Chapter 5: A Declaration of War

With confidence, a teenager held his wand aloft, venturing through what seemed a broken down tunnel. The tip of the weapon blazed with light, but the underground pathway still seemed submerged in darkness. James Potter was followed closely by Lucio Zabini, Francis and Alice Longbottom, his little brother, Albus, Rose and Dominique Weasley, and at the very back, the blond-headed Scorpius Malfoy. As far as James could tell, his best friend was following his instructions- Lucio had not even tried to engage Dominique in conversation. At first, he had found this rather strange. When the group had split up in the Great Hall to re-emerge at the entrance to Scorpius' tunnel, Lucio had been startled to see the older Weasley girl, but he nodded in her direction, nothing more.

The rubble seemed to almost follow them. The signs of destruction were so evident, but none in the group but James noticed, for the darkness had created a tension so powerful it rooted their gaze forward. From the very moment he stepped into the black hole, he felt like he stepped into the shadow of the entire castle. Age seemed to pour out of the walls, making him feel like he stepped on undiscovered history. Had Scorpius really discovered a hidden pathway so old it had fallen through centuries ago? Or had it perhaps been part of the extensive wreckage of the 98' Battle of Hogwarts? Again, James hated not knowing. He surmised a long time ago that certain details of the war would never be revealed to him or his siblings, but he yearned to know more. Family dinners only revealed so much.

Their dinners at Godric's Hollow were extensive and full of merriment- for it always seemed to James that it was a reunion of the greatest friends, friends that had been through thick and thin to stay bonded. He saw amazing people every time, and he remained in awe until they became familiar to him. When he first met the Minister for Magic, he had been speechless, for his deep voice penetrated his very bones. The tall man in his colorful robes had such large hands, they could crush James without a wand. But Kingsley Shacklebolt used his large hands to ruffle a mop of already-untidy hair, and a laugh he never thought he would hear came from him.

"James Sirius Potter, indeed," he had said, and James could have sworn he saw moistness in the Minister's eyes. At that point, he did not understand, and in all honesty, he still did not.

The rest of his parent's friends became his own very quickly. He had hoped that, being the oldest Potter child, he would be elevated to the position of a sort of confidante, but stories never truly unraveled in his presence. Lily and Albus enjoyed being the center of attention; everybody wanted to fuss around with Lily's heart-shaped face and Albus's flowing hair. To James, if he wasn't receiving any information, it made absolutely no sense for him to sit in a room.

In the summer of his fourth year, he and Lucio had made a quick trip to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, preparing for a single dinner. The meal took up no time at all, and when the children departed for bed, he heard the door to the dining room shut. Boundless excitement filled James when he thought of the occupants within. Professors McGonagall, Hagrid, and Longbottom were only the least notable names in the room. The Weasleys had come in full force- even Rose's grandparents were in attendance. Cooped up beneath the staircase, the pair pulled out long stringy objects, colored like flesh. The Extendable Ears crept like serpents towards the door, proceeding to enter through the tiny gap left between the floor and the oak.

"Of course times are changing," Rose's grandmother was saying. Her voice was familiar to James even though he had heard it but a few times. He sensed pride glowing in her voice. "Harry, James and the Slytherin boy, Lucio- you don't see that very often. You raised him right."

"True," said another voice, a voice James determined belonged to his Uncle Ron. "In my time, I'd curse the next Slytherin, not make him my best friend. Hogwarts isn't what it used to be."

The silence that followed this statement was accompanied by the distinct sound of many sighs echoing through the dining room. James and Lucio caught each other's eye in nervous anticipation.

"The war changed everything."

"And Azkaban is as full as ever."

"It'll continue filling up. There will always be someone."

"As long as they're not called Death Eaters, I'm alright." James could hear the undertone of darkness in his father's voice.

