body lay face down on the ground, its blond hair stained with blood. &-o,(
=ottie croaked. 'he bent down and pushed him over.
)ranOoiss face was stark, wide#eyed, and grief#stricken. His eyes, once !oyful and eager,
were dull and lifeless. &=ottie,( 0ndrea said, &look.( 'he pointed to the corner.
0nother bodyIless familiar, but it still pulled some strings of recognition in the back of
=otties memory. t was small, crumpled and pitiful. His mop of bloody hair was the same
golden color as )ranOoiss. &s that his brother%( 0ndrea whispered.
=ottie nodded. 'he couldnt bring herself to speak. Her head pounded. t felt like her chest
had caved in and strangled her heart. Tears stung the corner of her eyes.
&7ull yourself together,( 'nape said behind her. &This is no time for a vigil. There is a
Horcru$ roaming around this castle and we need to find a way to destroy it.(
=ottie took a breath. 7almyitors words from years before echoed in her mind. f she wanted
to be a master =egilimens, she would have to keep her emotions under control. 'he turned to
face him. &What do you want to do then%( she asked slowly. & have this.( 'he dropped her
bag and pulled out the snakeskin she had found so long ago.
'he felt nothing. Her voice showed no emotion. Her heart beat calmly in her chest, thumping
against her hollow ribs.
'napes eyebrows raised. &Where did you find that%( 2ehind her fogged glasses, 0ndrea
looked !ust as surprised.
& dont know,( =ottie said flatly. 7ain swelled inside her chest, but she swallowed it
promptly. There was nothing she could do? )ranOois was dead and nothing she could do
would bring him back. 'omewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if she had loved
him. &0 hidden chamber, years ago.(
&What a fortuitous coincidence.( 'nape carefully moved his gaze from )ranOois and stared at
the pair. & happen to know a fairly simple potion that can attract a snake. f can get into the
schools potions store, it will be ready in a couple of hours.(
&=ets do it,( 0ndrea said.
&/ood.( 'nape put the cauldron 7ortkey down. &ll go find the 7otions store. ll enchant the
door. *ou two stay in hereIno matter what.(
0 !olt of fear passed through =otties bones as 'nape left. 'he heard him whisper an
incantation from outside and for a moment, the door glowed bright orange.
=ottie collapsed onto the bed and buried her face in her hands. -o tears came. 'he stared at
the ground, hardly able to see, hardly able to breathe.
&=ottie,( 0ndrea began, moving toward her.
& dont care,( =ottie said.
&1ont say that.(
& dont.( =ottie resisted the urge to look behind her, to look into )ranOoiss dead eyes and
regret what she had missed. &Hes dead. Hes gone. Thats all there is to it.(
&There is more to it, =ottie.(
&-o.(
&3ottieI( 0ndrea sounded desperate. &*ou cant do this. *ou cant act okay.(
& am okay.(
&ts not okay. =ottie, listen to me. This is not okay. s it fine for a fifteen#year#old boy to be
murdered% s it okay for his brother to be kept alive !ust long enough to see him die% This
war is the problem. 0nd it will never be okay until its over.(
&Well isnt that touching,( =ottie said, picking her head up. &=ets !ust all acknowledge and
complain about how evil the 1ark =ord is because thats so productive. =ets all !ust cry and
feel sorry for ourselves.(
&*ou have to cry, =ottie. *ou have to.(
Tears started welling in 0ndreas eyes, magnified by her glasses. &Where are you going to be
when this is over% f you swallow all of your emotions, how can you feel when this ends%(
&ts not going to end, 0ndrea,( =ottie snapped. &How do you not see that% This war is over.
The 1ark =ord wonIhe won fifty years ago when Harry 7otter lost. Were always going to
live in fear. Were always going to try and fight. 0nd were all going to die trying. )ranOois
!ust did it faster.(
0ndrea was silent. Tears ran down her face and dripped onto her collarbone. 'he sat on her
own bed, contemplating her shoes. )inally, she uttered, & believe it will end.(
'omething outside e$ploded. =otties head snapped up. 0drenaline took her. 'omebody was
screaming. t was not a normal scream, but it was familiar. The image of children cowered
under 1eath @aters flooded =otties memory. 'he recognized the only pain that could cause
somebody to scream like that.
&"ru%io,( shouted a familiar voice outside. The screams continued and intensified.
They stopped. 7anting. 'houting.
=ottie looked at 0ndrea and, together, they pushed open the door !ust enough so they could
peak out.
"alfoys silver hair faced them. 0nother man, with a similar face and similar cold eyes,
stared at him. 2lood dribbled across the other mans face and own his neck. &*ou have
chosen poorly, 1raco,( the man said. &1o you really think you will ever defeat us% 1o you
dare betray your family to protect Mudbloods%(
& am protecting our world, father,( 1raco spat back. &1o you see what this has become% s
this the utopia you always dreamed of%(
=ucius bared his teeth? it was almost like a smile. & ought to do what failed at years ago.
*ou cant run forever, 1raco.(
The men lifted their wands. 'parks flew so quickly that the air seemed to turn red. 1raco
caught his father in the leg with a hasty charm. 2lood gushed onto the floor. The older
"alfoy fell to the ground. His and his sons blood splashed across his robes and face.
7anting, he turned up to face 1raco. Hatred boiled in his eyes. He pointed his wand at his
son, who seemed to be waiting for him.
&'(ada )eda(ra.(
The rush of green light was blinding. =ottie could only see death, destruction and hatred until
it paled. The light was gone. 1racos body lay on its back. His wand and skidded several feet
away.
=ucius pushed himself up. 2lood dripped from his robe and left a trail behind him as he
limped away.
=ottie and 0ndrea stood in silence. -either of them could speak. =ottie let a moment pass
before pushing the door shut again.
0ndrea opened her mouth to speak, but =ottie cut her off with a sharp glare. They fell into
silence again. 0 heaviness dropped on =ottie, pressed against her shoulders and rips. n their
silent vigil, they sat for ten minutes, waiting, hoping, listening for every grunt, every scuffle.
The door glowed bright purple again. =ottie stood up. 'nape walked in, laden with bottles
and bags of dark substances. He left footprints of blood on the ground.
&0n unfortunate fate for young "r. "alfoy,( 'nape said as he placed his ingredients down.
When =ottie and 0ndrea didnt say anything, he promptly changed the sub!ect. &Hand me
that cauldron. doubt either of you have any talents with the delicate art of potions.(
& do,( =ottie piped up. &'ir,( she added when 'nape whipped around to face her. His nostrils
flared dangerously.
&Well make yourself useful. need those beetles shelled. 0fter that you can crush those
mandrake leaves. Where is the snakeskin%(
=ottie handled the skin like a newborn baby as she handed it to him. 'he returned to the pile
of ingredients and pulled out the bag of beetles. Watching 'nape make potions was like
watching a great wizard duel. @ach movement was precise, perfect, accomplishing !ust what
it set out to do and nothing more.
The hours passed slowly. -obody spoke. .nce, 0ndrea tried asking how they were going to
get in contact with the others, but pursued it no further once 'nape arched a single eyebrow.
)inally, the potion was ready. ts lime green color shimmered and reflected the light, like
scales. &We need to bottle this up,( 'nape said, holding out his hand. =ottie needed no
direction? she picked up the glass container and handed it to him. 8arefully and slowly, he
ladled the potion into the bottle and clogged it with the stopper.
&We need to make a trail of this from the door that e$tends as far as this will go.( He pushed
open the door. &0nd keep your wands out.(
They left the dormitory, left )ranOois, his brother and 1raco. 'nape poured a clear, thin line
behind them. The potion glowed a florescent green once it hit the ground and disappeared,
camouflaging itself perfectly. <nlike most potions =ottie had worked with, this one had
absolutely no scent.
They began descending the stairs. The potion was already half gone. 'nape assured them that
no matter how far -agini was from them in the castle, she would definitely taste this. &
doubled the amount of 2illywig shell,( he e$plained, &and stirred fewer times to make it
more concentrated.(
=ottie stared admiringly at the potion. t made so much sense, but she never would have
thought of it herself.
&Well look who we have here,( hissed a voice behind them.
=ottie spun around and felt her heart leap to her throat. 7rofessor 1ewitts sly smile greeted
her. 0ndrea gasped.
&-ow how did you two manage to find your way over here% 1ont you know its dangerous
playing with the big boys% /ood !ob finding them, 'everus.(
=ottie turned her glare to 'nape. &*ouI(
&-o,( 'nape cut her off.
&The 1ark =ord will be pleased to have a threat eliminated,( 1ewitt said. &-ow lets say we
play a little game.( He raised his wand. 0 spark of red light soared through the air, toward
=ottie, but 'nape leapt in front of her. With a single snap of his wrist, he deflected the spell.
t rebounded, sending showers of red that glimmered in the air, and hit 1ewitt square in his
middle. 0 gash appeared across his stomachIhe stumbled back. &'everus%( he croaked.
2lood poured from his wound, ran down his legs and stained the floor. &ts not fatal,( 'nape
said, &immediately.(
&'everusI(
& was sent to protect these students.( 'nape raised his wand. 0nother flash of green lightI
and 1ewitt slumped to the ground, eyes wide with surprised but unquestioningly dead.
&HeIhe was aI(
&.bviously.( 'nape pocketed his wand. His voice showed no regret, no remorse. He was
adept, =ottie realized, because he was ruthless. He was an effective, unfeeling killer. &We
should get you two back to the dormitory. f the 1eath @aters can get through the wreckage,
the others should be on their way.(
They ran. "ore accurately, =ottie and 0ndrea ran to keep up with 'napes wide strides. n
the safety of their dormitory, they sat back down on the beds. 'nape left the door a!ar, he
e$plained, so -agini would be able to enter.
0gain, they waited in silence. =ottie prayed that -agini would show up. f one good thing
could come of this, maybe )ranOois would not have died in vain.
=ottie could hear itIsomewhere off in the distance. 'he could not help but grin in her own
glory as the light hissing grew in volume. The snake that entered the room was enormous.
)rom close up, she seemed even more so. 0nd yet, she was docile. Her eyes focused on
nothing in particular as she coiled herself into a harmless spiral.
0ndrea recoiled. 'he scooted away on the bed, inch by inch. &1ontIlikeIsnakes,( she
muttered to herself.
'nape raised his wand quietly. The only sound was the rustle of his sleeve and -aginis
satisfied hissing. &'(ada )eda(ra.( The green light was so familiar now that =ottie didnt
even flinch. The snake didnt move.
&HowIhow do we know its dead%( 0ndrea asked feebly.
&-othing can survive the killing curse,( 'nape said simply. He stepped over the snake and
collected her body, carefully placing it in the cauldron.
&Why didnt she attack us when she came in%( =ottie asked.
& included some sedatives in the potion.( 'nape turned to them and frowned. 'ome tiny
decision seemed to be made in the back of his mind? =ottie could tell by the flaring of his
nostrils. &E$pe%to atronum.( 'ilver light burst from his wand, but it disappeared before
=ottie could get a clear view of the animal. &ts to -aesa,( he answered their unasked
question. &f it can reach her, she will be able to find us and get you two to safety.(
=ottie sat back down on the bed. 'nape was taking them to safety? he had saved them from
1ewitt? he had destroyed a Horcru$. He couldnt be a 1eath @ater.
7almyitors answer came almost immediately. The familiar leopard burst through the
window. &1rove out the 1eath @aters,( the 7atronus said. &'ending air patrol to take you
down to meet us.( The leopard vanished in an e$plosion of silver.
0lmost instantly after that, a tap on the window attracted their attention. 7rofessor 'eward
followed by two others waved against the darkening sky. He pulled out his wand.
&.ut of the way,( 'nape instructed. =ottie and 0ndrea did as they were told and ran to the
other side of the room as the glass window was shattered. &Was that necessary%( 'nape asked
as he moved toward the window.
&2limey> 'orry>( 'eward said. He held a hand out and e$tended it to =ottie. &Aump on.
E-ough said, yeah%(
=ottie shrugged to 0ndrea and slipped onto the back of the broomstick. 0ndrea and 'nape
did the same with his two companions. The summer breeze whipped =otties hair across her
face as they descended onto the bloodstained lawn.
&/ood,( 7almitor said as they landed. &,elatively unharmed.(
=ottie thanked 'eward and sat quietly with 0ndrea as the adults spoke in serious tones. What
she could make out from the snippets of their rushed conversation was that the 1ark =ord had
made an appearance, but disappeared soon after -aginis death. 7almyitor and 8lynalmoy
were completely unharmed. "aelioric sported a bloody arm and -eville nursed a minor cut
across his face.
&@verybody is okay,( =ottie said incredulously.
&@$cept Hermione,( 0ndrea said. &=ook.( 'he pointed to a huddled figure standing stiffly
with her back to the others.
=ottie and 0ndrea moved in closer and discovered what Hermione was looking at. .n the
ground was a makeshift graveyard. .ver twenty bodies lay in neat, straight lines. =ottie
didnt recognize any of themIe$ceptI
&2ill and )leur,( Hermione said, turning to face them. 7hysically, she was not hurt. Tears ran
down her face? anguish, more painful than any of the others in!uries, shone through her clear,
brown eyes.
2ills mangled and scarred face was almost unrecognizable. 2lood, tears and agony further
distorted what he was. &The 1eath @aters found him. They showed him )leurIwhat they did
to her. f the killing curse didnt destroy him, his grief did.(
=ottie turned her attention to )leur. 'he too seemed to be in pain, though death had not stolen
her beauty from her. Her eyes, still opened wide, showed a determined hatred. &Torture,(
Hermione whispered. &)rom what we can gather, they asked her to give them her studentsI
to give them 2illIeverything.( Hermione bent down and shut )leurs crystal eyes. &'he
refused.(
0 surge of empathy hit =ottie in her chest, but she quelled it immediately. &0nybody else%(
she asked in a business like tone.
&-one of ours,( Hermione said. &<nfortunately, by the time we got here, the 1eath @aters
were almost finished.(
&We did lose one,( 0ndrea said hesitantly.
&Who%( Hermione turned away to hide the sorrow on her face.
&1raco,( 0ndrea said.
Hermiones cry echoed across the lawn. 'he sank to her knees and buried her face in her
hands. 0ndrea inched toward her and put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Hermiones
entire being shook with sobs, with the grief that consumed her.
=ottie wanted to tell Hermione about )ranOoisIabout the loss she was feeling too. 0ndrea
looked at her, as though she knew what she was thinking, and shook her head silently.
&.ne good thing did come of this, though( 0ndrea said gently to Hermione. &We killed the
1ark =ords snake. 'he was a Horcru$, right% 0t least we have something to be grateful for.(
&Whos going to run the school%( Hermione asked. &This was 2ill and )leurs pro!ect.
Theyre gone. Their students are gone.(
-eville walked up to them and tapped =ottie lightly on the shoulder. & can take over from
here,( he said gingerly.
0ndrea nodded and stepped away. They watched for a moment as -eville crouched down
and muttered comforting words.
7almyitor approached them from behind. &'everus tells me that you two accomplished far
more than e$pected today,( she said stiffly. &/ood !ob.( 'he cleared her throat. &@ven if it
was quite foolish to bring you alone, it is fortunate that you are here. HoweverI( 'he pushed
the cauldron into their hands. &0s we assess the damage, we need to keep you two out of
more danger. This will take you to the hospital wing in ten seconds. f anybody asks where
you were, say you were training.(
The 7ortkey glowed. =ottie felt a tug and took one last look at 2eau$batons before
disappearing.
Chapter 44: Chapter Forty8Three: The 5e)innin) o1 Fi1th =ear
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks a million to coolhPMMM for her help with this chapter>
This chapter is dedicated to my awesome roommates.
: : :
8hapter )orty#Three; The 2eginning of )ifth *ear
)orks and knives clanked against plates as students cheerfully consumed the beginning of
term feast. The first years had already been sorted and sat uncomfortably in their rags among
the older students. =ike the year before, there had been an underwhelming amount of new
7almyitors. "aelioric had even !oked about stealing all of the students once the sorting had
finished, but received only a few nervous chuckles and sharp words from 7almyitor.
=ottie sat proudly among the other fifth years. 'he !oked loudly with 0ndrea about the
under%lassmen and recounted her younger days with a touch of superiority. -ow that she was
officially older than half of the school, she had earned that right. 0ndrea didnt partake, but
she did laugh heartily at all of =otties comments. The only person who did not seem to be
en!oying the feast was Hermione.
'he sat at the staff table, glumly poking at her meal. @ver since the affair at 2eau$batons,
nobody had caught a single smile on the professors warm face. -eville had done his best to
continually raise her spirits, but it all seemed to be in vain. Hermione would !ust frown more
with each attempt. The worst, at least in =otties opinion, was the look she had adoptedIit
was the same glance she had used when she had first found out that =ottie was distantly
related to HarryIa look of longing and loss. 'he must have only used it around =ottie,
though, because whenever =ottie asked 0ndrea, she would have little idea what she was
talking about. &'hes !ust sad,( 0ndrea repeated.
The news of 2eau$batonss attack had spread quickly through the castle. 0 sense of mutual
panic had risen with the same speed. -obody seemed to trust anybody anymore. =ottie rarely
went down a corridor without looking over her shoulder at least once.
The noise level in the /reat Hall died down as the three heads stood up to address the
students. &1ue to recent events,( 8lynalmoy said, &we have a new staff member this term.
would like to introduce you all to 7rofessor ron, our new 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts
professor.(
7rofessor ron stood up and smiled serenely at the students. 'he was young, with a cascade of
raven#black hair and chocolate eyes that seemed to warm up as she smiled. 'he was fairly
tall, though not as tall as 7almyitor, and had wide features that seemed to embrace them all.
'he wore an elegant, but conservative robe and had a single hair clip for !ewelry. =ottie
guessed that she had almost as much personality as her flat and polished boots. The students
applauded politely.
&0nd on,( 7almyitor interrupted the students applause, &to some more serious business.(
8lynalmoy put a hand on her shoulder and muttered something in 7almyitors ear. nsult
flickered in 7almyitors eyes for an instant. &Well,( she said. &t seems that 7rofessor
"aelioric is more fit to tell you about our more serious business.(
"aelioric smiled at 7almyitor who only glared back and shot an e$tra glare at 8lynalmoy for
good measure. &Thank you, -aesa,( he said. &*es.( He turned to the rest of the Hall and
smiled. His eyes lit up as he surveyed his students. &0s you all may know, a recent ally of
ours in )ranceIanother schoolIwas recently attacked. ts leaders and its students were
brutally murdered. 'everal of our friends were killed. do not,( he said more loudly as panic
began to creep through the Hall, &say this to scare you. )ighting a war takes as much courage
as one can muster, and we do not ask for any more. tell you this to warn you. =ook around
at your fellow students. Think of all of the strength we haveIall of the sacrifices we all have
made to end He#Who#"ust#-ot#2e#-ameds reign. -ow think that it could all be lost in an
instant. .ne students betrayal could cause the destruction of everything you love. 'o we beg
youIif you see anything suspicious, please tell us. f you cannot trust your classmates
completely, you might as well be in a room full of 1eath eaters. We need to open our eyes
and see what is around us. These are dark times. .ne word can cause the death of thousands.
=et that not happen to us.(
'ilence overtook the Hall. =ottie imagined 2ill, )leur, "alfoy, )ranOoisIall dead because of
one traitor. 'he looked around. .ne person could do that hereIone person could kill
7almyitor, "aelioric, 8lynalmoy, Hermione, 0ndreaIand her.
"aelioric broke the silence again. &We thank you for listening,( he said. &-ow, prefects, take
your first years to the common rooms. 0 warm fire should cheer us all up.(
=ottie tapped her foot loudly in Transfiguration the ne$t day, while 7rofessor 1esley lectured
about who knew what. He was a big man with a large, rounded belly that !iggled while he
spoke. 'mile lines were permanently etched onto his face, products of both his age and his
good nature. His bald head sometimes caught the light and created an almost unbearable
glare. His light blue eyes were friendly, and often squinted halfway shut from a smile.
1espite her lack of interest in the sub!ect, =ottie had to admit that 1esley was a good human
being.
&m sure most of you have heard aboutIor read aboutI0nimagi,( he guffawed. )rom the
back of the room, a snicker began. &0nd while only few possess the power to achieve the
transformationI( The snickers grew louder. 1esley raised his volume to trump it. &)ew
possess the power, but it is helpful to all to understand the common features of aIis
something the matter, "r. 'crivener%(
=ottie spun around to shoot a glare at 8olm. 2y this year, nearly all of her classes were
e$clusive to 7almyitors. <nfortunately, Transfiguration was not one of them.
&Were wasting our time,( 8olm said. &-obody in here is good enough to transform.(
& would not be so sure, "r. 'crivener,( 1esley said, his !olly belly no longer !iggling with
laughter. &Aust because you are not gifted enough, as you well know from your marks, that
does not mean that nobody else is.(
The 7almyitors laughter filled the room. @ven 0ndrea chuckled nervously as she peeked to
stare at 8olms ever#reddening face behind them. 8olm leapt to his feet, slamming his fist
against the table as he did so. The room fell silent as the class waited for his impending
rebuttal.
&WellIyoureIyoure,( he stuttered, desperately, glancing at his fellow "aeliorics for help.
&*oure a useless piece of scum.( He swung his bag around his shoulder dramatically and
stormed out of the classroom.
0 minute pause followed until the entire class burst into laughter. &.h dear,( 1esley chortled.
&'eems the lad cant take a !oke. 0ll right, thenI dont suppose well get any more work
done after that fiasco. 8lass dismissed.(
The students got to their feet, still chuckling about 8olms lackluster e$it. &.h, Woolbright%(
1esley called over the laughter. &8an you stay behind a minute% *ou wont be late for your
ne$t classIyou have my word.(
0ndreas face fell. &What did - do%( she whispered to =ottie.
&1ont worry so much,( =ottie said, dropping her books into her bag carelessly. &ll meet
you outside.(
=ottie sat on the bottom stair across from the Transfiguration doorway. 0s her classmates
!ovial laughter faded away, she sighed and rested her head against the marble banister. 8olm
'crivener, it seemed, was set in his ways to be a lying, selfish idiot for the rest of his life.
/rimly, =ottie wondered if he would ever his change his ways, or if he would !ust get killed
first. The latter, she decided, was almost inevitable.
There was a loud sniff. =ottie glanced around and, unsurprisingly, spotted 8olm sitting at the
other side of the corridor against the windowpane. He was staring right at her.
&What%( he said, getting to his feet.
&What%( =ottie repeated. &s there a problem%(
&Whyd you come out here, ,owe% Aust to laugh at me%(
&What%( =ottie glanced around, bewildered. &.h because you made an ass of yourself in
class%( 'he snickered cruelly. &Well it was pretty funny, but no.(
&1ont lie to me.(
&Honestly, 'crivener, why do you think spend so much time !udging you% m sitting out
here because 1esley asked 0ndrea to stay behind.(
&.h.( 8olm smirked. &'o youre here to support your idiot friend who needs e$tra classes%(
&0ndrea isnt an idiot.( =ottie rose to her feet and pulled out her wand. &*oure the idiotI
picking fights with everyone for no good reason.(
8olm opened his mouth to argue, but at that moment the door to the classroom opened.
0ndrea stepped out into the corridor with her !aw limp from shock.
&Well.( 8olm glanced at 0ndrea and rolled his eyes. &/ood luck with your remedial classes,
Woolbright.( He spun around and left without another word.
0ndrea watched him go with a frown. &What did you tell him%( she finally asked when he
was out of earshot.
&-othing,( =ottie snapped through gritted teeth. & didnt tell him anything.(
0ndrea didnt say a thing, focusing instead on the spot that 8olm had !ust left with a slightly
de!ected look.
&What%( =ottie asked with more aggression than she had anticipated. &s there a problem% 1o
you have detention or something%( 0ndrea shook her head. &What then%(
&Im not supposed to say.(
&What%( =ottie rolled her eyes. &*ou cant be serious, 0ndrea. *ou have to tell me.(
&2ut 7rofesor 1esley said that its dangerous. 0fter the whole 1ewitt situationIand dont
forget the traitors from second year.(
&What% *oure saying m a 1eath @ater%(
&-ot you,( 0ndrea said desperately. &I !ust cant tell anyone.(
&'eriously, 0ndrea.( =ottie began storming up the steps, careful to hit each one with a greater
volume. &*ou know things about me that are way more importantIthings that could get me
killed. m trusting you with my life and you cant even tell me one little thing%(
0ndrea rushed up the stairs? her footsteps were so light that it seemed more like she was
flying. &I !ustIwere going to be late for 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts,( she sighed.
&.h, yeah, thats important,( said =ottie as they began walking toward the ne$t classroom.
&'o you know what to do when try to kill you, right% 'ince m obviously a 1eath @ater in
disguise%(
0ndrea glared darkly back. 0s they entered the class, they found the new teacher, 7rofessor
ron, standing before them. &Hello class,( she said demurely. Her black hair was pulled back
today into a professional looking ponytail. & am 7rofessor ron and m here to be your new
1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts professor. -ow, know youve had some problems with
teachers before, but let me assure you that am here to stay.(
noffensive was how =ottie would describe her? she was so boring that it was sickening.
&-ow, since you are fifth years, we will be moving into some advanced topics.( 'he tapped
her wand twice on the blackboard, revealing a series of complicated diagrams. &Today, we
will introduce one of the most important areas of magic todayIthe 7atronus. -ow, m sure
a lot of you have seen a 7atronus, correct%( The class nodded. &<nfortunately, producing one
is much more problematic than all of those advanced wizards make it seem.
&n order to produce a corporeal 7atronus, the caster must use happy thoughts and pro!ect
them. These pro!ections will take the form of an animal, which guards from 1ementors, and
more importantly in these times, serves as a messenger.(
7rofessor ron put them into pairs. "uch to her chagrin, =ottie was paired with 0ndrea, who
was gazing determinately at the chalkboard to avoid eye contact. &-ow, take turns e$plaining
a happy memory,( said ron. &t must be particularly potent. The feeling you get is similar to
the !oy you must feel when con!uring that 7atronus.(
&1o you want to go first, or shall %( 0ndrea asked diplomatically.
&Hm.( =ottie tapped her chin, with her eyes narrowed at 0ndrea. &d say my happiest
memory would be when my best friend decided wasnt worthyI(
&I=ottieI(
&That wasnt worthy,( =ottie repeated, her voice swelling in volume, &of knowing an
insignificant secret, whenI(
&.h really%( 0ndreas voice was shrill. &Thats funny because my best memory is when my
best friend acted like an immature brat and had a tantrumI(
&s something the problem, ladies%( ron asked politely from behind their desks.
=ottie swiveled in her chair, her finger already e$tended into a point to blame 0ndrea. &'orry,
7rofessor,( 0ndrea said quickly. &We were !ust acting out a really funny time.(
&0ll right, then, !ust be sure to keep your volume down.(
=ottie and 0ndrea turned to face each other again. &That was immature,( =ottie said calmly.
&&ou started it.(
&Well you wont tell meI(
&O+ay,( 0ndrea said. &f promise to tell you, will you let it go% ts not that dont trust you.
ts them.( 'he tilted her head pointedly toward the rest of the class.
=ottie sniffed. & suppose.(
&)ine.( 0ndrea pushed her glasses up her nose in a business like way. &-ow tell me your
happiest memory.(
.nce class let out, =ottie bee lined for their dormitory, dragging 0ndrea along behind her.
=ottie sat on her bed and raised her eyebrows e$pectantly. 0ndrea lingered by the door,
checking to make sure the hallway was clear. &Well%( =ottie said.
&'eriously, =ottie, you have to promise not to tell anybody,( 0ndrea said as she settled onto
her own bed.
&Honestly, 0ndrea, who do you think would be that interested% m kidding,( =ottie added
after receiving a sharp glare. &m sure its really important.(
&Well, ermIokay. 'o, you know how m sort of good at Transfiguration%( 0ndrea said.
&Thats an understatement, but yeah.(
&0nd 1esley is a really nice professor and everythingI(
&=ets get to the point here.(
&He#wellIhe said that have to start special tutoring ne$t week.(
@ven =otties hair seemed to wilt with disappointment. &Thats it%( she asked. &Honestly,
know you get embarrassed when youre bad at things, butI(
&-o, thats not it, actually.( 0ndrea cleared her throat. &These arent remedial lessons, =ottie.
Theyre 'nimagus lessons.(
&.h.( 0t first, =ottie wasnt sure what to think. 0ndrea had always been good at
Transfiguration, but =ottie never thought she was that good. -ow she got to become an
0nimagusIsomething so rare that 0lsemore had never produced one. =ottie swallowed the
!ealousy that was bubbling inside of her like boiling water.
&=ottie%( 0ndrea asked. &0rent youIwellIarent you e$cited for me%(
=ottie pushed her face into a grin. &.f course am> !ust forgot what an 0nimagus is for a
second.(
&Well you wont forget anymore.( 0ndrea got to her feet and looked around the room as if
for the first time. &t sure does e$plain a lot, doesnt it% 2his is probably why m in this
house. @ven if am sort ofIwellIbad at .cclumencyI(
&"iserable,( =ottie said.
&.h thanks. .kay, ll admit that m not so good at .cclumency, but this makes sense. can
spy like this.(
&*es you can.(
&Wow.( 0ndrea fell back onto her bed and landed lightly on her pillow. & wish could tell
everyone else. Aust so they know deserve to be here !ust as much as them.(
&'eriously, 0ndrea, youre already the best in our year. dont think anyone doubts that you
should be here.(
& suppose so. wonder what animal ll turn into,( 0ndrea went on.
&"aybe a goat,( =ottie said, picking a piece of dirt out from under her fingernail.
&0 goat%( 0ndrea sat up and frowned at =ottie. &*ou cant be serious. was thinking maybe
a catI(
&-o.(
&Ior a rabbitI(
&What if you turned out to be a hippo%( =ottie asked, tapping her chin as though deep in
thought. &That wouldnt be very useful for spying, would it%(
&Well good thing wont be a hippo,( 0ndrea said through gritted teeth. &'eriously, =ottie,
whats wrong with you%(
&I.r you could be a mosquito. That would be really good for spyingIeven though you
would run the risk of getting squished.(
&3ottieI(
&Hey, guys>( Auliannes nose peaked around the door. 'he came into the dorm, followed by
'ophie. &s this a bad time%(
&-ope.( =ottie sat back in her bed and stared moodily at the canvas of her four#poster. 'he
folded her arms and heaved a sigh.
&7retty funny today, eh%( 'ophie said, perched on the edge of her bed.
&What%( asked 0ndrea.
&@dgarIin 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts. He had to tell 7rofessor -ron his favorite memory
Iyou knowIbecause there is an odd number of people in the class.(
&*eah%( 0ndrea asked.
&0nd you know what he said%( 'ophie continued.
&This is my favorite part,( inter!ected Aulianne.
&He said, E"y best memory is right now when you walked inI"erlin>( 'ophie erupted in
laughter.
'lack !awed, 0ndrea asked, &1id he get in trouble%(
&.f course he did,( 'ophie said. &0 wee+ of detention for ob1e%tifying a professor.( Aulianne
!oined in 'ophies laughter. The pair leaned against each other for support? each was laughing
so hard that they would collapse without the other.
&2oys,( sighed 0ndrea before giggling as well.
'oon the entire room was filled with high, girlish giggles. .nly =ottie sat, gloomy and bitter,
ignoring the !oy around her. Her face stuck in a resolute pout of !ealousy, she sat on her bed
and watched the melancholy clouds meander by.
Chapter 45: Chapter Forty8Four: The Trial
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks as always to coolhPMMM>
This chapter is dedicated to the always e$cellent boys>
: : :
8hapter )orty#)our; The Trial
'eptember passed in a blur of boredom and frustration. The fifth years practiced 7atronuses
every lesson in 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts and still nobody had succeeded. &f you are
frustrated after merely one month,( 7rofessor ron said, &you might want to renew your
patience. t takes most students a year to perfect the spell.(
&0 year.( @dgar 7ayne slammed his wand against his desk. &*ou mean were going to be
shouting nonsense, trying to think of happy memories all year%( 'ince his detentions, @dgar
had not been on good terms with 7rofessor ron.
&<nfortunately,( ron said, &it is hard to e$plain the state of mind to children who grew up in
such abysmal conditions. t is not a lack of talent that makes this especially difficult to this
generation, but a serious disadvantage from the state of our world.(
& know what happiness is,( @dgar said, his chest swelling defensively. & have loads of
friendsIandIand have a familyI(
&Then why havent you produced a corporeal 7atronus yet%( 7rofessor ron smiled. &1ont
feel you are behind in any way. The other two houses are having !ust as much trouble
learning as well.(
&2heyre learning 7atronuses too%( =ottie asked.
&.bviously,( 0ndrea said. &Why wouldnt they%(
&Well then we ha(e to figure it out,( =ottie said.
&0nd beat the other two houses,( @dgar added.
@ven worse than the humiliation of failing in 7rofessor rons class were 0ndreas 0nimagus
lessons. Twice a week, she would leave for hours at a time and come back bragging about all
of the theory and magic she was learning.
&f youre learning so much,( =ottie always said, &then why havent you transformed yet%(
2ut becoming an 0nimagus was a long processI=ottie knew it. t was even longer than
learning a 7atronus. &.ur goal is a full transformation by the beginning of ne$t year,( 0ndrea
had recited after her first lesson.
0s the autumn stretched on, the leaves on the trees around 0lsemore turned fierce reds,
yellows and oranges. =ottie spent most of her lessons staring glumly out the window,
watching them flutter to the ground.
The worst class of all, though, was .cclumency. t seemed !ust like a repeat of the previous
year? 'napes power was unrelenting and still not a single student had managed to block his
attacks. =ottie felt the blame of her classmates on her shoulders. 'he was the best in the year,
after all. f she could figure out how to block him, everyone else would stand a chance.
&#o%us,( 'nape spat after another one of her failed attempts. 'he lay on the floor covered in a
cold sweat? 'nape had forced her to relieve the attack on 2eau$batonsIforced her to see
)ranOoiss lifeless eyes again. &f you dont fo%us, can immediately find your most personal
memories and e$ploit them.(
=ottie pushed herself up and glanced at her classmates, who were standing in a straight line
behind her. &-o offense, 0ir,( she said, &but you pretty much know my life story by now.
have no chance if you know e$actly what you are looking for.(
&Well, then you now e$actly what to defend. 0gain.(
.ctober continued to push on and soon enough, the Halloween feast had arrived. =otties
mouth was full, like always, of chicken, potatoes and bread. 'he only ever stopped to take a
swig of pumpkin !uice. 0ndrea, beside her, picked at her food, her attention apparently
elsewhere. &What do you think theyre talking about up there%( she asked, !erking her head
toward the staff table. 7almyitor, "aelioric and 8lynalmoy all had their heads together in
deep discussion.
&unno,( =ottie said through her mashed potatoes. &.ld times%(
&*eah, they sure look like theyre !ust kidding around up there.( 0ndrea rolled her eyes.
&"aelioric never looks this serious unless something is happening.(
They found out soon enough. 0s the last of the pudding was cleared away, "aelioric stood
up to address the students. &Well,( he said. & hope you had a lovely feast. <nderclassmen,
you may be dismissed. Well ask the fifth, si$th and seventh years to remain behind for a
minute.(
=ottie watched as all of the younger students filed out. Her heart fluttered as she wondered
what "aelioric was about to announce. When it was !ust the fifth, si$th and seventh years left
in the Hall, he continued. &We have an e$citing announcement to make. We have planned a
very important mission this summer.( The room was silent. @verybody held their breath. &To
Hogwarts.(
The Hall burst out in e$cited chatter. &t will, however,( 7almyitor said over the noise, &be
dangerous. *ou will train for almost the entirety of this year. *ou must put a lot of thought
into whether or not to apply.(
&m doing it,( =ottie said.
&0lso,( 8lynalmoy said, barely heard over the students, &note that we are only taking one
member per year from each house. *ou may get an application from your Head of House. f
you make the primary cut, tryouts will be ne$t weekend.(
&Wow,( said =ottie. The Hall around them also broke into e$citement. 0s the upperclassmen
stood up and filed out into the corridor, they seemed to have a new vigor. &0re you going to
apply%( =ottie asked 0ndrea.
&m not sure.(
&What%(
&ts not that m afraid,( 0ndrea said. &ts !ustIwe have to miss so much school.(
&Well why are you in school in the first place% Were here to learn to fightIthis would be a
better place to learn than any.(
&2utImyIyou knowI( 0ndrea lowered her tone &Ilessons.(
&.h give it a rest,( =ottie said. &"issing two weeks of your special time wouldnt cause you
to unlearn. *ou know if you dont apply, youll regret it.(
& suppose.(
They had reached the common room. =ottie sat down at one area of the long, oak tables.
0ndrea sat across from her. &What do you think the tryouts will be like%(
0ndrea rolled her eyes. &1ont get ahead of yourself, =ottie,( she said. &*ou have to get your
application accepted first.(
&*oure seriously worrying about that%( =ottie asked. &Thats not our problem. They know
us. The only people theyre going to re!ect are people like @dgarIor Aulianne. The
nobodies.(
&What, and were special%(
&.bviously.( =otties grin spread across her face. &=ets get the application before breakfast
tomorrow,( she said. &Aust so they dont run out.(
'ure enough, when they knocked on 7almyitors door the ne$t morning, there was a stack of
papers half a foot tall on her desk. & should have known you two would be the first here,(
she said flatly. &The inseparable duo.(
=ottie grinned as 7almyitor placed the application in her hand. &These are due ne$t
Wednesday.(
&Thank you, 7rofessor,( 0ndrea said. =ottie and 0ndrea turned to the door, until 7almyitors
voice stopped them.
&t should be interesting,( she said. &The pair will have to be broken up if one of you makes
the cut.(
=ottie turned around, unable to ignore the hint of malice in 7almyitors voice. 0 quiet smile
spread across the old professors face. =ottie frowned. &WhatI(
&8ome on,( 0ndrea said, grabbing her arm. &Were going to miss breakfast.(
0s they walked down the corridor and up the stairs, =ottie glanced over her shoulder. &That
was weird,( she said.
&What%(
=ottie looked at 0ndrea for a moment. 7almyitor seemed almost thrilled at the idea of
separating them. &-othing.(
They sat down in the /reat Hall for breakfast. 0ndrea ladled oatmeal onto her plate, but
=ottie only nibble at the corner of a slice of toast. 7almyitor was right, of courseIher and
0ndrea were going to have to be broken up? one would leave and one would be left behind.
=ottie knew realistically that she would be the one to go to HogwartsIshe was best at
.cclumency in the yearIshe was given all of the special privileges. 0ndrea was smart, but
not what the war needed.
&1id you see this%( 0ndrea asked, as she peered down at the thick application. &lease list
all detentions dis%iplinary a%tions. 1o you think you can even remember all of yours%(
=ottie waved it off with a shrug of her shoulders. &What does it matter% 7almyitor knows? if
hadnt stood a chance, she wouldnt have given me the application.
0ndrea frowned. &m not sure if it works likeI(
=ottie slammed her paper down on the table. &!e%ommendation by a tea%her4 0re you
kidding%(
&What% Worried that nobody has anything good to say about you%( 0ndrea asked through
laughter.
&-o.( =ottie brushed toast crumbles off her application. &@ven if they did say something bad,
would !ust go back and change it.(
&=ottie, thats %heating. 2esides, you cant open it. Thats what the envelope is for.(
&Well then ll !ust use magic.(
&*ou seriously think 7almyitor wont notice% =ookIE/o not try to magi%ally open the
re%ommendation6 we will be able to tell. 7lus, dont think you could open it if you tried.(
&*es, could.( =ottie pulled out her wand, as though to demonstrate, but 0ndrea grabbed her
wrist before she could.
&.kay, you dont have to show me. dont want you e$ploding my oatmeal. Who do you
think youre going to ask%(
=ottie sighed. &m not sure. wish 2reckenridge were still here. 'nape would have nothing
good to say.(
&*ou never know,( 0ndrea said, waving her spoon around in lazy circles. &*ouve been
getting closer to blocking him, havent you% Thats good.(
&:etting %loser isnt doing it.( =ottie glared down at her toast. &ts been almost a yearIand
still haventI(
&-o one has. 1ont be so hard on yourself.(
&-obody will until do,( =ottie said. &=ets be serious, 0ndrea? we both know that m the
best.(
&Wow, =ottie. *ou know there are older studentsI(
&m not saying m smarterI!ustI( =ottie stood up. & dont know,( she finished lamely.
&m going to class. ll see you there.( =ottie stuffed the application back into her bag and
swept out of the hall, leaving 0ndrea alone with her oatmeal.
t was something, she knew, that 0ndrea would probably never accept. 0ndrea was smart and
would probably be the youngest 0nimagus in half a century, but =ottie had a special powerI
whether it was a gift or a curse, she wasnt sure. t gave her privileges, that was certain.
2ecause of it, she got special lessons, special adventures, special treatmentIshe also got the
uncomfortable certainty that she had something very dangerous and important looming like a
shadow in her future.
2y the end of the ne$t week, =ottie had turned in her application. 'he ended up asking
7rofessor 1yer for a recommendation. They had their occasional falling outs, but in general,
she had always been one of his favorites. .n )riday night, =ottie could hardly sleep. Tryouts
were the ne$t morning, and 7almyitor would be posting the list of accepted applications right
before.
'he woke 'aturday morning tired, but e$cited. 0ndrea looked slightly sick as they began
their way to 7almyitors door. 'ophie and Aulianne tagged along as well? both had applied,
but =ottie considered neither a threat.
There was a crowd of students around 7almyitors door. 0 crisp piece of parchment with a
handwritten list of names was tacked on the door. =ottie watched an$iously out of the corner
of her eyes as defeated students sulked away. &@$cuse me.( 'he pushed herself closer to the
door. The list wasnt very long. t looked like !ust half of the people who applied got a tryout.
There it wasI=otties name listed under fifth years. 'he grinned. .f course. 'he hadnt
really doubted that she would make it. <nder her name was 0ndreas and 'ophies? none of
the boys had been called back. &0wesome,( =ottie said to 0ndrea. &Time for a hearty
breakfast, eh%(
0ndrea let out a sigh of relief. &*eah,( she said. &-ow !ust have to remember all of these
spells that !ust memorized.(
&1ont worry about it,( =ottie said, snatching the study guide out of 0ndreas hand. &t will
come to you.( To say that she was out rightly trying to sabotage her friend might have been
taking it too far, but the thought did cross her mind.
They had a merry breakfast. 0fter the food was cleared away, they waited outside the /reat
Hall with all of the other called#back students while the heads prepared. =ottie was
disappointed to see 8olm 'crivener and 0lly .verton there with the other houses.
&What do you think theyre going to have us do%( 'ophie asked an$iously.
&1uel, probably,( =ottie said with a shrug.
&0nd tomorrow, were supposed to meet on the lawns,( 0ndrea said. &1o you think well be
flying%(
&"erlin, hope not,( =ottie groaned.
The door opened wide. "aelioric stood in the entrance. The sleeves of his white button#up
shirt were rolled up to his elbow. His khaki pants were tucked sloppily into black boots. He
had cast his cloak aside. &8ongratulations,( he said, scratching the bottom of his bearded
chin. &*oure halfway there, right%( The students chuckled nervously. &Today will be a long
day,( "aelioric went on. &Well start with some basic target practice to warm up, move onto
agility and dodging and finish the day with a duel. ,eady%(
He led them into the /reat Hall. The tables had vanished and instead bulls#eye targets lined
the walls. =ottie pulled out her wand and twirled it in a rather showy and complicated manner
before turning to smile at 0ndrea, who did not smile back.
&/ood morning,( 7almyitor said, as she approached them. The students were silent as the
tiny %li%+-%li%+ of her high#heeled boots echoed throughout the Hall. 'he wore deep red dress
robes with wide sleeves. &We will begin with a simple e$ercise. *ou will line upIthereI
and run across the hall shooting a 'tunning spell at every other target.( 'he pulled out a scroll
of parchment and a clipboard. &We will take notes. .nce you finish, go around us, so as not
to block our vision. <nderstand% /o.(
0 scrawny 8lynalmoy was the first to move. He began running and aimed a spell at the
target. His thin arms shook with nerves, but his aim was dead on. The targets lit up as he hit
them, bulls#eye after bulls#eye, but his spells were weak? =ottie could tell it was not a true
'tunner. nstead of burning scarlet, it flickered a dull pink color.
0 brawny seventh year followed, and then 0lly .verton. 7almyitor peered at the sprinting
students over her clipboard. .nce three more students had gone, =ottie took her turn.
Her first 'tunner was perfect. Her second hit the target !ust slightly off the mark. )rustration
caused her to miss the third completely, but the rest were much better.
'he watched 0ndreas turn? it was consistent, to say the least. 'he had precise aim, but her
spells were fairly week.
&/ood,( 7almyitor said, once the last student had gone. 'he peered down at her clipboard for
a moment as she said, &That was a nice warm#up. -ow, everybody, stand across from a
target.( 'he flicked her wand and the targets began to move up and down. =ottie chose a
target near the center, hoping that the heads would pay e$tra attention to her. &t gets more
complicated here,( 7almyitor went on. &Aust hit the target, but it will get more and more
difficult with every hit you make. .nce you miss, step to the side.(
=ottie turned to her own target. t was moving slowly and predictably. 'he squinted at it and
shot a 'tunner. 2ulls eye. The target sped up, and she hit it again dead center. With each hit,
it got faster and faster. .ccasionally, a deafening buzz would fill the room and the unlucky
student who had missed would have to step aside with their target flashing a bright and
embarrassing scarlet.
=ottie didnt have too much trouble with the first levels? the targets were fast, but predictable.
t was only when it stopped moving rhythmically that she had a harder time. Her target
buzzed after a poorly fired 'tunner missed completely and ricocheted off the thick wall back
at her. /roaning with frustration, she stepped to the side and turned her attention to 0ndrea.
Their ne$t task was agility. =ottie tied her hair out of her face for this. The first e$ercise was
simpleIthey took two laps around the Hall to warm up. =ottie smugly noted 8olms huffing
and puffing behind her.
=ottie didnt find the ne$t e$ercise quite as simple. The targets, instead of receiving he$es,
began shooting sparks out into the center of the hall. The students had to do their best to not
get hit. =otties method was to stand inside groups of people and let them act as shields. The
sparks stuck to their robes, so by the end of the task, the heads could count how many times
somebody had been hit. 2y the end, 8olm was almost entirely covered? =ottie had only two
that snagged the hem of her sleeve.
0fter two more hours of agility tests, every person in the Hall panted and clutched stitches on
their sides. 'weat beaded along =otties forehead. 7almyitor seemed to be hiding a smile
behind her clipboard. &0lright,( she said. &ts time for the duel. Take these duels seriouslyI
they influence the two people you will duel tomorrow, which hea(ily informs our decision.(
The three heads began pairing people up. 0ndrea got put with 'ophie, and, much to her
chagrin, =ottie got assigned to 8olm. &0re you ready%( he asked, the sneer spreading across
his face.
&,eady to win.(
&@verybody ready%( 7almyitor stood at the top of the hall.
.ut of the corner of her eye, =ottie saw other students bowing to their partners. &'tupid
archaic rule,( she grumbled, standing in a ready position. 'parks shot from 7almyitors wand,
signaling the beginning of the duel.
&0tupefy>( =ottie shouted. 8olm blocked it easily.
He shot another 'tunner back at her, which she dodged. &E$pelliarmus>( she yelled.
&etrifi%us 2otalus5 0tupefy5( 8olm leapt out of the way of all three, but !ust barely.
0s =otties frustration grew, so did her aggression. 8olm fired a few more 'tunners, but it
was nothing she couldnt handle. 'he knew that she shouldnt use harmful magicInot after
the affair with @dgar 7ayne, but yet she didnt know how to win without catching him
completely off guard.
)inally, after much rallying of 'tunners, an idea struck her. 'he aimed her wand not at 8olm,
but at the stone ground beneath his feet. &!edu%to>(
The ground e$ploded. 7ieces of stone flew in the air, only to land heavily on 8olm
immediately after. The blast shot him back several feet and he slammed against the wall.
0ll of the duelers seemed to pause in their fight to stare at 8olm, who remained stationary for
several moments, clutching his forehead, where a deep, purple bruise was quickly
blossoming. 'lowly, he pushed himself up. <nable to hide her grin, =ottie leaned against the
back wall and watched the rest of the duels.
The students lined up the ne$t day on the lawns. =ottie eyed the brooms lying on the ground
warily. &Why are they testing us on flying%( she asked. &ts not like were going to fly to
Hogwarts.(
&*ou never know,( 0ndrea said beside her.
&/ood morning.( "aelioric emerged from the front of the castle, bearing his usual cheery
grin. &0s you can tell, today, well be flying.( 7almyitor and 8lynalmoy stood beside him.
7almyitor had her clipboard again. &The course behind you,( "aelioric continued, &is where
youll be tested.(
=ottie looked at the course. Hoops were suspended in mid air at varying heights. &Well only
have everyone fly it once,( said 8lynalmoy. &We do not have enough time for multiple
rounds. 'o make this one count.(
=ottie looked around. "ost of the students seemed e$cited? their faces beamed with
anticipation. 2esides a few lessons a year, and free time in the summer, the students did not
get to fly much. The only other people who seemed wary were a few 8lynalmoys and 8olm.
They lined up. =ottie chose a spot near the middle, and had to endure what felt like hours of
the others flying through hoops, one by one. The course was challenging? sometimes the
hoops stayed where they were, but sometimes they moved and the unlucky flyer had to
manipulate to fit through them.
)inally, it was her turn. 'he mounted her broom and kicked off, not en!oying the e$perience
of having absolutely nothing beneath her dangling feet. The air below her felt unstable, but
she knew as long as she kept a tight grip on the brooms handle, she probably wouldnt fall.
'he approached the first hoop and slipped through it easily. 'he had to dive to get to the
second one, but managed it as well.
0s she turned to face the third, it swerved out of the way. =ottie pushed her broom to the
right, but !ust as she was about to reach the hoop, it dropped several feet. "issed one.
The ne$t hoop was too drastically above herIshe could not have reached it in time. "issed
two.
The ne$t three werent very difficult, but the last hoop again dodged out of the way !ust in
time. 1e!ectedly, =ottie slammed her feet against the ground at the end of the course, and
thrust the broom in to the ne$t persons hands.
&1ont worry about it,( 0ndrea said from her spot in line.
&*eah. Whatever.(
t was 0ndreas turn. =ottie folded her arms and watched her friend take flight. 'he was a
natural. -ot only did she get through every hoop, she did it at astonishing speed. t seemed
more natural to her than walking.
.nce the last flyer landed and clumsily passed the broom to 7almyitor, the heads began to
pair them up for their ne$t duel. The crisp -ovember air blew =otties hair aside and caused
the trees to rustle. The tip of her nose was numb, but it didnt bother her. The sun was
creeping down toward the horizon and an orange glow illuminated the castle, casting it in an
unusually warm light.
=ottie got paired with 0lly .verton, who wore an e$pression !ust as obno$ious as she had
four years ago. Her brown bangs were pushed to the side, almost covering her eyes, but not
quite. 'he had grown taller too. -ow she was nearly a head above =ottie, who was by no
means short. 'he practically towered over tiny 0ndrea.
7almyitor shot sparks from her wand and the dueling commenced. &0tupefy>( =ottie shouted.
0lly didnt even open her mouth, but blocked it with a simple flick of her wrist. =otties !aw
fell open. 0lly could already do nonverbal spells. &0tupefy>( 'he tried again, and again, 0lly
blocked it. Her cruel laughter pierced =ottie more than the chilly wind.
'omething yellow shot out of 0llys wand. =ottie stared. 'he had no idea what it wasIshe
had no idea how to stop it. The yellow sparks hit her, and immediately she crumpled to the
ground. Her left leg, where it had hit, was wracked with pain. =ottie didnt know what it was,
but she was completely unable of moving her knee.
)rom the ground, she pointed her wand at 0lly, and feebly said, &0e%tumsempra.( The spell
was weak, but luckily, one that 0lly did not know how to block. The curse brushed against
her arm and sliced the skin open. The wound was shallow, but enough to give her pause for a
moment.
=ottie groaned, clutching her knee. This unfamiliar curse was so unusual? the pain seemed to
intensify with every passing moment.
0lly, still frowning about the cut on her arm, pointed her wand at =ottie again. ,ed sparks
shot toward her? =ottie knew !ust what that was, but couldnt block it, and with her leg,
couldnt dodge .The spell collided with her, and everything went black.
The ne$t thing she saw was 0lly standing with 7almyitor above her. Her leg still ached with
ine$plicable pain. &8ramping 8urse, ,owe,( 0lly said. 'he waved her wand once and the
cramp that seized her leg suddenly stopped. &*ou should read a book now and then. "aybe
you could learn it.(
=ottie groaned as she pushed herself up, cautiously testing the strength of her knee.
&nteresting,( 7almyitor said from behind her clipboard. =ottie couldnt tell whether the look
in her eyes was satisfaction or disappointment. &*ou will duel with Woolbright ne$t, ,owe.
suggest you prepare this time.(
=ottie opened her mouth to complain, but 7almyitor spun around and walked to the ne$t pair
of students. &2utI did prepare,( =ottie said to her back. How had 0lly learned nonverbal
spells already% That was completely unfairIto pair her with someone she wasnt even
competing against and who had special training. 0nd now she had to duel 0ndrea.
This, she realized, was probably the deciding factor for who got to go. That meant she had to
win. 'he cared about 0ndrea, but why should she have to sacrifice her spot on the mission
!ust to make her friend feel better% 0ndrea would try to win too.
2utI=ottie knewI0ndrea would not use the 1ark spells 2ahorel had taught them that
summer. Those spells were her only chance. 'he had to win this duel. 'he could apologize
later.
0ndrea walked over to her and shrugged. The pair e$changed knowing glances? it was
awkward, and maybe if they both accepted it, it wouldnt be a problem. They bowedI=ottie
almost genuinely, as though to apologize for what she was about to do. 7almyitor shot sparks
from her wand.
&0e%tumsepra>( =ottie shouted. The look of betrayal in 0ndreas eyes was horrifying. =ottie
could see the curse reflected in her thick glasses. 'he tried to block it, but it wasnt entirely
effective. 2y the time the curse hit her, it was weaker, but certainly still powerful.
The curse caused 0ndrea to stumble back and with a horrifying squelching sound, blood
began pouring from the wound on her side. 0ndrea looked down. The surprise in her eyes
was hard to see, because a splash of blood had splattered across her glasses. Taking
advantage of the pause, =ottie pointed her wand again, this time at 0ndreas wand arm and
shouted, &!edu%to>(
The spell caused 0ndreas wand to go flying. 0 sickeningly loud crack followed, and 0ndrea
fell to the ground, cradling her arm. t was a horrifying sight. 0ndrea was almost drenched in
blood, which was still pouring from the wound in her side. Her wand arm stuck out at an
unnatural angle, and =ottie could see a deep bruise quickly forming where the spell had hit.
"aelioric looked over from another pair and gasped. He ran to 0ndreas side and gingerly
helped her to standing. &,owe%( he called. &Help Woolbright to the hospital wing. *oure
done for the day.(
=ottie stared for a moment. Was that anger flashing in his eyes% 'he didnt even have to use
=egilimency to feel the rage radiating from his chest. 'he stepped timidly over to 0ndrea and
slipped under her shoulder to help support her weight. &0ndrea%(
0ndrea didnt respond. The blood sticking to her robe was warm and dark. The parts of her
face, which werent stained scarlet, were clammy and pale. 0nd her armIguilt flooded
=ottie at the sight. t was even worse up close. =ottie could see a bulge where the bone was
misplaced. Her fingers hung limply like dead fish.
=ottie half#supported and half#dragged 0ndrea to the rest of the hospital wing in silence.
7rofessor Waterman nearly fainted when they walked in. 'he swooped upon 0ndrea and
immediately settled her into a bed. &1ont worry, dearie,( she said softly. &Well fi$ you up
in minutes.( Waterman pulled out her wand, muttering a few incantations and 0ndreas
wound closed? her arm healed. =ottie sat stiffly in the wooden stool, staring slack !awed at the
consequences of her duel.
Waterman presented 0ndrea with a tray of potions. &This is !ust for some pain,( she
e$plained, &in case it returns. 0nd this is a 2lood ,eplenishing 7otion. *ou should feel much
better. .nly remember to have a glass of orange !uice in the morning? it can have some
unpleasant side effects.(
0ndrea left the hospital, thanking Waterman profusely and continued down the hall. Her
bloody robe dragged behind her, and left a faint trail of scarlet on the stone ground. =ottie
walked a step behind. &0ndrea%( she called. 0ndrea would not respond. They entered the
common room in silence, and =ottie went straight to her bed, unable to look her friend in the
eye.
/uilt boiled at the bottom of her stomach. 'he knew it was wrong to hurt 0ndreaIbut why
should 0ndrea have e$pected her to give up the position !ust to be nice%
=ottie rolled over and looked out the window. Tomorrow the list would be posted. 'he knew
her name would be on itInot 0ndreasIand that would !ust make everything worse. .f
course, it was possible that they wouldnt accept her because of her actions today. "aeliorics
enraged glare alone told her clearly enough that he did not approve of her choice of spells.
2ut wasnt that what she was supposed to do% They were here to fight a war. =ottie had won
the duel? =ottie was the most qualified? it was !ust fair.
2ut how could she e$plain that to 0ndrea% 'he would be upset that she didnt get to go, but it
wasnt like she was unimportant. 'he did have her 0nimagus lessons. That would work,
=ottie decided. f she stressed the importance of 0ndreas lessons, maybe 0ndrea would feel
better when she didnt get it.
=ottie didnt go to dinner that night. 'he sat in her bed, staring at the ceiling. 'he felt bad, but
she was also e$citedIgoing to Hogwarts would be amazing. 'he would get to see the halls
her cousin had walked in his days. @ventually, she fell asleep, dreaming of Hogwarts and
Harry 7otter.
When she woke, she almost leapt out of bed. The listI7almyitor had posted it in the
morning. 0ndreas bed was empty. The morning light was !ust glimmering over the horizon.
'omething told =ottie that half of the school had woken up early to see the list.
'he dressed quickly, threw her books into her bag and ran out of the dorm. The corridor
outside of 7almyitors door was full of people? =ottie could hardly get through. Her stomach
seemed to be cartwheeling inside of her. With one final push, she got up to the door and
stared at the list, searching for her name.
@$ceptB her name wasnt there. =ottie blinked. 'he didnt believe itIshe must have
misread it. 2utInoIright where her name should have been, scrawled in black ink, was,
'ndrea Woolbright.
@verything inside of her seemed to stop. Her fingers tingled with numbness? her neck was
cold and clammy. Her stomach was simultaneously sinking to her feet and rising up to her
throat. 'he read the list again, knowing in the back of her mind that her name was not there.
=ottie stumbled away from the door. 'he pushed herself back through the crowd blindly.
nstead of going to the /reat Hall, she moved in the direction of the common room. 0ll she
wanted to do was get into bed and cryIand screamIand argue with 7almyitorIand never
talk to 0ndrea again.
2ut there she was? 0ndrea stood at the top of the stairs to the common room, waiting. Her
face was blank? her eyes were neutral, but =ottie could !ust imagine her silent gloating.
0ndrea didnt say anything as =ottie ran by.
=ottie got to the empty dormitory and slammed herself face down onto her bed. -o tears
stained the pillow, but her face was contorted with anger. Who else had been on the list% 'he
tried to remember. )rom her year, it was 0ndrea, 0lly .verton and 8olm 'crivener. =ottie
punched her pillow furiously. 'he was smarter than 0lly, faster than 8olm, and a better
dueler than 0ndrea.
What had she done to make 7almyitor hate her% How had she fallen out of favor% 'he was
still the best in her year at .cclumency, even if she couldnt beat 'nape yet. That was it.
=ottie understood with a sudden lurch of her stomach. 'he had failed 7almyitorIfailed
0ndreaIfailed the entire war. f she wasnt the best .cclumens alive, she had no purpose.
"iserably, she collapsed. Her arms were limp? her legs trembled. Hopelessness filled her.
'he heaved a tired and furious sigh and dropped her head into her pillow.
n her rage, =ottie failed to notice 0ndrea, standing silently, watching pitifully in the
doorframe.
Her office was silent. 7rofessor 7almyitor liked it that way. The simple scratching of her quill
Iand silenceIfilled her with tranquility. There was a knock on the door, and 7almyitor
looked up, eyebrows raised. &@nter,( she said.
The door opened. 0ndrea Woolbrights mousy frame filled the doorway. &7rofessor%( she
said meekly.
&0h. *es.( 7almyitor returned to her paperwork, moving her eagle feather quill rhythmically
along the parchment. &8ongratulations, "iss Woolbright.(
&Thank you.( 0ndrea shut the door. 7almyitor looked up. This was not all she had come for.
7almyitor placed her quill in the inkwell, and waited e$pectantly. &ts about =ottie,( 0ndrea
finally said.
& see.(
&ts !ustI( 0ndrea glanced around the room. &m worried about her. When she saw the list
sheI dont knowIshe !ustIseemed to turn cold.( 7almyitor raised her eyebrows. &0nd
shes been in the dorm,( 0ndrea said, &shouting and punching her pillow and stuff.(
7almyitors face slowly fell. & see,( she said. &0nd you want me to let her come.(
&WellI(
&0re you willing to give up your own position for her%(
&No, butIbutI( 0ndrea paused and thought for a moment. 'he glanced at the old professor
nervously. &Why did you choose me over her% 'he beat me in the duel. 7rofessor "aelioric
was upset, but know you didnt care about her fighting fairly. 'he won. Why did you choose
me%(
)or a brief moment, 7almyitor faltered. 0ndrea had caught her off guard. &We chose you,
because ,owe isI(
&2eing saved for something more important%( 0ndrea interrupted.
7almyitor stared at herIat her eyes filled with an understanding that nobody e$pected a
fifteen#year#old to possess.
&f her life is too valuable to sacrifice,( 0ndrea continued, &why isnt mine% =earning on a
battlefield is more important than learning in the classroom. 0nd if know my best friendI
know that the only way to break her spirit is to make her think shes not as good as everyone
else. see what youre doing, but doing thisItrying to disconnect her from her friendsI
wont make her a better .cclumens. t will !ust ruin her life.(
0ndrea stopped and waited for a response. 8olor rose in her cheeks, as she surveyed
7almyitors neutral tone. When no response came, she said, & !ust thinkI !ust think that
letting her come on the trip would be better for herIas a duelerIand as a person. 0nd even
if she cant come, ll always be there for her. There are ways of becoming an .cclumens
besides losing everyone you love. wont let her turn into a heartless killer, !ust because she
is talented. Thank you, 7rofessor.( 0ndrea turned and left the office, letting the door click
shut behind her.
7almyitor stared at the door for a moment. Woolbright was small and much more sensitive
than her counterpart, but she did have the power to get things done when she wanted.
7almyitor pulled her wand out of her pocket and hissed, &E$pe%to atronum>(
Chapter 4: Chapter Forty8Five: ,ottie"! New 6i!!ion
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to coolhPMMM for her help with this chapter>
This chapter is dedicated to my acting teacher.
: : :
8hapter )orty#)ive; =otties -ew "ission
=ottie sulked the ne$t morning at breakfast, poking her bacon moodily. 0ndrea sat ne$t to
her, but didnt say a word. &Hey, ,owe,( called a voice. =ottie turned around, 0ndrew
5ictorsen, a boy in her year, stood with his arms crossed. He had always been a severe sort of
character? =ottie wasnt sure if this was because @dgar and 1evin did not seem to like him
that much, or if it was what caused their dislike. &7almyitor wants to see you,( he said.
&'hes in her office. 'ounds serious.(
=ottie dropped her fork. 'he knew e$actly what this was aboutIher violent duel with
0ndrea. .ut of the corner of her eye, she could see 0ndreas faint smile. &1ont laugh,( she
snapped. &ts not funny, okay%(
Without saying another word, she swung her bag over her shoulder and sulked out of the
Hall. Her heart hammered in her chest as she descended the stairs to 7almyitors office. 'he
knocked on the door twice. t swung open.
0ll three heads crowded in the cramped office. 7almyitor, as usual, sat at her desk with her
hands folded. 8lynalmoy stood behind her with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "aelioric,
with folded arms, leaned against the back wall.
&*ouIermI( =otties throat was dry. 'he swallowed. &*ou wanted to see me, 7rofessors%(
&*es,( 7almyitor said. 'he glanced at 8lynalmoy and "aelioric in turn before saying, &We
have reconsidered our position.(
=ottie stared blankly ahead, fiercely trying to repress all of the doubts swimming through her
mind. &7rofessor%(
&We have decided that, although Woolbright has the fifth year slot this summer, you may
also go on the mission to Hogwarts.(
=otties face completely betrayed her? her !aw fell open, her eyes widened, and her hands fell
limp at her sides. &ThIthank you, 7rofessor. I dont knowI(
&Deep in mind that this does not relate to any achievement of yours,( 7almyitor said sternly,
&but our own decision that your skills could prove useful on this mission.( =ottie nodded
solemnly. &With that in mind,( 7almyitor continued, &we have the right to withdraw you
from this assignment at any time. f, for e$ample, you are still unable to master your
.cclumency by the time of departure, we may decide that your skills are not necessary, after
all.(
=ottie nodded again. 'he knew what that meantIif she wasnt able to beat 'nape by the end
of the year, she wouldnt be able to go. &Thank you,( she said again.
The door behind her swung open. =ottie smiled and left the office. 'he couldnt believe it.
'he nearly skipped up the staircaseIthe !oy filling her was so overpowering.
'he reached the entrance hall and was !ust reaching for the door of the /reat Hall, when a
voice stopped her. &,owe%( t was "aelioric. He caught up to her in three long steps.
&*es, 7rofessor%( she asked, turning around to face him.
He crouched down so that he was eye to eye with her. The earnestness in his face reminded
=ottie of the day he came to pick her up from the camps. &*ouve got a good friend, ,owe,(
he said, smiling warmly. &Aust remember that. 1ont throw her away.(
0s realization dawned on her, guilt flooded into the pit of her stomach. &Thanks, 7rofessor,(
she said.
"aelioric stood up. &8ome on,( he said. &Weve got twenty minutes before classes behind?
how much bacon do you think we can finish by then%( He winked and pulled the door open.
=ottie found her seat at the 7almyitor table ne$t to 0ndrea, who was still smiling. &t was
you, wasnt it%( =ottie asked.
0ndreas face broke out into a full#out grin. &How could you tell%(
=ottie laughed, but soon her laughter died and she stared guiltily at her plate. &2ut why%( she
asked. &@specially after the duelIwhy would youI(
& know whats best for you,( 0ndrea said. &How angry can be% *ou wanted it much more
than did and it showed. 7almyitor is !ust unreasonable.(
=ottie made a face and said, &0nd she told me have to figure out how to block 'nape this
yearIor wont be allowed to go.(
0ndrea brushed her hair out of her face. &That shouldnt be too hard, should it% *ou seem to
get closer every time. 0nd nowIespeciallyIyou have an incentive.(
&That will make it even worse,( =ottie said. &@very time thin+ about beating him, ll get
e$citedIand then wont be able to keep my emotions under control.(
&'peaking of 'nape, come on, weve got his class now. "aybe today will be the day.(
The descent into the cold, dark dungeon did nothing to dampen =otties mood. 'nape smirked
and leaned against the wall as the class entered. He put them through the regular rounds of
torture by calling one person at a time and watching them fail spectacularly. When it was
=otties turn, he seemed to sneer unusually wide, as if he knew how important it was.
0fter watching her entire class fail, =ottie was not feeling particularly enthusiastic about
facing him. 'he took a breath and waited. &3egilimens.(
The pressure of the attack was strong, but =ottie was able to resist it. The pressure increased,
and =ottie accordingly increased her defenses. 'he took another breath. 'he couldnt believe
itIshe had never resisted this long. 0 small ounce of e$citement leapt into her stomachI
and suddenly emotions flooded through her.
'nape pounced on these like some large and vicious cat. He led her through a series of her
least favorite memoriesIyears at the camp, watching dead bodies float through the sewage
system, )ranOoiss body, laying spread#eagle on the floorB
&.kay, you win,( she said meekly. 'he came back to her senses kneeling on the ground.
&7ity,( 'nape said, but nothing else. =ottie pushed herself up, glaring at the professors dark,
beady eyes, and returned to her chair. 'he spent the rest of the lecture with her head in her
hands. 'he didnt need to listenIshe knew it all. 'he knew e$a%tly what she needed to do in
order to block 'nape completelyIshe !ust couldnt do it.
2y lunchtime, she had lost her appetite completely. &*ou were really close this time,(
0ndrea said encouragingly.
&*es, and still cant do it.( =ottie speared the vegetables on her plate with the tip of her
fork. & !ust fail worse and worse each time. +now what have to do.(
&They why dont you do it%(
& %ant.(
&Why not%(
& dont know> t !ust doesnt work like that.( =ottie shoved her plate away from her and
groaned. &0nd only have until Aune to figure it out.(
&.kay, listen, think we can do this,( 0ndrea said. & want you to come to Hogwarts as much
as you do. =ets !ust sit and think about all of the .cclumens we know. 7almyitor and 'nape
are two. How do they do it%(
&They dont feel. ts as simple as that. wish could do that.(
&-o, you dont,( 0ndrea said. &=ook at themIdo they look happy% They gave up their souls
for their power.(
&2ut there isnt any other way to do it, 0ndrea.(
&=ook at 2reckenridge,( 0ndrea said. &He still has feelingsIwherever he isIhe still is
happy. How did he do it%(
& dont know, but he isnt as good as 'napeI(
&2ut hes good enough, isnt he% m not as good at .cclumency as you are, but it looked to
me like he kept his emotions compartmentalized. He still had them, but was able to control
them. Thats whats important.(
The bell signaling the end of lunch rang. &We can figure this out after classes,( 0ndrea said
as they stood up. &.hIand we have a Hogwarts meeting tonight. They told us about it
yesterday. t will be in the /reat Hall after dinner.(
=ottie ate so vehemently at dinner that she nearly choked four times. 0ndrea would have
scolded her on a normal day, but she seemed !ust as e$cited, and too nervous to care.
&What do you think well do tonight%( =ottie asked. &1uel%(
& doubt it,( 0ndrea said. &Theyll probably !ust tell us about this summer and what well
have to do. ts not a long meetingIan hour, think. have aIermI( she leaned in
nervously, eying the students around them &Ia Transfiguration tutoring session after.(
&/reat. ll go to the library then and see if can find anything useful on .cclumency.(
'eemingly out of nowhere, 0ndrea erupted into laughterIa giggle so lighthearted and
uncharacteristic that =ottie could only blink.
&What%( =ottie asked, suppressing a smile in an attempt to ignore the laughters
contagiousness.
& dont knowIits !ust like were first years again,( 0ndrea said. &1ont you remember%
We went to the library looking for books so you could learn .cclumencyI(
&Ibefore our ne$t lesson,( =ottie added.
&2ecause you didnt want 2reckenridge to know that youI( 0ndrea stopped laughing and
looked meaningfully at the 8lynalmoy table. They sat in silence for a moment before 0ndrea
burst into laughter again. &What a crazy, temperamental eleven#year#old you were.(
The corners of =otties mouth twitched into a smile. &Well look at you,( she said. &&oure the
one who learned the map of the castle over night and took it upon yourself to be the leader of
the class.(
0ndrea buried her face in her hands and groaned. & was trying to forget about that,( she said.
They spent the rest of the meal laughing away their nerves. .nce the other students began to
file out of the Hall, =ottie lost the !oviality. 'he looked around at the people leftIthe few
chosen to complete the mission. -ine other studentsIand her. They all seemed to stand up
on some unspoken cue and filed to the front of the Hall. "aelioric waved his wand and the
tables cleared out of the way.
&Welcome,( he said, as he tucked his wand back into his pocket. &*ou nineIe$cuse meI
tenI( he glanced knowingly at =ottie &Iyou ten have been chosen because you are the
most fit for this !ob. @ach of you has a unique skill that will help us on this mission.(
&That does not mean,( 7almyitor interrupted, &that you are the best at what you do. This does
not mean that you are the most talented in your year. 'o dont let this get to your head.(
"aelioric began to smile as he said, &Thank you, -aesa. *esIwe dont want any inflated
heads. t will make the commute very difficult.( He chuckled to himself. &That being saidI
ermB ,yan, why dont you e$plain this% t was your plan, after all.(
&.hIyes, okay,( 8lynalmoy said with mild surprise. t was not often that he spoke up. &The
basic idea is to split you up into pairs based on your abilities. *ou two complement each
other by making up for the others weaknesses. 'oIermIyes. When call your name, come
up here and get a page of basic information that youll need for the trip. .verton%(
0lly stood up, brushing her brown bangs from her eyes and, flashing 8lynalmoy a toothy
smile, crossed to pick up a piece of parchment. =ottie had to suppress the urge to shoot a
curse at her turned back. &,owe%( 8lynalmoy called.
=ottie crossed to the front of the Hall and took the parchment from 8lynalmoy. &.h Merlin,(
she groaned as she glanced down at it. 'crawled across the top was, &artnerG "olm
0%ri(ener.(
8lynalmoy handed out the rest of the pages and instructed them to sit ne$t to their partner.
=ottie sat cross#legged on the ground, glowering at 8olm over her parchment. 'he looked
back down at the page and read the paragraph about him. &0%ri(ener,( it read, &has a large
power behind him. .is spells %arry an e$traordinary amount of strength8unusual for a fifth
year. What he has in strength, howe(er, he la%+s in fle$ibility. .e has no agility or %reati(ity.
.e %annot get in and out of situations, but on%e he is there, he %an end the game. &ou should
be warned that it will ta+e an e$tra effort on your part if anything goes wrong.(
=ottie scoffed and looked up at him. &'o apparently, you can shoot a mean he$,( she said,
&but youre lugging around too much weight to be able to doge.( 'he laughed. &0nd guess
youll also freak out if anything goes wrongIso ll have to save you there too.(
8olm sat up straighter. =ottie saw the muscles on his arm tense. &*eah, well, this says that
have to babysit you, so you dont lose your temper and try to kill someone on our side.(
& wouldnt do that.(
&t also says that youre basically incompetent at 8harms and Transfiguration.(
&*eah, well youre too stupid to deal with any kind of danger at all. *oure !ust a big, stupid
I(
&"iss ,owe, "r. 'crivener,( 8lynalmoy said timidly as he crossed the Hall toward them.
&*ou are supposed to read about the others weakness and discuss how you will work
together to make a good team, not !ust blindly accuseI(
&.h, m sorry, 7rofessor,( =ottie said. &.kay, 'crivener, have to work on lugging your fat
ass around the castle while you make sure not to piss me off, okay%(
8lynalmoy heaved a sigh before turning to all of the students. &f you look further down the
page, you will see a section on materials. We will issue these to you when you arrive at
Hogwarts, but you can practice with similar tools beforehand. They have been strategically
assigned to you based on what you will most likely be doing this summer.(
=ottie glanced down. .n her page it told her that she and 8olm would be receiving two
e$tremely fast broomsticks for the trip. Her stomach plummeted. Her biggest weakness was
flying.
&We will begin practical lessons this 'aturday,( 8lynalmoy said. &"eet on the grounds at
nine in the morning.(
=ottie groaned and pushed herself to her feet. &-ot quite yet, ,owe,( 7almyitor said. &There
is quite an important matter we have left to address. We will be leaving in early "ay, so that
they will still have classes in session. t will be easier, you see, for you to blend in with the
other students. *ou will have to get far ahead in your schoolwork in order to be able to miss a
month of classes. We will put you in accelerated classes in "arch. *ou may want to concern
yourself with staying on top of your work.( 7almyitor seemed quite pleased with the
students daunted e$pressions. &-ow, ,owe, you are dismissed.(
=ottie rolled up her parchment and waited uncomfortably as 0ndrea carefully placed hers in
her bag. &Weird, right%( she said as they left the hall. &Who did you get placed with%(
&m sorry, =ottie, d love to talk, but have a Transfiguration lesson upstairs that was
supposed to be at five minutes ago,( 0ndrea said in one breath. &ll talk to you tonight,
though.(
=ottie stood stationary and stared as 0ndrea skipped up the stairs, two at a time, running to
her meeting. 'he tried to ignore the aftertaste of !ealousy as she turned to skulk to the library.
The only students left inside the vast library were the most antisocial people in the schoolI
the people who rarely spoke and had fewIif anyIfriends. t had a sense of routine. 7eople
sat comfortably in their straight#backed chairs and spoke to nobody. =ottie bee#lined for the
.cclumency section and ran her fingertips over the dusty pamphlets and books. 'he seriously
doubted whether 0ndreas idea of compartmentalizing her emotions would work? she was
convinced that the only way to beat 'nape would be to descend to his level of coldness.
The books she selected were old, often handwritten, by familiar names from history. These
people lived their lives as .cclumens, so they could probably have some helpful advice.
=ottie left the library, laden with books and began to descend the stairs to the 7almyitor
common room.
0ndrea didnt get back for another hour, and by that time, =ottie had already skimmed
through the first two books. 2oth made similar statementsIthat the only way to be an
e$tremely effective .cclumens was to lose all ma!or emotions entirely. They both mentioned
techniques in the vein of 0ndreas, but e$plained that it could only be competent, at best, and
=ottie wasnt there !ust to be competent.
&How was your lesson%( she asked dully as 0ndrea sat down at their table in the corner.
&/reat,( she said. & think were really on the right track. )ind anything interesting in there%(
&-othing helpful in these.( =ottie gestured toward the two books beside her. & was !ust
moving onto this third one.(
&Here, ll help you.( 0ndrea pulled the fourth book toward herself. &.h, and saw that you
got paired with 8olm 'crivener,( she added carefully. &That was interesting.(
&*eah,( =ottie groaned. & think the basic idea was that d be able to save him if hes too
slow to escape or something. Who are you paired with%(
&0lly .verton,( 0ndrea sighed. & really dont want to talk about it.(
=ottie snorted into her book. &What% t seems like a compliment. Her weakness isIwhat%I
everything. 'o guess that means your strength is everything.(
&5ery funny,( 0ndrea said. &@ven you have to admit that shes pretty good at 8harms,
though.( =ottie shrugged moodily. 0 moment of silence between the pair and =ottie looked
back down at the leather#bound book in her hands. &'o,( 0ndrea began, cracking open her
own book, &are you sure there arent any helpful tips in those two%(
&0ny good .cclumens wouldnt include a helpful tips page,( =ottie said, trying to keep her
irritation from creeping into her voice. &t !ust doesnt work that way. ts not like 8harms or
7otions? you cant !ust say, E.h, remember to squint your eyes e$tra hard, orI(
&.kay, okay.( 0ndrea raised her hands helplessly. &m sorry. ll !ust read quietly and tell
you if find anything.(
=ottie sighed and returned to her book. 'he couldnt understand where all of this new
aggression was coming from, but knew it certainly wouldnt help her beat 'nape.
&Wait, look at this.( 0ndrea tapped the yellowing page she had open with her fingertip.
&'lthough it is not a %ommon pra%ti%e, a fairly effe%ti(e method of blo%+ing atta%+s is
retreating to a blan+ part of your mind, rather than emptying it altogether. -t is an effe%ti(e
tool in +eeping away in(aders and also retaining your own sense of feeling.(
&/reat,( =ottie drawled. &Thats what the other books said, but read the ne$t line.(
0ndrea looked down, and read, &-t is ,uite an un%ommon pra%ti%e be%ause of its le(el of
diffi%ulty. -t is possible to a%hie(e this le(el of blo%+ing, but it ta+es se(eral more years of
wor+I(
&'ee%(
&WellIits worth a try, isnt it% t said it might take more time, but youve already gotten a
good head start. 7romise me youll at least try ne$t time we face 'nape.(
=ottie looked at 0ndrea, whose earnestness was almost pouring across the table and filling
the common room. &)ine,( she said. &ll try.(
'nape spent half of their ne$t .cclumency lesson spewing his disappointment that nobodyI
not even seventh yearsIhad managed to successfully block his attacks. & had been hoping
that we would be able to move to =egilimency by the end of this year, but due to inept
students, it seemsI(
&7rofessor%( 0ndrea timidly raised her hand. &AustI!ust because a few of us are behind
doesnt mean that everyone else is. I !ust mean to say that =ottie has been doing
=egilimency for a while. 'he learnedI(
&How can one move onto a more advanced topic, while still failing with the basics%( 'nape
asked, his large nostrils flaring dangerously. &Tell me, ,owe, who let you move on% That can
only be the product of an incompetent teacher.(
&7rofessor 2reckenridge was not incompetent,( =ottie said, surprised at her own loyalty to
the old teacher. & learned more from him than did from you.(
&.h%( 'nape raised his eyebrows slightly. &Then why can you still not perform
.cclumency%(
& %an,( =ottie said. & have before.(
&Then show me.(
=ottie stood up wordlessly and looked back at 0ndrea who shot her a painfully dorky thumbs
up. =ottie stood directly across from 'nape. 'he had to separate her thoughts. 'he was
nervous, and tired, and angry. 0s she looked at 'nape, she had to fight the temptation to try
and swallow all of that. 'he had to at least try to compartmentalize themIfor 0ndrea.
'he shut her eyes and took a breath. n her minds eye, she saw herself pushing all of the
e$cess thoughts to one side of her mind, and inhabiting the other, empty half. ,ight when she
opened her eyes, 'nape hissed, &3egilimens,( and delved into her mind.
'he could feel him there, but there was nothing for him to find. t was almost a pleasant
feeling, knowing somebody was there with you. )or an instant, =ottie thought she might have
done it. 0s 'nape searched for memories in her vacant head, she felt a minor sense of victory.
The thought didnt last for long, though. 'oon enough, 'nape found that hidden pocket of
thoughts and feelings and broke its defenses in an instant.
"emories roared through her head. =ottie could no longer see, but a !olt of pain in her knees
told her that she had collapsed. 'he clamped her hands to her ears, even though she knew it
wouldnt make a difference.
