Chapter One
"Careful, Mr. Malfoy. This is a very nasty artefact. Keeps tricking itself out of my shop, but always finds a way back, no matter the owner."
Draco Malfoy looked down at the encased opal necklace and gave a bitter smile.
"I'm not worried about that. It won't be in my possession for too long," he said almost without thinking.
Borgin raised a quizzical brow, but said nothing when the young boy appeared to be fishing his pockets for the money. It wasn't his business to worry what a Malfoy would do with a deadly piece of jewellery as long as he wasn't involved. His business was to make sure he got paid.
Yet, he knew it would be back in three months. It always returned.
Malfoy opened the case and stared at the necklace in wonder. It was moving somehow.
"Why does it keep trembling like that? Like it wants to break off? Is it that powerful?" Malfoy asked.
"That too, of course, but I would hazard that the necklace has a mind of its own."
"Is that so?" Malfoy asked, smiling. "It wouldn't be the first."
"Mmm, indeed. There's also the fact that it's looking for a wearer."
Draco chuckled. "Hasn't it killed most of them?"
"That only shows it hasn't found it yet."
"Why would it need a wearer if it's got a mind of its own?" Draco commented acidly, eyeing Borgin with disdain.
"Don't look at me like that, Mr. Malfoy. I only know what I know. And what I can tell you is that the necklace hasn't found its place yet."
"You keep bragging how it always comes back to you."
"To this shop, of course, because my lovely home attracts all Dark Magic, but this is only a temporary situation, until it finds its true home. In fact, just yesterday, I had another-"
"Well, that's fascinating, Borgin, truly fascinating. It's too bad I don't have the time or the necessary disposition to listen to any of your prattle. Do you mind showing me that cabinet again?"
Borgin spat under the counter angrily and mock-grinned in obsequiousness.
"Why, certainly."
The crisp autumn morning looked dismal from the outside. Large drops of rain and hail beat against the small windows of the Hufflepuff common room with the strength of a blizzard.
Everyone who had intended to go to Hogsmeade that Saturday was clearly reconsidering.
Only a few braver fifth and sixth year-students had already formed a group near the entrance, getting ready to leave together. Among them were good friends Megan Jones and Leanne Turner, who were both waiting to join the other students in the Great Hall.
"Are you meeting up with Katie here or are you two going to see each other at The Three Broomsticks?" Megan asked.
"We're probably going to meet in the Great Hall, we have some shopping to do first," Leanne replied.
"Hmm, all right. I was hoping you'd join me for a game at Shack Hill first."
"If this is about the brawl with the Ravenclaws, count me out," Leanne said quickly.
"Don't be like that, Lea. D'you remember what happened last time?"
"No, I wasn't there if you recall."
"Right, well I do. Their stupid lot almost got us to admit defeat. We need to even the score. Our house will look really bad if we don't retaliate."
"You know what else will look bad? If our entire sixth year gets expelled for illegal dueling," she answered promptly.
"It's hardly our entire sixth year and we're not doing anything wrong, per se. Besides, everyone thinks we're practicing," Megan said dismissively.
"Regardless, I know how brutal it can get. If I can't tell on you, at least spare me the invitation," Leanne insisted.
"Fine. Suit yourself. Do your boring shopping and drink your boring Butterbeer then. And think about boring school rules."
"Because throwing spells at each other is so exciting," Leanne muttered.
"Meanwhile, you won't get to see Terry Boot bawling in pain as I crush his tiny ego," Megan continued undeterred.
"Oh, that's a sight I'll surely regret," Leanne quipped, rolling her eyes.
Eventually, the Hufflepuffs walked out of their common room and joined everyone else waiting in the Great Hall.
Argus Filch was standing before the Front Doors as usual, measuring the students suspiciously every time they walked by even if he was just in charge of checking the pass-slips. No one could escape his thorough inspection, though.
"He's got nothing better to do on a Saturday, eh?" a voice behind Leanne spoke cheerfully.
Her best friend, Katie Bell, had already found her in the throng of students.