A constant exchange of sentences ensued- mostly things he and Lucio did not understand, about a 'Triwizard Tournament', Dementors, and something about a man named Fenrir Greyback- and the conversation seemed to get more serious as it went on. The two boys hung onto every single word, and failed to notice the presence of a tall orange haired man leaning on the wall next to the staircase. He was very quiet, and still like a statue, but a grin was on George Weasley's face.

"Having fun?" he whispered suddenly. The boys started in surprise, dropping the Extendable Ears. George laughed, kneeling. In the next moment, he seemed to be one of them, hiding beneath the staircase. James' heart sank- of all people to walk in when they used the Extendable Ears, it had to be the creator himself. But his uncle did not look angry; in fact, he looked rather pleased. He reached for a pair of Ears, holding the flesh colored strings between his fingers with pride.

"Fred and I thought of this when we were fifteen," he said softly. Feeling suddenly ashamed of themselves, James and Lucio looked at each other.

"Sorry," murmured James. "We didn't-"

"Are you kidding?!" exclaimed George, before chuckling. "If anything, I'm glad you're carrying our legacy onwards. But you're going about it the wrong way."

"The wrong way?"

George held up the Extendable Ears, gesturing to the closed door of the dining room.

"Almost every single person in that room knows how these are used."

Frowning, James looked at his uncle, who nodded with a smile.

"I'll tell you a secret. When the Order of the Phoenix reformed to defeat Voldemort, we used to use these," he held up the strings, "to overhear everything that happened in the meetings."

It dawned on James that his uncle was helping him more than disappointing him.

"All in all, your parents wouldn't be surprised to see you out here, doing this. In fact, I'm sure Harry expects it. Which is also why you'd never get far with these."

"They talk like they know we can listen when we want," said Lucio glumly.

"They talk like they know that certain things aren't meant to be heard by fourteen year olds, I'm sorry to say," said George, standing. "I'm going to go inside now, so you two better clear out before they see you."

Nodding, the two boys began making their way to James' room. Just as Lucio shut the door behind him, they heard him loud and clear.

"Well, don't give up so easily."

George Weasley's words had struck a fire in James Potter's heart. To him, it was like a blessing to go on, to carry forth a legacy. James meant to carry it no matter what. He and Lucio concluded that the only way they could learn the things they wanted to learn was by exploring the place itself, and that was when James asked Dominique for a copy of Hogwarts: A History, by Bathilda Bagshot. Their intensive work on the revised Marauder's Map over the years had already given them an understanding of how much had really changed since then. Entire sections of the castle, various turrets, the outer ring of the late Albus Dumbledore's large office, even a part of the library- chunks of the school had been ripped out entirely. Throughout their first year, James spent his breakfasts with Francis, Alice, and Lucio, talking endlessly about the school and its secrets. The Whomping Willow's legend had been passed down for ages, and with it, a certain haunted part of Hogsmeade.

It only made sense to James to make an event out of the Shrieking Shack. The thought of leaving Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays annoyed him, and he could tell it annoyed his everyone else; a morose feeling hung in the air when the group finally agreed to meet at the corridor below the Astronomy Tower. The thought of entering the Shack breathed new life into him, and he thought it wise to bring along the people who already knew about it. The other six had their eyes fixed on the ground, to be careful not to step on anything strange, but James looked ahead of him eagerly. He and Lucio had been sure, that this was a new pathway leading into Hogsmeade. He had a funny feeling where it ended, and it excited him even more to think of clambering into the crumbling wooden structure.

Even though he looked straight ahead, he did not notice a great rusty ring hanging at eye-level. With a groan, his forehead smacked into the iron ring, and he held his wand up to reveal a large trapdoor on the ceiling of the tunnel. Curling his fingers around it, he tugged, to no avail. Lucio's strength joined his and they pulled and pulled, but the rust had sealed the door shut. From the back of the group, Scorpius raised his wand, pointing at the hinges of the door.

"Diffindo!" he whispered, pointing his wand at each corner one by one, until the decayed wood caved in and fell in dust and splinters around them.