The memories suddenly stopped. The room swam into focus, and 'nape towered above her.
&That !uvenile attempt will not do you any good here,( he said. &'acrifices must be made to
be the best.( He turned his head sharply to the rest of the class. &8lass dismissed.( Without
another word, he spun on his heel and left the classroom.
The other students filed out silently, as was custom after 'napes classes. =ottie didnt, but
instead rested her head in her hands and sighed, staring at the ground.
&t was a good try,( 0ndrea said sincerely as she e$tended a hand to help =ottie stand.
&0 try isnt good enough,( =ottie said as she took 0ndreas hand and pulled herself up. &td
take a miracle to actually beat him.(
Chapter 4#: Chapter Forty8$i%: Chri!tma! with *ro1e!!or $nape
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note!: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for helping me with this chapter>
This chapter is dedicated to the members of my theatre troupe.
: : :
8hapter )orty#'i$; 8hristmas with 7rofessor 'nape
The winter was setting on especially early this year. The students shivered on their ways to
and from classes so violently that there were several cases of minor whiplash. 2y late
-ovember, 7almyitor made the announcement that they had to begin rationing the Healing
supplies and only the most severe illnesses would get any 7otions.
When met by groans from the students, she added, & know that you all believe your head
colds are important, but in a war such as this, sacrifices must be made.(
=ottie rolled her eyes at 7almyitor and the complaining students and returned to her dinner.
The weather had done nothing to improve her ever#darkening mood. 0ndrea made a daily
effort to encourage her as she poured over books on .cclumency, but was far from helpful.
With her daily updates on her 0nimagus lessons, 0ndrea !ust fueled the anger continually
burning in the pit of her stomach.
The snow outside piled so high that =ottie rarely left the castle. .nce a week, maybe, she
poked her head outside for some fresh air, but never more.
0s 1ecember arrived, 0lsemore !ust became more bleak. 8lasses remained at a frustratingly
difficult level. n 1efense 0gainst the 1ark 0rts, they still worked on 7atronuses. -obody
had any success yet, but 0ndrew 5ictorsen had managed to con!ure some silvery mist.
.cclumency was almost a !oke. @dgar 7ayne even had an uncontrollable giggle fit one
afternoon after realizing they had been doing the same thing for nearly two years, and still
nobody had even gotten close to learning anything. This did nothing to lighten anybodys
mood, but did earn him a weeks worth of detention.
=ottie looked toward the 8hristmas holiday with an immense sense of relief, but was crushed
in her e$pectations when 7almyitor announced that those going to Hogwarts would have
daily meetings over the break.
'he woke up every morning hating her reflection in the mirror. 1iscolored bags sulked under
her eyes. Her skin seemed almost grey. Her straw#colored hair hung limp around her face and
frustrated her so much that she had to fight the temptation several times to sever it off.
.n 8hristmas @ve, while the other students chatted merrily in their common rooms by
roaring fires, =ottie and the nine others sat on the floor of the /reat Hall, scribbling notes.
&.nce we arrive at Hogwarts,( 7almyitor lectured, &we will be searching for several things.
The 'orting Hat is an ancient artifact used in the older days of Hogwarts. t was used much
like the vory Table, to sort students into four different houses.(
=ottie scribbled along furiously to match 7almyitors unrelenting pace. &<nlike the other
houses,( the old professor went on, &students were not sorted based on ability, but
personality. /ryffindorI(
2ehind her, "aelioric whooped enthusiastically.
&*es,( 7almyitor said through gritted teeth. &.ur very own 7rofessor "aelioric was in
/ryffindor house. t was known for selecting those who valued bravery and chivalry. Harry
7otter and several other famous wizards of the last war were members.(
&'ounds like the place to be,( =ottie murmured to 0ndrea.
7almyitor raised her eyebrows and continued, but ignored her. &Hufflepuff was known for
loyalty and kind#heartedness of its members.(
&Dind#heartedness%( =ottie scoffed.
7almyitor peered down at her like a vulture. &*es, ,owe. t is a trait that may people value.(
&WhatIso theyre all a bunch of softies%(
"aelioric got to his feet and towered above the students. He looked quite like a /ryffindor
lion as he growled, &"aybe youll be surprised to know, ,owe, that Hufflepuff had an
incredibly large number of warriors in the firstIand second war. The number of Hufflepuffs
who died in the war is only outnumbered by /ryffindor.(
The students turned to =ottie, who sat with wide eyes from "aeliorics uncharacteristic
outburst. &'orry,( she said swiftly. 'he shifted and listened as 7almyitor described the
,avenclaws. &'ounds like you, eh%( =ottie nudged 0ndrea gently on the elbow. &2ookworms
of the world unitingI(
&,owe, if you have finished sorting everybody, you could actually pay attention,( 7almyitor
snapped. &We are not !ust telling you this information to amuse you.(
=ottie rolled her eyes and clamped a hand over her mouth dramatically.
&/ood,( 7almyitor said. &The last house is 'lytherin. t has had a number ofIinfluential
membersI(
&Thats where all the 1ark wizards are,( 8olm said. &ts where the 1ark =ord was sortedI(
&ts true that a larger number of 1ark wizards were in 'lytherin house,( 7almyitor said
tersely, &but that does not mean that every 'lytherin isI(
&Then why do they all get sorted there%( 0lly .verton asked.
&0s was about to say,( 7almyitor said, glowering at all of the students, &'lytherin house
selects only those who have a certain level of ambition. 'lytherins are known for being
e$traordinarily good at taking care of themselves. 0nd although it does not necessarily only
take purebloods, many of the old pureblood families had ties to the house.
&The important thing to keep in mind is that Hogwarts no longer sorts. <nder the 1ark =ords
instruction, all of the pupils are taught as 'lytherinsI(
&'ee% t is evil.( =otti said triumphantly. The other students all turned to her and 7almyitor
raised a slow, threatening eyebrow.
&,ight,( she said. &'ince ,owe seems so intent on disrupting the lesson, m afraid you will
have to learn the rest of the information on your own. e$pect a foot long essay on the history
of the four houses and its most famous members by tomorrow morning.(
&2ut its 8hristmas, 7rofessor,( groaned one of the seventh years.
&8omplain to "iss ,owe,( 7almyitor said. The smile creeping onto her face was
unmistakable. Her voice rang with silent, triumphant laughter. &We have every right to
remove you from the trip if you do not turn it in by nine 0.". 0nd dont try to write with
e$tra large handwriting to reach the limitIor the minimum length will be doubled for
everyone.( Hatred churned through space in the pause. =ottie could feel it bearing down on
her from all sides. &*ou are dismissed,( 7almyitor said. &"erry 8hristmas.(
The rest of the students rose immediately, swinging their bags violently and stamping out of
the Hall? the professors followed. =ottie rested her face in her hands, staring at the ground
until everybody else had left. .nce the other footsteps died away, she could feel a meek
presence beside her.
&/o way,( she said, knowing it was 0ndrea.
&=ottieI(
&:o.(
0ndrea hesitated, =ottie could tell, but eventually did leave. Her steps slowly echoed around
the entire /reat Hall and culminated in a slam of the large door.
=ottie looked up. n the center of the empty Hall, she felt as if the school, all of space, was
leaning on her, pushing against her shoulders and lungs. t was impossible to move. t was
impossible to breathe. f she did anything wrong, it would all collapse on her.
'he got to her feet and looked at the head of the Hall, at the empty staff table. 'he wasnt sure
what she felt, but it certainly was not the familiar boiling rage of her past. Her face was dry of
tears. 0 coldness seemed to buzz through her head and spread down her body.
The silence continued for a minuteIor maybe an hourIand finally, =ottie spun around and
left the Hall. 'he did not walk in the direction of the common room, but turned to the library.
0s she entered the dusty room, a clock on the wall clanged eleven times. The library was
empty e$cept for her. -ot even the others on the mission sat at the large tables on this
8hristmas @ve.
'he walked through the shelves and e$ited with as many books and pamphlets that she could
carry. 'he had to make a second trip for a colossal, battered copy of .ogwarts, ' .istory and
slammed it against her desk.
The foot long blank piece of parchment was like a challenge stretched in front of her. 'he had
ten hours to finish this, otherwise all of this work would have been for nothing.
Her eyes scanned the te$t swiftly at first. 'he took notes on a piece of scrap paper and
quickly discarded the used books. The momentum did not last for long tough, and she soon
felt herself slowing down. @ach word became a hurdle, she tapped her foot loudly against the
stone floor to show her frustration.
The clock struck midnight. The lighthearted chimes felt very out of place in this solemn
atmosphere. 'he turned to the window and stared at the grey clouds churning across the
charcoal black sky. =ottie couldnt find one starIshe couldnt even see the moon.
The coldness inside of her seemed to be thawing. ,eplacing it was a mild thoughtIa
lukewarm hope, as she gazed through the frosted window at the 8hristmas sky. 5aguely, she
wondered if her parents were doing the same thing.
0 tear began to dribble down her face. t burned like a brand against her dead#cold skin. .ne
tear onlyIthoughIbefore it stopped. =ottie wiped it away hastily and took a deep breath.
-ow she only had nine hours to finish this essay? there was no time for sentiments.
=ottie picked up her quill. 0ll of the warmth seemed to flee from her body, and with it all of
the thoughts of her family or 8hristmas.
=ottie wrote that last word of her essay at seven thirty. The winter sun had already risen to
the sky, illuminating the snow beneath the window that stretched as far as =ottie could see
and turned the ground ash white. 'he scrawled her name on top and rose from her seat.
'he did not proof read, but instead took the parchment directly to 7almyitors office.
7almyitor was already awake and dressed in her usual dark green and black when =ottie
knocked on her door. 'he said nothing, but took the parchment and laid it on her desk.
0s their eyes met for a moment, =ottie was sure she could see a glimmer of accomplishment
behind the old professors .cclumency. =ottie broke away first. &"erry 8hristmas,( she said
without turning around. With that, she left the office and walked directly to the /reat Hall.
The Hall was empty of students. .nly 'nape and 7rofessor 'eaward ate, sitting at complete
opposite sides of the staff table. =ottie acknowledged neither and sat down in the middle of
the 7almyitor table.
0ndrea was the ne$t person to enter the Hall. 0t eight fifteen, she trudged past the empty
table and plopped down across from =ottie. &*ou look like hell,( she said.
&Well youre not looking to great either,( =ottie said, staring at her friends droopy face and
crusty eyes. &"erry 8hristmas.(
&*eah. *ou too.( 0ndrea spooned some oatmeal onto her plate for a moment before saying,
&*ou didnt come back last night.(
& was in the library.(
-either said anything else. They ate in silence until the others began entering the Hall. =ottie
had finished her breakfast by nine, but !ust sat, watching the others come into the hall, with
well#rested grins plastered goofily onto their faces.
0t nine thirty, 8olm 'crivener and a hoard of "aeliorics burst inside, laughing and chattering
happily. 8olm had light bags under his eyes, but besides that did not look much more tired
than usual. )or a moment, =ottie considered pointing this out to 0ndrea, who stared blankly
at the stone wall across from her, but decided she was too tired to move her mouth, and !ust
watched.
&*es,( 8olm was saying through a mouthful of roasted potatoes. &0ll of us were assigned to
write about the Hogwarts houses. @verybody else seemed so upset about it, but it only took
me an hour and a half.(
=ottie clenched her fists around her cutlery. He only had such an easy time because his
pureblood parents had already taught him everything.
&0nd !ust for fun,( 8olm went on, & began sorting all of usIhow we would have been
sorted if we were at Hogwarts, that is.(
&.h, what would be%( asked a brawny boy with a dark scruff.
&,avenclaw, no doubt,( 8olm said. &*oure the one whos always studying, remember%(
&0w, but no one famous came out of that one.(
&Hey, d take it as a compliment.( 8olm shoveled another spoonful of potatoes into his
mouth. &ts definitely better than Hufflepuff or 'lytherin.(
&What%( asked a girl with a short haircut across from him. &0nd whats the best%(
&/ryffindor,( 8olm said with an emphatic punch through the air.
&=et me guessIthats where you would be%( the girl asked skeptically.
&Hey, m not !ust putting myself there because its the best,( 8olm said. &They are all about
braveryIand like to think that m pretty brave myself.(
&=ottie%( 0ndrea peered up at her through her thick glasses.
=ottie blinked. n the course of their conversation, she had risen to her feet and pulled out her
wand. &'orry,( was all =ottie said before slipping out from the table and calmly crossing to
8olms seat. 'he was vaguely aware of someones gaze on her. 'he could feel it bearing
down upon her shoulders. That was definitely a =egilimens gaze, and with no teachers in the
Hall but 'eaward and 'nape, she knew e$actly who it was.
&.h, look, its ,owe,( 8olm said cheerily as she reached his table. &*oure looking so festive
today. What% 1id 't. -ick give you an e$tra dose of ugly for 8hristmas%(
&=isten.( =ottie moved !ust slightly enough so that 8olm could feel her wand, !abbing against
his ribs, but nobody else could see it. &Why dont you !ust shut your mouth, so the rest of us
can en!oy the holiday cheer%(
&"mmB 'lytherin, definitely 'lytherin,( 8olm said.
&'hut your fat mouth,( =ottie growled, bending so close to him that their noses were almost
touching. &f anyone here is a 'lytherin, its you, you pampered, purebloodedI(
8olm rose to his feet and pulled out his own wand. =ottie smiledIthough it looked more like
bearing her teeth. &What, you want to fight%( she asked. &I(
&E$pelliarmus>(
=otties wand shot from her hand. 8olm caught it triumphantly and began to laugh. &ts too
easy to defeat you, ,owe. *ou get too angry. *ouI(
Whatever 8olm was about to say was muffled by =otties scream of rage. =osing all
abandonment, she leapt from her spot and caught 8olm in a tackle. They tumbled to the
ground together. 0 loud crack echoed through the Hall, as his skull made contact with the
floor. =ottie raised her fist and slammed it against his face. &*ou stupidI( slam &IfatI(
slam &Iasshole>(
0 spell caught =ottie square in the chest. 'he gasped as she tumbled onto the ground. 'he lay
on her back, her chest heaving. Whatever spell she had !ust been hit by not only made her
immobile, but seriously impaired her breathing. -o matter how much she struggled, the
o$ygen !ust wasnt reaching her lungs.
& would suggest, ,owe,( 'nape said, slowly walking between the tables to her, &that the ne$t
time you decide to attack a fellow student, you do so out of the sight of a teacher.(
=ottie could not do or say anything. Helplessly, she tried to gulp down some more air, but to
no avail.
&/et up, 'crivener,( 'nape spat.
=ottie watched as 8olm struggled to push himself to his feet. 2lood stained the back of his
sand#colored hair. He waddled out of the hall, presumably to the hospital wing, accompanied
by the other "aeliorics.
=ottie strained on the floor. 'he was beginning to lose her vision. Her lungs continued to
move, but uselessly.
&*es, there are punishments,( 'nape said !ust loudly enough so =ottie could hear it.
'he struggled again. 'he was beginning to lose feeling in her toes and fingers. The pressure
consumed her.
&7unishments,( 'nape elaborated, &for letting our little emotions get out of hand.(
He flicked his wand. The pressure suddenly alleviated and =ottie gulped for air. Her vision
disappeared and reappeared several times as she consumed as much o$ygen as she could.
&1etention, ,owe,( 'nape said. &Tonight at five.(
&2utIitsI8hristmas,( =ottie panted. &Theres a feastIand myImy friends.(
'napes miniscule smile was enough to tell =ottie everything she needed to know. &@ven
better,( he said.
The clatter and laughter of the 8hristmas feast filled the entire school. 0n unusual warmth
filled the castle, with the /reat Hall as its nucleus. =otties stomach churned. The aroma of
ham, turkey, and potatoes wafted even to the deepest dungeons, and her mouth began to
water as she approached the =egilimency classrooms door.
&@nter,( 'nape hissed before she had even knocked.
=ottie walked into the dreadfully familiar classroom, a resolute frown on her face. Her
stomach growled again and seemed to reverberate off the walls.
&Hungry%( 'nape asked scathingly from behind his desk.
=ottie surveyed him darkly, her !aw clenched. &-o.(
'nape conceded only the smallest victory. That had not been a polite question, but a
challenge, and =ottie had not failed. 2ut she felt no relief. -o sense of pride filled her; no
emotion at all, e$cept for the vague intellectual understanding that she had answered that
question correctly.
&'o, what am supposed to do%( =ottie asked dully, fully knowing the answer. &=ines%(
& do not waste my time with such a useless task.( 'nape got to his feet and pulled out his
wand. &-o, we are going to do something a little more practical. 3egilimens.(
The attack caught =ottie off guard. 'he had been e$pecting it, but not quite so suddenly.
Thankfully, she was not feeling particularly angry at that point, so even without a block,
'nape had little to find. 'he did not break his gaze, staring resolutely into his cold, black
eyes.
t was a familiar feeling. 'napes presence was impossible to ignore, but that was !ust very
little, if anything, for him to find. =ottie kept her stare intent. The same sense of intellectual
victory lingered in her mind. 'he was sure she had finally done itIuntil 'nape grabbed hold
of the last piece of feeling she had left.
t hit her like brick wall. The same scene replayed and replayed in her minds eye. 8olms
stupid grinIand suddenly she was !umping on him, her fists swinging furiously. 'nape took
the anger he found festering inside of her and e$panded it, made it into a pool of emotions
and used it to drown her. 2y the time he finally relented, =ottie was on her knees, hitting the
floor with her palms helplessly.
&'o close,( she growled.
&There is no such thing as so close in .cclumency,( 'nape said. &*ou either stop the attack,
or you do not.(
& can block everyone else, though.(
&t is not about the blo%+,( 'nape said. &1ont you understand% *ou can hide behind a wall,
and eventually somebody will knock it down. 1o not hide.(
&Then howI(
&The way to make sure that nobody finds you is to simply not be there.(
0 roar of laughter from the /reat Hall reached their ears. =ottie pushed herself to her feet.
'nape was unrelenting. He did not even acknowledge the noise from upstairs. =ottie did her
best not to, but couldnt help glancing upwards as another round of giggles and guffaws
echoed through the castle.
'nape resolutely ignored it. t seemed, =ottie began to realize, that maybe he didnt even hear
it. His focus was so great that he knew nothing but what was right in front of him. -obody
could ever find anything behind his eyes because nothing was ever there.
=ottie locked eyes with him, pushing herself to attain his level of focus. 0 distant ache in her
foot broke her concentration. 'he shifted uncomfortably.
&-eed to sit down%( 'nape asked.
&-o, thank you.(
They maintained eye contact for who knew how long. t could have been hours. =ottie did not
moveIshe hardly blinked as she stared at his black eyes.
He began without warning this time. 'he noticed his presence, but did not acknowledge it.
0ll she sawIall that consumed her was his two, beady eyes.
'he lasted longer this time. 'nape searched for a good ten minutes before he hooked onto
something.
t was a stupid memory. =ottie did not know why it was even present in her mind. 'he was
her eight#year#old self, sprawled across her mattress, coughing. The memory was distant, but
'nape was e$panding it. The fever that she had had seemed so real. 'he had not thought
about that minor, childhood illness, but now she felt like she had it again, like she was on her
deathbed. Her mothers comforting shushingIshe wasnt sure if that actually happened, or
whether 'nape was !ust adding that for realism.
& dont even remember that,( =ottie groaned. 'he was not on the ground this time, but her
body was tenser, more on edge. &How did you find it%(
&t does not take much to construct a memory.( 'nape got up from his desk and swept across
the room. &*ou have repressed almost everything, but the aftertaste of your nostalgia is still
clear.(
=otties stomach mumbled again. 'he realized that no more !ovial noise came from aboveI
the feast must have ended.
&Tell me, why do you still feel attached toIwho is thatIyour mother%(
&2ecauseI( =ottie stared at 'nape, dumbfounded. & dont know. 2ecause shes my mum.
1oesntI(
&0nd why is your connection to Woolbright so strong%(
&What do you mean why% 'hes my best friend.(
&0nd 'crivener% 'o much angerI(
&*ou can tell all of that even with my block%( =ottie asked.
&t is certainly slightly muddled,( 'nape said. &*ou have successfully cleared your mind, but
now you have to purge it. ,emove this nostalgiaI(
&2ut how%( =ottie was desperate. 'he didnt know how much emptier should could feel.
1enied of food, water, rest, and family, she seemed to have lost everything.
&)orget about your family. *ou will never see them again.( 2efore =ottie could protest,
'nape raised a hand to silence her. &They are of no use to you? they hinder you. *ou cannot
save them from this war unless you forget about them.(
=ottie shut her mouth and watched him unblinkingly. &*ou believe Woolbright to be your
friend, but by keeping your sense of attachment to her, you are killing her. *ou have to make
a sacrifice if you want to save them.(
Then there was silence. =ottie didnt respond, and 'nape didnt e$pand. They both stood,
locked in a resolute stalemate. =ottie was unaware of the ache of her legs or the tiredness
aching down her spine? all she knew was 'nape directly across from her.
Then hours later, maybe, or maybe !ust a few minutes, the familiar presence returned. =otties
stare was even as she endured 'napes rifling. He got no closer to finding anything. =ottie
knew he wouldnt. 'he waited patiently for him to give up.
)inally, he broke their stare. He glanced out to the frosty window. =ottie nearly collapsed
from e$haustion, but her mild sense of triumph kept her on her feet.
&Thats it,( 'nape said. He swept back across the room and settled behind his desk. &*ou
may go.(
-umbly, =ottie picked up her bag and swung it over her shoulder. 'he walked to the door and
wrenched it open.
&We will be doing =egilimency ne$t,( 'nape said as she was leaving the classroom.
=ottie !ust nodded and shut the door behind her. 'he walked slowly to the common room,
hardly aware of where she was going. @ven if she had wanted to run, e$haustion would have
prevented her.
&Where have you been%( 0ndrea demanded once =ottie climbed through the clock.
&What do you mean%( =ottie asked. & was in detention.(
&=ottie, its nearly one in the morning. *ou were there for almost si$ hours.(
&Was %( =ottie asked mildly.
&0nd bet he didnt give you food either. "erlin, you must be starving.( 0ndrea pulled her
by the elbow and sat her down on the softest couch in the common room.
.nly a few students were still awake. 0 seventh year was bent over a book and a pair of first
years whispered secrets into each others ears in the corner.
&Here.( =ottie dropped an impressive sandwich in =otties lap. &ts cold, but didnt think
youd be back this late. did have a feeling that hed not let you have dinner, though.(
&Thanks,( =ottie said through a mouthful of bread.
&What on earth were you doing%( 0ndrea asked. &"erlin, what could have taken so long%(
&.cclumency,( =ottie said. &We did .cclumency.(
&*eah%( 0ndrea seemed to sit up with interest. &WhatI(
& did it.( =ottie took another bite of the sandwich.
&*ou did it%(
&*eah.(
&=ottie>( 0ndrea squealed, !umping to her feet. &Why didnt you tell me right away% This is
so e$citing> *ou did it>(
=ottie laughed hollowlyInot because she actually found it funny, but because it seemed like
the appropriate thing to do.
&'o how did you do it%( 0ndrea asked. &1id you separate your thoughts like we talked
about%(
The first emotion she had felt all night plagued herIguilt. 0ndrea had worked so hard to
help her. 'he had spent hours studying and reading, !ust trying to preserve =otties emotional
integrity.
&*eah,( =ottie said. &*eah. ts trickier than it sounds though.(
&.h, who cares%( 0ndrea fell onto the couch beside her, grinning. &The important thing is
that you actually did it.(
Chapter 4&: Chapter Forty8$even: The >ourney to 0o)wart!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to coolhPMMM for being an awesome beta>
This chapter is dedicated to my awesome @nglish professor>
: : :
8hapter )orty#'even; The Aourney to Hogwarts
7almyitor had the same stony faOade the ne$t morning when =ottie carefully watched her at
breakfast. Her lips pursed as she annihilated her bacon into a million pieces. =ottie sat with a
piece of egg still dangling off the side of her fork. 7almyitor looked up and over the sea of
cheery students, they made eye contact.
t was the slightest motionIsomething so particular that only the most observant would
noticeIbut =ottie saw it. 'he saw a miniscule eyebrow raiseIso tiny that it seemed more
like a twitch. 0nd in that moment, =ottie saw the most infinitely small amount of
acknowledgement in her eyes.
=ottie looked away, a weary smile spreading across her face. &What are you looking at%(
0ndrea asked.
&What%( =ottie returned to poking at her eggs. &.hInothingIit !ust looks like ll get to go
to Hogwarts after all.(
=ottie proved that her .cclumeny was not a flukeIand she continued to succeed in every
lesson, leaving the other students eternally frustrated. 2y "arch, her reputation had grown
and she was known throughout the school as the only one able to beat 'nape. =ottie relished
in her title and !ust grinned at the si$th and seventh years who glared at her.
The time came for their accelerated lessons, and =ottie was issued a new schedule. This one
was much more intense? =ottie realized that it barely gave her time for meals in the middle of
the day.
'he began each morning with two hours of 8harmsIa class she shared with 0lly .verton,
and then had an hour of Transfiguration with 8olm. 0fter half an hour for lunch, she had two
hours of 7otions by herself, an hour and a half of dueling with the other three fifth years and
then a bit of a break for homework and food. 0fter dinner, she spent two hours with 'nape,
and ended each day completely e$hausted. That didnt even include weekends, when all of
the ten students going to Hogwarts would have seven hours of training a day.
'napes instructions for =egilimency were very different from 2reckenridges. Where
2reckenridge let her use it to gather information, 'nape seemed intent on using it to
manipulate others.
&*oull quickly find somebodys most poignant memories,( he said one "arch evening.
&They stand out clearly among the rest.(
&What if all their memories are happy%( =ottie asked. 'he sat cross#legged on the floor,
surrounded by books on the sub!ects. 8omplicated diagrams which moved slowly were
drawn carefully onto the pages.
&-obody has only happy memories.(
=ottie frowned. &2ut how can you control what they see%( she asked. &@very time I(
&0n accomplished =egilimens can. That is what the art is aboutIcontrol.(
=earning =egilimency with 'nape was not nearly as difficult as .cclumency had been. 'ince
he never offered himself as a target, =ottie had to practice on other students. <sually, they
were underclassmen in detention, which made it almost too easy. -one of them were able to
perform .cclumency, so =ottie never practiced at breaking down a complicated block.
The 7almyitors soon found out that getting detention from 'nape meant becoming target
practice, which led to an odd sequence of perfect behavior around him. With targets now few
and far between, =ottie had little choice but to focus on theory.
'oon, another e$tra lesson was added, making =otties schedule nearly unbearable. 0lsemore
students didnt learn how to 0pparate until si$th year, so =ottie and the other fifth years had
to catch up. The three heads admitted that it was unlikely that they would even be able to
0pparate on the Hogwarts grounds, but it was still worth learning.
'o, early every "onday, Wednesday and )riday mornings, the four fifth years marched to a
special spot on the grounds out of sight from the other students. The first morning, Hermione
stood beaming at them, wrapped in a thick cloak to protect herself from the biting "arch
wind.
&7rofessor 'tainthorpe,( 0ndrea said, &are you teaching us%(
Hermione smiled and said, & wanted to be helpful somehow.(
0lly scoffed. &Then why dont you come with us%(
&m afraid cant,( Hermione said. &0ll of us older players in the war are recognizable. 0nd
7oly!uice 7otions emits fumes, so that would !ust draw more attention to our hideout.(
Hermione clapped her hands and looked at the four of them. &'o, 0pparation is much more
difficult than it looks,( she said before launching into a full#blown lecture.
=ottie stood with her arms crossed, shivering in the frosty morning. Hermione told them
about ob!ectives and angles, time of day and concentration. t all sounded horribly
complicatedIand Hermione was not surprised at all by the confused looks on all of their
faces. &=ets !ust try it, shall we%( she said, and flicked her wand, causing hoops of grass to
illuminate across from them. &-ow, !ust try to 0pparate to the hoops. 1ont get too frustrated
Iits a tricky thing, !umping through space.(
=ottie screwed up her eyes in concentration and looked at the hoop. 'he had traveled through
side#along 0pparation, of course, and tried to replicate that feeling of being sucked through a
straw. 0fter a minute of futile focus, she stole a glance around.
0ndrea seemed to be closer than any of them. 'he appeared calm, but =ottie knew how hard
she was working under that faOade. 0lly, it seemed, had given up all together and watched
them amusedly. 8olm had moved, but not by 0pparating. He inched !ust so slightly forward,
trying to get to the ring without the rest of them noticing, so he could later claim he was
successful.
&ts quite all right,( Hermione said patiently. &t takes a lot of work, and there is no e$act
formula to it. *ou have to concentrate on where youre going and how youre going to get
there.(
2y the last week of 0pril, all of the fifth years had successfully 0pparated into the hoop.
0ndrea was first to succeed, with 0lly following, not a day behind. =ottie got it right a week
later, though she still occasionally left behind an ear or toe. t took 8olm the longest, but
eventually even he caught on too.
=ottie had also gotten very good at =egilimency by then. 'he was able to easily manipulate
peoples memories and tell when they were lying, but she still had no e$perience with an
.cclumens.
The week before they were scheduled to leave, all of the students had to get their wands
checked. The elderly wandmaker glowered at =ottie as she e$amined her finger#printed and
chipped wand. &)unctional,( she said, &though you might want to consider taking better care
of your possessions.(
)inally, the morning of their departure came, and in true 0lsemore fashion, they gathered to
leave outside at five in the morning. 0ll of the students were clad in plain black robes,
apparently the Hogwarts uniform.
They were leaving in two groups. 7almyitor was taking half of the students, including 0lly
and 0ndrea, by 0pparation. They were 0pparating to the surrounding area and sneaking onto
the grounds. =ottie was part of the air team. With "aelioric as their leader, they were
traveling by broomstick, keeping an eye out for 1eath @aters on the ground as they did.
0s the students stretched their legs and strapped their bags around their backs, 7almyitor
motioned to =ottie and took her aside. &=isten, ,owe, this is a very important mission.(
& know,( =ottie said.
&&ou have to be e$tremely aware.( =otties quizzical look only seemed to irritate 7almyitor.
&*oure not on the air team for your accomplished flying, ,owe,( she said. &f anything goes
wrong, if anybody approaches you, you have to protect the others.(
&"e% What%(
&-obody else can effectively block a 1eath @aters =egilimency. f somebody runs into you,
)orna$ knows to get out of there. &ou e$plain why you and four other students are flying
across the country.(
&2utIwhat am supposed to say%(
7almyitor made to leave, and didnt even stop as she said, &*ou can think of something
convincing.(
=ottie returned to her group with a new seriousness. -ow that she knew that their lives were
in her hands, she wasnt sure how enthusiastic she felt about this whole thing.
&Hey,( 0ndrea said from behind her.
&Hi.(
&Were about to go,( 0ndrea said.
&*eah.(
&ll see you soon then, right%( 0ndrea tried to smile, but her nerves showed through.
&,ight.( =ottie swallowed a lump in her throat. &/ood luck.(
&Thanks.( 0ndrea turned to leave, but stopped and added, &*oull do great. 1ont worry.(
=ottie watched the 0pparation group leave. With a deafening crack, they disappeared, and
=ottie moved toward her group. "aelioric addressed them in a serious moment that
completely contradicted his personality. &-ow,( he said, &if anything happensIif you fall
apart from the group, !ust land. =and and 0pparate back here. 0ndI( he glanced at =ottie
&Iif a 1eath @ater approaches us, m going to hide. They will certainly recognize me, and
having me there would not help our chances. f anything happens, let ,owe talk to them. =et
her tell the story, and agree with everything she tells them. /ot that%(
The moment was too serious for !ealousy. @verybody !ust nodded. &,eady then%( They all
mounted their brooms. &=ets go.( They kicked off the ground as one. =ottie stayed in the
middle of the group and followed "aelioric as he led them higher and higher into the sky.
They flew in silence. t was almost unbearably cold, but nobody complained. They were an
hour into the flight when a silvery leopard trotted up to them. =ottie was the only student who
wasnt surprised when it started speaking in 7almyitors voice. &Aust got here,( it said. &The
forest is more heavily protected than we thought, so were in the ruins at Hogsmeade. We
made a makeshift camp underground.( The leopard vanished in a puff of smoke, and
"aelioric nodded at where it had been.
&@$pected,( "aelioric called back to the students. &We had only hoped to use the forest.(
They fell back into silence once again. =ottie shivered against her broomstick, as the pink sun
crept over the horizon. The other students seemed frozen in an$iety. Their furtive glances told
=ottie !ust how much they didnt trust her. &0ll right, well be getting near Hogwarts soon,(
"aelioric called behind him. &Were going to increase our altitude.(
They tilted their brooms upwards and climbed steadily higher. &Well pass Hogwarts in about
ten minutes,( "aelioric said, &but were going to fly past it and above the camp. -aesa will
give us word when its safe to land.(
Hogwarts broke into view suddenly. =ottie wasnt the only one who audibly gasped. f she
had thought 0lsemore was impressive, it was nothing compared to this. Hogwarts was a dark,
brooding castle, but twice the size of 0lsemore. t had towers sprouting out of each side,
courtyards that sprawled across acres, and brown twisting paths set against bright green grass.
The grounds were complete with forest, stretching on for about a mile.
=otties eyes flitted back and forth so quickly that they turned into blurs of hazel. The castle
was beautiful. )rom this far up, =ottie could see smoke billowing up from several chimneys.
The sun reflected off of the lake and cast dazzling patterns on the castles stone walls. There
were no people outside. "aybe it was too earlyIand students werent out for classes yet.
@ven stillIdespite being desertedI=ottie could not imagine this place as a school for 1ark
"agic. 'he almost envied the students who lived on these beautiful grounds.
'oon they were passing the castle. They flew above a dark, thick forest. =ottie could only
imagine what lived in there.
"aelioric gestured to them and pointed upwards, to a thick cloud. 0ll of the students
followed his lead and broke through the mist. There, they sat in midair as "aelioric
addressed them, though they could hardly see him due to the fog. =ottie shivered as her robes
quickly dampened.
&'o,( "aelioric said. &0s you can see, that was Hogwarts.( =ottie blinked to make out his
blurry silhouette. &0bout a mile that wayI( =ottie couldnt see which way he was pointing
&Iis Hogsmeade. ts almost entirely rubble now, but -aesa has made a hideout
underground. 'oIwell have to head there in stages, obviously. We cant have the whole
flock of us appear at once. ll stay behind in case if anything happens. ,oweI( =otties
stomach plummeted. That was what she had been dreading. &,owe, you take the lead.
-aesas 7atronus will appear at any moment. *ou follow it to the base and stay there. t will
leave a path behindIthe rest of you follow the path one by one. ,owe, you keep an eye out
for danger. f anything approaches, shoot up red sparks. /ot that%(
&@rmIokay,( =ottie said. &2utIerIwhat if run into a 1eath @ater%(
&Tell them youre a student,( "aelioric said.
&2utIwhat if they want to take me back to the castle%(
&,owe, youre creative. Thats why you got this !ob.(
'omething stirred nearby. @ntirely panicked, =ottie spun around and whipped out her wand,
but it was only 7almyitors 7atronus that approached. &/o, ,owe,( "aelioric said. &ll see
you at the base.(
=ottie nodded, though she doubted whether anyone could see it through the mist, and spun to
follow the 7atronus. t started moving very fast. =ottie urged her broom to keep pace with it,
but soon realized the broom !ust couldnt move that quickly. 'he trailed !ust ten feet behind
it, straining to stay on her broomstick as it led her in complicated patterns and loop#the#loops
as if to throw a pursuer off guard. t was leaving a trail behind it. t was very faint, but the
observant flyer would be able to see a light silver mist.
=ottie suddenly broke out of the cloud. They were no longer above the forest, but the remains
of what looked like a village. The 7atronus ducked into a dive, and =ottie followed.
'he landed ungracefully on the cobblestones and looked at the leopard e$pectantly. t did not
speak, but it padded off to a pile of rubble to her left. t stood significantly on top of a rather
large piece of stone, staring at =ottie, before evaporating.
'he stood in the middle of the ruins with her wand drawn, spinning around at any noise. 'he
felt suddenly very vulnerable, alone in the middle of a 1eath @ater training ground.
=ottie looked around. There werent many intact buildings left in the village. 0 run down,
medium sized structure was standing, but only !ust. 7arts of its ceiling had caved in, and bits
of wall had fallen off completely. 0ncient letters hung above the door and read, Eee =roo.
=ottie had a suspicion that that wasnt the entire sign.
'he stood in silence for a good long time. 'he was !ust beginning to wonder if the 7atronuss
trail had faded when something appeared that drove it out of her mind completely.
The village had suddenly become freezing cold. =ottie looked around. The sun was outI
what had happened%
2ut then =ottie saw it. 0 tall figure that glided over the earth slowly approached. 0 scabby
hand was drawn from its cloak as though waiting to grab onto anything. The cold permeated
her bones. =ottie knew was she was supposed to do.
The dementor was fast approaching, but =ottie pulled out her wand and said, &E$pe%to
atronum.( -othing happened. )eebly, she tried to think of somethingIanything happy. 'he
thought of her family, 0ndrea, finding out she was a witchB &E$pe%to atronum.(
'till nothing occurred. The dementor was steadily approaching her. 'he could feel her knees
shaking and memoriesIhorrible memories that she had done her best to forgetIburst into
her mind.
0ndrea in first year, broken and tortured at the 1eath @aters feetB )ranOoiss large, blank
eyesB &E$8e$pe%toI(
&Holy shit.( 0nother voice approached from above. .ne of the other students on the mission
had appeared overhead. 'till in a daze, =ottie looked upIit was a seventh year 8lynalmoy.
&E$pe%to atronum,( he bellowed.
mmediately, a silver bat burst from his wand. t was small, but certainly mighty. The bat
approached the dementor and drove it away almost immediately. .nce it left, warmth
returned to =ottie, but she was still feeling shaky. &Why didnt you shoot up sparks%( the
8lynalmoy asked fiercely. & could have lost my soul.(
& think was in a lot more danger than you. m fine, thanks.( =ottie shot him a steely glare.
&ts sort of hard to remember shooting sparks when something is trying to suck out your
soul.(
The 8lynalmoy rolled his eyes and looked at her, making it very clear how much he doubted
her competence. &Well%( he asked. &Where do go%(
=ottie, still shivering slightly, pointed to where the leopard had sat. &There,( she said. &"ove
that big piece of stone out of the way.(
The 8lynalmoy turned and marched up to the stone. =ottie watched him push it, with a
considerable amount of effort, and peer down inside. Then he got up and cautiously stepped
down, disappearing as though he were descending a ladder. ,ight when his head slipped
below ground level, the stone moved back into place and another figure appeared overhead.
t was 8olm this time. He landed clumsily and raised his eyebrows e$pectantly. &<nder that
piece of stone,( =ottie said. He marched off without a word. The ne$t two students showed
up with no trouble, and finally "aelioric landed gracefully beside her.
&-o problems%( he asked as =ottie led them to the stone entrance.
&@rIwellI(
&1ementor%( He nodded knowingly. &'orry about that. probably should have warned you,
but didnt want to spook you too much.( He smiled genuinely and =ottie felt slightly better,
but couldnt completely push aside her bitterness.
'he reached the stone and pushed it aside. nside was a thin, narrow tunnel going directly
down. =ottie could see ladder rungs along the side, though she couldnt see the bottom. The
hideout must have been really far underground.
&=adies first,( "aelioric said with his wand out. &ll make sure no dementors come by for a
while.(
=ottie nodded and placed her foot on the first rung. 1escending seemed to take years. Her
hands were feeling raw as she plunged further into darkness. Her eyes took a while to get
used to the lack of light. )inally, once her hands were feeling completely numb, she reached
the bottom.
&=ottie>( 0ndreas relieved squeal greeted her and she stumbled back against the ladder as
her friend caught her in a hug. &.h thank "erlin. was so worried.(
&What%( =ottie said shakily. &Think cant handle a little flight on my own%(
&-ot that,( 0ndrea said. &1avid -eilIyou know, the seventh yearItold me about the
dementor.(
&.h.( =ottie frowned. &That.(
&Watch out down there,( called "aeliorics voice from above. =ottie and 0ndrea shuffled out
of the way as he descended the ladder. &Well,( "aelioric said once he was on the ground.
&=ets see how -aesa did, eh%(
He lit his wand. =ottie looked around at her surroundings for the first time. They were in a
corridor, long and narrow and almost completely dark. t had a musty smell and the ground
squelched beneath their feet. =ottie had a mild suspicion that 7almyitor had e$cavated it mere
hours before.
They walked for a minute in silence before they reached a long wall that seemed to be caved#
in rubble.
&@rInow what%( =ottie asked.
&Aust some e$tra security, =ottie,( 0ndrea answered as if e$plaining that the sky was blue.
&Here. ts only made to work with one of our wands.( 'he traced a large 0 over the rubble
with the tip of her wand.
&Whats that for%( =ottie asked. &0ndrea%(
&0lsemore.( 0ndrea looked at her as though she had !ust asked what her own name was.
&Honestly.(
The rubble magically cleared itself. n the opening it created, =ottie could see a wide, dimly
lit room. 'tudents bustled back and forth, carrying bags of clothes and provisions, while
7almyitor stood in the center, directing.
&.h, good, )orna$,( she said once she spotted them. & was about to become an$ious. -o
problems%(
&Aust a mild dementor situation,( "aelioric said, nonchalantly, &but nothing serious.(
7almyitor pursed her lips. &*es, -eil told me about that.( The seventh year 8lynalmoy rolled
his eyes dramatically at =ottie. &0re you having troubles with your 7atronus, ,owe%(
=ottie glanced from the 8lynalmoy, 1avid -eil, to 7almyitor. & cant produce one,
7rofessor,( she muttered.
7almyitors lips thinned. & see.( 'he swept toward her, and for a wild moment, =ottie
thought she was going to he$ her, when she reached into her bag. nstead of pulling out her
wand, though, she pulled out a small piece of chocolate, the size of =otties thumbnail.
&Here.( 7almyitor put the chocolate in =otties hand. &We dont have enough for this whole
trip, so suggest you be more careful.(
=ottie timidly nibbled the chocolate. t was like the ice was melting inside of her. Warmth
spread through her limbs to her fingers and toes. "aelioric and 7almyitor began to talk
between themselves and =ottie and 0ndrea turned to the rest of the busy room.
t was shaped like a beehive. The ceiling above them tapered into a pointed dome. 0 yellow
light illuminated the entire room, but =ottie could not find its source. There were a few dark
tunnels leading this way or that in the corners. &2athrooms, probably,( 0ndrea said. .n one
side of the room, the students were setting up a row of camp beds, and on the other, they were
organizing everything from 'neakoscopes to cauldrons.
&.i, why dont you two help%( called 1avid -eil. &1ont e$pect us to set up your beds for
you.( 0fter e$changing equally annoyed glances, =ottie and 0ndrea grudgingly went to the
group of students.
That night, everybody sat on the ground, cross#legged, in a circle as they ate their meager
rations. 7almyitor sat upon a wooden chair, as she e$plained, &t may take some time for any
of you to actually do anything. We need to survey the daily activities to get an understanding
for the castles schedule. 'tarting tomorrow, we will be sending you up in shifts to observe
the movement around you.( 'potting =otties e$cited grin, she quickly added,
&<nfortunately, only those able to produce a corporeal 7atronus will be permitted to go. This
area is densely populated with dementors. 'o.( 'he stood up and headed to one of the
tunnels, stopping only to spin around and say, &*oull want to get a good nights sleep. @ven
if you are unable to keep look out, you will be working.(
&Wheres she going%( =ottie asked as 7almyitor headed down the tunnel.
"aelioric pushed himself up, laughing. &*ou didnt honestly think she was going to sleep on
a camp bed in here, ,owe%( He laughed again. &.h no. /oodnight, all.( He followed
7almyitors lead, but turned and went into his own, dark tunnel.
Chapter 4': Chapter Forty8(i)ht: 0o)wart!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to coolhPMMM> This chapter is dedicated to all -a-oWri"o
participants> /ood luck to us all>
: : :
8hapter )orty#@ight; Hogwarts
The ne$t day began early. =ottie groaned as a loud buzzing filled the hall to wake them from
their thin camp beds. .lder students took turns with two hour shifts upstairs, guarding the
entrance to the headquarters. With a plummet, =ottie realized that all of the older students
knew how to produce a 7atronus. @ven 0lly had mastered it. Her, 0ndrea and 8olm were the
only ones unable.
0s though to punish them further, 7almyitor gave the fifth years e$tra work. =ottie was given
the unhappy task of transcribing all of the older students dull observations. 0lly seemed to
take cruel !oy out of making =ottie write about every crow that had flown by.
The ne$t day was not much betterIand neither was the day after. =ottie was restless with
boredom when 7almyitor finally announced, three days later, that somebody would actually
do something.
1avid -eil, the 8lynalmoy seventh year, and his partner, 0nna 'quire, a seventh year
"aelioric, were sent up to the castle. 7almyitor did not brief everyone else on what they
would be doing, but when the pair returned, they both wore smug looks of superiority.
&@ven with the 1ark =ords followers running the place, it was awesome,( 1avid said.
0nna 'quire had another take on Hogwarts.
&t was spooky,( she said. &-obody smiled or anything.(
&What did you do%( 0lly asked with a sort of reverie.
&.h you knowIthis and that. We spied on a few classes and snuck around a bit, looking for
secret passages.(
&*ou spied%( =ottie asked.
&What else would we do, ,owe%(
&Thats our !ob,( =ottie said, indicating her and 0ndrea.
&Well maybe 7almyitor wanted somebody actually %ompetent.(
=ottie glared at him, but not anything else. -ow that 7almyitor was finally sending students
out, she had a reason to stay on her good side.
=ottie spent the ne$t two days on her best behavior, but scowled with frustration every time
someone else was sent out on a mission. &Why isnt she sending us%( she asked 0ndrea one
night after their dinner. &0rent we supposed to be the best at this kind of thing%(
0ndrea had no answer, but certainly didnt help the situation when she was told that her and
0lly were the ne$t to go check out the school. 0fter questioning her own competence for a
moment, =ottie decided that it had to be 8olm who was holding them back. 'he gave 0ndrea
a quick good luck hug and watched her climb out of the tunnel.
0ndrea returned with e$citing stories that made =ottie churn with !ealousy. They had been
sent to search the nooks and crannies of the school. Tiny 0ndrea had crawled through stuffy
passages while 0lly kept watch.
=ottie spent the ne$t day sulking until 7almyitor finally gave her and 8olm an assignment.
'he approached the pair after breakfast, and e$plained, &Were going to need you two to be a
bit creative for this one.(
=ottie grinned. #inally she was going to do something interesting. &Were trying to find the
location of the 'orting Hat,( 7almyitor went on. &We have had little luck so far, but we have
not checked the towers yet. &ou two are going to have to check themIthe old /ryffindor and
,avenclaw towers, the 0stronomy tower, and the Headmasters office. We believe it will be
there.(
&@rIbut how will we get there%( 8olm asked skeptically.
&2rooms,( 7almyitor said. &f you get caught, ,owe, you will have a lot of e$plaining to do.
'crivener, suggest you shut your mouth and let ,owe do all of the talking.(
&Whenre we going%( =ottie asked.
&Tonight at midnight.(
=ottie beamed and ran off to tell 0ndrea immediately. Together they discussed possible
e$planations that =ottie could give if they were found before deciding on a story of 8olm
stealing her wand and flying off. That had the added bonus of getting him in trouble and
maybe getting rid of him for good.
That night, at midnight on the dot, after bidding 0ndrea goodbye and receiving instructions
from 7almyitor, 8olm and =ottie climbed up the tunnel and emerged in complete darkness.
=ottie hadnt been outside since they first arrived and gulped down the fresh air gratefully.
They were dressed in black school robes, and clutched broomsticks.
&,eady then%( =ottie asked 8olm. &=ets go to the 0stronomy tower firstI want to get it
over with.(
They kicked off the ground silently and zoomed through the night sky, careful to keep a good
distance from the castle as they gained height. They were over the forest when they finally
got high enough.
=ottie led the way, soaring toward the tallest tower. t stood darkly against the black sky. Her
knuckles were white from all of the pressure she was clutching the broom with. The pair
circled the 0stronomy tower for a few moments to be sure it was deserted before they landed
against the stones.
@ven when she was not on a broom, the wind whipped =otties robes around her ankles.
&8ome on,( she told 8olm. &=ets give this place a good search. 3umos.( 2y the white light
of her wand, =ottie could see 8olm shiver. &Whats wrong with you%( she asked.
&ts eerie,( he said. &2his is where it happened.(
&Where what happened%(
&Where 'nape killed 1umbledore.( 8olm pointed to the edge of the tower. &8ursed himI
and 1umbledore fell all the way, but he was dead before he even hit the bottom.(
&s that why 7almyitor thinks that it might be here%( =ottie asked. &That makes sense kind of.
thought it was weird.(
The searched the tower silently for fifteen minutes, checking each stone carefully for a
hidden compartment. &-othing,( =ottie whispered after checking her half.
8olm even tried a few summoning charms, but nothing had happened. &ts not here,( he
said. &8ome on, lets check the common rooms.(
They kicked off again and silently flew to where 7almyitor had e$plained where the
,avenclaw tower was. =ottie peered through the window, while 8olm stood guard behind
her.
The common room didnt look like a common room at all, but an overly large cupboard.
"ismatched items scattered themselves across shelves that did not look like they entirely
belonged there. "ost of the items looked suspiciously 1ark, either because they were shaped
like a body part, or because it seemed to quiver with magical energy.
& think its clear,( =ottie said. &8ome on.( Together they managed to get inside. 8olms
'lohamora spell could not unlock the window, and he would not let her put her first through
it like she suggested. With =ottie casting repeated silencing 8harms and 8olm using a clever
blasting charm, they managed to take the window out at of the wall entirely.
nside was silent. =ottie got the impression that nobody entered this room much anymore.
'he began carefully combing through the room, searching for anything remotely hat#like.
=osing patience with walking up and down the long shelves, 8olm hissed, &'%%io 0orting
.at.( -othing happened. &8ome on,( he said. &ts not here.(
&What about the dormitories%( =ottie asked, pointing to the two sets of stairs that she
assumed let to the dorms. 'he set off up the first stair, but was !ust confronted by a large door
with an eagle#head knocker. 'he tried pushing, pulling and even cursing it open, but nothing
worked.
'he got to the common room again to find 8olm shaking his head. &=ocked,( he said.
&*eah, mine too.(
&f its in there, theres nothing we could do now.( He walked to the window and mounted
his broom. &8ome on, lets check /ryffindor.(
They both kicked off and soared around the castle, carefully avoiding passing by windows.
When they got to the window that 7almyitor had said was /ryffindor towers, they stopped
and hovered.
nside, everything was white and deathly still. There was no furniture. t looked almost like it
had snowed. &0sh,( 8olm said. &They must have burned it down.(
=ottie stared still. 'he imagined what the common room used to look like. "aelioric had
fondly recounted his time as a /ryffindor. &They destroyed everything%( she asked. &Why%(
8olm shrugged. &Harry 7otter, ,on Weasley, Hermione /ranger, 1umbledoreIthey were all
/ryffindors. The house had a reputation for putting up a fight.(
=ottie stole one last glance at the /ryffindor ashes before spinning around. &8ome on, lets
go to the heads office.( 'he sped off. 'he didnt want to think of Hermione having lived
thereIwith Harry 7otter nonetheless.
They found the headmasters office quickly. t was the only tower room with lights still on.
They had to stay a good distance off to keep in the shadows. @ven though the room was lit,
there didnt seem to be anybody inside. )rom what she could see, it was a huge circular room,
with portraits lining every inch of wall. There were many shelves, but very few items on
them. They must have all been in ,avenclaw, =ottie thought. 2ut one thing was on the shelf.
=ottie inched closer, after checking to make sure the room was still empty. There it was. .n
the shelf sat a large, dusty and incredibly old hat. 'he spun to 8olm. &There it is,( she
whispered.
nstead of the triumph she e$pected, 8olm wore a look of horror. &What%( =ottie asked, and
spun around to see what he was looking at.
Her own question was answered immediately, when she spotted dark silhouette standing in
the doorframe. 7aralyzed with fear, she sat solid, staring at the figure. t moved to the desk,
but seemed not to notice the teenagers on the brooms outside.
The figure moved closer to the window and instantly, =ottie recognized that sallow face,
black hair and hooked nose. &0nape%(
'he had no more time to gape, though. 8olm grabbed her forcefully and pulled her across the
sky. &8ome on,( he growled. &Hurry up.(
2ut =ottie couldnt move. 'nape was at HogwartsIso he was working for 5oldemort after
all. 0nd he saw her. 2ut no doubt he already knew she would be there, since had been at
0lsemore all year. =otties head pounded as muggy thoughts soared through them. 'he let
herself be dragged by 8olm all the way back to headquarters.
When they landed by the rubble in Hogsmeade, 8olm let =ottie !ust stand there while he
shoved the stone covering the tunnel aside. &8ome on,( he said, pulling her by the wrist.
&=ets go.(
=ottie went first. -umbly, she clambered down the cold ladder and stopped on the ground.
'he knew that 'nape had played spy for 1umbledore in his timeIbut not that he was still at
it. .r was he actually a spy for the /ar+ 3ord and was !ust leading them all on% He was the
best .cclumens aliveImaybe besides herselfIafter all.
&Whatre you doing standing around%( 8olm groaned as he reached the ground as well. His
chest was heaving from the climb down. &8ome on, then. Weve got to go tell 7almyitor.(
8olm took the lead and trotted down the tunnel. =ottie followed suit, only vaguely aware of
what she was doing, still absorbed in her own thoughts.
&.h thank "erlin.( t was 0ndreas voice that brought =ottie back to her senses. 'he looked
around at the dimly lit, cavernous room. 'i$ of the students were sleeping in their camp beds,
under the e$tinguished torches.
8olm and =ottie stood with their brooms over their shoulders in the doorway, and 0ndrea
embraced =ottie in a tight hug. 0lly .verton was the only other student still awake. 'he sat
cross#legged on her bed, polishing her wand and gazing shrewdly up at them.
&*ouve been gone mu%h longer than we e$pected,( 0ndrea said. &"aelioric was !ust going
to ask 8lynalmoy for adviceIand 7almyitor looked a bit sick.(
0s if on cue, the two heads emerged from the other tunnel. 2athed in the dim yellow light,
7almyitor looked older than ever before. Her face, as 0ndrea had suggested, did seem a bit
green. "aelioric lauaghed out loud as he saw them and ran over to clap the two of them on
the back.
&Dnew it,( he said. &Dnew that the two of you could get out of anything. What, ,owe, had to
talk your way out of a tight corner% Wheres the Hat%(
&8ouldnt get it,( =ottie croaked, wincing with anticipation of 7almyitors rage. 0s the old
professor stepped into the light, however, a very different e$pression crossed her eyes. Was
that relief%
&5ery well,( she said. 'ome of the green seemed to fade from her cheeks.
&We know where it is, though,( 8olm said. &t was in the Headmasters office, but it may
have been moved now. We saw 'nape in the office.(
The look of mild surprise on 7almyitors face told =ottie everything she needed to know.
&0re you quite certain that it was 7rofessor 'nape%(
=ottie gaped. f 7almyitor didnt know 'nape was here, who was he working for% &7ositive,(
she said.
7almyitors shock faded quickly. &nteresting,( was all she said.
&@rmI7rofessor%( =ottie began tentatively, knowing that she was about to tread on thin ice.
&HowIhow do we know that 'nape isnt working for the 1ark =ord%(
& personally trust 'everus 'napeI(
&2ut why%( =ottie demanded. &-o, listen, if he were working for the 1ark =ord, then hed
know a lot of valuable information, wouldnt he% s it even worth that risk%(
& should like to think that know 'everus 'nape a little more intimately than you, ,owe.
can see his intentionsI(
&2ut he can do .cclumency> 0nd if it was really necessary to drag him out to 0lsemore to
teach us, he must be better at it than you, mustnt he% Then how would you know whether or
not he was lying to you%(
0 vein somewhere in 7almyitors forehead throbbed. &@nough, ,owe. *ou may think you
know this war inside and out, but have been fighting it for over fifty years, and am confident
in saying that understand more than a headstrong fifteen#year#old.(
0nd without another word, 7almyitor spun around and swept out of the room. "aelioric gave
them a warning -d-+eep-my-mouth-shut-if---were-you look and followed after her.
&Well its true,( =ottie said turning to 0ndrea and 8olm. &He is better.(
&That seems to be a bit of a sensitive sub!ect,( said 0ndrea. &*ou might not want to bring it
up again.(
&2ut what would happen if m right% Aust think of everything the 1ark =ord will know. 0 lot
of lives are on the line hereIincluding mine.(
0ndrea shut =ottie up with a quick warning stare, but 8olm was quicker than that. He
glanced curiously at =ottie, but didnt say anything.
=ottie slumped onto her bed and sighed. 'he dearly hoped 7almyitor was right about 'nape.
'he didnt even want to think about the possibility of 5oldemort knowing that she was
related to Harry 7otter. Her insides squirmed and she collapsed into a fitful sleep.
f 7almyitor was angry with =ottie for not getting the Hat and accusing 'nape, she was a
superb grudge holder, because =ottie was not sent out again for a whole week. =ottie
wondered if making a point was more important to 7almyitor than having a successful
mission.
They knew the Hat had not been moved. 'couts had been sent every night to peer through the
windows of the Headmasters office to make sure that it was still there. -obody was taking
any other action. =ottie wondered if the heads were !ust lost for what to do. They were in
contact with 8lynalmoy, though, werent they% Why couldnt he think up a plan%
)inally, on =otties eighth day inside, 7almyitor gathered the four fifth years. &=isten, you
four,( she said seriously. &We have an important mission for you.(
=ottie grinned, but listened obediently.
&We have been formulating a way to get into the Headmasters office, and we finally have a
plan.(
'he pulled out a scroll of parchment that had a diagram of several rooms of the castle. &We
have discovered a number of tunnels, secretly e$cavated into the walls of Hogwarts. They
connect several of the most important rooms, and all lead to the Headmasters office. We
believe that the 1ark =ord made them for his snake to be able to spy, unseen, and report back
to him.(
=ottie surveyed the drawings carefully. &<nfortunately you, Woolbright, are the only one
here small enough to fit in these tunnels. ,owe, we need you to e$plain her out of this mess
Iand you twoI( 7almyitor glanced at 0lly and 8olm &Iwe need to help fight if
necessary.(
0ndrea did not look overly e$cited at the prospect of crawling through a recently deceased
snakes lair, but she had that look of set determination that =ottie found so familiar.
&0ll four of you are going to fly to the edge of the forest. Then you, ,owe and Woolbright,
will enter the castle. Theres a tunnel in the @ntrance Hall. There are four large hourglasses
that are no longer in use. The bottom of the one containing rubies unfastens without causing
the rubies to spill. Woolbright, that will get you into the series of tunnels. The Headmasters
office is the highest location the tunnel goes, so !ust keep going up the slopes.(
0ndrea peered over the map, chewing on her bottom lip.
&.nce she is safely in the tunnel, ,owe, you go out to the forest and meet these two. 0ll three
of you will fly up to the main window, here.( 7almyitor !abbed at the map with her wand.
&Woolbright, when you emerge, let them in and take the Hat. Then the four of you will fly
back here. 0ny questions%(
&What if we run into the 1ark =ord%( =ottie asked.
&*oure going to have to think of a story, ,owe.(
&snt the 1ark =ord supposed to be the best =egilimens alive%(
7almyitor surveyed her darkly. 0pparently bringing up anybody else who might possibly be
more talented than the old professor was a soft spot. &We happen to have information that the
1ark =ord is currently in his =ondon Headquarters. 'o having him suddenly appear is most
unlikely.(
=ottie frowned. &/ood,( she said.
7almyitor sniffed and continued. &f there are no more questions, then suggest you prepare.
*ou leave tonight.(
-either =ottie nor 0ndrea had much to do to get ready, but that didnt stop them from
bustling around, checking their best spells and !in$es, more for something to do than anything
else. 0t eleven#thirty, the four fifth years gathered and went over the plan again. 8olm didnt
talk muchIhe looked as if he might throw up if he even opened his mouth. =ottie hid her
emotions well, but secretly was feeling !ust as an$ious.
0t eleven#fifty, 7almyitor handed out brooms, and =ottie waited an$iously, going over her
spells in her mind. The four of them stood in silence for a long time. =ottie was sure that, like
her, the other three were too nervous to talk. This was more dangerous than anything they had
ever done, and =ottie knew how much was riding on her shoulders.
&ts time,( 7almyitor said. Ef youre not back in three hours, well send a search team.(
0gain with the silence pounding in their ears, the fifth years climbed the ladder out into the
open. The fresh air would have been welcoming to =ottie, who had not been outside for a
whole week, if she wasnt worried that this might be her last breath of clean air.
&8ome on,( 0lly said, mounting her broom. &We have to be back in three hours.( The four of
them kicked off into the air and quickly reached the shelter of the trees. They flew through
the forest for a few minutes, before 8olm pointed ahead. The trees were thinning, and they all
knew that as a sign to land.
=ottie over#anticipated her landing and ended up !umping the last three feet off of her moving
broomstick. The other three landed beside her. =ottie and 0ndrea left their brooms with the
two and, crouching, ran up to the castle.
The door was unlocked. =ottie had a suspicion that it was for 1eath @aters coming and going
throughout the night. 'he only opened the door an inch, though, and found that her suspicions
were correct when a voice called, &Whos there%(
=ottie shut the door and darted into the shadows with 0ndrea following suit. The door
opened, and the same voice called, &'nape% s that you%( The 1eath @ater stepped into the
moonlight. He was a large, burly man with quite a small head.
&0tupefy,( both =ottie and 0ndrea whispered.
7romptly, the man collapsed. =ottie felt a surge of gratitude towards 0ndrea for having had
the same idea. 'he was quite sure that only one 'tunner could not have knocked him out.
They crept up toward him. He lay, spread#eagled with his eyes shut in the doorway. Aust for
good measure, =ottie pried his wand from his hand and threw it as far as she could.
They pushed open the door. The entrance hall was unguarded, seeing as they had !ust
knocked out its only guard. =ottie couldnt help but feel slightly impressed. @ven though it
had been taken over the 1ark wizards, the Hogwarts entrance hall was much larger than
0lsemores. t looked like it could fit a small house in it, whereas 0lsemores could barely fit
the entire student body.
0ndrea pointed to the right, where four hourglasses were lined up. They were so dusty that
=ottie could hardly see inside, but they figured out which one had the rubies, once 0ndrea
found a small hinge on its bottom rim.
Together, they pushed open the bottom. =ike 7almyitor said, no rubies spilled out. & guess
this is it,( 0ndrea breathed.
&/ood luck,( =ottie said, before 0ndrea embraced her in a tight hug. &8ome on, 0ndrea, we
dont have time.(
&/ood luck to you too,( 0ndrea whispered, before going to her knees and crawling into the
hourglass. .nce she was entirely inside, =ottie left at a run.
'he !ust reached the edge of the forest before 8olm thrust the broom in her hand. The three of
them took off in silence and soared up to the Headmasters office window. t was empty this
time, and the Hat still sat on the shelves. 0 tense five minutes followed. =ottie had a minor
panic that 0ndrea had been caught, but soon enough, she emerged from a large cupboard,
covered in dust.
'he ran to the window and tried to open it. 0fter pushing for a minute, =ottie could tell it
wasnt going to work. 0ndrea seemed to realize this too, because she took a step back, waved
her wand, and the window clicked open.
Hurriedly, she helped each of them in, and they all approached the Hat. 8olm, who was the
tallest, reached up and took it. t seemed rather unimpressive now, laying limp in his hand.
&.kay,( =ottie said, an$iety creeping into her stomach. &We got it. =ets go.( They !ust spun
around to leave, when they saw, outside the window, a horrifying sight.
Two masked 1eath @aters, one large and burly, the other scrawny, and only slightly bigger
than 0ndrea, sat on brooms, grinning.
0ll eyes seemed to turn to =ottie, as she inched toward the window. 'he knew this was her
momentIshe had to save everybody. Her stomach plummeted as she approached the pair.
&'tudents out of bed%( growled the first large 1eath @ater. &'neaking into the Headmasters
office% Tut#tut.(
&*ou know the rules about stealing,( said the small 1eath @ater, indicating the Hat still in
8olms hand. &0nd you know the punishment for being caught.(
=ottie vaguely wondered what the punishment was, but didnt let her mind wander too far
and betray her .cclumency. &*es, sirs. m sorry, sirs.(
&Would you mind telling us why you were out of bed%( asked the first 1eath @ater.
&0 bet,( =ottie said, thankful for her sudden moment of brilliance. & have a bit of gold riding
on this missionIand told my friends d split the money with them if they helped.(
The 1eath @aters seemed to find that a plausible answer, because ne$t they asked, &0nd
whats your name%(
&Hannah )innigan.( =ottie used the alias 7almyitor had given her when they traveled to
)rance.
The 1eath @aters suspicious looks returned. &Hannah )innigan left school last year,( the
small 1eath @ater said. &HowI(
Aust at that moment, several things happened at once. The door to the office flew open to
show another man, and the brawny 1eath @ater began clambering through the window. 0ll
four fifth years shot 'tunnersI=ottie, 0ndre and 0lly at the 1eath @ater in the window, and
8olm at the 1eath @ater who !ust came in. The three 'tunners were enough to send the 1eath
@ater plummeting off his broom, and 8olms was powerful enough, =ottie guessed, as a loud
thun+ reverberated around the office.
&,un>( =ottie shouted.
With the one 1eath @ater already climbing through the window, their only option was to go
through the castle. 'omewhere in the kerfuffle, the 'orting Hat had fallen to the ground.
=ottie snatched it up as she dashed out of the room.
7ortraits all across the corridor were slowly waking up as the four students pounded past.
'ome were shouting encouraging words, while others yelled for help. =ottie vaguely wished
they would shut up.
'he heaved and panted as they turned another corridor. =ottie could hear footsteps echoing
behind her, and knew the 1eath @aters were drawing nearer. Their !in$es ricocheted off the
wallsIit was !ust a matter of time before one of them would get hit.
They reached a large staircase. 0ll four of them pounded down the steps, 0ndrea taking them
two at a time, but even in their adrenaline, they were slowing down. The 1eath @aters curses
were drawing nearer. They were !ust reaching the third story, when the 1eath @aters finally
caught up with them.
=ottie could hardly breathe out of fear and e$haustion, but they all kept running. .ver the
deafening thumping of her own heart, she could hear a 1eath @aters cry of, &'(ada
)eda(ra>(
0ll =ottie could see was a blinding green flash. 0ll she could hear was the rush of something
e$tremely loud. 'he wondered if the spell had hit herIbutInoIthe '(ada )eda(ra curse
killed instantly, and she was still wheezing. 'he spun around to see what happened.
0lly swayed at the top of the stairs. Her eyes were wide open, but completely lifeless. 'he
was already dead. 'he stood for a moment, suspended by the magic that had killed her, and
then plummeted down the steps.
=ottie couldnt move. Her knees locked. 'he !ust watched, horrified, as 0llys body came to
stop right at her feet, still with the wide#eyed, glazed look of shock.
The 1eath @ater at the top of the stairs was raising his wand again. 8olm shouted something
before shoving =ottie out of the way. The force of his body weight pushed her all the way
into a door that flew open when she hit it.
=ottie heard 8olm shout, &,un>( and the thumping of two pairs of feet as he and 0ndrea ran
down the stairs. n a moment of panic, =ottie shoved the door closed, bolted it shut and used
a =ocking 8harm. 'he didnt think that would keep the 1eath @aters out, more than !ust delay
them, so she spun around.
'he was in a long, empty corridor with no doors, only a sooty fireplace. =ottie ran over to the
fireplace and peered inside. t looked !ust like the ones at 0lsemoreIe$cept for a small crest
on the opposite wall, glimmering under the soot.
=ottie didnt know why, but she reached out to touch it. 0 low rumbling noise followed. The
wall where the crest was had opened up to reveal glimmering lights coming in from another
chamber.
,ealizing that she didnt have many other options, =ottie got to her knees and crawled
throughIhopefully to safety.
Chapter 5.: Chapter Forty8Nine: The $ortin) 0at9! 0elp
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, coolhPMMM for being an e$cellent beta> This chapter is dedicated to
8hris 2aty.
: : :
8hapter )orty#-ine; The 'orting Hats Help
The chamber was tiny and cramped. =ottie had barely enough room to walk four strides. t
seemed more like a closet than anything. n the dusty silence, everything felt deceptively
peaceful. There was no noise e$cept for the rasping of =otties breath. t was almost easy to
forget what had !ust happened.
'he spun around helplessly. This chamber had no windows. The only way in or out was
through the fireplace, and surely the 1eath @aters knew about that. 7anic began to rise in
=otties chest. What was she supposed to do% 'he couldnt stay hereIsurely she would die
with no food and water, but she couldnt lea(e either. The 1eath @aters must have been
waiting for her outside.
=ottie sat down against the cool, stone floor. f she couldnt get back to headquarters, there
had been no point to the trip. 'he had spent years of perfecting her .cclumencyIand now
everything was ruined. 0ndIsomething constricted in =otties throat at the thoughtI0lly
had died for nothing.
1ully, =ottie glanced down at the 'orting Hat in her hands. 1ully she thought about how
7almyitor would be so angry that she had lost two students, and didnt even get anything in
return. 0 few tense moments passed, but no 1eath @aters came banging down the door, like
she had e$pected.
=ocked in a chamber with nowhere to go and nobody to help her, =ottie glanced at the
'orting Hat and slipped it on. "aybe it could help.
&0bout time,( groaned a voice from the Hat.
=ottie was so startled by this that she !umped from where she was sitting. 'he had, of course,
read all about the 'orting Hat and knew how it worked, but it still caught her off#guard to be
having a conversation with a hat. The Hat, of course, could read her mindIand she was sure
that any sort of .cclumency she employed would not be sufficient. 0fter all, even 'nape,
7almyitor and the 1ark =ord had been sorted.
&nteresting,( was all the Hat said. =ottie could feel it rifling through her mind, and did not
like it at all. &'o youre related to Harry 7otter.(
=ottie wasnt sure whether to speak or !ust think her confirmation, considering the Hat did
have access to her thoughts. &nteresting,( the Hat repeated. &*ou are very much like him,
see. 7otentialB thirst to prove yourself. 0nd your hearts in a good placeB it seems.(
1espite her horrible situation, =otties heart rose slightly. &m like Harry%( she asked aloud,
even though she knew she didnt have to. With a half#hearted chuckle, she said, & suppose
that would make me a /ryffindor, right%(
There was a meaningful pause, in which the Hat considered her proposition. t had not sorted
people for years, =ottie thought. t was probably a little rusty.
&-o, do not think you would be,( the Hat said slowly. &*ou dont have quite the
determination or braveryB *ouve got Harrys need to make yourself stand out, and the
remarkable ability to survive. -o, definitely not /ryffindor.(
&What then%( =ottie asked, her heart sinking once more.
& think you know.(
=otties breath hitched in her throat. 'he knew what the Hat was going to say? she recognized
it deeply and did her best to suppress it. &-ot 'lytherin,( she whispered, almost pleading.
&-ot 'lytherin%( the Hat repeated. &0nd why not% *ou would fit in perfectly. -o, cant
seem to put you anywhere elseIyou would definitelyI(
The disappointment that had surged through =ottie was swiftly replaced by boiling hot anger.
'he snatched the Hat off her head and threw it as hard as she could onto the ground.
How could she be a 'lytherin% 1eath @aters were 'lytherins? "alfoy was a 'lytherin? 'nape
was a 'lytherin? the /ar+ 3ord was a 'lytherin.
0 small nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded herI7almyitor was a 'lytherin. n
fact, all of the good =egilimens she knew were. 2ut was she destined to be like 7almyitor%
=ottie looked down at the stupid Hat on the grounds and gave it a kick for good measure. -o,
she %ouldnt be a 'lytherin. 'he !ust couldnt.
2ut hadnt she been e$pecting the Hats answer% 1idnt she know, deep down, all along%
Where else would she fit%
'urely not in Hufflepuff. 'he was not very hardworking, and anything but patient. -ot in
,avenclaw eitherIshe naturally e$celled at .cclumency and =egilimency, but not because
she en!oyed learning. 'he !ust liked being the best at something. 'o that left /ryffindor and
'lytherin.
2ut she was brave. 'he had done loads of brave stuff. 'he had saved 0ndrea from 1eath
@aters, and traveled to 7aris. 'he was here, wasnt she, at Hogwarts% 2ut, the small nagging
voice continued, she did have the strong survival instincts of a 'lytherinIand she didnt
have the annoyingly superior moral beliefs of a /ryffindor. 'he had used 1ark "agicB but
wasnt that okay in order to survive%
2efore =ottie even finished the thought, she had a sinking realization. 2ut she couldnt be a
'lytherinIshe wasnt evil.
=ottie leaned against a shelf and stared at nothing in particular. 'he didnt really know what
to think or feel now. 0ll she was aware of was a mild numbness spreading up her body. 'he
was locked in HogwartsIprobably the most dangerous place for her to be. The 1eath @aters
knew she wasnt a student, so she couldnt use .cclumency and she !ust found out she was a
0lytherin.
The Hat couldnt be wrong eitherIit read her thoughtsIit had been on everybodys headI
it probably knew more about Hogwarts than anybodyB
=ottie sat straight up. The .at knew everything about Hogwarts. "aybe it would be able to
tell her to get out.
=ottie picked it up and swept it onto her head. &d wondered how long it would take you to
figure that out. ncidentally, can probably help you in more ways than one. Hows that%(
The Hat recited =otties unasked question. &*ou are searching for =ord 5oldemorts
Horcru$es, are you not%(
The Hat gave a wheezy laugh. &How do know, you wonder% can peer into the deepest
thoughts in your mindIno, not =egilimency. .cclumency cannot stop me.( =ottie was
beginning to get annoyed by the responses to her subconscious thoughts.
& know that =ord 5oldemort has a Horcru$ hidden in this very castle. How%( =ottie rolled
her eyes and the Hat laughed at her frustration. &'ince the start of his reign, he has put me on
several times, looking for secrets hidden in the minds of old students. He did not realize,
however, that he transfers everything he knows to me every time he does it.(
&Where is the Horcru$%( =ottie breathed. @ven though she knew she didnt have to speak
aloud, it was a bit of a habit.
&The ,oom of ,equirement.( There was a significant pause, before the 'orting Hat
continued. &He placed his Horcru$ there, believing he was the only student to ever access it.
How do you get there, you wonder% t is on the seventh floor. *ou must walk past a certain
stretch of wall three times, concentrating on what you need, and the door will appear.(
=otties heart sank. t was great that it was on the seventh floor, but she was on the first.
&0ha, but here you have become e$tremely fortunate,( the Hat said. &t !ust so happens that
the chamber you are in right now is a secret passageway that leads to the seventh floor.(
=otties heart leapt again. This was better than any of them had imagined. 'he was able to get
the 'orting Hat and a Horcru$ back to everybodyB butB how would she get back%
& am confident you will find a way to get back from the ,oom of ,equirement,( said the
Hat.
=ottie stood up and pulled out her wand. f she was going to do this, it would be with a game
plan. 0fter all, to get to this room, she would have to go out in the open, and that would be
tricky. &.kay,( she said aloud. &How do get to this passageway%(
&The shelf on which you were !ust leaning,( said the Hat. &7ush it aside.( With effort, =ottie
managed to achieve this, and revealed a narrow crawl space carved into the wall. =ottie
dropped to her hands and knees and squeezed through. The path was e$tremely dusty and
dark. 'he did not dare light her wand, thoughIif the passage suddenly opened up, she did
not want to make herself an easier target. 8obwebs caught in her hair, and it took a lot of
effort not to sneeze from the dust.
The path soon became a steep climb. =ottie panted as she crawled at the severe angle.
&-early there,( said the Hat encouragingly. 0s if on cue, she hit her head with a thump
against a very thick wall. &Thats the e$it,( said the Hat. &*ou have to push the bit of wall
aside.(
This was a very delicate part of the operation. f any 1eath @ater spotted her, she would be
dead. Heart thumping wildly, she placed both hands against the wall and gingerly pushed it
out. -o shouts or curses flew, so =ottie carefully poked her head out. The corridor was
deserted.
<nable to believe her luck, =ottie silently crawled out of the hole with the 'orting Hat still on
her head. 2ehind her, the passageway sealed itself. &Thats it,( said the Hat. &The room is !ust
slightly to your right, across from the tapestry of the trolls in tutus. Walk past it three times,
concentrating hard.(
0s quickly, but quietly as she could, =ottie trotted past the morbid tapestry, thinking
desperately about escaping Hogwarts and finding 5oldemorts Horcru$. 0fter the third time,
she wheeled around, and with a wonderful !olt of !oy, realized that a door had appeared.
=ottie slipped through the door and bolted it behind her. Heart racing, she looked around the
room. t had to be the oddest place she had ever seen. The room was cavernousI=ottie
couldnt even see the end of it, and in every possible inch, it was crammed with magical
ob!ects. ,eading her thoughts, the Hat said, &/enerations of Hogwarts students have hidden
their forbidden ob!ects here.(
The artifacts ranged from the clearly dangerous Fdress robes that had been &enhanced( with
barbed wire around the collarG to the innocent looking Fa pile of brightly colored candiesG.
=ottie gazed around desperately, as though she hoped a giant sign with the words E.o%ru$
would appear.
&The ob!ect you are looking for is a very ancient one,( said the Hat. &t is an ob!ect of
,owena ,avenclaws herself. 0 diadem.(
&0 what%( =ottie asked, her frustration mounting.
&0 diademIit looks like a tiaraIa crown.(
That did not help. 0s she looked around, =ottie thought of the thousands and thousands of
nick#knacks hidden hereIhow would she find a little crown% 0nd then the image !umped out
at her immediately. The sight was so strange that =ottie almost wanted to laugh.
There, right across from her, sat a bust of an old wizard, with a wig sloppily slapped on top.
0nd on top of that wig wasI
&The diadem,( =ottie breathed as she took it gingerly into her hands. The metal was freezing
cold and had its own magical auraI=ottie could sense it. *et even in the victory of this
discovery, =ottie did not forget the delicacy of the situation. Here she was, in the middle of
.ogwarts, a castle full of 1ark Wizards, trying to steel a segment of the 1ark =ords soul.
&Aust think,( said the Hat. &How did you get here%(
&2rooms,( =ottie said automatically. &2ut lost themIoh.( =ottie looked around. There
were a thousand things in hereIthere must have been at least one broomstick. &'%%io
broom>(
n an instant, a broomstick hovered beside her. =ottie mounted it, but then sighed. 2eing
quite an unskilled flyer, she would need both hands to steer, but with her wand in one hand
and the Horcru$ in the otherB
1elicately, =ottie took the Hat off her head, and replaced it with the diadem. &Thanks,( she
said to the Hat Fthough she wasnt quite positive it could hear herG before shoving it in her
pocket. =ottie rushed to the window, magicked it open, and held her wand between her teeth.
With that, she mounted the broom again and took off into the night sky.
@ven in the rushing wind, the tiara did not fall offIit didnt even wobble. =ottie cast wary
looks around, but there were no 1eath @aters tailing her. They were probably searching the
corridor through which she had disappearedIand would soon realize she took a passage up
to the ,oom of ,equirement. They would probably realize in a minute or two. With that
thought, =ottie put on another burst of speed and flew into the thick trees of the forest.
Her mood worsened with the dwindling moonlight. 0s she swerved between the trees, =ottie
thought of her failed attempt to save her friends. Hannah )innigan had already left the school.
How could she be so stupid% 0nd that one mistake had cost 0lly her life. =ottie felt a rush of
numbness at that thought, and had to hastily swerve to avoid colliding with a branch.
'he had never particularly li+ed 0lly, but that didnt mean she wanted her to die. 0nd now it
was her faultIall her fault. 'he imagined 0llys look of fear as she got hit with the Dilling
8urse. 'he imagined having to tell her parents. 'he imagined 7almyitor e$pelling her, calling
her a murderer.
These thoughts carried her to the entrance of the hideout, and she landed rather clumsily. 'till
with her wand e$tended, =ottie heaved the stone out of the way and clambered down the
ladder.
&=.TT@>( 0ndreas full force tackled her, and she stumbled to the wall from her weight.
0ndrea looked a little worse for wear? her glasses had fogged up and she had tear tracks all
across her face.
&/et off me, would you%( =ottie snapped, not quite sure where this aggression was coming
from.
&=ottieIwhatI( 0ny offense 0ndrea took was cut off by the look of confusion she had
when she looked at the tiara. t must have been a ridiculous sightI=ottie, bruised, bloody,
and wearing a tiara. &What is that%(
&ts a Horcru$.( =ottie carefully lifted it off her headIand felt her mood rise suddenly. Her
irritation with 0ndrea faded and was replaced with a deep#seated gratitude for her friends
loyalty. 'he even smiled weakly.
&0 .or%ru$%( 0ndrea repeated. &HowI(
&The 'orting Hat told me,( =ottie said, pulling the Hat out of her pocket. &t told me
everythingIhow to get outIhow to find the Horcru$Ieverything.(
0ndrea looked with wide eyes at the Hat. &*ou got it%( she asked. &*ou didnt lose it when
the 1eath @aters chased you% Wow.(
=ottie gave a shaky laugh. &*eahI guess the mission was a successIthe Hat and the
Horcru$Ie$ceptIwellI( =ottie felt a plunge of guilt. &0lly died.(
& know,( 0ndrea said kindly. &2ut thats not your fault, =ottie.( Her eyes traveled back to
the Hat. =ottie knew she was wondering the same thing that she had when she had first gotten
a hold of it too. =ottie hoped, for 0ndreas sake, that she wasnt also sorted into 'lytherin.
&*ou want to try it on%( =ottie asked, holding out the Hat.
