Right, then...

Time for another update. I admit I've been surprisingly quick on working on this one, especially considering I have made quite a lot of changes to this part.

For the inspiration of the main scene in this chapter, I refer you to the 'Dungeons and Dragons' movie. Granted, the movie is dreadful, but I liked that scene (ONE scene in an entire movie!). So i drew inspiration from it. the people who saw the movie will know what scene I'm referring to. It is so obvious that I feel forced to mention the influence, here. The people who didn't see the movie... count your blessings, my friends. In this case, ignorance is bliss. :)

Right, onwards!

Into another Maze

"What do you mean, by 'so what'?' asked Robert, looking astonished.

"What do you expect me to say, exactly, Robert?" asked Julie, impatiently. "So, Kenneth has given you a bruise on the arm. What would you have me do? Go to him and tell him off? First off, I don't see how it is any of my business. Second, you may not have noticed it, but Kenneth and I aren't really the best of friends, these days, so I doubt my protest would have any meaning for him. And last, wouldn't it look bad, if you have to send your girlfriend to defend your wounded pride?"

That had the merit of stunning Robert into silence. Julie hadn't meant to be that harsh, but the truth was no matter what her feelings for Kenneth or Robert were, she was getting tired of Robert's constant need to define all of his actions in regards to Kenneth and what would help him to score against the Gryffindor boy. Also tiring was his habit of dragging her in the middle of it.

Given she was doing her best to keep a distance between her and Kenneth, for his own sake, there was no way she would become Robert's ambassador. Besides, it gave her a chance to get Robert to let go of his issues with the Wandmaster.

In any case, her answer wasn't what Robert had been expecting and he let it know.

"And how would it look, if you side with him?" he asked pointedly.

"Who says I do?" she retorted with a shrug. "Look, Robert, your feud with Kenneth is seriously getting old, but that's important for you, for Merlin knows what reasons. So you want to score against Kenneth? Fine! Go for it, but leave me out of the whole thing. I'm tired of having to constantly oppose most of my housemates because you have an axe to grind with one of them. You have a problem with Kenneth, you deal with it on your own."

"I would have thought that…" began Robert.

"Well, you thought wrong," said Julie. "Seriously, Robert, just because we are dating doesn't mean that I will agree with everything you do. I don't understand your need to go at Kenneth like that, and I'm not going to help you with this. Is that clear?"

His face showed that he wasn't happy about it, but he nodded.

"Good," said Julie. "Now you were telling me about this plan you have for the Quill…"

Ian and Orlando were studying in the Library. With Kieran very busy with her work Flitwick and Weasley, Ian had needed to find a new partner for his daily homework. Orlando had turned out to be perfect for this. He was attentive, precise, and focused. Ian needed that, because he sometimes tended to lose such focus, when it came to studies. His grades were far from being bad, but his natural talents sometimes needed to be driven, and Kieran was usually the one to help him with that, with the discipline of her mind. Orlando had the same discipline, so Ian had begun to work more often with him.

But, for some days now, Orlando's mood had darkened, although he was trying to hide it. Ian could tell. He was usually good at spotting this kind of thing. Orlando was good at concealing his feelings, but not that good. Ian sensed that the young Novice was sad.

Instead of using his usual method, Ian decided to try for the direct approach.

"Orlando, what's the matter?" he asked.

"Excuse me?" said Orlando, raising his eyes from the book he was reading.

"To be honest, I've been watching you," said Ian. "And you've been pretty down, lately. Maybe that could help you to talk about it."

Orlando seemed to struggle a little with the thought. Then he finally sighed and nodded.

"I know you're a spy," he said. "So you heard why we are here. The real reason, I mean."

Ian nodded. Through his spying of the teachers, he knew enough. He hadn't spoken of the attack on the Sanctuary to anyone, not even Kieran. This felt way too serious.

"I know your Master decided to come here for your safety, after someone tried to break into your Sanctuary," he said, on a hushed tone.

Orlando nodded.

"This has never happened before," he said. "The Sanctuary has been safe and at peace for a millennium. And… Well, did you hear one of the Brothers was killed in the intrusion?"

Ian nodded. This was mainly the reason why he had kept everything for himself. If someone had died, this would not be something he could spread in the school.

"We had no details about what happened," said Orlando. "We were woken in the middle of the night, and then we all took a portkey away to a refuge. Then we spent the next days in various safe places, until we set out for Hogwarts. We had no detail beyond the fact the Sanctuary had been attacked."