James pulled himself up and onto a dusty, dirty floor, littered with pieces of broken furniture. From the inside, it looked as messy as its outside, but James felt like he had accomplished a fantastic task. After his Uncle Ron had told him in bits and pieces of the real story behind the Shrieking Shack, James was preoccupied with finding a path into it. All the passages earlier used had caved in or been destroyed during the war, but he and Lucio were determined to find a new way. They drew blanks for the first two years, unable to find even a single hint that a path to the Shrieking Shack existed. And then, James admitted, they had the fortune of conversing with Scorpius Malfoy.

The Slytherin boy eagerly pored over the Marauder's Map, and James and Lucio were stunned to find out that he knew half of the paths the Map showed them. In his isolative tendencies, Scorpius had explored far more of the castle than either of them. When James confessed that the one thing he wanted to find but could not was an entrance into the Shack, Scorpius laid out an astounding number of options before him, all seeming closer and closer to the broken down structure. Smelling of damp wood, the Shack was by far the quietest place they had come across. Every step made their feet sink into the wood. The snow had weighed down on the roof for so long that it had caved in. Great chunks of white littered the scratched floor, melting into tiny ravines that spread like spider webs. With a wave of his wand, James restored the broken roof, watching it soar into place with satisfaction.

"Incredible…," murmured Rose, brushing her red hair out of her eyes. Like James, Rose and Albus had grown up hearing stories about the Shrieking Shack. Just last year, he had finally succeeded in getting the complete story out of his father – of how he met his Godfather. The entire dinner table had turned to listen to the tale of the Shrieking Shack under the Full Moon.

Soon, a roaring fire blazed in the small fireplace, illuminating a room that looked nothing like the dilapidated, broken down shack they had entered. The icy glass on the windows had crusted over with frost, and small sheets sloughed off as the warmth of the fire spread in waves. The children huddled in a circle around it, their hands outstretched. The tinkle of glass told James that Lucio had begun popping open bottles of Butterbeer, which he passed around. After he was done, the Slytherin Captain promptly sat back with a huff, taking a great gulp from his bottle. James watched him stretch and moan until he was in the most comfortable position possible, after which his eyes closed. It would have appeared to most that he slept peacefully if not for the irregular movement of his arm raising the bottle to his lips from time to time. James had to admire that, even when he didn't try, Lucio had a sense of grace about him that he would never have. His jet black hair was as untidy as James', but it fell in curling locks around his cheekbones; all in all, James was never surprised when eyes followed Zabini when he walked.

As if the shack meant nothing to her at all, Dominique had quietly found a spot adjacent to the fire, right underneath the glowing window. Her flaming hair hid her face as she narrowed her gaze to the book in her lap. Albus and Scorpius were avidly discussing a recent Quidditch match, their hands wildly flailing as they described their favorite Seekers. James heard familiar names and interesting words, but he could not bring himself to be a part of the conversation. He stared up at the ceiling he had just repaired, smiling faintly at the wonder of magic. With a swish of his wand, years of damage had been erased. He wished dearly that his Hogwarts years could rewind in a similar fashion. In hindsight, it had all gone by so quickly; it felt like he had spent only a few years at Hogwarts, not six. He could tell that the dullness of this understanding had filtered through to all his fellow Sixth-years, for Lucio, Dominique, and the Longbottom siblings were the only silent ones in the room. He wondered if Dominique could concentrate on her book at all.

From the window, he could see lines of Hogwarts students walking the roads of Hogsmeade. In the snow, it had been illuminated by little lanterns, glowing and floating on the sides of the streets. The familiar crowd surrounded Honeydukes, and it made James remember the very first time he had set eyes on the village of Hogsmeade- it had been with eyes filled with eagerness and enthusiasm. Now, he looked at it with sadness- he had never expected time to go by so quickly. The next year would be his seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; and to make it worse, it was NEWT year.