0ndrea nodded slowly and took it gently. t was so big that it slipped over her head and
covered her eyes. They stood there for a good thirty seconds, before =ottie heard a dull thun+,
and 0ndrea cry, &Ow.(
7erple$ed, =ottie watched as 0ndrea pulled the Hat off. 'he rubbed her head and picked up
what had caused the damage. @ven in the dull light, it seemed to glimmer, as if it were fresh
from battle. =ottie looked with wonder at the ruby encrusted sword.
Chapter 5-: Chapter Fi1ty: $u++e!!e! and $urpri!e!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to my awesome beta, coolhPMMM> This chapter is dedicated to -eil
/aiman because he3s a pretty solid guy who has certainly influenced me quite a bit over the
years.
: : :
8hapter )ifty; 'uccesses and 'urprises
&/odric /ryffindor,( 0ndrea said, reading the inscription on the hilt. &This was /ryffindors
Ibut howd get it%(
&"aybe people can pull things out of the hat,( =ottie suggested. &,elics of their houses
founder.( 'he desperately hoped that nothing of 'lytherins would fall out of the Hat for her.
'he never planned on telling 0ndrea what the 'orting Hat told her.
0ndrea shrugged and returned her gaze to the sword. )or something that was over a thousand
years old, it was in very good condition. =ottie could not find a single dent on it, and it
gleamed, even though there was little light. &8ome on,( 0ndrea said after a few silent
moments. &We should go backI7almyitor nearly cried when we told her that you got
separated from us.(
=ottie forced a laugh, though she didnt find anything particularly funny about the moment.
0llys death played over and over in her minds eye, and thick guilt rose in the back of her
throat. &7#7almyitors gone soft%( she asked in an effort to distract herself.
&-ot e$actly,( 0ndrea said as she led them through the tunnel to the headquarters entrance.
& !ust think she was mad that she spent so much time teaching you .cclumency before you
ran off and got yourself killed without getting a chance to use it properly.(
=ottie wondered what 7almyitor would say if she found out that =ottie was sorted into her old
houseIwould she be pleased or embarrassed%
&,owe,( 7almyitors severe voice broke her train of thought. =ottie looked up to see the old
professor standing, framed by the light from the headquarters, in the doorway. 'he looked
surprised, but relieved. &WhatI(
& got the Hat,( =ottie said before 7almyitor could get angry. 'he pointed to 0ndrea who was
still clutching the Hat in one hand and the sword in the other. &0nd got a Horcru$.( 'he
held up the tiara.
7almyitors dark eyes traveled from the Hat to the diadem and back to =ottie. -o confusion
showed in her e$pression, but =ottie could still sense it there. &0nd the sword%( 7almyitor
asked.
& !ust pulled it from the Hat,( 0ndrea said swiftly. &t was /odric /ryffindors.(
&/ryffindors sword,( 7almyitor breathed. &"arianne said it was infused with basilisk
venom. t could be used to destroy aI( 7almyitor cut herself off, but =ottie saw her eyes
travel towards the diadem. The sword could destroy Horcru$es. =ottie felt a surge of
gratitude towards 0ndrea.
&Well,( 7almyitor said suddenly. &-o use in dawdling.( 'he turned briskly on her heel and
strode to the entrance of the headquarters. =ottie followed with 0ndrea trailing behind, still
dragging the sword.
&)orna$,( 7almyitor called. =ottie looked around. "ost of the students were already asleep
on their camp beds. Three beds were emptyIhers, 0ndreas and 0llys. 8olm sat up still, his
dark eyes moving wildly when they entered the hideout. He met =otties gaze and turned
away quickly.
&0ny news%( "aelioric asked as he rushed out of his chamber. &0nyI,owe%( His surprise
was much more palpable than 7almyitors had been. He looked at =ottie, and relief seemed to
sweep over him. &*oure alive. 1oes that mean that .vertonI(
&-o, 0llys still dead,( =ottie said numbly. 'he suddenly felt e$tremely tired, but she
couldnt shut down the mental image of 0lly falling down the stairs. &'he got hit with the
Dilling 8urse.(
"aelioric fell silent. Whether he was thinking or merely respecting the dead, =ottie didnt
know. 0fter a moments pause, he asked, &Then how did you escape%(
& was wondering the same thing,( 7almyitor said wryly. &Though after so many years, ve
learned not to question it.(
&0fter 0lly fell,( =ottie said, &8olm pushed me out of the way of another Dilling 8urse, and
we got separated.( .ut of the corner of her eye, =ottie saw 8olm look up. His motion was
matched by a mild leap in her stomach. Her mouth suddenly felt very dry.
'he launched into the story, e$plaining the 'orting Hat Fshe left out the 'lytherin partG, the
secret passage, and the ,oom of ,equirement. "aelioric looked at the tiara. &0nd were sure
thats a Horcru$%(
&ts definitely something 1ark,( =ottie said, handing over the diadem. &ts so coldIand it
made me feel completely miserable.(
"aelioric inspected it, running a finger over its fine metal. &*oure right about that,( he said.
& bet that even a "uggle would be able to feel this ob!ects evil.( His eyes flitted towards the
sword in 0ndreas hand. &Howd you get that%( he asked.
&.h,( 0ndrea squeaked, as though she had forgotten it was there. & put on the 'orting Hat,
and this fell out.(
"aelioric took the sword. His eyes rapidly switched from an e$pression of mild surprised to
one of downright shock as he looked at it. &2utIbut this isI(
&/odric /ryffindors,( =ottie said, hiding any lingering resentment in her voice.
&.nly a worthy /ryffindorB( "aelioric looked from the sword back to 0ndrea and his face
broke out into a grin. &Well bravo,( he said. &=ooks like youre !ust as much of a /ryffindor
as me orIor -eville.(
0ndrea blushed, and =ottie suppressed a rush of !ealousy. 7almyitor rolled her eyes, and for
one bizarre moment, =ottie was sure they were thinking the same thing.
&Well, be that as it may,( 7almyitor said, &we can no longer stay here. The 1eath @aters are
aware of our presence, and the 1ark =ord will soon realize that his Horcru$ is gone.(
&*eah, and someone !ust died too.( =ottie couldnt help but feel a rush of growing frustration
at the fact that 0lly was dead and nobody seemed to care.
&Theres nothing we can do about that,( 7almyitor said swiftly. &'he knewIyou all knew
what youre getting into on these missions.(
=ottie didnt have any response to that. 'he knew it was no use reminding 7almyitor that they
were all teenagers. 'he rubbed her eyes wearily and asked, &8an we go to bed, then%(
&We have to destroy the Horcru$ first,( 7almyitor said.
.utraged, =ottie turned to "aelioric, but he said, &Well probably be too easy to follow if its
still alive.(
=otties whine of, &2ut whyve - got to be awake for that%( was lost as 7almyitor picked up
the sword. The other students were rising and sitting, like 8olm, on the edge of their camp
beds, silently watching. "aelioric placed the tiara on the ground, and 7almyitor lifted the
sword above her head. =ottie held her breath.
t seemed to happen in slow motion. The sword swung down and struck the diadem right
down the center. t was a moment of magical destruction that was absolutely bizarre to
witness. t was as if the little crown had been alive. When it made contact with the sword, it
began to shrivel and writhe. t struggled against the sword, but 7almyitor held a firm grip
until finally, the diadem lay perfectly still.
&s it dead%( 0ndreas voice broke the silence.
7almyitor knelt down and inspected it carefully. The thing looked almost pitiful now, =ottie
thought, all dead and empty looking. &*es,( 7almyitor said. &0nd there is no doubt that this
was a Horcru$. @vil like that does not e$ist in many other forms.( 'he straightened up and
glanced at =ottie and 0ndrea. &Well, get to bed. We need to plan in order to leave
tomorrow.(
-ow, =ottie didnt feel the least bit tired. ,eluctantly, she shuffled over to the beds with
0ndrea. &@rm, think m going to sleep in this one tonight,( =ottie said, indicating 0llys
empty bed. t sat between 0ndrea and 8olms.
&=ottie, dont you think thats mildly disrespectful%( 0ndrea asked.
&Why%( 8oldness seemed to fill =ottie. 'he didnt intend to tell 0ndrea the real reason she
wanted to stay there. &1ead is dead. like this bed better.(
0ndrea shrugged and sat down. &1o whatever you want, =ottie.(
&=ook, ve got to go to the toilet,( =ottie said. &ll be back.(
With that, she left straight for the bathroom. =ottie locked the door and stared at herself in the
mirror. 'he was pale and clammy. 'weat speckled her forehead and her light hair seemed to
stick out in every direction. When she came back outside, 0ndrea was asleepIor was
pretending to be. =ottie didnt blame her for not wanting to talkIthey had a lot to think
about.
=ottie lay down in 0llys old bed and stared up at the ceiling. t felt like years ago they had
broken into the Headmasters officeIthat 0lly had still been alive. =ottie didnt e$actly miss
her, but she did feel guilt. 0nd then she felt even more guilt for letting her emotions run away
with her. 'he had only 1ust blocked 'nape with her .cclumencyIshe couldnt lose that edge
again. 'he rolled over to her side.
=ottie found herself staring directly into 8olms brown eyes. He lay on his side like her, his
dirty blond hair falling lightly onto his pillow. 0s =ottie met eyes with him, she wasnt quite
sure what to say. 'omething immense had shifted.
0s she sat there, staring deeply into his dark eyes, she did not feel the hatred or frustration of
five years prior. 0 sense of comfortIa quiet warmth filled her as she smiled at him.
0nd suddenly, out of the deepest, most hidden pocket of her mind, =ottie had the urge to do
something that she would not have told anybody. 0nd she was sure 8olm sitting there was
thinking the same thing. 'he wanted to say something, but she didnt want to ruin the
moment. 0 perfect moment, =ottie thought would be if she held her hand outIand he took it
Ibut she definitely did not want anybody else to see that.
&Thanks,( she finally said, hoping he would sense the greater meaning behind her words, &for
saving my life.(
He smiled at her and =otties heart leapt in her chest. t was a silly, lopsided smile, but it
affected her even more strongly that way. @ven without doing =egilimency, =ottie could
sense his emotionsIhis pounding heart, his flipping stomach, his chest filled with so much
!oy that it might e$plode. With that same smile, he said, in barely a whisper, &0ny time.(
They traveled back to 0lsemore the ne$t day. 0fter a complicated series of 7ortkeys and
0pparations across the country Fto throw any 1eath @aters off their tailG, they finally took
flight in @dinburgh. 0gain, half the group F0ndrea includedG 0pparated with 7almyitor,
while the rest took brooms back.
They flew in silence, though =ottie and 8olm kept stealing glances at each other. @very now
and then, they would meet eyes and 8olm would smile. =ottie was very glad that 0ndrea
wasnt there to see this.
When not sharing private moments with 8olm, =otties thoughts remained on 0lly. 0ndrea
had suggested they go back to get her, but 7almyitor immediately dismissed the idea. 0 body
was a body, and it was not worth risking more lives for it. =ottie couldnt help but winceI
whatever the 1eath @aters did with it she knew would not be kind.
0fter several hours of flying, they landed on the edge of 0lsemore grounds and made their
way up to the castle by foot. =ottie was mentally preparing herself for what she would face
back at school. 0lly had been very popular, after all. 7eople would want to know what
happened.
'he glanced over at 8olm, who seemed to be thinking the same thing. His brow was
furrowed, and deep frown lines were etched onto the side of his face.
0s they walked through the tall grass to the castle, =ottie felt a shiver run up her spine. 'he
kept her eyes on "aelioric, who was leading the group, and tried to put all thoughts from her
mind.
The castle was !ust ahead. ts glowing lights brought no sense of comfort. =ottie looked
through the golden windows, wondering. 'urely 7almyitor had already told everybody what
had happened. f she strained her ears, =ottie thought she could hear cryingIor was that !ust
the summer breeze against the trees%
The sound of "aeliorics boots clunking up the steps brought her back to the moment. =ottie
followed the silent procession and approached the stairs, where 8olm, who had gone ahead,
stood waiting.
Then he did something =ottie would have never been brave enough to do. He held out his
hand. 0 rush of !oy flooded the pit of =otties stomach. 'miling at him, she took it, and they
walked, hand in hand, up to the school.
&There you are.( mmediately after they entered the castle, 0ndrea bounced up to them.
=ottie pulled away from 8olm instantly, but couldnt help but host a minor resentment
towards 0ndrea for ruining their moment. &Whats wrong%( 0ndrea asked, frowning at the
e$pression on =otties face. n an undertone, she added, &Has he been bothering you%(
=ottie looked toward 8olm, who was looking slightly crestfallen. &-o,( =ottie said. &-ot at
all. 8ome on, lets go to the common room.( 'he turned on her heel and headed toward the
staircase that would take them down to the 7almyitor dungeon. 'he stopped for a moment
and, despite 0ndreas bewildered stare, called back, &'ee you tomorrow, 8olm.(
&What was that about%( asked 0ndrea once they had turned a corner and were safely out of
earshot.
=ottie glanced at 7almyitors shut office door as they passed it. &What%(
&"olm% 'ince when are you on a first name basis with him%(
&'ince he saved my life,( =ottie said, shooting 0ndrea with a glare so ferocious that she
surprised even herself.
0ndrea began to mumble something about &a lot of people( before their path was blocked by
two 8lynalmoy girls in their year.
=ottie blinked and looked up at them. &What are you doing here%( she asked.
&What are we doing here%( repeated the bigger of the two. 'he probably would have been
pretty, if she didnt wear the most furious e$pression =ottie had ever seen. =ottie recognized
her as one of 0llys popular friends. &What are you doing here%(
& live here,( =ottie said, pointing to the 7almyitor clock behind them.
&Well 0lly lived here too, and shes not here.(
0ndrea frowned and, in an undertone, said, &ts been like this all day.(
&0lly is dead,( =ottie said coldly, before pushing between them to the clock.
&*eah%( piped up the smaller of the two. &0nd who killed her% We +now that you have no
qualms against performing 1ark "agic.(
&0re you 1o+ing%( =ottie spun around. 'he blocked the rage she felt from appearing on her
face. &Why in "erlins name would kill her% Were on the same side of this war.( 1espite
the anger she knew that was bubbling !ust under the surface, she kept her face and voice
calm.
&=ook, you dont even feel bad,( said the smallest one again. &We saw you curse 1raco
"alfoy in front of everyone and we know what you did to @dgar 7ayne in fourth yearIthat
curse is a favorite of yours.(
& was there,( 0ndrea said. &.kay% was there and saw what happened. 0 1eath @ater hit
her with the Dilling 8urse.(
&.f course you would say that,( said the taller girl. &*ou two are best friends. *ou were
probably in on it.(
&Then ask 8olm 'crivener,( 0ndrea said before =ottie could get a word in. &He and =ottie
hate each otherIand he was there too. Hell tell you the truth.( 0ndrea stormed between
them to !oin =ottie at the clock. &-ow, if you dont mind, =ottie and are very tired and
would like some rest.( With that, she pushed her way into the common room. =ottie took an
e$tra moment to glare at the two before following her.
The ne$t morning, 7rofessor 8lynalmoy held a small service for 0lly in his common room. t
was mostly his students, but everybody who had been on the mission was invited to come as
well. =ottie sat in the back corner between 0ndrea and 8olm, not really listening to the
tearful eulogies.
-ow, out of the heat of the battle and strain of travel, a similar emptiness swept over =ottie.
Her thoughts were no longer racing, but calm and collected. 0lly had diedIthat was all there
was to it. 0nd despite these other students tears, there was nothing to be done now, but move
on. 'he felt the same way she had when 'nape had finally been unable to break into her mind
Ihollow.
The service ended, and =ottie was roused by 8olm tapping her on the shoulder. 'he took one
look at the 8lynalmoy common room, which was full of students who half#believed her to be
a murderer, and left, still between 0ndrea and 8olm.
8olm quickly broke off from them, wandering in the opposite direction to the "aelioric
common room. =ottie and 0ndrea continued on in silence, each absorbed in their own
thoughts. 0s they passed 7almyitors office doors, =ottie stopped and stared at it. &*ou go
ahead,( she said to a puzzled 0ndrea. & want a word with 7almyitor.(
0ndrea frowned at her, but continued on the way. =ottie dawdled at the office door for
several minutes, until she was absolutely sure that 0ndrea had gotten to the common room,
and continued down the stairs.
'he rushed past the 7almyitor clock, into the deepest dungeon, and stopped in front of
'napes office door. &@nter,( he said after she knocked.
=ottie pushed open the door and stood in the doorframe, staring at 'nape, who sat on his
desk, with a quill poised against a piece of parchment. & was wondering when you would
come down here,( he said.
=ottie skipped the small talk. &*ou could have saved us,( she said.
The look on 'napes face told her that this was e$actly what he was e$pecting. &-o, ,owe
I(
&*es, you couldve.( 1espite what she was accusing, =otties voice remained calm, her face
blank. &*ou were at HogwartsI know you were. *ou couldve come and said we wereI(
&'tudents%( 'napes lip curled dangerously. &m afraid you had already blown that cover.
0nything would have done would have e$posed me.(
&Well dont want to hurt your feelings, but maybe it wouldve been worth it,( =ottie said
fiercely. &m a better .cclumens than you and m younger.(
'napes eyes flashed dangerously. )rom his look, =ottie could tell he was attempting
=egilimency to break into her mind to prove that she was worthless. =ottie wanted to laughI
she knew she would be able to beat him.
&*ou are nothing like her,( 'nape finally said, after accepting defeat.
=ottie had no idea who he was talking about, but smirked anywayIbecause she knew it
would hurt him.
&*ou are !ust like your cousin,( 'nape spat. &Aust as arrogant and big headedI(
&Thank you,( =ottie said coldly. & would much rather be like Harry than whoever she is. 'he
sounds like an idiot.(
0gain, 'napes eyes flashed. =ottie took advantage of his crumbling defenses to prove her
point. With no trouble at all, she leaned into his mind.
"emories flashed so quickly that =ottie could hardly see them. 0 teenage boy with a big
nose and greasy hair watched a pretty redhead laugh with a boy who wore glassesB The
same teenage boy hung upside#down by his ankles, with his robes dangling below his headB
He sat alone in a chair, head buried in his hands, so much sorrow in his heart that he thought
he might !ust dieI
&@nough,( 'nape roared.
=ottie was brought back to the present and watched him. There was a savage look in his eye.
&@nough,( he hissed again.
=ottie didnt say anything. 'he didnt have to. Her ne$t move was carefully calculated. -ever
breaking eye contact with him, she said, &The best way for your emotions to never be broken
into is to not ha(e emotions.(
'nape roared with rage again and slammed his fist against the desk. &.ut,( he growled. &/et
out.(
=ottie did not see any point in staying, so left the office and let the door slam shut behind her.
'ilently, she set off to the common room, a sense of triumph glaring in her chest.
Chapter 52: Chapter Fi1ty8One: The Fo% and the ,amb
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for helping with this chapter> This chapter is dedicated
to Aohn 'teinbeck, who is also a pretty solid guy.
: : :
8hapter )ifty#.ne; The )o$ and the =amb
The summer was gone as quickly as it had come. 0ndrea stayed firmly by =otties side, so
the opportunity to see 8olm again never arose. They did, however, share knowing glances
and half smiles every time they passed in the corridors. 0ndrea always pointedly rolled her
eyes after that.
=ottie rarely saw 'nape either. When they did happen to be in the same room, either at
mealtimes or otherwise, he avoided her gaze. =ottie knew that he did not want her breaking
into his memory and privately en!oyed the idea of him getting a taste of his own potion.
1uring the start of term feast, first years Fwho, =ottie swore, were shrinking every yearG again
got 'orted and, after everybody had eaten, the three heads stood up.
&2lah blah blah,( =ottie said, an$ious for the feast to be over. 0ndrea gave her a deadly glare
and muttered something about &setting a good e$ample.( 0ndrea this year had been made
7refect, and wore the same red sweater that 'tanley had Fafter it had been shrunk quite a bitG
to distinguish herself for the new students.
&We have an e$citing announcement,( "aelioric began, grinning at everybody. &We have
been working for years on this, and it is finally ready.(
=ottie raised her eyebrows. )rom the ne$t table, she saw 8olm do the same thing and smiled
to herself.
&We have established a new "inistry,( said "aelioiric, &to be used for the capturing and
punishing of 1eath @aters, and trying to create some sort of diplomacy in this war.(
-ot everybody seemed as e$cited about this as the Heads clearly were. 0t the staff table,
Hermione leaned over and muttered something to -eville. They both looked sourly at
7almyitor.
&The new "inister,( said 7almyitor, &is named ,ichard 2arksdale. He came here near the
schools founding and was one of the most gifted students we have seen.(
=ottie frowned at 7almyitor, hoping that she would sense her disapproval. 'he didnt
understand why a "inistry was necessary. Werent the Heads able to run this war
themselves% 'he didnt listen to the rest of 7almyitors e$planation, but sat deep in thought.
When she looked up, she met 8olms eye and grinned. 0ndrea sighed loudly ne$t to her.
&'o,( said 8lynalmoy, rounding off the long#winded e$planation of this new addition, &we
hope you will be supportive of this new "inisters actions, as he is acting as we are, with the
hatred of the 1ark =ord in his heart.(
There was another long pause. )or one bizarre moment, =ottie thought everybody was going
to clap, but instead they began to rise, taking the cue that the evening was over. &'i$th years,(
7almyitor called over the scuffle of everybody moving about, &stay behind.(
&Wherere you going%( =ottie asked 0ndrea, who had started to leave the Hall.
& have to show them to the common room,( 0ndrea said, indicating the nervous looking first
years. &ll be back soon.( With that, she left, shepherding the first years behind her. =ottie
suppressed her !ealousy and stared glumly back at 7almyitor, as the hall continued to empty.
&Hi,( said a hushed voice behind her.
=ottie grinned and spun around in her seat, grinning up at 8olm.
& thought shed never leave you,( he said, still awkwardly standing behind her. 'he
wondered if he wanted her to ask him to sit down.
&*eah, well dont get too e$cited, because shes coming back.(
0s if on cue, the doors to the /reat Hall burst open and 0ndrea shuffled back in. 8olm gave
=otties shoulder a little squeeze, and returned back to the "aelioric table, smiling.
&How were the babiesIermI mean the firsties%( =ottie asked.
&)ine,( 0ndrea said curtly.
&+uiet down please,( 7almyitor said from the staff table. nstantly, all of the si$th years fell
silent. &0s you know,( 7almyitor began, &this is the year when you begin to go out on
missions.( =ottie whooped quietly? both 0ndrea and 7almyitor glared at her? 8olm laughed.
&0s was saying,( 7almyitor went on, &this year you begin to go on missions. t becomes
much more dangerous from here on out. *ou are part of this war now, and we ask you to
remember the agreement you made before coming here. *ou are not here to learn and laugh,
but to fight against the 1ark =ord.(
There was a quiet murmur, especially at the 8lynalmoy table. 8lynalmoy opened his mouth
to speak, and =ottie leaned in to listen. &0s we have all !ust been reminded, we are in a very
fragile position,( he said carefully. &.ur lives are short and might be gone in an instant. 'o
we shall leave a meaningful legacy behind us, so that if something does happen, our lives will
have had some meaning.( His eyes slid over to his own House table as he continued. &=et us
remember the dead, and make sure we finish what they failed to do.(
=ottie thought he spoke tastefully, though she was not sure that she agreed with what he was
saying.
&That being said,( "aelioric said, &we may contact you at various time from now with
missions. They will be dangerous, but not impossible.(
7almyitor glared at them all and added, &We do not e$pect anybody to refuse.(
With that, everybody knew the meeting was over. 7eople began rising from their seats and
heading out of the Hall. &'erious stuff, huh%( =ottie said as she stood up. &Want to stay up
late tonight and spook the firsties%(
0ndrea shot her a hard glare before she said, &m sorry =ottie, but ve got to go meet with
7almyitor. 'he wants to tell me some things before tomorrow.( With that, she took off,
quickly maneuvering out of the Hall and, =ottie assumed, to 7almyitors office.
=ottie sighed and stared at the table. 'he didnt feel like going back to the common room
alone, but she didnt feel like staying here either. t wasnt 0ndreas fault that she had been
made prefect instead of =ottie, but =ottie couldnt understand why. Wasnt she always the
favorite%
&Whats on your mind%(
=ottie started so violently that she nearly knocked over the table. 'he looked up at 8olm and
then around at the Hall. t was empty but for them. &Aust thinking.(
8olm sat down at the 7almyitor table across from her, in the seat that 0ndrea had !ust
occupied. &Have theyI( he inclined his head toward the 8lynalmoy table &Ibeen as
horrible to you%(
&*es,( =ottie said. &They seem to think killed 0lly or something.(
&They asked me that too,( 8olm said. &0 couple of big blokes demanded me to tell them
saw you kill her.(
&m sorry.( =ottie half#smiled. &0ndrea told them to ask you, if they didnt believe either of
us.(
&*eah, well m not sure that they believed me either. 0nd they wouldnt shut up about it, so
hit them with two of my best tongue#tying curses.(
=ottie looked up and met his brown eyes. &*ou fought them for me%( 0s 8olm nodded,
=ottie mustered up her courage and placed her hand down on the table. 8olms eyes grew
wide and he reached out and laced his fingers with hers.
& wouldnt call it a fight,( he said quietly. &They didnt have much opportunity to fight
back.(
He was growing close to her. =ottie didnt mind. 'he laughed softly. -ow their noses were
almost touching. &8ursed them into oblivion, did you%( she asked.
& wouldveIif 'tainthorpe hadnt come around the corner.(
Their lips met. =otties heart fluttered as he kissed her. 0 foreign kind of happiness filled her
like liquid gold. 0ll she was aware of was their hands held together over the table. Here, with
8olm she felt happier and fuller than she had in months.
When they finally separated, 8olm held out his other hand. =ottie took it. & like you a lot,
=ottie,( he said.
=ottie smiled. 'he wondered how this had happenedIhow she could have hated him for so
long, and now, he made her happier than she could ever remember.
&*our friend isnt going to be happy,( 8olm said.
&'hell come to terms with it.( Her hands felt tiny in his. &ll tell you wholl be madI
7almyitor. 'he doesnt like for anybody to be happy.(
8olm laughed, and =otties stomach leapt. &'peaking of 7almyitor,( he said, &we should
probably get back to our common rooms, or else shell kill us.(
=ottie frowned, but knew he was right. 'he wished that he were in her house tooIthat they
could go to the common room together. & dont know if 0ndreall ever leave us alone
again,( =ottie said as she reluctantly got to her feet.
&'hes a prefect now,( 8olm said, pulling the door open and letting her e$it first. &Well find
time.(
=ottie smiled and hesitated in the entrance hall. This was where they had to part ways. He
had to go up to "aelioric and she had to go down the stairs behind her to the 7almyitor
common room. &ll see you tomorrow,( 8olm said reassuringly. & promise. Well find a
way.(
=ottie nodded and gave his hand a squeeze before taking a few steps away from him. &/ood
night,( she said before turning around and running down the stairs to the common room.
&0bout time,( 0ndrea said as =ottie stepped through the clock. The common room was
nearly empty. .nly a few third years huddled around a chessboard. &What happened%(
=ottie sat down ne$t to her and grinned at the ceiling. & was !ust talking to 8olm.(
&1id he he$ you%( 0ndrea asked seriously. &He got into trouble for he$ing a couple of
seventh years.(
&-o, he didnt he$ me,( =ottie said, smiling. 'he wasnt quite sure how toIor whether she
shouldItell 0ndrea. 'he kept looking at the ceiling, picturing the scene over and over. 'he
felt a rush of !oy !ust thinking about it.
&Well%(
=ottie didnt look at her. 'he didnt want to watch her e$pression change. &WeIermI
kissed.(
The silence that followed was e$actly what =ottie had e$pected. 'he picked her head up and
glanced at her friend. 0ndrea was watching her carefully. 'he didnt look happy, but she
didnt look angry either. 0ndrea pursed her lips and said, & see.(
=ottie smiled and 0ndreas e$pression softened when she saw the earnest happiness on her
face. &*ou really like him.( =ottie nodded and 0ndrea smiled reluctantly. &0s long as it
makes you happy,( she said. &f you trust him then will.(
&Thanks>( =ottie leapt from her seat and hugged 0ndrea tightly.
&'o are you two an item now%( 0ndrea asked as she scooted over so they could fit on the
same chair.
&WellB guess. meanIwe never really talked about it, but think so.( =ottie wondered
whether she should have asked 8olmIbut it had seemed pretty apparent to her at the time.
&2ut dont worry,( =ottie added hurriedly, &youre going to be so busy being a prefect that
you wont even notice us.(
&0s long as dont catch you doing something foul in the corridors.(
)or the first time since 0lly died, for the first time in what felt like years, =ottie laughed. 'he
felt so happy that she couldnt even contain herself. 'he had everything she had ever wanted
Ia best friend, a boyfriend, proof that she really was the best .cclumens.
=ottie woke groggily the ne$t morning for the start of term. t had felt like years since they
had been taking classes in school. @ven before they had left for Hogwarts, they had been
taking special lessons. 'o it was with quite a bit of reluctance that she got up and shuffled
down to the /reat Hall.
0ndrea was already there and halfway through breakfast when =ottie sat down beside her. &
hate waking up early,( =ottie said, piling scrambled eggs onto her plate.
&0nd good morning to you too,( 0ndrea said. &*oull want to eat up? weve got 1efense
0gainst the 1ark 0rts first, and Aulianne told me were still doing 7atronuses.(
=otties groaned, but stopped promptly as she spotted 8olm enter the hall. &/ood morning,(
he said brightly as he sat down across from her at the 7almyitor table.
=ottie shut her eyes and rubbed her temples. &f youre going to try and make me a morning
person, m calling this off right now.(
8olm laughed, but 0ndrea frowned. &'houldnt you be at the "aelioric table, 'crI8olm%(
&Theres no rule against sitting here, is there%( 8olm asked as he shoveled potatoes into his
mouth.
0ndrea wrinkled her nose as she watched him eat. &0ctuallyI(
&=ets !ust leave it, eh%( =ottie said an$iously. &f someone tells him to move, then he will.
2ut dont think anybody will honestly care.( 'he could see that it would probably always be
rocky between the two of them.
&Whatve you got first, 8olm%( =ottie asked, carefully changing the sub!ect.
&7otions,( 8olm said, sounding miserable. &ve !ust about had it up to here with 1yer.(
&We should swap,( =ottie suggested. &Were doing 7atronuses and m horrible at them.
love 7otions.(
&We should help each other,( 8olm said.
&We should really go,( inter!ected 0ndrea, standing up and swinging her bag around her
shoulder. &ll see you later, erI8olm.(
=ottie shrugged at a baffled 8olm and followed 0ndrea out of the Hall. &0re you trying to get
on rons good side%( =ottie called as she caught up with 0ndrea. &Were so early, were
almost late.(
&5ery funny.( 0ndrea took a seat in the front row of the empty 1efense classroom. & !ust
want to practice. @veryones been working on it and feel like m finally getting close.(
=ottie watched 0ndreas feeble attempts dully, trying to suppress resentment. This was
stupid. Why couldnt she !ust be with 8olm% The other 7almyitors filed into class quietly,
followed by 7rofessor ron. &Well, you know what to do,( the professor said.
The class began waving their wands, dully with no real conviction. =ottie felt that now she
should be able to do it. That feeling of liquid gold from last nightIshe knew if she could
remember it, she would be able to do it. &E$pe%to atronum.( t !ust didnt feel the same.
Was something wrong with her% n the back of her mind, she knew it had to do with
.cclumency. 'he knew her habit of suppressing feelings was why she couldnt draw them
out today. 2ut what was more importantI.cclumency or 7atronuses%
2eside her, 0ndrea was making progress. &E$pe%to atronum.( 'ilver mist shot from her
wand and began to take shape.
&.h, youre on the right track,( ron said, sitting up straight in her chair.
0ndreas face was screwed up in concentration. &E$pe%to atronum5 EHE"2O
'2!ON<M>(
'omething silver burst from her wand. This was a 7atronus, =ottie was sure of it. t wasnt
very big, but it was certainly a mammal. t trotted around the desk a few times and =ottie
took a closer look at it. ts little face turned and looked at her, blinking serenely. ts perfect
wool coat shimmered in the light from the torches that lit the room. =ottie looked at the lamb
with a mi$ture of amusement and revolution at something so cute.
&*ou did it,( =ottie said, grinning.
& did it,( 0ndrea said, her cheeks still flushed from the shock. & did it>(
&*eah, and its adorable. think might be sick.(
&Well dont talk to me, "iss #Have#0#2oyfriend#'o#m#/oing#To#2e#0ll#=ovey#1ovey#
-ow.(
=ottie laughed. t suddenly didnt matter to her that she couldnt do a 7atronus. t was !ust
about being able to harness !oy, anyway. .cclumency was much more important. 'taring at
0ndreas horribly cute 7atronus, she let herself be happy and laugh.
Chapter 53: Chapter Fi1ty8Two: 0alloween in the Camp!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to coolhPMMM for being an awesome beta> This chapter is dedicated to
my awesome cousin>
: : :
8hapter )ifty#Two; Halloween in the 8amps
Halloween was not a good time for a "uggle to be seen out alone. Wind pushed the fallen
leaves across the cobblestones, and the moon cast an eerie glow on the =ondon camps. The
1eath @aters, laughing wildly, ran with their wands e$tended, making things e$plode and
killing strays who dared to make eye contact.
2ecause of this, she had to be e$tra careful as she crossed the camps that night. 1odging from
alley to alley, she knew she was safer even if it took her slightly longer to reach her
destination. Her apartment door was !ust ahead. 'he tightened her shawl around herself and
made a run for it. f she could make it without being spottedI
&Where are you going, "uggle scum%( Her path was blocked by a short, squat 1eath @ater.
His silver mask glimmered in the moonlight, and his large, protruding belly drew his robes
tight.
&Home,( she said simply.
&*eah%( The 1eath @ater drew his wand. -o, she couldnt die like thisIseconds from
safety, when she still had a husband and child who needed her. &0nd how do know you
werent going to go start a revolt%(
'he spluttered. How did he know% Who tipped him off% &Halloween would be a foolish time
to do that,( she said carefully.
&)oolish, but its happened before. Three years ago, remember%(
'he remembered all too well. The blood, the fire, her husband coming home in!ured, her
daughter running in to see everybody was safeB & like to think of myself slightly cleverer
than those who started that revolt,( she said honestly. & !ust want to go home.( 'he pointed
to the nearby stoop of her flat.
&0nd how do know thats your home, eh%( The 1eath @ater gave his wand a little twirl.
&*ou filthy "uggles are known liars.(
&"y husband is there.( 'he drew herself up straight and stared the 1eath @ater in the eye, a
bold move for a "uggle, especially on a night like this.
&Husband, mm% -o brats%(
&We had a daughter,( she said. 'he had grown adept at telling this lie. 0fter so many years,
sometimes she believed it herself. &'he died. Dilled by your people.(
&0s she shouldve. *ou filth shouldnt breed.(
'he wanted desperately to tell himIto tell him that it was be%ause of the "uggles having
children that there was any sort of resistanceIbut that, she knew, would be a terrible idea.
&7lease, sir,( she said. &8an !ust go home%(
&'how me.( The 1eath @ater flicked his wand and the door to her building flew open.
This was what she had been dreading. 0ll she could hope for was that the code she and her
husband derived years ago would still work. 0s long as he remembered, they would be safe.
&*ou first,( said the 1eath @ater, prodding her in the square of her back with his wand.
'he moved slowly. 'he hoped that the 1eath @aters clunky footfalls would be warning
enough. .n top of the stoop, the 1eath @ater muttered an incantation and lit his wand.
0 few strangers had taken cover in the corridor of the building. This was certainly not
uncommon. Those who didnt have homes had to find shelter somehow. 0 man at the 1eath
@aters feet had bandages wrapped sloppily around his head, so that only his eyes were
visible. He only groaned as the 1eath @ater approached him, unable to do anything else.
&'cum,( hissed the 1eath @ater. There was a flash of green light, and the bandaged man fell
down limp. The other "uggles scurried out of the way of the 1eath @ater now, crawling out
of the reach of his wandlight and into the black shadows.
Her heart thudded in her throat. 'he could be killed !ust that easily any secondIa flash of
green light, and she would be gone. f he killed her husband like thatB 0t least her daughter
was safe. 'he stopped in front of her door and took a breath. -ow was when she could really
use some luck. f her husband didnt remember the code, they were done for.
&-athaniel,( she called, pounding on the door four times, !ust like they had discussed.
&-athanielI(
&Why dont you !ust open it%( growled the 1eath @ater.
Her heart was going so fast now that she felt like she was going to vomit. f he wasnt
answering, he had probably already started the meeting, and then without a doubt, they would
all be killed. &HaventIhavent got a key,( she said.
The 1eath @ater waved his wand again. The door clicked open. This was something they had
not been prepared for. The 1eath @ater pushed past her, into the one room flat, holding his
wand aloft.
&"uggle scum,( the 1eath @ater called, &show your face. Whatre you hiding for% 8ome out
or else your wife will get it, and youll go the same way.(
The 1eath @ater spun around, casting his eerie white light around the entire flat. 'omething
stirred in the corner, and her heart leapt to her throat.
&Whos there%( called her husbands voice. n the 1eath @aters wand light, his dark eyes
grew dull. He approached the 1eath @ater and his wife wearily. He wore a dark grey dressing
gown, and his hair was rumpled.
& !ust found your wife,( said the 1eath @ater, putting a hand on her back and pushing her
forward, &prowling in the streets.(
Her heart slowed. -athaniel was the only one here. They wouldnt get caughtIat least, not
today.
&Well thank you for bringing her back,( said -athaniel. &Halloween is not a safe time for her
to be about.(
The 1eath @ater glowered at the pair of them. &Whats your name, scum%(
&-athaniel ,owe,( -athaniel said. &0nd this is my wife, 7osy. We were hoping to turn in
early tonight, and avoid the trouble, but 7osy went to check on a friends son whos ill.(
&0nd you picked Halloween to do it%(
& told her it wasnt the best night, butI(
&=et her talk.( The 1eath @aters wand pointed directly at 7osys heart.
7osy took a breath. &"y best friends sonIhe has some kind of illnessIwe dont know what
it is. 2ut hes been like a son to me ever sinceIever since our daughter passed away.(
The 1eath @ater shifted his wand slightly, and glanced around the apparently empty flat.
&Well then,( he said. &2e careful in the future.(
He spun around and left, slamming the door behind him. 7osy didnt dare speak at firstIit
was always possible that he was listening at the door. 'he and -athaniel stood in silence for a
few minutes, until they were almost sure that they were alone.
&That was close,( 7osy breathed. &Where is everyone%(
-athaniel pointed to the two bare mattresses in the corner. .ne had been =otties, but they
were not quite willing to give it up yet. & dont see anybody,( 7osy said.
&<nder,( was all -athaniel whispered, before rushing to the table and picking up a match.
&/ive it a few.( He struck the match against a stone on the table and lit three long, dripping
candles.
7osy twisted the corner of her shawl an$iously between her fingers. What -athaniel had in
mind was brave, almost foolish. 0fter all, they still had a child, even if they only saw her
once a year.
&1id you get anybody else%( -athaniel asked.
&-o.( 7osy pulled off her shawl and dropped it over one of their three chairs. &-obody
seemed interested, and after that revolt three years agoB(
-athaniel gave her a look that silenced her. & think were safe to let everyone out now.( He
rushed to the mattress and heaved one aside. 7osy gasped.
Hidden in a shallow ditch with !ust enough room to breathe were two men. They lay flat on
their backs, their eyes shut tight, as though still afraid the 1eath @ater would return. &ts
okay,( -athaniel croaked. &8ome outIwere safe.(
The men pushed themselves up. 7osy only recognized one of them, a man she had recruited
herself. His small, beady eyes did not seem trustworthy, but when he confessed that he had
lost two children to 1eath @aters, 7osy immediately let him !oin. 'he sympathized with him.
.f course, she technically hadnt lost =ottie to 1eath @aters. 0s far as she knew, her daughter
was alive and well, but it certainly felt like she had died. With one visit a year Fif thatG, =ottie
seemed to hardly take an active part in their lives anymore. Her presence, though, 7osy felt in
her heart every single day.
The other man was much larger than her recruit. -athaniel was better at picking the more apt
fightersI7osy always went for kindness.
&Why didnt you tell me about the hiding place%( 7osy asked, not hiding an edge in her
voice.
-athaniel bent down and pushed =otties old bed aside. Two more peopleIa man and a girl
Iemerged. The girl, 7osy realized, was barely =otties age. &7osy,( -athaniel said, &you
know as well as do that they can read minds. The fewer people know a secret, the safer it
is.(
7osy grumbled and slumped into a chair. This had been -athaniels ideaIall his idea. He
didnt seem to care if they died or led others to their deaths. He didnt seem to care that there
was a movement of underage wizards, their daughter included, fighting for them so they
didnt have to do this.
&'o, where to begin%( -athaniel said, taking a seat ne$t to 7osy and surveying the four
recruits.
& dunnoIyoure the one who brought us Eere, arent yeh%( asked the beady#eyed man,
sitting down across from them.
-athaniel glanced sideways at 7osy, but continued. &Well,( he began, &my wife and
organized this meeting, but by no means does that mean we are the leaders. Were all fighting
for a common goal, arent we%(
7osy watched the other two men shift uncomfortably. t was a wise and noble stance
-athaniel was taking, but perhaps they would have been more comfortable !ust following
orders.
&Well,( said the youngest girl, who had perched herself on =otties old bed, &we have to do
something cleverer than the last ones, dont we% 7eople in the past have made mistakes.(
&/rave mistakes,( -athaniel agreed.
&Theyve been too obvious,( the girl said.
&Well how is one supposed to be subtle,( began the largest man whose voice was low and
soft, &when you are trying to destroy 1eath @aters%(
&.ne by one, of course,( said the girl. &*ou have to pick them offI(
&2ut theyll !ust have more time to get new ones.(
The only man who had not spoken yet sat in the shadows. He crossed and recrossed his
fingers as he surveyed the floor. 7osy thought he was a curious recruit. He was definitely
large when she considered him, but the way he sat hunched over made him seem quite small.
7osy frowned. &What do you thinkBermIm sorry, dont know your name, yet,( she
confessed.
& think,( the man said in a surprisingly high voice, &that we should not e$change real names.
f what you said is trueI( he tilted his head toward -athaniel &Ithen they could possibly
read our minds. The less we know about each other, the better.(
&2ut you already know our names,( -athaniel said, trying to hide the indignant tone in his
voice. &'hould we not trust you%(
&t is not a question of trustI(
&.r do you think that - will divulge your secrets% "ay remind you that am risking
everythingI(
&-athaniel.( 7osy placed a hand on her husbands arm. & think he meant no harm by it. He
does raise a pointIif one of us were caught off#guard, the less information we all have, the
better. *ou have been very brave, but that does not mean we must risk everyones lives.(
-athaniel seemed to deflate slightly at his wifes words. &*esIyes of course. 0ll right. What
would everybody like to be called%(
The hunched#over man considered this for a moment. &2irch,( he grunted.
&0nd you%( -athaniel asked the soft#voiced man.
&Wasp,( he said.
The beady#eyed recruit of 7osys piped up, & want to be 8row.(
&.kay, we have 2irch, Wasp and 8rowB What do you want to be%( he asked the younger
girl.
'he frowned, thought for a moment, and said, &=ive.(
&Well,( -athaniel said, &that settles it. think as =ive said, we cant be as obvious as the
revolts of the pastIno barricades for us. We will, however, need some new recruits. We can
hardly change the world with si$ people.( He smiled weakly. This was clearly supposed to be
a !oke, but nobody laughed. &-ow,( -athaniel said, after a pause, &pick your recruits wisely
Ionly pick those who you trust with your lives because, in all likelihood, you will be trusting
them with your lives.(
&That still doesnt settle what were going to do, though,( 2irch said.
&Well as you so rightfully pointed out,( began -athaniel, &we cant spread our information
too thin. am not walking into this without a plan, assure you.(
7osy grimaced. 'he loved her husband, but sometimes he became overcome by a cool sort of
detachment, which she knew would certainly not help draw people into their cause.
-obody else seemed to have anything else to say. 8row looked an$iously between each
person, tapping his finger against his knee. & suppose were done for the day,( said 7osy.
&8ome back with recruits if you can. The ne$t meeting is in two weeks and a day from today.
0t night.(
&8areful when leaving,( grunted -athaniel. &.ne at a time, in case the 1eath @aters are
waiting for you outside.(
@verybody stirred slightly. 8row was the first to leave, glancing an$iously behind him. 2irch
followed after a five#minute interval, and Wasp after. =ive waited nearly ten minutes, and
still hadnt even stood up when 7osy turned around.
& think its safe to go now, dear,( she said.
=ive nodded, but didnt stand. Her red hair had grown long and untamed. n the flickering
candlelight, 7osy could see a glimmer of somebody almost familiar. 0lthough =ive had
grown to the size of a fifteen or si$teen#year#old, something reminded 7osy of a lost, scared
child.
&*ou dont have anywhere else to go, do you%( 7osy asked. =ive shook her head. &Would
you like to stay here for the night%(
.ut of the corner of her eye, 7osy could see -athaniel glance at her. 'he knew he might not
like it, but at least he wouldnt say anything in front of their guest.
=ive nodded silently. 7osy couldnt tell whether it was the glimmer of the candles, or whether
it was tears brimming in her eyes that gave her such a strange sense of melancholy. & knew
her,( =ive finally said. &=ottie, mean.(
-athaniel stood up suddenly and hurried to the larger mattress. He hardly ever talked about
=ottie, preferring to !ust brush it off and change the sub!ect. 'omehow, in his eyes, the
constant worrying, the ever#wondering was worse than the finality of death.
&1#did you%( said 7osy weakly.
&*eah. dont know whyIit was so long agoIand ve lost other people too, butIit !ust
seems soIunfair. miss her.(
7osy thought she recognized this girl from somewhere. -ow the red hair and bright eyes were
all coming back to her, though she still couldnt place a name. 0s a child, she had seemed
upbeat and happy, but like so many others, she had grown sad and surly in the camps. &m
sure,( 7osy said, &that wherever =ottie is, she misses you too.(
Chapter 54: Chapter Fi1ty8Three: The 2ol1 3en
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note!: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for beta3ing> This chapter is dedicated to the cast and
crew of the films.
: : :
8hapter )ifty#Three; The Wolf 1en
&Halloween is not the best time to go out on a mission,( 7almyitor e$plained to a select group
in her dimly lit office. &'o we will be going tomorrow.(
=ottie grinned. 'he, 0ndrea and 8olm had all been chosen for this mission, along with one of
the 8lynalmoy girls who had accosted her after 0llys death, and one of the seventh years
who 8olm had cursed. &7rofessor,( 0ndrea said, &what e$actly is this mission%(
&-othing dangerous, assure you. -o, it is more of a mission for information. 7rofessor
8lynalmoy will be accompanying you.(
&2ut where are we going%( =ottie asked.
&To a werewolf reserve, whereI(
&-ot dangerous%( =ottie interrupted. &f werewol(es arent dangerousI(
&These are old and endangered werewolves,( 7almyitor said, glowering at =ottie. &They are
on our side, and perfectly safe in daylight.(
&Then why are we going%(
&,owe, if you will stop interrupting, will tell you.( 7almyitor glanced at all of them
carefully with an unnaturally straight face. 'he was hiding something? =ottie could see all of
the obvious signs of .cclumency in use, but didnt dare break into the old professors mind
Feven though she was sure that she could if she wanted toG. &We are gathering primary data
for a future missionIa mission that will involve werewolves.(
=ottie glanced at 0ndrea and rolled her eyes, hoping to get some agreement on how stupid
this mission sounded. When 0ndrea did not share her feelings, though, =ottie turned to 8olm.
He was more than willing to grimace with her.
&Well, thats that,( 7almyitor said. &"eet tomorrow morning in the /reat Hall at seven.(
&What was that all about%( =ottie asked after her and 0ndrea parted ways with 8olm on their
way to the 7almyitor common room.
&What do you mean%( asked 0ndrea.
&Theres no way theyre !ust listening to stories and need us to go along. 1oesnt that seem
odd%(
&They !ust want us to have e$perience, =ottie,( 0ndrea said in such a typical tone that =ottie
laughed.
&@$perience with what% =istening to ancient werewolves complain about their lives% There
must be some more important reason why were going.(
The morning broke crisp and bright. =ottie and 0ndrea silently packed their duffle bags with
parchments, quills, and wands and crept into the /reat Hall. 8olm greeted =ottie with a
sleepy smile from the center table. =ottie sat down ne$t to him, and 0ndrea sat on her other
side. Together they waited for the two others to arrive. 8lynalmoy stood silently until all of
the students had gathered.
&/ood morning,( he said, scanning his tired eyes over the five students. His hair was dark,
but now that =ottie stood in close pro$imity with him, she realized how many grey hairs had
appeared at his roots. 0s always, his voice was so quiet that they had to strain to hear him.
&0lthough the mission ahead of us is not dangerous,( he began, &we must take the greatest
precaution, for danger often lies in the most innocent of places.(
-obody said anything. =ottie wondered if they were supposed to. &0ll ready then%(
8lynalmoy asked. &Well be taking a 7ortkey.( He e$tended his hand. n it rested a large
dinner plate. &@verybody hold on, now.(
=ottie grabbed the plate and immediately felt a sharp !erk in her stomach. They were
traveling very quicklyIbumping into each otherIand finally landed with a crash on a cold
stone floor. =ottie collided dully with the ground and 0ndrea fell on top of her. 'he blinked.
They were in a pitch#black room.
&Here, let me help you up,( came 8olms voice from in front of her, though she couldnt see
his face. =ottie gratefully took his hand and followed him to where 8lynalmoy stood, with his
wand e$tended.
&Thanks for waiting, guys,( 0ndrea growled after she caught up with them.
&Where are we%( 8olm asked 8lynalmoy, not even acknowledging 0ndrea.
&That, cannot tell you,( 8lynalmoy said. &0ll you need to know is that we are miles
underground. The entrance is a slight walkIso if youll follow me.(
=ottie pulled out her own wand and lit it. The others did the same and soon there was enough
light to illuminate almost all of their surroundings. They stood in a narrow passageway. t
reminded =ottie very much of the =ondon sewers, but without the smell of decaying flesh.
The entire corridor was made of stones, and from somewhere vaguely overhead came the
sound of a steady drip of water, though =ottie could not locate its source. This was not all
what she had imagined the werewolf reserve to be like. 'he imagined them to have large
fields of fresh airIthey were wol(es after all.
They approached what looked like the edge of the tunnel. The path came to a complete stop
and stretch of wall blocked their way. &0h, was hoping 0l would be here already,(
8lynalmoy said. &We cant get in without a werewolf among us.(
He moved his wand carefully over the stone so the light illuminated its many nooks and
edges. =ottie wondered vaguely what he was looking forIand why 0lIwhoever he wasI
hadnt gotten there yet. &Here it is,( 8lynalmoy said. They al stared. His wand illuminated a
tiny bit of stoneI=ottie wondered what he saw in it, but if she squinted and moved close to
the wall, she could see a crude outline of a wolfs head. t would have looked like any other
piece of rock if she hadnt been looking for it.
&*ou cannot open it without wolfs blood,( 8lynalmoy e$plained. &'o the best we could do
is knock.( 0nd even though he knocked against what seemed like a solid wall, it echoed
before them, as if there were a huge, hollow hall behind it.
& was wondering when youd get here,( said a tough sounding voice. The stone melted away
and in the frame it left stood a woman. @lderly though she undoubtedly was, she had an air of
strength about her. &0lcippe /reyback,( she said to the students.
The 8lynalmoy girl gasped. &/reyback,( she said. &He wasI(
&0 1eath @ater yes,( 0lcippe said. &0nd a foul waste of o$ygen. He was my father, but he
died in at the last battle.(
&s werewolf blood inherited%( 0ndrea asked with a slight frown.
&-o, it isnt,( 0lcippe said bitterly. n that moment she, who must have been over eighty,
assumed the indignant e$pression of a teenager with remarkable accuracy. &He turned me.
Wanted to make everyone a wolf, including his own kid. Well, thats enough of that.( 'he
beckoned them forward. &8ome in.(
=ottie followed the group through the stone. .nce they were all inside, the wall behind them
slid back and they were cast into complete darkness again. Her first impression was one of
revolt. .nce the stone wall shut, the horrible odor of the place overcame them. t was a
combination, =ottie thought, of decaying flesh and human waste. 'he was grateful that it was
so dark so that nobody would see her suppressed gagging.
&We have an enchantment,( e$plained 0lcippe, &so that the lights wont come on until were
certain its not a trespasser.( )ootsteps told =ottie that 0lcippe was walking away, but
nobody made to follow her.
n an instant, the chamber was completely illuminated, though =ottie could not find any
apparent source of the light. &8ome on, you lot,( called 0lcippe, raising a wrinkled hand and
beckoning them onward.
They passed the source of the smell and =ottie had to hold her hand to her nose to keep from
retching. 0 pile of carcasses lay rotting in the corner. @very sort of creature imaginable lay
thereIpigs, horses, ratsI=ottie thought she even saw a human arm. 8olm nudged =ottie and
pointed to the arm too. &s thatI(
&*eah, it is,( 0lcippe said coldly. &1own here we get hardly any food. Were not going to
waste anything. We need to eat after all.(
0ndrea stammered for a moment. &ThatsIthatsI(
&-ecessary,( =ottie said quietly. &t may not be pretty, but how else would they survive%(
0ndrea did not seem pleased by this answer, but out of the corner of her eye, =ottie thought
she saw 8lynalmoy incline his head thoughtfully.
&'o, are you the leader here%( =ottie asked.
0lcippe stood with her arms crossed. The robes she wore were thin and fading. 'he gave off
an odd air of e$treme toughness, though her grey hair and hardened eyes hinted at frailty. &n
a matter of speaking, am,( she said. &0fter escaped my father, started working for our
side. 2ut couldnt for long. 7eople began to recognize meIand you cant use 7oly!uice
7otion if youre not human. 'o went into hiding. With ,yans helpI( she smiled at
8lynalmoy &I set up this little reserve for us werewolves who cant fight in the open
anymore.( 'he cast her dark eyes around the group, and said, &-ow come on. want you to
meet everybody else.(
@verybody else turned out to be a group of si$ others who sat together, conversing in low
tones. 0lcippe introduced them to each one. "ost of them had the same gistIthe wolf had
fought until they were too conspicuous to be useful and then retired. 0 few of them !ust
seemed bored. Two had the same air of bitter sullenness? one was unusually twitchy, and
gave the students an intense look of longing.
=ottie listened to their stories dully. .f course she felt bad for them, but she !ust couldnt
figure out why they had come here. t seemed pointless to drag the five students off of the
campus and make them stand in a smelly room and listen to depressing stories.
)inally, after what seemed like hours, 8lynalmoy herded them all to the e$it. &ll be there in
a moment,( he said. & !ust have to have a word with 0l.(
&What was that about%( =ottie asked once 8lynalmoy had gone.
&What do you mean%( asked the seventh year boy.
& meanIwhat was the point of that%(
&To learn,( 0ndrea said. &m sure 7almyitor wouldnt waste our time with a pointless
mission.(
& agree with =ottie,( 8olm said. &That was !ust dumb.(
0ndrea gave him a poisonous look. &.f course you do,( she said.
&Hey,( =ottie held up a hand to shut them up. &8an you hear what theyre talking about over
there%(
.ff in the corner, 8lynalmoy and 0lcippe spoke in fervent whispers. =ottie couldnt hear
their words, but !udging by the glances they were throwing back at the students, she knew it
was important. What was more, she had the odd feeling that they were talking about her.
&1oes it matter%( 0ndrea asked with growing e$asperation. &t doesnt concern us.(
&- think it does,( =ottie said, but after the look 0ndrea gave her, she said no more.
They didnt speak any more, and stood in silence until 8lynalmoy finished his conversation
with 0lcippe. Without another word, they took the 7ortkey back to 0lsemore.
The ne$t two days passed uneventfully. @very time =ottie tried to rehash her suspicions about
the werewolf mission, 0ndrea gave her a piercing stare and changed sub!ects immediately. t
wasnt until early one morning, when =ottie left for the /reat Hall early to meet 8olm that
something happened. 'he was !ust passing 7almyitors office door, on the way up to the
ground floor, when arguing voices stopped her in her tracks.
&0bsolutely not,( said 7almyitors voice, carrying a rare hint of hysteria. =ottie inched closer
to the door. & have not !ust spent the last five years for nothing.(
&ts not for nothing,( "aelioric barked. =ottie widened her eyes. 'he had never heard him
shout like that. &ts very important.(
&-ot as important asI(
&*ou only say that because you want to retire.( 0 slam against wood suggested that he had
punched the desk.
&This has nothing to do with meI(
&t does,( "aelioric cried. &*ou dont want toI(
&t is not a matter of want, #orna$.( 7almyitor said his name with a stab of anger. &t is a
matter of ageIand talent. We are old. cannot go on doing this forever.(
&Well get somebody else,( "aelioric said.
& rather think it would be easier to pick another for the werewolf mission than for mine,(
7almyitor growled. &*ou agreed yourselfIwe only sent her to not raise suspicion.(
&2ut she surprised us all and qualified the most,( "aelioric said in the same tone of one
e$plaining something very simple to a small child. &What do you say, ,yan%(
There was a pause. =ottie frowned. The argument between "aelioric and 7almyitor had been
so intense that she was surprised to find there was somebody else in the room.
& think,( came 8lynalmoys quiet voice, &that )orna$ may have a point, -aesa. We made a
short list, and said we should pick the best. What does it matter who the best is%(
There was another silence. @ven through the door, =ottie could feel 7almyitors rage boiling
over. &.ut,( she hissed. &/et out.(
=ottie knew she only had moments to act. 0s silently as she could, she ran in the direction of
the /reat Hall and had wrenched open the doors before "aelioiric and 8lynalmoy had even
reached the stairs.
&Where were you%( asked 8olm grumpily from his seat at the "aelioric table.
=ottie collapsed ne$t to him and drew a few deep breaths. &'orry,( she whispered.
&.verheard an argument in 7almyitors office.( 'he drew some toast onto her plate and
began to butter it.
&0bout what%(
&0boutIaboutI( =ottie frowned. 'aying Eabout me did not seem appropriate, even though
she knew it was true. &0bout the werewolf thing,( she said. & was rightIthere is more to it
than we had thought. Theyre picking somebody for something. They were arguing about
who to pick.(
&Well, did they decide%( asked 8olm with interest.
&-o. 7almyitor !ust yelled at everyone.(
&Well what else is new%(
The doors to the /reat Hall swung open and 0ndrea walked in. =ottie, who was sitting at the
"aelioric table with 8olm, watched her cross to the 7almyitor table and plunk down. 0ndrea
looked up and down the table before stealing a glance at the other houses. Her face fell when
she saw =ottie. =ottie smiled apologetically and pointed to 8olm as e$planation. 0ndreas
face fell further.
0ndrea didnt talk to =ottie for the whole morning. )inally, when they were filing into
.cclumency, she turned to =ottie and said, &'nape is staring at you.(
=ottie, who had been avoiding 'napes eye since the incident that summer, looked up. He had
spent all of the lessons of this year lecturing and demonstrating on others, pointedly avoiding
confrontation with her. =ottie knew that he didnt want her to break into his mind again.
&,owe,( 'nape drawled. &7rofessor 7almyitor asked to see you in her office for this period.
0pparently the art of .cclumency is not as important as what she has to say.(
=ottie sneered right back at him and said, &t probably isnt.( 'he swung her bag over her
shoulder and left the classroom.
n the corridor, her heart hammered. Had she been right in her suspicions% Were the heads
really talking about her% f so, what would she have to do% =ottie took a moment outside of
the office to take a breath and clear her mind. 'he knocked.
&@nter,( said 7almyitor.
=ottie pushed the door open and stepped inside. =ike always, 7almyitor sat behind her desk
with her hands folded. "aelioiric was perched on the corner of the deskIhalf sitting and half
leaning. 8lynalmoy stood behind, his arms crossed, watching her carefully.
7almyitor glanced at the other two and started to speak. &*ou have been asked here today to
take on a mission.( Whatever the mission was, 7almyitor seemed pretty glum about it.
&1oes it have to do with the werewolves%( =ottie asked.
&*es.( 7almyitor shot a glare at 8lynalmoy and spoke through her teeth. &The werewolves of
@nglandIfor the most partIlive in hidden communities. They are persecuted by the 1ark
=ord, if they are not doing his bidding. ,ecently, the 1ark =ords influence has grown and it
seems that they are favoring his side to ours.(
7almyitor took a breath and continued. &We need a spy. We know almost nothing about these
wolves actions and beliefs. They are all young, and live apart from society, though we think
we have found the location of some of their communities.(
=ottie kept her face blank and stared at 7almyitor carefully. This sounded like an interesting
!obIwhat more important could she have to do%
&1ue to the nature of this mission,( 7almyitor went on, &we are giving you a choice. *ou
may accept the !ob and begin trainingIor you may not.(
=ottie looked between the three of them. "aelioric and 8lynalmoy seemed to e$pect her to
say yes, but 7almyitors surly glower implied otherwise.
&What do you mean by the Enature of this mission%( =ottie asked.
&0h, knew wed get there,( 7almyitor said with a sidelong glance at "aelioric. &n order to
become an effective spy in the werewolves, of course, you would need to become a werewolf
yourself.(
=ottie felt her heart drop with an$iety, but still retained her impassive face. 2eing a werewolf
was something she definitely did not want to do. The werewolves in the reserve lived like
animalsIthey ate each other and lived in the sewers. 2ut if she said no, would she seem like
a coward% Would they ever give her a mission again% .r would 7almyitor be happy about it%
=ottie chewed on her lip as her head spun with thoughts.
&8ould IermItake a day to think about it%( she asked. &0nd tell you tomorrow%(
"aelioric began to speak, but 7almyitor swiftly said, &.f course. "eet us back here before
breakfast tomorrow.(
=ottie nodded and left the office. The door clicked shut behind her. 'he couldnt go back to
.cclumency now. Her heart raced in her chest. 2oth choices seemed like the wrong answer.
Without thinking, =ottie trudged to the common room and collapsed into an armchair. What
she wanted more than anything was to not have even been offered the mission in the first
place. 'pying was what she wanted to do, but not at that price. 'he did not want to have to
sacrifice everything.
The hour wore on, and after classes ended, people began trickling into the common room.
=ottie sat in almost comatose state, watching the fire dance and cast shadows on the ground.
&=ottie%( 0ndrea plopped down onto a sofa ne$t to her. &What did 7almyitor say% Why
didnt you come back to class%(
=ottie shook her head. How could she e$plain to 0ndrea% 0ndrea, who was selfless and
brave, of course would do it. How would she understand the sacrifice that =ottie was so
terrified of making%
&0re you sure youre okay, =ottie%( 0ndrea asked. &*ou look sick.(
&*eah,( =ottie croaked. &1ont feel well.(
0ndrea frowned. &=ottieIafter so many years, can tell when youre lying to me, even if
cant do =egilimency.(
=ottie rested her face on her fists. 0ndrea would never understand. &m not lying,( she said.
& dont feel well.(
&"aybe not,( 0ndrea said wryly, &but theres something more to it than that.(
=ottie stood up in a sudden burst of anger. t drove her crazy that 0ndrea would never let her
have her own private thoughts. /lancing at her friends startled face, she quickly said, &m
going to take a walk. ll see you at dinner.(
'he left the common room and ran up the stairs to the ground floor automatically. .nce she
reached the entrance hall, she realized that she had no here to go. 'he wanted to talk to
somebody who would understandIsomebody who wouldnt think her a coward for wanting
to say no. 'he wanted to talk to 8olm. 2ut as she turned to the staircase, she realized that she
had no idea where the "aelioric common room was.
'he stood in the hall hopelessly for a minute before beginning to ascend the stairs. Wherever
he was, it was probably on a higher level. 'he combed three stories and it wasnt until she
reached the fourth, and final level that she saw anybody. 0 few boys from her year, who she
recognized as "aeliorics crowded around a suit of armor.
&Hey,( =ottie called, trotting over to them. &s this your common room%(
.ne of the boys raised his eyebrows and asked her, &What% Want to break in%(
@$asperated, =ottie growled, &-o, !ust want to talk to 8olm. f hes in there, can you ask
him to come out here%(
The boy glared at her, but apparently could find nothing wrong with this request, so mumbled
as password to the suit of armor and crept into the passage it revealed, followed by his
friends. =ottie waited, fiddling with her sleeves, in silence. )inally, after a few minutes, the
suit of armor stepped aside again, and 8olm stepped out into the corridor. &=ottie%( he asked.
&Whats up%(
-ow that she was with him, =ottie didnt know where to begin. 'he !ust wanted him to know
everything already and !ust tell her that it would be okay. 8olm seemed to sense this. He
moved toward her swiftly and put an arm around her shoulder. &8ome on,( he said, &tell me
everything inside.( He led her to a corner of the common room and they sat down together on
a small couch.
The "aelioric common room was decorated very differently than the 7almyitor one. 8arpet
stretched across the whole floor and large windows made up almost the entire wall, so that
they could see every detail of the dwindling, red sunset outside. =ike in her common room, a
fireplace sat against a wall, and was the source of most of the light.
&Tell me what happened,( 8olm said.
=ottie stared into his eyes and took a breath. &They gave me the werewolf mission,( she said.
&Whats the problem%(
=ottie glanced out the window. & dont know,( she said, unable to look him in the eye. &
dont think 7almyitor wants me to. thinkIwell, think she has me in mind for something
else. dont want her to get angry.(
&WellIdo you want to do it%( 8olm asked.
=ottie turned to him. 'he didnt want to sound like a coward, but if she was completely
honestB &-o,( she said.
8olm smiled faintly. &Then whats the problem%(
& dont know.( =ottie put her face in her hands and stared blankly at the back of a chair. &
guessI !ustI( =ottie didnt know what to say. 'he wanted to keep her cowardice a secret
forever, but she wasnt sure how to e$plain without mentioning it.
&What is the mission%( 8olm asked.
&To spy,( =ottie said, still not looking at him, &on the werewolves, that is. We want to make
sure they dont give in to the 1ark =ord.( 'he took a breath. &The problem is that in order to
do that, have to be%ome a werewolf.(
8olm sat up straighter. &What% =ike get bitten and everything%(
=ottie nodded and turned to him, but was caught by surprise at what she saw. He had a
ferocity gleaming in his eyes that she had never seen before. )or a split second, =ottie
thought that he was mad at her.
&-o,( 8olm said. &-o, of course you dont want to do it.( He put a hand on her knee and
said, &That was horrible of them to ask you.(
&Thats what thought,( =ottie said, slightly heartened by his agreement. & dont want to
give up everythingI would have to give up being human.(
&-o, you shouldnt have to.( 8olm had a look of hard resolution as he stared out of the
window. His mouth formed into a frown, while his brow was furrowed in thought. He rose
suddenly.
&Where are you going%( =ottie asked, standing up after him.
&m going to talk to "aelioric,( he said and started toward the door.
&What%( =ottie followed him out of the passageway and into the corridor. &-o, you dontI(
&ts okay,( 8olm said with a reassuring smile. &m !ust going to go talk to them. "eet me at
dinner.(
With that, he turned a corner and disappeared from view, leaving =ottie to feel more
miserable than before.
Chapter 55: Chapter Fi1ty8Four: Colm9! $a+ri1i+e
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for being an e$cellent beta> This chapter is dedicated to
my friends from study abroad> 7ossiamo ritornare in talia%
: : :
8hapter )ifty#)our; 8olms 'acrifice
With nowhere to go and nobody to talk to, =ottie spent a good hour wandering the corridors
of 0lsemore before making her way to the /reat Hall for dinner. The Hall was almost
deserted when she entered. =ottie sat on the edge of the 7almyitor table and spooned some
potatoes onto her plate.
Whatever 8olm was doing could not be good. =ottie was glad that he was worried about her,
but if he was going to tell the Heads off for putting her in that situation, she knew shed be in
trouble. 'he wasnt even sure whether she had been allowed to tell anybody.
The doors to the /reat Hall opened and 0ndrea poked her head inside and rushed over to
=ottie at once. &There you are,( she said. &ve been looking for you everywhere. Where did
you go%(
=ottie stabbed a potato with her fork. &Took a walk.(
0ndrea looked at her carefully, her light eyes narrowing with concern. &=ookIits no big
deal,( =ottie said. &What did 'nape do today%(
&.h, he was horribleIlike always.(
The corners of =otties lips twitched. &'hame. could have sworn he would have started
handing out candy any day now.(
They spent a good fifteen minutes thoroughly abusing 'nape, which managed to lift some of
the weight off of =otties shoulders. Her previous tension slowly began to melt away. 2y this
time, other early#comers were filing in to begin dinner.
0s they proceeded with the meal F=ottie was already on her fourth helpingG, 0ndrea said,
&Where are all of the heads%(
=ottie looked up from her chicken. The three seats in the center of the staff table were
conspicuously empty. 0utomatically, she turned to the "aelioric table. 8olm wasnt there
either. &.h no,( she groaned.
&What%( 0ndrea looked from the empty staff table and back at her.
&.hI !ust heard them fighting this morning,( =ottie said swiftly. & hope 7almyitor hasnt
killed them.(
The doors to the /reat Hall opened again. 8olm walked in and plopped himself down in an
empty seat at the "aelioric table. He rubbed his eyes wearily as he began to pile food onto
his plate.
)rowning, =ottie tried to catch his eye, scooting slightly to the right so 0ndrea, who was
sitting across from her, wouldnt block his line of vision. 0ndrea turned to see who =ottie
was looking at and scowled.
gnoring this, =ottie maintained her gaze until 8olm finally looked up from his dinner. He
gave her a grim sort of smile and pointed to an empty seat across from him. =ottie sighed.
'he would have much preferred to sit with him, but 0ndrea would be furious if she left.
0pologetically she tilted her head toward her friend. 8olm nodded in an understanding kind
of way, but 0ndrea frowned further.
They continued the rest of the meal in a stuffy silence until =ottie Fafter two servings of
dessertG said, & have to go to the library and finish an essay.(
Without even looking up, 0ndrea said, &.kay.(
=ottie got to her feet and, glancing significantly at 8olm, left the Hall. 'he sat down on the
steps of the entrance hall and only had to wait a few minutes before he came out also.
&Whats up%( =ottie asked as he sat down ne$t to her on the bottom step.
&*oure safe,( 8olm said. &*ou dont have to do the werewolf mission anymore.(
&What%( =ottie couldnt imagine that 8olm could have actually persuaded the heads to give
up the mission. &Why%(
&Theyve got somebody else to do it.(
&Who%(
&"e.(
=ottie stared at him. t felt like her heart had skipped a beat. 'he couldnt think of what to
say, despite the thoughts racing through her mind. &WhatIhowI(
The doors to the /reat Hall opened and 0ndrea stepped into the entrance hall. 'he only took
one look at the pair of them before turning away sharply and crossing to the other set of stairs
that led down to the 7almyitor common room.
=ottie watched her pass silently and waited until she was out of earshot before speaking
again. &How did you do that%(
& went to "aelioric,( 8olm said. &Told him it was too dangerous for you.(
&2ut its too dangerous for you too.(
&ll be okay.( 8olm smiled reassuringly.
&2utIbutI( =ottie frowned and sighed. 'he couldnt believe that he had done thisIshe
couldnt believe how he had done it. n all her years at 0lsemore, she had never had an easy
time convincing the heads of anything. &This is crazy,( she finally said. &1o you realize what
youll have to do%(
&ll become a werewolf.(
&E$a%tly.(
&2etter me than you.(
=ottie stared at him blankly. 'he had never known him to be this selfless. When she thought
of how brave he was being compared to her, her stomach curdled uncomfortably.
8olm held out his hand and took hers. /iving it a tight squeeze, he said, &ll be okay.
promise.(
&*oure doing this,( =ottie began slowly, &becauseIbecauseI(
&m doing it for you.(
/uilt flooded =ottie, and for the first time in years, she had trouble keeping her face straight.
'he wanted to smile and cry at the same time. 'he was free, but at the e$pense of 8olm. &*ou
Iyoure braver than me.(
&-o, m not.( 8olm smiled. &t would have been a million times worse to watch you go
through it than for me to !ust go through it myself.( He straightened up and said, &2ut you
can help me. ve got to learn .cclumency as part of my trainingImaybe you can teach me.(
=ottie laughed weakly. &2etter me than 'nape. 2utI still dont get it. How are they going to
let you do it%(
& was their second choice anyway,( 8olm said with a shrug. & went in and said you didnt
want to do it, and that d go in your place. To be honest, 7almyitor looked kind of pleased.(
&ll bet she was,( =ottie said darkly, wondering what other mission she had in store for her.
&'he did not seem happy about offering me the !ob in the first place.(
0s if on cue, 7almyitor ascended the same stairs that 0ndrea had !ust gone down. 'he was
smiling, a look so foreign on her face that it caught =ottie momentarily off guard. When she
saw =ottie and 8olm holding hands, though, the smile turned into a scowl. =ottie pulled her
hands away at once and folded them on her lap. &What are you doing here, ,owe%( 7almyitor
snapped.
&'itting,( =ottie said with an impassive face.
<nable to find fault with that, 7almyitor turned her gaze to 8olm. &'crivener, you begin
training to tomorrow.(
& know,( 8olm said.
&'o youd better go to your common room and get some rest.( 8olm raised his eyebrows and
remained in his seat. 7almyitors lips tightened. &/o on.( 'he stood there, leering at them
until they had no other choice but to stand up and part ways.
&@rm, ll see you tomorrow, =ottie,( 8olm said as he started to go up the stairs.
&*eahIsee you.( =ottie crossed the hall, glaring at 7almyitor for good measure and started
down the steps to the common room.
8olm started training the very ne$t day. He no longer took regular classes, but spent all of his
time in intensive one#on#one lessons, which made it even harder to see him, since he no
longer had a lunch or dinner hour with everybody else. 0nd all of this was on top of putting
up with 0ndrea, who seemed determined to separate them, and 7almyitor who was even
more determined to do so. The couple compromised by meeting early every morning for
breakfast, and if possible, meeting in the "aelioiric common room at night. With everything,
=ottie thought, this was fair, since she spent lunch, dinner and every single class with 0ndrea
Inot to mention that 0ndrea also had prefect duties and 0nimagus lessons at night.
8olm came back from these lessons with impressive new skills. )or somebody who had
never learned .cclumency, he was getting rather good at shutting down his thoughts Fthough
he was still unable to block 'nape or =ottieG. 0fter two weeks of intense tutoring, he also
finally managed to produce a 7atronus, and wowed =ottie by sending his evanescent lizard
scuttling across the floor.
2y the time 1ecember rolled around, 8olm had completed all of his trainingIand the only
step left was to transform fully and go to headquarters at the start of the new year. 0s the day
of the transformation drew nearer, =otties own an$iety grew. &2ut how are they going to be
sure that you dont bleed to death whenIwhen it happens%( she asked one morning at
breakfast.
&ts going to be really controlled,( 8olm e$plained over his eggs. &Theyre getting 0lcippe
/reyback to do it.(
&2ut howI(
&With Wolfsbane potion,( 8olm said. &t gives you control of your mind when you
transform.(
&2ut it will still be a bite.( =ottie stirred her oatmeal vigorously to displace her apprehension.
&*oure still getting bitten.(
&The heads will all be there and everything. Theyll stop it if anything bad happens.(
=ottie ladled a thick spoonful of oatmeal and let it fall back into the bowl. 0s the day drew
closer, she felt like her time with 8olm was coming to an end. &2ut wont get to see you
anymore.(
&=ottie, weve been through this.( 8olm smiled patiently. & have to come back once a month
Ithe week after the full moon for debriefing and to find out if my assignments changed.
can always see you then.(
=ottie slumped against the table. t !ust didnt seem fair. The time she got to spend with 8olm
was so greatIand especially now that 0ndrea was scrutinizing her every move, she wasnt
sure if she could handle spending every hour of every day with her friend anymore. "aybe
0ndrea would be happier, though, now that 8olm wouldnt be around much. & wish could
be there with you,( =ottie finally said, &when it happens.(
&-o.( )or the first time, 8olm sounded so firm that it was almost startling. &ts too
dangerous.(
&*ou said it would be safeI(
&-ot to mention, the heads would never let you.( =ottie had to concede that 8olm had a point
there. What with this unknown mission looming ahead, and 7almyitors determination to
keep her and 8olm separate, she had about as much chance being allowed to watch as 'nape
had of giving )riday lessons off. 'eeing =otties e$pression, 8olm leaned closer. &ll tell you
what,( he said. &ts happening on the si$thIat eight at nightIin an empty room in the
dungeon. They wont let you inIbut we could see each other afterIafterII(
=ottie looked up. )or the first time, she could tell !ust how frightened 8olm was. He stared at
his scrambled eggs as though he might be sick. &tll be okay,( she said, trying to sound more
assured than she was. &They wont let anything go wrong.(
The si$th of 1ecember approached so quickly, that =ottie almost couldnt believe it as she
walked down to the dungeon. Her stomach was doing somersaults. 'he wrung her hands on
the hem of her sweater continually, !ust so she wouldnt reach up and tear out her own out
from the an$iety of it.
'he stopped and stood outside the door that 8olm had told her would be the site of the bite.
@verybody was already been inside, she guessed, because the corridor was empty. =ottie
placed her ear up to the door. There must have been some kind of muffling charm placed
there because the silence was still overwhelming.
=ottie leaned against the stone wall. Her heart was beating so quickly that she thought it
might e$plode. f something happened to 8olm, it would be her fault and that would be the
second time that somebody died because of her. =ottie wondered what time it wasIhad it
already happened% t must have been after eightIshe left the common room at five before
the hour.
'he only had to wait another moment, because !ust then the door to the room burst open.
&8olm%( she called as a gaggle of people rushed out. t was all three heads. 8lynalmoy and
"aelioric were supporting a limp bodyI8olmI=ottie realized with a pang. 7almyitor
trotted behind them.
The door shut after them. =ottie could only guess that somebody else had been in the room to
subdue the wolf. =ottie ran to keep up with the group. 8olms eyes were shut and he was
breathing slowly. =ottie couldnt tell whether he was conscious or not. 2lood stained the
whole of his right pant leg. His hair stuck to his forehead with cold sweat.
&What happened%( =ottie managed to croak. &s he okay%(
&,owe,( 7almyitor snapped, &get out of the way.(
The group pushed past her and began up the stairs. =ottie was left alone, in the dungeon,
staring at the trial of blood they left behind. 'he waited a few minutes, until she was out of
earshot of 7almyitor and began up the stairs, following the line of scarlet that stained the
ground. t led her to the hospital wing, where she waited outside of its shut doors.
=ottie sunk against the wall and sat with her face buried in her hands. 'omething had gone
wrongIshe knew it wouldIand it was her fault. f she hadnt been such a coward, this never
would have happened. 8olm might be dead.
The door to the hospital wing opened. =ottie picked up her head and watched as the three
heads filed out. "aeliorics face was white. 7almyitors lips were dangerously thin and
8lynalmoys hair fell limp against his face. 2efore =ottie could ask anything, 7almyitor
snapped, &,oweIget back to your common room.(
t took =ottie a moment to register what she had said. &2utI8olmI(
& dont care whats wrong with 'crivener. t is after hours, and you should be in your
dormitory. /o.(
<nder the scrutiny of 7almyitor, there was little =ottie could do. -umbly, she pushed herself
up and walked back down the steps to the common room.
'he couldnt sleep that night at all. 0s she lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling, horrible
images kept creeping through her mindI8olm, dead because of herI7almyitor blaming her
Inot being allowed to go to the funeral because it was all her fault. 'he felt sick, like her
stomach was curdling inside of her.
)inally at five in the morning, =ottie went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her
face. 'he had never seen herself this pale, as she gazed at her reflection in the dark mirror.
With a deep breath, she resolved to go to the hospital wing. There was no reason that she
couldnt. t was morning, after all.
'he threw on a set of robes and left the completely empty common room. 'he didnt pass
anybody as she crept up the stairs, even as she passed 7almyitors office door. The hospital
wing was empty, save for one occupied bed in the corner. =ottie bee#lined for it and sat down
across from 8olms stiff frame.
)or a moment, she thought that he actually was dead, but when she saw his chest slowly
rising and falling, her an$ieties began to ebb away. The lights were still dimmedI=ottie
guessed that they were letting him sleep for several more hours, but she wanted to see him
now.
&8olm,( she whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. &8olmIare you awake%(
He stirred slowly and opened his eyes. n this light, =ottie could see how pale he was. t was
as though all of the color had been drained from his face. 0 faint smile crept onto his lips as
he recognized her. &What time is it%( he croaked.
& dunnoIfive or si$ in the morning think.(
&"erlin, whatre you doing up so early%(
=ottie clicked her tongue impatiently. & came to see you,( she said. &*ou looked awful last
night and nobody would tell me what happened. was worried youd died.(
&m not dead,( 8olm said with that same frustratingly calm smile.
& can see that.(
There was a pause in which =ottie waited for him to elaborate before she demanded, &Well%(
&t wasnt a big deal, really,( 8olm said. &0lcippe !ustIermImissed a bit.(
&"issed%(
&*eahIshe was supposed to be going for right above my knee, but she hit a bit higher and
nicked a ma!or artery. Honestly, it was no big deal.(
&*ou wouldnt be saying that if you had seen yourself.(
&7rofessor Waterman closed the wound in a second,( 8olm said, pushing himself up to a
seated position. & swear, =ottie, m fine. !ust had to take a few 2lood ,eplenishing
7otions, and now ve !ust got a horrible headache.(
&Try orange !uice,( =ottie grumbled
8olm surveyed her carefully for a moment. =ottie noticed that he was rubbing his right leg
through the blankets absentmindedlyIit must have been the spot of the bite. &'oIwhatve
you been up to%( 8olm finally asked.