Ian encouraged him to continue, although it seemed to be hard for Orlando to talk about it.

"Recently, I learned that the man who died… His name was Kenton," said Orlando. "He… he was my mentor."

"Your mentor?" said Ian. "Like Master Anselme?"

"No," said Orlando. "Anselme is our Caretaker, the one overseeing our education. Kenton was… He was the man who brought me into the Brotherhood."

Ian understood what it meant. This Kenton had to be a father figure for Orlando. So Orlando was, in fact, grieving for a parent, as close a parent as he could get in the Brotherhood.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Orlando had a sad shrug.

"I'm supposed to let the suffering pass," he said. "I'm having trouble focusing, these days. Anselme isn't helping."

"Why is that?" asked Ian.

"According to Master Anselme, we must be solid as stone, so the waves and the wind only pass on us," said Orlando, bitterly.

"That's pretty cold," said Ian. "Were you close to Kenton?"

"Yes," said Orlando. "He was… He's always looked out for me, and he was funny. I remember how he could make us all laugh."

"Hold on to that, then," said Ian.

"I'm still a little upset to have learned only weeks ago," said Orlando. "He died in August… Why weren't we told?"

"I have no idea," said Ian. "Do you want me to find out?"

"If you can," said Orlando, sadly.

Ian could tell that he wasn't really done with the subject but was struggling to talk about it.

"How did you get into the Order, then? You said Kenton brought you in? Did he know your parents?" he asked.

"No," said Orlando. "Kenton and others served as recruiters. They travelled across all Europe to visit children in orphanage. We were tested to see if our magic could find a place in the Order."

"Upon what criteria?" asked Ian. "I don't mean to pry."

"You're not," said Orlando. "The Brotherhood seeks wizards that are eager to learn and willing to live by a certain code. It's very neatly done, actually. They ask a lot of questions, most of them casual. But from the way we answer, they know if we're going to fit in. So they offer us a place in the Brotherhood."

"How old were you?" asked Ian.

"Five or six," said Orlando. "I remember how glad I was to know I would never have to be alone again, though Kenton made it clear that they would not be our parents. Kenton was a great friend, though. He's always been here any time I needed to speak to someone or ask for guidance."

"Does every novice have a mentor like that?" asked Ian.

"Yes," said Orlando. "Werner and Raphi, they were found by the same Brother. He's still in the Sanctuary. But only the ones who were brought in as orphans need mentors. Colville and Wats, they came later, so they didn't need one. They still have their parents, out there. For them, Wilhelm and Anselme act as the figure of authority. Well, of course, there's Thierry, but he's special."

"How so?" asked Ian.

"Thierry was brought into the Order by Master Amanio," said Orlando. "As Master of the Sanctuary, Master Walter can't show any favour to any Brother, so Thierry had to fend off for himself for a long time."

"Did Master Amanio find Thierry in an orphanage?" asked Ian.

"No," said Orlando. "And he doesn't go on recruiting trips, either. It was really strange. I wasn't in the Sanctuary, at the time, so I only heard stories. Kenton told me that Thierry just walked out of the woods, one day."

"Huh?" asked Ian.

"He had to be two or three at most," said Orlando. "He was just walking there. He was found by Master Walter, who saw that he was a wizard and took him in."

"Where did he come from?" asked Ian.

"I don't know," said Orlando. "Kenton believed that his parents probably lived nearby and got into an accident."

Ian was intrigued, but he could tell that Orlando didn't want to reveal too much of Thierry's personal history, so he chose not to dwell on it.

"Anyway, I still say that Anselme is cold," he said. "It's not because you serve in the Order that you have to forget how to feel. Why wouldn't he let you grieve properly?"

"It's the tradition," said Orlando, and by his tone, there was nothing more to discuss.

He plunged back in his book. Ian stayed silent for long moment, trying to find out if he had offended his friend.

Finally, Orlando raised his gaze from the book and smiled.

"Ian, thanks for asking," he said. "I needed to talk about it."

"Anytime," said Ian, smiling back.

The tension between them disappeared suddenly, and Ian felt he knew a lot more about his friend, now.

An hour later, their History Essay completed, Ian and Orlando were walking back to the Nest. Suddenly, Ian pushed Orlando in a dark corner of the corridor. Orlando threw him a puzzled look, but Ian put a finger on his own mouth, to hush him up. Then he pointed to another corner of the corridor. Orlando followed his finger with the eyes and smiled the exact same way as Ian.

Gina and Joel were talking discreetly. And they stood close to each other. Very close. No wonder what they were speaking about. They finally kissed shyly.