The ending of the year had brought on a host of somber thoughts in James, so much so that he had long since forgotten about the Gryffindor – Slytherin match. He often spent days recalling entire matches, identifying where he and his team could have flown better, even modeling his moves after legendary seekers listed in Quidditch through the Ages. He had attempted, in vain, to do so a few days after the match, but the thought of a fire-breathing dragon interrupted him even in the solitude of his Gryffindor dormitory. He counted the days on his fingers silently- it had been almost two weeks since the match, and he still hadn't the courage to take his Firebolt out on a morning flight. He realized with a start that his next chance to fly over the Great Lake would come after the restart of the school year.

His watch ticked miserably; it was still half past two in the afternoon- six hours before they would board the train. From the instant he had crawled out of his cozy bed, he had known that the day would go slow. Now, as the large group extinguished the crackling fire and made their way back through the trap door, he began counting how much time it would take to get his trunk packed and ready. He and Lucio led the group, their lit wands held out in front of them. Behind them, trailing close by, was Scorpius, with an extremely satisfied expression on his face. Scorpius would be, James suspected, leaving for the holidays with a smile on his face for the first time ever. Trailing behind Scorpius was Albus, who counted off his fingers, mumbling about items he needed to find and put in his trunk.

The tunnel's floor whispered as their feet kicked up dust. Beside James, Lucio's eyes seemed to scrutinize every inch of the walls and floor he could find; a piece of parchment in his grasp crackling as he drew lines patiently. With the excitement of the shack behind him, James too began to examine the pathway with the light of his wand. If he had learned anything at all in his six years at Hogwarts, it was that most pathways and tunnels somehow managed to find each other eventually. However difficult it was, James knew it was his and Lucio's duty to finish the Marauder's Map. Loud sneezes echoed around them, and the group stopped their long walk as Rose supported herself with the wall. In a flash, she withdrew her hand from the stone, a sound of disgust escaping her mouth.

"What is this?" she said, her scowl looking rather fearsome in the light of Lucio's wand. Stretching out from her fingers and seemingly coming from the wall was a sticky, crumbly substance. She tugged, and it came loose, falling in thick strands to the tunnel floor. James picked it up, holding it to the light. Rubbing it between his fingers, he found it like silk that had been lingering here for centuries. It had dried up entirely, so much so that it tore to pieces when he applied pressure.

"It's all over the place," said Lucio, who had ventured to the back of the group. He kneeled to the floor, his wand light revealing long strands of the substance extending in long lines all over the floor. He sniffed, and an expression of distaste twisted his face.

"What is it?" asked James.

"I don't know," he replied. "But it smells awful."

"Like something died in here," said Dominique, speaking for the first time that day. James noted the edge of tension lingering in her tone. The group was quiet, and James listened for anything untoward, but there seemed to be nobody but them in this lonely tunnel. Its circumference was wide enough to accommodate more than a few people, but for now, it only accommodated them. In the suffocating silence, the group seemed stiff with fear.

James and Lucio abandoned their examination immediately; they wanted nothing more than to leave. A cloud of darkness seemed to float within the tunnel, as if a great danger had once thrived inside it. Some secrets of Hogwarts, James had to admit, were far too frightening to explore. His footsteps quickened. After a sharp turn- the only change in direction they needed to take – the silky substance no longer littered the ground. Though the people behind him still held their sordid expressions, he heaved a sigh of relief. It was almost as if a stale scent accompanied the strands, weighing down their hands. Without it crumbling around him, James inhaled copious amount of air, finding pleasure in how clean it felt.

After what seemed a lifetime, he found the runes on the left side of the tunnel. The light of two wands revealed its intricate etching across the wall- words and sentences that he could not understand. When they had entered the tunnel and shut the door behind them, Lucio had found the runes terribly interesting, glaring at them furiously, but even with his Outstanding Ancient Runes OWL, he could not decipher their meaning. Scorpius raised a fair finger, tracing the outline of the stone wall. Like the wall leading to Diagon Alley at the Leaky Cauldron, the stones parted noisily before revealing the Astronomy Tower's corridor. They clambered out, moans of relief escaping their lips as the dimly lit corridor lay before them. Before they separated, James grabbed Lucio's arm.