&"e%( =ottie repeated. &WellIlets seeIworrying my head off that you had died andI
nope thats about it.(
8olm laughed. t seemed remarkable that even right now, at the brink of a life changing
moment, he could find anything funny. 'omething in the back room stirred. =ottie watched as
a light turned on and a figured bustled about through its opaque window. The door opened
and 7rofessor Waterman, the temperamental Healer, bustled out, wrapped in a dressing gown.
&,owe, what are you doing here%( she demanded.
& came here to see that 8olms okay.(
&What this boy needs now is restInot you waking him up in the wee hours. /o onIget
back to breakfast. *ou can come back after dinner.(
The days between the bite and 8olms departure flew by, and once again, =otties an$iety
mounted on -ew *ears @ve, the day before he was supposed to leave. -ew *ears day
dawned blindingly bright with a fresh coat of white, new#fallen snow. 8olm was set to leave
early in the morning on foot, because it would be too easy to track him if he 0pparated.
=ottie knew there was a planIthat he wasnt going to walk the whole way to wherever he
was goingIbut 8olm wasnt allowed to tell her.
=ottie waited an$iously on the steps before 0lsemores front door. 8olm was inside
reviewing his instructions with the heads, and once he left, he and =ottie would be able to
have a moment alone, away from 7almyitors watchful eye.
=otties breath rose in front of her as she huddled on the top step. 'he was wrapped in her
thickest robes, two sweaters and a scarf, but the cold was reaching down to her core. 'he
watched the front door fervently, waiting for it to open, and also wishing it would not, so
8olm would never leave.
'he knew that this was not the worst thing that could happen. 'he knew that 8olm would get
to return for a whole weak once a month, and that that was much better than most people had
in the war, but still, in her heart of hearts, it felt like she would never get to see him again.
)inally, the door opened. 8olm stepped out, looking almost like a shadow, clad in his thick,
black robes against the perfect, white snow. &This is it,( he said, his breath rising like fog
around him.
&*eah.(
&ll be fine.( He smiled that same reassuring smileIthe smile =ottie wished she could
believe. &0nd ll be back really soon.(
&f youre not, ll kill you,( =ottie said, her own smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.
8olm laughed, and at once, =ottie was flooded with emotions stranger than she had felt in
yearsIgrief at losing himI!oy at having himIguilt for letting him go. &ll be all right,( he
said for the thousandth time as he drew nearer to her.
Their lips met, and despite the bitter cold, =ottie felt a rush of warmth spread all the way to
her fingertips. 0s 8olm drew away, his ever#constant smile was still there. &WellI guess,(
he said, glancing from her hands to her eyes, &goodbye.(
=ottie wasnt able to think of anything more articulate to say. &2ye.(
8olm smiled one more time and turned around. The warmth inside of her melted away as she
watched his dark frame grow smaller and smaller in the blinding white, until it disappeared.
Chapter 5: Chapter Fi1ty8Five: A Cra+/ in the 4la!!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for beta3ing this chapter> Happy Thanksgiving to all of
my 0merican readers> This chapter is dedicated to my amazing 2iffle, who is always a
supportive and caring friend.
: : :
8hapter )ifty#)ive; 0 8rack in the /lass
When =ottie returned to the 7almyitor common room, 0ndrea was already waiting for her.
&/ood morning,( she said with an unusual cheeriness in her voice.
&Hi.(
&7almyitor was !ust in,( 0ndrea said. &'he says theyre having trials for a whole new mission
tonight.(
=ottie stared at 0ndrea. 'he sounded positively delighted at the notion. t was oddI0ndrea
hadnt seemed this happy in monthsInot since si$th year started. &Whats the mission%(
=ottie asked.
&We have to convince some dementors to switch from the 1ark =ords side to ours.(
&That sounds like a terrible idea,( =ottie said, frowning. &How in "erlins name are we
supposed to do that% Theyve got free reign on "uggles now. What better deal can we give
them%(
& guess thats part of the mission,( 0ndrea said, e$uding the sort of e$citement that =ottie
hadnt seen from her since before the Hogwarts trip. &We get to figure it out.(
&Well that sounds pointless.( =ottie sat back in her chair emphatically. &What do we want
them on our side for anyway%(
-ot crestfallen in the least, 0ndrea chirped, &-o idea, but m definitely going to try out.
8ome onIdo you want to head to breakfast%(
&'ure, whatever.(
'itting at breakfast with 0ndrea and no 8olm to make eye contact with reminded =ottie of
the years beforeIbefore 8olmIbefore HogwartsIeven before 'nape. t felt like something
from a different life now.
'he and 0ndrea spent the rest of the day theorizing what the upcoming trials would hold and
practicing as many !in$es and curses as they could remember. =ottie did not have high hopes
when she showed up at the try#outs. )or the one part, 7almyitor did not seem to want her to
do anything, and for the other, about every single si$th and seventh year in the school showed
up. The beginning of the trials were very similar to the ones for the Hogwarts tripIbasic
dodging and target practice. .nce everybody was thoroughly out of breath, 7almyitor stood
before them all.
&We are going to start eliminating potential candidates from here on out,( she said, surveying
the crowd. &.ur ne$t task will be producing corporeal 7atronuses.(
=ottie was not the only one who e$claimed several choice swear words. &"aybe youll be
able to do it this time,( 0ndrea said brightly as she pulled out her wand.
& doubt it.(
=ottie waited in line for her turn, even though she was fully aware of the fact that the chance
that she would actually succeed was slim to none. @ven if she had been able to produce one
before, 8olms departure left her miserable enough to block almost any happy thought from
entering her mind.
The process was long and dull. 0pparently, the ma!ority of students were unable to produce
7atronuses either, and those who failed were not#so#politely asked to leave. When it was
0ndreas turn, not only did she produce her sickeningly adorable lamb, but she also made it
trot a lap around the /reat Hall before letting it shimmer into nothingness.
=ottie stepped up for her turn and for the first time, realized !ust how many people there were
there. @very eye was upon her as she tried to think of somethingIanythingIhappy.
&E$pe%to atronumI( she thought of 8olm &IE$pe%to atronumI( but he was gone &I
EHE"2O '2!ON<M>(
-othing happened. 2efore 7almyitor could say anything, =ottie groaned, & know, knowI
m leaving,( and e$ited the Hall without looking anyone in the eye.
=ottie returned to the 7almyitor common room and flopped onto a couch. 'he had been
stupid to think she even stood a chance. .f course she would need to know how to produce a
7atronus to go fight dementors. t was idiotic to think otherwise.
0ndrea, perfect 0ndrea, had done it with no problem. Why hadnt she realized that they
would need to practice 7atronuses% .r had she and !ust not told =ottie, so that she would
make a fool of herself% That seemed more likely than anything.
=ottie wished she could talk to 8olm. He hadnt even been gone a day and she was already
losing her mind. 0nd of course, she couldnt help but feel a growing frustration at herself for
that. 'ince when had she been this dependent on anyone% 0t least now that 0ndrea was in a
good mood, she might be less aloofIor was she happy because she knew =ottie would fail
during these trials%
0ndrea always seemed to be happiest when =ottie was least, she realized with a scowl. 0nd
she had !ust started to get moody like this when =ottie started seeing 8olm. 'he was !ust
!ealous.
=ottie punched the side of the couch in frustration. The more she thought about it, the more
she realized that 0ndrea always seemed to hate her success. 'he had scolded =ottie for
winning duels at 2eau$batons and hadnt even let her practice =egilimency against her.
0ndrea had not seemed happy for =ottie at all when she had finally succeeded in blocking
'nape. t seemed obvious now. 0ndrea had always been !ealous.
The common room door opened. 0ndrea walked over to =ottie and laughed when she saw her
sprawled against the entire sofa. &Want to budge up so can sit down%(
When =ottie did not even acknowledge her, 0ndrea frowned and sat in the chair across.
&Whats up%(
=ottie didnt say anything.
&0re you mad about the 7atronus thing%( 0ndrea asked. &That was really dumb of usIwe
should have realized that we would need to practice it.(
&Well it worked out all right for you, didnt it%( =ottie mumbled.
0ndreas smile melted away. &Well, still didnt get it,( she said. &=ost it to a couple of
"aelioiric seventh years, but stillIit was cool to get that far.(
&*eah, bet you lo(ed that, didnt you%( =ottie snapped, pushing herself up so she was
seated.
&What are you talking about%(
&1ont act like you dont know what m saying.(
&Well dont. What the hell are you talking about, =ottie%(
=ottie got to her feet. t felt good to be standing above 0ndrea, telling her everything she did
wrong. &*ou !ust love doing better than me,( =ottie said.
&What do you mean by that%(
&*ou were always !ealous before.( =ottie paced around 0ndrea, unable to contain all of the
sudden anger she felt in stillness. &*ou were !ealous because - get all of the attention and
because -m better at .cclumency and because - have a boyfriend.(
&0re you kidding me%( 0ndrea got to her feet too now. &0re you actually being serious with
me% "e, !ealous of you% )or what% 2ecause you get into more trouble% 2ecause youre better
at detaching yourself from all of your emotions and caring about nothing% .hIit must be
because you have a stupidIfatIboyfriend.( The glass of the window behind 0ndrea began
to crack. =ong, thin lines stretched across the frame.
&)or your information,( 0ndrea began again, & dont even want to do .cclumency. ts not
good for you. -othing is worth giving up your soul. 0nd you know what% think 8olm is a
foul human being.(
=ottie gaped at her. 'he had never seen 0ndrea this angry before. Tears blurred in her clear
eyes behind her glasses, and her fists shook with rage. &*oureIyoure !ust !ealous,( =ottie
said again.
&-o> m not>( 0ndrea shouted. The window behind her shattered. The frigid Aanuary wind
blasted in with a shower of glass. &8olm is disgustingIhe doesnt care about anything.(
&He cares about me,( =ottie snarled.
&Thats what you think, but wouldnt trust him with anything. 0nd swearIyoull pay if
you put your trust in him.(
&What is that supposed to mean%( =ottie took a step closer, advancing toward 0ndrea, who
still quivered with rage.
&t means that he is going to hurt youIand if you knew anything, youd dump him right
now.(
=ottie couldnt believe what 0ndrea was saying. &1ont you dare talk about him like that.(
&)ine,( 0ndrea said, rushing toward the staircase. =ottie followed her. &2ut you dont see
what hes doing to you. When he ruins everything, dont think ll be there to help.( 0ndrea
began to storm down the stairs, slamming her boots against the stone for e$tra emphasis.
&Well dont want your help, anyway,( =ottie shouted after her. .nly silence responded.
=ottie turned back to the common room, where everybody was staring at her. 'now and
freezing wind was still gushing in through the shattered window. =ottie pulled out her wand
and murmured, &!eparo.( The glass flew back together, but the long crack remained.
0lsemore without 8olm or 0ndrea was a very bleak place. =ottie spent long hours alone,
either doing homework or practicing .cclumency and =egilimency. 'ometimes she sat with
'ophie and Aulianne, or the other 7almyitor boys, but even then, she felt truly isolated.
-ot that she was going to apologize to 0ndrea, though. 'he woke up early !ust so she
wouldnt have to make eye contact with her, and sat as far away from her as possible in
classes.
The rest of Aanuary dragged by. =ottie couldnt remember ever feeling so lonely. The only
thing that got her by was counting down the days to 8olms return. The full moon was in
early )ebruary, and he was coming back the ne$t afternoon.
He was 0pparating directly to "aelioirics office, so that afternoon, =ottie waited outside.
'he couldnt remember ever wanting to see anybody so badly? after all, a whole month with
nobody to talk to was a long time.
'he heard a %ra%+ come from behind the office door. Heart pounding with e$citement, =ottie
waited. The door opened.
&'houldve known youd be here,( 8olm said as he emerged into the corridor.
=ottie couldnt even think of anything to say. The grin that spread across her face must have
been enough. 8olm smiled wearily and embraced her into a tight hug. &*ou want toIermI(
=ottie glanced at the a!ar office door &Ifind somewhere more private%(
&'ure.( 8olm laced his fingers with hers and began to walk. =ottie paid little attention to
where they were going, but watched 8olm carefully. He looked a little worse for wear. His
hair had grown long and untamed. 1ark bags were swollen under his eyes, and his face was
covered with scratches and bruises.
&8olm,( =ottie said, once they arrived in a deserted classroom, &what e$actly are they doing
to you%(
&What%( 8olm asked. &What do you mean%(
& mean your fa%e, 8olm,( =ottie said. &*ou look like somebody tried to claw it off.(
&.hIits nothing.( 8olm waved his hand casually and sat down on top of a desk. &The full
moon is a bit rough on everyone. There isnt enough Wolfsbane to go aroundIdont worry
about it,( he said hastily, seeing =otties look. &Tell me about everything here.(
=ottie tried to wait so he would talk more, but when he didnt say anything, she shrugged and
sat down on a desk. &0ndrea and had a fight,( she said, not meeting his eyes.
&What% What was it about%(
=ottie frowned. His tone did not seem to match the situationIit almost sounded casual. &t
was aboutIwellI( =ottie hesitated. 'he couldnt say, Eabout you. &0 lot of things,( she
said. &'he was !ust !ealous, think.(
&.f what%(
=ottie met his eyes. He understood this situation much better than she thought he wouldIand
probably had already figured out what she had meant. &@verything, guess,( she said. &m
better at .cclumency and everything. 0nd you know m reI( =ottie stopped herself. 'he
had almost said related to .arry otter. 7almyitor had told her to keep it a secret, and she
had already made the mistake of telling 0ndrea. t wasnt that she didnt trust 8olm though,
she !ust could never be sure who was eavesdropping these days.
&1id it !ust happen%( 8olm asked. &.r was it sparked by something%(
& dont even know.( =ottie rested her face against her fist. &'he came back from a trial
bragging about how she can produce a 7atronus and cantIand ne$t thing know, shes
screaming at me.(
=ottie looked up at 8olm. He looked deep in thought. He absentmindedly rubbed his legIthe
spot where he had been bitten. & cant really help you with what she was thinking,( he said.
& !ust dont get her, to be honest. 'he always seems so angry.(
& dont get her either.(
& can help you with a 7atronus, though,( 8olm said, his eyes brightening. &ve gotten pretty
good at it recently.(
=ottie smiled. &Honestly, 8olm, dont think ll ever get the hang of it. !ust dont really
have any happy enough memories.(
& can help you with that too.( The corners of 8olms mouth were raised in an impish smile.
=ottie couldnt help but laugh. 'he felt a warmth filling her again. 0fter so long alone, she
finally had someone who cared about her. 8olm was drawing closer. =ottie was smiling, and
letting him. Their lips had !ust met when the slam of the door against the wall pulled them
apart.
&2here you are.( 0ndrea stood in the doorway scowling. &m supposed to tell you to come to
7almyitors office. We have a mission.(
=ottie never hated 0ndrea more than she did in that moment. )ury rose in her chest like a
snake, and she hardly suppressed the ever#mounting desire to !ust throttle her. &/reat,( she
seethed. &Aust perfe%t. havent seen my boyfriend in a month and this is e$a%tly what want
to be doing.(
8olm gave =ottie a little squeeze of the shoulder, and =ottie followed 0ndrea out into the
corridor. They walked down the steps to 7almyitors office, and 0ndrea said, &.h hope
didnt !ust ruin a special moment.( Her voice dripped with venomous malice.
They walked on in silence until they reached 7almyitors office door which stood a!ar. The
office was crammed. @very single si$th and seventh year in their house was stuffed inside.
'lightly crestfallen, =ottie found a spot ne$t to 0ndrew 5ictorsen. 'he had hoped that she
would at least be getting a special mission.
&/ood evening,( 7almyitor said, glowering at them all. &*oure here to participate in a
mission near the end of the year.(
=ottie crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
&Well be taking this group to Hogsmeade village near Hogwarts,( 7almyitor went on.
&'pecifically to the Hogs Head. We believe that clues might be hidden there.(
&snt that dangerous%( asked a seventh year, who =ottie didnt recognize.
&*es, Aones,( 7almyitor said darkly. &t is. 2ut we will be 0pparating directly to the
premises, without going to the village. The bartender knows well be there.(
&Then why is it going to take so long%( demanded the older girl, Aones. Her grey eyes were
set intently on 7almyitor, and a frown was etched across her olive face. &Why cant we go
now%(
7almyitor shot a glare at her. &t will take time to set up certain protections. wouldnt !ust
blindly drag fifteen students to the village of the 1ark =ords headquarters.(
=ottie wanted desperately to point out that she had the year previous, but she held her tongue.
&*ou are aware of the workings of a )idelius charm%( 7almyitor said. &*ou will all be told
the location by a 'ecret Deeper. .nly those who have been told by himIand him aloneI
will be ago to get there.(
&Well who is the 'ecret Deeper%( asked Aones.
&7rofessor 'nape,( 7almyitor said.
=ottie had to prevent herself from screaming in frustration. f there was one way to assure the
danger of this trip, it was to put their trust in 'nape. Audging by the looks on everyones
faces, she wasnt the only one who was nervous.
7almyitor frowned at their e$pressions. & know what you are all about to say,( she began,
&and dont want to hear one word of it. would trust my life with 'nape.(
&/ood,( retorted Aones, &because you are.(
=ottie could see 7almyitor struggling to retain control. 0lthough her eyes were blank, a vein
pulsed threateningly in her forehead. &That is enough,( she said. & will give you more
information throughout the year, but you have nothing to fear when trusting 'nape. *ou may
go.
=ottie filed out with everyone else. This was badIthey were in a lot of trouble. =ottie turned
to 0ndrea, to e$press these concerns, before realizing that they werent talking. 'he broke off
from the group and headed back to the deserted classroom to tell 8olm.
The week with 8olm could not have lasted long enough. =ottie spent day and night with him,
and when he left again, =ottie was once more left with nobody. 'he came back to the
common room after bidding him goodbye and stood in the doorframe for a moment. 'he
really didnt want to sit alone again today. 'he glanced around, and spotted the seventh year,
Aones, who was settled on the edge of a sofa.
&Hi,( =ottie said as she sat down ne$t to her. &AonesIright%(
&"y surname,( the girl said without looking up. &m 5eronica.( 'he moved her gaze upward
and smiled. =ottie noticed that her deep, grey eyes were watching her carefully. 5eronicas
hair was !ust down to her shoulders and dark, with a few streaks of highlighted blond. That
along with her olive skin and upturned nose gave her a very odd appearance.
&=ottie.( =ottie sat back against the sofa and looked down at the parchment stretched out in
front of 5eronica. &Whats that%(
&0n .cclumency paper.( 5eronica held up the parchment. &'nape can be a real dick
sometimes. have no idea what to do with this.(
&=et me help you,( =ottie said, pulling the paper toward her. &ts my best class.( 'he bent
low over the piece of parchment and scanned its lines quickly. 'he glanced up to find her
quill, so she could make corrections, when she spotted 0ndrea watching her across the
common room.
0ndreas light eyes were narrowed, and flitted back and forth between =ottie and 5eronica.
&What%( =ottie called.
0ndrea flushed redI=ottie couldnt tell whether it was embarrassment or angerIand
quickly said, &-othing.(
Hanging around with 5eronica proved to be more satisfying than time with 0ndrea. 5eronica
was bad at pretty much everything, and =ottie definitely relished in being the smart one. The
year passed more quickly now that she had a pseudo friend. =ottie managed to ignore 0ndrea
completely and survived by spending some time with 5eronica, and impatiently waiting for
8olms visits every month.
8olm spent much of his time back helping =ottie. With him she managed to produce silver
mist that occasionally almost took on a shape. 2ut once he left, she was !ust as hopeless as
ever.
.ne "ay night, =ottie sat in the library with bleary eyes, working on an assignment for
8harms. 'he scanned over her work without really reading itIher mind !ust felt dead.
&The pretentious little suck#up,( snarled a familiar voice near by. =ottie picked her head upI
that sounded like 5eronica. &,atting me out,( said the voice again. There was no doubt about
itIthat definitely was her. The voice was coming from =otties right, where the study tables
ended and a wall of shelves began.
+uietly =ottie rose and approached the first shelf. 7eeking through a gap in the books, she
could see 5eronica, leaning against the opposite shelf, complaining to a friend who had the
back of her head toward =ottie.
&2ut whatd you do%( asked the friend.
5eronica scoffed. &t wasnt a big deal,( she said. &7eople do it all the time. !ust had to
practice this new he$ learned for a test, but nobody wanted to help, so snuck up on a first
yearI(
&7eople do do that all the time,( agreed the friend. & got hit a thousand times when was a
first year. What happened%(
&That four#eyes prefect,( 5eronica spat. &Woolbright. 'he came up behind me, right when
was about to make my move and disarmed me. 'he told me offIcan you believe thatIand
took me to 7almyitors office.(
&"erlin,( the friend said. &t wasnt that serious.(
&Thats what said.( 5eronicas face grew dark. t changed with her anger and gave her such
an ugly e$pression that =ottie was taken aback. &2ut 7almyitor gave me detention for two
daysIall because of Woolbright, the little bitch.( 5eronicas face was rising in color. 0ll
=ottie needed to do was glance at her eyes to feel her e$plosion of anger. &0nd 7almyitor
only likes this Woolbright because she hangs out with ,owe.(
'omewhere in the back of =otties mind, a tiny flame of anger kindled.
&What do you mean%( the friend asked.
&.h come onIyouve seen how ,owe is treated. 7almyitor lets her on a thousand missions.
1o you remember what it was like before she got here% 7almyitor almost was fairIat least
sort of. 'he would let us meet with her if we were having a problem, but once ,owe got here,
she stopped.(
&1o you really think that had to do with ,owe%( the friend asked. &We were only first years
thenIare you sure it wasnt that%(
5eronicas e$pression grew uglier. &7ositive,( she said. &0nd you know the only reason
Woolbright was even made a prefect was because of ,owe. 7almyitor hates herIthe ugly,
self#righteous ass.(
=ottie had heard enough. 0 calm sense of intellectual anger rushed through her as she drew
her wand. *ears ago, she would have tackled 5eronica, but today, with an .cclumens
training, she felt oddly detached from that impluse. &0e%tumsempra,( she hissed, before
booking it out of the area. 5eronicas screams were all she needed to hear before quietly
slipping out of the library.
'he rushed to the 7almyitor common room with a sense of purpose. 'he had to find 0ndrea
to e$plain. 'he slipped through the clock and found her friend settled in the corner of the
room over a pile of homework.
&0ndrea,( =ottie said, sitting down quietly ne$t to her.
0ndrea glanced up. The confusion on her face was palpable. 'he and =ottie hadnt spoken for
months, and suddenly =ottie sat down like nothing had changed. &What do you want%(
0ndrea asked.
& wantB( =ottie struggled to find the words. & want to be friends again.(
0ndreas e$pression was foggy. =ottie could sense all of the different emotions flying
through her eyesIe$asperation, confusion, elation, anger. =ottie wondered which one she
would choose. &Why do you want that%( she finally said, resuming her all#business tone.
&2ecauseIbecauseI realized that 0lsemore sucks without a friend.(
0ndreas e$pression darkened. 'he opened her mouth to speak, but =ottie quickly said, &-o,
listen. The year has been horrible without you. 5eronica is terrible. 0nd !ust heard her
talking in the library. 'he was saying nasty things about youIterrible things, but defended
you. he$ed herI(
&0re you +idding me%( 0ndrea said so shrilly that several people nearby looked up. &*ou
he$ed her% 0re you stupid%(
&-o, 0ndrea, you dont understand.( =ottie didnt get why 0ndrea wasnt e$cited. They
could finally be friends again. & defended you. understand now.(
&-o, you dont>( 0ndrea got to her feet. The common room fell silent. @very eye was on
0ndrea, usually meek 0ndrea, who suddenly lost it. &*ou dont get it at all. *ou should hear
yourself. *ou dont care about meIyou care about being in a duo. *ou are completely
selfish.(
=ottie !ust gaped at her as she packed up her bag. Where had all of this anger come from%
&/et someone else to be your sidekick,( 0ndrea said, swinging her bag around her shoulder.
&0nd dont you dare use your evil, 1ark "agic in my name again.(
Chapter 5#: Chapter Fi1ty8$i%: Foiled *lan!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to coolhPMMM for being an awesome beta> This chapter is dedicated to
my fellow -a-oWri"o winners. /ood going, guys>
: : :
8hapter )ifty#'i$; )oiled 7lans
7osy had a bad feeling about that night. They had had a close run in with a 1eath @ater only
days before. 7osy had begged her husband to postpone the meeting for a week at leastI!ust
to throw the 1eath @aters off their trail, but the group had grown too large. t would be more
suspicious to try to tell everybody secretly. 0nd messengers, he reminded her, were likely to
get intercepted.
'o they gathered, like always, in darkness in the ,owe flat. The group had almost tripled in
size since the first meeting. t was getting almost impossible to get everyone inside without
attracting attention. &Weve got a few 1eath @aters, and thats good,( -athaniel said,
officially beginning the meeting. &2ut we cant let it get to our heads. @ach capture has
brought us closer to being found, so for our ne$t one, we have to be e$ceedingly careful.(
He looked around the group. &0nd know there have been some close calls in the past,( he
continued. &This time will probably be more dangerous. 1o any of you have bandages or any
other sort of medical supplies%(
-obody raised their hands. &.kay, so this might be a little tricky.( -athaniel smiled shakily.
& want you all toI(
='N:.
The whole building shook from the blow. 7osy could hear footsteps approaching, loud and
clunking over the thin wooden floors. t was a moment of complete horror. The entire group
was frozen, before she hissed, &The window. /o.( t took a moment for her words to sink in.
7eople moved after a beat of frozen stillness. .nly a few of them had reached the wall when
the door was blasted open.
&"uggle filth>( screamed a robed 1eath @ater.
There was a blinding green light. The "uggle nearest to the door crumpled. &,<->(
-athaniel bellowed.
t was a wild, horrifying moment. 7osy pushed past the rest of the group, farther into the
room. @verybody was trying to go the opposite direction to the door. n that moment, 7osy
was able to get lost in the shuffle and pushed aside one of the mattresses. n the shallow,
hollow space, she collapsed into the smallest position possible and pulled the mattress over
herself. 'he hid in darkness.
'he hated doing this, but her and -athaniel had gone over the plan before. They had to be
separatedImaybe one of them would survive. One of them had to make it to continue the
rebellion? one of them had to make it for =ottie.
)rom her hiding spot, she could hear screams from the "uggles and triumphant laughter
from the 1eath @aters. &Trying to start a revolution%( cooed one of the wizards. &"ru%io.(
'creamsIdeafening, horrible screams filled 7osys ears. 0ll she could do was pray that it
wasnt -athaniel. This forced terrible, half#forgotten memories back into her mindIher
mother, tortured !ust like thisIher father, dropped dead on her doorstepIher daughter,
appearing one night in the middle of a revolt, scared and in dangerB
The 1eath @aters were screeching he$es and laughing as they did so. The screams continued,
but they were fewer now. 7osy hoped that meant that some had escaped, not that they had all
died. )rom her stuffy spot under the mattress, all she could do was pray.
&tll teach you,( hissed a 1eath @ater. &=ittle shitI(
&7lease,( pleaded a high#pitched voice. The voice sounded young, definitely femaleIand
afraid. With a horrible, sinking sensation, 7osy realized who it wasI=ive, the teenager who
had known =ottie. &7lease,( she whimpered again. &m only si$teenIm scaredIplease.(
&0ll the better. "ru%io>(
=ives shrieks were almost too much for 7osy to bear. Tears burned in the corners of her
eyes. 'he had to fight the urge to throw off the mattress and try to save the child. 'he had to
stay hidden for =ottie. .ne life for another. 'he hoped that =ive would understand.
&'(ada )eda(ra.( The sound of a body slamming against the groundIa 1eath @aters laugh
Iand everything became still.
7osy waited a full five minutes before moving. There was no noise, no movement at all,
e$cept for her own ragged breathing. 'he didnt want to believe what she !ust heard, but she
couldnt think of any other e$planation for it. The minutes stretched on. )inally, she decided
that it was safe and pushed the mattress aside.
0ll around her was complete destruction. 2odies upon bodies littered the floor. The door had
been blasted off its hinges. 7osy looked around. @verything was still.
Her heart pounded in her throat. Where was -athaniel% Had he been killed too% 7leaseIno.
'he slowly began to pick her way across the room. @verybodyIe(erybody was dead. Their
eyes were still wide with fear, their mouths gaping open in terror. 7osy passed =ives body
and felt bile rise in the back of her throat. The tiny, crumpled body lay contorted on the floor,
tears still glistening against its cheek.
'omething stirred. The door that had fallen off its hinges moved aside to reveal a figure.
7osys breath hitched in her throat.
-athaniel ,owe stood up at full height and wiped his face with the back of his hand. His nose
was distorted and blood covered himIbut he was unmistakably alive. &*ouIyoure okay,(
he croaked.
&'o are you.(
&tll take more than a few 1eath @aters to kill me,( he said. 0ll humor that had been in his
voice faded away as he looked at his surroundings. 7osy saw the realization occur in his eyes
Ishe saw the guilt, the hatred, and the shame. &@verybody%( he asked.
7osy nodded slowly and turned her gaze back to =ive. &What are we going to do, -athaniel%(
-athaniel took a slow breath. His mind was racing, 7osy could tell. t was not often that he
had that troubled e$pression on his face. &Were going to regroupIand try again.(
&What%( 7osy hissed. &-athanielIwe cant. ts not safeIwell be killedI(
&'o what%( He rounded on her, his lanky form stretched to full height and !aw set. &What else
are we here for%(
&2ut, -athanielI=ottieI(
&7osy, =ottie is doing the e$act same thing we are.( n that moment, with his glaring eyes and
darkened face, he resembled =ottie so much that it was almost startling. &'he is risking her
life every day to stop this. 'hell understand if we die trying to do the same.(
7osy felt tears stinging her eyes. ntellectually, she knew it made sense, but emotionally, it
was !ust wrong. 0 mother could not !ust abandon her child like this.
&7osy, what else are we going to do%( -athaniel asked again. &Wait for the 1eath @aters to
kill us% Theres no point in anything anymore if we dont stop this.(
7osy could see the determination in her husbands face. -othing she could ever say would
stop him, she knew. 'he turned back to the room. 'he saw =ives small, crumpled body, and
saw the piles of corpses. They had all died for this. 'he took a breath. &.kay.(
'everus 'nape took to the skies. He had only been in the middle of destroying the "uggle
coup when the 1ark =ord had summoned him. 0nd amusing though killing "uggles was, his
masters summons took priority? the young 1eath @aters could handle the filth.
The wind whipped about him as he flew, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes and causing his
black robes to billow around him. n the dark night sky, he appeared little more than a
shadow. He could have 0pparated of course? as the 1ark =ords favorite servant, he was able
to 0pparate directly to his quarters. 2ut he preferred the flightIit gave him time to collect
his thoughts and employ .cclumency.
He landed gracefully outside of the =ondon gates, and surveyed his surroundings. t was
desertedIit was always deserted. He strode carefully to an entrance to the old "uggle
underground. 8rude though their transportation had been, it made a useful headquarters fifty
years later.
0fter descending the stairs and taking a complicated series of passages over the old "uggle
railways, he stopped before a broken#down train, muttered an incantation and stepped inside.
To somebody unsuspecting, the interior might have caught them off guard. t did not
resemble a train at all, but looked more like a dungeon, similar to those of Hogwarts,
complete with stone floors and flickering torches.
&"y =ord.( 'everus rushed to the cloaked figure in the shadows and knelt before him. 0s
was customary, he kissed the hem of his =ords robes.
&'everus,( said the 1ark =ord. His voice was soft and high, but immeasurably dangerous.
&-o doubt you know why you are here%(
'everus looked about. They were aloneItruly alone. -o other masked figures lurked hidden.
<nusual, but men of his standing often got privileges. &"y =ord,( 'everus said, carefully
bringing his black eyes to meet red. & do not know what you desire e$actly, butI(
&The weakness, 'everus.( The 1ark =ord drew his wand out of his pocket and ran his finger
over its handle delicately. &*ou have been stationed in 0lsemore for over two years and you
have not succeeded in finding )orna$ "aelioirics weakness. wonder whether you are
losing your touch.(
&"y =ord, as have e$plained,( 'everus said, quickly glancing at the yew wand, &it would be
foolish to charge into his office and use =egilimency. He will knowI(
& would e$pect a man as clever as you to be able to have come up with a solution by now.(
The 1ark =ords eyes glinted dangerously. &"ust be forced to question your devotion%(
&-o, my =ord.( 'everus thought for a moment before speaking. &The man hardly spends any
time alone. He is in ,yan 8lynalmoys office more than his own.(
The 1ark =ords e$pression did not falter. 'everus could feel him trying to probe into his
genuine thoughts, so carefully pro!ected a sense of earnestness. 1espite being unable to find a
lie, the 1ark =ord did not seem pleased.
&2ut my =ord,( 'everus said quickly, & come with newsIfortunate news. 7erhaps you will
be able to stop this pitiful revolt at once.(
The 1ark =ord glanced down at his wand before returning his stare to 'everus. &*es%(
&The students of 0lsemoreIalong with some adultsI"aelioiric and 7almyitor includedI
are traveling to the Hogs Head this weekend.(
The 1ark =ord did not seem impressed. &How, 'everus, do you believe that will help% -o
doubt they will have the strongest protective enchantmentsI(
&They do,( 'everus said grimly. &They have placed a )idelius charm around the entire pub.(
'everus paused. He knew the 1ark =ords history with this particular charm, and waited until
the red eyes flitted towards his before speaking again. &They made me 'ecret Deeper.(
The 1ark =ord, for the first time, looked pleased. &)or once, 'everus, you have done
something useful.(
& have -aesa 7almyitor wrapped around my little finger,( 'everus said. & will need to
accompany them to Hogsmeade. will play my part well until you arrive, at which point, of
course, will help you destroy them.(
&*ou have done well, 'everus,( said the cloaked figure, &and the 1ark =ord always rewards
his followers.(
&"y =ord%(
&Though must admitI( the 1ark =ords eyes flashed dangerously once more &I wonder
why you wish to tell me this when your previous actions have shown no loyalty to me.(
& do not understand, my =ord.(
&*ou do understand.( The 1ark =ord drew his wand fully. 'everus did not flinch, did not
draw his own wand. &Those childrenIfour years agoIin the other headquarters. *ou
claimed they were daughters of my followers when you knew that they were "udblood s%um
of the revolt.(
'everus stood in silence for a moment. He did not let his thoughts show on his face, though
his mind was working wildly. *es, he had rescued ,owe and Woolbright years ago? he
hadnt realized that the 1ark =ord had witnessed it, though. &)orgive me, my =ord,( 'everus
finally said. &.ne of the girls is a favorite student of -aesa 7almyitor. With the safe delivery
of her back to school, the old woman trusts me completely.(
The 1ark =ord lowered his wand and considered this. &0 clever plan, 'everus. 'urely the
salvaging of one student was worth gaining trust.(
&'he will be at the Hogs Head also, my =ord,( 'everus said. & am sure the chance to kill the
child will arise again.(
&Which one was the favorite%(
'everus looked into the 1ark =ords red eyes. &'crawny, little thing,( he said. &'hort, brown
hair and glasses.( 'everus watched the 1ark =ord. He could almost see the moment of
recognition in his eyes. Wooolbright would probably die because of this, but she was
e$pendable.
& see.( The 1ark =ords thin lips stretched into a smile. &*ou have done well, 'everus,
e$ceedingly well.(
&Thank you, my =ord.( 'everus knelt again, kissed his =ords robes and left the train. He did
not stop once he was away from the 1ark =ords watchful eye, but kept walking purposefully
onward. t was not until he reached the cool breeze of fresh air above ground that he stopped.
That, he realized, was close. The 1ark =ord was growing much more e$perienced and
thoughtful. 0nd if he had seen ,owe and Woolbright years ago, that posed a large problem,
for both the immediate trip to Hogsmeade and the future. 'everus ran his hand over his left
forearm, over the cloth that hid his brand, and gazed at the "uggle camp, stretched across the
distance. There was little he could do at this point. 'everus sighed and once more again took
to the skies, flying, this time, back to 0lsemore.
Chapter 5&: Chapter Fi1ty8$even: The 0o)9! 0ead
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note!: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for being an awesome beta> This chapter3s dedicated to
my friend, Hodge.
: : :
8hapter )ifty#'even; The Hogs Head
'ummer had dawned at 0lsemore. Though the students crowded inside, studying for their
final e$ams, the weather outdoors was unusually bright and merry. 'unlight streamed trough
the windows and illuminated the corridors. =ottie almost thought she could hear birds
chirping outside.
/lumly, =ottie descended the steps to the dungeon. t was time for her .cclumency practical
final, and she did not fancy the idea of spending an afternoon with 'nape. 'he had no doubt
that she could block him? never had she felt so alone and disconnected from her emotions,
with 0ndrea not speaking to her and 8olm still away. 'he could definitely block him, and
break right back into his mind, if necessary.
'he knocked twice on the classroom door and did not wait for his answer before entering. 0s
usual, 'nape sat behind his desk, carefully watching her. &Hi,( =ottie finally said after a
prolonged silence.
'nape did not reply. He only gesturedIa mere raise of an eyebrow. These were the moments
when =ottie could honestly throttle him. What did that even mean% Was she supposed to !ust
stand there, or try to use =egilimency%
=ottie stood awkwardly for a moment. Her block was so effective that she wasnt even sure
whether he was even trying to break into her mind, but something seemed odd. Was this the
whole test% "aybe she was supposed to try to use =egilimency% 8autiously, she summoned
her energy and focused on breaking down his mental defenses. t was difficult and
complicated, but she finally succeeded and saw a span of memories to choose from.
'he selected one that seemed tame. F'he definitely did not want to bring up any suppressed
memories and get him angry.G 0s she delved into his thoughts, she e$perienced a rush of his
former an$iety. He sat, his younger self, taking e$ams, scratching lines of prose onto a slip of
parchment. =ottie let the e$ceedingly dull scene play its course. 'he had proved that she was
able to do it, but hadnt hurt his feelings. t seemed fair enough, untilI
&@nough.( 'nape slammed his palms against the desk. His pale face was almost flushed with
color, his dark eyes glinting. &*ou are a disrespectfulIinsolentI(
&What did do%( =ottie asked. 'he had meant to words to be angry, but she was too startled
to sound anything but confused.
&n an O%%lumen%y e$am, it is considered bad form to employ =egilimency.(
&2ut you didnt tell me what to do>( =otties rushed words and harsh tone betrayed her
hidden anger. &How am supposed to know when you dont even have the decency to tell me
I(
&That is quite enough.( 'nape was not shouting now? his voice was calm, dangerously so.
Him shouting would have been less frightening. &7erhaps 7rofessor 7almyitor will be able to
take care of this insolence.(
&What%( =ottie could have he$ed him into a million pieces. &That doesnt evenI(
&'hut up.( 'nape stood swiftly and, his robes billowing, left the classroom. There was
nothing =ottie could do but follow. <p a flight of stairs, past the entrance to the common
room, and up another flight of stairs to 7almyitors door they walked. =ottie was angry, but
mostly !ust bewildered.
'nape knocked on the office door and entered. 7almyitor looked up from a scroll of
parchment when the door opened. &0h, 'everus, andI,owe%(
=ottie followed 'nape into the office and slumped against the wall. &,owe,( 'nape seethed,
&has once against shown a disregard for respect.( 7almyitors dark eyes traveled to =ottie, but
as she opened her mouth to protest, 'nape continued. &'he found it fit, during her
.cclumency e$am, to employ =egilimency for sportI(
&t wasnt for sport,( =ottie said. E*ou didnt say what you wanted me to do. was confused.
did what thought was supposed to do.(
&0nd still, she is not being respectful.( 'nape glanced at =ottie and said, & suggest we not
allow her to go on the mission to the Hogs Head tomorrow.(
&What%( =ottie looked between the two of them. &0re you !oking%(
&0nd the disrespect continues,( 'nape snarled.
7almyitor glanced at =ottie and back at 'nape, a slight frown causing the wrinkles around her
mouth and eyes to deepen. & must admit, 'everus,( she said, &though agree that ,owes
rudeness precedes her in everything she does, do not think that is cause to take her off the
mission.(
=ottie turned triumphantly to 'nape, who stood blankly staring at 7almyitor. &)ine,( he said
after a moment of thought. &2y the way, ,owe,( he said as he turned to leave, &you received
a 1 on your final.(
He left and shut the door before =otties scream of &WH0T%( echoed the halls.
&,owe, suggest you go get some rest,( 7almyitor said as she massaged her temples, &and
take that ingratitude elsewhere.(
=ottie stormed out of the office and down the steps to the common room. 'he passed through
the clock and was about to head to 0ndrea, who sat on a couch by the fire, to complain,
before remembering that they werent friends anymore, and settled alone in a corner.
Why had 'nape done that% t wasnt like him at allIwell, yes it wasIbut it wasnt like him
to not give any instructions. 'omething this illogical had to have a reason behind it? he would
not act like this for no reason. t didnt make any sense.
=ottie woke early the ne$t morning and headed up to the /reat Hall. 0ll of the others who
were going on the mission were there as well, including 0ndrea, who stood moodily apart.
=ottie had nothing with her but her wandIbut what else would she need% 'he didnt e$pect
this to be dangerous.
The doors to the /reat Hall opened once more and all three heads, followed by 'nape, filed
in. &0ll right, you lot,( said "aelioric, &well be leaving by 7ortkey in a moment. When we
land, youre not going to make a sound. 0lthough we have the highest security possible, we
can never be too careful. When we get there, were looking for cluesIanything unusual. f
you find something, call one of us over. /ot that%( The mass of students nodded and 'nape
stepped forward.
&0s 'ecret Deeper,( he said, &m giving you the secret.( His eyes flitted around the room,
before finally stopping to rest on =ottie. &The location of the mission is at the Hogs Head.(
The heads moved at once. @ach carrying an armful of quills, they moved to distribute them
among the students. 8lynalmoy handed =ottie a feather and 0ndrea came over to take a hold
of it. They only had time to glare at each other for a second before there was a !erk, and they
sped away.
They landed heavily against a stone floor. =ottie pushed herself up and looked around. The
room they were in was small. 2ooths and tables filled the space, and a counter stretched
against the other side. .n the wall hung a painting of a young, innocent looking girl. This
portrait was pristine compared to the rest of the grubby bar. 0 man of e$ceeding age stood
hunched in the corner, grumbling to himself.
=ottie began about the business, scouring the walls and floors for somethingIanything odd.
t seemed pointless though. 0s the minutes stretched into an hour, nothing significant
happened. 0 few people cried that they had found something, but it turned out to be nothing
more than a broken glass or a large mound of dust. =ottie was on the verge of 1isapparating
back to school herself, when finally something did happen.
"ra%+5
=ottie spun around to the source of the noise and saw a 1eath @ater, masked and hooded,
standing in the doorway. "ra%+5 "ra%+5 "ra%+5 "ore 1eath @aters were arriving, and the
room was quickly filling. 0mong the students, chaos reigned. "any screamed? =ottie saw
one seventh year faint on the spot and collapse.
2efore =ottie even know what was happening, curses began to fly. 'himmering and bright,
they filled the bar with evanescent greens and reds. .ut of the corner of her eye, =ottie saw
0ndrea march proudly into battle, he$ after he$ firing from her wand.
There was not much else to be done. 7eople were panicking, and =ottie could not even find
7almyitor. "aelioric fought bravely, dueling three 1eath @aters at once. .nly half of the
students had collected themselves enough to fight. The others stood cowering behind. =ottie
tightened her grip on her wand and headed in.
&0e%tumsempra>( she screamed, creating a slash and a rush of blood in a 1eath @aters chest.
&0tupefy5 0tupefy>( 'he had 'tunned at least one 1eath @ater, she was sure. 0midst the
flashes and !ets of light, it was hard to tell.
0 haze overtook the cramped battle. The 1eath @aters were strong, but 0lsemore was putting
up a good fight. =ottie could see why everybody praised "aelioirics dueling prowess. He
was, without a doubt, the swiftest dueler she had ever seen. The three 1eath @aters he had
been fighting before lay at his feet, and he had taken on a fresh set of four.
&E$pelliarmus>( =ottie yelled. &0tupefy5 0e%tumsempra>(
t was becoming hard to tell friend from foe. 2odies piled on the floor, which made it quite
difficult to move. .ut of nowhere, a rush of green lightI=ottie dodged and dove behind a
table, which cracked in half from the strength of the curse. What was going on% Where was
7almyitor%
=ottie scrambled from her table to a spot behind a booth. Here, she had shelter, but could
shoot curses easily. 0ndrea she could see was fighting bravely. 'he sported a few cuts and a
bruised eye, but was otherwise unharmed. 'he had a pile of unconscious 1eath @aters around
here, ever#growing as she picked them off, one stunning spell at a time.
0 1eath @ater had broken ranks. 'omehow he had wound up behind 0ndrea and she had no
idea. =ottie gasped. 'he had to act. 0s he raised his wand, =ottie hissed, &0e%tumsempra5 (
The spell shot red and made contact with his hand. The man screamed and dropped his wand.
2lood gushed out, covering his robes and showering the floor in crimson. )rom here, =ottie
could see two severed fingers drop and land on the stone floor.
=ottie took the moment to act. &0tupefy,( she hissed, and the man collapsed like a rag doll.
The ranks were thinning. There were only five, si$, seven 1eath @aters left. They might have
done thisIthey might have actually done this.
"ra%+5 "ra%+5 "ra%+5
"ore hooded 1eath @aters appeared, even more than before. =ottie wanted to cryIwas this
ever going to end% 0 few more of the students seemed to be plucking up their courage and
!oining the battle. )rom her hiding spot, =ottie was losing hope. 'he shot more and more
'tunners, but more and more 1eath @aters kept appearing.
0ndrea was almost manic in her skill. 0 pile of unconscious 1eath @aters lay at her feet, and
she continued to duel fiercely, plucking them off one by one. "aeliorics pile was even
bigger. 0 total of five 1eath @aters had taken him now, and even though he was a superb
dueler, =ottie wasnt entire confident that he could defeat five at once. &0e%tumsempra>( she
shouted, her wand aimed at a 1eath @aters back.
The power of the he$ caused the 1eath @ater to collapse promptly. 0ndreas 1eath @aters
gaze followed the trail of the spell and landed on her. His face was masked, but =ottie could
imagine him smiling. He began to approach her hiding place, behind a booth. =ottie shot he$
after he$ at him, but he blocked everything with a simple flick of his wand.
"ra%+5 "ra%+5 "ra%+5
=otties eyes were fi$ed on the man before her, but she knew what that sound meant. "ore
1eath @aters were arriving. There was no way they could win thisIthey were grossly
outnumbered. =ottie shot another he$ at the 1eath @ater, but once again, he deflected it.
"ra%+5 "ra%+5
7eople were screaming. =otties tunnel vision did not let her see what was happening.
'omebody sobbed. Dilling curses were flying. n one last, desperate attempt, =ottie
screamed, &0tupefy>( *et again, the 1eath @ater blocked it. =aughter was emitting, muffled
under his mask, as he raised his wand.
'he was going to die. =ottie knew all too well what spell he was about to use, and there was
nothing she could do about it.
2ut suddenly, the 1eath @ater collapsed. t was as if he were a puppet and somebody had !ust
cut his strings. =ottie looked around wildly. 'omebody had !ust saved herIwho% 0ndrea
was still dodging curses? "aelioric was still fighting a handful of 1eath @aters? others were
timidly picking some off one by one or otherwise cowering in the corner.
=ottie ducked again behind the booth? here, she could be safe, and pick off 1eath @aters
subtly. Her eyes scanned the scene. There were many more 1eath @aters than before. They
were all masked, all cloaked and hoodedIe$cept for one.
&'nape,( =ottie hissed when she recognized the curtains of greasy hair and hooked nose.
,age erupted inside of her. .e was the cause of all of thisIhe had betrayed themI7almyitor
had been wrong all along. 'he wanted to kill him. 'he wanted to run into the battle right then
and hurt him as much as possibleIbut noIshe couldntIshe couldnt leave this spot
without being killed.
"ra%+5
t was only one 0pparation this timeIonly one person. 7eople shriekedIsomebody was
sobbing. =ottie saw even "aelioiric pause for half a moment out of shock. =ottie looked up
and any sort of scream that she felt echoing in her lungs caught in her throat. n the center of
the battle, cloaked, eyes glinting, stood the 1ark =ord.
=ottie ducked farther behind the booth, so only her eyes peered out into the open. The 1ark
=ord strode forth purposefully and waved his wand. The rushing sound was deafening, the
green light blinding. The curse had been aimed at the opposite wall, where the elderly barman
stood. n horror, =ottie watched his thin frame crumple.
'he should have kept fighting. 'he knew she should have tried harder to survive, but panic
rose up in her throat and froze all of her limbs. The battle was commencing. -ow "aelioric
was fighting five 1eath @aters, and using their bodies to avoid being spotted by the 1ark
=ord. 0ndrea continued to fight as if nothing had changed, as if she had already accepted her
inevitable death.
=ottie turned her gaze back to the 1ark =ord. He was scanning the scene carefully with his
horrible, red eyes. He was looking for somethingIfor someone. =ottie shrank back to the
wall farther. His eyes flitted around the room, shifting from the mass of duelers unwittingly
hiding "aelioric, to the pile of unconscious 1eath @aters, and finally settling on 0ndrea.
&Wait,( he hissed. The hairs on =otties neck stood on end at the sound of his voice. t was
cold and highIunnatural. He strode forward and the 1eath @aters who had been fighting
0ndrea shuffled out of the way.
-ow it was !ust the 1ark =ord and 0ndrea. 0ndrea kept a brave face, but =ottie could feel
her fear. n a last effort, 0ndrea raised her wand to try to defend herselfIbut it flew out of
her hand immediately. -ow she was completely defenseless, but she didnt back down.
&s this not,( the 1ark =ord began, &the filth saw in the =ondon headquarters si$ years
ago%( The corners of his thin lips were stretching into a sinister smile. &*esIyou were then
spared. 2ut 'everus tells me that you are of value, that you are -aesa 7almyitors favorite
student. s that not correct%(
0ndrea did not speak. Her knees were trembling, but she kept her eyes fi$ed resolutely with
the 1ark =ords red ones. &Tell me, filth, where is 7almyitor now% Why is she not here to
save you%(
'till 0ndrea didnt answer. The 1ark =ords smile faded. &0nswer me,( he hissed. &)ilth.
'(adaI(
=ottie acted without thinking, without realizing what she was doing. &-ME/-MEN2'>( she
bellowed. Her wand was not pointed at the 1ark =ord, but at 0ndrea. 0nd in that instant, the
spell knocked 0ndrea to the ground. The Dilling 8urse soared right through where 0ndrea
had !ust been standing and caused the counter behind her to crack.
What happened ne$t took only a second. Those red eyes turned to face the source of the
disruption, to face =ottie. His eyes were only on her for a moment, !ust long enough for them
to flicker with recognition, before a !et of purple light collided with her chest, and everything
went black.
Chapter 5': Chapter Fi1ty8(i)ht: $nape9! Fli)ht
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thank you, coolhPMMM, for beta3ing> This chapter is dedicated to 0lan
,ickman. Aust 3cause.
: : :
8hapter )ifty#@ight; 'napes )light
There was a dim light and there were soft voices. =ottie was vaguely aware of her own
breath, rattling in and out. 'he couldnt be deadIbecause if she were, she wouldnt be able
to breathe, or hear things, or notice the light filtering through her eyelids. What had
happened%
&=ottie%( said a familiar voice, low and hushed. &=ottie, are you awake%(
=ottie couldnt move? she couldnt open her eyes. The light was pulsating against them, and
would definitely blind her. 'he couldnt speak? her !aw felt heavy and immobile. &"mm,(
she groaned in response to the question. There was an e$cruciating pain growing in her chest.
0ll she wanted was for it to end.
&0re you okay, =ottie%(
=ottie was able to place the voice? it was 0ndreas. 'ndreaIthat meant she was alive too.
This realization brought comfort, but no relief as the pain in her chest continued. @ach breath
was like a sharp stab between her ribs, but her body was crying for more o$ygen. =ottie
struggled, and finally managed to say, &-o.(
&Wait right hereIll get 7rofessor Waterman.(
=ottie lay on her back, still not opening her eyes, still not moving. f 7rofessor Waterman was
there, that meant she was at 0lsemoreIthat meant that it was over.
&.h, dear.( t was Watermans voice this time. &That was a nasty curse you got hit with.
Here, this may help.( =ottie felt a bottle being pressed to her lips and drank its contents with
little regard for what was in it. nstantly, it gave her enough strength to open her eyes and
prop herself up on her elbows.
'he was in the hospital wing, with a concerned 0ndrea sitting on the bed beside her.
0ndreas cuts and bruises had already been healed. =ottie glanced around and saw that the
rest of the wing was almost filled. 'tudents lay, resting on all of the other beds, conscious or
otherwise.
=ottie pushed herself up further so she sat against the beds headboard. 'he gulped down all
of the potions that Waterman handed her, and the pain roaring inside of her lessened slightly.
&There are only temporary,( Waterman e$plained. &t will take a week or two before you are
finally healed.(
=ottie nodded blankly and watched as Waterman bustled off to attend to the other students.
&WhatIwhat happened%( she asked, turning to 0ndrea. &How did weIhow are weI(
&0fter you got hit, the fighting went on,( 0ndrea said softly. &"aelioric pulled me aside and
hid me behind the bar. The 1ark =ord was about to turn his wand on "aelioric, and then
suddenly everything went black.(
&What%( =ottie said. &What happened%(
&t was 7almyitor,( 0ndrea said. &7eruvian nstant 1arkness 7owder. 'he had gone back to
school and got reinforcements. n the confusion, we were able to 0pparate back. 7almyitor
grabbed you and took you right here.(
=ottie sat in silence. Her mind was teeming with questions, but she couldnt decide where to
even begin. The whole affair seemed so strange. They had been under the )idelius 8harm, so
how had they been found% With a pang, =ottie remembered. 0nape had been the 'ecret
Deeper.
&'nape was the one who hit you,( 0ndrea said as though she had followed =otties train of
thought. &2ut he didnt +ill you which is even more puzzling. We cant figure out why. We
tried asking himI(
&What4(
&.hIsorryIyeah. We caught him. He was trying to leave, but "aelioric grabbed him and
brought him here. Hes locked up upstairs. 0nd like said, we tried to ask him why he didnt
kill you, but its no good. Hes too good at .cclumency.(
& could find out,( =ottie said. & could ask him.(
&Well that was the plan,( 0ndrea said with a weak smile. &Were !ust waiting for you to
recover.(
=ottie lapsed into silence again. This whole thing could have been avoided if 7almyitor
hadnt put her trust in 'nape. 'he could have gotten anyone elseB .r was it better now that
they knew his true allegiance% &1id anyone get killed%( =ottie asked, scanning the rows of
beds for familiar faces.
&.nly the barmanI0berforth 1umbledore. The 1ark =ord killed him himself.(
=ottie glanced at 0ndrea. t seemed so normal nowI!ust like before, they were sitting and
talking. t was almost easy to forget the past year. t seemed outrageous now that she thought
about it. 0ndrea was her only friend? how had they gone a whole year without talking%
&=ook, 0ndreaI( =ottie glanced down at her sheets and over to the opposite wall &Im
sorryIfor the whole year, mean. !ustI(
&ts okay,( 0ndrea said gently. &*ou more than made up for it at the Hogs Head. *ou saved
my life. The 1ark =ord wouldve killed meIand you knocked me out of the way.(
=otties memory took her back to the dim pub. The 1ark =ord had stopped the whole battle
I!ust to kill 'ndrea% How did he even know who she was% He had recognized her from
/rimmauld 7lace, but then why hadnt he recognized =ottie% 0nd he thought that 0ndrea
was 7almyitors favoriteIthat was !ust wrong. 0nape had told him that, he said. Why%
& dont get it,( =ottie finally said.
&-one of us do.( =aughing weakly, 0ndrea shrugged. &We !ust have to wait until we can
question 'napeImaybe hell be able toe e$plain it all.(
=otties recovery was slow. 'he had to take si$ rounds of potions every day, and was forced
to sleep at least ten hours every night. Whatever curse 'nape had hit her with was designed to
keep her off her feet for a while. 'he wanted to question 'nape as soon a she was strong
enough to walk, but 7almyitor insisted that they wait. t was better, she said, to catch him off
guard with a full#force attack.
t wasnt until Auly that she was back to normal. =otties birthday had already passed when
she sat in 7almyitors office, going over the plan.
&-ow youre sure youre going to be able to get through his .cclumency%( 7almyitor asked
for the thousandth time.
&*es.( =ottie was sure. &ve done it before.(
7almyitor only cast her a moments glance before breaking eye contact. 'he almost never
looked =ottie in the eyes anymoreInow that she knew what =ottie could do. 'he didnt want
her mind invaded, =ottie guessed with a smug air of superiority.
&ts !ust going to be you in there,( 7almyitor said. &We will all be right outside, but dont
want to break your concentration.(
&.kay.( =ottie felt hollow. Dnowing what she had to do, she emptied her mind completely,
voided herself of all emotions.
&He is dangerous,( 7almyitor went on. &He is chained and unarmed, but he is still quite a
skilled wizard. *ou should be wary.(
& understand.(
&0re you ready then%(
=ottie nodded once and got to her feet. 'he wanted to uncover this mystery. "ore than
anything, she wanted to figure it out. Why had 'nape spared her% @$actly how much had he
told the 1ark =ord% 1id the 1ark =ord know who she was related to% 'he climbed the steps
to the highest tower, with all three heads trailing behind her.
0t the top of the winding stairs, she stopped and turned to the three heads. 7almyitor gave her
a curt nod, and =ottie pulled out her wand. With a deep breath, she turned the doorknob and
pushed open the door.
The room was deserted.
=otties first thought was that 'nape was hiding, but the room was completely bare, e$cept
for a thin, rickety chair. There was nobody there. =otties heart thudded a little harder in her
chest. There was nobody there. 8hains lay harmless and docile on the ground. They had been
blasted apart. The edges of the metal were dark and !agged. 0 tiny window stood open,
letting in the dry, summer wind.
7anic rose in =ottie like a snake. 'nape was gone. He had escapedIhow% 'he reached for the
door and wrenched it open. The three heads stood there e$pectantly. 7almyitor looked at her
with wide, an$ious eyes.
&Hes gone.(
&What%( "aelioric rushed past her into the room and roared with frustration.
8lynalmoy followed him cautiously. 7almyitor !ust stood there, her e$pression completely
vacant. & dont understand,( she finally said. &How did he do it% Those chains were charmed
Ithey stopped all of his magic while he wore them.(
=ottie only shrugged. 'he could really think of no answer. 0ll she knew was that he was
definitely not in that room. 2itterly, she thought of mentioning that she should have done this
earlier after allIshouldnt have waited so long to question him, but she didnt think it was a
good idea to upset 7almyitor even more.
&'omebody helped him,( 8lynlamoy said, appearing in the doorframe. &There is no way he
could have escaped on his own. 'omebody cursed the chains off.( He walked past =ottie to
meet 7almyitor on the stairs. He rested a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes.
&-aesa%(
&.ow%( was all 7almyitor could croak.
'tanding on the landing above them, =ottie felt like she was witnessing something
uncomfortably intimate. n order to divert her attention, she crept back into the room where
"aelioric stood, gazing out the window.
&t had to be a student,( he said when he heard her enter.
=ottie frowned. &Why%(
&The castle is protected by a )idelius 8harm. -o 1eath @ater could get in. t must have been
a student.
=ottie leaned against the wall. Her mind traveled back four yearsIback to the traitors
discovered in her second year. They had found a way to lead a double lifeIit was more than
possible that it could happen again. &8ould it have been a professor%( =ottie asked.
"aelioric turned to her with a glare so fierce that it caught her off guard. &@ach professor is
hand picked. They are trustworthy.(
=ottie considered mentioning 1ewitt and 'nape, but in the present situation decided against
it. &What about a former student%( she suggested weakly.
&We would have seen them enter the grounds.( "aelioric turned his gaze back out the
window and glared into the deep, red sunset sky. &Were going to have to checkIevery
single student,( he said. &Whoever it was is a better .cclumens than -aesa is a =egilimens.(
& can help,( =ottie said, knowing full well that this might mean learning some uncomfortable
secrets about friends. There was no other way to find out.
=ottie rubbed her eyes wearily. 'he sat in the =egilimency classroom, behind the desk that
used to be 'napes. The three heads and her had spent all morning inspecting every single
member of the student body, and now, at si$ in the evening, =ottie was e$hausted. 'he was
inspecting all of the upper#classmen 7almyitors for any evidence of helping 'nape.
Thankfully, she only had one more person to go. <nfortunately, that person was 0ndrea.
=ottie knew that there was absolutely no way that it was 0ndrea who helped 'napeIthere
was no way that 0ndrea would have done that. 2ut it was a technicality. 0nd since =ottie
was the best =egilimens at 0lsemore, she had to inspect all of those who had the most
.cclumency training.
The door creaked open and 0ndrea poked her head inside. &Hey,( she said as she shut the
door and crossed over to =ottie.
=ottie smiled grimly. &Hi.(
&Hows it been going%(
&1ull.( =ottie shrugged. &'ifting through everyones insecure memories about school work
and boys. Were not even close to finding anyone.( 'he surveyed 0ndreas an$ious eyes and
knew precisely what she was thinking. &=ook, know this is annoying, but we should !ust get
it over with.(
&*ou have to search e(eryone%( 0ndrea asked. &@ven me% meanIcome onIits me.(
& knowI agreeIits stupid,( =ottie said carefully. 'he knew disagreeing would be a bad
idea. 0fter a year of not talking, she wasnt going to test the limits of their fragile friendship.
&7almyitor will kill me if she found out was playing favorites.(
&'he plays favorites all the time,( 0ndrea said bitterly.
& know.( =ottie laughed, more to appease 0ndrea than anything. &'hes !ust mad. 8ome on,
youre the last person have to doIlets !ust get it over with.(
0ndrea sighed and sat down in the chair opposite of the desk. =ottie could see her fists
straining with tension. 'he wondered if 0ndrea would even attempt .cclumency. =ottie
turned her focus inward and mustered up the necessary concentration. n an instant, she had
broken into 0ndreas mind.
'he skimmed lightly through recent memories. -othing seemed dark or evil at all, but strong
emotions leapt out like red rays of sunlight against a darkening sky. =ottie selected one at
random, and immediately, the cold, bubbling nausea of !ealousy filled her. =ottie watched the
scene unfold.
'he was watching herself, but with a frigid sweep of loneliness. 'he was sitting at the
"aelioric table with 8om, and 0ndrea sat alone at the 7almyitor table. =ottie shook off the
memory and picked another one.
0gain, she saw herself standing, shouting in the 7almyitor common room. 0ndrea was
shouting too. 0nger was roaring inside of her, and completely e$ploded. =ottie watched
0ndrea pound down the stairs and collapse into bed. Her misery was palpable. =ottie hadnt
felt such a strong emotion in years.
=ottie had seen enough. 'he removed herself from 0ndreas memory, and felt herself
receding back into her own, cold mind. 0ndrea still sat across from her, but wasnt making
eye contact. =ottie pursed her lips and stood up. &8ome on,( she said, &lets go to dinner.(
'he decided not to mention what she had !ust seen, and hoped that 0ndrea wouldnt either. t
had been easy enough to patch things up with 0ndrea, but 8olm was coming back to
0lsemore the ne$t week, and =ottie wasnt entirely sure what she was supposed to do.
0ndrea got to her feet silently and followed =ottie out of the classroom. =ottie wondered if
0ndrea, like her, was counting down the days to 8olms return. 2ut 0ndrea, unlike her, was
probably dreading it.
=otties mind traveled to the heads, who were probably still inspecting the younger students.
'he wondered if they were any closer to finding the traitor than she was. -o matter what
"aelioric said, =ottie had a feeling that whoever had helped 'nape could not have been a
student. 2ut then who %ould it have been%
Chapter .: Chapter Fi1ty8Nine: Fo%? ,i@ard and $parrow
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! note: Thank you, coolhPMMM, for being an awesome beta> This chapter is dedicated
to "arianne 8urley because loved her books when was growing up.
: : :
8hapter )ifty#-ine; )o$, =izard and 'parrow
8olm came back to 0lsemore the ne$t week. )ortunately, 0ndrea had an 0nimagus lesson
when he was due to arrive, so =ottie got to avoid that obstacle for a moment. 'he waited like
she always did, right outside of "aeliorics office door. There was a %ra%+, and the door
opened.
,ight when he saw her, 8olm pulled =ottie into a tight hug. Without saying anything, he
beckoned her to follow him, and led her to the same deserted classroom where they always
went. &*ou look like youve had a hell of a month,( 8olm said.
=ottie thought that was odd coming from him. @ver since becoming a werewolf, he had
looked somewhat emaciatedInow even more so. His dark eyes sunk into his skull and his
sandy hair fell limply over his forehead. &That curse that 'nape hit me with took a lot out of
me,( she said.
8olms face darkened. =ottie couldnt tell what he was thinking but was not about to use
=egilimency to find out. &2utIdid you hear%( =ottie went on. &He got away.(
8olm looked at her strangely. 0gain, =ottie couldnt quite place what was in his eyes. His
lips curved into a frown and his eyebrows furrowed quizzically. &How%( he finally said. &The
last time was here, he was in chains(
& +now,( =ottie said. &0nd they were charmed to stop all of his magic. Theres no way he
could have gotten out alone.(
&*ou mean they think someone helped him%(
&*eah.( =ottie grimaced. &"aelioric reckons its a student, and we had to inspect the whole
school. We did =egilimency on everyone, but nobody had any sort of memory even
suggesting something like that.(
8olm rubbed his right thigh, the place where the werewolf had bitten him. &t must not have
been a student, then.(
& guess not.(
& had heard rumors from the others,( 8olm began, his eyes fi$ed thoughtfully on the ground.
&They said they saw himI'nape, mean. didnt believe them.(
&Well they were right.( =ottie crossed her arms. &8an we talk about something else%
Thinking about 'nape is !ust pissing me off.(
&*eah.( 8olm laughed. =ottie could see the relief sweeping through his eyes. &How is your
7atronus work going%(
=ottie snorted. &*ou think have time for that4 2esides cant think of anything happy.(
8olm smiledIit was so subtle, but =ottie could see a quiet sense of laughter in his eyes.
&Well m here now,( he said. &m sure between the two of us, we can think of something.(
=ottie rolled her eyes at him and pulled out her wand. &*ou want to see me try then% E$pe%to
atronum.( 'he waved her wand in lazy circles. &'ee% -othing.(
&.h come on.( 8olm pulled out his own wand to demonstrate the grip. &Hold it like thisI
and try harder. Think of something happy.(
=ottie tried to think of 8olm, of 0ndrea, having her boyfriend and her best friend and
everything being okay. &E$pe%to atronum.( 2ut in the edges of her mind, 'nape kept
appearing. His sneer echoed in the background of even her most pleasant memories.
&E$pe%to atronum.(
&Here,( 8olm said, pocketing his wand and crossing to her. &Hold it like this.(
He put his hand over hers and repositioned her grip so that she held her wand firmly. 0t his
touch, she felt a !olt of happiness run through her. &E$pe%to atronum,( she said. 0 faint
silvery light started to emit from her wand.
&*ouve almost got it,( 8olm said.
&E$pe%to atronum.( The silver vapor was forming into an almost recognizable shape. 'he
could see four legs, and a tail, but not much more.
=ottie imagined life after the warIlife with 8olm, with 0ndrea, and without the 1ark =ords
constantly looming presence. With another rush of happiness, =ottie yelled, &EHE"2O
'2!ON<M>( The silver mist took a distinct shape. Aoy so strong that it was almost foreign
flooded =ottie as she lowered her wand to watch the 7atronus charge across the room.
The animal was medium sized and had a large, bushy tail. ts ears were pointed, but they
werent a cats. =ottie watched it run across the room quizzically until it came to a halt to
look at her.
0 silver fo$ sat in the center of the classroom, its tail swishing as it blinked serenely at its
surroundings. 8olm muttered an incantation as well, and a silver lizard burst from his wand.
t scuttled over to the fo$ and settled down ne$t to it. =ottie laughed at the strange couple,
nestled so comfortably together. 8olm laughed as well and grasped her hand. They stood
watching their 7atronuses for a moment until a faint tapping on the window drew their
attention.
&What is that%( =ottie asked.
&Who cares%( 8olm was drawing closer to her, but =ottie frowned and moved toward the
window.
The source of the noise turned out to be a bird, tapping its beak against the glass. =ottie
leaned closer to look at it. t was a sparrow, commonly spotted in the cities and campsIbut
she had never seen one at 'lsemore. &=ets he$ it,( 8olm said, &to shut it up.(
=ottie glared at him and turned back to the bird. There was something strangely familiar
about it. =ike most sparrows, it was a light cream color, with various shades of brown
feathers running overtop. 'peckles made an unusual pattern around its eyes, and spread down
the rest of its feathers. 2ut they were a distinctive sort of brown and were almost the color
ofB &Hang on,( =ottie murmured.
'he unlatched the window and pushed it open. The bird fluttered inside and began zooming
around the room, making laps over their heads. &ts out of its mind,( 8olm said as he drew
his wand. &=ets !ust kill it.(
&-oIlook.( =ottie put her hand in front of 8olm to stop him from trying to hit the sparrow.
The bird was doing something very odd. t had perched on top of a desk and cocked its head
as it looked at them. =ottie inched closer, and the bird made no sort of instinctive motion to
get away.
Then something began to happen. The sparrows face began to morph weirdly? the beak
pulled back, and the markings around the eyes began to protrude. t was growing too. 0s it
got larger and larger, the feathers began to recede and turned into skin. 8olm was frowning,
his mouth sagging with confusion, but =ottie began to smile as it dawned on her what was
going on.
The bird was gone, but now 0ndrea sat on the desk, her head cocked to the side comically. &
cant believe it>( =ottie shouted, rushing over to 0ndrea and embracing her in a hug. &*ou
did it% Why didnt you tell me%(
& only !ust figured it out,( 0ndrea spoke in a gush of words. Her face was flushed with pride.
&0 sparrow, though% Thats so cool>(
&*eah, its going to be really useful. can be pretty much invisible in any city.( 0ndrea
stopped speaking and glanced up at 8olm, her eyes narrowing. &n any case,( she added
slowly, &its really supposed to be a secret. 'o d appreciate it if you didnt tell anybody.(
&.f course not,( =ottie said.
8olm did not respond right away. =ottie turned to him. His eyes were narrowed suspiciously
and he drummed his fingers against the top of his right leg. &8olm%( =ottie asked.
&What%( He seemed to snap out of it. His eyes widened back to normal and his normal smile
spread across his lips. &'orryIof course notIof course not.(
With the summer winding down, the students were permitted to return back to the camps to
visit their families. The older students were allowed to go alone, since herds of seventeen#
year#olds drew more attention than children, and they were able to 0pparate. =ottie felt
strange being dressed in the ripped and ragged "uggle clothes. The camp seemed so far away
now? it was like a completely different life.
'he waited in 7almyitors office, toying with the fringed hem of her sleeve. 'he checked and
rechecked the position of her wand, hidden in her inside pocket. f anything happened, she
wanted to be able to make a quick getaway.
t seemed much riskier this timeIthere had been so many 1eath @aters at the Hogs Head
that it was reasonably possible that one of them would recognize her. Aust in case, =ottie had
smudged an e$cessive amount of dirt across her face.
0t 7almyitors go ahead, she shut her eyes, turned on the spot and 1isapparated. When she
appeared in the camp, the usual sounds of children yelling, 1eath @aters shouting and people
crying met her ears. t seemed so strange that life was continuing like this, when she had been
separated from it for so long.
=ottie glanced quickly over her shoulder and took the familiar route back to her parents flat.
'he tried not to look at her surroundings, not to see the death around her. 'he couldnt help
them nowIall she could do was focus on what was ahead of her.
=ottie was easily able to avoid 1eath @aters on the way. 'he kept to herself and didnt make
a scene? they !ust walked right by her. Her heart was pounding in her throat as she crossed the
final road and pushed open the door to the apartment building.
0s she walked down the narrow corridor, she noticed more noise than !ust her own footsteps.
=ottie strained her ears and concentrated on locating the sound. t was coming from her
parents flat. t definitely sounded like more than two people, though. =ottie crept closer to
the door. *es, it was multiple peopleImaybe four or fiveIhaving a conversation. =ottie
glanced around. Her parents did not usually invite people over.
'he reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it, but it was locked. The voices inside
silenced the second she made a noise. =ottie took a step back. Her parents also did not
usually lock the door. 8autiously, she raised her fist to the thin door and knocked.
&@rmIhello%( t was her fathers voice. &Whos here%(
&tsIits me,( =ottie said.
&=ottie%( came her mothers voice. The door opened !ust wide enough for =ottie to slip
inside. .nce she was in the flat, her father locked and bolted it again.
=ottie, though, was not looking at the door. 'he looked at the three strangers who occupied
the living room. They didnt look like anybody her parents would be friendly with. .ne of the
men was easily twice the size of her father. &"um,( =ottie began slowly, &what is this%(
7osy ,owe smiled, but no sense of warmth reached her eyes. 'he glanced at -athaniel and at
the three, brutish looking men before turning to =ottie in an apologetic way. =ottie
understood e$actly what they were doingIknew why the men were here and why everybody
spoke in hushed voices.
&*ou cant do this,( =ottie said, shaking her head. &*ou cantIits suicide.(
&What else %an we do, =ottie%( -athaniel growled. This argument was =otties brutality
pitted against her fathers, but =ottie, who had inherited -athaniels anger, was also able to
stand her own in this argument.
&*ou have to stop,( =ottie said, turning her attention away from the strangers and her mother
Iturning every ounce of focus she had on her father.
& cant !ust sit here and let these people be killed.( -athaniel drew himself up to full height
and stared down at his daughter. &.nly a coward would lie and let this happen.(
&*oure not being a cowardIyoure being smart.( =ottie pulled herself up to full height also.
&Were taking care of it, 1ad.( 'he !abbed her thumb at her chest. &*ou dont have to kill
yourself to prove a point.(
&f youre dealing with it, then youre not doing it quickly enough.(
=ottie took a step back. Her !aw lagged open at her fathers burst of aggression. He didnt
understandIhe would ne(er understand. They couldnt !ust ambush the 1ark =ord in his bed
and free the "ugglesIit was not as easy as that.
&Nathaniel.( 7osys voice was hushed.
&What%( -athaniel glowered at her for a moment before turning his attention back to =ottie.
&m sorry, but your kind isnt doing enough. 7eople are dying every single dayIand what is
your +ind doing% =earning magic tricks% We need to stop this.(
&*ou dont understand.( )or one wild moment, =ottie almost draw her wand. The momentary
impulse to he$ her father into oblivion passed, and she took a breath before continuing.
&They could kill you in a second. .ne swish of a wandIand youre dead. Theres no use
locking the door eitherIthey can unlock that without a second thought. Ele(en-year-olds can
do that. Theres no point in dying to prove yourself.(
&Then what should do, =ottie%( -athaniel shouted, his dark eyes growing darker. &'it and
let your kind take care of everything%(
&*esI(
&=et people die while your people figure it out%(
&*es.( =ottie spun around and marched toward the door. &*oure !ust going to get yourself
killed doing this. *oure not going to make any difference.( Without another word, =ottie
wrenched open the door and slammed it behind her. 'he stomped through the corridor.
There was an odd sense of finality in that argument. =ottie knew that nothing she could say
would dissuade her father. He was going to stage his rebellion no matter what, and he would
probably die because of it.
=ottie was reminded of her grandfather, dropped dead on their doorstep because of
involvement in a coup. 'he thought of 0ndreas fatherIkilled also in an attempted revolt.
What purpose did it serve% The 1eath @aters still killed, and nothing changed.
=ottie crept through the filthy streets to find a safe spot to 0pparate back to 0lsemore. 'he
appeared in the /reat Hall between meals. t was empty, and everything was still. 'he rushed
off to find 8olm. 'he was still dressed in "uggle rags, but she didnt care. 8olm only had
another day back and she had to confide in somebody.
'he ran into him while she climbed up the staircase to the "aelioric common room. &Whats
up%( he asked, noting the distraught look in her eyes. =ottie !ust shook her head and led 8olm
to an empty classroom.
.nce he had shut the door, 8olm turned to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. &=ottie,
whats wrong%(
&ts my parents,( =ottie said. &TheyItheyI( 'he hesitated. Telling anybody about her
parents planned revolt seemed like a stupid idea. t only increased their chances of getting
caughtIbut who would 8olm tell% &They want to start a revolt in the camps.(
8olm didnt say anything. His brow furrowed slightly as he thought. =ottie wondered what he
could be thinking.
&2ut its stupid,( she said to break the silence. &ts suicide. They dont understand that
wizards can kill in a second.(
&1id you try to talk them out of it%(
&*es.( =ottie sat on a desk and rested her cheek on her fist. &They wouldnt listen. They said
it was better than doing nothing at all, but thats !ust stupid.( 'he picked up her head to
glance at 8olm for reassurance. nstead of smiling, though, he !ust furrowed his brow further.
& really dont know what to say.( He sat down on the desk ne$t to hers. &f they wont be
convinced out of it, guess theres nothing we can do.(
0lthough she didnt quite find this answer satisfactory, =ottie didnt say anything. 'he stared
at a spot on the floor. There really was nothing she could do for it. f her father wouldnt back
down, what could she say% 2ut how could she !ust sit and let her parents get killed%
The door creaked open. =ottie looked up. 0ndrea stood in the doorway with a wry smile on
her face. & thought d see you here,( she said.
7erhaps she could sense =otties misery in her eyes or maybe it was !ust a coincidence, but
0ndreas smile appropriately melted away. &7almyitor wants to see you,( she finally said.
&'hes in her office. t sounds serious.(
Chapter -: Chapter $i%ty: *ro1e!!or *almyitor9! O11er
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 0s always, thanks to coolhPMMM for helping me out with this chapter>
This one3s dedicated to Durt 5onnegut>
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty; 7rofessor 7almyitors .ffer
=ottie stood outside of 7almyitors door for a moment. 'he felt like quite a lot had been
leading up to this moment. 'he wasnt sure how she was so sure, but somewhere in the back
of her mind, she knew. 0ll the years of trainingI!ust for this. 'he was still in her "uggle
clothing. The torn hem of her pants dragged along the floor behind her. 'he took a deep
breath to clear her mind and knocked.
&,owe%(
=ottie pushed open the door. =ike always, 7almyitor sat behind her desk, her hands folded
neatly on the tabletop. &'it down,( 7almyitor said, and =ottie glanced at the chair across from
the aged desk. There wasnt normally a chair thereIusually she had to stand. =ottie sat and
watched 7almyitor e$pectantly.
& e$pect you have been anticipating this,( 7almyitor said, carefully surveying =ottie. =ottie
only nodded. &Well,( 7almyitor resumed, &as you know, you are a very talented .cclumens
and =egilimens.(
&*es.(
&*our ability e$ceeds mine, or 'everuss, probably even the 1ark =ords himself.( =ottie
was interested by this information, but not entirely surprised. 'he !ust stared back at
7almyitor, waiting for her to speak. &0nd am also sure you know, have been acting as a
spy for usIacting as 1eath @ater to accumulate information.(
=ottie nodded again. 'he knew where this was going. 'he had always known where it was
going. -ow faced with it, she did not feel any more frightened than she had at eleven years
old.
&"y disguise is growing less effective, however. The 1ark =ord certainly suspects meIhe
has for years. t is no longer safe for me to go to the 1eath @ater headquarters.(
&*ou want me to take your place,( =ottie finished.
7almyitor met her eyes, and for a moment, =ottie e$perience a rush of dread at the prospect.
This war had turned 7almyitor into an angry, hardened woman with no friends. Had she
always been like that or was it a result of living so long as a liar% Would she, =ottie, become
like that too%
&*es.(
=ottie shifted in her chair and sat on her hands. t was easy enough to accept. .n the one
hand, it wasnt like she had an option anyway. The glory of the position, too, overshadowed
anything she had done before. 0ll she had ever wanted was to be important, and this was her
chance. .n the other hand, it would undoubtedly change her life forever. 'he would have to
tortureIperhaps even killIto play her role convincingly. 'he wondered how many people
7almyitor had killed.
Would she ever get to come back to 0lsemore% Would she ever see 0ndrea or 8olm again%
To be a real 1eath @ater, she would have to change herself completely.
& would get a 1ark "ark,( =ottie said. t was not a question, but a statementIan
acknowledgment of defeat.
&WellIyes.(
=ottie pursed her lips. 0ll her life she had dreaded and hated that "ark. @verything she had
ever done was a rebellion against it. Her e$isten%e was an act of rebellion against it.
&t only has meaning if you give it meaning,( 7almyitor said. &'acrifices must be made if we
want to win the war.(
=ottie fell into silence. 'he did not like the idea, but had to accept that it was unavoidable.
&There is a minor change in the original plan,( 7almyitor said. &'ince the 1ark =ord clearly
remembers your little ad(enture to the 1eath @ater headquarters, you cannot go undisguised.(
=ottie frowned at the accusatory tone in 7almyitors voice. f she had known, years ago, that
she could have ruined everything with that trip, she probably wouldnt have done it. 2ut how
was she supposed to have understood at that age%
&'o are we going to use 7oly!uice 7otion%( =ottie asked.
&@$actly.(
&Who am going to go as%(
&That is yet to be seen.( 7almyitor glanced quickly out the window before turning her gaze
back to =ottie. &Were reviewing the most promising candidates right now.(
&When will leave%(
&-ot until the day after term starts.
nwardly, =ottie breathed a sigh of relief. That gave her at least a little bit more time. The
conversation seemed to be over. =ottie stood up to leave and moved toward the door, before
7almyitors voice stopped her.
&,owe,( she said, &dont tell anybody about this.(
=ottie frowned and turned back to her.
&Tell them you are going on a mission, but dont give them any specific details.(
&Why not%(
7almyitor stared at her with the air of staring at somebody incredibly ignorant. &'omebody
helped 'everus escape, ,owe. We still dont know who did it. t would be very foolish to be
giving out such precious information.(
&,ight. .kay.( =ottie wrenched open the door and ran down the steps to the 7almyitor
common room. 0fter she set the time on the clock, she rushed inside and collapsed onto an
armchair ne$t to 0ndrea.