"I suppose his nail-clippers collection will have to wait," Leanne commented, grinning.
"So, do we have our itinerary set? Or should we walk through it again? Your hair looks really nice, by the way. Did you curl it or something? Oh, hi Megan!"
"Gee, thanks for noticing me there," Megan joked.
She and most Hufflepuffs knew that Katie and Leanne had become inseparable ever since they had befriended during a Herbology project. Leanne, Susan Bones and Neville Longbottom had been assigned to tutor the seventh years who were experiencing difficulties with the subject and that had been the beginning of their strong friendship.
"Well, we should first head to Dervish and Banges to fix your broom conditioner and then maybe we can pass by Scrivenshaft's for school supplies. We should stock up for the next semester. I was also thinking Dogweed and Deathcap too, if you don't mind. I hear they brought an entire selection of Screechsnaps for a very low price and I just can't pass up a bargain," Leanne resumed, checking a small leather-bound notebook she kept in her pocket.
Megan made a face.
"Did you read that in the Mimbletonia Journal, or what?" she teased.
"Yes, actually, the November issue had a pretty concise – Oh, shut up Megan."
"Don't worry, we'll do all of those and hit Honey Dukes too. I need to buy some chocolate frogs and liquorish, my sugar levels are low," Katie said, chuckling. "Although we should head to The Three Broomsticks first because I promised to meet up with Demelza and Angelina to talk about Quidditch practice. But we we'll go right afterward."
Leanne quickly agreed to the change of plans and jotted something down in her notebook.
"Oi, Katie, interested in a duel with the Ravenclaws later at Shack Hill?" Megan asked, keeping her voice down.
"We're going to be too busy to engage in childish warfare," Leanne cut her over.
"Hey, I wasn't asking you, Miss Notebook, was I?" Megan retorted.
"Sorry, Megan, not much of a dueller and we do have a lot to do," Katie said apologetically, "maybe another time."
"Oh, sod, Leanne's rubbed off on you already?" Megan asked disappointed.
"Or maybe she just likes non-violent activities. Ever thought of that?" Leanne asked, folding her arms judgingly.
After a while, Megan gave up trying to persuade them and joined her own group and Katie and Leanne were left to their own devices as they slowly walked down the muddy slope towards Hogsmeade.
The Three Broomsticks was as packed as ever, more so now that it was pouring outside and everyone was seeking shelter. Leanne couldn't even spot Madam Rosmerta's plump figure in that giant sea of people. She suspected the woman was running from one table to another, with no moment to spare. The smell of cinnamon-flavoured wine and burnt wood made everyone feel a little bit drowsy going in and completely numb going out. Some of the newcomers were just content to sit at the bar or lean against the wall, trying to absorb the heat into their damp clothes.
There were caps, mittens, scarves and winter cloaks strewn all over the place, making it impossible to discern anyone clearly. On the other hand, Katie couldn't spot any free seats either.
"I'll just go talk to the girls really fast and then we'll be out of here," Katie suggested, unbuttoning her long coat.
Leanne told her she would be waiting at the counter, hoping to get a warm drink before heading out into the perilous weather again.
She caught several familiar faces with her eye but the general noise and bustle prevented her from actually speaking to anyone, except maybe waving here and there.
She tapped her hand on the counter, hoping Madam Rosmerta would magically materialize in front of her, but instead, a younger girl with a terrified expression on her face popped up from underneath.
"Yes?" she asked meekly, staring at the other people behind Leanne. She was holding two bottles of mead and one of something that resembled mud.
"One mallowsweet tea to go, please. Oh, make it two, actually," she said, thinking of her friend as well.
"Just a moment. You, Sir, in the back, was I supposed to get you a Bitteryog?"
"About five minutes ago you were! Where's Rosmerta?" he demanded angrily.
"She's currently occupied, I am replacing – oh, wait, Miss, here's your tea! You wanted two? Hang on, Sir, I've got your grog…Er, someone order any cherry pie?" she yelled feverishly as she moved from right to left with questionable dexterity for her small frame.