"Let's fly over the lake, before we leave," he simply said, his green eyes finding Lucio's startling blues. He communicated with his eyes as much as he could, and the Slytherin boy seemed to understand, nodding with a smile.

"Next year's NEWT year, we won't get as much time, good idea," he said, checking his watch quickly. "I'll get my trunk packed, and let's meet outside Hagrid's?"

James grinned, giving his friend a thumbs-up. But before the group could make their separate ways, Scorpius started as if to say something, but as soon as his mouth opened, it closed. James frowned, before nudging Scorpius with his elbow.

"Join us. Have you ever flown over the Great Lake?" he asked the blond-haired boy, who shook his head.

"Do you know how to fly?" Lucio asked, his eyes narrowing when Scorpius nodded. James thought Lucio would ask, angrily, why Malfoy hadn't tried out for the Slytherin team, but he remained silent.

"But," Scorpius began feebly. "I don't have a broom."

"Use mine," said a quiet and gentle voice. Rose, her numerous freckles hidden by her hair, smiled nervously. Before another bout of awkward silence spread over them, Lucio grinned and threw his arm around his junior, tugging him away and towards their Common Room.

The six Gryffindors trudged up to the Fat Lady's portrait, the girls taking the spiral staircase into their rooms first. Albus and the Longbottoms left James waiting at the foot of the steps. In moments, Rose appeared, panting, and tossed him the shiny broomstick she was cradling in her arms. Its gold embossed name, Firebolt, glinted beautifully in the light of the Gryffindor Common Room, which was empty of its usual occupants.

Once in the confines of his dormitory room, James began rummaging through the desk at his bedside. Making little noise behind him was Francis, who had already packed most of his things. Just as James reached for the cage hanging by the window, a snowy white owl soared into the room. Even Francis paused to watch Hedwig's progress as she wove around the room, elegantly spreading her wings. The owl had been a gift from his father, given to him on the very day he boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time. She was named after an old friend, he had said. With a rattle, she soared into the cage after nuzzling James' cheek affectionately. Putting the cage on the window sill, he turned to see Francis reclining on his bed, staring out of the window and into the blue sky. After a questioning look from James, he sighed.

"I feel like it's getting over," he said, his usually serious face breaking into an almost longing expression, "Too soon."

Francis Longbottom rarely revealed his thoughts, but on the rare occasion he did, it was usually to James. James would truly miss these- the rather philosophical conversations they shared. They would talk through the night, drinking Butterbeer they snuck out of the kitchens, talking about everything from Hogwarts to their families. Francis was removed from the hustle of the castle; he rarely spoke, and he wasn't too interested in Quidditch, but he was by far one of the most interesting people James had ever had the privilege to meet. James nodded.

"One more year, and it's all over. I've been thinking about that all day."

"Are you still sticking to your dream? The Auror dream?" Francis asked.

"I-" stuttered James, slightly taken- aback. "I think. What about you?"

"I decided a few days ago, but it's going to take a lot of hard work. I'm going to need way more NEWTs than you."

"Oh? Minister for Magic, right after graduating? Bit ambitious, don't you think?" James said, laughing. Francis chuckled, shaking his head.

"Department of Mysteries," he said in a serious whisper that carried across the room. James let out a low whistle.

"Well, if anyone can do it, you can," he said, peering at his friend from behind his open trunk. "I mean, it's not like you don't have the time."

"True," said Francis, smirking.

James shut his trunk with a huff, and grasped the handles of both Firebolts firmly.

"See you on the train?" he asked, at the door. Francis nodded.

"Don't get eaten by the dragon," he called out, as James sprinted down the stairs.