"Oh, come on, you can do better than this, Andrews," said Gina suddenly, loud enough for Ian to hear it.

And she grabbed his collar to pull him into a wilder kiss. Joel seemed a little panicked for a moment, before to give into the kiss.

Ian turned to Orlando, who was still grinning.

"Alright," he said. "We should leave them alone. Come on, I know another way to the Nest."

And they left their friends, so busy in snogging, that they wouldn't have noticed their presence anyway. Ian was pretty smug about the whole thing. When Orlando asked why he was so pleased with himself, Ian told him that he had always known that Gina and Joel would get together. He hushed up the part he had actively played in their romance, but sometimes, it was good to be right.

Kenneth wasn't used to be proved wrong. This was odd. He felt that he had it coming, but it seemed that either Julie didn't know that he had hit Donahue, or she didn't care. The latter was unlikely, but the former was nearly impossible. Kenneth may have been confused in his view of Julie, he knew Donahue. There was simply no way that he hadn't told her about it, if only to use her outrage against him. That she hadn't called him out on the issue was weird, and frankly, unsettling.

But it had been a few days, now, and still no sign of Julie. Kenneth was beginning to doubt his own comprehension of Donahue's character, when Kalindra showed up with the answer.

"So, Donahue did tell her about the blow," she told him. "But she said she wouldn't get involved."

"How do you know about it?" asked Kenneth. "You're not really on speaking terms with her, are you?"

"Well, not really," said Kalindra. "I asked Jennifer and Mandy to investigate. They brought up the altercation with her. She said that Donahue can fight his own fights. She has no need to meddle."

Kenneth was surprised, though hardly displeased by the news. Since the train ride, he didn't want to have to spend more time with Julie than he absolutely had to. Still, knowing that she wouldn't be coming to talk to him to try and pacify things between him and Donahue was a relief.

"I still think something's fishy, there," said Kalindra.

"Meaning?" asked Kenneth.

"So, she kissed him in September," said Kalindra. "You would think that since she made her choice, she would be backing her boyfriend, no matter what, don't you think?"

"Because she dates him doesn't mean she'll marry him and be his faithful support for all of her life," Kenneth pointed out. "Don't you think this kind of loyalty would be a little too much? We're sixteen year olds, after all."

"Coming from you, that's rich," chuckled Kalindra.

"That's a little different," said Kenneth, a little offended.

"Okay, I'll give you that," said Kalindra. "You're loyal to people when it comes to important matters. So, Julie and Donahue can have a few disagreements, I guess."

"That's to be expected," said Kenneth.

"You're sure of that, are you?" asked Kalindra.

"Well, she's in Gryffindor, he's in Slytherin," said Kenneth, with a shrug. "No matter what Dumbledore and Potter say about unity of the school, the Houses do exist because of differences in character among wizards. At some point, Julie and Donahue will disagree on both minor and major things."

"Makes sense," said Kalindra, nodding. "Pretty smart for a guy, aren't you?"

"Anything to impress you, dear," said Kenneth with a grin. "Still, it'll be a relief not to have to justify myself to Julie each time her boyfriend is having a go at me."

Kalindra had a doubtful face.

"What?" asked Kenneth.

"I still sense something weird about Julie," said Kalindra, seriously. "I couldn't point my finger on it, but I just know something is not right."

"You think she may be in danger?" asked Kenneth.

"And the good old Kenneth comes running back!" laughed Kalindra. "I'm still amazed at you, Lionheart. No matter what hell she puts you through..."

"It's still not enough for me to wish her harm," said Kenneth, sternly.

"Sure, but it doesn't mean that you still have to protect her," said Kalindra, just as seriously. "I mean, I admire your selflessness, Kenneth, but sometimes, it could do you some good to let it go a little. Julie has been a bitch to you. Maybe you could wait at least half an hour before you risk your life for her again, huh? Anyway, I wasn't talking about any physical danger. I meant that there is something weird about her behaviour. You didn't see her, after the Hogsmeade trip. She... She looked... never mind. I'll get to the bottom of this, no matter what."

"Can't leave a mystery to rest, can you?" said Kenneth.

"That's the good old me," said Kalindra, with a shrug.

Later, Ian was settled on his bed, reading some book, when he heard some noise in the room below his, which was the girl's dormitory room. He strained his ears and sorted out the sounds. There were, he was sure of it, excited giggling, and some coming, to Ian's surprise, from Kieran's throat. So the news should have been broken by now. Knowing Gina, Ian was sure to be in trouble soon.