&*ou spoke with 7almyitor, assume%( 0ndrea said, not looking up from the book she was
reading.
&*eah.(
&0nd%(
& have an assignment.(
0ndrea looked up. 'he glanced once over her shoulder and, marking her page with an inde$
finger, shut the book. &What is it%(
& cant tell.( =ottie shook her head, causing wisps of hair to fall into her eyes.
0ndrea narrowed her eyes shrewdly and smiled. &8ome on,( she said.
&-oI really cant. 7almyitor saidI(
&.h guess if you dont trust me.(
&ts not meIare you listening%( =ottie said in growing frustration. &ts almyitor. 'he said
m not allowed to tell anyoneInot you or 8olm or anything.(
0ndrea was a little more satisfied with this and sat back in her chair.
&'o m going to leave,( =ottie added.
0ndrea looked back up. &When%(
&The day term starts. ll be here for the feast.(
0ndreas shoulders slumped as she surveyed the cold, wooden floor. &Will you come back%(
she asked without looking up.
&II( =otties eyes grew softer as she watched 0ndrea. 'he had been so focused on her
own safety and her own fear that she hadnt even thought of 0ndrea. 0ndrea would have
nobody when she left. & dont know.(
&WellI7almyitor gave me a !ob too,( 0ndrea said, looking up.
&.h yeah%(
&*eah, but its not as top secret as yours.(
&What are you doing%(
&The "inistry,( 0ndrea said. &*ou know, the one they set up. ts been acting really weirdly
lately. We think some people might be under the mperius curse. 'o m going to go check it
out.(
&8ool.( =ottie tried to smile genuinely, but struggled. n the past, all she had wanted was this
mission, but now faced with her present dangers, she might have picked 0ndreas instead.
With a pang, she remembered 8olmIwho had become a werewolf for his assignment. 'he
hadnt been able to do that. 'he was too afraid. Was she really that much of a coward%
&1id anyone else get assignments%( =ottie asked flatly.
&*eahI0ndrew is going to be a Healer around battles. 0pparently, hes been taking private
lessons for a while now.(
&Weird,( =ottie said. 'he sat back and stared around at the familiar 7almyitor common room.
t was hard to believe that she had spent the past si$ years here and was now going to leaveI
maybe she would never see it again. With an unfamiliar heaviness, she watched the fire
dance.
&*oull be playing the part of 'haula 8arrow,( 7almyitor e$plained in her office the ne$t
day. &'he is the first cousin once removed of some prominent 1eath @aters at the time of
Harry 7otters death. 'heI(
&Which 1eath @aters%(
7almyitor shot her a severe glare. & dont appreciate being interrupted, ,owe,( she said.
&0mycus and 0lecto 8arrowIbrother and sister, to answer your question. Their cousin,
0rcturus 8arrow, never quite fit in with the 1eath @aters. <nfortunately, his late#in#life
daughter, 'haula, was sent to Hogwarts where she was adequately brainwashed. 'he went
abroad to 0merica to try to spread the movement, but the distance seemed to give her some
thinking time. 'he hadnt been heard from for two years. 'he wasnt working for the 1ark
=ord anymore, but she wasnt e$actly working against him either.(
=ottie looked up from her roll of parchment. 'he had been taking notes to remember all of
this. &'o how old am supposed to be%(
&Twenty.( 7almyitor drummed her fingernails against the desktop as she thought. &*our
welcome will not e$actly be friendly, since 'haula fell out of contact, so suggest you think
of a convincing story.(
=ottie frowned and leaned back in her seat. & could say that she had been attacked by a
group of rebels and put under the mperius curse,( she suggested.
7almyitor arched her eyebrows. &*es, hopefully that will work.(
The start of term feast was a much more somber affair than usual. =ottie sat slumped at the
7almyitor table ne$t to 0ndrea and the other seventh years. 'he didnt notice the other house
tables, the other students, the staff table, where the three heads, Hermione, and -eville sat
with their food, occasionally slipping conspicuous glances over to where =ottie sat. =otties
mind was completely focused on herself. Was this going to be her last meal in the /reat Hall%
Was this her last meal with 0ndrea%
'he watched the 'orting without really processing what was going on. The ceremony was
drawing to a close. .nly one girl was left waiting, and when 7almyitor called, &*oung,
-ora,( she approached the table.
There was something off about this girl, =ottie thought. Her skin was so pale that it was
almost transparent and heavy bags fell under her dark, troubled eyes. 'he looked ill. When
8lynalmoy welcomed her to his house, she seemed quite relieved and sat down at the
opposite table.
=ottie poked at her food unenthusiastically. 'he could never remember being this nervous
before. Her stomach flopped and sloshed inside of her like a dead animal. 'he didnt speak to
anybody, but shared an$iety#ridden smiles with 0ndrea occasionally. 0cross the way, 8olm,
who was back for a week, looked !ust as sick, !ust as an$ious.
When she had eaten as much as she could possibly stomach, she rose from her seat and
glanced at 8olm significantly. He rose too and followed her out of the Hall, and into a
deserted classroom.
&How are you feeling%( he asked as he magically sealed the door.
&'cared out of my mind.(
&1ont worryIyoull be okay.( 8olm tried to smile, but the corners of his lips !ust quivered.
&ts not that scary, leaving here. *ou !ust have to think on your feet a lot more.(
=ottie nodded, though without much conviction. 8olms mission was dangerous, but hersI
hers was riskier than anything. 'he hadnt told him what she was doing either. 7almyitor had
seemed adamant about keeping it a secret. 2ut even if 8olm had known, he wouldnt tell
anybody. He even know basic .cclumency, so he could hide it even if the traitor, whoever
that was, was trying to force it from him.
&*ou always look like youre hiding something now,( 8olm said, looking carefully into her
eyes. &*ou didnt alwaysInot beforeIwhen we were younger.(
&We didnt know each other then,( =ottie said. & might have always been hiding something.(
&Aust because we didnt talk doesnt mean didnt notice you,( 8olm said. & have always
noticed you.( He was drawing closer. &Why do you think always tried to get your attention%
Why do you think B dont knowB came to the camps during that rebellion%(
They were so close to each other nose that their noses almost touched. & thought you wanted
to see what was going on,( =ottie said weakly.
&-o.( 8olms gaze met hers and =ottie felt his absolute sincerity in the pit of her stomach. &
wanted to protect you.(
Their lips met. =ottie was filled with a temporary warmth as she laced her fingers with his.
He had liked her all along, and had kept it a secret. -ow, in a moment of complete
genuineness, he had told her. =ottie had many secrets, but had never divulged a single one.
& am,( =ottie finally whispered, pulling away from him.
&What%(
& am hiding something.( 'he gazed into 8olms large, searching eyes. 'he was not supposed
to tell anybody, but she trusted 8olm. He wouldnt give her secret to a traitor. He would
protect her with his life.
&What is it%(
=ottie took a deep breath and glanced out the window to make sure that nobody was spying.
&m related to Harry 7otter.(
8olms eyes widened further. He sat back slightly and stared at =ottie with such intensity that
she had to look away. &2utIbut youre a "uggle#born,( he finally said.
&m related to his cousinIhis "uggle cousin.(
The corners of 8olms lips twitched, but were unable to form a smile. &Why are you telling
me this%( he asked. &f anybody ever found outI(
&-obody knows,( =ottie said. &Aust 7almyitorIandIwellIyouIand 0ndreaIandI( n a
horrific moment of realization, =otties heart froze. Her !aw slacked open slightly.
&0nd%( 8olm asked urgently.
&'nape.( =ottie glanced at 8olm and could feel panic rising in her chest. &'nape knows. He
performed =egilimency on me for years. He must have told the 1eath @aters. What am
going to do%(
&ts okay.( 8olm laid a quivering hand on her knee.
&Thats probably why he didnt kill me at the Hogs Head. The 1ark =ord wanted to question
meIto kill me himself. 'nape !ust pushed me out of the way so nobody would kill me by
mistake.(
The fear in 8olms eyes almost matched hers. &"aybe he didnt tell,( he said. &"aybe the
1ark =ord doesnt know.(
&.f %ourse he knows. Why wouldnt 'nape tell% 'hit.( =ottie rested her face in her hands and
stared at the ground. 'he had to make sure she would never been seen by 1eath @aters. f she
did, she would be killed in an instant. )ingers trembling, she looked slowly at 8olm. &*ou
wont tell anybody, 8olm, will you%(
He looked at her and blinked slowly. & would die before told anyone.(
=ottie couldnt sleep. 'he lay on her back with her eyes wide, as if somebody were forcing
them open. @verything was going to change, and she was more afraid than she had ever been
before. 'he had to quell this an$iety, though, otherwise it would interfere with her
.cclumencyIand if she couldnt use that, she didnt stand a chance.
'he lay there until eager rays of grey sunlight hit the window. 0t that point, she couldnt stay
lying down anymore, and sat up. 0fter swinging her feet onto the chilly stone floor and
standing up, she quickly changed into a set of robes. =ottie glanced the close curtains around
0ndreas bed and rushed out of the room to take one more look at the 7almyitor common
room.
0ndrea was already there. 'he, too, looked slightly ill. 0 mildly pink tinge surrounded her
eyes, but the rest of her face was almost green. 'he didnt do anything, but surveyed =ottie
carefully. &Hi.(
&Hey.(
=ottie sat down ne$t to her on the couch across from the fireplace, where embers were
glowing dully. 'he glanced out the window? the sun was beginning to rise in earnest. The
bright rays created a blinding glare on the glass.
&0re you scared%( 0ndrea asked.
=ottie turned to look at her. 0ndrea, who had never e$celled in .cclumency, and wasnt even
able to do =egilimency, always had an uncanny ability to understand her feelings. The
difference was that she felt what =ottie did, whereas =ottie manipulated others to divulge
their emotions.
=ottie shrugged. & guess.( 'he turned back to the window. 0 light breeze was causing the
grass to sway rhythmically outside. &7almyitor did it for years, though. How dangerous could
it be%(
0ndrea didnt answer, but =ottie knew what she was thinking; very. 0ndrea looked down to
her lap and played with the frayed edge of her sleeve. &When are you coming back%( she
asked.
& dunno,( =ottie said. t was trueI7almyitor had never mentioned whether she would ever
return for good. =ottie knew she was able to 0pparate back to school whenever she wanted to
deliver information and get a new assignment, but the sub!ect of the end of this mission was
unclear. &Hopefully soonIif we can defeat the 1ark =ord.(
0ndrea let out a sharp laugh, though not really because she actually found anything
particularly humorous. &*eah, m not sure thatll happen soonIbecause weve been wasting
time for the past fifty years, right%(
=ottie shrugged. t seemed possible. There were only two Horcru$es left, after all? and maybe
she would be able to find them as she worked closely with the 1eath @aters.
The sun had completely passed the horizon now. t shone bright red as it crept farther into the
sky. =ottie glanced momentarily at 0ndrea, who seemed to be staring intently at the floor.
Her eyes were growing redder.
&d better get going,( =ottie finally said, without looking at her. &m supposed to meet
7almyitor in her office.( Tentatively, =ottie got to her feet.
0ndrea rose too. 'he turned and made eye contact. Without even meaning to, =ottie entered
her emotions and felt a rush of grief, an$iety, !ealousy and fear. =ottie didnt know how her
friend hadnt e$ploded from feeling so much.
&ll miss you,( 0ndrea said.
&ll miss you too.(
0ndrea pulled =ottie into a fierce hug. =ottie, who usually found such touchy#feeliness
uncomfortable, let it happen. 'he was fully aware of the fact that she might never see 0ndrea
again. 0ndrea hugged her tighter, and =ottie thought she could hear her sniffing quietly.
)inally, =ottie stepped away and they looked at each other one more time.
& guess,( =ottie began, &goodbye.(
0ndreas eyes were brimming with tears, and even though =ottie didnt cry, she could feel an
unfamiliar tingle of emotion in her core. &2ye,( 0ndrea said.
=ottie turned around. There was nothing more to say, no use prolonging it. 'he crossed the
common room slowly, taking in everything, trying to record it permanently into her memory.
'he swung open the door and e$ited through the old, grandfather clock without looking back.
The short walk to 7almyitors office was lonelier than anything =ottie could remember. 'he
felt as though she were marching slowly to her death, unarmed and unaided. When she
reached 7almyitors office door, she knocked and pushed it open.
7almyitor was dressed, as always, in immaculately pressed robes, today the color of a
midnight sky. When =ottie came in, 7almyitor didnt say anything, but presented her with a
new set of robes and a glass of muddy#looking potion.
=ottie changed wordlessly into the new robes and took the potion. &Wait,( 7almyitor said and
pulled a course hair from the desk. 'he dropped it in. nstantly, the potion changed
consistency. t was no longer thick like muck, but thin and tenuous, almost like water, but
with a slightly darker tinge.
=ottie drank it in one gulp and pursed her lips. t was not entirely revolting, but it had a
meager flavor of many things at once with a sour aftertaste. 'he waited until the
transformation finally began. Aust like she remembered, it was not very pleasant. 'he felt her
bones e$pand and her skin stretch taught along her face. Her hair grew longer and thicker,
and the world seemed to dim as her eyes darkened.
When it was over, 7almyitor tilted her head in the direction of a mirror, and =ottie e$amined
herself.
'haula 8arrow was about =otties height, but with much broader shoulders and a wider face.
=otties slightly crooked nose had curved into a graceful button shape, which was a little bit
too small for her wide face. Her eyes were dark, almost black, and set wide apart. Her hair
had changed from =otties thin blond to a thick, course mane of !et black. =ottie thought
'haula had a sort of sad appearance with her low cheekbones and drooping eyelids. The
dilapidated robes she wore did not help either.
=ottie turned back to 7almyitor whose eyes were set intently on her. &0re you ready%( she
asked.
=ottie nodded.
&*ou know your entire back story%(
=ottie nodded again.
&,emember that you are going to have to perform deeds you never imagined.(
=ottie had realized this all too clearly. 2eing a 1eath @ater meant killingIbut surely a few
"uggle lives were worth the freedom of the entire world.
&Here.( 7almyitor pushed a flask of 7oly!uice 7otion across the desk. &,emember to take it
once an hour, every hour. 1o not be conspicuous about it. f you begin to run out, we can
replace your supply.(
=ottie, unable to find words, !ust continued to nod as she slid the flask into her pocket. 'he
met eyes with 7almyitor and though both of them were employing sufficient .cclumency
against the other, they had a common understanding.
&/ood luck, ,owe.(
=ottie meant to thank her, but couldnt find her voice in her throat. 'he only nodded for the
final time, turned on her heel, and 1isapparated.
Chapter 2: Chapter $i%ty8One: ,ondon 0eadAuarter!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for being an e$cellent beta>
This chapter3s dedicated to the barista at my new favorite cafe>
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty#.ne; =ondon Headquarters
=ottie appeared in the center of a deserted, suburban neighborhood. The wind lifted the hem
of her robes and whipped them about her ankles. 'he glanced at her surroundings, tucking her
new, coarse, dark hair behind her ear. 'he had to find a 1eath @aterImaybe there would be
nearer to the camps%
'he began to walk in one direction, and looked carefully around her. 'he had never been
outside the camps for very long, and only now was the absurdity of the situation beginning to
dawn on her. Why did wizards need this much space%
'he did not have to wait long to find a 1eath @ater. 0 shout of, &Hey> Who are you%( froze
her in her tracks.
=ottie turned around and raised her hands to indicate that she meant no harm. 'he stood still
until the 1eath @ater reached her. 'he could tell !ust by looking at his eyes Fthe only visible
part of him beneath his maskG that he was not a high#ranking official? he was !ust one of the
dimwitted muscles.
&"y name is 'haula 8arrow,( =ottie said, and only for a moment, was taken aback by the
brusqueness of her own voice.
&8arrow%( The 1eath @ater leaned closer and e$amined her eyes carefully in some sort of
mockery of =egilimency. =otties .cclumency held true, even though she doubted that she
actually needed to block any of his attacks. He had probably seen others do this without any
real idea what it meant. &*oure not related to 0lecto and 0mycus, are you%(
& am.( =ottie pursed her lips, as though she were offended by the 1eath @aters question.
&"y father, 0crturusI assume you have heard of himIwas their first cousin.(
&ve heard of 0crturus,( the 1eath @ater grunted. &He wasnt one of our type, was he%(
&nsignificant,( =ottie said. &His support of the 1ark =ords movement was not as
enthusiastic as his cousins, if that is what you mean, but mine is.(
&*oure not a 1eath @ater, though.(
& have not been given that honor, no, must admit.( The words flowed naturally from
=otties tongue. 'he was almost surprised by how easy this was. & have been away. 0fter
leaving Hogwarts, went to 0merica and went to spread the 1ark =ords message.(
The 1eath @ater narrowed his eyes and straightened up, as if to e$amine her fully. &How do
know youre not lying%(
=ottie etched a casual smirk into 'haulas face. &Why would lie%(
The 1eath @ater apparently was unable to answer this question and shrugged. &'o what are
you doing out then, 8arrow%(
& was actually hoping to run into somebody like you,( =ottie said. &The trip to 0merica was
not going successfully and thought would be more useful here.(
&*ou want to !oin the 1ark =ords inner circle%( the 1eath @ater asked. &*ou realize that it is
an e$tremely difficult rank to achieve.(
=ottie raised her eyebrows. & might be successful,( she said simply. &f not, still want to
!oin. s there a headquarters where could speak with someoneIahImore official%(
The 1eath @ater clearly did not appreciate this, but couldnt find anything to disagree with,
so he !ust grunted dully. He turned around and shrugged in a direction to get her to follow.
=ottie ad!usted her robes slightly and walked behind him.
The streets they went through were equally as deserted. .nly once did they see anybody else
Ianother masked 1eath @ater who raised an arm in greeting. They got as far as the camps,
and walked around the gates periphery. =ottie looked resolutely ahead, trying to ignore the
dusty, grimy children, huddled by the edge.
This became increasingly difficult when the 1eath @ater turned and marched them through
the gate. -ow =ottie was here, her former home. 'he walked with blinders until they finally
reached a gathering of other hooded and cloaked 1eath @aters.
=ottie waited quietly in the background as the 1eath @aters conversed in low tones. 'he
mentally prepared herself to defense against =egilimency attacks. The 1eath @aters were
talking, casting dark glances at her.
&8arrow,( the first 1eath @ater finally said. t only took =ottie a split second longer to
respond to this new name. 'he approached the circle. &This,( the 1eath @ater gestured to the
figure on his right, &is 'everus 'nape. -o doubt youve heard of him.(
The shock =ottie felt rocket through her body was enough to catch her momentarily off
guard, but she quickly regained composure. &Who hasnt%( she said, giving the masked
'nape a wry smile.
'nape reached up and took his mask off. His usual curtain of black hair fell into his black
eyes as he surveyed her carefully. He smirked. )or a terrible second, =ottie thought he had
recognized her, but she regained her composure quickly. He was not doing =egilimencyIhe
didnt know who she was. &'o,( he said softly, &you are interested in !oining us officially%(
=ottie nodded.
&@$cellent. Thank you, 0rcher. =eave us.( The first 1eath @ater nodded and obediently
turned to leave. 'nape turned to the other 1eath @aters behind him and snarled, &*ou too.(
The others left more grudgingly, and it wasnt until they were well out of earshot that 'nape
inched closer and hissed, &Why have you come back%(
=ottie took a step away from him, trying to suppress her alarm &What do you mean%(
&*ou have been gone for years. -othing came of your mission to 0merica. We assumed you
had fled.(
& havent.( =otties gaze did not falter. &The 0merican "udbloods put up more of a fight
than had anticipated. wasIahIindisposed for quite some time before escaping.(
&They captured you%( 'napes eyes flitted between hers, trying to find some sense of a lie.
&*ou let yourself be captured by scum%(
&They put up an impressive fight. They took away my wand. @ven you could not have
escaped easily, as defenseless as was.(
'napes nostrils flared dangerously. =ottie was sorely tempted to perform =egilimency? she
had to find out who had let him outIwho the traitor wasIbut she knew that it would blow
her cover completely if she did. &How did you escape then%( 'nape finally asked.
& tackled one of them when they had their backed turned and wrestled the wand out of his
hands.(
'nape stood in silence for a long time. =ottie knew he was looking for somethingIanything
to suggest that she was lying, but he couldnt find it. &5ery well,( he said brusquely. &)ollow
me.(
With a knot loosening in her chest, =ottie trotted after 'nape as he walked back toward the
e$it of the camp. He took her through the deserted, urban streets until they reached an
underground entrance. They descended the steps into near darkness. =ottie followed the
minute light emanating from 'napes wand as they walked farther and farther into darkness.
&Who goes there%( called a harsh, distant voice.
&1ont be ridiculous,( 'nape hissed. He !erked his head toward a narrow tunnel way to their
right from which a glimmering light issued. He veered, and =ottie followed. They sauntered
along the slippery path, =ottie hoping the entire time that she would not trip. )inally, they
emerged in a wide chamber, lit by flickering torches. & come bearing fresh meat,( 'nape
said.
0 single 1eath @ater stood against the far wall. 0s he approached, =ottie thought she saw
something familiar in those silver eyesIbut it couldnt be "alfoyIhe had died. The 1eath
@ater reached up and removed his mask. t took all of =otties self control not to gasp. t was
"alfoy, !ust not 1raco.
& thought we have the entire list of recruits to the inner circle already,( =ucius said, his eyes
narrowing on her. &They came directly from Hogwarts. Who are you%(
=ottie opened her mouth to answer, but 'nape cut in. &'he does not come directly from
Hogwarts. 'he had a mission in the 0mericas and was assumed for dead.( He slid his gaze to
=ottie who stared resolutely back at him. &With her own cunning, she escaped. 0nd she
comes from noble blood. The 1ark =ord will be pleased to have a 8arrow back in the inner
circle.(
=uciuss eyes widened, causing his crows feet to deepen. &8arrow, you say% did not know
there were any alive.(
&-either did .( 'nape smiled though it seemed more like a leer. &f her blood and clever
escape dont make her an ideal recruit, we have many others who are in more trouble than
her.(
=uciuss frown lines deepened. & see,( he said. &*es. think the 1ark =ord will be pleased
to see you. 8arrow%(
&'haula 8arrow,( =ottie said swiftly, grating him a satisfied smile. &Thank you. want
nothing more than to be useful to the 1ark =ord in whatever way possible.(
&*ou may be more helpful than you know.( =ucius glanced behind him. &0nd you arrive at a
perfect moment, must say. Tomorrow we begin the process with the new candidates.(
&*es,( 'nape said, his eyebrows tightening curiously. &ts almost as if you planned this.(
&)ortune has been on my side,( =ottie said quickly, meeting his eyes. They stood staring for a
good minute. 0gain, =ottie could feel him trying to break into her mind, but she would not let
him.(
&Well,( =ucius finally said, &the recruits stay here, so we can keep anIahIcloser eye on
them. -o doubt you have no place to stay anywayIbutIlet me show you to the rooms.(
&Thank you.( =ottie smiled at 'nape before turning to follow =ucius down another narrow
hallway. 0s =ucius walked, his hood fell from his head, leaving his iron grey hair e$posed.
That image catapulted memories into =otties mindI1raco, first coming to 0lsemore, alone
and friendless, =ucius spotting 1raco at 2eau$batons, =ucius killing his own son. 0 lump
rose in =otties throat, but she forcefully repressed it. Here, standing before her was the man
who had killed her grandfather. t would be so easy to take revengeIbut then what% -o, the
only way she could really take revenge was to play her part well.
=ottie turned her attention to the tunnels around her. The flaming torches cast everything in a
sickly, yellow light and made shadows move on the wall. The ground seemed to be solid, but
=ottie thought she could hear soft crunches every time her boots made contact with it.
)inally, =ucius came to a stop.
&Here we are,( he said, indicating a row of battered doors to their right. =ottie scanned them
quickly and counted twenty doors.
&*ou are lucky,( =ucius went on as he approached the last door. &We have only one room
left.(
&)unny,( =ottie said. 'he watched him turn the rusty latch and swing the door open. He
inclined his head toward her and, taking that cue, =ottie inched inside.
The room was gloomy. 1arkness had trapped it, invaded every corner. 0 faint singed smell
inhabited the room, and with no windows along any of the stretches of dark wall, it festered.
0s soon as she stepped through the threshold, =ottie felt a tingling in her fingertips. 'he
wasnt sure whether it was the remnants of 1ark "agic that caused that, or if it was !ust her
own an$iety.
&Thank you,( she finally said, turning back to =ucius.
He !ust pursed his lips in return before spinning on his heel to leave. &.h by the way,( he
said, stopping and glancing back at her, &the candidates have a meeting tonightIwe will tell
you more of the process then.(
&/ot it,( =ottie said. &Thank you.(
=ucius nodded once and strode out of the room, letting the door slam behind him.
)ingers trembling, =ottie reached into her pocket and pulled out her flask. 'he took a swig of
the 7oly!uice 7otion before putting it away again. 'he made sure to hide it more carefully this
time, and fashioned herself a tie with which she could strap it to her calf. 'nape, she
remembered, was a 7otions "aster. f he ever saw the flask, he would know what it was
instantly.
=ottie sat down on the corner of the bed and rested her face in her hands. Her eyes had grown
accustomed to the darkness, and though there was no light, save for the minute amount of
torchlight seeping in from the crack beneath the door, =ottie could see quite clearly. 'he
didnt even want to imagine what the ne$t day would entailIsome sort of test, it seemed
like.
There was a knock at the door. =ottie picked her head up and blinked at it. &@rm, come in,(
she said tentatively.
The door opened. 'tanding in its frame was a boyI=ottie would almost have said child.
'urrounded by the orange light, his wiry silhouette stood in blackness. His hair was thin,
neither blond nor brown. His wide eyes wandered manically, and were set far into his head.
His thin lips twitched nervously as though he wanted to speak, but could not.
&Hi,( =ottie finally said.
The boy mumbled something indistinct.
&'orry%(
&I said you could use some light in here,( he said, a little louder, though =ottie still had to
strain to hear him. =ottie was not at all surprised by the high pitch of his voice or the thinness
with which he spoke.
=ottie shrugged. Without her approval, the boy pulled out a wand and flicked it. Two candles
appeared out of thin air. He flicked his wand again, and they ignited. His sheepish smile was
visible in the wavering light as he carefully balanced the candle on the tabletop.
The boy sat down without invitation on her bed ne$t to her, still smiling. His blue eyes were
so light that they seemed almost translucent. &Hi,( =ottie said again.
&Hello.(
0gain, there was silence. &m 'haula,( =ottie said. &'haula 8arrow.(
The boys pale eyes widened slightly at the nameIclearly it was a familiar one. &m 2ran,(
he said, his voice wavering. &2ran 2ennett. *ou !ust got here today.(
&*es.(
&ve been here for almost a week.(
=ottie glanced at him. t hadnt honestly occurred to her that he was here as a candidate as
well. He was too youngIhe could not have been older than twelve or thirteen. &*oure here
for training also%( =ottie asked, trying to sound as polite as possible.
&.f course,( 2ran said, completely unaffected by her confusion. & was all set to go back to
Hogwarts this year, but then the senior 1eath @aters came to our manor last week and said
that was a prime candidate to !oin the inner circle, so here am.(
&What year were you going to go into%(
&)ifth.(
=ottie raised her eyebrows. &*oure fifteen,( she said. 2ran nodded. &s it common practice
to take candidates out of school%(
&d never heard of it before. -ormally its !ust the top of the seventh years who get recruited.
-aturally, when my parents found out they were thrilled.(
=ottie nodded. & would imagine,( she said, trying to sound impressed, though she was
inwardly puzzled. Why did the 1eath @aters want this boy%
&2ut dont recognize you,( 2ran said. &*ou werent at Hogwarts last year.(
&-o, m older than that.( =ottie tapped her fingers against her knee. & was on a mission in
the 0mericas for a few years, but it collapsed. The rebellion there kept me as prisoner and
only !ust escaped.(
2ran leaned closer, frowning slightly. &What happened in 0merica%(
& dont want to talk about it,( =ottie said quickly, snapping her head toward 2ran. Aust as she
had hoped, that was warning enough and he didnt pursue the topic further. & !ust got back to
civilization todayIand first went right to try and !oin ranks.(
&0nd they let you be a candidate for the inner circle%( 2ran asked. &Aust like that%(
&*es,( =ottie said, not quite sure where his confusion was coming from.
&Thats weird.( =ottie did not want to ask why, since her lack of knowledge might be
suspicious. Thankfully, it was not a problem because 2ran, unprompted, e$plained, &<sually
they pick the recruits right out of the top of the class, dont they% dont think ve ever heard
of someone !ust asking to !oin.(
&"y escape from 0merica was no small feat, let me tell you,( =ottie said, contorting her face
into a grumpy e$pression. &ts probably more impressive than anything the other recruits
have done.( 2ran !ust nodded along with her as she continued, &-ot to mention my familyI(
&*eah, thought all of the 8arrows had died,( 2ran said with uncomfortable enthusiasm.
&"y family was e$traordinarily loyal to the 1ark =ord,( =ottie said. &-o doubt he would be
happy to have me.(
2rans reaction amused =ottie. He tilted his head back and his sunken eyes widened
dramatically. 'kimming the edges of his mind, she saw surprise, awe and a mild sense of
an$iety. =ottie smirked. & think may take a rest,( she said. & havent actually slept in a
long time.( 2ran nodded, though =ottie knew he couldnt fully grasp what she was feeling.
&8an you come knock on my door when its time to go to the meeting%(
&.f course.( 2ran took the cue and got to his feet. &ll see you soon.(
=ottie watched him leave and only when he shut the door behind him did she lie down
against the thin bed. The air around her was suffocating. 'he e$tinguished the candles and
locked the door with two flicks of her wand and shut her eyes.
=ottie woke to the sound of knocking. &'haula%( called 2rans fluttery voice. &'haula, we
have to go.(
&.hIyes.( =ottie got to her feet, and brushing her hair out of her eyes, moved to the door. 0
split second later, she froze, her hand still on the latch. 'he looked again at her hair. t was
blond. =otties eyes widened. 'he had transformed back.
&'haula%( called 2ran again.
&Hang on,( =ottie said, fumbling with the flask strapped to her leg. &m not dressed.( 'he
gulped down the 7oly!uice and waited until she saw her hair thicken and darken to !et#black
before opening the door. &'orry,( she said hurriedly to 2ran. & should have woken up
earlier.(
He looked at her with his wide eyes. &ts okay,( he said, though it was clear he didnt think
so. &We should !ust hurryIwere going to be late.(
=ottie put on an e$tra burst of speed and followed 2ran to the wide, empty chamber where
she had first met =ucius. 0 circle of cloaked figures stood in the center, with a gap !ust wide
enough for =ottie and 2ran to slip in.
&*oure late,( said a masked 1eath @ater. =ottie recognized =uciuss voice.
2ran opened his mouth to speak, but =ottie swiftly said, &0pologies. We took a wrong turn in
the tunnels.(
=ucius glowered at her, but could apparently not find anything wrong with that. &0s was
saying,( he seethed, &tomorrow we start recruitment. .nly the most talented and promising of
you will be brought into the inner circle.(
=ottie glanced at the faces around her. "ost of the candidates seemed to be around her ageI
seventeen or eighteen. 'he had to remind herself to look smugly superior, since 'haula was
actually quite a few years older. 0lmost everyone looked nervous to the point of being sick.
"aybe getting recruited would be more difficult than she had imagined. 'he wondered what
would happen if she didnt succeed in getting recruited.
&Tomorrow you will go to the filth camps with a member of the inner circle, where your
skills will be evaluated,( =ucius said, glancing at each of them in turn. &*ou have learned
how to perform the 8ruciatus 8urse and mperius curse at Hogwarts? we e$pect you to be
skilled with these. 0lthough we do not teach the Dilling curse in schoolIfor obvious reasons
Iyou will be e$pected to master it quickly.(
=ottie swore inwardly. t would be clear that she had absolutely no e$perience with these
curses the ne$t dayIthey would certainly be able to tell. Why hadnt 7almyitor prepared her
for this% 0t the very least, a warning would have been a nice gesture.
&0fter that we will begin with the Tasks,( =ucius resumed. &*ou will be issued a series of
complicated tasks, and only those who complete them in the least amount of time will be
inducted into the inner circle.( =ucius glared at them and hissed, &s that clear%(
@verybody in the circle nodded, though nobody spoke. &5ery well,( =ucius said. &*ou may
go. *ou are e$pected to be here at dawn. 0ny latecomers will beI( his eyes lingered over
=ottie and 2ran for a moment &Ipunished.(
The group broke off. =ottie followed everybody else to the recruits chambers, and without
bidding anybody a goodnight, slipped inside her room and locked the door. 'he muttered an
incantation that would fill her room with loud buzzing at si$ in the morning, and fell into an
uneasy sleep.
Chapter 3: Chapter $i%ty8Two: The Initiation
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 3m updating one more time before the queue closes> Happy holidays,
everybody>
Thank you to coolhPMMM for helping me like always> This chapter is dedicated to A,,
Tolkien, because he3s a pretty awesome guy>
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty#Two; The nitiation
=ottie stood in the blinding daylight of the "uggle camps with the other recruits. 'he
squinted as 'haulas thick, black hair whipped into her eyes. t was unusually chilly for a
'eptember morning, though the strong wind was certainly not a surprise.
0 circle of 1eath @aters stood across from the candidates. =ottie watched their robes whip
and brush the cobblestones in the breeze. They conversed in low tones as the recruits were
left to !ust stand there and wait. =ottie glanced at all of the other candidates. Their nervous
energy poured out from their eyes. 2rans hands were quivering and his nose seemed to
twitch as they stood in anticipation.
t occurred to =ottie that this might be the most e$citing moment in these peoples lives. They
had spent all of their school years studying, waiting and hoping for this. t also occurred to
her that she too had been waiting for thisIbut not to support to the 1ark =ordIto help take
him down.
)inally the circle of 1eath @aters disbanded. @ach one walked across to the line of recruits
and selected one? without a word, the two would depart. 0s soon as =ottie saw the tall, lanky
figure approaching her, she knew who it was. 'napes black eyes glimmered in the holes of
his mask. =ottie kept her face impassive as he stood in front of her until he !erked his head to
the side, and they went off through the winding "uggle camp.
&*ou can perform the mperius 8urse and the 8ruciatus 8urse, assume%( 'nape asked as
they walked. He took off his mask and glanced at her.
=ottie had to move twice as quickly as she normally would to keep up with his long strides,
and panted slightly as she said, &m a bit rusty, to be honest.(
'nape stopped moving. =ottie nearly ran into him, but managed to catch herself before a
collision. He stared at her carefully, the corners of his lips rising into what might have been a
smile. 0t that moment, it occurred to =ottie that he might know. What if he knew who she
was% 'urely, he would kill her on the spotIor maybe he would take her to the 1ark =ord to
be questioned. 'he breathed steadily and met his gaze. He was not able to break into her
mind, she knew, but maybe he could !ust sense who she was.
&.kay, 8arrowIwell start with the mperius 8urse first,( 'nape said, finally breaking the
silence. &7ick a piece of filth and try.(
=ottie moved slowly. "uggles littered the streets, all looking at her warily. 'he finally picked
a boy who looked about her age and approached him carefully. He stared at her with wide,
sunken eyes, but didnt do or say anything. =ottie wondered if he thought he was going to
die. 'he raised her wand and before the boys fear could grow any greater, she hissed,
&-mperio.(
-ot very much happened. 'he felt a surge of power run down her arm, but was unable to
channel it through her wand to attack the boy. He !ust blinked once before turning around and
starting to run.
&-mpedimenta.( =ottie caught him in his tracks and approached his frozen form.
&0 bit out of practice, see,( 'nape said scathingly. The "uggle boy was not able to move,
but his eyes swiveled madly in his sockets as he awaited his certain doom. 0gain a smile
crept onto 'napes face. &The theory of the curse is to control completely,( he said, &to hold
someones mind and not let it go. t is similar to the art of =egilimencyIif you are at all
familiar with the sub!ect.(
=ottie pursed her lips. 'he did not turn to 'nape and give him the clue he was searching for.
'he stared resolutely at the "uggle boy and said, &-ot very familiar, no. 2ut ll give it a
try.(
'he gripped her wand tightly and imagined herself breaking into the "uggles mind with
=egilimency. Harnessing that same energy, she hissed, &-mperio.( This time, it was easy.
'nape was right? it was blissfully similar to =egilimency. 'he poured her commandments into
the "uggles brain.
He put up no fight. 8almly, he began to skip at =otties commands and pranced in a circle,
before =ottie !ust let him stand blankly. 'he turned to 'nape with her eyebrows raised.
&t is all very well to make somebody look foolish,( he said, his eyes boring into hers, &but it
is much more difficult to make somebody do something against their prin%iples.( He spat the
word as though it burned against his teeth.
=ottie watched 'nape carefully as he surveyed their surroundings. 'he knew him well enough
by now to have a grim idea of what he was about to make her do. )inally, 'napes eyes
lingered on a figure leaned up against the side of a building. t was an old woman, dressed
completely in rags, who snoozed with her head lolling. 'nape turned his gaze back to =ottie
and said, &"ake him attack that.( He !abbed a thumb at the woman, who slept on, unaware.
=ottie used .cclumency on herselfIblocked her emotions and !ust told herself to do it.
'acrifices had to be made for the war. 'he instructed the "uggle boy silently, and with blank
eyes he obediently got to his feet and crossed to the woman.
The old woman woke from her nap and turned her gaze to the young man towering over her.
=ottie would have done anything to turn away and not watch, but she knew that she had no
choice. The boy promptly leaned over and delivered a sharp kick to the womans side.
'pluttering, she keeled over and groaned.
=ottie wanted to stop him here, but knew from the greedy look in 'napes eyes that this was
not enough. 'he !erked her wand, and like a puppet, the boy raised his hand and struck the
woman hard against the face.
&Have him finish her,( 'nape said, his voice barely above a whisper.
=ottie took the command and translated it to her victim. 'he did not let herself linger on it,
but instead !ust leapt over all emotions and based herself purely in fact. 'he held her wand
steadily at the boy and kept her eyes solely on him as he dealt several more sharp kicks to the
womans side.
The woman lay on her stomach, groaning and coughing. =ottie vaguely wondered what the
most painless way to do this was, but eventually decided.
)or the first time, the boy hesitated after =ottie issued her command. E#inish her, =ottie told
him, but again, he stopped. His thoughts were racingI=ottie could hardly distinguish one
from the otherIbut she held firm in her own message.
=ottie swirled her wand slowly, using her power to wipe his mind clear. n a calm tone, she
again told him, E#inish her.
t took a surprisingly long time. The boy seemed to reach down in slow motion, and as he
wrapped his fingers around her neck, he did so delicately. The force he e$erted was powerful,
and he held true through all of the womans flailing and writhing. @yes bulging, she gave one
last convulsion and then became still.
&/ood,( 'nape said. His voice was low, almost reverent. &=eave him.(
This was what =ottie had been dreading most. t was fine to make a mindless body do
something, but when the boy came to his senses and realized what he had doneI=ottie
couldnt even imagine the immensity of what he would feel. .bediently, though, she lifted
her wand.
t took the "uggle a second to snap out of it. He blinked, still crouched over the woman, and
turned his gaze downwards, to where his fingers were laced around her throat. =ottie saw the
change in his eyes instantly as he began to realize. 'he turned her back.
&'hall we move on%( 'nape asked. =ottie nodded mutely and they continued through the
camp. 'he tried to block what she had !ust done out of her mind. t had to happen, she knew.
Her !ob was more important than one "uggles life. 'nape walked ahead of her, and again,
=ottie struggled to keep up. &-ow the 8ruciatus 8urse is one you will be good at, 8arrow,(
he said after they walked about a mile. He stopped and turned to her. &t was a specialty of
your cousins.(
)or one wild moment, =ottie thought he actually had realized it was her and was talking
about Harry. 0fter half a second of panic, she realized that he meant 0mycus and 0lecto
8arrow and slowed her breathing. & see,( she finally said.
&t takes hatred.( 'nape glanced around at the surroundings as he spoke. =ottie noticed that
the "uggles who were out were slowly retreating into buildings or other places. &*ou have to
mean it to perform the curse well,( 'nape went on. &*ou have to want to hurt someone more
than theyve ever been hurt before. Why dont you try on that%( 'nape pointed behind him
with a long inde$ finger, where a young girl was peeking out from behind a dumpster.
=ottie pulled out her wand and tread over to the girl. 0ll she could hear was her own pulse
and dry breathing. The girl looked far too scared to move, her emaciated limbs quivering. 0s
=ottie looked at her, she thought the girl looked vaguely familiar, but could not think how.
'he was no older than twelve or thirteen, and looked even younger due to malnutrition.
&"ru%io,( =ottie hissed. 'he knew right away that it was not right. The girl shook and winced
in pain, but that was it. =ottie knew what the 8ruciatus 8urse didIand this wasnt even
close.
&*ou have to mean it,( 'nape whispered in her ear. =ottie !umped slightly. 'he had not even
heard him approach. &)ocus all of your energy on causing the most pain possible.
&"ru%io,( =ottie said again. &"ru%io8"ru%io>(
t was like something in the girl had snapped. 'he collapsed like a ragdoll and lay rolling and
twitching on the ground. Her screams were so earsplitting that it seemed like many people
were shouting all at once. =ottie felt the 1ark "agic through her wand and held it there.
&1o not relent,( 'nape hissed. &1o not let up.(
=ottie kept her wand straight, but had to block the girl from her vision by looking forcefully
ahead. The child wasnt screaming anymoreIher agony had gone beyond that. Her eyes
were thrown open wide and her mouth gaped open. Her muscles were still contracting
impossibly and every now and then a spasm would run down her spine, causing her whole
body to shake, and her head to slam against the pavement.
)inally, =ottie raised her wand. The girl stopped twitching, but her face remained the same,
e$pressing the impossible amount of pain she felt. 1arkness stained the back of her head, and
blood began to pool on the cement.
0 sound to her right drew =otties attention. 'nape was chortling. -ot once in her entire time
of knowing him had she ever heard him laugh, but now he wasIit was disturbing. He
surveyed the "uggle as though it were a piece of garbage that he had stepped on. &)inish it,(
he commanded.
This =ottie found easier to do. )or some reason, the finality of death seemed less cruel than
what she had already done.
&'(ada )eda(ra.( 0 burst of green light emitted from her wand, and a rushing noise rang in
her ears. t overtook the unknowing "uggle. Her e$pression did not change at all? her eyes
remained wide and her mouth continued to sag. 'he was dead before she even realized what
had happened.
&/ood,( 'nape said as he continued again across the road.
=ottie took a moment and looked down at the body before her. ,ealization hit her like a
wave. 'he had known the dead girl now before her. n the si$ years she had been gone, =ottie
had forgotten this face. The girl had only been si$ years old the last time she had seen her,
and had grown dark and melancholy since then. 2ut now =ottie knew without a doubt that
this was 7ip who lay before herI7ip who she had known and been friends with. =otties
stomach curdled.
&8arrow.( 'napes clear voice broke her focus. =ottie looked up. He stood several feet away
and watched her with raised eyebrows.
&'orry.( =ottie wrenched herself away from 7ips broken body and caught up with him.
&8ould it be true%( he said, watching her shrewdly. &*ou actually feel for the filth%( 0gain,
the corners of his lips hinted at a smile. &t seemed you have learned nothing at all.(
=ottie glanced at him, frowning. 'he thought, in the back of her mind, that she understood
what he meant, but it would only make sense if her had been talking to her, to =ottie. 2ut he
was talking to 'haulaIwasnt he% & feel confident now that remember those curses,( she
said carefully.
&/ood.( 'nape spun around and began walking in the other direction. &We have been here
for nearly an hour, and we need to meet up with the others.(
Her memory !ogged, =ottie reached into her pockets and took a quick sip of the 7oly!uice
7otion. 'he glanced at the strands of hair in her face and saw them darken slightly.
=ottie collapsed onto her bed when they reached headquarters again. 7hysical pain wracked
her body as though she had been the one to be hit by the curse. Her stomach churned slowly.
0ll of her .cclumens training still was not strong enough to prepare her for this. @ven her
most effective mental block could not prevent these images from emerging in her mind
repeatedly.
'he watched the "uggle boy forever strangling the old woman. Her eyes bulged out of her
sockets as she tried to gasp for help. 7ips staring face burned into =otties memory. Her eyes
were wide, confusedIwhy was this happening to her% 0nd she had died like that. 'he had
tied in terrible agony and had no idea, would never have any idea why.
=ottie was shaking. Her fingertips twitched as if she, herself, was under the 8urciatus curse.
Her eyes widened and narrowed maniacally. 0s if to confirm that she hadnt killed herself,
hadnt destroyed her own soul, she held her palm against her neck. The quick pulse was
steady, but uncomforting. Her stomach churned further.
=ottie rolled over, leaned over the side of the bed and vomited on the floor. 'till shaking, she
wiped her mouth with her sleeve and 5anished the mess with a wave of her wand.
'omething in her mind and heart seemed wrong, off. t was as if the act of torture, the act of
murder had destroyed a part of her. t was almost a physical pain. 0ndrea had once told her
that there were things worse than deathIcould this be it%
0nd despite all of this, her eyes stayed dry. =ottie sat up in the bed and took a few steadying
breaths. Whatever she had lost with that act was gone foreverIthere was nothing she could
do about it now. 'he listened to the rattling of her own sighing to calm herself. 'he knew that
she had to compose herself in order to remain hereIand if she could not remain here, there
would be no !ustifying what she had !ust done.
There was a knock at the door. &Hang on,( =ottie said. 8almly, she unscrewed the lid of her
flask, took a swig, and opened the door.
0gain, 2ran stood in the frame looking a little worse for wear. His eyes bulgedI=ottie
suppressed the memory of 7ips dead face. His fingers shook and twitched, and though
=otties were finally still, she sympathized with this feeling. 7redictably, he said, &ve never
killed anybody before.(
=ottie watched him darkly, her e$pression never changing. &/et used to it.(
&t !ust seemed so wrong,( 2ran went on, rushing inside and sitting on the ground across from
her bed, where she had !ust cleaned up the pile of sick.
&*ou are going to get us killed talking like that.( =ottie flicked her wand and made the door
slam shut. &1o you sympathize with the "uggle filth%(
&-oIbutI( 2ran looked around for something to help him. n that moment, it struck =ottie
how very young he seemed. &They hadnt done anythingIthe ones killed.(
&None of them have done anything,( =ottie said roughly. &0 few here and there try to start a
revolt, but for the whole, theyre !ust trying to survive.(
&Then why do we kill them%( 2ran asked. His eyes gleamed in the candlelight and he
contorted his face to suppress tears. & get why we kill the filth that tries to ruin our worldI
but why the innocent ones% Theyre !ust kids.(
=ottie, who had known this harsh reality since the day she was born, watched him carefully.
He had probably grown up in a comfortable mansion, had probably heard fairy tales of
wicked "uggles and how terrible their world had been before the 1ark =ord liberated
wizard#kind. This might have been the first time he had ever actually seen a "uggle.
&Well what did you think you would be doing%( =ottie finally asked. &"assaging the 1ark
=ords feet%(
2ran shrugged miserably, staring at the ground.
=ottie was at a loss for what to say. t seemed to be ridiculous to console this boyIto
convince him to do the very thing she was fighting against, but it was the only way to end it
in the long run. &f you want to keep the world the way it is,( she finally began, &this is the
way to do it. *ou have to show them whos in charge.(
2ran opened his mouth to speak, but =ottie interrupted him. &*ou know what the world was
like before the 1ark =ords reign, dont you% Why would you want that again%(
& dont, but dont want to +ill people.(
=ottie looked at him carefully. 2ran winced. 'he imagined that 'haulas glare was hard to
hold your own under. &Well,( she finally said, &*ou have to sacrifice something.(
Chapter 4: Chapter $i%ty8Three: The 3eath (ater9! Ta!/
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: hope everybody had a good holiday> plan on going back to my regular
updating schedule now that the queue is open again> 0s always, thanks to coolhPMMM for
being a great beta>
Aust a warning##this chapter Fand really the rest of the story from here on outG is a little bit
darker. 2uckle up>
This chapter is dedicated to "ark C. 1anielewski for producing one of the most stunning
pieces of literature have ever read.
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty#Three; The 1eath @aters Task
The ne$t morning, the recruits met again in the vacuous chamber. f they seemed nervous the
previous morning, it was nothing compared to this. Today, they had their official test?
whatever task the 1eath @aters assigned them had to be done before everybody else finished.
=ottie waited as the 1eath @aters conversed, and !ust like the day before, they broke apart and
each went to one of the recruits.
'napes black eyes seemed to glimmer maliciously as he approached her. 'he followed his
wide footsteps out of the chamber, through more tunnels to the world above.
&The other candidates,( he said as they walked toward the gate of the "uggle 8amps, &are
doing foolish, symbolic tasksIbut not you.( He stopped and glanced down at her. He wore
his 1eath @ater mask, so she could not see his face. &*oure actually going to do something
useful.(
He turned his face to the "uggle camp and watched its desolation for a moment before
moving again. 0s he unlatched the gate, he said, &'ome may say this is easier than what the
others are doing.( He pushed open the gate and let her walk ahead of him. & believe that it
will be infinitely more challenging.(
=ottie !ust watched him. 'he knew that there was a reason for why he had chosen her, and
why she was doing something different. &What is the assignment%( she finally asked.
&There have been rumors of another "uggle rebellion.(
The words hit =ottie square in the chest. 'he struggled to keep her face passive as she
listened to 'nape, though she knew e$actly what he was doing and why he was doing it.
&*ou need to find whoever is at the bottom of this,( 'nape went on, &by using whatever
means necessary.(
&0nd then kill them%( =otties voice did not reach above a whisper.
&2ring the filth back to us.( 'nape turned on his heel and began to stride away as he said,
&Well deal with them there.(
=ottie made sure that 'nape had reached the gate before turning to stare at the "uggle camp.
The urge to be sick bubbled in her stomach, but she repressed it. Her parents had been
planning a revolution. There was no way this was a coincidence. 'nape knew. 2ut she
couldnt failIthen 'nape would definitely know and she wouldnt get into the inner circle.
'acrificing strangers had been one thingIbut her own family%
'he looked at the ground. Time was running out. 'he couldnt be beaten by the others.
'lowly, =ottie glanced around her. t was possible that her parents werent the only ones
starting a revolt. "aybe she could find another "uggle.
=ottie looked at the desolation surrounding her. Where would she start% .ut of habit, she
began to walk towards her parents flat. The "uggles around her instinctively shrank into
shadows. =ottie kept walking. Her parents, she thought, were not the only ones involved in
this rebellion. f 'nape !ust wanted to watch her torture somebody, she could find one of the
others involved.
1ecided, =ottie stepped in front of the apartment building where her parents lived and cast a
1isillusionment 8harm on herself. 'he would wait.
0fter about twenty minutes, the door to the flat opened. 0 young womanImaybe in her
twentiesIpoked her nose out, decided it was safe, and stepped outside. =ottie acted instantly.
'he shed off her 1isillusionment 8harm and approached the woman with her wand e$tended.
&Who are you%( she demanded.
The "uggle froze in her tracks, her eyes wide and staring. &A#!ust a "uggle,( she stuttered.
&1oes it matter%(
=ottie brandished her wand again. &What are you doing here%(
& live here.( The womans eyes traveled from =otties wand back to her face. &7leaseIdont
kill me. was !ust going to try and find some water for my familyI(
The woman babbled on, but =ottie wasnt listening. 'he peered carefully into the womans
eyes and delved into her mind. The memories were strong, but nothing special. There was
fear, hatred, envy, but not a hint of a planned rebellion. =ottie emerged from the "uggles
mind and glared at her. &2e careful who you associate with,( she finally said. The woman
stared at her, until =ottie finally barked, &/o>(
The woman ran off. =ottie again cast the 1isillusionment 8harm on herself and waited. This
time it took much longer. The sun had already crept high into the sky by the time another
"uggle crossed by. This one was a man. His dark eyes flittered the street an$iously as he
approached the flat. @ven from a distance, =ottie could tell that he was the one she wanted.
&*ou there,( she called, casting off her charm and approaching him.
The man stopped in his tracks and turned to her, horror etched in every line of his face. &*#y#
yes%( he stammered.
&What are you doing here%(
&I liveI live here.( The man tried to smile, but =ottie could see his knees shaking. &
meanImy family doesI !ustII(
&'hut up.( =ottie looked into his mind, and sure enough, it was filled with thoughts of revolt.
'he searched carefully, and saw a few fleeting glances of her parents, but that was all. This
man did not even know their names. =ottie was slightly comforted. 'he could torture all of
the information out of him, but he still wouldnt !eapordize her familys safety.
'he pulled out of his mind and stared at him carefully. He was squat, shorter than her, but
powerfully built. His arms were as wide as her own thighs, and his neck was !ust as thick.
1espite this, he shook like a child in her presence.
&7#p#please,( he said, &let me g#go to my familyI(
&*our family does not live here,( =ottie hissed. &1o not lie to me. 2e quietIand come with
me.(
&-o>( )erocity sparked in the mans wild eyes. He leapt towards her, trying to use his
physical advantage, but =ottie flicked her wand and froze him in midair. He landed against
the pavement with an uncomfortable crack, and, clutching his elbow, began to moan.
&'hut up,( =ottie commanded. &)ollow me.(
&No.( The man struggled to his feet, using only his left arm. =ottie rolled her eyes. This
"uggle was !ust making everything harder on himself.
&0tupefy,( she growled. The man keeled over promptly and =ottie levitated his body before
her. "uggles gaped at her as she walked by. 'he was a strange sight, she knew, but still
glared at everyone who stared.
-egotiating her way down the stairs to the headquarters with the "uggle floating ahead of
her proved to be trickier than she had imagined. 0 good twenty minutes later, she emerged in
the large chamber. With a thrill, she realized that she was the first candidate there. 0 cloaked
figure in the corner glanced up when she entered. t was =ucius. =ottie grimaced at him and
flicked her wand. The limp "uggle fell to the ground with a crash, but did not wake.
&0hIour untraditional candidate has arrived,( =ucius said, e$amining the unconscious
"uggle with a distasteful e$pression.
&0m the first one%( =ottie asked.
=ucius looked up. &0lways the competitive one, are we% *es, you are the first one.(
=ottie let a grin crack 'haulas serious face. &/reat,( she said. &-ow what%(
&-ow we wait for the others.( =ucius glanced at the "uggle. &0nd question this so we can
end this rebellion once and for all.(
=ottie crossed her arms and leaned against the bare wall. &The rebellion has been a problem%(
she asked.
=ucius shrugged. &Well weve taken care of it before. t was !ust a little movementIpicking
off wizards one by one. 2arbaric, really. 2ut they !ust seem to be gathering steam. We killed
the entire original groupIor at least we thought so, but the attacks are not ending.(
=ottie couldnt help but feel a small swell of pride for her parents. They had been actually
making a difference. 0nd the best part was that the 1eath @aters thought they that were dead
anywayIso any memories of them would not get them killed. )eeling somewhat less
nauseated, =ottie sat down against the wall and waited.
t must have been two hours until anybody else showed up. n moments when =ucius glanced
away, =ottie took inconspicuous sips of her 7oly!uice, praying he wouldnt notice. )inally,
footsteps approached and 2ran entered, carrying a limp childs body. =ottie carefully moved
her gaze to her boots as 2ran laid his "uggle ne$t to hers. With an uncomfortable pang,
=ottie realized that the child was not breathing.
&*ou finished first,( 2ran said, his voice hushed in almost a reverie.
&*es.( =ottie turned to him. t seemed impossible to her that this weedy, nervous boy was
capable of killing an innocent child. 'he looked at the little girls face. ts eyes were still wide
open, but they were glazed over. 'he had a terrible look of pure horror etched into her
e$pression.
2y then, others also began to arrive. t didnt take long until there was a whole row of
children, all with looks of terror and all dead, lying on the ground. 0s if on cue, 'nape
entered from one of the long, narrow tunnels and e$amined each body carefully before
turning to =ottie. &*ou were the first to arrive,( he said.
&*es.(
&*ou were the first to arriveIand arguably you had the hardest task.( 'nape stepped away
from the row of bodies and advanced toward her. &8arrow,( he told the others, &had to go
through the entire camp to find the source of this pitiful, "uggle revolt. 'he finished in
record time.( He turned his gaze back to =ottieIhis eyes bored into her, but she met his gaze
with her .cclumency. &How did you do it%(
&7eople tell their secrets quickly with a little bit of en%ouragement,( =ottie said carefully.
& see.(
=otties heart rate slowed. 'he couldnt let 'nape know that she had used =egilimencyIthen
he would definitely know it was her.
&=ets see what the "uggle has to say.( 'nape pulled out his wand. &!ener(ate.(
The "uggle woke with a loud, shuddering gasp. His eyes flew madly in his sockets and, once
he saw the 1eath @aters surrounding him, he scrambled to his feet. =ottie didnt think she had
ever seen fear like that. t poured out of his eyes so strongly that even she felt it. &Wh#where
am %( he demanded.
&'hut up.( 'nape stepped forward with his wand e$tended. &*ou are involved in a plot to
overthrow the 1ark =ords reign.(
&-oImIm notII(
&0e%tumsempra.( 0 gash appeared across the mans cheek. 1ark blood spilled down his face
and stained his shirt. &Tell the truth.(
&m not.(
'nape rolled his eyes. &*ou are weak and you are pathetic. We will get the truth from you.(
&-oI(
&"ru%io.(
The mans shrieks echoed in =otties own heart. 'he wanted to look away, but knew she
could not. The man was crying. =ottie had never seen a grown man cry like that. Tears rolled
endlessly down his cheeks, mingling with his blood. &7lease,( he sobbed. His arms flailed
helplesslyIhis legs curled up beneath him. &7#p#pleaseIstop.(
'nape raised his wand. &*ou want to talk%(
&*esIpleaseIanything.( The man lay on his hands and knees, groveling at 'napes feet.
&*ou have participated in these wizards murders%( 'nape asked.
The man hesitated, but, seeing 'nape reach for his wand again, nodded. &*esIIyes.
have.(
n the corner, =ucius scoffed. =ottie wasnt sure whether it was of disgust or celebration.
&0nd what was your goal in these barbaric actions%( 'nape continued.
The man sobbed harder. & dont knowII!ust thoughtI(
&"ru%io.(
The man screamed again. His eyes rolled into his skull as his body shivered and contorted in
pain.
&Tell me,( 'nape growled, lifting his wand. &f you continue to waste our timeI(
& didnt wantI wanted to help,( the man spluttered. His body still shook even though there
was no curse upon him. & wanted to stop this once and for all. am treated like an animal.(
The man, still on the ground, crawled toward =ottie, his eyes wide and pleading. &lease.(
He reached up and put a hand on the hem of her robe.
&1ont touch me.( =ottie almost hated herself for it, but she had to play her part
convincingly. 'he delivered a well#aimed kick to the "uggles shoulder, causing him to howl
in pain.
&"ru%io.( 'nape was unrelenting. =ottie watched him, and could feel the !oy in his eyesIhis
love for causing pain, for dominating. The man had almost gone hoarse from screaming.
Whatever noise he made was halfway between a bark and a sob. &1o not touch us, filth,(
'nape said. &*ou are swine. *ou only pollute the worldI(
&No.( The man had pushed himself up to standing and clumsily tried to launch himself at
'nape. His eyes flew open wide and his mouth contorted with a silent scream. 2efore he
reached 'nape, there was a bang and he was blasted off his feet.
&"ru%io.(
'creams.
=ottie looked at the faces of those around her. "ost of the recruits watched eagerly, taking
mental notes on 'napes performance. 2rans whole body quivered, though whether it was in
fear or !oy, =ottie didnt know. 'he turned her gaze to =ucius, who seemed almost bored,
watching this dully, numb to suffering by now.
&"ru%io.(
"ore screams.
=ottie wondered how long it would be until the "uggle !ust died. 'nape seemed to have this
thought as well, because once the mans scream became entirely silent, he lifted his wand.
The "uggle no longer made any noise, but stared at the ceiling with vacant eyes. His whole
body still shook, and drool rolled down his chin.
&=ost his mind,( 'nape growled, stowing his wand back in his pocket. He picked his head up
and looked at the recruits as if noticing them for the first time. &ts not wholly uncommon.
ts a shame we cant get more information out of himIbutI( He performed a
noncommittal gesture and pushed the unknowing "uggle over with his feet. &That is enough
for today, think.(
The recruits slowly disbanded and began down the narrow tunnel to their bedrooms. =ottie
hesitated and watched 'nape, who had moved toward =ucius and spoke with him in a low
tone. 0 nudge in the ribs from 2ran brought her back to her sense, and with one fleeting look
at 'nape, =ottie followed 2ran.
'he knew that she ought to feel relieved, but for some reason, she didnt. The "uggle had
lost his mindIhe was uselessIa void of information that could have been helpful, but was
now lost. Her parents were safe. 2ut something still nagged the back of her mind. 'nape did
not have a look of defeat that she would have e$pected. =ottie was filled with ill ease. He
looked like he was still up to something.
=ottie reached her room and pushed the door open with her shoulder. 'he wanted to go back
to 0lsemoreIto talk to 7almyitorIto see if maybe there was anything they could do to
protect her parents. t was no use though. 'he couldnt leave nowInot when she could be
called on at any minute. @ven if she %ould, though, 7almyitor wouldnt do anything. 'he
would !ust talk about sacrificeIask what was worseIthe 1ark =ords reign or losing a life
here and there%
=ottie sat down on her bed and buried her face in her hands. t was very easy for almyitor to
sayIas she comfortably ran the war from her office. 'he wasnt the one who had to sacrifice
her life, her friends, her family or, =ottie thought bitterly, her soul.
&Why was your task different%(
=ottie picked her head up. 2ran stood in the doorway, leaning awkwardly against the frame.
'he wondered whether he had been standing there the entire time. & dont know,( she finally
said. Her voice came out cracked, hoarse. &m older. That could have something to do with
it.(
2ran took a step into the room and =ottie sat up formally. & dont think it does,( he said
boldly. &0nd why do you always work with 'nape% The rest of us switch advisors, but not
you.(
=ottie ground her teeth and chewed on the inside of her lips to contain her frustration. 'he
merely shrugged. &He knew my family. am the last of the 8arrows. *ou may have pure
blood, but it is not as significant as mine.( 'he smiled in a mocking of sweetness, doing her
very best to offend him as much as possible. &"aybe thats why.(
2ran stood directly across from her in an attempt to intimidate. t was not very effective,
since, even sitting down, she was still taller than him. & dont think so.( He narrowed his
eyes shrewdly. &*ou always look like youre hiding something.(
&'o you do not trust me%( =ottie asked, cocking her head to the side.
&-o, dont think do. There is no good reason why you should get special treatment. think
there is something going on between you and 'nape.(
=ottie watched 2ran carefully. 0lthough he spoke calmly, his eyes were full of rage. 'he
could understand whyIhe had waited his whole life for thisIhe had trained for yearsIhis
dreams had come true when he got recruited at such a young ageIbut it was all ruined by
=ottiesIor 'haulasIappearance. He was supposed to be the best, but she beat him at
everything.
&t is a shame you dont trust me,( =ottie finally said, &but it is the 1ark =ords opinion that
mattersInot yours. - finished first today.(
&*ou had an unfair advantage,( 2ran hissed. &*our task was easierIyou had 'nape helping
you.(
&1o you listen% 'nape said my task was the most difficult, and yet still beat you.(
&t was unfairI(
&=ife is unfair.( =ottie got to her feet and advanced. 2ran backed down with each of her steps
until he was out in the corridor. &f it were fair, then there would be no magicIor e(eryone
would have magic. 1o you think life is fair for "uggles%(
&That filth,( 2ran spat, &theyre animals.( His eyes gleamed savagely. The propaganda of his
childhood spoke through him. &Theyre lucky to have us watching over them.(
&0re they%( =ottie asked. 'he had an understanding that he would never have. 'he had a
vision of every part of the war. =ran lived a comfortable life in a mansion. He had no concept
of the world around him.
&What you are saying,( he hissed, &is madness. t could get you killed.(
&Well then go run to the grownups,( =ottie sneered. &f you think they will save you, why
fight with me yourself% =ook around. *oure not at Hogwarts.(
2ran sucked his lips into his teeth. His face was slowly purpling with rage. He took a step
back and said, &ll figure out whats going on.(
&.kay, great.( =ottie watched him retreat to his own room. &'oon youll find it is merely the
favoritism of my ancestors, but feel free to waste your time.(
=ottie slammed the door and once again sat down on her bed. What she had done was foolish
Ishe knew it. 2ut 2ran had come a little too close to the truth with his accusations. =ottie
lay back in her bed and heaved a sigh. The initiation, at least, was nearly over.
'he woke to loud banging on her door. =ottie sat up and rubbed her eyes. t only took her a
moment to realize that she was herself once again, and quickly downed a swig of 7oly!uice.
&*eah%( she said groggily, opening the door.
0 clump of 1eath @aters stood there, all masked and cloaked. &8ome,( said a voice from one
of them. =ottie couldnt tell who was speaking. &*ou are to prove your devotion to the 1ark
=ord.(
=ottie couldnt find her voice, so merely nodded. 'he pulled on her own cloak and though she
had no mask, dragged the hood over her forehead. They retrieved the others after herI
though not everybody. n the end, only seven of the original candidates stood with her. 2ran,
unfortunately, was included.
0s soon as the group had been assembled, they began to move. =ottie, somehow, knew what
horrors were about to occur. 'he repressed her fears and followed the rest up the tunnels and
into the open air. The crisp night bit at their noses and fingers, but nobody shivered. =ottie
felt a chill in her core, but it wasnt, at least she didnt think it wasnt, from the foggy,
=ondon air.
0s a single unit, the pack began to move. =ottie saw the camp gates looming in the distance
and felt a dark resolve. 'he knew almost instinctively where they were going, and what they
were going to do. Horror filled her like a thick, vicious and biting liquid. 'he was going to
commit terrible, inhuman acts tonight.
-one of the recruits were speaking. =ottie looked at the same resolution on their faces and
wondered whether she looked the same. 0 1eath @ater in front opened the gate to the camp,
let them all file in, and shut it again.
=ottie walked in with the others. They followed a familiar path and she knew instinctively
where they were going. Her heartbeat quickened and something hot burned like acid in her
throat, but she ignored it. 'he had to, she kept telling herself. This was her role. 'he had to
play her part. 'acrifices had to be made.
They came to a stop in front of the familiar building and =ottie felt her heart harden. Her
parents flat was still and quiet, as if egging them on, taunting them with its serenity. 0nd
again as a single unit, the 1eath @aters and =ottie advanced.
'omebody in front kicked open the door. They filed through the narrow corridor until
reaching the entrance to =otties former home. Her heart pounded in her throat as they stood
there, waiting in silence. 'he wanted to be sick again. 'he wanted to faint now, to die nowI
anything to escape what had to be done.
The 1eath @ater in front blasted the door off its hinges.
"uggles were crammed into the tiny apartment. They raised their heads as one at the noiseI
their eyes widened at the mass of blackness. The 1eath @aters advanced with shouts,
brandishing their wands. =ottie too filed into the room, but did not draw her wand.
'parks and !ets of light zoomed through the air. =ottie saw her father rise from his chair and
run toward her mother. n the chaos of death, they were lost for a moment, able to say their
last goodbyes. =ottie could see their mouths moving, whispering, E- lo(e you, or maybe
Egoodbye. 'he was not able to hear them.
0 wizard drew his wand on them. -athaniel wrapped his body around 7osys protectively,
acting as a human shield. His eyes were open, staring resolutely at his to#be murderer. The
1eath @ater shouted something. =ottie saw the green light reflect in her fathers eyes before
he collapsed.
'he stood mutely, numbly, unable to think, unable to comprehend what had !ust happened.
'omebody hit her elbow. 0 masked wizard was shouting at her, but the words did not reach
her brain. @verything seemed to stop as she stared at her fatherIher father who had always
seemed stronger than herIlying dead on the floor. The 1eath @ater hit her elbow again.
'lowly, =ottie turned her gaze to him. He drew his finger and pointed at the mass of "uggles
yet to be slaughtered. =ottie moved into the fray.
'he killed quickly and cleanly, forgoing the 8ruciatus curse and trying, in her own way, to
give the "uggles as dignified a death as possible. The line of humans became a pile of
bodies. There was stillness.
The 1eath @aters looked at each other, unable, due to masks, to see each others faces, but
acknowledging a !ob well done. 'lowly, one man raised his right hand and drew his finger to
point at the opposite wall.
'omething stirred there. =ottie recognized the limp body of her father being moved by some
life underneath. =ottie shut her burning eyes for a minute and willed whoever it was to stop,
to play dead.
2utIshe wouldnt. 7osy ,owe rose from the pile of dead, eyes streaming with tears. Her
mouth was moving, contorting with shouts or pleas or curses. =ottie couldnt hear. -oise was
drowned out by her own ragged breath, her own pounding pulse, as she watched her mother
cry helplessly.
=ottie remained as one of the mass. 'he watched as her mothers gaze moved along all of the
wizards faces. When 7osy and =otties eyes met, for one horrible minute, =ottie thought she
saw a glimmer of recognition. That look disappeared and was soon replaced with hatred. 0nd
for that one moment, =ottie felt the urge to break through the wizards, to stand with her
mother, tell her everything would be okay, die with her. 2ut she knew she couldnt.
7osy shouted more. 'till, =ottie could hear nothing. The 1eath @aters e$changed glances.
=ottie felt entirely numb. 'omebody stirred behind her, and a figure broke through the mass
to stand in front. 7osys mouth moved more, but she wasnt begging. The wizard raised his
wand. /reen burst from it and wrapped around her mother. =ottie saw the instant the life
disappeared from her eyes, the instant all hope was lost.
0nd, in that instant, all sound came rushing back to her. 'he heard the cries and celebrations
of her fellow wizards? she heard laughter? she heard the unrelenting silence of the dead. The
figure in front turned so that =ottie could make out his face. 2ran stood with his teeth bared,
though whether it was a grin or malice, she couldnt tell.
The 1eath @aters left the apartment again as one. =ottie walked with them, though she felt
oddly disembodied. 'he was aware of the physical reactions taking place inside of her, but
could not feel them. 'he was the last to leave the tiny flatIher former home where she had
grown up. 'he swung the door shut behind her, and without looking back, !oined the 1eath
@aters.
Chapter 5: Chapter $i%ty8Four: The 6ar/
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for beta3ing this chapter>
This one3s dedicated to 'ergei =ukyanenko because his Night Wat%h series is simply great.
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty#)our; The "ark
The march back through the camp was !ubilant. 2ran, in front, leapt every other step, and
blasted "uggles to their death in celebration. The older 1eath @aters walked with calm
confidenceIthey had done this many times before, and did not have feelings quite as strong.
=ottie stayed in the center of the group, drawing no attention to herself, and grinning at the
others to keep her performance seeming authentic.
The masked man a few paces ahead turned to face her, and =ottie recognized 'napes eyes
instantly. They bore into her and, though she was filled with emotional turmoil, her
.cclumency held true. 1espite this, he fell back, and taking his cue, =ottie slowed her speed
to meet his.
'nape slipped off his mask. The e$pression on his face was one of minute details. =ottie did
not bother trying to read it, but focused on her own ragged breathing. &f you want to be
sick,( he finally said in a low tone, &1o it nowIbefore you go to see the 1ark =ord.(
=ottie looked at him and quickly the base of her stomach filled with gratitude. His warningI
had it been that%Iintentional or not had probably saved her life. 'he took his implied
permission and fell back from the group.
'he only needed a moment, she knew. 'he slipped into an alley and leaned against the wall.
'he was not going to cry? she was not going to throw upIshe !ust needed a moment to
collect herself. The memory of what had !ust happened whirred in her head, but she silenced
it. There would be time to mournIbut now was not it. f she showed one hint of weakness in
front of the 1ark =ord, her life would end.
'he swallowed the bile that had collected in the back of her throat. 'he swallowed whatever
emotions she felt along with it, and trotted to catch up with the group.
2ran was still in the leadInow he was singing. .ne of the other recruits sang along with
him, as they marched and shot sparks from their wands. =ottie could see the glint of blood
thirst in their eyes. 2y the time they reached the gates of the camp, a senior 1eath @ater had
taken the lead. He opened up the gate, let them pass through, and shut it again behind them.
2y that point everybodyIincluding 2ranIwas silent. =ottie wasnt sure whether they knew
what was ahead of them or not. Had 'napes advice broken some unspoken rule% Were they
supposed to arrive at headquarters and be shocked by the 1ark =ords presence% Whether or
not they knew, 2ran and the other five recruits had accumulated an air of solemnity. =ottie
glanced at 'nape who was walking a little ways ahead of her. He had definitely saved her life
by warning herIbut had he done it on purpose% 1id he know it was her% Was he trying to
save 'haula or =ottie%
=ottie let these thoughts carry her back to the tunnels of headquarters. They followed the
paths silently and finally reached the large, empty chamber. <nlike before, it was completely
dark. =ottie blinked furiously, but her eyes simply would not ad!ust to the pitch black. The
others moved with seemingly no problem. 'he let herself be !ostled into place, and finally,
when all was still, she waited.
)lames leapt up from seemingly nowhere. =ottie looked around. The orange glow glimmered
off the 1eath @aters metal masks. t shone in 2rans eyes. They stood in a circle, she
noticed. -obody moved.
)inally a voice spoke. &*ou have been summoned here because you are the best.( The voice
was high, cold, and uncomfortably familiar. =ottie looked for its source, and found it. The
1ark =ord stood in a gap in the circle. 'he wondered how he had gotten there without anyone
noticingIor whether he had !ust always been there. His red eyes shone brighter than the fire
behind him.
&*ou have shown the most talent, through your years at schooling, and he most aptitude in
these trials,( the 1ark =ord went on. His eyes lingered on each of them in turnIeach of the
unmasked recruits. =ottie felt his eyes slide on to her, and felt a wave of vulnerability. 'he
stared back at him, trying to look neither confrontational nor meek. Her .cclumency held
true, and he turned his gaze to another of the recruits.
)inally, after a prolonged silence, he spoke again. &*ou are the few chosen to be in my inner
circle. The few worthy of the /ar+ Mar+.(
=ottie again glanced at the others. Their eyes were filled with such wonder that she was
momentarily disgusted. 2ran openly wept. 5aguely, she hoped she looked appropriately
happy enough, and contorted her face into a stupid grin !ust for good measure.
The 1ark =ord spoke again. &*ou have shown devotion so far in your livesIbut your trials
are not over.( =ottie watched him carefully. t seemed so easy right now to !ust draw her
wand and kill him. 'he knew how to, and was certainly capable. 2ut she reminded herself of
the Horcru$es. t would do no good without destroying them first. 'he wondered if she would
still be alive by the time they were all finished. f she was, maybe she could be the one to do
itImaybe she could be the one to kill him once and for all.
&2ennett,( the 1ark =ord hissed.
2ran picked his head up before crumpling to the ground and crawling toward his master,
kissing the hem of his robe and repeating, &Thank you, my =ord. Thank you.(
&@nough.( The 1ark lord held up a narrow, white hand. &*ou have shown talent in all of
your years of schoolIso much, in fact, that we decided that you would be more useful here.
*ou have a great capacity, 2ennett. /ive me your arm.(
Tears poured down 2rans cheeks as he rolled up the sleeve of his robe and e$tended his left
arm. =ottie thought he looked absurdly stupid, but, she thought grimly, she probably had
never seen such uncontained !oy in her entire life.
The 1ark =ord was murmuring somethingIit was not any incantation that she recognized,
and it was much longer, more like a chant than a spell. His long, spidery hands moved
rhythmically over 2rans white skin, and the chant grew in volume. =ottie turned her
attention to 2rans face and saw that his tears continued to fall, though his e$pression was
now still. He looked as if it were !ust dawning on him how painful this was. The tears flowed
down his face harder nowIif that was possible, but he his face remained frozen, in awe, !oy
and pain. )inally, a flash of white light blinded =otties eyes, and was gone in an instant.
2ran drew his arm instinctively away from the 1ark =ord? he was now sobbing in earnest.
His right hands knuckles were white as he clutched the new brand, which glowed red, before
fading to !et#black. There was a moment of stillness. The other recruits stared at 2ran, who
was now shaking, though from pain or !oy, =ottie was not sure. He !oined his place back in
the circle, after sensing his cue and there was more silence.
&8arrow,( the 1ark =ord finally hissed. =ottie shut her eyes, took a breath, and advanced. 'o
many thoughts flew through her mind at once that they were deafening to the point of silence.
-ow was not the time to feel overwhelmed. =ottie stared resolutely at the 1ark =ord. 'he
wasnt entirely sure whether 2rans actions were compulsory or over the top, so she
compromised. With considerably more dignity than her predecessor, =ottie knelt down,
murmured, &Thank you, my =ord,( and kissed the hem of his robe.
The words felt horribly strange on her lips and her tongue burned as though it were on fire.
'he ignored every feeling and pushed herself up, meeting the 1ark =ords scarlet gaze.
He was performing =egilimency, but thankfully, =otties .cclumency, even in that crucial
moment, was sufficient. 'he vaguely recognized that his =egilimency was not as probing as
'napes, but ignored the thought.
&*ou were chosen for you noble blood.( The 1ark =ords voice created goose bumps on the
back of =otties neck. This seemed like something almost out of a nightmareIthe circle of
masked 1eath @aters, the glimmering fire, the red eyesIshe seemed incredibly vulnerable,
and impossibly in control at the same time. &*ou quickly proved yourself worthy of your
ancestry,( the 1ark =ord continued. &*our arm.(
=ottie obediently rolled up the sleeve of her robe. 'he took a final look at her unmarked flesh,
and looked back up. 0gain, the 1ark =ord whispered his incantation. 0t this distance, =ottie
could recognize the clarity in his voice, as though he were hissing straight into her ear. 'he
saw now that his hand movements were not random or simple, but precise and unimaginably
comple$.
'he was aware of a wild burning sensation on her skin. 0t first, it did not bother her, but felt
like a small tingle, or a constant state of goose bumps. 'oon enough, though, it became
downright unbearable. t felt like the 1ark =ords long fingers were dragging knives of fire
across her arm. =ottie was no longer aware of anything but the horrible sensation. 'he
gnashed her teeth, but kept her eyes resolutely dry. The 1ark =ords voice seemed to be
growing louder, almost to a shout, where it filled her completelyIall she could hearIall she
could feel.
t stopped suddenly. =ottie took a moments pause and looked down. ,ed glowed on her skin,
but quickly faded to black. 'he saw this intricate pattern, and it seemed to mark her very soul.
Wordlessly, she stepped back into the circle and let the others have their turn.
'he paid them little mind. 'he looked down at the 1ark "ark on her flesh and e$perienced a
visceral reaction. 1espite her best efforts to suppress everything, this physical change in her
caused thousands of emotions to resurface. 'he had killedIshe was a murderer. 'he felt a
terrible, pulsing pain, somewhere she could not locate. Her parents had diedIand it was her
fault. 'he might as well have fired the curse herself.
0s she gazed down on the black "ark, =ottie tried to remind herself that she was doing this
for the warIwas doing this to end the 1ark =ords reign. 2ut why had she agreed to help
0lsemore in the first place% To keep her family safe. 2ut she had sacrificed them to do her
!ob. What should she have done% Would there be any point in winning the war if everyone
died in the process%
=otties stomach churned uncomfortably, and she felt an almost overwhelming need to throw
up. 'he was vaguely aware of memories stirring in her thoughts, but they were nothing
compared to the physical pain she felt.
0 memory came swimming back into her mind. t was so real that she almost completely lost
sight of the world around her. Her cerebral e$perience almost became realIand =ottie was
overcome by the wariness and hunger she had felt at the time. n her memory, 'nape stood
across from her, right after she had successfully blocked him with .cclumency, and said
simply, &2hats it.(
The memory evaporated and =ottie blinked in the present. The 1ark =ord was now marking
the final recruit. 'he turned her gaze to the present#time 'nape, who stood masked on the
1ark =ords right side. He was already staring at her, his black eyes glimmering. 0s they met
each others gaze, =ottie felt suddenly and horribly vulnerable. 'he hastily strengthened her
.cclumency and right when she did, 'nape turned his gaze back to the final recruit.
The last candidate was branded, and the 1ark =ord gazed at each of them in turn. &*ou were
given this gift,( he said, &because of your proven dedication to me. 1o not let it falter.( With
that, he spun around with a rustle of his cloak and disappeared into darkness. The circle broke
up promptly, and =ottie silently followed the flow of traffic back to the recruits chambers.
'he did not speak to anybody, but went back to her room. 'he locked the door. Her
determined stoicism was rapidly evaporating. Horrified, =ottie tried to cling onto it, to cling
onto what gave her the power of .cclumency, but it was crumbling quickly. The black skull
on her forearm stared up at her.
=ottie unrolled her sleeve to block it from view, but it was, if anything, more present. The
smell of her own burnt flesh stung her nostrils. The "ark itchedIor stung, maybe? it felt so
foreign. 'he couldnt stop running her fingers over it as she realized with sinking horror, that
she would have this for the rest of her life.
'he wanted to throw up. t seemed like this was a "ark on her soul, not on her bodyIan idea
she would have scoffed at before, but now she understood intimately. The corners of her eyes
tingled curiously, and she realized that she was on the brink of tears. =ottie couldnt
remember the last time she cried.
'uddenly the impact hit her like a waveIsquare in the chest. 'he doubled over with the blow
and wrapped her arms around her stomach. The images that she had suppressed rose suddenly
and overwhelmed her vision. This regurgitation of memory made her head spin.