Leanne quickly shuffled out of the crowd which had drawn up behind her, trying not to spill the contents of her mug on the floor when she suddenly bumped into none other than a Slytherin boy, walking out of the bathroom.
"Watch where you're going, you measly Hufflepuff!"
"Well, sorry, you were the one who rudely –" she began, but he instantly vanished behind a group of Gryffindor girls, leaving her mid-sentence.
Leanne frowned. She knew that boy from somewhere. If her memory served right, he was called Malfoy.
When she finally reached Angelina's table, Katie was already gone.
"She just left for the bathroom, said she'd be out in a minute," the girl offered.
Leanne thanked her and headed towards the doorway where a couple of people were waiting for the magical coat racks to take their robes.
After a couple of minutes, she spotted Katie pushing through the crowd, carrying what looked like a brown package under her arm.
Leanne waved at her from the back.
She pushed the door open and held it for her friend.
"Here, I could only get one mug, Madam Rosmerta was missing. But we can share," Leanne told her, handing her the tea. She pulled the cloak's hood over her head to guard her from the rain.
But Katie did not even look at her. She knocked the mug with her hand and turned towards the road that led back to the castle.
"What happened? Are you all right?" Leanne asked, touching her shoulder.
Katie drew away and kept walking mechanically towards Hogwarts.
"Katie, come on, don't be like that," Leanne complained, running to catch up.
It seemed that neither rain nor wind could slow her down; Katie was bent on getting back to the castle.
"Would you at least wait up? Are you on a time limit, or what?"
When her friend remained as silent as before, Leanne grabbed the lapels of her coat and pulled her towards her.
"What is going on?"
What she saw scared her beyond belief. She was staring at a living corpse. Katie might have looked alive, but her eyes were completely dead, sunken and bereft of any natural spark. She was completely absent. Only a faint line above her eyebrows showed she was trying very hard to understand what was happening, as if her mind were struggling to keep up with her body.
Her lips were blue from the cold. She opened her mouth.
"I have to get back to Hogwarts. M-must del-deliver p-pa-pack…" she stammered painfully, before stopping altogether and looking down at the hard bits of hail at her feet.
"You have to deliver a package?"
Katie simply shifted her weight from one foot to another impatiently, as if she had to leave right away.
Without waiting for her reply, Leanne quickly took out her wand and before Katie could run away, she cast a Finite Incantatem, pointed right at her chest.
Katie was pushed back slightly, but her expression and general mien remained just as absent as before, only now, two creases were splitting her forehead instead of one.
She suddenly pressed the package to her chest and tried to make a run for it.
Leanne grabbed her arms and tried to wrestle her to the ground, but she was met with considerable opposition. Katie was taller and stronger.
"Katie! Please, you've been cursed, you have to let me help you! Katie!"
They both rolled on the ground like two children fighting over a toy. The people walking by stopped to watch in amazement.
The package flew from Katie's hands and landed in a puddle. Her eyes widened in horror. She stretched her arms towards it in desperation, howling like a wounded animal.
"Give it back! Package!" she shrieked.
Leanne caught it between her fingers and ripped it open, trying to get rid of it in the process.
A beautiful, sparkling opal necklace slipped from it and fell in the murky water.
Katie tried to push her out of the way, but Leanne was faster and she quickly snatched the necklace away from her.
The moment her fingers touched the stones, however, she felt a powerful dizzy spell coming over her, as if the air had been knocked out of her.
She felt she was being carried away in a nauseating vortex, her body stretched out to its limits, her eyes wide open and alert, her heart beating wildly, as the brilliant, white sky turned inside out.
She heard someone screaming and she felt the opals burn into her skin like hot coals.
It lasted only a moment, barely a second, but it felt like hours.
The pain ended and the ground stopped shaking. She was lying down on the same cold, yet dry ground and her hands were outstretched in the same fashion. She was still holding the necklace, but there was no puddle and no blistering rain.