"Ian?" asked Joel, from outside the dormitory room.

"I'm inside," said Ian, rolling his eyes. "Come in."

Joel entered the room. He had an awkward expression on his face. Half smiling, half frowning. Ian knew quite well about what he wanted to talk, and he was expecting some kind of telling off.

"I heard recently that you decided to reveal your inner owl and dabble in mail delivery for some people," Joel said.

Ian had a chuckle at the choice of words.

"Well," he said, evasively. "It all depends on who you're referring to."

"To be more specific," said Joel, "Gina told me that she had sent me an anonymous letter at the end of last year. You remember that letter I found on my bed?"

"It does ring a bell, yes," Ian nodded casually, as if he wasn't seeing anything coming.

"At the time, I distinctly remember asking you if you had any idea of who would have dropped this letter," Joel went, thoughtfully. "You said you had no idea. Still standing by that?"

"That would depend on how things went between you and Gina," said Ian, smiling innocently.

"They went quite good, actually," said Joel, with a smile. "But I'm still a little surprised. Gina claims you put the letter on my bed. She's pretty sure about that. The way she implied that she begged you for it."

"Oh, if I had anything to do with it, I wouldn't say she begged," said Ian. "Our Gina is way too dignified to beg. That is, if I knew anything about that."

"Right," said Joel, frowning. "I guess I would have to thank the person involved in that bit of off-the-book post delivery."

"Probably," said Ian, still sporting his most innocent face.

"Alright," said Joel. "Thanks, then."

"You're welcome," said Ian with a cunning smile.

"And now I have to crush you," said Joel, matter-of-factly.

"Why would that be?" asked Ian, keeping his casual and innocent facade.

"For being a sneaky liar who left me in the dark for months!" said Joel, jumping on Ian's bed.

Ian got out of reach. He could see that Joel was grinning widely, now, but he was still trying to get him. He started to chuckle, as he dodged another attempt to grab him.

"I thought you were grateful," he protested between laughter.

"That's basically the only reason why I won't kill you," said Joel, with the same laugh.

And they started some wild wrestling match in the middle of the dorm room, laughing like mad. Each time Joel was willing to break it, Ian was teasing with the silly sentence "Joel's got a girlfriend! Joel's got a girlfriend!" and the fight was starting over again.

When they finally stopped, out of breath, Joel began to describe excitedly the way it felt to kiss Gina, and the incredible feeling it was to have a girlfriend. And Ian surprised himself envying his friend.

Kenneth was in the library, trying to focus on this book, in search for the components of the Potion he had to prepare for the next lesson. But still, the words of Professor Potter rang in his head. He had talked to him after the first session and after his row with Julie. Kenneth had told him he suspected Donahue to have taught the Shocking Blast to Walters. Potter had told him that he would need proof.

Even if he wasn't really fond of him, Potter had to be fair, even to Donahue.

And he had said that to confront him and take his revenge in an acceptable way, he had to face Donahue on his own field. Kenneth agreed with that, but there was no way he could defeat Donahue in a regular duel, as long as Donahue was able to resort to the Shocker. And Kenneth was quite sure that Donahue wouldn't miss any occasion to get Kenneth to face him, now that he had such a weapon to use against him.

He was trying to shake away these thoughts and to focus on his reading, but it was useless. He sighed deeply.

"Need some cheering up?" asked a voice, that Kenneth recognized at once.

Kieran was taking a seat across the table with little smile. Kenneth smiled back.

"Cheering up would be nice, but I doubt you can help me," he said. "No need to ask why you're in the library," he added with a smile to the brightest girl in the school.

"In fact, I was looking for you," said Kieran. "I heard you had some trouble with Donahue?"

"Can we avoid this subject?" said Kenneth, smiling sarcastically.

"Well, I wondered if I could help you, in any way," said Kieran.

"Well, sure you can," said Kenneth, sarcastically. "Do you know how to block a Shocking Blast?"

"Not yet," said Kieran, very seriously.

Kenneth raised incredulous eyes to her. She held his gaze for a long time. He could tell that she really meant it. And then he remembered who he was talking to. He smiled. She was studying with Flitwick, of course, to become a Spell Writer, composing new Spells out of scratch. If anyone could help him, it was her.

"You would be up for the challenge?" he asked.

"I'd up for that," said Kieran with a smile.

"Alright," said Kenneth. "Tell me when you're ready to get to work, then."