He met Lucio and Scorpius in front of Hagrid's cabin, which seemed empty of the Care of Magical Creatures Professor. Both Slytherins were dressed like Muggles, in faded blue jeans and t-shirts. Each wore a coat and a green scarf that fluttered behind them as they rose into the air.

The two Captains flew on either side of Scorpius, who looked wildly excited to be on a broom. For the first few moments, they moved slowly through the air. But it became evident very soon that young Scorpius was as adept at handling a broomstick as the other two, as he sped away in front of them. He dived, Rose's Firebolt cutting through the air before he took a sharp turn and rose vertically. Grinning, James and Lucio held nothing back, soaring towards the lake with the blond boy at their heels.

The Lake spread out before them like a vast black sheet, and as they approached its surface, James saw the ghostly silhouette of the giant squid in its deep slumber. They streaked past its submerged tentacles, marveling at the extent of its reach. James watched as the waters parted slightly as he came closer and closer to its surface, before rising into the air until the entire lake was but a speck on the ground. From this altitude, he could see the enormous space that the Forbidden Forest took up in the distance. Its green and black canopies stretched farther than the eye could follow.

In the beginning, the Forbidden Forest had been a terribly intriguing thing to James. Soon after the Sorting Hat declared him a Gryffindor, he had sat in silence as the Headmistress made a few start-of-term announcements. One of these was to explicitly stay away from the Forbidden Forest. In truth, James only had to hear 'forbidden' to get excited about the prospect of entering the dark forest. His excitement was soon extinguished when he realized how vast the forest actually was. On his morning flights around the castle, he had never wandered beyond a certain point above the forest- and after his first sight of the gigantic waterbody and its host, he never wanted to fly anywhere else.

The three boys floated high in the sky, allowing the clouds to sift in between their bodies. Suddenly, Scorpius seemed to break out of his reverie. The end of his broom swiveled in another direction, and he zoomed away, his hair flying behind him. Shooting puzzled looks at each other, Lucio and James followed. The lake behind them was dwarfed by the green forest that spread out below them. As they soared above the canopy, James saw what Scorpius had noticed- a break in the normal. If he had been alone, he would not have noticed the strange clearing. As the three flew down to the forest, James realized rather irritably that Lucio had found a new talent. They touched down quietly, leaving their brooms in a cluster. Three gleaming Firebolts shone in the bright sunlight.

"What happened here?" asked Scorpius, looking around in dismay. The trees had been felled, and cinders littered the ground. James took a step forward, kicking up black soot. Immediately, he turned to Lucio, who stood in the middle of the clearing.

"Do you think? The-" he began excitedly.

"Dragon? It would be interesting if it were, but I don't think so," said Lucio dully, pointing at the center of the clearing, where, unnoticed, a bunch of blackened wooden logs covered in a fine layer of ash was piled. Wisps of smoke rose from the crumbling mass.

"A camp fire," Scorpius said quietly, drawing his wand. "Someone was here."

"Not too long ago, by the looks of it," said James, kneeling to look at the still smoldering coals. Immediately, all three of them heard a distinct rustle of leaves emanate from the dark forest around them. James was on his feet in an instant. The three of them circled the camp fire, backs to each other, gazing out into the dark trees.

James felt a ball drop within his stomach as he looked into the Forbidden Forest, seeing nothing but darkness. The sunshine that fell over the clearing seemed to darken, and he had the startling feeling of being cornered. In his excitement, he had not realized how much ground Scorpius had covered when he spotted the clearing. In their haste to uncover a new mystery, the three had left themselves defenseless, bang in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. The three of them stood very silently. James mused, even in the tension knotting his shoulders, that they resembled the stone griffins outside McGonagall's office. And then, they heard it: the familiar sound of a string being pulled taut.

"Accio brooms!" Lucio raised his wand in a flash, and the three Firebolts soared towards them, just as James caught an odd silvery sheen in the air above him. They looked up to see a gigantic steel net appear over the clearing, slowly spreading over their heads.