She jumped up as if she had woken up from a dream, hot prickles of sweat gliding down her forehead.
"Katie!"
She was completely alone.
There was nobody around her. Her voice echoed down the deserted road and came back to her, bearing no reply.
The silence was unnerving.
She looked to her left and right. Every shop nearby was closed or locked. The curtains were drawn up. There were no lights.
Here and there she heard muffled voices coming from afar, more like whispers carried by the wind.
She spotted two men walking towards her from the opposite direction.
One of them was treading angrily, clearly upset about something, while the other stopped halfway and gaped at her in surprise.
"What the bloody hell is this? A student? Out in the open? Did I not tell Dippet to keep his children inside?" the first man bellowed furiously upon noticing her Hufflepuff badge on her winter cloak.
Leanne got up shakily, burying the necklace into her pocket.
"I'm sorry, Sir, I think I had a fit – what's happened? Where is everyone?" she asked, holding her hand to her forehead.
"Are you ill, girl? Or just plain mad? Get back to Hogwarts or I'll drag you there myself! No children are allowed in a war zone!"
"A war zone?" she asked in astonishment.
"Well, what does it look like to you? A welcome parade? How did you even get out of Hogwarts? The security has been increased tenfold. Unless you were already out and you Apparated from some other place. Tell me, did you Apparate?" he yelled at her.
Leanne was growing more and more confused. It didn't help that she had a splitting headache.
"Could you please lower your voice? I can barely think! I have certainly not Apparated, I only feinted - or anyhow, I must have been sick. But nothing else happened! I'm still here, it's only Katie who's gone!"
"Katie? There's no one out but the three of us now," the second man suddenly spoke up.
"Look, Apparated or not, we need to get you back to Hogwarts. We can't have you walking around here!"
"I can't leave without my friend! She's been cursed! Please, why is there no one around? Why is everything closed?"
The two men gave each other a look.
"You must've had a bad one, Miss," the second man chimed in again, "you look quite shaken."
"Where is everyone? Why are we alone?" Leanne kept asking, looking around her scared.
The first man came up to her and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stare into his eyes. He assessed her momentarily, before dropping his gaze and nodding knowingly.
"She looks confounded. Probably a curse or something stronger. Possibly dark magic," he said to the other man.
"No, you got it wrong! I'm not the one who's been cursed. My friend, Katie Bell, Gryffindor Seeker, she's the one who has been Imperiused – you have to believe me, she was here, I don't know where she -"
"We believe you. We believe you," the second man assured her kindly. "She must have been less lucky than you."
"Less lucky? What are you talking about? Please, can someone explain?" she asked, getting more and more annoyed with the lack of information.
"Come on, we'll get you back to Hogwarts, you must've had quite an adventure. I'm sure Dippet will want to hear," the first man said, grabbing her arm firmly.
"Who is Dippet?" she practically yelled. "Who are you? Why are you taking me -"
"It'll be easier if you don't fight it, we have to get you to safety. There's word of an attack near Alderidge."
"An attack? By whom?" she cried in stupor.
"Grindelwald's men of course."
Leanne stared at him as if he had grown another head.
"That's not possible. Grindelwald is dead and has been dead for a while now," Leanne corrected him.
"Dead? Wishful thinking, Miss. He's very much alive, I can tell you that," the second man assured her.
"No, he's not! Dumbledore defeated him a long time ago. It's practically history by now."
"Albus Dumbledore? The professor?" the first man asked, smiling bitterly. "He's a great wizard, but he's no match –"
"I'm telling you, he defeated Grindelwald! Whoever is attacking, it can't be him!"
"Calm down already, we are trying to help you!" the first man said, shaking her slightly.
"I don't need your help. I just need to know what happened, because I was obviously out for quite some time and I can't see any way how there would be a sudden attack -"
"She's obviously unstable, just knock her out, Jorgin," the second man suggested, shaking his head in pity.
"What?" she bellowed angrily. "No, you have no right!"
But she was out before she knew what was happening.