When Kenneth came back in the Common Room, he was a little more light hearted. The prospect on working with Kieran on a way to overcome Donahue's advantage was exciting and indeed, that was cheering him up!

Kenneth looked at the hourglasses of the room. It was almost time to eat. He spotted Kalindra, who waved at him. But before he could join her, Thierry passed by him, very quickly. He was heading straight at the dormitory stairs.

"Hey, Thierry," Kenneth called after him. "Time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," said Thierry, without turning his head.

Kenneth noticed the anger in his voice. An anger that had a curious, unfamiliar edge... He didn't have the time to ask him about it. Thierry had rushed up the stairs, without any further comment.

Puzzled, Kenneth gave up the idea of going up talking to him. He didn't seem to be in the mood for this. Kenneth joined his friends to get down to the Great Hall and have a dinner. Thierry didn't show up. When they all went back in the Tower, Thierry was fast asleep.

The next day, he was back to his nice manners, with his irony and his wry humour. Kenneth didn't find the occasion to speak about this with him. It was strange.

The days at school had returned to a more 'normal' state, and the memories of the fight on the pitch were starting to be outshined by a few other things.

First among them, the Silver Quill Challenge had picked up its pace. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick had revealed the nature of the challenge, and it was puzzling, indeed. They had brought all the candidates in the room where the quill had been held last year and had revealed that basically, the challenge this year would be a magical treasure hunt. The Quill was concealed somewhere in the Wing, not only the room. Hidden by spells, the Quill would have to be detected, found and retrieved. The students were supposed to scan, search, and devise methods to seek the coveted prize. And Dumbledore warned everyone against the traps and decoys. They were there to provide 'entertainment'.

What he meant was soon revealed when one of the teams, out of Ravenclaw showed up all dyed in blue all over their bodies, after they had attempted a very straightforward scan of the courtyard. Various obvious solutions were tried and many resulted in various side-effects, like hair changing colour, or being splashed by cold water.

Ian wondered if Dumbledore was taking advice from the Weasley twins in the devising of this year's challenge. Anyway, the attempts were all funny to watch, and the students had come to wait eagerly for the next, while many speculated on the way the Quill could be concealed in a place like Hogwarts, and what the solution to the puzzle would be.

The other subjects that were starting to push the pitch fight out of everyone's memory were the coming excursion to the Brotherhood's home in Brocéliande and the Yule Ball, of course. It seemed to Ian that the whole school was starting to show signs of a fever. Everyone was just so excited about both events, and Ian could tell that, unlike the Silver Quill, the interest was far from academic.

The Ball, last year, had turned to a gold mine for any gossip monger, and everyone had kept speculating about who would be going with whom. Ian saw the same thing happen this year, only he was far more involved, because his year would be allowed to attend. So many rumours about the couples at the Ball started to include his close friends. The points of interest were the usual: who would the Prefects go with… who the Quidditch team players would be taking there… But it started to sound a little weird, when it came to speculate if Terry Longwand would get a date or if Gina really was Joel's girlfriend. Ian had to admit this was new a just a little unsettling. But he treated these rumours as he treated any other: he processed them, made sure they weren't hurtful, and then spread them across the school through his many contacts.

The trip to Brocéliande was a different affair. Where a few (very few) considered it as a fascinating opportunity to discover another side of Magical Education, most people saw it as a chance for a really nice date. It would be like going to Hogsmeade, only it would be in another country! So the same speculation as for the Ball was running around the school.

One of the 'freshest' rumours that ran through the school was about Marion Sweeney. From the beginning of the year, Marion had suddenly gained in popularity, simply by stepping into the game of dating. Nothing scandalous, but it had led many people to realise that Marion was, actually, a pretty girl. So, now, many wondered who would be her date for the Brocéliande trip, and since, the excursion promised to be exciting, if that would give people any clue as to who would escort her to the Yule Ball.

Ian failed to see how it was such an issue, but Diana and Morag had set him straight on the subject.

"You see, Ian," Morag told him, when the subject was brought up. "Teenagers are stupid."

"Nothing new about that," said Ian.

"Let me finish, moron," said Morag, with an annoyed frown for his 'insolence'. "They're stupid and they focus on silly things. They want drama. They want fresh gossip. I can't believe I'm explaining that to you, of all people."

"No, Morag," said Ian. "I actually understand the whole concept of 'fresh news' replacing the old ones in everyone's head. I know why the Ball is starting to eclipse the Quidditch cup and the Silver Quill. What I don't understand is why the issue of Marion's dates is such a big deal. Even seventh years are talking about it!"