'he saw 2rans faceIsuddenly alive with blood thirst, as he killed her mother. 'he saw her
father, bravely, stoically step in front, sacrificing himself. 0nd they had killed himIshe had
killed him. 'he could have stopped it all. 'he hadnt. 0n audible groan escaped her lips and
she moved her shaking hands to her face. t was wet with tearsIthe salt stung her raw
cheeks.
'he thought of 0ndreaIshe thought of 8olm and realized that she had no idea where they
were right now. Was 8olm at school or with the werewolves% Had 0ndrea been given a
mission% Were they even ali(e%
0ll of her lifeIor virtually all of itIhad been spent preparing for this. 'ince the beginning,
7almyitor had singled her outIchosen her. 2ut why% Why had she been chosen% Why not
0ndrea instead% "emories clouded her vision and she saw a resolute 0ndrea, nobly refusing
to use 1ark "agic. Was that why =ottie had been chosen% Her capacity for cruelty% That
phrase struck a curious cordIand she remembered where it had come from. 1ewittIa 1eath
@aterIhad said themIhad told her that she over all others had the innate ability to kill. Was
that why one had been chosen% 7almyitor had taught her for thisIshe suddenly felt like a pig
raised for slaughter.
With a rush of determination, she stood up. 'he could not see herself, but imagined how
strange she looked crying. Had anybody ever seen her cry% 'he suddenly could not
remember. 2ut then another realization hit her. 0he wasnt crying. t was not her tear#stricken
face that people would seeIit was 'haulas. With her wand in hand, =ottie turned on the
spot and 1isapperated.
'he appeared with a %ra%+ back at 0lsemore, in the entrance hall. 'tillness was everywhere.
There was almost complete darkness, but still it was brighter than the 1eath @ater
headquarters. =ottie turned around, searching for any living soul. Where was everybody%
0 clock in the corner gave the answer. 0s it chimed four times, she realized that it was the
middle of the night. Taking heed of this, =ottie walked down the familiar steps to 7almyitors
office. The castle was different now, utterly changed, or was it she who had changed%
'he reached the office and knocked on the door. 0fter thirty seconds with no answer, she
knocked again. 'till, there was silence. =ottie made a careful fist and proceeded to pound on
the thin wood until finally, she heard a noise inside.
The door swung open, and framed by the silver light from a newly lit candle, 7almyitor stood
glowering. 'he wore a floor#length, pink nightgown that vaguely reminded =ottie of a
humorous memory that she couldnt quite get a grasp of. There was a moment of puzzlement
in the old professors eyes before realization dawned on her. &,owe.(
=ottie nodded. 'he couldnt imagine what 7almyitor was thinking. &What is it%( 7almyitor
finally demanded.
&II( =ottie fiddled with her left sleeve. 'he saw 7almyitors eyes flit downward and
widen in understanding.
&)or heavens sake, dont show it hereIcome inside.( =ottie followed numbly and collapsed
into the chair opposite the desk. &t was initiation night,( 7almyitor said.
=ottie nodded again. 'he couldnt find any words. 'he wasnt even sure if she could speak
without breaking out into sobs. The tears had stopped flowing from her eyes, but she still felt
them against her cheek. 0s means of e$planation, she rolled up her sleeve and displayed it.
7almyitor looked down at the "ark with cold indifference. &Well done,( she said finally.
&2eing recruited directly into the 1ark =ords inner circle is difficult. .nly the most talented
I(
&Thats not why m here.( =ottie surprised herself with the ferocity in her voice.
7almyitor blinked at her. &Well, whatI(
&*ou didnt tell me,( =ottie growled. &*ou didnt tell me it would be like this.(
&=ike what%(
&What had to do.( =ottie attempted to keep her tone calm, her face controlled, but could feel
heat rising to her cheeks. & +illed people. tortured people. I(
& thought you understood that,( 7almyitor interrupted sharply. &When you agreed to do this,
youIdont you know what 1eath @aters do%(
&Then why am doing it% f the point of doing this is to stop the killing, why do have to kill
to do it%(
7almyitor silenced her with a mere purse of her lips. =ottie wondered if she realized that her
palm was cupped firmly over her own left forearm. &n a war like this, ,owe, we have to
make decisions. We have to make sacrifices.(
&To what e$tent%( =ottie rose from her chair so quickly that she knocked it over. t crashed
against the ground with a clatter. &f have to kill one "uggle a day to fit in, how many
"uggles will kill before this is over% How many e$pendable people have to die until theyre
not e$pendable anymore% had to watch my own parents die> had to stand there and let
them be murdered, even though was fully capable of preventing it.( The tears began to fall
down =otties face once again. 'he also felt a curious sensationIit felt like she was
shrinking. 'he wondered if it was an effect of terrible remorse before realizing that the
7oly!uice was wearing off, and she was, in fact, shrinking from 'haulas big form to her own
height.
&.ne life equals another, ,owe,( 7almyitor said with set teeth. &They would have died soon
enough anyway.(
&,eally%( =ottie slammed her palms against the desk. 7almyitor did not flinch. &f one life
equals another, then why not me instead of them% Why not you%(
&*ou and are useful. <nfortunatelyI(
&'o only Muggle lives are equal.( =ottie straightened up and glared at 7almyitor fiercely.
&.nly you could say thatIonly you, who has lived your entire life in comfort with magic,
could think that youre innately better than those who dont have it. Thats a 1eath @ater
idea, you know. "aybe all of your time with them corrupted youImaybe you actually
believe what you pretended toI(
&@nough.( 7almyitor rose from her chair to match =ottie. =ottie opened her mouth to argue
again, but 7almyitor cut her off. &-o, said enough, ,owe. 'it down.( =ottie didnt budge.
'he felt a vein somewhere in her forehead twitch. &,owe, said sit.(
=otties legs buckled beneath her. Thankfully, 7almyitor had magically raised the chair again,
into which she collapsed heavily.
&7erhaps you are not the candidate always thought you were,( 7almyitor said, not sitting
herself, so that she towered over =ottie. &We chose you from the very beginning for your
deep rooted talent. *our ability to shed off the emotions that hold you back. *esIwe knew
from the very beginning that you could do this. What do you think the vory Table is for%(
=ottie breathed heavily, unable to find any satisfactory way to voice her fury.
&1o you remember the first and most important thing taught you%( 7almyitor went on. &f
you cannot control your emotions, you cannot perform .cclumency. *ou had a propensity
for anger in those days, but with careful training, you learned to shed it.(
=ottie looked down at her lap. &'o thats it%( she finally said. &AustIget over it.( 'he looked
up to meet 7almyitors eyes. &Thats easy enough hereIto forget a bad grade or punishment
Ibut the real worldI(
&The same theory still applies.(
&TH' '-T TH@.,*>( =ottie tried to get out of her chair again, but found that it was
restraining her. &This is causing your own parents deathIdo you know what thats like%
This is becoming the thing you despise to stop itIhow does that even make sense%( =ottie
brandished her "ark again. &2his will never come off,( she growled. &t was given to 'haula,
but its still on my skin.(
n a sudden, !erking gesture, 7almyitor pulled up the sleeve of her nightgown to bare her own
1ark "ark. There it was, twin to =ottiesIidentically burnt into her flesh. &There.(
7almyitor !abbed a finger at the skull. &1o not talk to me like do not understand, ,owe.
suffered the e$act same problemsI made the e$act same sacrifices. did that for fifty years,
,owe. *ou were chosen for your abilityIan ability that far outreaches mine, 'everuss and
the 1ark =ordsIand yet you cannot even last one day in this !ob. Without any inside
knowledge in this war, we are essentially hopeless.(
=ottie pulled her arm back. Her eyes never leaving 7almyitors, she rolled down her sleeve.
Her heart seemed to slow to an infinitely sluggish pace. &'o what%( she finally said. & do
have to !ust get over it%(
&n so few wordsIyes.( 7almyitor pulled back her sleeve over her "ark and forced her
hands civilly on the desk. &7ull yourself together because, honestly ,owe, right now youre
all over the place. sensed your deafening thoughts before heard your knocking.(
=ottie took another deep breath and shut her eyes. 'he willed herself to forget about emotions
Ito forget about a conscience. 'he could deal with that after the !ob was done. &.kay,( she
said aloud, more to pacify herself than anything. &.kay.( 'he opened her eyes and stood up.
The chair let her go.
&2e cautious when returning ,owe,( 7almyitor said as =ottie took another swig of 7oly!uice
7otion. &*our absence might be noticed.(
=ottie nodded, but the words bounced off of her as though she were hollow. &,ight.( Without
another word, she 1isapparated back into 1arkness.
&*ou ought to be more careful.( The voice that greeted her return was devastatingly familiar.
Her room was almost pitch black, and as her eyes ad!usted, she spun around to find the
source of the noise. When she could finally see again, the image hit her square in the chest.
'nape sat on the edge of her bed, observing her distastefully.
&What do you mean%( =ottie asked.
'nape cocked his head so that strands of greasy hair fell into his eyes. &1o not play dumb
with me, 8arrow.( His spite for the name unnerved =ottie. t dripped with irony.
&What%( =ottie couldnt help but think how lucky she was that 7almyitor had made her calm
down before returning. Her .cclumency, thankfully, held true against 'nape, though it was
certainly weaker than normal. 'he could feel him trying to bend it, to break it.
&Where did you !ust return from%( 'nape asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.
&Thats my business.(
&,eally.( He got to his feet. n the pitch black, his eyes had lost their usual malicious
glimmer. &*ouIwho have no family or friendsIyou with no place to live but here. Where
could you be going% would say it is entirely my business. helped you reach your current
position more than you would knowI(
=ottie hated swallowing her anger, but she knew she had no choice. 'he could have killed
him right then, but then her position would be given away entirely. 'he could perform
=egilimency on him to find out who had helped him out of his prison, but then he would
surely know her identity. He seemed to have a hint already, though.
& thank you very much for your help, in that case,( she said carefully.
'nape frowned further. =ottie had no intention of elaborating on the sub!ect. 0 wrinkle in his
forehead deepened in thought. )inally, he said, &How did you get the information from that
"uggle%(
&How do you think% tortured him.(
&nteresting.( 'nape swept around her and fiddled with something on her desk. 0 moment
later, a candles wick ignited. The glimmering light made 'napes shadow morph against the
stone wall. &When questioned him, he had no recent memory of being tortured.(
&How could you question him further%( =ottie asked. &He was a vegetable by the time you
finished with him.(
& have ways ofIahIpersuading answers out of people.( 'napes long fingers wrapped
around the base of the long candle. "elted wa$ dribbled down his fingers, but he was
oblivious to the burn. &0re you familiar with the art of =egilimency%(
=ottie rolled her eyes. &We already discussed this.(
&*es, but then you lied.(
=ottie pursed her lips. &1ont call me a liar.(
&What do you know about =egilimency%(
&Thats mind reading, right%(
=ottie relished in the rage that purpled on 'napes face. His lips became white as he bit them.
'he knew that frustration wellI0ndrea had never understood the arts delicacy either. &No,(
he said with gritted teeth. &t is not, in fact, as simple as that. t is a precise artI( He cut
himself off and let go of the candle. nstead of falling, it hovered in mid#air. & wonder how
you retrieved all of that information from the "uggle with no use of torture.(
&0nd - wonder how you got information from him after he completely lost his mind.(
& used 3egilimen%y.(
The corners of =otties mouth twisted into a miniscule smile. t was almost funny to see his
growing frustration. &2ut how can you read his mind if hes lost it%(
'nape narrowed his eyes. &With the subtle art of =egilimency, you can invade the memories
of even the most distant minds. would not have pushed him so far if knew could never
get the names of the filthy rabble#rousers from him.(
t was =otties turn to frown. &2hat was how you found out% That was why you killed them%(
&s that how you found out as well%( 'nape asked. &)or any normal wizard, it would take
hours to find a sub!ect. 0ny normal wizard would have to torture every "uggle they passed
Itrial and error. How did youIwithout any former knowledge of that camp and apparently
without any =egilimency abilitiesIfind the right "uggle so quickly%(
=ottie pursed her lips. 'he didnt have a great answer to that. 'he had found him quickly
because she knew where to waitIand she had used =egilimency. &=uck,( she said with a
smile.
'nape took a sharp breath in. &)ine,( he said. &)ine.( He picked up the candle again. &7ay
more attention to those around you,( he said as he wrenched open the door. The light from
outside almost blinded =ottie. &*ou must be more subtle if you wish to keep secrets.( He left
and slammed the door behind him.
=ottie let out a slow sigh and sat down on her bed. 'he wrapped her fingers around her left
forearm. The "ark stared up at her, burnt black against her skin.
Chapter : Chapter $i%ty8Five: The ,o!t ,o+/et
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 0s always, thanks to coolhPMMM for being awesome and looking over this
chapter>
This one3s dedicated to "ichael @nde, for 2he Ne(erending 0tory which still love today.
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty#)ive; The =ost =ocket
Time with the 1eath @aters inched by. =ottie wasnt quite sure how much she was actually
helping, since she did not really acquire any groundbreaking information. 'he kept her ears
peeled for information on whoever had let 'nape free, but found nothing. 'he discovered
dates of planned "uggle massacres, and was able to report the deaths of a few former
0lsemore students who had been killed, but that was all. The 1ark =ord did a very good !ob
at keeping everybody !ust as informed as they needed to be.
2y employing .cclumency, =ottie was able to kill more easily. 'he didnt focus on it, didnt
think about itI!ust said the words and she was done. 2ut that hidden part of her ached more
and more every time she did it.
'nape, also, stayed on her tail annoyingly often. 'he sometimes didnt get a break from him
until she locked herself in her room for the night. 2ecause of her suspicions, though, she was
not going to take any chances. 'nape could get in even with the lock, she was sure, so she
woke up every hour on the hour to take another sip of 7oly!uice. f he walked in and saw her
true face, it would all be overIthough she had a sneaking suspicion that he was actually
trying to help her. He had saved her life with several helpful warnings already.
n the early morning of a -ovember day, =ottie woke to take a swig of 7oly!uice, but before
she could e$haustedly fall back into bed, hushed voices caught her attention. &What could be
so important that we have to get it so soon%( asked a voiceI=ottie faintly recognized it.
&0re you questioning the 1ark =ord%( =ottie knew that voiceI'napes.
&-#n#no.( -ow that he stuttered, the owner of the voice seemed clear. t was 2ran. &.f
course notI(
&/ood. Then you should come to the meeting about it tonight.(
=ottie rose from her bed and moved like a shadow across the room. 'he pressed her ear to the
door. Why did this have to be such a secret% t seemed strange to herIif 2ran was invited,
then why wasnt she%
&2utI( 2ran paused. He continued in a lower tone. =ottie listened even more carefully. &2ut
why there% snt the 1epartment of "ysteries in ruin% 1idnt the 1ark =ord destroy the
building when he took over% We learned about it in HistoryI(
&t is dilapidated and in disrepair, but it is by no means obliterated.( =ottie could hear
'napes patience running low. 2ran was foolish for perusing the matter. &The 1ark =ord has
something valuable there. We must retrieve it.(
&Why%(
=ottie was surprised that 'nape hadnt killed him yetIshe certainly would have. There was a
thump against her door. =ottie leapt back out of surprise. t sounded like 2ran had been
slammed against the frameIwhich wasnt totally out of the question, considering the
circumstance.
&1o not question the 1ark =ord,( 'nape hissed.
&mI didnt meanI(
&What the 1ark =ord says, you do. 1o you understand%(
&&es. I(
&Aust because you have been given a 1ark "ark does not make you an equalIcertainly not
to me.( =otties door shuddered again. 'ince they were so close, she didnt have to press her
ear up to it to hear anything. 'he probably would have gotten a healthy#sized concussion by
now if she did. &*ou are not here to question,( 'nape went on. &Thats my !ob. 0ll you have
to do is come to the meeting tomorrow night.(
There was silence. =ottie sat down on her bed, her breath shallow. 'he didnt understand why
'nape had given 2ran a !ob and not her. Had she proved to be not useful% =ottie blinked.
What was she thin+ing% 'he couldnt actually be 1ealous of 2ranIshe couldnt actually want
to go on 1eath @ater missions.
The way 'nape had behavedIwhy didnt he realize that she would hear them% They were
talking right outside of her door after all. <nless he wanted her to hear, but why would he
want that% To make her !ealous%
=ottie laid back against her pillows and let her eyes droop, ready to fall asleep and forget all
about it. 'he pulled the thin blanket back over herself. 'nape had talked about something
hidden in the 1epartment of "ysteriesIsomething they had to retrieve immediately. 2ut
what could that be% =ottie rolled onto her side and stared at the ground. Why would the 1ark
=ord have hidden something in the "inistry anyway% f the "inistry was in ruins, was it
really that urgent to retrieve it%
=otties eyes flew open as a realization dawned on her. t was a Horcru$Ia Horcru$ that was
hidden. 'he pushed herself up out of bed and paced once around her room. 'he wanted to do
a victory dance. 0 Horcru$ was hidden in the old "inistry of "agic, and the reason they had
to retrieve it was because they were afraid that they would take it. 2hemI0lsemore.
'he still could not say why 'nape had been so loud outside of her door, but that hardly
seemed significant. Without another thought, she spun around and 1isapparated.
0lsemore was empty when she appeared in the entrance hall. 0gain, she realized that it was
too earlyImaybe four or five in the morningIand nobody was awake. 'he looked down and
sheepishly realized that she was still in her pa!amas. 'haulas e$tra#long legs poked
awkwardly out of her cotton trousers.
'he brushed it off, though, and padded her way Fstill barefootG to 7almyitors office. When
she reached it, she pounded on the door. There was no answer, but she assumed that it was
!ust because the professor was sleeping. =ottie pounded again. 0till there was no answer, no
grumpy old professor opening the door, wearing a scowl and a nightgown.
There was no way 7almyitor didnt hear her. )rowning, =ottie took a step back. 'he
wondered if she was maybe in another of the heads offices. =ottie didnt know where
8lynalmoys office was, but she had been to "aeliorics. t was on the top floor, so taking
two steps at a time, =ottie ran upstairs. 'he was winded by the time she got to the fourth floor
and rounded the corner to the office.
'he knocked. There was no answer. mpatient, =ottie knocked again. "aybe he was a heavy
sleeper. 'he formed her hand into a fist and pounded against the door for a minute straight.
There was no way he could be in there and not hear her. =ottie took a step back.
This seemed too weird. Where was everybody% "aybe, the thought occurred to her, the other
students would know. 'he spun around and ran down the four flights of stairs to the entrance
hall, and the e$tra flight down to the 7almyitor common room.
t wasnt until she stood in front of the old, grandfather clock that she realized she didnt
know the password. 'he blinked helplessly in front of the clock. t seemed like something
from another life now. 'he hadnt seen anybody from 0lsemore in months, it felt like. When
was the last time she had seen 0ndrea% Was 0ndrea there in the common roomIor had she
been sent off on another mission% Was she even ali(e4 =otties stomach plummeted at the
thought, but, noI7almyitor surely would have told her if 0ndrea had diedIright%
&What do you think youre doing out after hours%( called a stern voice. 0gain, it was
familiar, but so distant that it seemed to be a character from a long#forgotten dream.
=ottie turned around in surprise and saw 7rofessor 1yer, the 7otions "aster, climbing up the
stairs. He had a hassled look about him. His icy eyes scanned her suspiciously. &Who are you
anyway%(
=ottie furrowed her brow. 'he used to be one of his favorite studentsIhow did he not
recognize her% &0re you !oking%( she asked, but as the words fell from her lips, she realized
that she was wearing 'haulas form.
1yer gave her a strange look, but pushed past her. &*ou are lucky this time,( he said. & have
more urgent things to attend to than rude studentsI(
&Where is 7almyitor%( =ottie called after him.
He didnt stop to look at her. &'he has more important things to worry about than you at the
moment,( he said. &0 students life is at stake, and you think were going to answer all of
your questions%(
=ottie blinked at his retreating back. 0 students life was at stake% What did he mean by that%
'he padded after him silently, her bare feet making no sound against the chilly, stone floor.
1yer climbed the steps to the entrance hall and continued up one more story. He seemed to
have no ideaIor !ust not careIthat she was following him.
1yer led her to a set of large doors and wrenched them open. 0 familiar smell of potions and
sickness wafted outIthe hospital wing. =ottie slipped through the doors before they swung
shut.
nside the hospital wing, the three heads and 7rofessor Waterman stood crowded around a
single bed. 1yer crossed the hall and pulled a small vial out of his pocket. They were
conversing in such low tones that from across the otherwise silent room, =ottie could not hear
them.
Thoughts of the information she had !ust discovered slipped from her mind as she watched
the professors frightful glances towards the bed. The occupant was blocked from sight, but
=ottie had a horrible, dreading feeling that it was somebody she knew.
7rofessor Waterman bent over the bed. The professors all watched e$pectantly but nothing
seemed to be happening. =ottie saw the hope flicker out of 7almyitors eyes first, and she
looked away from the bed before glancing towards =ottie. Her brow furrowed as recognized
dawned on her, and she whispered something to 1yer and Waterman. 2oth of them left the
room promptlyIWaterman to her corner office and 1yer past =ottie through the open door.
When they were both gone, =ottie approached slowly. 'he could feel the 7oly!uice 7otion
wearing off as she walked. Her legs shrunk, and her pa!amas suddenly fit her again. &What
are you doing here, ,owe%( 7almyitor asked.
=ottie wasnt paying attention. 'he looked at the bed? it turned out to be nobody she
recognized, but the scene was no less tragic. t was a young girl who lay in the bed. =ottie
presumed it was a first year, though she looked much younger. Her eyes were shutImaybe
she was sleepingIbut the flinching look of agony in her face made =ottie think otherwise.
Her skin was so pale that it was nearly translucent. Her hair was brown, but it was wispy, and
in the light, almost looked white. t was like looking at an elderly woman in a childs body.
&What happened to her%( =ottie asked, tearing her eyes away from the sight.
&Were not quite sure.( 7almyitor glanced at the child. There were dark bags under her eyes.
t didnt look like she had slept in days. &8learly there is some sort of powerful 1ark "agic
involved. We have to figure out the source of this problem. We cannot have it spread to the
other students, even if it means we have to sacrifice one.(
=ottie fell into silence and frowned at the girl. Was this the mark of a traitor again% Were
they introducing a mysterious illness to kill all of the students%
&,owe.( =ottie looked up. 7almyitor glared at her. &Why are you here%(
&What%(
&Why have you come% *ou cannot waste our time right nowI(
&-oII do. have a reason.( =ottie looked at 8lynalmoy and "aelioric, who stood silent
in the corner. The reason for coming had almost slipped her mind, but it came back to her in
full force. The Horcru$. =ottie froze for a moment. The .or%ru$. 'he turned to the dying girl.
Her mouth sagged open slightly. =otties mouth fell open in realization.
&!owe.(
&Hang on.( =ottie strode to the bed and leaned over the girl. The covers were pulled up all the
way to her chin. =ottie tugged at the blanket so that it was at the girls waist. Aust as she had
e$pected, a large bulge protruded on her chest under her sweater. =ottie put a finger to the
bulge and again, !ust as she had e$pected, it was icy cold.
&,oweI(
&Wait.( =ottie realized that she sounded e$tra snappish, but she was on the brink of a ma!or
realization. 'he knelt to be on the same level as the unconscious girl and pushed her up. The
girl was still in her 0lsemore uniformI=ottie wondered how long she had been there.
8arefully, she propped the child to a seated position against her pillows and peered at her
neck. The collar of her shirt was buttoned all the way up, which =ottie thought was odd. n all
of her years as a student, she had never buttoned the shirt all the way up. -ot even 'ndrea
had. 8arefully, she reached out and unbuttoned the top two buttons.
&,owe, what on earth are you doing%(
2ut =ottie wasnt listening. 'he felt a sudden rush of adrenaline as she gazed at the fine,
metal chain that hung around the girls neck. =ottie touched it and felt that it too was as cold
as ice. 8arefully, she wrapped her fingers around the chain and pulled it over the girls head.
t was heavier than she imagined. 0s she pulled, a thick locket emerged from under the girls
shirt. t was inscribed with a large, glimmering '.
7almyitor gasped audibly and rushed over to the Horcru$. 0t the same time the girl gasped
and opened her eyes wide. 8lynalmoy immediately rushed to the girls side, and "aelioiric
ran to the corner office, undoubtedly to fetch 7rofessor Waterman.
&How did youI( 7almyitor cut her own words short as =ottie held the Horcru$ out to her.
'he took it delicately with both hands. The change hung limply between her fingers.
7rofessor Waterman rushed from her office with "aelioric on her tail. 'he did not even give
=ottie a second look but immediately went to the girl who was opening and closing her
mouth like a fish. =ottie stepped away from the bed to give some space, and watched
7almyitor, who was still gaping at the locket.
&When found the diadem,( =ottie said, & put it on, and felt absolutely miserable. t made
me want to dieIreallyIor kill everyone or something.(
7almyitor looked up from the locket, frowning. &Thats why thought of it,( =ottie added for
an e$planation. &This looked like a much more severe version of that.( =ottie glanced at the
frail girl in the bed and whispered, &'he must have been wearing it for a long time.(
7almyitor frowned and watched Waterman give the girl potion after potion. 'he winced.
There was still something about her that seemed dead. Her wide eyes were dull and she took
the potions obediently, robotically without any sense of gratitude.
)inally, when Waterman seemed satisfied that she had enough, she stepped away. &This girl
needs rest,( she told 7almyitor firmly.
&That can waitI(
&No.( Waterman looked scandalized. &t cannotI(
&This wont take long.( 7almyitor pushed past the Healer to the foot of the girls bed with
=ottie trailing behind.
Without a word, 7almyitor held the locket up. t dangled off the tip of one finger. The girls
eyes widenedI=ottie could feel her sense of horror. The girl raised a shaking hand to her
chest and confirmed the lockets absence. Her hand started to shakeIeach finger twitched
precisely as she stretched it in front of her and held it there with the palm up. &7lease,( she
said. Her voice was surprisingly raspy for someone her age. &7lease give it back.(
7almyitor turned her gaze to the locket, which swung rhythmically between her fingers,
before glancing back at the girl. &Where did you get this%(
The childs eyes became slightly hazy. Tears welled before spilling from her eyelids. &7#p#
please,( she said again, &give it back.(
&1o you realize that this is an e$tremely valuable, 1ark ob!ect%( 7almyitor demanded. @ven
=ottie thought her tone was a bit harsh.
&-#n#no.( The girl was outright crying at this point. Her frail shoulders shook and she buried
her face in her hands. & need it. promised wouldnt give it away.(
7almyitor opened her mouth to speak again, but 8lynalmoy laid a hand on her shoulder to
silence her. &=et me try, -aesa,( he said softly. &'hes frightened.(
/rudgingly, 7almyitor handed over the Horcru$. 8lynalmoy handled it carefully as though he
were trying to touch it as little as possible, as though the metal burned his skin. &-ora,( he
said kindly, &do you remember who gave this to you%(
The girlI-oraIsucked her lips between her teeth as though determined not to speak.
8lynalmoy inched forward and knelt by her bed. 'he flinched at his pro$imity. &How long
have you had this%( he asked again.
-ora shook her head, her wide eyes traveling from his face to 7almyitors.
&Were not angry, -ora,( 8lynalmoy went on. &2elieve it or not, this is what is making you
sick. t seems like youve had it for a very long time, because you got very ill. s that true%(
The girl nodded mutely.
&Where did you get it%(
&0#0berforth,( -ora finally said.
&0berforth%( 8lynalmoy straightened, frowning so that his wrinkles deepened. &0berforth
1umbledore%( He turned to "aelioric for e$planation.
"aelioric frowned too, until a realization dawned on him and he widened his eyes. &*oure
,osmertas granddaughter,( he said.
The girl nodded without taking her eyes off the locket.
&,osmerta%( 7almyitor asked.
&,osmerta 0llan,( "aelioric said, &from the Three 2roomsticks.(
&2aines,( said the girl softly. t was so quiet that =ottie wasnt sure whether she had actually
spoken.
&What%( 7almyitor snapped.
&,#,osmerta 2ainesIthat was -anas name,( -ora said. &0llan was her maiden name.(
&0nd then 0berforth took you in, didnt he%( "aelioric said.
0gain the girl nodded, but the tears had once again formed in her eyes. &2#but he died,( she
said. &*ou#Dnow#Who killed him when you lured him into the Hogs Head last summer.(
=ottie could see the pity in "aelioric and 8lynalmoys eyes, but 7almyitor pursed her lips
tightly. &'o 'berforth had the locket%(
&HeIhe gave it to me to meIafter -ana died. He said needed to keep it safe. He said it
would help kill *ou#Dnow#Who.( -oras tears had turned into full on sobs at this point.
&7lease give it back to me,( she said. & promised. -ana died because of it.(
&,osmerta had it first%( =ottie said suddenly. The girl nodded tearfully and =ottie turned to
7almyitor, smiling wryly. &1ont you see%(
&-oIwhat difference does itI(
&,osmertaI0llanI2aines,( =ottie said, emphasizing each name. &,.0.2.(
7almyitors face seemed to go numb. 'he stared at =ottie, eyes blank and mouth sagging.
&'heIshe stole itI(
&2ut didnt know how to destroy it,( =ottie finished, a grin spread across her face. &'hed
been holding it for ears.( =ottie turned to -ora. &How long did your -ana have the locket%(
-ora shrugged and looked suspiciously at them all. & dont think she wanted to destroy it,(
she said. &0berforth told me to keep it safe and not to show it to anyone.(
&He didnt understand,( 7almyitor said fiercely. &He didnt understand what it is. We have to
destroy itI(
&-oI(
&f we dont, the 1ark =ord will ne(er be killed.( 7almyitor advanced towards the bed. &s
that what you want% To kill the 1ark =ord, we must destroy it.(
-ora was crying again. &-#noI dont wantIII want him to be killedI(
&Then its settled.( 7almyitor snatched the locket directly out of 8lynalmoys hand and
slipped it into her pocket. &Try to get some sleep. 7rofessor Waterman will wake you up in
the morning.(
=ottie thought it was a bit cruel, but still turned and left with 7almyitor. 'he left to the sound
of -oras ever increasing sobs and 8lynalmoys soft, comforting words. &That child has been
holding onto that for years,( 7almyitor said as she descended the steps to her office. &&ears.(
=ottie wasnt sure whether she was talking to her or thinking aloud.
7almyitor pushed open the door to her office with her shoulder and placed the locket gingerly
on her desk. &We have had a Horcru$ in the castle for months.( 7almyitors tone was dullI
matter of fact.
&@rI guess so.( =ottie wasnt quite sure what she was supposed to say. &2ut at least you
have it now, right%(
&"mm.( 7almyitor pressed her lips together and moved about the office. 'he reached up to
the highest shelf and wrenched it open. =ottie could see the glimmer of goblin#made metal
inside. 8arefully, 7almyitor pulled out the sword of /ryffindor. 'he turned to the locket and
sighed as though this were some kind of tiresome chore. &Would you like to do the honors%(
she asked dully, holding out the sword.
&@rI( =ottie glanced at the locket. 0fter seeing what it had done to -ora, she wasnt entirely
enthusiastic to take it on. &Thats okayIermIyou can do it.(
7almyitor looked at her flatly before turning her gaze to the locket, which still lay on the
desk. t quivered as though it anticipated its imminent doom. =ottie watched as though
everything were moving in slow motion. 7almyitor reached down and unlatched the locket
before returning her grip to the hilt.
7almyitor froze. =ottie frownedIit was as if she could see something that =ottie couldnt.
7almyitors eyes were wide and her grip on the sword slackened.
&What isI( 2ut the words stopped in =otties mouth. "ist rose out of the locket and swirled
in the air. t seemed to be taking shape, and sure enough, it soon formed into the shape of a
man. t was 8lynalmoyIor thats what =ottie thoughtIbut he looked wrong. His face was
not painted with his usual, kind smile, but a scowl.
&-aesa, you are a murderer,( he spat in a tone so unlike him that =ottie nearly !umped.
7almyitor !ust stood slack#!awed, the sword hanging limply out of her left hand. &*ou are a
terrible human beingIlook at yourself.( 8lynalmoys eyes glared red. He was faintly see#
through. &*ou left your brother to dieI(
&-oI(
=ottie !umped at the sound of 7almyitors voice. Her eyes were wide and =ottie thought she
could almost see tears.
&*ou let your students dieIyou let your best friend dieI(
&-oI(
&"urderer.(
&Dill it>( =ottie shouted, unsure of whether 7almyitor could even hear her. &The sword,
7rofessorI(
"lan+. The sword fell out of 7almyitors hand and landed heavily on the stone ground. "ore
mist came out of the locket and this time took the shape of 'nape. &Traitor,( he hissed. &1o
you think you are fooling anybody%(
7almyitor was shaking, swaying on the spot. 'he lost her balance and began to fall !ust as
=ottie started to move. 'he !ust managed to get behind the professor so that her torso
supported her weight. 7anting, =ottie reached out a foot, dragged a chair over and set
7almyitor into it before turning back to the locket.
& never loved you,( nightmare#8lynalmoy hissed.
&-obody has,( 'nape added. &=ook at youIeverybody you have ever cared about is dead.(
&7rofessor,( =ottie groaned as 7almyitor buried her face in her hands. This was not working
out. =ottie hastily bent down and wrapped her fingers around the sword. t took her two tries
to get it up to waist levelIit was heavier than she imagined.
-ightmare 8lynalmoy and 'nape turned to her and by the time she had raised the sword
above her head, they had shifted. -ow her mother and father stood in the mist, but before
they could even open their mouths and utter their condemnations, =ottie brought the sword
down. 'he struck the center of the glass. "agic flowed out of the locket in a flood. t traveled
up the sword and made =otties hand shake. 'he pushed the sword in harderIthe Horcru$
gave one more quiver, and was still.
There was silence. =ottie released the sword but it remained upright, pushed all the way into
the desk through the broken locket. The Horcru$ lay, shriveled and dead on the table.
&7rofessor%( =ottie said shakily. 7almyitors face was still in her hands. &ts gone,
7rofessor.(
'lowly, 7almyitor picked her head up. Tears stained her cheeks. =ottie quickly looked down
at her feet. -either of them knew what to sayI=ottie felt like she had seen too muchIknew
too much.
&Thank you for that, ,owe,( 7almyitor said. 1espite her best efforts, her voice still shook.
&-oIerIno problem.(
7almyitor took a breath and shut her eyes. 'lowly she opened them again and surveyed
=ottie. &-ow what did you come here for%(
=ottie blinked. t felt like she had been here for days already. &.h,( she said. &@rIohIright.
heardIerI heard 'nape talking.( 'he said the name gently, as though if she spoke more
quietly, it wouldnt remind her of what had !ust happened.
&0nd%(
&HeIerIheIoh yeah. He was talking about something thats hidden in the 1epartment of
"ysteriesIin the old "inistry. He said they have to retrieve it to keep it safe.( =ottie spoke
quickly, eager to escape the awkward moment. & think its another Horcru$Ithe last one,
guess.(
7almyitor surveyed her carefully. &0re you absolutely sure%( she said. &The "inistry is in
ruins. t could be a very dangerous mission to retrieve it.(
&m nearly positive,( =ottie said. &What else could it be% dont know when the 1eath
@aters are trying to get it back but think its soon. We have to go as soon as possible.(
7almyitor rubbed her temples and shut her eyes. &,ight,( she said finally. &We need to
assemble an entire team, which may take up to a weekI(
& dont know if we even have that much time,( =ottie said.
&t is the best we can do, ,owe,( 7almyitor said sternly. &*ou have to let us know if they go
sooner, but dont think they will.( 7almyitor glanced at the Horcru$ on the desk and at the
sword of /ryffindor, sticking vertically out of the wood. & think we may need you for this
one, ,owe,( she said. &We might need a =egilimens. 8an you be here in a week%(
&*eah,( =ottie said numbly. &*eah think so.(
&/ood.(
There was a strange finality about that. 7almyitor looked at =ottie as though she e$pected her
to 1isapparate on the spot.
&7rofessor%(
&*es%(
&sIerI meanIis 0ndrea still here% meanIis she on a mission or here%(
7almyitor looked up at her darkly. &'he is currently training for a mission. 'he will be
leaving soon.(
=ottie chewed on her lip for a moment. &8an see her% haventI( 'he faltered under
7almyitors glare, but continued. & havent seen her for months.(
7almyitors eyes narrowed. 'he placed both hands on the desk and stood up. &-o, ,owe.
dont think we have time. *our absence will be noticed soon.(
=ottie stood up as well, her face dark. &)ine,( she said bitterly. n that moment, she could
have he$ed 7almyitor, but she managed to control herself. &ll be here in a week.( =ottie
took a breath, spun around, and 1isapparated into the darkness.
Chapter #: Chapter $i%ty8$i%: The New 6ini!try
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for helping me and beta3ing this chapter>
This chapter3s dedicated to awesome, younger cousin>
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty#'i$; The -ew "inistry
5oldemort took to the skies. The location of the new "inistry had the tricky anti#0pparation
charm on it, but not much other protection. Having a )idelius 8harm would be far too
complicated when they were bringing 1eath @aters in and out of the building continually.
His thin lips almost formed a smile. How foolish the heads of the rebellion had been to form
a "inistry to round up 1eath @aters. Had they forgotten his takeover of the last "inistry% 0ll
he had had to do was wait patiently to gather enough informationIwhich he got plenty of.
'nape had been present at the formation of the "inistry. @ven his inside source at 0lsemore
had something to give him.
He stopped his flight suddenly and hovered in mid#air in front of a window. This would be
the assistants office? the filth had at least been clever enough not to give such free access to
the "inisters office itself.
5oldemort hovered outside of the window and waited. He would take his time. There was a
figure insideIhe would have said man, but he was hardly older than a boy. His frail frame
hunched over a desk, quill dancing across the parchment.
5oldemort waited. The moment would be delicious, and he did not want to ruin it.
The boys quill finally lifted from the page and he frowned down at what he had written. He
scratched his head with the tip of the feather and sighed. This was the momentI5oldemort
knew. 7redictably, the boy looked up to gaze out of the window.
There it was. The slightest flicker in his eyesIhis e$pression turned from one of dullness to
e$treme terror. The boys eyes widened, but he !ust sat thereItoo paralyzed to move.
5oldemort wondered how many of this boys nightmares involved this particular moment.
)rom outside of the window, still floating effortlessly, 5oldemort glowered back at him.
The boy was beginning to find his movement again. He scooted back in his chair? his arms
retracted? his head tilted !ust slightly.
5oldemort didnt move. The window shattered, all of the glass blasting into the puny office.
The boy lost his ability to move againIhis mouth !ust hung open limply.
5oldemort flew through the window and landed on the shards of glass with a satisfying
crunch. The boy, once again, gained mobility in his panic. He rose from his chair, knocking it
down as he did, and rushed to a door in the corner. He had !ust raised his fist to knock, when
he froze once more.
t had nothing to do with his fear, this time, though. 5oldemort lowered his wand after
casting the mmobilizing spell and moved in towards the boy. With a sweep of en!oyment,
5oldemort saw a dark stain growing on the front boys trousers.
&)rightened, are we%(
The boy could not move. He was frozen in a half#reach towards the oak doorIhis arm hung
in the air like a puppets. &'nswer me.( 5oldemort gave the boy his power of speech backI
gave him the capability of movement from the face up.
The boy did not answer him. nstead, he scrunched up his eyes? tears fell from them, and he
whimpered like a child.
&8oward,( the 1ark =ord scathed, hoping to push the boy a little farther before disposing of
him.
&-o.(
The boys fear flew inside of him, ricocheting like a caged bird. 5oldemort smirked out his
outward insolence. &1o not lie to =ord 5oldemort.(
5oldemort granted him entire movement for his last moment of life. The boy collapsed onto
the floor and sobbedIhis whole body wracked with terror. The 1ark =ord let it continue. He
saw no reason why he should not en!oy himself.
The boys sobs continued, for a good minute, and suddenly stopped. 0s though realizing that
he was still alive, the boy placed his hands solidly on the ground and pushed himself up. His
eyes were filled with the faintest glimmer of hope.
5oldemort took that moment to act. &'(ada )eda(ra.(
The "inisters assistant was knocked over backwards by the force of the curse. 5oldemort
stood above him. Tears still glimmered in the bodys dull, dead eyes.
5oldemort turned his gaze to the desk where the boys wand lay, completely forgotten.
5oldemort picked up the frail thing and wrapped his fingers of his left hand around it, before
turning his gaze to the door in the corner. He flicked his wand wordlessly, and it blasted
open.
Whatever scene was going on inside continued, oblivious to his presence. 'omebody was
screaming, sobbingIit sounded like a childs plea that came from an unquestionably adult
voice.
5oldemort took one step inside the room and the scene froze entirely. 0 man lay on the floor,
face writhed with agony. 0nother man stood above him, wand pointed down at his victim.
5oldemort had never seen the standing man, but recognized him from descriptionI
2arksdale, the fool who 0lsemore had appointed as "inister.
2arksdale gaped at him. 5oldemort relished in this moment. <ndoubtedly, the "inister had
waited for thisIhad imagined confronting the 1ark =ord, slaying him and becoming a hero.
When faced with his greatest enemy, for real, though, he could do nothing but stare.
They seemed to be frozen like that for hours. )inally, 2arksdales mind began to function
again, and he shakily lifted his wand.
5oldemort disarmed him without an incantation and caught itIhis third wand. & dont think
so.(
&"y =ord.(
5oldemort turned his gaze downwards at the source of the voice. The man on the ground
turned out to be one of his 1eath @atersInobody of importance and nobody he recognized,
but his nonetheless. 5oldemort tossed him the dead assistants wand, which the 1eath @ater
snatched out of the air.
&Thank you, my =ord,( the 1eath @ater said, crawling forward and kissing 5oldemorts
robes. & amI am soIgratefulI(
&@nough.( 5oldemort glanced momentarily at 2arksdale, who stood petrified by his own fear
before turning back to his follower. &/o back to Headquarters. )ree any others who are here
and take them with you.(
&*esIyes, "y =ord.( The 1eath @ater kissed his robes once more and scuttled out of the
office.
.nce the 1eath @ater was gone, 5oldemort turned his gaze back on 2arksdale, who was now
attempting to speak. &*ouIyou,( he spluttered, &youIwhat do you want%(
&7athetic,( 5oldemort hissed, circling the paralyzed "inister predatorily. The lack of a fight
made 5oldemort laugh. Who would have thought that the cowardly assistant might actually
be braver than his boss%
&1ont kill me.(
5oldemort was again surprised by the degree of this mans fear. 2arksdales face was
contorted and tears flowed freely down his cheeks. 0lthough he made no big movements Fhe
was too paralyzed by fear for thatG, his shoulders and knees quivered.
&.h dont plan to,( 5oldemort said, twirling his wand carelessly between his fingers. &*ou
have been effectiveIsurprisingly soIat your !ob.(
2arksdale didnt respond. His face contorted further? his eyes swam in regret. & wont catch
as many,( he said, lacing his hands together as though praying. &We can act like the 1eath
@aters have hiddenIlike theyre getting better at evading us. 7leaseI!ustIdontIdont kill
me.(
&)unny how the man chosen to save the world turns out to be the most cowardly of them all.(
5oldemort took a step forward.
&7leaseI( 2arksdale fell to his knees, his hands still clasped in front of him. He scooted
forward and crouched at the 1ark =ords robes. &We can make it look like you took overI
we can kill a few of the 0urors. t will take us off our feet for a while. 7leaseI have a
girlfriendIshes pregnant? cant die, not nowIpleaseI(
&@nough.( 5oldemort used a 'ilencing charm on 2arksdale to stop his incessant babble.
&#ilth like you,( he said, &has no need to reproduce.(
2arksdale looked stricken. He gaped at 5oldemort for a moment, as the horror of that thought
settled on him. His mouth began to work wildly, then, as he silently begged for his life.
5oldemort was growing impatient. 0s 2arksdale crawled towards him, still spewing his
wordless pleas, he raised his wand. &"ru%io.(
2arksdale was blown off his knees and landed hard on his back. He was still silenced, but the
soundless screams were almost more en!oyable than shrill ones. 5oldemort watched as the
"inisters legs contorted into his body and he twitched, his eyes rolling back into his skull.
5oldemort stopped it !ust before the pain went too far. He lifted his wand and gave the
"inster a moment to get to his knees and catch his breath. &-ow, filth,( 5oldemort said as
2arksdale gasped and wheezed. & do not plan on killing you. =ord 5oldemort is merciful.
=ord 5oldemort does favors for those who help him.(
2arksdale looked up, his !aw hanging open stupidly. He nodded enthusiastically.
& do not, however, believe that will use your plan.( 5oldemort began to move again, and
circled 2arksdale slowly. &=ord 5oldemort, you see, does not follow orders.(
2arksdale only had a moment to pick up his head, before 5oldemort hissed, &-mperio.(
The mans mind was simple. 5oldemort was able to capture it as easily as a childs. The
mans face fell blank, blissfully empty.
5oldemort looked at the ragdoll and felt a smile spread across his lips. &*ou will listen to
me,( he hissed, making sure the message became lodged in 2arksdales mind. &When you get
evidence of a 1eath @ater, you will only pursue it with my permission. f say do not arrest a
suspect, you will not.(
2arksdale nodded, his eyes completely blank.
5oldemort turned to leave. He had !ust reached the doorway where the dead assistant still lay.
&0nd you will take care of your filth at home as well.(
Chapter &: Chapter $i%ty8$even: The Old 6ini!try
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 0s always, thanks to coolhPMMM for beta#ing this chapter>
This one3s dedicated to my e$cellent @nglish professor.
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty#'even; The .ld "inistry
&*ou brought your 7oly!uice with you, hope%( 7almyitor said a week later. =ottie leaned
against a wall in her officeIin her true form, but dressed in 'haulas clothes.
&*eah.( =ottie picked up a foot and carelessly placed it against the wall. &Why%(
7almyitor stared at her with that same old look of annoyance. &The 1ark =ord knows you,
,owe. f the 1eath @aters showed up you would be killed instantly. 0t least as 8arrow, you
can easily blend in with the 1eath @aters.(
&.h.( =ottie frowned. &What about the others%(
7almyitor waved her hand in a dismissive way. The word that came instantly to =otties mind
was e$pendable. & will go get them,( 7almyitor said, rising to her feet. &Wait right hereIbut
take your potion.(
=ottie obeyed, but made sure her grimace was visible as 7almyitor e$ited. @ver since leaving
school, she lost a bit of respect for the old professor? she no longer ruled her entire life and
had even admitted =otties superiority as far as =egilimency went. =ottie took a swig from
the flask and winced as she transformedIalthough familiar, the sensation was far from
en!oyable. 'haulas slightly#too#large robes fit her perfectly now. 'he ran her fingers through
her dark hair.
The door to 7almyitors office opened, and 7almyitor entered, followed by a file of students.
=ottie recognized every single person? there was @dgar 7ayne, one of the 8lynalmoys who
had been 0llys friends, andI=ottie realized with a pangI8olm and 0ndrea. 'he walked
over to them both, grinning. 'he hadnt seen either of them for months. 0ndrea looked
practically the same, but 8olm was even thinner and more emaciated than before.
&Hey,( =ottie breathed.
0ndrea turned to her with a furrowed brow and smiled politely. &Hello,( she said, the look of
confusion in her eyes unmistakable.
8olm !ust frowned. He was looking at =ottie as though she were disfigured.
&m sorry,( 0ndrea finally said after a long pause. & dont think know you.(
&0ndrea.( =ottie took a step back. &0ndrea, its me. =ottie.(
0ndrea took a step back as well, her eyes widening. &3ottie%( she repeated. &0re you serious%
"erlin, you look different.(
&WellIyeah.( =ottie laughed awkwardly. & took a 7oly!uice 7otion, you see.(
&-o, not !ust that.( 0ndrea peered carefully at her. &'omething in your eyes is different.(
=ottie turned to 8olm, who instead of looking reassured seemed !ust as troubled. & dont
look that weird, do %( she asked.
&ts !ust the 7otion,( he said, though in his eyes, it was clear that he did not believe it. &1ont
worry about it.(
.n that enigmatic note, =ottie broke off from the others to listen to 7almyitor, who had begun
to speak. &=isten, everybody,( she said seriously. &This may be one of the most dangerous
missions weve ever gone on. We know the 1eath @aters are going to try to retrieve this, and
it may very well be today that they show up.( 7almyitor reached into a drawer in her desk
and pulled out a rather distressed looking parchment.
&We also believe that this note may have something to do with it.( 'he glanced down and
continued. &t is a letter sent from ,ookwood, a man who worked in the 1epartment of
"ysteries, but eventually became a 1eath @ater.( 'he ran her finger over the te$t as though
checking to select the most pertinent section. &He talks of a E+ey leading to the place where
Eit is hidden.( 'he glanced up at the rest of them. &'o this mission might be more
complicated than finding a 1ark ob!ect among ruins. Well have to find a keyI(
&What does he say about the key%( =ottie asked.
7almyitor raised a scornful eyebrow. & hardly think it is important.(
&t might be.(
=ottie saw 7almyitors .cclumency falter as her frustration grew. 'he quickly recomposed
herself and looked down at the note. &Well, he wrote that the key was somewhere Ebetween
infinity.( 'he stared at =ottie as though challenging her. &Was that helpful%(
&*es,( =ottie said through gritted teeth. &Thanks.( With a nervous smirk, she turned to 8olm
and 0ndrea for support, but they !ust looked back at her, momentarily stunned at her
audacity.
&0nyway, in this mission, it is absolutely (ital that you listen to any order that we give youI
we being 7rofessor "aelioric, 7rofessor 'tainthorpe and myself. We are going to be very
e$posed. We cannot place a )idelius 8harm around the location because nearly every person
of my generation has been there already. We have the constant thread of 1eath @atersIand
even the threat of some members of the "inistry.(
=ottie frowned, and glanced aroundIeverybody else seemed !ust as confused, e$cept for
0ndrea, who was looking grim.
&*es,( 7almyitor continued, &the "inistry has been acting very oddly lately. They havent
caught a single 1eath @ater in days. 2arksdales pregnant girlfriend was found dead two days
ago, and we believe that may have something to do with it. n any case, we are not quite sure
what is going on there, and it would be better to !ust avoid them altogether.(
-obody said anything. =ottie couldnt think of anything to say. .n this mission they would
hopefully find the final Horcru$, but it was also quite possible that they would all lose their
lives. 'he wondered if anybody else knew how important this was.
7almyitor got to her feet and motioned for the rest of them to file out of the office. When they
reached the corridor, they were met by "aelioric and Hermione.
&*oure coming too%( =ottie asked Hermione in an undertone as they marched up the stairs
to the entrance hall. &snt it dangerous%(
&ts always going to be dangerous.( Hermiones face was set with a sort of determination
that =ottie had never seen on her. &f this works out, hopefully it will all be over soon. t
wont matter if they know m here or not.(
=ottie didnt know how to respond, so casually drifted away from her and stood with 0ndrea
and 8olm in the corner of the entrance hall. They didnt speakI=ottie couldnt think of
anything to say to them. n this alien form, she was hardly even the same person in their eyes.
7almyitor held out a rusty, old cauldronIa 7ortkey. There were few enough to only need
one. =ottie laid a finger again the cold iron and waited until they were !erked away.
They arrived in the middle of desolation. =ottie blinked and looked around as her eyes
ad!usted to the light. They were indoorsIunderground, =ottie would have guessed. There
were torches, and with a flick of 7almyitors wand, they all ignited.
They were in the center of a cavernous room. The walls had been almost completely knocked
down, but there was a foundation where =ottie could see the ruins of several doors. They
spun in a sort of half#hearted away, circling them lazily. @verybody else seemed too
enraptured to speak. 0lmost all of the walls had been knocked down, so they could see
everything from where they stood. 7almyitor began to walk and led them in the direction of
what looked like a wall of glimmering light.
The silence around them was absolute. =ottie heard 0ndrea go &@ugh>( and leap away from
something, which turned out, =ottie noted dully, to be a dried up, human brain.
They reached the source of light. t turned out to be thousands of glowing orbs, twinkling on
shelves. They were so dusty that they looked grey, but =ottie could still see their faint light.
=ottie broke off from the group, enraptured by the orbs. 'he walked along a row of shelves.
<nder every ball of light, there was a set of names, and what seemed like a location. 'he
wanted to hold oneIto feel the light and warmth cradled between her fingers in this cold
place. 'he reached out a careful hand to a shelf, when suddenly something grabbed her wrist.
& wouldnt do that if were you,( Hermione said forcibly, pushing =otties hands away.
=ottie looked at her. n this strange, flickering light, her face almost lost its wrinkles. 'he
seemed almost to be her own age, though =ottie noticed there were restrained tears in her
eyes. &Why not%(
&.ld protections,( Hermione e$plained, leading them back to the center room where the
others stood. &7eople go mad if they touch a prophecy that was not made about them.(
=ottie followed Hermione silently. That seemed like a strange ruleIa recipe for disaster,
really. 'he wondered vaguely whether anyone had ever thought of forcing the 1ark =ord to
take an orb, and forcing him to lose his mind that way, though something seemed too base
about the idea to pursue it further.
& dont believe it would be in the Hall of 7rophecies,( came 7almyitors voice. =ottie !oined
the group of students and watched 7almyitor, "aelioric and Hermione converse. )inally,
Hermione gestured towards a room to their side, and led the entire group that way.
=ottie broke off from the others again as she combed the new room for clues. This one
seemed to hold every clock in e$istence. They were everywhereIon every wall, on rows of
shelves an even some in the ceiling. The ticking was unbearable. 'he walked among the
clocks, trying to find anything significant about them, but unable to look beyond their dusty,
grimy facades. They were all different. 'ome had no numbers? some had far too many? some
had seven or eight hands, and one, enormous clock in the center of the room had only one.
They lingered in the Time ,oom for far too long, in =otties opinion, before heading back to
the center. )or an e$tremely dangerous mission, this was very dull. 0ndrea seemed to be
feeling the same way, because when they made eye contact, she stuck her tongue out
playfully. 8olm looked a little distracted. He kept looking over his shoulder.
&-ervous%( =ottie asked softly in his ear.
He !umped nearly a foot into the air. &ThatIthat Time ,oom,( he said shaking his head.
=ottie could see the goose bumps on his neck. &t freaked me out.(
&Theyre !ust clocks, 8olm,( =ottie said, but he !ust shook his head and followed the others
lead into a separate room.
=ottie e$changed quizzical looks with 0ndrea and followed the group. "aelioric led them to
another large chamber. =ottie could hear Hermione crying in earnest now. This chamber
looked almost like a kind of amphitheatre. There were rows of vaulted seating, that would
have been like stairs if they werent so far apart. =ottie had to awkwardly !ump to get down
to each level. n the center of the room stood a dais, although cracked and crumbled, and on
the center of the dais, stood an archway.
=ottie frowned. This archway didnt seem to lead anywhere in particular, or support a wall or
anything. t !ust stood there. )rom the archway, a veil hung, fluttering even though there
wasnt any wind, and =ottie instantly knew that there was something very dangerous about
that arch. 'he inched closer. -ow she was at the foot of the dais, and with a little hop, she
stood on it, !ust feet from the ominous veil.
&=ottie, what are you doing%( 0ndrea called from far away.
=ottie wrenched her head around to stare at her, but otherwise ignored her. There was
something enticing about this veil. 5oices seemed to emerge from it, as though it were a
portal to a room full of people. The voices were a constant streamI=ottie had a feeling that
it was !ust a stream that led to a much bigger river.
=ottie reached a hand out to touch the fluttering veil when several things happened at once to
stop her.
0ndrea shouted, &=.TT@>(
0t the same moment, searing pain burned across her left forearm.
0round her, there were several loud %ra%+s>
=ottie hissed through her teeth and crouched down, pressing her palm tightly against her arm,
against the precise location of the 1ark "ark. 'he spun around to face the group but found
that there were several more people in the room nowIhooded, masked, and cloaked 1eath
@aters.
The first thing =ottie felt was panicIcomplete panicIrip through her and freeze her bones.
'he stood there, completely still, as though in a stalemate. "aelioric, in the middle of the
room, was the first to move. 0fter what seemed like five minutes, but realistically was a
matter of seconds, he raised his wand. 0 !et of dark red light blasted against the chest of one
of the 1eath @aters.
With that, the battle commenced.
He$es flew through the air, staining it with their magical glow. =ottie dodged off the dais and
hid behind, using it as a momentary barricade before the 1eath @aters discovered her. Her
chest heaved wildly, but it felt like she was taking in no o$ygen.
There was a rustling beside her. =ottie spun, holding her wand up before her with shaking
fingers. 7almyitor dodged around the dais as well and, with her usual#neat bun falling out
into her eyes, growled, &,owe, the potion.(
&What%(
&/o 1oin them, ,owe. The potion.(
With that, 7almyitor pushed off against the stone dais and went back into the battle. =ottie
blinked. n the panic of the moment, she had no idea what 7almyitor meant, so ran out into
the battle herself.
They were grossly outnumbered. "aelioric dueled four at once, dodging and ducking under
their curses like a dancer. 7almyitor stood at the top of the room, high above everyone else.
-obody noticed that she was there, but she quietly took 1eath @aters out, one by one. The
8lynalmoy student was dueling a single 1eath @ater, and doing pretty poorly. @dgar 7ayne
seemed to be running in circles, and occasionally firing the odd !in$.
Hermione dueled another cloaked figure fiercely. The spells she fired were like none =ottie
had ever seen before. The 1eath @ater dodged nimbly, though, and fired a particularly nasty
curse that knocked Hermione off her feet.
'he lay on the ground on her backIher body shaking with pain. =ottie could see her trying
to push herself back up, but every time she made contact with the ground, her limbs froze.
The 1eath @ater reached off and pulled off his mask as he approached her.
t was 'nape. He was laughing. &/ranger, you insufferable, little know#it#all, you will never
learn.(
Hermione gasped for breath. 0pparently whatever spell 'nape had used was more powerful
than it seemed. 'he squirmed on the ground in a last effort to raise her wand, but the 1ark
"agic that prevented her held true.
The corner of 'napes lips curled. &"udblood filth,( he hissed as he raised his wand.
&'-07@>( "agic forgotten, =ottie ran at him, rage filling her every pore. 'nape only had
time to look up in surprise before =ottie tackled him full force and brought him to the ground.
With 'haulas larger frame, overtaking him was easy. =ottie had 'nape pinned to the ground
with her knees and used both arms to deliver fierce punches to his face. His wand lay
abandoned by his side.
Thick, viscous blood oozed from his large, crooked nose. t ran down his face, staining his
lips and pooling at the base of his neck. =ottie delivered another blow to his !aw. "ore blood.
&*ou are digging your own grave, ,owe,( 'nape growled, and impossibly, he smiled.
Taken slightly off#guard, =ottie sat back. How had he recognized her in this form% &*ou
know%(
'nape only laughed. The blood from his nose ran down his face and into his mouth, staining
his teeth pink. &*ou killed your own parents, ,owe. 'houldnt you be ashamed%(
& didnt kill them.( =ottie raised her arm again to deliver another blow &2ran did. 2ran
killed themI(
&We would not have been able to find them if you hadnt delivered us that "uggle.( 'nape
smiled still. With the blood in his mouth, he looked like some kind of sick vampire. &-ow
how else would an up#and#coming 1eath @ater know how to find the source of a revolt, if she
didnt already know where to look% How would a 1eath @ater get the information out of the
"uggle without torture% know your style, ,owe. *oure far too obvious.(
=otties throat went dry. 'he couldnt think of what to do. Her wand hung limp in her hand.
'nape carefully moved his arm, unnoticed by =ottie, and was finally able to grasp the handle
his own wand. He sneered at =ottie, who still sat in a daze, and suddenly !abbed his wand in
her direction.
The spell hit =ottie with such a force that =ottie was knocked aside. 'he landed heavily on
her back and lay, stunned, for a moment. 0 stinging gash began to bleed along her face.
'nape took the time and scrambled out from under her and re!oined the fray.
=ottie wiped the blood with the back of her hand and slowly got to her feet. 'he rushed to
Hermiones side, who was still struggling from her spot on the floor. &#inite,( =ottie
murmured. The 1ark "agic stopped instantly.
&,owe,( Hermione panted, pushing herself up. &*our potion.(
&What%(
&Watch out>( Hermione used the strength she had left to lunge from the ground and knock
=ottie over. Her head collided painfully with the stone floor. Through the daze of stars that
popped up in her vision, =ottie saw !ets of green light fly overhead.
&Thanks,( she breathed as she got to her feet. 'he held out her hand to help Hermione up, and
once she was standing, =ottie !oined the fight.
'he spotted 0ndrea battling a huge 1eath @ater. He had the advantage of power, but 0ndrea
was too nimble for him. He shot a killing curse, which 0ndrea avoided by leaping from her
feet and morphing into a sparrow in mid#air.
The sparrow landed by =otties feet and quickly transformed back into 0ndrea. &=ottie,( she
panted, picking her wand up off the ground, &youre turning backI(
&What%( =ottie wasnt paying great attention. )rom the corner of her eye, she saw a !et of
light shoot towards them. &1<8D>( With her right arm she pulled 0ndrea to the ground with
her.
They landed heavily? =ottie hardly noticed the slight sting in her elbows as the stone scraped
the top layer of skin off. 'he quickly spun around on the ground and aimed at the man who
had fired at them. 0 flash of green, and the man fell to the ground, a look of mild surprise
still showing in his dead eyes.
&*our potion,( 0ndrea said. &*oure you again.(
=ottie blinked. 'he did feel suddenly lighter. The hair falling into her eyes was blond again,
not 'haulas thick black. 'he fumbled for the potion in her pocket but another Dilling 8urse
forced her to forgo it and push 0ndrea and herself out of the way.
0 !et of light aimed toward the pair again, and they leapt in opposite directions to avoid the
curse. .ut of the corner of her eye, =ottie saw 0ndrea scramble to her feet and !oin the fight
again. 7anting, =ottie stood up herself. 'he ran along the periphery of the battle, firing
Dilling 8urses at 1eath @aters. t wasnt long, though, before she was noticed. 0 1eath @ater
turned to her, smiling like a wolf. t was 'nape.
&*ou want to kill me%( =ottie taunted. &*ou had the choice a thousand times.( 'he dodged a
!et of red light that he fired and smiled at him as she straightened up. &*ou hated me for years
for being better than youIbut you never took the chance to get rid of me%(
=ottie laughed, !ust because she knew that it would make 'nape furious. There was so much
blood on his face that he was almost unrecognizable. He made a noise that sounded like a
growl and left her, whipping around to !oin the battle again.
=ottie stood still, watching him with wide eyes. He had given up the chance to kill herI
again. 'he watched him fire curses from his wand, directed at nobody in particularImaybe
!ust to release his frustration.
&'-07@, *.< T,0T.,>(
The voice came from behind her. 8olm came barreling past from the back of the room right
into the fight. He fired a !et of green light at 'nape, who dodged and !umped nimbly onto the
dais.
8olm followed, and leapt onto the dais after a running start. He fired curse after curse. =ottie
watched them duel, unsure of what to think. 'he had never seen 8olm this angry before.
'nape dodged every curse with a sneer, and they were speaking as they foughtI=ottie could
see their lips moving furiously, but could not hear what they said.
)inally, 8olm, wand forgotten, grabbed the front of 'napes cloak in an impossibly tight grip.
'nape writhed to get out, but couldnt escape 8olm, who was bigger and had the unnatural
strength of a werewolf.
=ottie heard the word 8olm spoke from where she stood, though it sounded like a whisper.
&Traitor.( With inhuman strength, 8olm shoved 'nape backwards.
What happened ne$t seemed to occur in slow motion. 'nape flew backwards, his heels !ust
skimming the ground. 'urprised etched his face, and in that moment, all of his memories
flooded out of him like a wave. His back hit the fluttering veil, which seemed to suspend him
for a moment.
'nape fell slowly. His eyes were wide, panic stricken, as the archway swallowed him. The
veil gave one final, ominous flutter, and he was gone.
The battle seemed to stop. =ottie stood, frozen, staring at the space where 'nape had !ust
been. How could he be gone% =otties memory went back to 'napeIhow much he had
taught herI.cclumency, =egilimencyIhe had taught her how to kill. t seemed impossible
that he was gone !ust like thatIthat the veil !ust swallowed him that easily. 8olm turned
around to face her, looking !ust as shocked as she felt. He stood rooted to the place, but
luckily, all of the 1eath @aters must have been stunned as wellInot a single curse shot
towards him.
0 handful of the 1eath @aters, too shocked, cast their eyes around desperately. They looked
at =ottie, dressed in 1eath @ater robes but acting on 0lsemores side, at 8olm, still standing
where he had committed the murder, and at the three heads, before 1isapparating with loud
%ra%+s5
0nd !ust like that, the battle started again. 8olm leapt off the dais and "aelioric resumed his
duels. =ottie scanned the scene quicklyIthey were doing pretty well? not a single person on
their side had died yet.
'he kept fighting, but almost in a half#hearted way. Her mind was focused not on the duels in
front of her, but on the veil. ts whispering grew louder until she was unable to ignore it. 'he
turned around to glance at it, but nobody else seemed to notice. -obody else seemed to hear.
=ottie dodged a Dilling 8urse and landed heavily against the stone dais. 'omething kept
drawing her attention to the arch. )or some reason, she was sure it held a key to their
questions. &=ottie, what are you doing%( The voice was 8olms, but =ottie paid it no heed.
With her eyes set on the veil, she carefully set her foot on one of the bottom stones that made
up the archway. 'he clasped a higher stone with her sweaty palm and put her wand between
her teeth to grab on with the other one.
2ecause of the stones !agged edges, it was fairly simple to clamber up. =ottie went
unnoticed up the stone arch, carefully taking one step at a time.
The others seemed to notice that she was there all at once. 0ndrea screamed, &=.TT@,
W0T8H .<T>( !ust as a !et of green came flying her way. =ottie quickly swung around to
the other wide of the arch and heard the curse hit the stone. t sounded like an e$plosion.
)rom her spot, =ottie could see the 1eath @ater prowling the daiss perimeter, searching for
her.
=ottie grabbed onto the stone tightly with her left hand, and used her right to fire the Dilling
8urse at him. 'he watched him fall before returning her wand to her teeth and resuming her
climb.
7anting heavily, she glanced upIthe top was so close. With one final push, she got there and
balanced herself precariously. The other 1eath @aters either did not see her or did not care.
=ottie stole a quick glance down and ran her hand over the rough keystone. The keyB
=ottie didnt know why, but she was sure that this held the answer. 'he grasped her wand and
looked at the stone beneath her. &!edu%to.( t blasted apart easilyIlike it was designed toI
but only the top layer.
&0tupefy>( =ottie heard the spell fired, and hastily blocked it with a 'hield 8harm. The 1eath
@ater below snarled at her, but before he could raise his wand again, 8olm, in a flying blur,
tackled him to the ground.
=ottie looked back down at the keystone. With its top layer gone, it revealed something long
that glimmered in the light from the curses. =ottie peered at it and ran her fingers over it. t
was smooth, like metal, and was shaped like an arrow. =ottie would have guessed that it was
half a foot long. t was crammed into stone like a plug.
This was itI=ottie was sure. The arrow protruded !ust enough for =ottie to grasp it with her
fingertips. 'he glanced down quickly. The fighting that continued was brutal, but nobody
seemed to pay her any heed. )or good measure, she fired a Dilling 8urse at a 1eath @ater
before focusing again on the metal arrow.
The whispers had gotten louder, as though they knew how close she was. =ottie tugged on the
arrow, but it only moved an inch. The voices grew louder. 0 few of the others seemed to
notice them now. 7almyitor turned and stared at the arch in horror.
=ottie pulled again. The arrow, again, moved only another inch, but the voices swelled in
volume. @verybody else noticed now as well. 0ndrea shot wild glances at the arch, and the
1eath @aters spun around, confused.
.ne more time, =ottie tugged. The effect was instantaneous. The arrow flew into her hand,
and at the same time, there was a noise like an e$plosion.
t was deafeningIlike every voice in the entire world was screaming into her ear. The shock
made =ottie lose her balance. The voices continued to scream. =ottie swayed, and suddenly
her feet lost contact with the stone. 'he seemed to fall in slow motion, falling closer and
closer towards the open archway and the fluttering veil.
'he grabbed onto the keystone. With only the strength of her arms to keep her from falling
inevitably into the veil, her legs dangled ominously. The archway tried to pull her in like a
magnet.
The others had been affected too. 0lmost everyone had fallen to the floor, their hands
clamped futilely over their ears, completely paralyzed.
t was louder than anything that had ever e$isted before. t was so loud that =ottie could
hardly think. The veil pulled at her legs again, and she flailed helplessly, kicking against
something that wasnt there. t wouldnt be that bad, maybe, to !ust let go and fall into the
veil as compared to this.
2ut something seemed odd. 0lthough it was more consuming than anything in the world
combined, =otties ears did not hurt at all. There was no ringingIsurely she would have
gone deaf by now if this were real noise. t was her head that hurtIher mind that could not
function.
'he needed control. 1espite her precarious balance, halfway between life and certain death,
=ottie took a few deep breaths and tried to clear her mind.
t was harder than .cclumency had ever been, but she knew right when she tried that it was
the answer. =ottie breathed more and, despite the e$treme pain in her arms, and the growing
sense of numbness in her feet, forced her mind to go blank. .nce she had an effective block
up, the voices seemed to get quieterI!ust quiet enough for her to think.
Then the realization hit her like a block in her chest. This wasnt a%tual noiseIit was
thoughts. 'he increased the strength of her block, used .cclumency stronger than she had
ever mustered before to guard her mind, and only then did she feel like she had sufficient
room for her own mind.
=ottie looked around. 'tudents, professors, and 1eath @aters alike all lay in equally
nonfunctional heaps. The room, =ottie realized, was completely silent? no matter how hard
they clamped their hands over their ears, the thoughts would still get into their minds.
.nly one person was standing. 7almyitor moved about the dais with a sense of purpose, but
slowly, as though she were moving through powerful, rushing water. 'he glanced up at
=ottie, and =ottie understood. Their .cclumency is what saved them.
The veil of nothingness tugged harder at =otties legs, and =ottie yelped in panic. Her voice
cut through the silence like lightning. t was only then that she realized she could still hear.
&Hang on.( t wasnt her own voice, but 7almyitors. The professor stood at the foot of the
arch, gazing up at her.
& cant.( =ottie tried again to pull herself up, but physical e$haustion was taking its toll. Her
arms felt like they were melting. The power of the arch was too great for her to resist. &m
going to fall.( The veils pulls were getting stronger. 'he could feel the fluttering fabric
against her feet.
&,owe, !ust hold on.( 7almyitor blinked e$tra hard, as though trying to clear the voices out of
her sense. &Theyre thoughts, ,owe. Theyre thoughts.(
& know,( =ottie growled. =ike the others, she had the sudden urge to clamp her hands over
her ears, but knew it would lead to her death. Her .cclumency was slowly melting away.
&1o you think you can perform =egilimency right now%( 7almyitor shouted.
&0gainst what%(
&Aust trust me, ,owe.(
=ottie did not want to trust her. 'he wanted to !ust let goIto relieve the e$treme e$haustion
in her armsIshe was going to die anyway.
&)ocus, ,owe. 0ll right% m going to do it too.( 7almyitors voice sounded infinitely far
away. The thoughts were growing louder again. &,eady% /o.(
With a deep breath, =ottie focused all of her energy on !ust =egilimency. Aust like when she
performed it on a human, she created a ball of mental energy that manifested itself between
her eyes.
&)illItheIgap,( 7almyitor said, screaming each word as though they were not in an entirely
silent room.
=ottie turned her attention back to the bead of energy. With all of the strength left in her, she
willed it to move forward. t crawled along, inch by inch. 'he was vaguely aware of another
incarnation of energy moving beside hers.
The two balls of energy reached the keystone, and with one final push, closed the hole.
The world was silent again. The voices all stopped promptly, and =ottie could hear a lot of
groaning from below, where everybody else was recovering.
&8ome on, ,owe,( 7almyitor said, still at the food of the arch. &7ull yourself up.(
=ottie panted. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. The voices had stopped, but the veil was
still trying to suck her in. 'he could hear shouting below, some incantation fired again and
again. Her head pounded miserably. 'he !ust wanted to be still and rest.
&3ottie !owe,( 7almyitor shouted, sounding sterner than ever before. &*ou are wasting
valuable time. 7ull yourself together and get down this instant.(
=ottie groaned audibly as she tried. Her legs flailed uselessly until they finally hit something
solidIthe side of the arch. With the added strength of her legs Fand a lot of obscenitiesG, she
managed to push herself back on top of the keystone. )rom there she scrambled down the
side of the arch, and took the last three feet and a !ump. 'he landed heavily on the floor,
doubled over on her hands and knees and half#laughing with e$haustion.
@verything hurt. Her heart felt like it was going to break her ribs? her eyes thudded dully? her
brain felt like it had turned to mud. 2ut in her hand, glimmering innocently, was the golden
arrow.
There was a lot of shouting. 7eople were yelling. =ottie didnt even feel strong enough to
open her eyes, let alone stand. 'he could hear someone approaching? somebody stood ne$t to
her. &=ottie%( t was 0ndrea. &0re you okay%(
& cant move.(
0ndrea knelt ne$t to her. &What do you have%(
&The key,( =ottie said, using all the strength she had to hold it up. &ts from the archI
pulled it out.(
&0re you sure its the key%( =ottie felt 0ndrea take the arrow out of her hand. & thought it
would look moreB wellB like a key.(
=ottie rolled over so that she was lying on her back. 'he felt like she could sleep for a week.
&ts definitely it,( she said. &-o idea what it opens though.(
0ndrea fell silent. =ottie didnt care to figure out what she was thinking? she !ust lay on her
back and breathed. @ven that hurt. 0ndrea was murmuring as though she had to think out
loud, until she finally said, &The time room>(
&"erlin, 0ndrea, do you have to scream%(
&-oIitsIm sure it is. Hang on.( =ottie heard her get up and run away. =ottie lay for a
minute in blissful stillness until a heavier set of legs approached.
&*ou feeling okay, ,owe%( t was "aelioric. He crouched down. =ottie forced her eyes open
to look at him. He sported two black eyes and a bloody lip.
&-o.(
&8an you give me your arm% Weve got to get you up.( "aelioric was smiling? =ottie
counted two missing teeth.
&Why%(
"aelioric laughedIhis booming laughter made =otties head spin. & think your friend
figured out where to find a Horcru$.( 8arefully, he wrapped his powerful arms around her
shoulders. Without much help from =ottie, he heaved and got her to her feet.
=otties bones felt like soup. Her legs were planted against the ground, but she could not
support her own weight. 'he leaned against "aelioric as he walked, and stared at the scene
around them.
There were piles of dead bodiesIall 1eath @aters. =ottie looked around. t didnt look as
though a single 1eath @ater had survived. 8olm and 7almyitor stood over one of the bodies,
shouting at each other.
&We needed to ,uestion them, 'crivener,( 7almyitor seethed. &We needed to find out how
they figured out we would be here.(
&m sorry.( 8olm spread his palms wide in a gesture of innocence. &They were going to kill
us. We couldnt afford to give them time to regroup.(
&We have spells for that.( 7almyitor gestured violently at the dead body beneath her.
&)reezing spellsIwe almost found out some e$tremely valuable information.(
&-aesa, hate to interrupt,( "aelioric said swiftly, &but think this can wait.(
8olm turned to them, but his eyes softened when he saw =ottie. 8ompletely dropping the
situation with 7almyitor, he rushed to her side and took weight from "aelioric. &0re you
okay%(
=ottie smiled. & think so.(
"aelioric took a step towards 7almyitor. &-aesa, think this is the key. This is what ,owe
found in the arch. Woolbright thinks it may open one of the clocks in the time room.(
7almyitor looked down at the arrow. 'he glanced at =ottie, then at 0ndrea, who stood to the
side with the other 8lynalmoy and @dgar 7ayne. 7almyitor !ust looked at the dead 1eath
@aters for a moment before saying, &=ets go.(
The pack moved slowly. =ottie was able to hold a little of her own weight now, but still
needed 8olm to guide her. @dgar 7ayne walked with a limp, and 0ndrea seemed too
e$hausted to move any more quickly. 'o a good five minutes passed by the time they reached
the time room.
There were thousands of clocks. "aelioric held the arrow up to the light and glanced at the
rest of them. &WellIanyone have any ideas%(
They all stood in the center of the room, gazing at the clocks for a long minute until
Hermione pointed to the opposite wall and said, &ThereIthat big one.(
The group moved forward. 0gainst the wall stood an enormous clock, probably the same
height as =ottie, with only a long and narrow minute hand. "aelioric approached its face and
pushed the smaller arrow into its center.
There was a clicking noise, and the arrow stuck. The hands spun quickly as though every
second were an hour. They kept moving like that for a good minute, sometimes going the
same way and sometimes switching directions suddenly. )inally, they stopped and the clocks
face swung open.
t revealed a tiny vault. =ottie was surprisedIshe had been e$pecting something biggerIbut
there was only enough room for her to sit in. 2ut insideI=ottie grinned when she saw itIsat
a tiny, golden cup.
7almyitor moved forward and took it delicately between two hands. 'he turned to the group
and looked back down at the cup. &We have to destroy it,( she said.
&8ant we do that back at school%( =ottie groaned.
&*eah,( 8olm said. &=otties e$hausted. We can do it there.(
& dont want to risk it,( 7almyitor said sharply. &'omebody tipped the 1eath @aters offIand
they might steal it if we wait.(
They stood for a minute. =ottie sighed several times before an idea hit her. &The veil,( she
said.
7almyitor nodded, and once again, the group began the slow procession back. When they got
to the dais, the veil fluttered innocently. There were no more whispers.
They stood in front of the arch for a good minute. 8olm shifted his weight several times.
)inally, 7almyitor inched forward and threw the cup? it soared in the air for a moment before
the archway swallowed it. The veil fluttered, and it disappeared into nothing.
'uddenly, =ottie was filled with a rush of e$citement. &That was it,( she said, finally picking
herself up and standing on her own. &The last oneIthat was it.(
7almyitor turned to her, a grim frown on her face. &The wars not over, ,owe,( she said.
&Were only halfway there.(
Chapter ': Chapter $i%ty8(i)ht: 5a+/ at Al!emore
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to coolhPMMM for being an awesome beta>
This chapter is dedicated to the entire rehearsal team and cast of my show.
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty#@ight; 2ack at 0lsemore
When =ottie got back to 0lsemore, she slept for twenty#three hours straight. The physical
stress of resisting the pull of the veil combined with the mental stress of blocking out those
millions For billionsG of thoughts was !ust too much for her. 'he didnt go back to her dorm
room, but stayed in the Hospital Wing. 'he didnt want to revisit the place she had already
said goodbye to.
When she woke, the whole world was dark. 'he lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling,
letting emptiness fill her. 'he didnt know what was going to become of her life now. The
1ark =ords Horcru$es were all destroyed, but she felt no sense of victory. 0fter all, he was
still very much alive.
0nd all of the 1eath @aters had seen her transform. Her cover was blown. 'he couldnt go
back as 'haula nowIcould she go back at all% f she couldnt, what purpose did she have in
life% 'he might as well be deadIshe might as well have fallen through the veil herself like
the Horcru$B like 'nape.
That idea filled her with terror. t seized her chest and caused her limbs to contract. 2ut she
was not dead, she told herself firmly. 'he was alive, breathing and thinkingIthats what
mattered.
=ottie sat up and threw the covers off of her. 'he was still in the same clothesIthe oversized
robes that had fit 'haulas wide frame. 'he put her hands to her face. The wound that 'nape
had given her was goneIall evidence of his e$istence was gone. 'he felt like she was in a
dream, but when she pulled up her left sleeve, there sat the 1ark "ark, charred into her skin,
making everything else that had happened unavoidably real.
'he stood up. Her legs were a little shaky at first, but once she got her balance, she could
walk. 'he had no idea what time it was, but had to go somewhere. Her bare toes skimmed the
cold ground as she walked through the large, Hospital Wing doors. .ut of habit, she went to
7almyitors office.
When she reached the familiar door, it opened without her knocking. 7almyitor sat behind her
desk, as though she were waiting for her. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and her whole
body quivered !ust slightlyIas though she were on the verge of a collapse.
&Have you slept at all%( =ottie asked as she sat down in the chair opposite the desk.
&-o.(
=ottie drew her legs up and hugged her knees. &-ow what%(
7almyitor looked at her with the intensity of one attempting =egilimency. =ottie shut her
eyes. 'he was too empty for anything to be found.
&*ou tell me,( 7almyitor finally said.
& cant go back as 'haula. 0 few 1eath @aters got awayIthey saw me.(
&-o. think its safe to say that you ruined that disguise thoroughly.(
=ottie knew that this was supposed to sting, but let it !ust wash over her harmlessly. Weakly,
she suggested, &We could find someone elseI could go through recruitment again.(
&.h yes% 7almyitor asked, her voice full of spite. &*es, we could !ust find another perfe%t
candidate and kidnap them. We could !ust wait a whole year until the ne$t recruitment for the
inner circleIand the 1ark =ord will %ertainly not notice that you already have the "ark.(
&What do you want me to say%( =ottie leaned back in her chair, resigned.
&*ou ruined the entire operation, ,owe. WeI- have spent years of my life training you, and
you ruined it in under two months.(
&f it werent for me, you would have never found the Horcru$,( =ottie pointed out. &-obody
else was brave enough.(
&,owe, you are several things, but bra(e is not one of them.(
=ottie was !ust growing irritated. &Well we only have one part of his soul left to destroyI(
&*es, and it is the most difficult and dangerous part of them all.( 7almyitor got to her feet.
&The only part that can fight back.(
&*es,( =ottie said wearily, &but it also can be lured.( 'he put her feet back on the ground.
&1o you really need me to get him here% There are hundreds of usIall it takes is one curse
to finish him off.(
7almyitor said nothing, but sat back down. 'he rested her head in her right hand and sighed.