"Fly!" yelled James, mounting almost as soon as the broom touched his palm. After a swift glance to make sure Scorpius and Lucio understood, he urged the Firebolt forward. Hating the fact that he was hurtling headlong into the unknown, James cut through the darkness, narrowly avoiding the massive trunks.

They had flown forward with no direction; they did not know if they flew towards Hogwarts or not, but it did not matter as the three zipped through the forest, their broomsticks inches away from the black forest floor at times. It required a far stronger focus than being in open air, with only Bludgers to avoid; here, they needed to avoid everything, and they didn't have the space to do it. His heart hammering madly, he prayed that Scorpius and Lucio followed him. At the back of his mind, he worried especially about the Malfoy Fourth Year. He made a mental note to ensure that Scorpius Malfoy made it home, no matter what.

Lucio's jet black hair was flattened by the stale-smelling wind as he moved left and right to avoid collisions with the trees. For the first time in his life, Lucio was thoroughly frightened- and it was partly because of the trees. Every time he flew past, a nagging thought pulled at his mind. Something told him that the trees were not the only beings around them. He could see James ahead of him, and from the corner of his well-trained eye, he could, thankfully, see Scorpius, whose pale complexion and blond hair stood out in the darkness.

His eyes trained on the back of James' head, he saw the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain tilt his gaze very slightly to the right. The subtle movement was so quick, he almost didn't catch it, but he was lucky he did. As the tree trunks blurred together, he saw unnatural movement flicker in the corner of his eye. Together, he and Scorpius swerved to the left, a faster turn than Lucio had ever managed before. As soon as James Potter confirmed that his friends were still with him, the Firebolt under his body seemed to blaze forward. Alarmed, Lucio wanted to yell out to his friend that they were going much too fast, but before he did so, a voice in his head told him that James would not take a risk without the need for it.

In an irregular pattern, Lucio began glancing left and right as much as possible. Even though most of what he could discern was blurs, he saw silhouettes that justified the speed they were going at. He could not discern blur from blur, but he could make out body parts- long limbs, hair, even faces. Scorpius stayed close by, remaining by his side. As his surroundings flashed by, he saw what James had seen. Every few seconds, a glimpse of a moving shadow appeared, struggling to keep pace with their broomsticks. The shadows were numerous, as if an army slumbered in the Forbidden Forest, only to be awoken by their foolish curiosity. He gritted his teeth in frustration- the intense concentration the three boys required to stay on their brooms destroyed their ability to defend themselves with their wands. He didn't want to imagine how vulnerable three wandless boys on broomsticks looked to the strangest group of forest-dwellers he had seen.

Sunlight filled Lucio's eyes all of a sudden. They had flown straight out of the trees and into a narrow corridor- a long passage littered with jagged tree stumps. Now out of the darkness of the forest, Lucio and Scorpius could see James ahead of them. As they watched, he seemed to pull back, cutting his speed almost in half. By the time they caught up, James had raised his wand and was pointing it at the very end of the corridor. With thumping hearts, they saw a tall figure waiting for them- a human being dressed in ragged clothes. Over six feet tall and absolutely still, the man sent shivers that Lucio felt down his backbone. His abnormally large presence felt unreal, and the fact that he seemed to lay in waiting made it seem far more frightening. They flew closer and closer, all three of them with outstretched wands. In a flash, a large hand swiped at them from the right, and a Firebolt rolled onto the grassy floor. When James and Lucio whipped around, they saw Scorpius being held by the neck in a vice grip. A gigantic specimen of a woman grasped him like a stick. With a single muscular arm, she was slowly extracting a blue tinge from Scorpius' cheeks. The woman had waist-length, black, hair matted with what looked suspiciously like blood. The stench of staleness filled Lucio's nose. In any other situation, he would have fired a curse at her faster than she could look at him, but the corded muscles that ran down her arm made him think twice; she held Scorpius like a matchstick she could snap between her fingers.