"You don't think Marion is worth the interest?" asked Diana.

"You're twisting my words," said Ian. "When I hear 'Marion could be taking this one to the Ball' or 'I hear Marion would go the Brocéliande with this one', all I can think of is 'well, nice, good for her' and go on with my life. Why is everyone making such a fuss?"

"Because it's new," said Morag. "Most dates and couples tend to settle down. Look at the sixth and seventh years. They seem to be all stuck together in stable relationships. And for the people gossiping about it… it's boring. Marion beginning to date guys brings in a little excitement."

"So people not breaking up and not cheating on each other is boring? Isn't that a little creepy?" asked Ian. "I mean, everyone is just wishing for drama?"

"Well, I didn't say I wish for it," said Morag with a shrug. "And again, you're sure you're in the best position to pass judgment on the way people gossip. You spend half of your time spreading the rumours!"

"I'm just talking around," said Ian. "It's not my fault if everyone comes to me to repeat what they heard."

"You started it, back in first year," said Diana.

"Possibly," said Ian. "Still, I'm not eagerly seeking the juicy details. I'm just making sure no one gets hurt by lies and false rumours."

"How noble of you," said Morag. "Remember who set up that betting pool about how pretty the Arithmancy teacher would be?"

"No, no, no," said Ian, grinning. "That was dropped on me by Terry, who didn't have the necessary contacts. Not my fault if it became so popular."

"You still bet," said Diana pointedly.

"Oh, shut up," laughed Ian.

"Anyway," said Morag. "Marion's romantic situation is also a source of drama, because some people expect it to become more intense soon."

"How so?" asked both Diana and Ian.

"Well, so far, all Marion has done has been flirting around, pretty innocently," said Morag. "Now, people are eagerly waiting for the whole thing to boil over when Teddy finally reacts."

"Teddy?" asked Diana. "Teddy Cage? Why? Is he into Marion?"

Ian and Morag turned a meaningful look to her.

"What?" she asked.

"Is Teddy Cage into Marion Sweeney?" asked Ian. "Seriously? Does Dumbledore have a beard?"

"Oh, and knowing so much about everyone's personal life isn't creepy at all," said Diana, with a withering look.

"That's different," said Ian, with an innocent smile. "I'm out to preserve them, not add to the pile."

"Our hero," said Morag, in feint marvel. "So, what about you, Malcolm?"

"Me?" asked Ian, puzzled.

"Your personal life is the subject of fascination for many of us," said Morag. "And of course, you're useless to get gossip about yourself. So, you have any plan for the Ball?"

"Not so much," said Ian.

He briefly thought of his bet with Ewan, about him not going to the Ball with Kieran. What had seemed pretty easy in the beginning was now starting to feel like a bleak prospect. The more he thought about it, the less he wanted to spend that evening with anyone else.

"You should hurry, Ian," said Morag. "You wouldn't want to lose your chance."

"My chance with whom?" asked Ian.

"If you don't know, my dear, who am I to spoil the surprise?" she said, patting him gently on the cheek.

And on that, she left him on the spot, striding merrily away with Diana. Ian was dumbfounded, unable to understand what that had been about. Seriously, was there anything more complicated, more confusing than girls?

"Alright," said Harry, raising his hands to call for attention. "Now the Maze is ready for you."

The Defence Club had gathered out in the grounds, in front of the Castle, on the south shore of the Lake. Before them, stood a weird looking construction. It was roughly circular, and it was moving. The entire thing seemed unable to actually stay still. Huge cubes of wood and metal were spinning in a series of concentric circles around the centre. Sometimes, two cubes would switch places inside the same circle, or two circles that were turning in the same direction would suddenly change course. It was all very puzzling, but it did look exciting to many.

The second session of the Club was taking place on the Saturday afternoon. Harry's idea for the Maze had quickly appeared to be impossible to insert inside the students' timetables. So he had settled for regular session that would be held indoor, that would be about duelling and practical defence, and special sessions, held on the week end, where they would be using the Maze.

"The Maze," explained Harry to the assembled teens, "has been built by Professor Lockenburn, Professor Hagrid and myself. The name is actually mostly for show, since you will not be lost forever in this. What you will find in there is a series of trapped rooms, each one a test for your various skills in Magic. There are some wrong turns and dead ends involved on your way between these rooms, but, on the whole the main point of your exploration of the Maze is to see how you face the challenges prepared for you. They will be random, as you could see the rooms switching place. So, no need to try and tell the ones who will step inside the Maze after you what to expect, because each group will face a different series of challenges."