&=ook,( =ottie said, & dont think - should have to solve this entire problem. We can fight
the rest of this war without someone on the inside.(
&*ou are so ignorant, ,owe.( 7almyitor massaged her temples. &2hey have someone on the
inside. That is the problem. 0omebody told them about our mission.(
&We already %he%+ed everyone,( =ottie said. &-obody we checked had let 'nape outIhe
probably !ust got out on himself.(
&0nd this mission%(
&"aybe this was the day they were planning on coming anyway. wasnt in the meetingI
wouldnt know.(
&The likelihood of that is so smallI(
&2ut its possible.( =ottie got to her feet. &1id anyone else +now about this mission% t was
either one of the students or one of the professors. t definitely wasnt one of us because we
checked everyone. "aybe youre the traitor% "aybe 8lynalmoy% We all have a clean
record.(
7almyitor leapt back to her feet. &That is quite enough,( she said. &What you are suggesting
is absurd.( =ottie !ust shrugged and turned to leave. 'he had had enough of this. 2ut !ust as
she reached the door, 7almyitors voice stopped her. &2y the way, ,oweIits Tuesday. *ou
are e$pected back in class tomorrow.(
=ottie did not acknowledge her on the way out. t was absurd to think that classes were still
going onIand she had to go. =earning seemed trivial now. 'he followed the path to the
common room blankly, but when she reached the clock, she realized she had no idea what the
password was. 'he only waited ten minutes for somebody to e$it, before losing patience and
walking back up the stairs.
0 clock in the entrance hall told her that it was two in the morning. =ottie ascended the steps
and looked out of one of the corridors small windows. 0 thin layer of -ovember snow had
fallen and coated the grounds in white. 'he wondered where 0ndrea wasIif she was in their
dormitory, sleeping like everyone else, or off battling 1eath @aters.
=ottie continued to climb the stairs until she was on the fourth and final floor. 7almyitor had
made it very clear that she was done with missionsIit was back to regular school. =ottie
didnt think that was entirely practical as much as it was a passive aggressive punishment.
'tuck at school, did she even have any meaning anymore%
'he had killed. =ottie clasped a hand over her "ark and sank down to the ground, sitting
against the wall. 'he had murdered to play her partIbut had it been worth it% Her parents
were dead nowIfor what% 0 destroyed Horcru$. Thats all this had been worth. 'taring out
at the grey snow, =ottie leaned her head against the cold stone, and drifted off to sleep.
'he woke up when the first rays of sunlight were trying to creep above the horizon. =ottie
stretched. Her back cramped and she had a weird taste in her mouth. "aybe breakfast had
already started. 'he began to descend the stairs to the /reat Hall.
There were already a few people eating when she got there. =ottie spotted Aulianne steadily
pushing her way through a bowl of oatmeal. =ottie sat down across from her, and without any
e$planation, began to spoon hash browns onto her plate.
&"erlin, =ottie.( Aulianne looked up from her oatmeal. & never thought d see you again.(
&*eahIwellIhere am.(
& thought youd been given a mission.(
&ts over.(
&Thats good at least.(
=ottie frowned at her and took a stab at her potatoes. &-o,( she said. &ts not. t was ruined
Inot completed.(
&.h.(
=ottie looked up at Aulianne disdainfully. 'he had always been awkwardIuseless, even. 0he
wasnt chosen for a special mission. 'he was stuck here, because she wasnt talented enough,
when everyone else in their year was already off working. -ow it was 3ottie who was useless
I3ottie who had nothing else to contribute.
&'o,( =ottie said casually, &wheres 0ndrea%(
Aulianne put her spoon down in her empty bowl and pulled over a plate of eggs. &*ou didnt
know%( she said with a full mouth. &'he leftIon a mission.(
&-o, was on that mission too. We came back days ago.(
&*es,( Aulianne said patiently. &'he came back from that and then left again.(
&What% When%(
&*esterday.(
&0re you serious%( =ottie groaned. & slept through one day and missed her% Where did she
go%(
& dont know.( Aulianne shoveled her last bit of egg into her mouth and then started a
mountain of potatoes. &'hes been training for it for a while though.(
=ottie pushed her plate away from her. & could +ill 7almyitor.(
Aulianne looked up from her enormous breakfast. &What does she have to do with any of
this%(
&t was !ust to make me angry,( =ottie said. &'he was doing it because messed upIbut
didnt mess up that badly. f it werent for meI(
&m sorry =ottie, but have no idea what youre talking about.( Aulianne put down her fork
and shot =ottie a puzzled gaze. &2ut you might want to put on your uniform because class
starts soon.(
=ottie looked down. 'he was still in her 1eath @ater robes. &,ight.( 'he stood up, ignoring
the mound of uneaten food she was leaving behind. &@rIwhats the time for the clock%(
Aulianne didnt look up as she poured herself a cup of !uice. &Two minutes to midnight.(
&Thanks.( =ottie left the /reat Hall silently and began to descend the steps. 0fter entering the
time into the clock, she pushed her way into the common room.
'he didnt want to look at it. 'he had already said goodbye to everything and was not ready
to be banished back here. *ounger students rushed up and down the stairs, getting ready for
class. They had no idea.
=ottie went down the steps to the girls dormitories, and entered the seventh years rooms.
0ll of the bed were pristine, e$cept for Auliannes. t looked like 'ophie had been sent away
as well.
=ottie sat down at the foot of her bed and pulled out her old uniform. t seemed absolutely
ridiculous that she had to wear this againIthe clothes she wore when she was ele(en. 0s she
changed, she could feel the dusty, old fabric compressing her.
'he ran her hands over her left arm, where !ust layers of fabric hid her 1ark "ark. This
would be on her for the rest of her life, however long that would beIa "ark of failure until
the day she died. @veryone was off in the world doing something useful. @$cept for her. 'he
had sacrificed everything and ultimately failed.
8lasses that day were worse than torture. =ottie sat in the back of each room, disdainfully
watching her classmates. There were very few of them now. 0ndrea, 'ophie and 0ndrew
5ictorsen were all gone, leaving only Aulianne, @dgar, 1evin, and her.
@verything they were learning was trivial. -othing would have helped any of them in the real
world. =ottie glared at the professors as they lectured, as though challenging them.
They had .cclumency last. =essons were now being taught by 7almyitor herself. =ottie
didnt do anything in class. 'he didnt volunteer. 'he didnt take notes. 7almyitor never
called on her. =ottie spent the entire lesson, legs and arms crossed, shooting bitter glares at
7almyitor.
)inally, class ended, and the others filed out. =ottie remained behind. 'he hadnt even stood
up to leave.
&8lass is dismissed, ,owe,( 7almyitor said, busying herself with a roll of parchment. =ottie
still didnt do anything. 7almyitor looked up. &,owe. said class is dismissed.(
=ottie got to her feet, but walked towards the desk, not the door. &Why did you send 0ndrea
away%(
7almyitor snorted with cruel laughter. &'he had a mission, ,owe.(
&*eah, but you had to send her away before could see her% 0re you sure%(
&es, 7almyitor said. &'he is working with the "inistryItheyve been behaving oddly
lately. We needed somebody there as soon as possible. What is the problem, ,owe%(
&*ou !ust did that to make my life miserable,( =ottie said. &To get back at me for the
1epartment of "ysteriesI(
&,owe, this is a war. am not planning to get petty revenge.(
&0re you sure% t sounds !ust like the kind of the move you would make.(
&That is enough.( 7almyitor got to her feet. &Aust because you lived a privileged life up until
now does not mean it is going to continue. *ou got away with your terrible attitude and awful
discipline because you were useful. -ow you are not, and you are going to suffer the
consequences if you insist on behaving like a spoiled child.(
& am not uselessI(
&"ost people in this school take seven years of training, and then go die for the cause. *ou
had a different path, ,owe, but you ruined itI(
& am not !ust here to die for the cause.( =otties voice grew louder. &0re you forgetting who
am% m related to Harry 7otterIIm more important than any of you.(
&.h really%( 7almyitor leaned forward on the desk, her eyes full of malice. &!eally% held a
!ob for fifty years. )or fifty years, reported and gathered information. *ouIthe cousin of
famous otter couldnt even hold it for fifty days>(
& got more done than you did. f it werent for me, we would have never found that
Horcru$,( =ottie said. &Harry destroyed a Horcru$ when he was twel(e. *oure what% .ne
hundred% *ouve never done anything.(
7almyitor inhaled sharply. t sounded more like a snake hissing than anything. &*ou know,
,owe, think do have a mission for you.(
=ottie narrowed her eyes. 'he knew 7almyitor too well at this point to take this seriously.
"ore likely than anything, this would be some sort of tedious task to annoy her.
&1ont you want to know what it is%( 7almyitor was smiling now.
&m not sure.(
&Weve got a few stragglers in our new batch of first yearsIa few who cant seem to grasp
the most simple concepts. Theyre having trouble with dueling, especially.(
&nteresting,( =ottie said scathingly. &m sure thats never happened before. -obodys ever
fallen behind.(
&.h no, it is quite common,( 7almyitor said, choosing to ignore =otties sarcasm. &&ou
struggled especially. n any case, weve been giving them tutoring sessions. We think some
e$perience outside of the classroom will do them some good. t would keep them more on
their guardIa change of sceneryI(
&0re you insane%( =ottie interrupted. &They could be found out in the open. How are you
going to make sure theyre not killed%(
&Well that will be your !ob.(
&This is idiotic.( =otties volume was creeping upward. &How in "erlins name will this help
at all% Why cant they !ust practice here% 0re you stupid%(
&*ou know,( 7almyitor said coldly, &if you cannot control your emotions, you cannot
perform =egilimencyI(
& 1.-T 80,@ 02.<T =@/="@-8*>( =ottie crossed to 7almyitors desk and
slammed her palms against it. &This is stupidIare you !ust trying to get them murdered%
dont mind babysittingIwhateverIbut why would you purposefully send them out to
danger% Were going to be murdered.(
7almyitors face remained passive. &Well youre !ust going to have to figure that out, arent
you%(
=ottie met the group of first years the ne$t day. They were a scrawny, nervous#looking
bunch. There were three deathly skinny girls, and a boy who was smaller than all of them.
=ottie stared down at them, frowning and quite certain that she had never been that tiny.
&.kay, you lot,( she said gruffly when they met in the entrance hall. &ve been given the
afternoon, and according to 7almyitor, we cant do it here, so ve got to take you out.(
The first years !ust blinked up at her with wide doe eyes. =ottie had to suppress the urge to
scowl at them. 'he waited for a moment longer for any of them to say anything, but they did
not. &.kay,( she finally sighed. &1o all of you have coats% ts going to be freezing out.(
The first years nodded mutely. &.kay, were going to 0pparate,( =ottie said. &'pparateI
you know what that is% *eah% .kay, whatever. Aust hold my arms.(
They did so shyly, clinging onto the baggy fabric of her robe with their fingertips.
&-o, you have to really hold onIyou dont want to be splinched, do you%( They didnt say
anything. =ottie suppressed the urge to shout at them. &Aust hold on really tightIno seriously
Ias hard as you can.(
.nce all four of them held onto her sufficiently, =ottie spun on her heel and 1isapparated.
They reached the middle of a deserted pile of rubble. =ottie remembered passing it when she
had been 'haula, but had never seen a 1eath @ater go there. &.kay, lets go.(
'he took a few steps forward before realizing that nobody followed her. =ottie turned back
around. 0ll four first years were on their knees, groaning. .ne had actually vomited. &0re
you serious%( =ottie groaned. &.kay, guys, get up.( 'he 5anished the vomit wordlessly and
pulled each first year up by the elbow.
They hesitated and =ottie was filled with the strong urge to kick them. .f everything
7almyitor could have done, banishing her to an e$ceedingly average life was definitely the
cruelest. &-o, really,( =ottie said. &This is actually dangerous. We cant dawdle. 1o you want
to be killed%(
This seemed to motivate them enough and they clipped along behind her obediently like
ducks. =ottie led them for about a mile, to a spot so deep in wreckage that they werent easy
to spot. =ottie didnt know what had caused the ruins, but it was clearly inconsequential
enough to not be patrolled.
.nce they were safely hidden, =ottie put them through a series of dodging e$ercises. They
were good at this? they had probably practiced in the camps. 0fter about twenty minutes, she
let them practice shooting sparks at one another, and when they had grown bored of that,
=ottie began to speak.
&Well thats all well and good,( she said. &*oure very good at making sparksI
congratulations. 'plit up into pairs now. Were going to practice dueling. 1ont hold back,
okay% 1ont be afraid to hurt the other person. Were magicIwe can heal it. ts not a big
dealIand you definitely wont kill each other even if you try.(
They nodded and broke up into pairs, but before they could fire any spells, =ottie added,
&0nd theres a catch. ll be firing spells at you every now and thenIso youre really going
to have to be on guard.(
&2ut thats not how duels work,( said one girlIthe one who had thrown up. &0 duel is one
on one.(
&'poken with all of the knowledge given to you from theory and books. /ood !ob.( =ottie
rolled her eyes. &n a perfect world, every fight would be fairIone on oneIbut in the real
world you have people all around trying to kill you. 0 1eath @ater wont spare you because
he doesnt want to break the rules. /ot it%(
-obody said anything. =ottie smirked. &.kay. /o.(
Their duels were tentative. They didnt really +now any spells that could be actually harmful,
so !ust shot sparks that stuck to the other persons clothes or hair. =ottie walked around the
periphery, firing 'tunners.
They dodged them pretty well, though there were a few near misses. &8ome on,( =ottie said,
&youre not trying to hit the other person. Try to finish them.(
The first years obediently redoubled their efforts. -ow they were paying less attention, and
there were many more close calls. The boys face screwed up with concentration as he raised
his wand to shoot a spell. =ottie stood behind him, a little ways off, so that he couldnt feel
her presence. When the time was right, she fired a 'tunner.
t caught him square in the back. He let out a strangled cry and fell forward, colliding with
the ground loudly. &'ee%( =ottie said to the others. &Thats why you have toI(
2ut the rest of her words were lost. 'pells shot through the air in a flurry of color. The first
years all fell to the ground, taking cover, but =ottie turned to the source of the attack.
&Whos there%( she called. &Hello%(
0 spell flew through the air and hit her in the arm, causing her wand to go flying. 2efore she
could even scramble to get it, a mass of people was upon her.
There were so many people that =ottie couldnt even tell what was going on. 'omebody
grabbed her roughly by the elbows. There were screamsIthey had grabbed the first years
too.
&Who are you%( demanded a gruff voice from behind her.
Whoever was holding =ottie wheeled her around to face the voices source. =ottie frowned.
He wasnt in 1eath @ater robes. &Who are you%( she asked, trying to pull against the strong
arms that held her back.
&Me% am the "inister of "agic, if you cant tellI(
&2arkesdale%(
&*es.(
=ottie could have laughed. He wasnt a 1eath @ater. t was !ust a misunderstanding. &.hI
wereI( she gestured with her head toward the first years &Istudents at 0lsemore. Were
not 1eath @aters.(
&=iar.( 2arkesdale approached her with a sneer on his face. His eyes looked oddly blank.
&Why else would you attack that boy%(
& didnt attack him.( =ottie again strained against the man who held her. &Were practicing
duelingIit was !ust a 'tunner. Were students. /o ask 7almyitorIshe sent us here.(
&The "inistry operates alone.(
=ottie raised her eyebrows at this. & thought you were under the command of 0lsemoreI(
&'hut up.( 2arkesdale flicked his wand and all of the air flew out of =otties lungs. 'he
gasped for breath, completely winded. 2arkesdale turned to the cronies who held =ottie and
the others back. &7ull up their sleeves.(
2efore =ottie even had time to react, the man behind her ripped up her left sleeve to reveal,
black against her skin, the 1ark "ark.
The first years behind her gasped. 2arkesdale smiled a cruel and ruthless smile. &7roof,( he
said.
&ts not proof.( =ottie was beginning to panic now. This was not looking very good for her.
&ts notIm not a 1eath @ater. was a spyII had to get the "ark. ts not meI(
& said shut up.( 2arkesdale turned to her sharply. &*ou have the "ark of the 1ark =ord.
What more proof could we need%(
&-oIits not>( =ottie shouted. & dont support himI was a spyII(
&'hut up.(
&='T@- T. "@>(
2arkesdale rolled his eyes as he pulled out his wand. )or one wild moment, =ottie was sure
he was going to kill her. 2ut instead, he hissed, &0tupefy,( and everything went black.
Chapter #.: Chapter $i%ty8Nine: In!ide the 6ini!try
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for beta3ing this chapter>
This one3s dedicated to the president of my university for helping all of us students avoid a
very serious housing situation>
: : :
8hapter 'i$ty#-ine; nside the "inistry
0ndrea wrapped a heavy scarf around her neck and draped a thick cloak over her shoulders
before braving the late -ovember cold. 'he kept her hands in her pockets to hide their
shaking. 'he bid her usual, casual farewells as she left the office, and only after she pushed
open the door did her face show her true feeling.
7almyitor had set her up with a small flat a block from the "inistrys officeIno need to
0pparate to and from work. 0lthough she was not going back to her flat today, she didnt
want to make anything seem unusual.
0ndreas boots crunched in the thin layer of snow that covered the pavement. 'he quickened
her pace and looked behind her before dodging into a narrow alley. 'he did not want anyone
to see her 0pparating. The "inistry did not have good relations with 0lsemore these days.
The corners of her eyes tingled and she gulped down cold air to stop it. 'he had to be
composedIdespite the circumstances. 7almyitor would not take her seriously otherwise. 'he
turned on her heel and disappeared into the night.
'he reappeared in 0lsemores entrance hall. The castle was drafty, but it was still warmer
than the =ondon cold. 0ndrea pealed the scarf from her neck and slung her cloak around her
arm before heading down the stairs to 7almyitors office.
'he had to stay composed. 'he had to stay calm. 'he knocked on the door.
&@nter.(
0ndrea pushed open the door and strode into the office. 7almyitor looked up and set a quill
down on a roll of parchment. &*es%(
1espite her best efforts, 0ndrea still felt tears coming on. 'he pressed her lips together for a
moment to stop herself from shouting. )inally, she said in a strained voice, &*ou know why
m here.(
&1o %( 7almyitors dark eyes were clouded over, completely unreadable.
&1ont act like that.( 0ndrea cut herself off. The words had come out stronger than she had
intended, though they were still true. 'he looked down, unable to meet eyes with the old
professor for too long, and pretended to e$amine her immaculately pressed robesIshe
played her part of the young professional well.
There was a silence. 7almyitor sat back and raised her eyebrows, stubbornly waitingIgiving
0ndrea enough time to break downIto be weak.
0ndrea looked up. The grief in her eyes swam in a mist of tears. &=ottieI(
&Tell me, Woolbright, does the world revolve around ,owe%(
0ndrea looked back down, running her palms over her neat skirt. &-ot the world, no.(
&Then why should care what ,owe has done%(
&*ou +now what happened,( 0ndrea said fiercely. &*ou know the entire situation. They
returned the first years back to you and e$plained where they had found them. *ou could
have told them. 0ll they needed was for you to give word to let her outI(
&s that so%( 7almyitor leaned forward against the desk. &*ou think they would listen to me%
&ou of all people should know what 2arkesdale thinks of usI(
&*es, but why%( 0ndrea took a frustrated step toward the desk. &2arkesdale did his !ob well
for a long time before this. *ou know it wasnt !ust a random change of heart. The 1ark =ord
is involved somehowI(
&'o what if he is% What should we do%(
&'top the whole "inistry>( 0ndrea shouted. &Take it down. Theyre doing more harm than
good these days. Half the people theyve e$ecuted recently are on our side. We could !ust get
rid of 2arkesdale. t would be easy. We could free =ottieI(
&,owe has gotten herself into this situation. t is not my responsibility to rescue her.(
&*es it is>( 0ndrea removed her glasses and rubbed the lenses furiously with her fist to dispel
the fog that had gathered there. &0s long as she is a student here, you are responsible for her.
1o you plan on telling her parents that she died because you didnt feel like saving her, even
though you were fully capable%(
&,owes parents are dead,( 7almyitor said unflinchingly. &t is insignificant.(
This succeeded in stopping 0ndrea in her tracks. 'he opened and closed her mouth a few
times helplessly. =ottie had never told her that. How long had her friend been an orphan%
0ndrea took a breath and put off the thought. &@ven if she has no family,( she said, &it is !ust
as much your fault as it is =ottiesImore even. &ou made her go with those first yearsI(
7almyitor picked her quill back up and began to scrawl on the roll of parchment. &This is not
about who did what, Woolbright.(
&Then what is it about%( 0ndrea stomped her foot against the stone ground. &What is the
point of doing nothing% t would take you five minutes to !ust go over there and let her out.
*ou +now what they do to suspected 1eath @aters. Why dontI(
0ndrea cut herself off. Her eyes widened suddenly as realization dawned on her. Her face
darkened. &This is what you want, isnt it%( she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
&This is what youIyou planned. This is some kind ofIof sick re(enge. *oure upset that
she revealed herselfIand youIyoure !ust going to let her die.(
7almyitors face remained blank. &,owe is no longer useful. 'he cannot do anything. t
wastes more to feed herI(
&This isnt about numbers. This is about 3ottieIa human life. 'hes not some animal that
!ust eats and wastes energyIshes ali(e with a soulI(
& dont want to hear any more of this nonsense,( 7almyitor said firmly. &The danger of going
to the "inistry is not worth the pay off. That is all.(
0ndrea !ust stood there. 7almyitor really would not be convinced. The tears that had been
threatening all this time began to fall in earnest now. They rolled down her cheeks and stung
her face with salt.
&That is all, Woolbright,( 7almyitor said sharply. &*ou may go.(
0ndrea did so without a word. 'he slammed the office door behind her and ran up to the
entrance hall. 'he couldnt believe that this was realIthat this was actually happening. =ottie
was her best friend and she was about to die for nothing. 'he sat down on the stairs and
buried her face in her hands.
Her whole body shook with sobs. 'he knew that she had to pull herself together before she
could go back, but was unable to. =ottie was her only friendIshe couldnt let her die.
&0ndrea%(
0ndrea picked her head up. Her glasses were completely fogged, so she could only make out
a blurry figure walking towards her. 'he wiped the lenses on her sleeve and blinked. t was
-evilleIfrown lines deepened and looking older than ever.
&Whats up% 0rent you on a mission%(
0ndrea nodded mutely, unable to speak because each of her shuddering gasps for air
consumed her so completely. -eville put a hand on her shoulder, which calmed her enough to
speak.
&TheyreItheyve g#g#got =ottie.(
-eville frowned further. &Who%(
&TheIthe "inistryI2arkesdale. 2#b#but they think shes a 1#1eath @ater. Th#th#theyre
going to kill her.(
&1oes 7almyitor know% 'he could send a teamI(
0ndrea nodded. &'hes not g#g#going to. 'he planned this whole thing because =ottie c#cant
spy anymore. 'hes going to die.(
-evilles face darkened. &7almyitor wont do anything%(
0ndrea nodded again.
&1ont worry,( -eville said softly. &Well figure something out.(
=ottie woke in complete darkness. 'he blinked her eyes wildly but remained blind. 'tillness
surrounded her. Her whole body ached. 'he reached out and groped the air, desperate to hold
anything tangible.
'he made contact with a cold wall. This gave her some grounding in reality and calmed her
down slightly. 'he breathed slowly.
=ight flooded in. =ottie cried out and shielded her eyes. 0 door had opened, and a silhouette
stood framed. &*oure up,( it said gruffly.
=ottie didnt say anything. )ear invaded her blood and made her shake. 'he didnt know who
this was or where she was. 0ll she was aware of was the pain in her body.
&/et up.(
=ottie did not head the order. To start with, she was too weak to move a muscle. Her body
was tense and limp at the same time. 'econdly, she wanted to cling to whatever dignity she
could for as long as possible. 'he sat on her knees, her hand still making contact with the
wall.
&0re you deaf%( The figure came into the room. -ow that her yes had ad!usted to the light,
=ottie could see him. He wore long, sweeping robes that were reminiscent of a 1eath @aters
but different in some way. He also had a mask. His face was contorted into a sneer. & said
get up.( He emphasized these words with a sharp kick.
When the mans boot made contact with her side, =ottie fell, spluttering, to the ground. The
blow awakened her senses, turned the dull ache into !ets of acute pain. 'he wheezed. The
kick had knocked the wind out of her so fully that she couldnt have stood, even if she
wanted to.
&-o use,( grumbled the man above her. &Waste of time. -mperio.(
The curse invaded her mind. t tried to wipe it cleanImake it blank, but =ottie resisted. t
was similar to .cclumency in that sense. 'he fought the curse, struggling against its alluring
temptations to be wiped blank, and held onto the tiny refuge of her mind.
&:et up,( commanded the voice from inside her head.
&No.( This was her own voice, stronger and more forceful than she had intended.
&:et up.(
&No.(
The corners of =otties lips began to stretch into a smile. Her mind, if anything, was still
functional? they could destroy her body and her soul, but at least shed still have something.
The effects of the curse evaporated. The man put his wand down and slipped it into his
pocket, mumbling profanities. &*ou want to play like that% )ine. *oure only making it
worse for yourself.(
The man approached her. -ow that he was closer, =ottie could appreciate !ust how large he
was. His hands were so enormous that he probably could have strangled her with only one.
=ottie knew that she couldnt put up much of a fight.
He grabbed her. His powerful arms wrapped around her shoulders as he heaved her to her
feet. =ottie writhed and kicked, but the man was like a stone. He was not going to let go, no
matter how hard she tried, so eventually, she !ust gave up and let herself be dragged.
He took her to the corridor. 0s they walked Fhe had not loosened his grip in the slightestG,
=ottie saw that the stretches of wall were interrupted with large, iron doors, !ust like hers.
They probably all led to more roomsImore cellsIholding more suspects. 'he wondered
how many were innocent like her.
They turned a corner to another long stretch of corridor. They walked in silence until the man
stopped suddenly and pushed open one of the large doors.
This room was completely barren, but unlike her cell, it was full of light. There was already a
man standing against the farthest wall, e$amining his wand casually. =ottie recognized him
instantlyIit was 2arksdale. His clean#shaven, narrow face made him appear young and
innocent, but =ottie was already painfully aware of the contrary.
&0h, thank you,( he said with a nod to the man behind him. E*ou may go now.(
The man gave her shoulders an aggressive squeeze and roughly pushed her forward. =ottie
stumbled, lost her balance and hit the ground, her chin scraping painfully across the floor.
There was a loud slamming noise? the man had shut the door behind them.
&Were glad you finally came around,( 2arkesdale said with a flashy smile.
=ottie snarled back at him. 'he ran her hands over her empty pockets. &Where is my wand%(
she asked.
&.h, no.( 2arkesdale actually laughed at this. &*ou do not honestly think us to be that stupid,
do you% 0n accomplished 1eath @ater could make far too much trouble with a wand.(
&m not a 1eath @ater.(
&=iar.(
&m not a liar.( =ottie emitted some sort of guttural growl of frustration. 'he laboriously
pushed herself to standing. The world wobbled ominously for a moment before steadying.
&m not a 1eath @ater,( she said again. &m a Muggle#born. They wouldnt even have me if
tried.(
2arkesdales smile had turned into laughterIa low stream of chuckles, each measured
perfectly to be infuriating.
&0re you listening%( =ottie felt her control on her emotions slipping. &m not a 1eath @ater.
m not> " -.T>(
With this, she used her remaining strength to push herself forward. 'he charged toward
2arkesdale, fists swinging wildly, desperately, to hurt as much of him as physically possible.
2efore she reached him though, a spell caught her in the chest and blasted her off her feet.
'he flew backwards and landed on her back. 'tars burst into her vision and she gasped for
breath.
&-ow lets not try that again. <nderstood%( 2arkesdales voice was infuriatingly calm. He
almost sounded bored like he did this every day.
=ottie lay helplessly on her back. &m not a 1eath @ater.(
&-ow that is what we are here to discuss.(
=ottie propped herself up so that she was sitting and stared at him. &Whats the discussion%
This is a fact. am not a 1eath @ater.(
&8an you prove it%(
&*es.(
&How%(
=ottie floundered. This man would not converse with 0lsemore, but the only people who
knew her true alignment were there.
&-ow to me, this whole situation seems rather obvious,( 2arkesdale said as he began to pace.
&We saw you 0pparate with a group of childrenIand then attack one. 2hen we discovered
the 1ark "ark branded on your arm. How can you e$plain that if youre not a 1eath @ater%
0dmit it.(
=ottie didnt say anything. 'he had e$plained it, but this man would not listen. 'he didnt
know what else she %ould say. @verything was wrong.
&0dmit it,( 2arkesdale hissed again. &"ru%io.(
The pain was unbelievable. t seized her chest, invaded her bones and burned her skin. 'he
was screamingIher throat was raw from it. @very inch of her felt like it was aflame, or
stabbed with infinitely small and many needles. Her heart was beating both impossibly fast
and not at all. 0ll she could hope was that her heart actually would stopIanything to stop the
pain.
Then it evaporated. 2arkesdale lifted his wand and graced her with another smile. &0re you
ready to admit it%(
&-o.(
&"ru%io.(
The pain returned. This time it was even worse. =otties whole body shuddered and seized.
Her eyes rolled back into her head. Her legs flailed wildly, attempting to push against
anything to make it stop.
0gain, it lifted. 2arkesdale strode around her, his eyes blazing, but oddly blank at the same
time. &0 little pause,( he said.
7anting, =ottie met his eyes. 'he still sat against he ground. 'he probably couldnt have
moved even if her life depended on it. 1espite his outward show of unnerving charm,
2arkesdale definitely seemed strangely blankIlike his mind had been wiped clean.
=otties eyes widened with realization. His mind had been wiped clean. 'he did not even
have to do =egilimency to tell that he was under the effects of the mperius curse.
&7lease,( she said slowly. & dont know how to prove it to you. work with 0lsemoreI
was a spyIif you could ask anyoneI(
&We do not affiliate with them.( 2arkesdale slashed his wand and a deep gash appeared
across her shoulder. 2lood seeped onto her robes.
=ottie stared at him helplessly. 'he was going to die, she realized now. -o matter what she
said, he wouldnt listen. Whoever held the curse over him wanted her deadIshe had no
chance. 7anic swept through her. Her breathing quickened as fear seized her chest and
squeezed her heart. -oIshe %ouldnt die. 'he had to put up more of a fight.
&7lease,( she said. &7lease go to 0lsemore.(
&"!<"-O>(
=ottie fell back again. Her whole body caved inward and she lay on the ground, twitching
furiously. Her screams were nothing to articulate the pain. t shot through her fiercely,
growing e$ponentially with every second.
&We do not speak to that filth.(
The curse had been lifted, but =ottie still felt its effects. 'he lay on her back, wheezing.
&0ndrea Woolbright,( she finally panted.
&What%(
&'heIshe works here.( 'lowly, =ottie pushed herself up on quivering arms. &7#please. 'hes
proof. 'he knows.(
&0ndrea Woolbright%( 2arkesdale laughed mercilessly. &'he is !ust a secretary. 'he knows
nothing ofI(
&'H@ D-.W' "@>( =ottie crawled forward to the "inisers feet. &7leaseIsheIshe knows
that m not a 1eath @aterI(
&=iar>(
=ottie winced, preparing once again for the 8ruciatus 8urse, but it didnt come. 'he looked
up at 2arksdale, who was staring at her, blinking rapidly. His look was familiar. =ottie
remembered the boy in the "uggle camps who had struggled against her mperius curse.
'nape had said that it was much more difficult to get people to do things against their
principles.
He was going to kill her.
=ottie realized this and froze with paralyzing fear. Whoever was controlling him was about to
kill her. &m not,( =ottie said loudly, as though trying to break the curse with her voice. &m
not, m not, m notI(
2arkesdale raised his wand. )ear like she had never e$perienced before filled her bones. -ow
was the time to actInow was the time to fight, but now was precisely when she was too
panicked to do anything.
He opened his mouth and began to hiss an incantation, whenI
='N:5
The door flew open. 2arkesdales momentary surprise cost him his victim. He spun around to
face the source of the noise with his wand e$tended.
&E$pelliarmus>( cried the newcomer. 2arkesdales wand flew from his hand and landed with
a clatter against the stone floor. He stepped fully into the room and crossed towards =ottie. n
the light, she could recognize him. t was -eville.
&Here,( he said, tossing her a wand. =ottie caught it. t was hers. &=ets get out of here.(
Chapter #-: Chapter $eventy: (!+ape 1rom the 6ini!try
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to coolhPMMM for helping me and beta3ing this chapter>
This one is dedicated to my parents.
: : :
8hapter 'eventy; @scape from the "inistry
=ottie sat holding her wand dumbly for a moment. 'he should have died. 'he should be dead.
2ut here she was very much alive. 'he ran her thumb over her wands familiar, ridged
handle, reconnecting with what she thought was lost.
&Weve only got about five minutes before they realize somethings wrong,( -eville said,
glancing an$iously at the door. &8an you stand% This is pretty urgent.(
& think so.( =ottie planted both palms firmly against the stone and pushed. 'he managed to
get to her feet, however wobbly, and moved towards -eville.
&Wait.(
=ottie turned around. 2arkesdale, who had stood meekly in the corner drawing no attention,
now stood with his arms e$tended.
&What%( =ottie snarled. Her fear had evaporated and was replaced with cold, unfeeling
hatred. &1o you really want to fight two armed wizards%(
&=ottie,( -eville began, but she wasnt listening.
&0re you a 1eath @ater%( she asked. Her eyes were alight with malice.
&What%( 2arkesdale backed up to the wall, his arms e$tended. &m notI(
&=iar.( =ottie smirked as she waved her wand. &"ru%io.(
&=ottie>( -eville cries were drowned out by 2arkesdales screams. =ottie could not hear him.
The pain through her entire body was nothingIthe euphoria of hearing this mans agony was
well worth it.
'he lifted her wand. &-ot quite ready to admit it%(
&=ottie, we can !ust 0tun himI(
&7leaseI( 2arkesdale was on the ground, scrambling forward like a dog. &7leaseIyou cant
kill meIyouIyoull regret it if you do. We have dementors around the entire place. s your
soul worth it%(
&=ottieI(
=aughter erupted in =ottie. 'he thought for a moment that she could see why the 1eath
@aters en!oyed their lives. Having somebody she hated so much completely at her mercy
gave her a huge surge of power.
2oth -eville and 2arkesdale were pleading with her now. =ottie thought that their agreement
was strange when they were both on different sidesIand neither was in the right. 'he spoke
the incantation and savored the consonants on her tongue. &'(ada )eda(ra.(
The rushing noise of death was like music. The green light flashedIshe watched it greedily.
When it disappeared, 2arkesdale lay dead on the floor, silent and still.
=ottie turned around to -eville who almost looked dead himself. His eyes, like 2arkesdales
were wide with shock, and he may or may not have been breathing. &0re we going%( =ottie
asked.
-eville moved his mouth noiselessly a few times and blinked at her. =ottie rolled her eyes.
'he doubted whether he even had the strength to do what she had done. )inally, -eville
emerged from his trance and said, &*eahIerIlets go.(
=ottie moved towards the doorway, but -eville stopped her. &WaitI reckon he wasnt lying
about the dementors you know.(
&.kay.(
&0nd dont you want to know where were going%( =ottie shrugged. 0nywhere was better
than here. -eville looked at her pointedly before continuing. &Well you cant 0pparate in or
out, e$cept for the main lobby, which is heavily guarded. ts going to be a bit hard slipping
by.(
=ottie shrugged again. 'he could !ust kill whoever got in their way. They deserved it for
putting her here. 'he was filled with a sudden bloodlust.
&Aust follow me,( -eville said, eying her carefully.
They burst out of the chamber into complete silence. Whatever guards were here were
apparently busier somewhere else. 0s they walked swiftly through the halls, =ottie
considered freeing the other prisoners? how many of them were innocent% @ventually she
decided that the chance of letting out a real 1eath @ater was not worth it. The innocent could
make that sacrifice.
-eville led her up a flight of winding stairs. t was not until they emerged into a large
chamber that they met other people. /uards, masses of guards, lingered, at ease, but with
wands at the ready.
There was a tense moment, while each party was too shocked to move. The guards stared at
them with wide eyes, and -eville and =ottie stood, deciding how to make their move. t was
-eville who acted first. He grabbed =otties wrist and hissed, &We can 0pparate hereIcome
on.(
&-oI( =ottie pried herself from his grasp the second before he 1isapparated. His e$pression
changed to one of horror when he realized that he was aloneIand then he was gone.
2y this point, the guards had still not pulled themselves together. They were brainless
muscles, not useful for anything besides pushing people around, =ottie thought smugly. 'he
was not afraid of them.
&*our "inister is dead,( she announced to the crowd. &Who will you take orders from now%
1o you know what to do without him%(
.ne acted. He was young, probably her age, and foolish. He ran to the front with his wand
raised. =ottie killed him before he even said opened his mouth.
Thats when the pandemonium occurred. The wizards shouted and shot curses at her. =ottie
dodged them all swiftly and killed whoever came close enough. 'he was not a 1eath @aterI
and was ready to punish anybody who thought she was.
.ddly enough, none of the guards fired the Dilling 8urse. They probably didnt know how.
=ottie laughed as she fought. @ven if their pitiful spells hit her, they would do nothing.
'he had left a pile dead on the floor. t felt goodIshe en!oyed watching the life slip from
their eyesIen!oyed making them pay for their mistakes.
Their numbers thinned. -ot all of the missing had died, thoughIsome were !ust gone. They
had fled, and =ottie soon figured out why.
Hooded figures appeared in the farthest doorway. There were two of them, standing
horrifically still. The guards scattered. Their souls were not worth one prisoner. =ottie stood
motionless. 'he watched them approach. 'he heard their rattling breathing, but she didnt feel
them. The coldness that accompanied the dementors was noticeably absent.
=ottie sneered. 2his was the best the guards could do% &E$pe%to atronum,( she said calmly.
-othing happened.
=ottie looked down at her wand. 'he was filled with euphoriaIwith ecstasyIwhy wasnt
the spell working% &E$pe%to atronum. E$pe%to atronum5 EHE"2O '2!ON<M>(
The dementors approached even closer. Their scabby hands reached out, blindly, trying to
ensnare her.
This was itIif she didnt get away, shed be dead. Well, not dead, but close enough. The
dementors inched closer. =ottie looked wildly around. There was no beating them. 'hutting
her eyes tight, she turned into darkness and 1isapparated.
'he appeared in the middle of the 0lsemore entrance hall and fell to her knees. -ow, separate
from the adrenaline of danger, she was very much aware of the pain in her body. Her side
panged. 'he guessed that a rib was broken. 0ll of her muscles trembled. 0nd something,
somewhere she couldnt place, ached horribly.
=ottie was aware of her breathing. 'he sat on her knees with her hands planted firmly against
the floor, grateful for the moment of calm and quiet.
'he heard the sound of high heels clicking against stone and knew who it was without having
to look up.
&,owe.(
&7almyitor.( =ottie let a tiny smile creep onto her face. The surprise in the old womans voice
pleased her.
=ottie looked up. 0 sudden coldness filled herIswam in her lungs and drowned her heart. &
dont thinkI( she took a breath. The enormity of everything fell on her nowIthe pain
through her body, the pain outside of her bodyIthe coldB &m going to faint.( =ottie slid
slowly to the ground. Her head rested against the stone.
Her very bones were ice and it was infinitely worse than the fire of the 8ruciatus 8urse. Her
mind was erupting and swimming all at once. 'he saw a pair of high#heeled shoes approach
Iheard another voiceImaybe twoIand then was swallowed into blackness.
'he woke to the sound of voices. 'he was tucked into a bed with unbelievably warm
blankets, but she still felt coldIlike there was some sort of fundamental chill that she could
never escape.
=ottie pushed herself carefully so that she sat up. 'he was, of course, in the hospital wing, but
none of the beds around her were occupied. 'he glanced around to locate the source of the
noise and saw a door standing a!ar, letting in a thin stream of golden light.
'he got out of bed and approached the door slowly. Her bare feet made no noise over the
stone. .ne voice she recognized immediatelyI7almyitors. &This was not part of the plan,(
she whispered. Her voice was a furious flurry of consonants.
&What plan%(
=ottie peaked her head through the gap and saw that it was -eville who spoke. His brow was
furrowed, but lightened slightly when he caught sight of her in the doorway.
7almyitor noticed this change and spun around. Her face was a puzzleIit pro!ected so many
emotions at once that =ottie didnt know where to begin.
&What plan%( echoed =ottie.
7almyitor remained silent. Her dark eyes flitted between =otties. &ts not important.(
&ts not%(
&-o.(
=ottie glanced at -eville, who chewed on his lip. His eyes were cast darkly at 7almyitor, but
every time she would turn to him, he would casually look away. 7almyitor didnt seem able
to make eye contact. Her gaze flitted across the corridor and finally settled on a shadow cast
on the ground.
&What -eville did was not part of the plan,( =ottie said slowly. &!es%uing me was not part of
the plan%(
7almyitor didnt say anything.
&What was the plan then%(
&We make many decisions in one day, ,owe,( 7almyitor said tensely. &.ftentimes we have
to consider our priorities.(
&7riorities% 'o m not a priority% What did you prioriti*e then% What is so important that
was supposed to die for it%(
&t is actually none of your businessI(
&Well almost died, so d like to know.( 0 !olt of ice ran up =otties spine, but she didnt
shiver. &*ou know whatI bet there isnt anything. *ou !ust didnt feel like coming to get
me.(
&That is enough, ,owe. This conversation is entirely inconsequential.(
&-aesa.( -eville spoke. He stood between them, casting his gaze back and forth nervously. &
think you are going to have to let go of whatever idea this was that you had. =ottie is here
now. 'hes safe. Thats whats important.(
7almyitors gaze slid slowly to =ottie. Her face was stretched into a permanent scowl and her
eyes clouded over darkly. &*es, yes youre very right, =ongbottom. ,owe, get back to bed.
We will deal with this later.(
'he walked off without looking back. -eville only had time to shot =ottie an apologetic
glance before shrugging and heading off himself.
1efeated, =ottie walked back to her bed. 0s she pulled the covers over her, she frowned. The
whole situation !ust seemed off. 7almyitor had sent her on that ridiculous mission with the
first years? it was like she had been trying to kill her.
=ottie rolled to her side. That actually seemed plausible. 'he wouldnt have been surprised at
all if 7almyitor was actually a 1eath @ater all along. 'he was probably the traitor who had
freed 'nape? she had always seemed overly fond if him after all.
Haunted by that chilling idea, =ottie shivered and fell into a dark sleep.
'he woke again and it was bright. =ight filtered in through the windows and illuminated the
empty beds across from her. =ottie stretched. 'he realized that she had no idea what time it
was or even what day, but that did not bother her greatly. 'he sat, staring blankly ahead until
7rofessor Waterman noticed her.
&Why didnt you tell me you were up%( the Healer asked, coming over with a tray of potions.
=ottie shrugged. Waterman, without waiting for an answer, handed her potion after potion
until the tray was empty. Then she tittered away, talking about something inconsequentialI
and =ottie paid her no heed.
=ottie spent the rest of the day there. 'he had no particular urge to go into the castle and see
anyone, so she !ust sat there, staring numbly at the wall across from her. The castle was well
heated to protect against the winter chill, but =ottie still felt cold. t felt like her heart was
made of ice and her very blood froze her veins.
The day turned to evening. The hospital wings east#facing windows were completely
illuminated and cast a pink tint on the walls. Then everything was dark again before the door
cautiously opened once more.
0ndrea poked her head in, saw =ottie, and entered. 0 flood of light followed her? =ottie had
to shield her eyes. 0ndrea was dressed in her uniform but looked unspeakably older. 'he did
not smile but her gaze did soften as she sat down on the bed across from =otties. &Hi.(
=ottie looked at her carefully. &Hi.(
0 long silence stretched between them. t knitted its way through the air and crept up their
spines. They sat there in a stalemate for a full minute. &How are you feeling%( 0ndrea finally
asked.
=ottie shrugged.
'till more silence. =ottie could not think of a single thing to say, nor was she particularly
interested in doing so. 'he and 0ndrea e$isted on different planes now. 0ndreas warmth
would only destroy her.
&How did you get away%( 0ndrea asked.
&-eville.( =ottie looked down at the pale white comforter draped over her knees.
&What do you mean%(
=ottie snapped her head up. & mean that while they were torturing me and about to kill me,
he came and stopped them. He saved my life. 0nd then we fought our way out. killed a ton
of the guards.(
0ndreas alarmed e$pression was only magnified by her glasses. &*ou+illed them%( she
asked, horrified. &=ottie, theyre on our sideI(
&Thats easy for you to say. They werent torturing you.(
&They only did that because they thought you were a 1eath @ater.(
&2ut m not,( =ottie snarled. &0nd they wouldnt believe me. 0nd they refused to ask
anyone from 0lsemore, even though they would prove it. 0ll really needed was somebody
who they trusted to tell them.( =ottie raised her eyebrows pointedly and set her !aw. Her gaze
was unrelenting, but 0ndrea did not look away.
&What, you mean me%(
&*es, do.(
& couldnt have told them, =ottie.( 0ndrea made her tone so light that it was condescending.
&*es you could have. t would have taken you one second.(
&ts not about that, =ottie.( 0ndrea rolled her eyes. &They dont associate with people from
0lsemore. They would have kicked me out if had said anything.(
&.h, so your !ob is more important than your friend%(
0ndrea stood up violently. &1ont say things like thatI would never. 0nd youIyou did
!ust that for years. *ou always put your 3egilimen%y over me.(
&2ecause that was more importantI(
&Well loo+ how much good it did you.( 0ndrea was fuming. With her face scrunched up and
eyes alight, she seemed on the verge of breathing fire.
& know why you didnt help me,( =ottie said sharply. Her words were like daggers which
she threw purposefully to harm. &*ou didnt want me to be saved.(
&What are you taking about%(
& betI bet you wanted me to be killed by 2arkesdale.( =ottie swung her legs over the side
of the bed and got to her feet too. &'omeone who supporting the 1ark =ord would definitely
want me dead after everything ve doneIand knowing who was related to. 0nd we still
dont know who it was who let 'nape outItheres a traitor free in the castleI(
&0re you suggesting that -m the traitor%( 0ndreas voice was barely above a whisper.
=ottie looked at her friend for a second, who, for this moment, held all the worlds sorrow. t
was too late to back down now, even though she knew the damage she would inflict. &*es.(
0ndrea took a sharp breath in. & cant believe you.( Her voice was deadly. &IreallyI !ust
I( 'he took a moment of silence to collect her thoughts. & have been fighting this war for
se(en years. have hated everything to do with the 1ark 0rts and the 1ark =ord. have
worked hard for years to help destroy him. 0nd you% *ouIyou !ust got pi%+ed. 7almyitor
chose you to take over her !ob. 0nd you learned everything she taught you and more. *ou
learned the 1ark 0rtsIyouve killed people, =ottie. *ouve lost your soul. f either of us
were the traitor, it would be you.(
&0re you stupid%( =ottie said coldly. &1o you realize who am% The 1ark =ord would kill
meI(
&s that the only thing keeping you from !oining him then%( 0ndrea asked. &)ear for your
life% .therwise, youd be on board, right% 0 comfortable lifestyleIall you have to do is kill
a few "uggles and youre in the clear. 2ut unfortunately for you, youre related to the
famous .arry otter. 2ut if not for that, youd definitely !oin the 1ark =ord, right%(
& cant believe what youre saying.(
& cant believe what youve be%ome.( 0ndreas voice reached a shrill note. Her hands shook
and her eyes swam with tears. &=ook at yourself, =ottie,( she said. &*oure a monster.(
'he took a step back towards the door and =ottie took a step forward. &-o, dont you dare
follow me,( 0ndrea said. Her voice wavered, but through her tears, she made a valiant effort
to keep her face firm and stoic. & regret ever asking -eville to save you.( 'he let the words
hang in midair for a moment before spinning around and leaving.
=ottie stood still, surrounded by the argument, which still hung in the air like magic. 'he
could hear 0ndreas steps pattering down the stairs, but she didnt run after her.
'lowly, she sat back down on the top of her bed, her face still and her heart cold.
Time turned into a dry, cold 1ecember. Thick layers of snow caked the world outside in a
deceptive show of purity, while inside, everything was all business. The three heads were
hard at work creating a battle plan? now that the Horcru$es were gone, all they had to do was
find a place to catch the 1ark =ord off guard with an army.
=ottie spent her time in the hospital wing. 'he did not want to go back to her dormitory and
share a room with 0ndrea? in fact, she did her best to avoid 0ndrea all together.
'he didnt even bother going to classes. 'he !ust spent day after day in her bed. 'he had
nothing to say and nobody to talk to. t wasnt until the day after the full moon that she did
anything.
'he hadnt seen 8olm in months. "aybe he would understandImaybe he would be able to
comfort her and thaw the ice that had accumulated in her heart. =ottie moved like a ghost that
afternoon to "aeliorics fourth floor office. The door was shut, so, like always, she sat down
against the wall.
When the clock struck five, she frowned. t was already a midnight sky outside, but there was
no sight of 8olm. The panic only really hit her, when the office door opened and "aelioric
stepped out, unaccompanied.
&Wheres 8olm%( =ottie asked without greeting.
"aelioric frowned. &.h, dont know,( he said. He waved a hand through the air absently. &
was going to see -aesaI(
&2ut "olm.( =ottie got to her feet. &He could be hurt. He could be in trouble. Hes supposed
to be home today and hes not.(
&'crivener can handle himself.( With that, "aelioric left.
)ear settled in =otties heart, doing nothing to thaw the chill, but adding to it. 'he watched
the old professor walk off and sat back down, realizing now how truly alone she was.
Chapter #2: Chapter $eventy8One: The Traitor9! 5ar)ain
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 0s always, thanks, coolhPMMM, for helping me out with this one>
This chapter3s dedicated to my sister.
: : :
8hapter 'eventy#.ne; The Traitors 2argain
)orna$ woke in a sudden rush of the 1ecember cold. His usually warm bedroom had been
bone chilling lately. He blinked around the dark room before sitting up.
With a flick of his wand, the room was full of light. He glanced from the rows of bookshelves
to his wardrobe before finally settling his gaze on the desk and the troubling picture that lay
on top of it.
His bare feet made no noise as he moved, and he sat down silently. .n the wooden tabletop
was an old photo. He frowned at it. 7ictured was a young woman, perhaps nineteen or
twenty. 'he was dressed in rich robes of lavender and wore her long hair down in graceful
waves. 0 younger version of himself linked arms with her? his eyes were alight and his face
stretched into a grin.
)orna$ knew that this should have been a comforting reminder of the past, but he found it
troubling. His heart ached with indescribable yearning as he watched the young woman laugh
and toss her hair about.
&"elindaB(
What was more troubling was the scroll of parchment that lay beside it. The handwriting was
plain and nondescript, but the message was cryptic.
This package had arrived a week earlier, by owlIagain an odd occurrence. .wl post was
hardly ever used now? the birds drew far too much attention to themselves and were too
easily intercepted. 2ut somehow this owl had managed to drop off this package unharmed.
)orna$ looked back down at the note. He had told nobody of it, though it had weighed
heavily on his heart for days. His mind could not escape it? no matter how hard he tried to
concern himself with something else, his thoughts always wandered back to it.
f it was true... )orna$ shook his head roughly, causing his shoulder#length, auburn hair to
stick up at odd angles. 2ut if the note was true, it was possible that what he had been
dreaming of for years could finally become a reality.
He had spent half a century grieving. )ifty years of tears had passed, and fifty years worth of
prayers might finally come true.
He shook his head again, violently this time, to shake the memories out of his mind. He
didnt want to look at this picture anymore. He didnt want to be forever tied to a memory of
something so fleeting. He slid the photo into his pocket and turned back to the note.
2y now, he could probably have recited it by memory, but he still scanned it as though it
were completely new.
9- +now what you want, it read. 93o(e is a noble %ause. -t is what the de%eased .arry otter
stood for, after all. &ou ha(e spent de%ades fighting this war, ignoring the a%he in your
heart.
)orna$ had tried to remain stoic about this, but continued to read.
9- +now what it means to lo(e. - +now what it means to be willing to die for somebody. When
that person does die, what do you ha(e4 &ou %an as+ yourself %ountless times what you %ould
ha(e done differently6 you %an e(en pray to swit%h pla%es, to die yourself8but for nothing.
9- am offering you that %han%e now. - %an gi(e you what you want. &ou %an see her again, but
it does not %ome without a %ost. - as+ for you wand, nothing more. -f you surrender your
wand, - %an ma+e your prayer %ome true.
9-f you de%ide to ta+e this opportunity, %ome to the gra(eyard in 3ittle .angleton on
/e%ember se(enteenth. - will be there.
The note was not signed, but instead a small drawing was placed on the bottom. The symbol
was a triangle, with a circle inscribed, and a vertical line cutting it in half.
)orna$ knew what this meant. He had spent the days of his youth dreaming of !ourneying
after the 7everell brothers and had studied their story obsessively. He put the note down and
paced a lap around the room.
The graveyard in =ittle Hangleton was practically a war memorial now. t was, after all,
where the 1ark =ord had been reborn. 'chool children visited it like a shrine these days, and
professors at Hogwarts would tell them of the wonderful things that had happened there.
)orna$ sat down against his bed. t was the seventeenth tonight. Whoever this mysterious
person was was probably waiting there now. How long did he have before the offer e$pired%
/iving up his wand, of course, meant death. The traitor could not have written that the trade
off was for his head in the note, but )orna$ knew it to be true. He was too good of a dueler to
be challenged? the only way was to disarm him. 0nd this was surely an enemy. 0 friend
would not disarm a friend on such dangerous territory.
2ut was he afraid of death%
The answer was, simply, no. He was not afraid. .ver fifty years he had spent fighting. "ore
than half a century had been passed in a battle. t was his entire life. 0nd he was old now. He
was an old man with a true understanding of what it meant to live and what it meant to die.
What he knew most of all was what it meant to want to be dead, but be stuck to life. The
traitor was right. He had spent countless hours wondering why he had survivedIwhy him
and not "elinda. Had he been a better person than her% Why did he deserve life%
2efore Harry 7otters death, they had had a planIhim, ,yan, -aesa, and "elinda. They
foresaw it and decided to be readyIto start a rebellion right away. 2ut "elinda had died.
0nd they had moved on.
"elinda was a Healer. 'he sustained life, fed it and nourished it in an attempt to ward off
death. )orna$ fought. He was angry. He was violent. He killed. He created death, so why
wasnt it he who had lost his life%
)orna$ remembered the day Harry 7otter had died. @veryone was dead. The world was over.
He had buried his face in his hands and sobbed, not for what the world had lost, but for what
he had lost. 0nd did that not make him selfish enough to deserve death%
He would never know. That was the worst part. He would never know why it had been
"elinda and not him. He could spend his entire life wondering what would have happened if
he had died instead, but he would never know. 'urely, if he had been there when she had
been hit, he would have leapt in front of her, begged, prayed, tried to bargain his life for hers
Iand maybe he would have diedIand maybe she would be alive.
2ut she wasnt. -one of that was true. -othing he dreamt for was even possible. 0ll he
wanted was five minutesI!ust five more minutes.
0nd that was what the traitor was offering him.
)orna$ stood up again, but sat back down almost immediately. t meant nothing to him to die.
He had lived through so much sorrowIhe had lived through it all. To die would !ust be a
breakIa rest once and for all. 0nd he could e$change that for his five minutes. t sounded
too good to be true.
2ut what would it mean for 'lsemore if he died% That was problematic. He was the best
dueler they could have. Without him as a powerhouse slaughterer, they might not even stand
a chance in another battle. They needed him.
)orna$ groaned with frustration and stood up. He delivered a sharp kick to the chair and
knocked it over. He wanted to die. He wanted this to end right now. He wanted to see
"elinda? he would give anything to see "elinda.
t was his choice. He pulled the picture out of his pocket. "elinda smiled at him and waved.
He could see her shoulders shake as she laughed silentlyIfrozen in time.
t was his choice.
He pulled a cloak over his shoulders and put the photo back in his pocket. His eyes brimmed
with tears, but he felt no fear. Without looking back, he strode through his bedroom and shut
the door behind him.
)orna$ walked through the castle for the last time with fondness. "emories permeated the
walls as he descended the stairs and all he could do was smile. He reached the entrance hall
and stared at it for the last time. )or all of his sorrow, he was still proud.
He did not look back to ,yan or -aesas office guiltily, but strode out the front doors with a
purpose. The winter night met his nostrils and he felt light and cleansed as he disappeared
into the nighttime.
He appeared in the graveyard with a crack. t was empty. The dark green of the grass blended
with the grey and block tombstones? it was all the same under a vast, pitch#black sky.
-ow, alone and vulnerable, he began to question his decision. What kind of sacrifice was
this% Who was he sacrificing beyond himself% t was for love, he knew that? he knew a love
with all his heart that he could not imagine anything else. Thats what they were fighting for
Ithat was a power so immense that the 1ark =ord could not even imagine it.
)orna$ stepped forward purposefully. He gazed at the graves as he did so. He was to die here,
surrounded by unknowing, deceased "uggles. There was almost a peace in that. He walked
on, letting his fingertips graze against the tombs, e$periencing the sense of touch for the last
time.
n the darkness before him, he caught sight of a golden statue, glinting in the waning
moonlight. t was of the 1ark =ord. )orna$ knew it all too well, even though the metal cloak
obscured its face and features. The statue was larger than life, and at its base, a lengthy
narrative was inscribed, no doubt telling of the horrors of life before the 1ark =ords reign.
n front of the statue stood another cloaked figure? this one, though, was alive. )orna$ could
not see inside the hood, but saw that it turned its featureless face to him. This was itIthis
was the traitor.
)orna$ strode forward. He felt no rush of fear or twinge of an$iety, but was instead
completely calm. He would see "elinda again soonIand that without a doubt was more
valuable than anything that life had to offer him.
&*oure here,( he said once he was close enough.
The cloaked figure inclined its head slightly. )orna$ looked at the man Fhis size and shape
made his gender unquestionableG and frowned. 0ll he could see was his hands, which were
unlined and young, though scarred badly, and the fingernails bitten short. They trembled as
they fumbled in his pocketI)orna$ wondered what the traitor was afraid of.
The traitor pulled his hand out of the cloak, but held it shut firmly in a fist. )orna$ knew what
he held, and stared greedily at the fist as though he could force it to open. The cloaked man
e$tended out his other hand before he relinquished the stone, though, and held it there, palm
up.
)orna$ reached into his own pocket and drew his wand. The traitor recoiled slightly. )orna$
ran his thumb over the handle of the wand, feeling its warmth for the last time. 2efore he
handed it over, he asked, &Why%(
The traitors cloak rustled? )orna$ could tell he was ad!usting his gaze. He didnt say
anything, but stretched his hand out farther. He probably thought that revealing himself when
)orna$ was still armed would lead to his death.
&What did we do wrong%( )orna$ persisted. This was not the first traitor 0lsemore had ever
seen, but he hoped it was the last. He hoped -aesa would be kind to the students when he
was goneIto prevent this from happening again.
The traitor was growing more impatient. He kept his hand outstretched and finally spoke.
&*our wand.(
)orna$ knew the voice. He couldnt identify it, but it was a student, he was sure. His heart
was full of sorrow as he held out his wand, not for his own life, but for the students. He
dropped the piece of wood, and as he watched it tumble from his fingers, he knew there was
no turning back.
The traitor caught it and wrapped his own fingers around its handle. He made an impulsive
movement, almost like a twitch, and !erked the wand. )or a moment )orna$ thought that he
was going to be killed right then, before he even saw her.
2ut the traitor hesitated, and that was the key. The traitor did not wave )orna$s own wand
on himIyet, but let it droop. He seemed caught in the middle of a decision? one hand
weighed the wand, and the other, the stone.
The stone prevailed. The traitor unfolded his left fist and revealed a glittering ring. He tossed
it, and in the air it caught the moonlight, glimmering darkly. )orna$ caught it in one hand and
took !ust a moment to look at itI!ust a moment to make sure that this dream was actually
true.
The ring was ancient, and the stone inside was cracked, but )orna$ could still make out a
small design that made his heart calm knowing it was real. The design was the triangle, with
a circle inscribed and a line running up the middle. The stone felt oddly heavy in his hand and
a warmth emanated from it.
He turned it over three times in his hand.
'he appeared gradually, first in the form of a light mist, but soon that mist took a clear shape.
t enveloped her body and made her whole, and suddenly she was standing there, not quite
solid, but definitely real.
)orna$ feasted on her image. t had been all he had ever seen in the black of dark windows or
the endless sky, but now she stood here before himIfinally, finally real.
'he looked e$actly as he had remembered her. Her face was unlined, unmarked by time and
sorrow as his was? it was tinged with a pink that he had remembered. Her lips were pink as
wellIand thin, but they fit perfectly above her pointed chin. Her eyes were dark, as they had
always been, but they were alight with !oyIthey e$uded warmth that he felt all the way
down to his core. 0nd her hair was the same. t reached down to her elbows and its light curls
fluttered, though there was no breeze.
He wanted to touch herIto make contact with the warmth that he had been missing for so
longIbut he knew he could notInot yet. )orna$ blinked, and a rush of tears fell down his
face. He moved closer to "elinda, who was smiling widely at him.
He wanted to say a thousand things. He wanted to hear everything she could tell him. He
wanted their voices to ring together, like they used to, making perfect harmonies without
trying. 2ut he was comfortable in the silence that told both of their stories.
"elinda moved her mouth and began to speak. Her voice was soft, but )orna$ heard the
words as though he had been waiting for them his entire life. & am so proud of you.(
)orna$ didnt know what to say? he didnt know how long he had. & missed you so much,(
he said in a rush of tears and words. &@very minute all could do toI would have done
anythingIyou know that. would have died for youI hadnt known. hadnt known you
were in danger, otherwise wouldve come. miss you so much.(
'he silenced him with a melancholy smile. t was warm and lonely and reassuringIit was
perfect. 'he reached out her hand in a gesture of comfort, even though he could not touch her.
'he smiled and said, &'oon.(
f )orna$ had been watching, he would have seen the traitor take off his hood. He would have
seen him revealed and vulnerable, and would have been sick with shock. He would have seen
the guilt that swam in the boys eyes, and would have felt !ust as sorry for making him kill as
the boy felt for killing. He would have seen the boy raise his wand, and maybe would have
been able to protect himself somehow.
He was not watching, though. He stood, gazing between times and worlds. He stood in a pool
of happiness, completely foreign. He did not see who the traitor was, and did not care to. t
was not his problem? he belonged to the dead now.
He stood, gazing at "elinda. He hardly heard the incantation being spoken, and barely saw
the flash of green light. He saw "elinda, and nothing more, and when his body fell, lifeless
and broken to the ground, it was almost like relief.
Thousands of miles away, in the drafty castle of 0lsemore, =ottie ,owe woke in a sudden
rush. 'he sat up and pulled up the sleeve of her pa!amas. There, painfully against her skin, the
1ark "ark burned black.
Chapter #3: Chapter $eventy8Two: *reparation!
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks to my awesome beta, coolhPMMM>
This chapter is dedicated to my great uncle. ,7, 0lan##you will be missed.
: : :
8hapter 'eventy#Two; 7reparations
2reathing raggedly, =ottie looked down at her "ark. Aets of flaming pain shot up her arm and
wound across her shoulders. The 1eath @aters were being summonedIwhy% 'he swung her
feet off the hospital wing bed and stood up.
'omething was wrongIshe knew it? the 1ark =ord would not have summoned them all
otherwise. =ottie looked quickly over her shoulder and rolled down the sleeve of her pa!amas
to cover her "ark, though its presence still burned clearly into her skin.
'he rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm up, picked up her wand on the bedside table, and
headed off. 'he left the hospital wing like a ghost. 0s she passed through the corridor to the
staircase, she stole a glance out the window, where a heavy snow fell in earnest. The black
1ecember sky was speckled with only a few stars? most of them were swallowed by clouds.
1escending the stairs to 7almyitors office felt oddly final. 7erhaps it had something to do
with the burning "ark. 'omewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it meant something
monumental. 'he reached the familiar door to find it already a!ar.
8lynalmoy stood in the frame with his back to her. He and 7almyitor werent saying
anything, but gazing at one another in a dumb silence. =ottie looked, not at them, but at the
living space between them. t danced with tension and was lit up by emotions.
&,owe.( 7almyitor noticed her first and broke the connection by turning her eyes sharply to
=ottie. Her appearance was startling. Her graying hair had been hastily pulled into a bun so
that several wisps stood up on end. 7urple bags framed her eyes which divulged an unusual
amount of feeling. f =ottie didnt know better, she would say that the old professor was
about to cry.
8lynalmoy turned around as well. He looked equally as frazzled in his own quiet way. His
light, troubled eyes had lost any hint of !oy. He looked like he hadnt slept at all? a tie hung
loosely from his neck in an attempt to look presentable, but his wrinkled shirt and robes
suggested that these were the same clothes from the day prior.
&What are you doing here%( 7almyitor snapped.
&IerI( =ottie glanced at 8lynalmoy and rushed past him into the office. 'he reached the
top of 7almyitors desk and leaned in so he couldnt hear. &The "ark,( she whispered.
7almyitor gazed at her blankly. &*es%(
=ottie fumbled with the left sleeve of her pa!amas and pulled it up to reveal the black skull.
&ts burning.(
&,owe, have one too.( 7almyitor got to her feet. &1ont you think didnt notice%( 'he
made to sweep around the desk to 8lynalmoy, but =ottie stepped between them.
&2ut its darker than its ever been.(
& noticed.(
&2utI( =ottie e$haled sharply in frustration. &ts never called meIhow many times have
you been called by mistake% The 1ark =ord means business if hes gathering e(erybody.(
&We are aware of the situation, thank you very much.( 7almyitor dodged around =ottie and
went to stand by 8lynalmoy. &We are doing our !obs here. We run the war, not you, ,owe, so
why dont you !ust go back to the common room%(
=ottie frowned. 'omething was wrong, very wrong. The way 7almyitor spokeIshe and
8lynalmoy were running the war. 'omeone was missing. &Where is 7rofessor "aelioric%(
she asked slowly, afraid to hear the answer.
7almyitor turned around to face her. &ts none of your business, ,oweI(
&*ou said that youreI( she pointed at 7almyitor and 8lynalmoy &Idoing your !obs. s
"aelioric not doing his%(
&,owe, we are having a meetingI(
&ts about him, isnt it%( =ottie flourished her left arm to put the 1ark "ark in the light.
8lynalmoy winced visibly. &Thats why theyve all been summoned. 'omething happened.(
&,owe, you dont know what youre talking about.(
&-aesa.( 8lynalmoy spoke quietly, like he always did, but his in voice was something =ottie
had never heard before. &-aesa, we should show her. 'hes proven to be useful beforeIand
if anything, we can !ust move on once she knows.(
7almyitor looked at him as though he had suggested murder Fthough, admittedly, she might
have been more enthusiastic about thatG. &,yan,( she said sharply, &we are going to have a
meeting with the students tomorrow. -obody gets special treatment.(
=ottie would have laughed if the situation were not so serious. 8lyanlmoy picked up on this
irony too and !ust cocked his head at her. There was a prolonged pause in which 7almyitor
and 8lynalmoy had a noticeable stare down. t was no contest. 7almyitor was the queen of
intimidationIbut for some reason, she turned away.
&)ine,( she said. &Whatever you say, ,yan.( 'he reached into her pocket, glaring at =ottie the
whole time. .ut of it she pulled a thin piece of wood. t was a wand, but not 7almyitors.
&Here.( 'he handed it to =ottie.
=ottie e$amined it, frowning. t was somehow familiar, though she couldnt say whose it was.
The wand was long and made of dark, sturdy wood. 'mudges and chips gave away its
apparent age.
&t is )orna$s.(
=ottie looked up from the wand to look at 7almyitor. 'omething was very wrong. &Why do
youIwhere is he%(
7almyitor looked toward 8lynalmoy, who sighed heavily. &WeIwere not sure.(
&What%(
&Were not sure, ,owe. What dont you understand%( 7almyitor spat. &Hes not in his room
Ihe wont respond to a 7atronus. The wand came by owlI(
&What%(
&t was how mail was delivered beforeItheyre not used anymore.( 7almyitor sat back down
behind her desk and rested her forehead in her hand. &Theyre not even tamed anymore, as far
as know. We certainly dont do it.(
&That meansB( =otties mouth sagged open as she thought. f the wand did not come from
someone with 0lsemore, it had to come from the 1eath @aters. &The 1ark =ord.(
7almyitor looked up from her desk slowly. &5ery good, ,owe. Thats the conclusion we
came to as well.(
&.kay,( =ottie said. &Why were you going to wait until tomorrow to have a meeting% We
should organize a meeting now to get people in on the mission.(
7almyitors face did not move. &What mission, ,owe%(
=ottie stared at her. 'he wheeled around to 8lynalmoy who stood with a hand shielding his
eyes. =ottie sighed and turned back to 7almyitor. &WhatIwhatIthe mission to res%ue him.(
7almyitor and 8lynalmoy glanced at each other. 7almyitors gaze was cold as always, but
8lynalmoys was unusually steely. They stood in silence for a long time. =ottie furrowed her
brow at this and looked between them. &WhatIyou meanIyou arent going to do
anything%(
7almyitor !ust pursed her lips. =ottie turned to 8lyanlmoy who was staring at the floor. &0re
you serious%(
&*ou wouldnt understand, ,owe.(
& wouldnt understand% <nderstand what% The fact that youre letting your best friend die%(
&This is war, ,owe.(
&0nd "aelioric is the best fighter we have.( =ottie laughed even though she didnt find
anything humorous. &We cant afford to not have him.(
&0nd we cant afford to send soldiers on a death mission to try to get him back.( 7almyitor
rubbed a weary hand over her forehead. &*ou are wrong, ,owe. *ou do not understand. We
knowIwe all discussed itIif one of us were to be kidnapped or killed, the others will notI
cannot afford toIgo on a rescue mission. t would cost too much.(
&2ut hes your friend.(
&,owe,( 8lynalmoy said without looking up. &There are things that are more important. )or
all we know, )orna$ mightImight already be dead. What we must focus on is the castle.(
&The castle%(
8lynalmoy looked up. His eyes swam with sorrow, but he set his face bravely. &)orna$ isI
wasIthe 'ecret Deeper. f he dies, e(ery person who ever knew the 'ecret becomes a 'ecret
Deeper in turn.(
&@veryone%(
&@very single person. f there truly is a traitor who had access to the castle, he can tell the
1ark =ord and the 1eath @aters.(
=ottie stood for a moment in the impact of that statement.
&<nderstand now%( 7almyitor snapped. &Were in serious !eopardyIand we cant sacrifice
everything !ust for )orna$.(
&The 1ark =ord can get in%(
&&es, ,owe.( 7almyitor got to her feet and pulled out her wand as though she were e$pecting
a 1eath @ater to barge in that very moment. &.ur most important task right now is to fortify
the castleIuse any other spells we can to hold them at bay.(
=otties stomach churned. &1o you think we can keep them out permanently%(
7almyitors eyes darkened. &-o.(
8lynalmoy crossed his arms and glanced at =ottie. &*ou can help, though, ,owe. We need to
do this as soon as possibleItonight. We were going to send out a team to start this !ob now.(
& want to be on it.(
&/ood, because you are.( 7almyitor started towards the door. &We are going to get the others
and e$plain it to them. Wait here.(
7almyitor and 8lynalmoy left and let the door shut behind them. =ottie stood for a moment
under the pressure of everything she had !ust learned before melting to the floor against the
front of the old desk.
The 1ark =ord was going to get into the castle. t was inevitableIunavoidable. They
probably would all die. =ottie put her head in her hands and sighed heavily. 'he was going to
die, soon. They were not ready to take on the 1ark =ord. 'he thought of the first years, of the
professors, of 0ndreaIdid they know that this was their last day alive%
2ut there was the possibilityIone shining possibility. =ottie twisted the hem of her pa!ama
pants without thinking about it. 0ll of the 1ark =ords Horcru$es were destroyedIand as far
as they knew, he had no idea. 2y coming to the castle, he was putting himself in a very
vulnerable position. Was it possible that he could finally be killed%
The office door opened. 7almyitor came in, followed by a trail of studentsI=ottie
recognized every single one. 1evin Hackett, @dgar 7ayne, Aulianne and 0ndrea stood in the
doorway. =ottie looked carefully at them. 'he had seen them in passing for the time she had
been back, but had not really spoken with anybody. They all stood in their pa!amas.
&,ight,( 7almyitor said, glancing at all of them coldly. &We need to act fast. The castle has
been put in e$treme !eopardy and we need to put up as many protective spells as we can. The
)idelius 8harm has been broken, so it is likely that the 1ark =ords followers are mobilizing
right now.(
-obody spoke. They all seemed too horror#stricken to even think. =ottie looked dully at them
Ithe fear that had filled her was an unavoidable aching thudInot the waves of boiling terror
that they were surely e$periencing with this new information. 0ndrea shifted her weight.
&We are going to split up,( 7almyitor said after a pause. &,yans students are already taking
the southern border, so take everything on the front half of the grounds, got that% 'nything
you can think ofImagical or otherwise.(
@verybody nodded. =ottie thought she saw tears in Auliannes eyes. They stood there
statically. 7almyitor watched them for a moment before turning to her desk and beginning to
scribble fruitlessly on a long sheet of parchment. That was their cue to leave, but nobody
moved for a good moment.
=ottie finally led the group. 'he pushed herself to her feet and left the office, knowing full
well that that might have been her last time ever seeing it. 'he walked through the threshold
and numbly up a flight of stairs to the entrance hall. 'he didnt look behind her, but she knew
that everybody followed.
.nce in the entrance hall, she took a sharp right to the front door. 'he pushed it open with her
shoulder and walked into the night.
The frigid 1ecember wind cut through the thin fabric of her pa!amas. 'he didnt shiver, but
walked on, down the front steps. Her boots crunched in the thick snow, and her pants dragged
along through the ice.
'he turned to the others to decide the plan, but saw that 1evin, @dgar and Aulianne had
already turned to the left and split off as a group. =ottie glanced at 0ndrea who was left and
saw her shiver as a sharp wind blew snow onto their sides.
&=ets go, then,( =ottie finally said, !erking her head to the right. 0ndrea didnt answer, but
lit her wand and pushed past =ottie. =ottie lit her own wand and glanced up at the winter sky
as they walked. The 1eath @aters could arrive at any minuteIshe wondered whether she
would ever see the sun rise.
0 sharp creaking sound brought her attention to 0ndrea in front of her. 0 tree a few feet
away swayed ominously while 0ndrea !abbed her wand in the direction of its trunk. This
went on for a minute until, with a sharp sound, the tree fell to its side. 'now e$ploded from
the collision and sprayed both =ottie and 0ndrea in the face.
&8are to help%( 0ndrea growled as she walked along the edge of the fallen tree.
&With what%( =ottie laughed sharply. Her breath formed a cloud before her. & dont think
theyll stop !ust because they stub their toes on a tree.(
&Were making a barri%ade, =ottie.( 0ndrea turned her back and faced another tree nearby.
&We can put guards there to slow them down.(
&That sounds stupid. The guards will !ust be killed.(
&Were all going to be killed, =ottie.( 0ndrea turned to her quickly. &.kay% ts !ust a matter
of time.(
&f youre that hopeless, why dont you !ust give up%(
&'hut up, =ottie,( 0ndrea shouted. &ve had it with you. What are you even talking about%
Were fighting because thats what we do. 'o !ust help meIor leave.(
=ottie didnt say anything but glared at her. 0fter a moment, she spun around and walked to
another part of the boundary, !ust within earshot of 0ndrea. 'he flicked her wand and
murmured incantations, casting shield charms.
'he heard the massive, deafening noise of another tree falling. .ut of the corner of her eyes,
she saw 0ndrea move to fasten the two trees into a barricade, but turned away to focus on her
own spells.
&What are you doing%( called 0ndrea from the top of the rubble.
&What do you mean%( =ottie growled. &m protectingI(
&This is my spot.(
&t couldnt hurt to have a shield as well, could it%(
&We dont have time, =ottie.( 0ndreas voice cracked. =ottie looked up !ust to see her
looking determinately into the distance.
&Whatever,( =ottie said. &*ou have these ten feetIll do the rest of it.(
'he glanced up, waiting for 0ndreas scathing comment, but it never came. 0ndrea still
looked out into the distance, her brow furrowed and her mouth gaping open slightly.
&.kay,( =ottie said. &gnore me. dont care. 2ut dont !ust stand thereIat least do
something useful.(
&0hut up.( 0ndrea turned to her sharply and e$tended a quivering hand to point into the black
distance.
=ottie strained her eyes and looked into the darkness. 'he couldnt make it out, but something
was definitely moving. Whatever it wasIit was alone, dashing from tree to tree.
&ts probably !ust a bird or something,( =ottie said and continued casting charms. 'he took a
sharp breath and her stomach plummeted. The shadow moved again, coming close enough
for =ottie to make out a silhouette. &ts human,( she hissed. The panic that seized her gave
her legs the speed to move to 0ndreas barricade and clamber halfway up.
0ndrea, who sat at the top, glanced down. & thought you said this was a stupid ideaI(
&This is not the time.( =ottie inched up the pile of wood and peered over the top. The figure
was close enough now for =ottie to see the gleam of its 1eath @ater mask in the moonlight.
&*ou have to go tell 7almyitor,( =ottie whispered.
&"e% This is my barricade. Why dont you go%(
=ottie shot her a sharp glare. &*eah%( she hissed. &Then what are you going to do% We have
to get information out of him and none of the spells you know will be good enough.(
0ndrea set her !aw but could not think of anything adequate to argue back. &.kay,( she
finally conceded, &but dont get yourself killed, okay% ll be really angry if you do.(
=ottie glanced at 0ndrea for a moment and noticed hot tears rolling down her face and
tripping off her chin. &.kay,( she said. & wont.(
0ndrea nodded and slowly clambered down the rubble while =ottie climbed up. =ottie
glanced into the night? the 1eath @ater was so close now that =ottie could see straw colored
hair falling out of his hood. He stared at the barricade, waiting.
Holding her breath, =ottie flicked her wand. &-n%ar%erous.( ,opes wrapped around the 1eath
@ater, who promptly lost his balance and fell over into the white snow. =ottie nodded at
0ndrea, who took off towards the caste.
)rom the top of the barricade, =ottie clambered down the side of the rubble and, halfway
down, !umped into the icy snow. 'he took off at a run to find the 1eath @ater face down and
straining against the ropes.
With her foot, =ottie pushed his shoulder to roll him over. He strained further against the
bindings, but =ottie paid this no mind. &How did you get here%( she hissed.
The 1eath @ater didnt say anything. His impassive mask remained eerily blank. &How did
you get here%( =ottie again punctuated her question with a sharp kick to his side. 'till, there
was silence.
)rustration growing, =ottie flicked her wand and with a blast, the 1eath @aters mask flew
off. The boys face underneath was familiar, though it had grown much darker since =ottie
had last seen it. &2ran,( she growled.
'he remembered her mother begging for mercy, and him destroying her with a swift curse.
'he remembered him leaping through the air, howling with !oy after the kill.
&Talk,( =ottie shouted, delivering another kick. This time her boot made contact with his
face. 'he knew magic would probably work faster, but causing the pain herself was so much
more satisfying.
&What%( 2ran asked. His formerly high voice had become gruff and unfeeling. His mouth
was filled with blood.
&How did you get here%(
&0pparated, didnt %( 2ran chuckled, sending shivers up =otties spine. &*our little
defensi(e %harms dont work anymore.(
&Who told you the secret%( =ottie demanded.
2ran !ust laughed and spat at her, showering the snow with scarlet.
&Who told%( =ottie yelled again. &m warning youI(
&1oes it even matter%(
&"ru%io>(
2rans screams brought out the frail boy that =ottie once knew. His confined body shook and
writhed until =ottie lifted her wand.
&Who told you the secret%(
&*oure going to die anyway,( 2ran snarled. &0nd youre going to kill me anyway. Why
should tell you%(
&Why am going to die%( =ottie asked, though she knew full well what he was implying.
&What are you saying%(
&Theyre coming.(
&"ru%io>(
2ran screamed again and =ottie waited thirty seconds before lifting her wand. When she did,
the boy lay panting. 2lood stained his chin and cheeks and his eyes were shut, waiting for his
sentence.
t was futile. =ottie realized this. 2ran had become too consumed by the 1ark 0rts. He would
never tell her what she needed to know. 1ying like this was practically an honor for him.
0nother image of her mothers death flashed through =otties mind and her heart filed with
rage. &"ru%io,( she hissed. 'he watched 2rans struggles greedily, willing him to suffer as
much as her parents hadImore than they hadIto pay the debt.
0fter a minute, she lifted her wand again. 2ran was shaking nowIeither from fear or from
the cold. &*oure ruthless,( he hissed. He meant it as an insult, but =ottie did not let it scathe
her.
&'(ada )eda(ra.( There was a green flash of light in the darkness, and 2ran was left staring
lifelessly up at the moon with glazed eyes.
=ottie lowered her wand and took a breath. 'he stared at the boys body for !ust a moment
before turning around and running up to the castle.
When she pushed open the front door, a hush fell over the crowd of people gathered there.
They all turned to =ottie who gazed back at them. This was everyoneIevery student, every
teacherIall gathered to fight. @ven the first years stood with their wands out, with the sort of
determination that only a child could have.
'lowly, people started speaking again. Teachers were addressing groups of students in rushed
voices. =ottie trotted up to 7almyitor who stood apart, watching mutely.
&Theyre coming,( =ottie said.
7almyitor turned to her slowly. &We know that, ,owe.(
&-oI meanItheyre coming right now. 0ndrea and !ust stopped a 1eath @ater who was
sent aheadI(
&*ou have him%(
&Hes dead. killed him.( =ottie looked away, deciding not to witness the rage that grew on
7almyitors face. 'he saw 0ndrea standing nearby, silent in the chaos.