James had his wand fixed on the man at the end of the corridor, but his broom did not move forward. For a moment, all was still. In those seconds, Lucio thought all was lost. Any second, the enemy would surge out of the trees and into the empty corridor. Just like the clearing, this long stretch of massacred trees could be the end of them. To make it worse, he was convinced that Scorpius Malfoy was about to die; his face looked bloodless, and he was gasping for air, his hands flailing wildly. Just then, there was a flash of light and a roar of flames, and Scorpius was thrust backwards, landing on his chest and rolling to his feet. A scream of fury rent the silence, and the woman holding Scorpius like a doll was on her knees, cradling her arm, which was now as blackened and smoldering as the campfire that had begun the chase. As they watched, the burnt limb collapsed into a pile of dust, and the woman's pain tore at Lucio's ears. Like clockwork, men and women leapt out of the forest. They came in groups and pairs, keeping very close to one another. The scent of dirt emanating from them made him wince.

Lucio's first impression was of a gigantic tribe- for he could see nobody that resembled a wizard or witch. As they huddled in a ferocious group, not a single one raised a wand. Instead, they turned with menacing faces to snarl, as one, at the three boys. James, closest to the group, was as still as a statue, but there was no fear in his eyes. His raised wand-hand did not waver, and perhaps this was why the enemy did not advance. Lucio, thinking quickly, realized that when the group realized that a sixteen year old held them at bay, they would come, and they would come like a storm.

"We need a diversion," he murmured to himself, and Scorpius nodded mutely beside him.

As if the forest heard him, there came a roar like no other from its depths: an almost human, almost beast-like bellow that shook the ground. The tribe was thrown into frenzy, and, before the three boys could as much as move, they had disappeared into the dark trees. An abnormally large flock of birds black as night took off in fright, flapping their tiny wings towards the lake.

"Accio Firebolt!" yelled Scorpius, stretching out his hand. Immediately, with James in the lead, the three boys rose into the sky, turning towards the castle in the distance. They flew like a thousand Golden Snitches fluttered ahead of them.

With a deft hand, Rose curled her red hair around her ears. She bent, picked up the crimson scarf, and wrapped it around her neck. Immediately, she felt the blood rushing back to her skin. The long bridge that ended with a spiral staircase to the Owlery was quiet as a whisper, apart from the rustling pages of Enchanted Encounters by Fifi LaFolle. Nestled at the foot of the staircase, Dominique's eyes drifted from line to line with absolute focus. Lily sat on a step, rubbing her hands together for warmth. Dressed in a shirt too big for him and a pair of worn out jeans, Albus leaned on the railing, looking out into the grounds with a frown on his face.

"They should have been back by now," he was saying, glancing at his watch. "The train will be here soon. Really, it's not like it's their last year already."

Lily nodded very slightly, as if she agreed but did not agree. Suddenly, Enchanted Encounters slammed shut with a loud thud. Albus and Rose started in surprise. Dominique rose to her feet, her hair cascading around her. Her usual stiff expression was replaced by an emotion that surprised Albus- concern. And when she spoke, he heard a tone most unlike Dominique Weasley.

"Something happened," she said, matter-of-factly, gazing out into the distance, where a flock of small black birds soared across the lake. Albus realized with a start that Dominique's eyes were precisely the same shade as his father's. But there was something vastly different as well, but he couldn't see what.

Before Albus could determine how different Dominique's eyes were from Harry Potter's, Lily made a sound halfway between a squeak and a gasp. Three silhouettes in the setting sun seemed to appear out of thin air. James, Lucio, and Scorpius surged through the air, and Albus could've sworn he saw the lattermost glance behind him. He stiffened, his hand closing around his wand in his back pocket, but no pursuers emerged behind his friends. But still, they rocketed towards the Owlery with all the possible haste they could muster.