All students exchanged gazes of interest, and for some, worry.

"These traps should not cause you any real harm. But each one who will fail to evade the trap, shall be expelled from the Maze immediately, and not necessarily comfortably," Alexander went on. "You see the spheres, over there?"

He was pointing at a huge panel with glass spheres aligned in five series of ten.

"Each sphere represents a level. You go through a room, you pass one level and the sphere shall lit up in blue," Alexander went on."

"The goal of the test," said Harry, "is to get through ten levels of the maze, which will bring you to its centre. You will all enter the maze in groups of five. Your only way out of the Maze will be your knowledge of defensive spells, your bravery, and your wits. So who will try first?"

There was an excited murmur in the group of students, as Hufflepuffs and Gryffindor had all stepped up immediately. Soon, an order of passage was decided.

Harry and Alexander exchanged one look and smiled at each other. This should be interesting.

The tension was high on the lake shore. Kenneth could feel it. The Maze seemed to be a harsh test. There was an area just at the right of the construct. It was set up so that, apparently, when one failed one of the tests, one was transported out of the Maze to the outside, without any care for comfort at all.

Kenneth wondered what could be inside the Maze that was throwing the students out with such brutality.

Two groups had gone through the test and the whole of them was thrown out of the maze before they lit up the third light. Will succeeded to get to the fourth test, but failed there. He landed on the thin mattress, looking a little dizzy.

"That was rough," was all he could manage.

Rob reached the fourth as well, but failed too., and soon joined Will, looking a little vexed. Thierry, apparently caught off-guard, achieved the same result.

Kalindra didn't even get to the second room, and landed in a heap on the mattress.

"I got distracted," she explained grimly, when she joined Kenneth.

Julie reached the third room, before to be thrown out. And Mandy got to the fourth. When she got out, she walked to Rob and Will, and winked at them.

"So much for the macho superiority," she said.

"Well, you could have try to go a little further," said Will.

"That would have been wasting my time," said Mandy, chuckling.

"Show off," said Rob.

Soon, it was believed that the fourth level would be the best performance, but then Fields and his group stepped in. While the other four were kicked out of the Maze unceremoniously, the light of the second, then the third level was lit up. And, against all odds, the fourth lit up as well, which meant Fields was in the fifth room. The Gryffindors cheered, and waited, their eyes glued to the panel.

Unfortunately, Fields suddenly appeared on the mattress, where he landed ungracefully.

"Holy..." he swore, before to get back up on his feet, dust his robes with his hands and finally turn to the crowd to shrug, which earned him a few laughs. He joined his friends, who congratulated him on passing the fourth level.

When Donahue's turn came, he entered the Maze with two Ravenclaws, including Gillian Crawley, and two Slytherins. Most of the group was thrown out before the second room, and Gillian reached the third before to be kicked out. But Donahue wasn't getting out. The fourth sphere lit up, with a little bell sound. The Slytherins cheered.

And suddenly, the fifth sphere lit up as well! Donahue had passed! Will and Rob groaned.

"Oh, no, don't tell me this peacock will get the record," wept Mandy.

"Hold on to hope," said Kalindra, with a strange look to Kenneth, which he chose to ignore superbly.

The sixth sphere lit up, greeted by Slytherin cheers. But as soon as the sound died away, Donahue was thrown on the exit area. He got back on his feet.

"Wow," he said. "That was tricky!"

"Thank you for this appreciation, Mr Donahue," commented Professor Potter. "Last group!"

It was Kenneth's turn. There were five doors to the Maze, each leading in a different room of the first circle. Kenneth picked his door and waited for the signal. Waiting with him were two Hufflepuff Seventh years and two Ravenclaws, one seventh year and the sixth year Prefect Eamon Clark.

"Go," said Potter.

Kenneth rushed in the Maze and found himself in the first room.

It was large, far larger than it looked from the outside. Kenneth suspected a spell not unlike the ones used in some parts of the Castle. As soon as the door closed behind him, huge energy balls began to fall from the ceiling, rebounding against the floor, the walls, going in every direction. The loud cracking sound they made at each hit told Kenneth that he did not want to be hit by one of those. Taking a deep breath before to move, he summoned his shield and began to cross the room, deflecting the balls coming from every direction. The walk was intense and very tense, as he needed to react immediately in every direction. Finally he reached the door, but found that he couldn't possibly reach for it with his hand. So he opted to direct his next shield against it, pushing it open in one move that allowed him to block another energy ball from behind his back. He plunged inside the door and heard the bell sound that meant he had lit up the first sphere. He lost no time and shut the door behind him.