&,owe, we had to question him. We have to figure out who the traitor is.(
&1oes it matter%( =ottie said coldly. &,eallyIdoes it%( 'he took a few steps towards
0ndrea. &Theyre coming either way and were all going to die either way. 'o forgive me for
avenging my parents.(
&,owe,( 7almyitor snarled. Her face was so contorted that =ottie wouldnt have been
surprised if steam had risen from her nostrils. &*ou will never learn will you% *ou must learn
to %ontrol your emotions.(
& dont want to hear it.( =ottie turned her back swiftly and walked over to where 0ndrea
stood, watching the scene. 'he didnt say anything? she couldnt think of anything to say.
&*ou killed him%( 0ndrea finally asked, turning her clear eyes in her direction. &*ou actually
+illed someone%(
=ottie looked at her shoes. 'he felt like she was going to throw up. &ve killed a lot of
people, 0ndrea.( The words were more of a confession than a fact? she spoke as though
apologizing.
0ndrea turned to face the crowd. t was beginning to break up now. Teachers were leading
groups of studentsIof soldiersIto various places in the castle? some were going outside to
act as guards. The entrance hall was nearly empty by the time 0ndrea spoke again. &ve got
Ive got to go,( she said. 'he didnt look at =ottie. &ve got to do something useful.(
&.kay.(
=ottie stared determinately ahead as 0ndrea transformed. 0fter a moment, she saw a light
brown sparrow take off out of the corner of her eye. .nce the bird was gone, she !ust stood
there numbly, unable to decide e$actly what to do.
&,owe.( 8lynalmoy walked towards her from the top of the staircase. 'he !ust watched hm.
&Theyre going to be here any minute. What are you doing%(
=ottie shrugged. &Waiting.(
&/o do something helpful,( he said, his voice unusually harsh and loud. &We !ust sent
messages to the people who are out on missionsIhopefully theyll be here soon. Theyre
0pparating to the dungeon.(
&8olm%( =ottie asked, looking up. &s 8olm coming%(
&He was sent a message.(
&1id he respond%(
&-o, but that doesnt meanI(
&Where are they coming into the castle%( =ottie asked.
8lynalmoy took a breath and quickly said, &The dungeonsIwe need somebody down there
to organize. t could be a great ambush.(
=ottie heard none of it. The moment he said the dungeons, she took off, clambering down the
two flights of stairs. f she was going to die, she at least would see 8olm first. 0nd who knew
Imaybe he could protect her.
'he passed the 7almyitor clock and took a sharp left to delve even deeper underground. 'he
was halfway down the final flight of stairs, when there echoed a deafening =OOM.
The whole castle trembled with the noise. =ottie lost her footing and fell down the steps,
landing heavily on her back. =OOM. The castle shook again. =ottie slowly pushed herself up,
looking up the stairs to the ground floor, the source of the noise.
There were screams now. *ells and cries mingled together? =ottie was too far away to
distinguish. 'he glanced to the corridor where the others would be 0pparating and back up
the stairs.
-ow was the time to fight. -ow was the time to do something to protect the school. =ottie
looked back at the dark corridor. Here she could be safe for at least a little while. Here she
could see 8olm. 2ut what would that do for her% The 1eath @aters would get here eventually.
=ottie gulped down a few quick breaths and began to ascend the stairs, up to the fight.
Chapter #4: Chapter $eventy8Three: The 5attle at Al!emore
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thank you to my beta, coolhPMMM> *ou3re awesome>
This chapter is dedicated to the A=. *ou guys are great friends.
: : :
8hapter 'eventy#Three; The 2attle at 0lsemore
2odies already lined the ground of the entrance hall when =ottie entered the fray, both of
students and 1eath @aters. The air was alight with the remnants of magic, accented by color
as more curses and !in$es flew about.
t was surreal. =ottie remained safely tucked into the darkness of the staircase, unseen. 'he
couldnt believe this was actually happeningIthat they were all about to be killed. 'he could
have killed "aelioric if the traitor hadnt already done so. 1idnt he realize that by going off
and dying he destroyed what he had been working for for nearly si$ty years%
&There might be some hiding down thereIcome on.( The voice came from behind a 1eath
@ater mask and was followed by a grunt of agreement. .n cue, the 1eath @ater who had
spoken poked his head into the staircase.
&'(ada )eda(ra,( =ottie yelled instinctively. The man fell into a crumpled heap and his
friend who had been standing behind him stood, momentarily shocked. =ottie waved her
wand again, and there was another flash of green light before the 1eath @ater keeled over.
=ottie felt nothing as she stared at the two men she !ust killed. nstead she !ust raised her
wand and !abbed it in the direction of the bodies. The one behind floated into the air and, on
=otties command, read!usted itself on top of the other, to form a sort of barricade.
=ottie crouched behind the bodies and peered out. ,ight now it seemed about even in
numbers, though the 1eath @aters were clearly more skilled than the students of 0lsemore.
8lynalmoy stood at the top of the stairs, shouting orders and shooting curses to the 1eath
@aters at the same time. The two sides were lined up neatly, almost like chess pieces. The
doorway through which =ottie peered was closer to the 1eath @aters, and she stared at the
mass of black robes before raising her wand.
&'(ada )eda(ra,( she hissed. &0e%tumsempra.(
The two 1eath @aters nearest her fell over, one very much dead and the other writing on the
ground in his own blood. 'he smirked at her handiwork, but the curses she had fired caught
the attention of some others.
0 masked face peered in her direction, staring at the two dead bodies that =ottie hid behind.
0cting quickly, =ottie hissed, &'(ada )eda(ra,( again and watched as the puzzled 1eath
@ater died.
This unfortunately pulled even more attention towards her hiding spot. =ottie saw two 1eath
@aters lower their wands and murmur to the offenders surrounding them. Then, no less than
fifteen wizards broke off the main group and moved towards her hiding place.
&'hit.( =ottie scrambled to her feet and spun around. There was no way she could take that
many at once. 'he ran back down the stairs as she heard them pushing aside the bodies in
their way.
&'(ada )eda(ra>( cried a 1eath @ater.
=ottie dove around a sharp corner and heard the curse collide with the wall. 'he had survived
Iat least for the momentIbut now they knew where she was. Aust as their clunky boots
pounded down the stairs, =ottie stuck to the tip of her wand around the corner and fired a
Dilling 8urse.
'he did not wait to hear if it hit true, but took off down the flight of stairs. They were
following her, but she had the advantage of already being familiar with the castle. The 1eath
@aters moved slowly? the corridors were not wide enough to accommodate so many.
=ottie pounded down the steps, but stopped as she saw 7almyitors office door a!ar. 'he
slipped inside quickly, and slammed the door. 'wiftly, she turned around to make sure
7almyitor wasnt there, but what she saw was even worse.
0 1eath @ater sat behind the desk, with his hands folded, laughing under his mask.
=ottie didnt let her momentary panic stop her. 'he raised her wand but the 1eath @ater acted
faster. He flicked his own wand, and =otties flew out of her hand.
&Well, well, well.( The 1eath @ater got to his feet and started towards her. )lipping her wand
in his hand. &"udblood scumIyou think you actually can fight us%(
=ottie did not answer. 'he was not going to die like thisIshe was not going to let this man
have his fun. 2efore he could say anymore, =ottie let out a roar of hatred and ran towards
him.
This certainly caught him off guard. The average 1eath @ater knew very little about physical
combat, but =ottie, who had spent most of her life without magic, had quite a bit of practice.
'he rammed into him with her shoulder aimed at his stomach.
.n cue, he doubled over and dropped both his and =otties wands. =ottie delivered a sharp
kick to his groin before bending down to recover her wand. The 1eath @ater was already so
incapacitated that he couldnt get away, but !ust for good measure, =ottie performed the
Dilling 8urse.
Aust as she turned back around, the door swung open again. 2efore =ottie even saw who it
was, she shouted, &"ru%io>(
0 heavy figure collapsed in the doorway? the 1eath @ater writhed on the ground and another
poked his head in to see what was happening.
&'(ada )eda(ra>( The 1eath @ater was dead before he even saw her. =ottie glanced down at
the man still writing on the ground and killed him as well.
=ottie took only half a moment to catch her breath before slowly inching towards the
doorway and peeking out. There was nobody there. 'he stood still for a moment among the
corpses and inhaled slowly. 'he had been acting on instinct, not thinking, not feelingI!ust
killing, but now everything was catching up to her. Her breath caught in her throat. Her
stomach filled with boiling fear. 'he didnt want to dieIshe couldnt dieInot like this.
Her thoughts were cut short by the black blur of a 1eath @ater running by. He hadnt even
seen her, but he was, apparently, running to something urgently. =ottie looked at where he
had come from. There was no one there.
'he took off towards the 1eath @ater without another thought. 'he ran as fast as her legs
would carry her and caught up to him on the last flight of stairs down. &'(ada )eda(ra>( she
yelled.
The 1eath @ater collapsed immediately, like a ragdoll. =ottie, though, who had not slowed
down enough, caught her foot on his robe and lost her balance. 'he toppled down the stairs
along with the corpse and landed heavily on her !aw.
'he felt a strong twinge as she pushed herself up and felt blood dripping down her face.
There were shouts coming from a room nearby. =ottie glanced behind her in the direction of
the yells.
t sounded like another fightIbut how would have other students gotten here% 0 classroom
door stood a!ar and was clearly the source of the noise. =ottie inched closer and peeked in.
t was a fight. -umerous 1eath @aters fought a handful of werent who werent wearing
0lsemore robes. =ottie frownedIwho were these people% They were not faring well, but
=ottie wasnt sure whether to help them or not.
=ottie gasped Fthough she held her hand over her mouth to muffle itG as a wave of realization
hit her. This was where the others were 0pparatingIthis was where "olm might have been
appearing. 'he peered in again and fired three Dilling 8urses, all of which caught 1eath
@aters off guard.
The battle inside seemed to pause. 0 1eath @ater stormed out to see what had happened, but
=ottie hit him before he noticed her. &'(ada )eda(ra>( This one too collapsed.
Her heart leapt to her throat? 8olm might have been in that room. He might need herIhe
might have already been dead. =ottie swallowed that horrible thought and rushed inside.
There was a handful of 1eath @aters, but only two people 0lsemores side. )ive non#1eath
@aters already lay dead on the floor. &'(ada )eda(ra>( =ottie caught another 1eath @ater as
she !oined the other two from 0lsemore.
'he didnt recognize either of them or any of the corpses. 0t least 8olm was safe.
&'(ada )eda(ra>( The curse was aimed at her but =ottie dove behind a desk. nstead, it
caught one of the others square in the chest. He collapsed promptly. )rom behind the desk,
=ottie fired a Dilling 8urse back at the 1eath @ater.
There was a shout and, horrified, =ottie turned to see the other wizard from 0lsemore fall.
&'(ada )eda(ra>( she yelled, and killed another 1eath @ater, but she was still outnumbered,
three to one.
'he scooted back and ducked behind another desk as a 1eath @ater fired another curse. .ut
of the corner of her eye, =ottie saw a blur of light brown enter the classroom.
&'(ada )eda(ra>( .ne down. There were only two left.
'he glanced back at the blur that had caught her attention and gasped. t was a sparrow.
&H@=7>( she yelled before ducking once more behind her makeshift barricade.
The 1eath @aters were laughing. =ottie stayed huddled in her tiny shelter, praying that
0ndrea would have heard her. The 1eath @aters laughter stopped suddenly with a dull thud.
=ottie peeked out from behind the desk to see two unconscious 1eath @aters, and 0ndrea
standing above them.
=ottie looked from the 1eath @aters, back to 0ndrea. &Thanks,( she breathed.
0ndrea shrugged and crouched, about to resume bird shape again.
&Wait.( =ottie didnt know what she meant by it or what she wanted to say. 0ndrea blinked
at her politely. &HowIhow are we doing up there%(
0ndreas face remained impartial. &-ot well,( she said. Without another word, she
transformed back into the sparrow and flew through the open door.
=ottie took a moment longer to gather her thoughts. 'he looked down at the two 1eath @aters
that 0ndrea had 'tunned and killed them wordlessly. 'he looked back up at the desolation
around her, the overturned tables, the blood, the corpses. 'he blinded herself to it all and
moved forward.
0s she walked back up from the dungeon, she met nobody. 'he passed the 7almyitor clock
and turned up to the final flight of stairs. n the doorway to the entrance hall, she paused and
surveyed the scene around her.
t had devolved into complete chaos. There were not as many peopleI=ottie could only
guess that the 1eath @aters had pushed through their ranks and broken into the castle. =ottie
hesitated in her hiding place. 'he !ust couldnt quite summon the courage to go on.
.ne fight caught her eye in particular because of the ferocity of the duelers. Hermione fought
a masked 1eath @ater and was gaining the better of him. 1espite her age, she moved nimbly
and dodged curses easily.
The spells she fired were incantations =ottie did not recognizeIvery advanced magic.
Hermione moved her wand with a complicated flick and a wall of flames shot from it. The
1eath @aters ignited like paper and collapsed, giving Hermione time to turn to another
opponent.
This second 1eath @ater had no style. The curses he shot were nearly e$plosions, but not
focused at all. =ottie sat the corners of Hermiones lips twitch into a smile as she recognized
this weakness. 'he had !ust lifted her wand, when from another corner of the hall, =ottie
heard a cry of, &'>'/' )E/'>!'>(
The tiny smile never left Hermiones face as her body crumpled. 'he lay there, eyes wide
open, reflecting the battle above her lifelessly.
'tricken, =ottie looked up from her still corpse to see who fired the spell. t was another
1eath @ater. He reached up and removed his mask and =ottie gasped when she recognized
him. t was =ucius.
&"udblood.( =ucius scowled at Hermiones body and spat on the ground beside her.
The anger that boiled inside =ottie was cold as ice. 'he hardly felt it, but was aware of her
legs carrying her numbly to avenge the death. 'he wasnt fast enough, though. 2y the time
she had emerged into the scene, a light brown sparrow dove to the ground.
=ottie watched as 0ndrea transformed midair and pointed her wand at =ucius. 'he shot a
quick 'tunner, which "alfoy deflected, smiling. &0h, another "udblood.(
&O<N:O>(
2irds burst from 0ndreas wand and dive#bombed =ucius aggressively. =ottie would have
said this was a bit of a weak move, before 0ndrea acted again. &-n%endio>( she hissed.
The birds that surrounded =ucius burst into flame, but did not stop their attack. They covered
his entire body, and no matter how hard he lashed, they did not relent.
Without another word, 0ndrea transformed again and took off.
=ottie ran into the battle, reinvigorated. =uciuss body was still burning, but she paid it no
heed. 'he spotted a pair of 1eath @aters running up the staircase. &'(ada )eda(ra,( she
hissed and killed them both with one curse.
'he glanced at the scene in front of her. t was mostly students who fought, but =ottie
definitely spotted both 7almyitor and 8lynalmoy in the fray as well. 'he walked along the
edge of the fight, remaining mostly undetected but helping where she could.
'he killed a few 1eath @aters who had their backs turned, but didnt make a show of herself.
The fighting went on for a long timeIlonger than =ottie could ever imagine, and it didnt
seem like the 1eath @aters numbers were shrinking at all.
"ra%+5
7eople started screaming. The 1eath @aters stopped fighting for !ust one instant to
acknowledge the new arrival. =ottie shrank back to the wall.
The 1ark =ord stood in the center of the entrance hall. =otties breath hitched in her throat.
There he stoodIdefenseless. He had no idea that all of his Horcru$es were destroyed.
0ll it would take was one Dilling 8urse. =ottie shrank back as his red eyes glanced around
the hall. 0ll they needed was one person to kill him nowIbut that would certainly mean
death for whoever it was.
=otties heart pounded impossibly fast. 'he could do it. 'he could go right then and end it all
with one well#aimed Dilling 8urse. Her knees twitched as if to tell her to go forward. 2ut
then she would be killedIthen she would die instantly as the wave of 1eath @aters attempted
to protect their lord.
5oldemort began to move forward. 0gain, =ottie twitched with the urge to confront him, but
then she stopped. The entire crowd shrank as the 1ark =ord moved. @verybody was too
paralyzed to do anything. =ottie watched him, frozen, as he passed and walked directly
through the door into the /reat Hall.
=ottie lowered her wand. Her chance had passed.
The crowd stood still for a moment in his wake. t was a good minute before the first person
moved. 8lynalmoy stood up suddenly and glanced around at the students, alive and dead at
his feet. 8ountless 1eath @ater masks turned to him but none of them raised their wands.
7almyitor stood after him. Her usual blank face was contorted with foreign emotion. =ottie
had never realized until !ust this moment how sorrowful she actually looked. &,yan,( she
said, her voice saturated and rough. &*ou cant.(
8lyanlmoy turned to face her. His face as well seemed older and more emotional than ever
before. =ottie looked closer and saw tears staining his old cheeks. 1espite all of this, he
smiled. & have to, -aesa.(
He began to move forward, stepping carefully over the corpses on the ground. The 1eath
@aters !ust let him go, watching him intently. He was moving toward the /reat HallIto the
door through which the 1ark =ord had !ust gone.
&,yan, you cant.( 7almyitor moved forward as well? her movement was more sporadic and
strained than 8lyanlmoys. Her face too was lined with tears. 'he grabbed onto 8lynalmoys
hand and squeezed it in her own. &7lease, ,yan, I cant live without you.(
0 dark flicker crossed 8lynalmoys face as he observed 7almyitor with pity. There were
more tears, though they fell silently. & have to,( he said. His voice barely reached a whisper.
&m sorry. love you, -aesa.(
With that, he freed his hand from 7almyitors grip and turned to the door of the /reat Hall.
He only observed it carefully for one moment before taking a step forward, and going inside.
7almyitor stood there for a moment. 'he looked deflated, crumpled. 'he was crying in
earnest now? this was so out of character that =ottie was taken aback. 7almyitor turned to the
frozen scene behind her, and her dark eyes traveled along the crowd. 'he paused for a split
second when her eyes met =otties before she turned back to face the door.
'ilently, 7almyitor moved forward. 'he matched 8lynalmoys path e$actly as she
approached the /reat Hall. 'he did not turn around to glance one more time at her students?
instead, she reached out, opened the door, and disappeared inside.
The battle began again instantly as if that was all the 1eath @aters had been waiting for.
<nfortunately, they were one step ahead of the students of 0lsemore. =ottie heard several
cries of &'(ada )eda(ra>( and saw a handful of her fellows fall at once.
=ottie remained on the outskirts, her heart pumping wildly. 2oth 8lynalmoy and 7almyitor
had gone in to face the 1ark =ord. t was possible that they had destroyed himIbut =ottie
knew in her heart that his was not true. They had died. They both knew they would, but had
tried anyway. =otties heart sped up. They were alone now, truly alone. 0ll of the heads were
dead. Hermione was dead. t was an army of children against the 1ark =ords strongest
forces.
=ottie took a breath and plunged into the battle. 'he was one of the only students who knew
the Dilling 8urse at all. &'>'/' )E/'>!'>( she cried. &'(ada )eda(ra5 '(ada )eda(ra>(
Three 1eath @aters fell instantly. 'he spun around to face the others, reinvigorated with
bloodlust. 0lsemore was putting up a reasonable fight considering the circumstances, but
they were still not close to winning.
@very now and then a student would slip through the door to the /reat Hall. =ottie groaned
inwardly every time she saw this. t was all very honorable for them to want to single#
handedly destroy the 1ark =ord, but impossible. t was practically suicide.
'he fired three more Dilling 8urses. t wasnt very difficult to catch the 1eath @aters off
guard as long as she kept her back to a wall. 'he was able to make sure that nobody hit her
from behind.
Through all the fighting, though, =ottie couldnt help but wonder what she actually was
fighting for. @ven if she killed two hundred 1eath @aters there would be two hundred more.
0nd even then, there would be the 1ark =ord to contend with.
=ottie wondered for an instant whether those who had disappeared into the /reat Hall had a
point.
2ut fear prevented her from following their footsteps. @ven the thought of going to face her
death caused bile to rise in the back of her throat. 'he had to surviveIshe had to. 'he kept
fighting.
&'(ada )eda(ra>( The curse was aimed at her, but she dodged it by diving behind a dead
body. nstinctively, she fired a Dilling 8urse back in that direction. The 1eath @ater who had
tried to murder her fell over with a thud.
=ottie took a moment on the ground to catch her breath. t felt like she hadnt had proper
o$ygen for hours. .ut of the corner of her eye, she spotted motion, and glanced up to see the
light brown sparrow flitting among the crowd.
'he swallowed a lump in her throat. 0ndrea hovered over the crowd and made eye contact
with =ottie. 0t her size, she was hardly noticeable, but =ottie held her gaze. 0ndrea was
staring at her pointedly, as though in some kind of warning. =ottie frowned.
Then the bird flapped its wings a few time and veered around. t soared through the open
door to he staircase that =ottie had !ust come up. =ottie picked her head up. This seemed
strangeI0ndrea was trying to tell her something.
'he was still on the ground, shielded by the layers of corpses. +uickly, she pushed herself up
and spun around to face the doorway. 'he took off. Heart pounding, and legs pounding faster,
she ran through the battle into the staircase.
&0ndrea>( =ottie croaked as she ran down the steps. 'he had to hop over dead 1eath @aters
as she went. &0ndrea>(
'he turned sharply to the ne$t staircase that led to the very bottom of the dungeon. .ut of the
corner of her eye, she spotted a rush of brown feathers ahead of her. 'he pressed on.
=ottie reached the bottom corridor !ust as 0ndrea did. Her eyes were focused on the bird
watching it as it led her to whatever 0ndrea had to show her.
The sparrow spun around, flapping its wings to stay in the air. t stared at =ottie significantly
who !ust frowned and glanced further down the corridor. 0 1eath @ater stood at the end.
With his wand e$tended, he surveyed =ottie and the bird, his masked face eerily blank.
=ottie raised her wand, but the 1eath @ater had disarmed her before she could even open her
mouth. 'he turned around to find the sparrow but saw that it was gone.
n its place stood 0ndrea, standing before =ottie protectively with her wand e$tended. Her
eyes were pinpoints of concentration as she faced off with the 1eath @ater. )or a long time,
neither of them movedIneither spoke.
0ndrea acted first. The whole thing happened in slow motion. 'he raised her wand and
opened her mouth to say an incantation, but the masked 1eath @ater was faster. He !abbed his
wand towards 0ndrea and cried, &'(ada )eda(ra>(
There was a flood of green light and a rushing sound that drowned out all of =otties hoarse
shouts. 0ndrea fell to the ground gently, her tiny, limp body now entirely devoid of life.
=ottie reacted instinctively. 'he held out her arms and caught her friend. 'he weighed
nothing. Her face was contorted with the rage of generations. Her blue eyes were still clear?
unseeing, they pierced straight to =otties core.
&0ndreaB( =otties voice cracked. 'he stared at her friend, unable to understand, unable to
believe. &0#0ndrea.( =ottie sank to the ground, taking 0ndrea down with her. 'he couldnt
be dead. 'he %ouldnt be dead. 'he had been alive moments beforeI!ust a second ago, she
had been living, breathing, and feeling. -ow she was nothing.
=ottie placed 0ndreas body against the ground. 'he was cold. 'he was empty. This couldnt
be happening. =ottie put a thumb to 0ndreas frail wrist. There was no pulse. 'he had never
noticed how small 0ndrea was before.
-ow, in death, 0ndrea did not look afraid. 'he did not look broken. The determination that
had defined her whole life stretched across her face.
=ottie !ust stared, motionless. This was the end of the world. 0ndrea was all she hadIand
now she was gone.
=ottie did not cry. 'he could not find tears anywhere in her. 8onfusion and fear filled her so
strongly that she was paralyzed. 'he wanted to throw up. 'he wanted to die.
0ndrea couldnt be dead. How could that 1eath @ater had taken away her life by !ust
muttering those words% How could he have destroyed somebody so good, so utterly% 'he
couldnt be dead. 'he couldnt be.
=ottie reached down and gingerly took off 0ndreas glasses. They were fogged with the tears
still wet on her face. Without the glasses, she looked youngerIlike she had when she was in
the camps.
1elicately, =ottie folded them up. 0ndrea was gone. =ottie took a breath. 'he was gone. n
the blink of an eye, she had vanished and =ottie was aloneIcompletely alone.
'lowly, =ottie slipped the glassesI0ndreas glassesIinto her pocket and stood up to face
the 1eath @ater.
Chapter #5: Chapter $eventy8Four: The Traitor9! 7e)ret
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thanks, coolhPMMM, for beta3ing this chapter>
This one is dedicated to the ))00 in its entirety. *ou guys are awesome>
0lso## might slow down my updates for a little bit. probably won3t post another chapter for
about a week because 3m in the middle of a tech week and don3t really get time to sleep, let
alone post chapters. 2ut another chapter is coming>
: : :
8hapter 'eventy#)our; The Traitors ,egret
The 1eath @ater lowered his wand. =ottie stared at him fully e$pecting for him to kill her,
fully e$pecting to die like 0ndrea. 'he stared at the 1eath @ater behind the mask, wanting to
kill him, wanting to tear him apart with her bare hands.
'he didnt have her wand. t had been blasted behind her. f she had, this 1eath @ater would
not be alive now. 'o she waited, unable to turn her back on him, and unable to move forward.
He would kill herIhe had her in the perfect checkmate.
2ut he did not. He lowered his wand slowly and stowed it in his robes. Without saying a
word, he began to run, and rushed past her to the stairs.
&Wait>( =ottie spun around and grabbed his arm. This was a completely moronic thing to do,
foolish, but she didnt care anymore. 'he felt empty.
The 1eath @ater shook her off. With a surprising amount of strength, he pushed her against
the wall and began to walk again.
&'top>( =ottie lunged forward towards him again, ready to die, ready to kill. 'he grabbed his
shoulder with one hand and used the other to pound furiously against his back.
0gain, he pushed her away. =ottie tumbled backwards, tripped and fell heavily on her back.
'he lay there for a second. 'he didnt understand why this man wasnt killing herIwhy he
wasnt even trying.
=ottie got to her feet, more slowly this time due to the aching protests of her body. The 1eath
@ater had almost reached the top of the stairs, but she rushed after him anyway. &*ou
coward,( she yelled. Her voice was hoarse.
The 1eath @ater turned around. He was close enough now that =ottie could see the familiar
gleam in his eye. t was all so familiarIhis look, the way his dark eyes slanted with his
melancholy smile that she couldnt see, but knew was there. &=ottie,( he whispered. His
voice was tinny behind the mask, but still recognizable. &7lease.(
He spun around without another beat and ran up the rest of the stairs, leaving =ottie standing
there. 'he couldnt move. 'he couldnt breathe. f losing 0ndrea was too much, this she
couldnt even fathom.
t was 8olm.
t had always been 8olm. 8olm was the one who had given their secret? he had let all of the
1eath @aters in? he had killed "aelioric? he had freed 'nape. =ottie clenched her stomach.
'he felt like she might throw up. .e had killed 0ndrea.
=ottie took a step down the stairs. 2hat was why 8olm hadnt come back this month. 2hat
was why they hadnt found the traitor when they searched all of the students? he wasnt there.
He had never been thereIbut he hadnt set off any of the alarms because it was perfectly
acceptable for him to be.
0nd the whole time, she had never suspected him. He acted like he lo(ed her and the whole
time, he was plotting to kill her. His parents had risked their lives to keep him out of the 1ark
=ords clutches, but he had fallen into them anyway.
=ottie retreated back down the steps. Now she was truly alone. 'he had no friends, no family,
nobody to guide her. 'he had lost everything. 'he reached the dungeon corridors and picked
up her wand from the cold, stone floor. 'he didnt allow her gaze to wander? she focused on
the ground in front of her and the wand lying there before turning around. 'he knew what lay
!ust out of her sightIwhat aching regretIthe body that lay alone and broken on the ground.
0ndrea had tried to warn her. =ottie wiped her forehead with her sleeve as she began back up
the stairs. 0ndrea had died to warn her. 0ndrea had been right all along. 'he had knownIall
alongIwhat 8olm was. =ottie swallowed the lump in her throat and stared around. 'he had
reached the landing between the dungeon and the entrance hallIwhere the 7almyitor clock
stood.
=ottie double took. The clocks door was a!ar. 5oices issued from inside. Those werent
studentsIno student could afford to sit comfortably in the common room with death so close
by. 8asting a glance over her shoulder, =ottie hunched over and went inside.
Aust as she had thought, the room was not filled with students. Two 1eath @aters huddled in
front of the fire, one mumbling with his head in the fireplace.
The common room was a different place now. The couches and old armchairs had been
upturned, uprooted? one of them had turned almost completely to ash. =ottie opened her
mouth to whisper an incantation, but the 1eath @ater was too quick for her.
.ne moment, he had his back to herIthe ne$t a !et of red light flew in her direction and
knocked the wand out of her hand. =ottie knew she should have runIshould have fled and
found another wand, but for some reason, she remained bolted to the floor.
&=ook what we have here,( crooned the 1eath @ater who faced her. The other 1eath @ater
pulled his face out of the fireplace. With a pang, =ottie recognized 8olms eyes behind the
mask.
&*ou.( Her voice was low, guttural. 'he rushed forward without thinking, her fists raised.
=ang> 0 spell knocked her off her feet. =ottie lay on her back in the middle of the common
room, wheezing.
=ang> There was another thump, and =ottie saw the other 1eath @ater hit the ground ne$t to
her. &What are you doing, 'crivener%( he growled as he pushed himself up.
&=eave her to me.( 8olms voice was surprisingly calm. &/o.(
The 1eath @ater cackled. His bared teeth were sharpened to fine points and crooked. &.h
come on, 'crivener. We came in here to get back up, and a dumb one !ust walks our way.
Why shouldnt we have fun%(
&/o.( 8olm brandished his wand. &/o help. ll take care of it.(
The 1eath @ater grumbled something as he pushed himself up. =ottie took this moment to
attack. )rom the ground, she sprang and hit the 1eath @ater directly in the middle.
8aught off balance, the 1eath @ater fell over. His wand clattered to the ground and =ottie
snatched it before he could move. &'(ada )eda(ra>(
The 1eath @ater died, his mouth open in mild confusion.
&E$pelliarmus5( The wand was knocked out of =otties hand before she even had the time to
stand up.
&'top,( 8olm commanded.
=ottie pushed herself up slowly. 'he rose from the dead wizard at her feet and turned to face
8olm. He had all three wands, and she was completely defenseless. 8olm reached up and
took off the fastenings that held his mask on. His face was stricken, streaked with sweat.
He stood there with his wand e$tended, pointed towards her heart, for a long time. =ottie
waited for the final blow silently, knowing it was no good to try to flee.
'he looked around her. 'he was backed into a wall, unarmed, and far from the e$it. There
was no chance of her getting out without him catching her first. )inally after 8olm hesitated
for another moment, she spoke. &Why%( Her voice cracked. &WhyI.ow did you do this%(
8olm lowered his hand slowly and took a step towards her. =ottie had already backed up all
the way to the wall so stood her ground. &1o what%( he asked. His voice was clear, but his
eyes betrayed his agony. They swam with guilt. Tears already lined his face.
=ottie took a breath and watched him for a moment. His mind was practically screamingI
she couldnt help but hear it. 0 spark of bloodlust hidden in the folds of his emotions made
=ottie sure he would kill her, but then a moment later, his heart softened and flooded with
sorrow. &*oure sorry,( she finally said.
n a thrashing gesture, 8olm raised his wand once more. =ottie recoiled, but felt nothing as
8olms hand caught in midair. He shut his eyes but didnt lower his hand, despite its shaking.
=ottie stood uneasily. &*ouIyoure frightenedIand you feel guiltyIandIand youre
going to kill me.(
8olm opened his eyes and =ottie was hit with a wave of his raw emotion. He flicked his
wand again, but it was not directed towards her. The door to the common room slammed.
&m not going to kill you. I( He faltered and lowered his wand. & could never kill you.
II(
&Then how could you do this%( =ottie rushed forward, her arms swinging wildly, but 8olm
caught her. His hands clamped her wrists tightly with such enormous strength that she could
not move. &How could you do that%( =ottie shouted. 'he tried to push against him, but he
held firm. &How could you do this to 0ndrea% 0nd to 0lsemore%(
'he lifted a leg to deliver a kick to his shins, but he sidestepped it, still clamping her arms
tightly. &HowIhow could you do this to me%(
8olms gaze was upon her the entire time. 0s she spoke, tears rolled down his cheeks and
obscured his dark eyes. & never wanted to hurt you.( His strong voice was gone. +uivers and
hiccups punctuated his words.
&Hurt me%( With a great tug, =ottie pulled herself free from him and began pacing across the
common room. &*ouIneverIyouI1. *.< TH-D D==-/ "* 2@'T ),@-1
W.<=1-T H<,T "@%(
&NoI=ottieI( 8olm took a step towards her, but =ottie took a step back. & cant e$plainI
I(
&*ouI( =ottie couldnt think of wordsIcouldnt think of anything adequate to say to
e$press all of the hatred inside of her. &*ou are a /eath Eater.(
&*ou dont understand.(
&How long%( =ottie demanded. &Have you always been a liar% 0nd II( she swallowed a
lump in her throat. &Were you always planning this% To kill me%(
&No.( 8olm ran forward, but =ottie was faster and rushed across the room, so they stood,
separated by the debris. &-ot youIneverInever you. *ou dont understand what the 1ark
=ord is fighting forI(
& dont understand%( =otties voice became shrill. &Theyre fighting to kill me, 8olmI
people like me. s that what you want%(
&NoIpleaseI=ottie.( He rushed forward again, but once again, =ottie darted away from
him.
&*our parents,( she hissed. &*our parents spent their whole li(es to keep you from this.(
&They were fools.( 0 hardened look emerged in 8olms e$pression. &They didnt
understand.(
&&ou dont understand.( =ottie had a violent impulse but restrained herself. &They gave you
everythingIand now youre !ust the brainwashed killing machine that they were afraid of.
.owI( =ottie took a step back, her eyes widening in the horror of realization. &0nd I
told you aboutIaboutB( 'he clenched her fists to stop their shaking. &How many people%(
&What%(
&Thats why youIthats why you pretended to like me, isnt it% *ou knowIyouIalways
that something was weirdI(
&=ottieI(
& was the enemy to you the whole time. How many people have you told me m related to
Harry 7otter%(
&Nobody.(
&*ou !ust dated me to find out more.( =ottie took a step forward. &Why didnt you kill me
sooner% *ou had plenty of chancesIohIthe 1ark =ord needed you to +ill "aelioric didnt
he% *ou had to keep a low profile and be patient for me. 0ndIwhatIyou wanted me to be
miserable first so you killed 0ndrea% *ouIyou +illed 0ndrea> ll kill you.(
=ottie ran forward, her shoulder pointed directly towards 8olms chest, ready to kill, ready to
anything to put him through the most pain physically possible. 8olm took the hit without
even stumbling. With his unusual strength, he held onto =ottie, embraced her in an almost#
hug so strong that she couldnt escape.
& never was going to kill you, =ottie.( He spoke slowly. His arms wrapped around her
tightly. &I dont know e$actly whatIwhat ve done. I had toIyou dont understand.
HeIhe was going to kill me.(
=ottie tried to interrupt him, but muffled into his chest, all she could emit was a strangled sort
of shout.
&0ll knowIall that am sure of, =ottie, is that love you.( 8olm took a step back but still
held down =otties arms so she couldnt struggle.
1espite her stomach full of hatred, =ottie could see in 8olms face was that he was sincere.
&m sorry, =ottie,( he said and as he spoke he began to cry again. & reallyI am so sorry.(
He released her and rushed towards the door. &'tay here,( he said without turning to face her.
&Ill lock it. *oull be safe.(
With that, he slipped out and slammed the door again, taking her wand with him. &-o>(
=ottie ran forward and pushed against he door. t wouldnt budge. 'he pounded her fists
against it into it but it was truly locked.
'he wanted to throw upIto screamIto kill somebody, but she focused on her task, on
unlocking the door. 0fter several minutes of struggling, though, she stopped and took a
breath. 'he willed all thoughts of 8olm out of her mindI8olm who still loved her. 'he
didnt understand. 8olm had locked her in to keep her safeIbut he had killed 0ndrea. He
loved her, but he was a 1eath @ater.
=ottie sat down on an upturned sofa and took several deep breaths. 'he had to clear her mind
Ishe had to. 'he could sit here, safe and cry. 'he could probably survive here for days and
!ust cry, but that would do nobody any good.
'o she kept breathing, e$pelled herself of all emotions and all thought. 'he could do it. 'he
could kill the 1ark =ordIif she could find a wand and get out of here. -ow that she had
nobody and nothing to lose, the fear that had always simmered in her stomach was beginning
to fade.
'lowly, she got to her feet. There was a way out of here. There must have been. 8olm locked
the front door but there were still windowsIand the fireplace. =ottie looked to the hearth. 0
tiny bag of powder lay beside it.
=ottie bent down and picked it up. t was )loo 7owder. 'he had never used )loo before, but
had read about it several times.
This could take her to any fireplace in the castleIany at all. 7almyitors office had one, but
=ottie couldnt be sure whether that was safe. The /reat Hall had one, but that was definitely
not safe.
=ottie ran the fine powder through her callused fingers. <narmed, did she really think she
would do any good% -owhere in the castle was safeIe$cept for where she was. 'he could
easily escape, but then what% Then she would !ust be killed somewhere else.
=ottie glanced at the fire, which had shrunk to !ust embers. 'he had to decide soon. -obody
was here to help her and she could do nothing if she escaped. 2ut if she lived, would she be
able to live with herself%
=ottie cleansed herself of all emotions and reassumed comforting .cclumency. 'he ran a
palm over her face, as though wanting to realize, to have some sensation before death.
'lowly, she reached back into her bag. 'he threw a pinch of powder into the embers and
stepped inside. 8almly, she said, &The /reat Hall.(
There was a whirl of fireplaces and =ottie was spinning very quickly. 'everal times, her
elbow made painful contact with the wall. 0nd then it stopped. With a loud thump, =ottie
landed heavily on an ashy ground.
0s soon as she landed, a cloaked figure at the head of the room picked his head up.
5oldemort stood before the high table, and although =ottie knelt by the door, as far away
from him as she could be, she saw every feature of his face clearly.
His deep red eyes stared at her searchingly. =ottie met them with confidence. 'he had stood
up to his scrutiny before. &0h, look, 'crivener.( 0 dark figure kneeled before the 1ark =ord.
&We have a guest.(
The figure picked its head up slowly. 'till kneeling, 8olm turned to face =ottie, who pushed
herself up and watched his gaze. His e$pression changed in an instant. His dark eyes widened
with terrible, hot fear and his face contorted. He turned away to hide presumable tears. =ottie
watched him impartially.
5oldemorts gaze never flickered from hers. &0h, but this one recognize.( His cold, high
voice was like needles in =otties neck. & thought 'nape had killed you at the Hogs Head.(
=ottie said nothing, but stood her ground. 'he had no wand and no hope to get one. 'he
glanced to her right, where lay a row of bodies. With a pang, she spotted both 8lynalmoy and
7almyitor. 2oth of their eyes were wide open. =ottie could still sense the lingering anguish
on 7almyitors face. 'he swallowed hard.
5oldemort followed her gaze to the bodies and stretched his skull#white face into a smile.
&)ools,( he said. &0ll of them. Willing to give up their livesIfor what% 0nd you, soon, will
!oin them.(
=ottie did not say anything. 'he had no choice, no option. 'he could have fallen to the ground
and cried? she could have run forward in a passion of fury. 'he did neither. 'he took solace in
her .cclumency. t was all she had left. 'he could not control her death? she could not control
8olms actions. 2ut at least she could control her mind.
8almly, she walked forward, her heart slowing with each step. 8olm faced her and shook his
head mutely. He had a hand on his chest, as though he was feeling his pulse for the last time,
as though he was the one about to die. His eyes met her and =ottie disregarded his tears. 'he
turned to 5oldemort who still smiled.
&Would you like to do the honors, 'crivener%(
8olm did not turn to face his master. His !aw quivered and her chest clenched further. &"y#
my lord,( he croaked.
=ottie turned to stare at him sharply at these words. He turned his gaze to the ground
instantly. The tears on his cheeks fell slowly to the floor. & cannot.(
=ottie looked back at 5oldemort. 'he used her .cclumency, not against him, but against
herself. f she harbored her emotions, surely she would find so much fear that she would !ust
die on the spot.
&Weakness,( 5oldemort hissed. He took a step forward and drew his wand. 8olm, beside
him, crumpled as though he had !ust been hit by a spell himself. He kept his face to the
ground, but =ottie could see his back shaking with sobs.
5oldemort took a step closer to =ottie, who !ust stood still. He stared at her carefully,
surveyed her as his wand made lazy circles in the air. &What good,( he began slowly, &did it
do you to come here to die%( He spoke to sting, to make a tearful heart shake.
=ottie stared up at him, into his pitiless red eyes and his merciless face. 'he didnt feel the
bite of his words. 'he ignored his wand, which was slowly rising to point directly towards her
heart. 'he swallowed and said, &0t this point, dont think its about me.(
5oldemorts smile flickered away. His face formed a sneer and more than ever he seemed
completely inhuman. =ottie heard 8olm wail with sorrow. 5oldemort stared into her equally
empty eyes. &)ool,( he hissed. &'(ada )eda(ra.(
Chapter #: Chapter $eventy8Five: The Camp A)ain
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: 0s always, thank you to the fabulous coolhPMMM for beta3ing this chapter>
This one is dedicated to all of my friends and family who have put up with Fand continue to
put up withG me suddenly running off, getting a pen and paper, and disappearing into my own
imaginary world.
: : :
8hapter 'eventy#)ive; The 8amp 0gain
There was stillness and there was silence. t was not the thick sort of silence that filled
uncomfortable conversations or a sorrowful moment? it was !ust an absence of sound, simple
and ever present. t was not dark, but it was not light either. @verything was neutral, or !ust
complete nothingness.
=ottie grew aware of herself very slowly. 'he could feel her nose and forehead pressed
against the ground and something else too. 'he could sense sharp, dis!ointed pain, running
throughout her body.
'lowly, very slowly, she moved her hands to feel her own skin. 'he was certainly there and
she couldnt feel any wounds or bruises, but somehow there was still pain. t hurt to breathe.
t hurt to not breathe. Her body ached as she moved, but something else, something that was
both a part of her and separated from her at the same time, stung if she didnt move.
Was this what it was to die, to feel infinite and indescribable pain%
=ottie opened her eyes. The ground she lay on formed before her in a swirling of mist. t
transformed to stone, cast in shadow. t hurt to see, but also hurt not to look. 'he stared at the
floor, at the minute details of the scuffed wood for a few moments before planting her hands
firmly against it and pushing herself up.
'he was naked, and instantly felt the hot embarrassment of being so e$posed. @ven more
instantly, robes appeared seemingly out of nowhere to hide her pale skin.
=ottie looked around. The world created answers as she asked for them. "ists formed into
walls and ceilings, tables and armchairs. 0n entire room appeared before her. =ottie closed
her eyes. t hurt to look at it.
'he waited for the pain to subside, wishing that it would die away like a cramp. 2ut it didnt.
'omething was wrong. =ottie hunched over and fell into an armchair, clutching her center.
The pain was everywhere. t felt like her organs had been rearranged, or that she was
suddenly aware of a gaping hole inside of her.
'he needed something else to survive in this worldIsomething more. 'omething was
missing. =ottie ran a hand over her face as though it were a physical feature that she lacked.
@verything seemed to be there. What had she lost%
=ottie opened her eyes again and drank in her surroundings. 'he sat in an armchair that was
in the corner of this dark room. There was a large wooden table to her right. Dnicks and
scratches lined it and also covered the three wooden chairs that were tucked neatly under it.
There was a window directly across from that where a thin, quiet light filtered in. 2eneath
that lay a bare mattress, worn and stained with dirt. 0nother mattress sat beside the firstI
=ottie knew this instinctively before looking at it.
When she did look toward the mattress, though, she saw another figure sitting on it, watching
her with polite interest. =ottie felt a twinge of wracking pain as she saw him. He looked
whole, healthy and was clearly not affected by whatever she was feeling.
His eyes were a vibrant green, brighter than any =ottie had seen before. They sat behind
thick, round glasses. His face was thin and not very heroic. This was all topped off by a mess
of !et black hair that stuck up in every direction.
&0re you all right%( he finally asked.
=ottie winced at the sound of his voice, which created more burning pain inside of her. 'he
didnt understand how he could stand to be in this placeIit made her skin feel like acid.
&What is this place%( =ottie finally asked through gritted teeth.
He turned his gaze to the walls around him, pointedly glancing at everything, but without any
sort of recognition. &*ou know, couldnt say. 1ont think ve ever been here before. 1o
you know%(
'till grimacing from pain, =ottie picked her head up and glanced around. 'he knew this place
Iknew it better than almost everywhere else. 0nd though it was small, cramped, and
abandoned, it made her remember. &Home.(
This was her familys flat precisely, butImemories flooded back to her nowIit had been
destroyedIthey had been destroyed. 'he had done it. =ottie turned back to the figure on the
mattressIher old bed. 'he narrowed her eyes. &*oure Harry.(
nstantly, she pressed her lips together. @ven speaking hurt. 0gain, she looked down at
herself, searching for whatever it was that could cause this pain.
&*es.( Harry didnt stand from the mattress, but frowned at her. &0nd youre hurtIwhy are
you hurt% What happened% didnt know pain e$isted in this place.(
=ottie shook her head and clenched her stomach, though the pain was not e$actly there. &t
feels like m missing something,( she said. The words sounded foolish when spoken aloud.
&=ike a limbIorIor something.(
Harry !ust watched her. His brow was furrowed with concern, but he was completely
helpless. He had no means to do anything.
There was a long pause that =ottie spent breathing sharply. -othing would help? the pain was
constant and steadyIever present and also unidentifiable. 'he looked up.
&2ut youre dead,( she said. &*ou diedImore than fifty years ago.(
Harry turned his gaze to the ground. His smile had melted away. He nodded.
&0nd m dead.( =ottie looked at him, not sure whether she actually wanted him to confirm
that.
Harry look up frowning. &2ut are you%(
=ottie stared at him, her frustrating mounting. &What do you mean, am % .f course am.
The 1ark =ord killed me.(
Harry sat back as though her words had hit him square in the chest. &What did you call him%(
&The 1ark =ord%( =ottie repeated. Harry stared at her suspiciously. &What%(
&.nly 1eath @aters call him that.(
&'ince when%( =ottie glanced back at Harry, her eyes full of as much suspicion as his.
&Weve always called him thatIyou cant say his name.(
&Theres no reason to be afraid of it,( Harry said. &ve always used it.(
&Well youre !ust a better person than am, arent you%( =ottie snapped. 'he glared at him
but could not hold her anger with his polite gaze for long.
&*ou know,( Harry said once she had looked away. & always thought any direct descendent
of 1udleys would be much rounder.(
=ottie looked up to see Harry smiling, biting on his lip to suppress a laugh. 'he waited for his
grin to shrink away? she didnt understand what was so funny about that. )inally, she asked,
&*ou think m not dead%(
&-ot yet.( Harry ran a hand across his chin as he thought. &When 5oldemortI( =ottie
inhaled sharply at the name. Harry rolled his eyes. &When >oldemort killed me, came to a
place like this.(
&1id it hurt%( =ottie asked hopefully. "aybe this wasnt permanentImaybe it was !ust a
trial of the freshly dead.
&-o.( Harry frowned at her. &t didnt. t actually took away my pain. had been in!ured
when died.(
=ottie looked down at her own hand. They didnt loo+ in!ured, but they were wracked with
more pain than she could remember. &Then,( she began, &why do I%(
& dont know.( Harry shook his head and shrugged. &2utI( He rubbed his palm against his
forehead, against a thin scar shaped like a lightning bold. =otties eyes flitted upwards and
glanced at it, which Harry ignored.
&2ut when died,( he said, resuming his thought, & came to a place like this. Well it wasnt
Iwhat did you say%Iyour house% WellIit was my own place, but had a similar
e$perience.(
&0nd you were dead, so that means am too%( =ottie asked.
Harry laughed. To =ottie who hadnt heard genuine laughter for days, it sounded e$ceedingly
odd. &*ouve been spending too much time with Hermione.(
=ottie frowned at him. 'he didnt know whether he knew Hermione was dead or not. 'he
didnt know whether he would get to see her now that she was dead. 'he wasnt even sure
whether this was real Harry or !ust a figment of her own imagination.
&When came here,( Harry e$plained, & wasnt quite dead yet either. 5oldemort had killed
me and came to this place. had a choice to makeIto go back orIwellIto die.(
=ottie stood up. Though it wracked every part of her body, she began to walk until she
reached the mattressIher old bed. 'lowly, she sat down ne$t to her cousin, watching him
carefully. &1oes everybody have a choice%( she asked. 'he thought of her parents and then of
0ndrea. &.r is it !ust wizards%(
&0ctually think its !ust us.(
=ottie pressed her lips together and looked at him. & dont understand. How does that even
work%(
Harry pressed his palm to his scar again. t seemed almost like a nervous habit. &When
5oldemort was resurrected, he used an e$tremely 1ark potion to do it. He neededI( Harry
shut his eyes and thought for a moment &Ithe flesh or a servant, the bone of his father, and
the blood of his enemy.(
&'o he took your blood.(
&*eah.( Harry sat up straighter and looked at her carefully as though trying to see a glimmer
of someone else. &"y blood carried the sacrificeImy mums sacrificeIthat made me
survive the first time. He thought taking it would make him stronger.(
&0nd it did.(
&*eahIwellIhe also made a mistake.( Harry spoke slowly as though he did not have much
practice with speaking. &2y taking my blood, he connected us even more. Thats why came
to this place. He had my blood and was keeping me held to life. We both had my mums
sacrifice.(
&'o thats why you came here%( =ottie said slowly. &ts not e$actly death yet. 2ut you said
you had a choice. *ou said you could have gone back or died. How come you died%(
Harry looked away. He tapped his short fingernails against his arm, frowning. &Well,( he
said, & made a mistake too.(
&'o you chose to die.(
&ts not like it was that simple,( Harry said quickly, turning back to her. &I didnt realize.
@verything had gone wrong. had so far to goIall of the Horcru$es.( He placed a hand on
his scar instinctively. & was young. didnt understand.(
=ottie turned away. 'he didnt like to watch his struggle. t was mildly uncomfortable to
witness any sort of weakness of the famous Harry 7otter.
Harry sighed slowly and lowered his hand from his forehead. &2ut youIyou have the same
choice to make.( He smiled weakly. &*oull make the braver choice than did.(
=ottie looked up. The pain flowered through her entire body. 'he wasnt sure whether she
wanted to make the brave choice. 'he had been prepared to dieIgrateful to no longer think
and feel. 0nd if she went back, would this pain follow her% 'he turned to Harry, and to delay
the moment of choosing said, & dont understand why -m here. He has your bloodInot
mine.(
&2ut you have my bloodIwell a bit of it.( Harry smiled. &5oldemorts holding you to life
!ust as he held me.(
&2ut your mum sacrificed herself for youInotInot me.(
&That doesnt seem to matter, does it%( Harry smiled. &*oure here and you get to go back.
*ou can destroy him.(
&2ut my parents,( =ottie pressed on. 'he wasnt ready. 1espite the pain and fear, she wasnt
ready to go back. &"y mum, at leastIshe was even more related to you than me. WhyI(
&'hes a "uggle.( Harry shrugged. &ts not fairIit really isnt, but its !ust how this works.(
=ottie looked down and !ust as Harry instinctively held his scar, she pressed a hand to her
forearm. 'he pursed her lips together and raised her eyebrows. 1espite all of the pain in her
body, the 1ark "arks usual twinge was noticeably absent. 'he rolled up her sleeve. Her skin
was bare and unmarked. =ottie ran a hand over it and looked up.
& have to go back, dont %(
Harry smiled sadly at his knees. &Well you dont ha(e to. ts a choice. Thats the whole
point, isnt it%(
=ottie looked at him quizzically. He looked up and said, &1umbledore told us how youve
got to %hoose between whats right and whatIwhat is easy.( He paused and pressed his lips
together. & really regret my choice. dont know what wouldve been different.( He trailed
off and glanced ahead.
&fIif chose,( =ottie began, &chose to not go backIm not saying willIbut if did,
where would go%( The fear that followed that question was worse than any pain she
e$perienced. 'he knew what Harrys answer would be, and knew that it would not help.
&I dont think can e$plain.(
=ottie turned to face her knees. 'he knew he would say that and it did not comfort her at all.
'he looked back down at her arm, unmarked by 5oldemort, free of her shame. 'he knew she
could not stay here.
HereIhomeIit reminded her of so much. Her childhood in the camp had been relatively
happyIas happy as one can be when being treated like cattle. Her parents had loved her.
Then, she went to 0lsemore, signed her life away to a cause at the age of eleven, and was
taken from her family.
=ottie gazed down at her arm. 'omewhere in the course of that, she had become a monsterI
a killer. 7ain flooded her at the thought. 2his was where she had murdered her family. Well,
she hadnt done it, but she didnt stop it. That was !ust as bad.
=ottie looked at the room around her. The "ark on her skin was gone, but the place was
enough to remind her of everything she had done. The pain was enough of a price to pay.
&Will the 1ark =ord be destroyed if go back%(
Harry didnt speak for a long time. He placed his elbow on his knee and his head in his hand
as he thought. & cant be sure,( he said.
&0nd whatIwhat will happenIto the world thereIif dont go back%(
Harry looked at her but didnt say anything. His eyes said it allIall the regret and sorrow he
had suffered. He took a breath and let it out slowly.
&ve got to go back.( =ottie stood up. Her body protested and was wracked with pain, but
she had no other choice. &I have to at least try toIto kill him. ,ight%(
Harry looked up at her and smiled. He didnt have all the answers, =ottie knew. t was her
choice and hers alone. He couldnt tell her what to do, but =ottie could see the consequences
of his choice. &ve got to go back,( she said again, more to reassure herself than him.
The world around her began to change. Harry stood up. He was smiling in earnest now as he
faced her. "ist was beginning to swallow her homeIher old home. =ottie watched, wishing
she could have !ust a bit more time.
&Wait,( she said, for Harry was beginning to be taken by the mist too. &HowIhow do do
it% How do destroy him%(
Harry watched her for a moment. The mist wrapped itself around him and took him away
from the bottom up. ,ight before he was completely enveloped, he said, & think youve
known that all along.(
Chapter ##: Chapter $eventy8$i%: ,ottie9! ,a!t $tand
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Thank you, coolhPMMM, for beta3ing this chapter> *ou3re lovely>
This chapter, the last chapter, is dedicated to A. D. ,owling. 2ecause of you, Ao, am an
infinitely better human. *our stories have been with me through my childhood, adolescence,
and now adulthood? you made me a bookworm, a reader, and now a writer.
This is the last full chapter, but there is an epilogue on its way.
: : :
8hapter 'eventy#'i$; =otties =ast 'tand
=ottie woke flat on her back with a heavy pressure against her chest. The pain she had felt
before was goneIthe part of her that felt it had been ripped from her no longer ached. 2ack,
though, was her bodily painIphysical pain, coursing up and down her limbs, pulsating dully
in her core.
The place where she had been hit with the Dilling 8urse felt as though it had been kicked by
some kind of horse. Her left forearm burned uncomfortably and her stomach felt like there
was another human form slumped over it.
'lowly, she lifted an eyelid. There actually was another person slumped over her. 8olm lay
against her, mask cast to the side, but still in his 1eath @ater robes, sobbing. He hadnt
noticed that she was breathing yet.
=ottie shut her eyes and thought about all she had to do. 'he %hose to come back and try to
attack the 1ark =ord. 'he couldnt simply walk away, tempting though it was. 'he opened
her eyes again and drank in the world around her.
8olm noticed her breathing a moment later. He picked his head up and stared down at her
chest, which was rising and falling more steadily now that his weight was off it. He slowly
turned his head and when his eyes made contact with hers? he sat back out of shock.
=ottie reached out a tentative arm and pushed herself to a seated position. 'he took a few
deep breaths, gazing at 8olm the whole time before turning and glancing around the room.
5oldemort was gone. &Where did he go%( she asked.
&HowIhowI( 8olm sat up and cleaned closer to stare at her. &How did you survive%(
& didnt.( =ottie turned back to him and blinked. & came back.(
8olm grappled with this answer. He opened his mouth a few times and his eyes grew steadily
wider as he thought. =ottie took advantage of this moment and, despite the ache across her
entire body, launched herself towards him.
Her weight caught him off guard and he fell backwards. There was a cracking noise of bone
against stone as his skull collided loudly with the ground. =ottie pinned him before reaching
into his robe and rummaging through his pocket. 'he pulled out his wand and held it, pointed
between his eyes.
He let her do it. =ottie knew he was fully capable of pushing her off of him, but he did not.
0fter a moment, =ottie stood up quickly.
&Where are you going%( 8olm asked.
=ottie turned to him slowly. 'he kept her .cclumency up and !ust watched him coldly for
some time, not feeling anything. &m going to kill him.(
&*ou cant.( 8olm stood up suddenly reinvigorated and rushed towards her.
=ottie flicked his wand and with a large blast knocked him off his feet. &1ont you dare come
near me.(
&7lease.( 8olm reached over to push himself up. He was shaking all over. &=ottie, you cant.
Hell kill you. Iwhen thought had lost you, it wasIit was the worst.( He held a hand
over his heart. &t felt like was going to e$plode. wanted toI wanted to die. hated
myself.(
&*ou should.( =ottie took a step towards him and stared down the bridge of her nose at him.
&*ou should hate yourselfIafter everything youve done and the people youve killed.(
8olm let out a quiet moan that was more like a wail and slumped over at her feet. &7leaseI
=ottieI never wanted to hurt you. would do anything to keep you safe. 7#pleaseIwhy did
you have to come here% Why couldnt you have stayed safe where left you%(
& couldnt hide there forever.(
& would hide you.( 8olm picked his head up and looked at her, his eyes rung red with tears.
& could protect you. The 1ark =ordIhe would never suspect itIand you would be safe.
*ou could live with meI(
&1o you honestly think could live with you after everything youve done% *ou really are a
coward,( =ottie said, cutting off his drivel. 'he spat on the ground beside him. &*ou would
disobey your =ord% What are you even fighting for%(
8olm turned his gaze upward. 0ll of his sorrow poured out at her feet. =ottie felt none of it.
He moved his mouth for a moment before words came out. )inally, he said, &*ou.(
=ottie looked at him with no pity. 0ll she could see was 0ndrea. Her death replayed again
and again in her minds eye. t filled =otties veins with venom and she raised the wand. 8olm
said nothing, !ust stared at her imploringly, filling his vision with her image before he saw no
more.
&'(ada )eda(ra.(
The green light flashed. 'omething rushed past her. 8olm fell down dead, !ust like "aelioric,
!ust like =otties parents, !ust like 0ndrea. =ottie looked at him without speaking. 'he had
nobody to speak to.
'omewhere inside of her, she knew that 5oldemort had not gone. He was still in the castle,
!ust trying to kill every last person left. =ottie turned to the row of bodies along the wall. 'he
reached into her pocket where 0ndreas glasses lay, still intact. 'he ran her finger over the
frame and pinched the bridge as though maybe, somehow, that would bring her back.
@verybody was deadIeverybody was gone. =ottie didnt even know who she was fighting
for anymore.
2ut she knew that she had to keep fighting.
'he stepped towards the door and then stopped. 'he needed some way to disguise herself.
'he could not have gone to death and back again !ust to be killed by another 1eath @ater.
=ottie turned towards 8olms still body.
'he knelt down beside him and stared into his blank eyes. They had used to grow warm when
he smiled. He used to look at her with so much !oy, never understanding why she even stayed
with him.
=ottie remembered him when they were young. He had been terrible, cruel, but he said it was
because he had always liked her. -ow she didnt know what to believe. Was evil !ust in his
nature%
'he picked up the 1eath @ater mask that lay a few feet from his broken body, and glanced at
her own pa!amas. 'he ran a hand over 8olms black 1eath @ater robes and grabbed a handful
of fabric. 8arefully, so as not to rip it, she pulled it over 8olms head. t was so large, but it
would have to do. 'he put them on.
They smelled like him and were still warm. =ottie glanced down at him. He looked oddly
vulnerable, lying there in an undershirt and his ripping pair of trousers. 'he looked away
from him, wiling herself not to think of his love for her or how he used to smile. His
stiffening body did not move as she stepped over it.
=ottie placed the mask over her face. t covered her entirely, e$cept for the two slits in the
eyes. 'he reached back and put her hood up so it covered her head. The robes were so large
on her that the bottom of the hem dragged on the floor and the sleeves covered her handsI
but it would do.
'he walked all the way to the door before stopping. 'he took a breath. This was it. Her entire
life led e$actly to this moment. 'he could not fail. 'he knew e$actly what she had to do. 'he
listened to her own breathing for a minute, purging the images of 8olm, of 0ndrea, of Harry
and her parents out of her mind.
'he opened the door.
.utside was complete desolation.
2odies covered almost every inch of floor space, both students and 1eath @aters. The
remnants of 1ark "agic lingered in the air, made it heavy to breathe. 0 few people were
groaning, but besides that, it seemed that no one was alive.
=ottie stepped over Hermione. 'he walked around =ucius. 'he looked at the still 1eath
@aters. They didnt move, but their masks glimmering in the colorful light made them seem
oddly alive. 'he turned to face the hall. 5oldemort was still hereIhe must be. The question
was where he had gone.
=ottie looked up the main staircase that led to most of the classrooms and common rooms.
2odies lined these as well. 0pparently, the battle had moved up through the entire castle.
'he cast her gaze towards the other stairwayIthe one that led down to the dungeon and
7almyitors office. 'he didnt know why, but she took that route. 8arefully stepping over
fallen students, she made her way to the top of the stairs, before descending down.
Her footsteps creaked against the old steps as she went. 'he took her time, waiting to be sure
that she had an effective mental block. -othing could go wrong. 'he thought of what 'nape
had taught her; think nothing, feel nothing.
'he paused at the first landing. 7almyitors office door was shut, but she stared at it anyway.
The ne$t landing was the 7almyitor common room which was still locked from the inside,
and below that were the dungeon classrooms.
f he was anywhere, it was here.
=ottie took another breath and willed every feeling of fear from her mind.
'he reached out and turned the handle. The door swung open.
'he was right.
5oldemort stood with his back to the door. He stared at the shelves and shelves of scrolls, the
failed plots for his own demise. He stopped when he heard the door open and slowly turned
around, a menacing snarl stretched across his face as he turned to face his opponent.
When he saw =ottie in 1eath @ater robes, his smile vanished. & told you not to bother me,(
he hissed.
=ottie paused for a moment. 2ehind the cold metal of the mask, she opened her mouth to say
the incantation, but in this pause, 5oldemort narrowed his eyes. He flicked his wand
suddenly and sent hersI8olms once, but now hersIflying through the air.
=ottie was not particularly surprised. 'he knew it wouldnt be that easyIcouldnt be that
simple. 0nd standing before him, defenseless, she was unafraid.
5oldemort watched her, the comfort in his inhuman eyes slowly fading away. =ottie reached
up and pulled off her mask.
When 5oldemort saw her face, he took a sudden lurch back. =ottie took advantage of this
wave of emotion to begin to press against his mind. &*ou,( he said, his cold voice sounding
suddenly unsure. & killed you. hit you with the Dilling 8urse.(
He raised his wand as though to try again, but =ottie quickly said, &t wont work.( .f this
she was not entirely positive, but her .cclumency was good enough that 5oldemort would
never know her doubt. & cannot die until you do.(
5oldemort did not lower his wand. He seemed torn between forcing her to e$plain and trying
to kill her anyway. =ottie applied more pressure to his .cclumency.
&*ears ago,( she began, &you did something very stupid. *ou took Harry 7otters blood to
recreate your body.( 'he didnt care whether he was actually interested or not? the more she
shocked him, the weaker his defenses got without him even realizing. &2y doing that you
gave him a means to return if you killed him.(
&Harry 7otter is dead,( 5oldemort said. His eyes flicked behind her as if he e$pected Harrys
ghost to suddenly appear. &He did not come back. .r has the "udbloods champion been
hiding all this time%(
&-o, he is dead.( =ottie smiled slowly because she knew it would disarm 5oldemort further.
&He had a choice whether to come back or not, and he didnt take it.(
=ottie paused. n that moment, 5oldemorts mouth opened slightly as he tried to compute
what was going on. 0gain, =ottie leaned harder against his mental defenses.
&2ut did,( she said.
5oldemorts look of confusion transformed into one of pure terror. He gazed at her intently,
and =ottie summoned even more energy to get into his mind.
&*ou are not 7otterI(
&2ut m his cousin.( =ottie let 5oldemort deal with this shock himself. 'he knew it would
be a powerful piece of information. 'he pushed against his mind even harder, but he was too
concerned with this new revelation to notice.
To push him over the brink, =ottie added, &Two of your 1eath @aters knew too. 'nape knew
for yearsIhe never told you. 1o you know that was in your inner circle for months% 'nape
helped me get in.( 'he reached down and pulled up the sleeve of her robe. The 1ark "ark
shone as clearly as ever against her alabaster skin. &0re you sure you know where his
loyalties lie%(
5oldemort looked down at her "ark in horror. He widened his eyes, as though wishing he
were !ust imagining a "udblood wearing his most valuable gift before him.
He looked up, and =ottie met his gaze. His block had nearly completely collapsed, and he had
no idea. =ottie smiled. 'he mustered all of the energy she had leftIevery ounce of magic
inside of herIand pressed further to destroy his .cclumency.
5oldemorts eyes flickered. n a panic, he realized how close she was to his thoughts, how
near to uncovering the vulnerable memories. t was a scramble for control. He tried to muster
his remaining strength to block her from his mind, and for a moment they stood in a
stalemate.
=ottie gave it a moment. 'he took a breath. He was pressing against her, trying to destroy her.
f this happened, she knew it would be the end of her. 2ut she also knew it wouldnt happen.
'he took another breath and pressed forward with her =egilimency.
They stood with their eyes locked, but really so much more was occurring. 5oldemort
strained and hid and did everything he possibly could to keep =ottie away, but she did not
relent. Her slow, steady progress at breaking apart his .cclumency was cruel, inhuman.
'he gave one final push, and fell into his mind.
There were thousands of memories. The simplest, least emotional ones were up front, ready
to be picked. Those were not what =ottie was looking for. 'he skimmed past all of the recent
thoughts and went straight to the memories blocked away, most hidden so that he would
never feel again.
=ottie smiled cruelly and picked a poignant memory. 'he shoved 5oldemort into the throes
of it, but made she that he saw it as an outside observer, not as a former self.
lease, not .arry5
' young, redheaded woman threw herself in front of the %rib. 3ottie fo%used the memory on
her8her tears, her heartbeat, her pani%. No, please, not .arry. 0he filled the memory with
the womans desperation, plunging >oldemort into the depths of the %onse,uen%es of his
a%tions.
=ottie shifted scenes.
'n elderly wi*ard with a long, white beard addressed a %rowd of students. >oldemort was a
young man, nearly whole, and sat silently, listening to the old mans le%tures.
' student has been +illed.
=ottie selected several images of 5oldemorts helpless victims before returning to the speech.
0he was found in a girls bathroom7
=ottie let the speech continue and con!ured images to go along with it. nto 5oldemorts
memory, she forced the image of the students parents, sobbing. =ottie selected their grief
and e$panded it, trying to fill 5oldemort. /rief that he did not understand now consumed
him. He drowned in it.
=ottie picked another memory.
>oldemort was a %hild6 his soul was inta%t. 2he other %hildren were %rying while the stoi%
2om !iddle stood before them. 2hey were in a %a(e far from any adults or anyone who %ould
sa(e them. =ottie shifted 5oldemorts perspective and gave him the childrens fear, made
him the vulnerable one.
5oldemort hadnt felt genuine fear in nearly a century. He floundered in it, unable to control
it, unable to escape.
=ottie switched memories.
'he found an image of another red#haired witch, though not the same one as before. 0he
sobbed and s%reamed shrilly. 2ears streamed from her brown eyes as she stood helplessly
before him. - lo(ed him, she %ried.
=ottie took her love and gave it to 5oldemort. He convulsed under its strength. 0ll of the
sorrow for Harrys loss, all of the love that /inny Weasley had felt lived on. =ottie used it as
a weapon. t filled 5oldemort completely, burned his flesh from the inside out.
He was weakeningI=ottie could tell. 'he returned back to the first memory, the original.
=ily 7otter flung herself before 5oldemort, crying, sobbing, begging him to spare her son.
5oldemort was weak. His mental block had been destroyed and his mind altered. He had not
felt anything, truly felt anything, for over a hundred years. What was left of his soul writhed
and twisted, and in the back of his mind, in some distant corner, there was one tiny, flickering
spark of remorse.
That was it.
=ottie immediately retreated out of 5oldemorts mind, knowing the danger of being in there
now. 2ack in the present, she blinked and looked down. 5oldemort had fallen to the ground,
overcome with remorse. t was painful for himIphysically painful.
He wrapped his long, spider like hands around his face. He was making loud, guttural noises
that =ottie had never heard before. He was tiny. This enormous, evil wizard was reduced to a
helpless animal, too far from anyone to be helped.
5oldemort was screaming now. =ottie did not move. 'he knew that she was witnessing
magic beyond any that anybody could perform. 0nother person might have felt guilt. 0nother
person might have pitied the man now suffering on the ground more than anything he caused
his victims to suffer. =ottie did not.
'he watched with an unblinking eye as 5oldemort convulsed. He had become a monsterI
had given up most of his soul. 2ut he had kept one piece. 0nd that one, infinite piece was
what =ottie had found? that one flicker of human was what destroyed him.
t went on for a long time. =ottie stayed clear from his vulnerable mind and watched
impartially. 'he had a feeling that if she got sucked into it, that she too would be destroyed.
5oldemorts body writhed and convulsed. Tears streaked down his white face and his mouth
was wide in a silent scream of terror. =ottie knew that this was worse than any sort of
8ruciatus 8urse.
He was being eaten alive by magic. t wasnt physically destroying his body, but =ottie knew
the havoc it was wreaking in his tiny sliver of a soul. 'he thought of where she had !ust been
with HarryIof the e$cruciating, unspeakable pain she had suffered there. 'he knew
5oldemorts would be much worse for his crimes.
5oldemort gave one last shudder and was still. He lay spread#eagle on his back, as helpless as
a newborn child. His eyes flew wide with terror and his mouth sagged open. =ottie knew he
was deadIand that he definitely would not come back.
'he took a step away from him. 'he did not want to look at his face anymore. t unnerved
her. 'he let out a slow streak of air and paused in the doorway of the office. 'he ran a hand
over the wood of the doorframe, !ust for the sensation of touch again, !ust to make sure she
really e$isted.
'he had passed through this door countless times, had practically lived in this office to fight
the war. 0nd now it was over. t was all over. =ottie stepped out into the corridor.
Chapter #&: (pilo)ue
45iew .nline6 47rinter )riendly 5ersion of This 8hapter6
Author"! Note: Here is is##the final chapter. "any thanks to coolhPMMM for being a great
beta>
This chapter is dedicated to my readers##all of you who have stayed with me for so long. This
world has been such a big part of my life and the fact that you have all stuck with it Fand
maybe even en!oyed itG means so much to me.
: : :
@pilogue
-eville stood in the center of the entrance hall, gazing at the death and desolation around
him. Tears stained his cheeks and his breathing was unsteady. @verythingIeverything was
gone.
When =ottie emerged from the staircase, his eyes widened. He rushed over to her and
grabbed her shoulders. The pressure was comforting. =ottie looked up into his wide eyes and
said, &ts all right. Hes gone.(
-eville released her slowly, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. &What%( His voice sounded
more like a croak than anything else.
They stepped outside. .ver the bodies of friends and foes, they carefully walked and
wrenched open the doors. The sun had risen at some point during the course of the battle and
the light flew into the castle. =ottie drank it in greedily, like she had never seen the open sky
before.
The snow on the top step crunched beneath their feet. t was perfectly white, unmarked by
footsteps or blood. -eville flicked his wand and pushed it to the side so they could sit on the
steps.
=ottie looked around here. There were remnants of their pitiful protections littering the
ground. n the distance stood 0ndreas attempted barricade. t had been trampled by the
1eath @aters. 'he swallowed a lump in her throat.
=ottie launched into her story without prompting. 'he started at the beginningIat waking up
with her 1ark "ark burning. t felt like years ago now. 'he told it all. When she reached the
description of 0ndreas death, she only paused for a moment. 'he took a breath before
trundling on. t wasnt until she got to 5oldemorts demise that she stopped her speech fully
and looked at -eville.
&*ou#Dnow#Who killed you%( he finally said. &2ut you came back% 0nd you saw Harry%(
=ottie nodded. 'he knew it didnt make sense, but she also knew it was true. 0nd nothing
else could have e$plained it.
-eville turned his gaze out into the distance where the winter wind picked up snow and
scattered it carelessly. =ottie couldnt imagine what he was thinking. He had lived with
5oldemort much longer than she had, had suffered his entire life because of him. &How did
you destroy him%(
&t wasnt me,( =ottie said slowly. &Well, helped, but - didnt kill him ultimately.( 'he
paused, thinking on her words. &t was remorse. The problem is that he split his soul into
seven. He maimed himself so completely that he became something like a monster. He
definitely wasnt a man. The problem,( she said grimly, &was that he still had a seventh of his
soul in his body.(
-eville turned to look at her, frowning. =ottie wrapped her arms around her knees.
&,emorse is what undoes a Horcru$. t can make someones soul one piece again, but we had
already destroyed all of his Horcru$es. We had killed the other si$ parts.(
&'o,( -eville began slowly, &when that one part felt remorse, it wanted to become whole
again, but it couldnt because it was the only piece left%(
&*eah.( =ottie looked down at her feet. &0pparently, its e$cruciating.(
-eville took a breath and let it out slowly. &How did you do it%( he finally asked. &How did
you get him to feel again%(
&=egilimency.( =ottie didnt elaborate. 'he had sacrificed more than she could describe for
her =egilimencyIhad lost everything to become cruel enough to perform the task that had to
be done.
'he turned her gaze outward. t was winter, but the sun still shone brightly, reflecting off the
pristine snow. The breeze lifted =otties pale hair onto her face, which she pushed away with
a weary hand.
0gainst the deep blue sky, =ottie saw the outline of a bird, crisply black in the morning light.
'he thought of 0ndrea. 0s she watched the bird fly away from the castle and eventually out
of sight, she asked, &1o you think she would have been happy%(
-eville turned to her. He did not have to ask who she was thinking of. His smile was warm.
He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. & think its e$actly what she would have
wanted.(
"ore people had survived than they had initially e$pected. =ottie and -eville combed the
castle for several hours and had discovered about fifteen or twenty students who had not been
slaughtered.
They divided the !obs among the ten of them who were old enough to handle the
responsibility. -eville led the group. He made sure everything was going to plan and found
others to deal with the remaining 1eath @aters out there.
There were still, of course, 1ark wizards who believed they would reinstate 5oldemorts
regime, but they were not as effective without their leader. The entire inner circle, for that
matter, had been killed at 0lsemore, so the only people left, really, were the brainless
muscles.
'ome of the students organized burying the fallen. 'ome contacted all of the families. 'ome
worked on rebuilding the school and purging it of all 1ark magic, while others searched for
0lsemore graduates who were still out in the world and could help.
=ottie did none of this. -eville turned a blind eye to her inactivity. He had found a small flat
that was used as headquarters for missions sometimes, and had given her the key.
=ottie moved around the old rooms like a ghost. 'he slept for at least eleven hours each day
and ate very little. With her remaining time, she sat blankly, staring out the window or
walking numbly through the abandoned streets of =ondon.
0 few weeks after 5oldemorts death, they had opened up the gates of the camps across the
country. -eville went to each one and made a speech, e$plained that the horrors of the past
were over and that not all wizards were bad? in fact, many wizards had spent the past fifty
years planning 5oldemorts demise. Then he did something very ceremonial, like cutting a
ribbon or knocking down the gate and freed the "uggles.
@ach time he went, he invited =ottie to come along and give a speech if she wanted to. @ach
time, she remained in her little flat, sitting against the stiff wooden chairs, lost in her
thoughts.
The Aanuary snow crunched under =otties old boots as she trudged through the =ondon
camp. 0lthough the gates had been opened, most "uggles had had no idea where to go or
what to do so had remained in their former homes.
The only noticeable change was the amount of people in the street. "uggles were not afraid
of being killed by 1eath @aters in their daily lives anymore.
=ottie didnt wear wizarding robes. 'he didnt feel like so clearly distinguishing herself. 'he
wore old, faded pants that she had gotten from .din 0lley years ago and an 0lsemore
sweater. 0 few of the "uggles, though, had noticed the wand sticking out of her back pocket.
'he passed by the old building where her parents had lived. 'he only gave it one fleeting
glance before moving on. 'he knew that nobody would be inside.
=ottie had talked to the students who were contacting families. t was a difficult !ob, and she
was happy not to have it, but she did volunteer to do it once.
'he continued on through the camp. 'he knew where she was going, though she had only
been there once in her third year. That felt like another life.
=ottie stopped in front of the building. 'he recognized it, though it did look different without
the usual pile of bodies before it. 'lowly, she climbed the steps of its stoop and entered the
building.
'he walked over to the old flat door. 'he remembered it, though the memory was somewhat
like a dream. 'he had a moment to collect her thoughts and then she knocked.
The door opened almost instantly. n the frame stood a petite woman who had medium
length, curly brown hair and startlingly blue eyes. =ottie remembered her, though she seemed
much older than the last time they had seen one another.
The woman kept her face bravely stoic. & was afraid of seeing you soon.(
=ottie looked at the floor. This was harder than she had imagined. &7lease, "rs. Woolbright
Icould come in%(
"rs. Woolbright opened the door and =ottie took a few nervous paces inside. 'he took a deep
breath and gazed at the ground. @motions fogged her mind, but she quickly blinked them
away.
&*ou have news.(
=ottie looked up and met "rs. Woolbrights stare, so much like 0ndreas. 'he blinked again.
&*es.( Her voice came out hoarse. 'he had hardly spoken in days. &Im sorry, "rs.
Woolbright, but 0ndreaI( =ottie swallowed to try to sooth the lump that was rising in her
throat. &0ndrea was killed.(
"rs. Woolbright looked at =ottie blankly. The grief that swam in her face was understated
and subtle but it was certainly there, and fresh and painful as ever. & had been e$pecting
this,( "rs. Woolbright said. &'he used to write weekly. When the letters stoppedIand
heard about the battleB(
=ottie was filled with a rush of affection for 0ndrea. 'he had had no idea that she wrote
home so often. &m sorry,( she said, looking at the floor. & !ustI !ust wanted to tell you.(
"rs. Woolbright turned to her. Her eyes swam with tears now but she still smiled. =ottie put
a hand to her own dry face. & have always been so proud of 0ndrea,( "rs. Woolbright said.
&'he wanted so badly a better world.(
There was a tingling sensation in =otties nose. 'he suppressed it. &'he was so brave,( =ottie
said. Her voice was high and more strained than usual. &'he saved my lifeIshe saved my
life a thousand times. 0ndI( =ottie swallowed again &Ishe was my best friend.(
"rs. Woolbright looked up. The tears glistened on the tip of her pointed noseI0ndreas
nose. 'he looked at =otties stony face with soft eyes. & know, dear,( she said kindly.
&0ndrea loved you very much. 'he fought for usIfor her family, for her sister, for you. 'he
wanted a better world for us.(
=ottie nodded because she couldnt speak. 'he had no words and her voice would have only
emerged as a strangled sort of cry. 'lowly she reached into her pocket and pulled out the old
glasses. They were all she had left. They were all that let her hold onto 0ndrea. 'he looked
up at "rs. Woolbright and back down. 'he ran a hand fondly over the scraped lenses,
suppressing all of the memories they evoked.
"utely, she held the glasses out before her.
"rs. Woolbright paused, and then reached out and took them. 'he ran her hand across the
lenses and a fresh wave of tears fell down her face.
'he crossed over to =ottie and put a hand on her shoulder for a moment before pulling her
into a tight hug. =ottie shut her eyes and willed herself to retain control over her emotions.
&Thank you,( "rs. Woolbright said, releasing =ottie from the hug. &Thank you for
everything youve given us. -ow go home and be with your family.(
=ottie nodded again because she still could not find her voice. 'he turned around and left the
little flat without looking back. Her heart thumped against her chest as she walked through
the corridor and pushed open the door.
.ut in the open air, everything was refreshed. 0 wave of cold air hit her face and woke up
her nostrils. 'he stood on the stoop, looking out at the world around her.
Her mind whirled. 'he could not quiet it. Her heart was lurching with it. 7almyitor had told
her that she had to control her emotions if she wanted to become a =egilimens. )or the first
time, =ottie disregarded this advice.
'he thought of 0ndrea. 'he could see her smile before her, and hear her deliberate tone.
@verything she had ever said came flooding back to =ottie. 'he wished she could hold onto
these memories, but they slipped through her fingers like sand.
Her heart beat even faster. Her stomach lurched and her face played a vast array of emotions.
'he couldnt escapeIshe couldnt suppress them anymore, and they consumed her,
screaming with !oy now that they were free.
=ottie sat down on the top step. 'he looked out at the "uggle 8amp and remembered
0ndrea, bossy and tiny, when she had first arrived at 0lsemore, then composed and brave as
she faced her death. 'he wanted to smile but had no control over her e$pression. =ottie took a
breath, buried her face in her hands, and cried.
The end.
: : :
(nd Note!: 0t the end of this enormous process, have to thank all of you for staying with
me. said this in my dedication, but really mean it? this story, from the moment got the
idea over five years ago, to right now, has been such a big part of my life.
0lso, thank you to all of the betas who have helped me over the years##to 1eanine, The2ird,
and coolhPMMM. This story would not be the same without you. Thanks to my friends and
family who were so patient with me, even though often spent hours of our time together
scribbling in a notebook.
f anyone has any questions or wants to discuss theoriesQbackground stories, would love to.
)eel free to message me or leave a review with anything you might want to know>
.nce again, thank you all for believing in this story##and thank you all for believing in =ottie.

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