He walked through a corridor and needed to make a few turns before finding himself before the next door. He heard a loud rumbling sound and felt a trembling in the walls around him, before a loud click told him that the second circle had turned and changed the room before him. He opened the door and stepped inside.

There was no light whatsoever in the room but Kenneth was hesitant to light up his wand. That could be the trigger to a trap. He was considering his options, when he heard a curious wail, like the wind whistling in a stormy night. He recalled his third year lessons. Armstrong had told them about the Wisps. Those creatures that were nothing but cold air and could freeze you to the bone. Kenneth reasoned that it he was facing Wisp, he needed to see where he was walking. He lit up his wand.

"Lumos Maxima," he said.

The bright light revealed that the floor wasn't full. Instead, it was as if Kenneth was standing on the edge of an abyss, with only a labyrinth of narrow walls to lead him across the rooms. So he had to make his way through the room while banishing the Wisps, to prevent them to pass through him, which would probably send him falling and surely out of the Maze. Using his wand to send the huge source of light he had summoned ahead of him, floating over him, Kenneth prepared his defence against the Wisps. Armstrong recommended the use of fire against them, but had told them to be cautious. Kenneth invoked his Fire Whip, ready to strike, and he took a few steps on the path he had chosen to make his way to the next door.

He heard the wail of one of the Wisps coming behind him. He didn't risk turning back, so he lashed his Whip behind him. The ribbon of magic energy struck the windy creature with a thunderous sound, and it retreated with a scream that was little higher pitched than usual. Kenneth quickened his pace, while staying careful not to miss one step. Three more screams came at him and he struck in a circle, adding a little flame to the Whip. He didn't hit a creature but he heard them step back. He was half-way through when he saw one attacking straight on. He could barely see the thing, except for a pair of glowing blue eyes. Kenneth unleashed a fire ball before him and the creature dodged, before to flee. Seeing his path clear, Kenneth took a chance and ran for the last meters to the door. He realised he had made the right choice, when he felt and heard the wails of four Wisps right behind him. Using his wand to open the door, he lashed his Fire Whip one last time behind him to cover his plunge into the threshold. He felt the icy touch of one of the creature pas through him as he fell on the floor, and he heard the bell signalling he had passed the second level. Closing the door behind him and fighting against the furious chill he had felt, Kenneth prepared for the next round.

There was another portion of labyrinth he had to cross before to reach the next room. He felt like he had walked a few miles already, while the Maze certainly wasn't that vast. The door was already waiting for him, so he crossed it quickly.

And he found himself in what looked like an old temple. He wondered where the teachers had gotten their ideas. But his question wasn't meant to be answered, because he saw four statues starting to move away from the wall, wielding huge clubs and swords made of stone. While Kenneth knew that he wouldn't be crushed to death by a statue during a Defence lesson, he certainly didn't want to put the feeling it would be to be hit by those things to the test. He prepared for the fight, as the statues were blocking his way to the next door. The statues were massive, but Kenneth had an inspiration. The shattering spell that Flitwick had taught them earlier this year! He aimed at the nearest statue's hand and cast his spell.

"Fracasso!" he shouted.

The hand exploded in a cloud of dust and debris. Reassured that the spell worked, Kenneth engaged the three others, striking them repeatedly, while he was advancing through the room. Soon, he was surrounded by the rubble from the statues, panting a little, but feeling a little exhilarated. That had been stirring.

He went to the door, and made sure there was no spell on it, before to open it. He quickly made his way through the twists and turns that led to the fourth room.

When he stepped inside, he found that he had company! Entering the room a few seconds after him was Eamon Clark, out of breath and looking stunned to find him here. Kenneth wondered what was going on and then he realised that it was obvious. As one got closer to the centre of the Maze, the choice in test rooms decreased. In the end, it was logical to get rooms in common. Eamon looked at him and seemed to have come to the same conclusion. He had a smile.

"Nice to have waited for me," said the Ravenclaw.

"You're welcome," said Kenneth, grinning.

They turned to see what was inside the fourth room. And they raised both their eyebrows, when they saw nothing at all.

"I'm guessing we can't hope for a break, can we?" said Eamon.

"I shouldn't think so," said Kenneth.

They stepped deeper inside the room. A huge wall fell suddenly behind them, closing the way out. The walls began to close in. More exactly, energy walls began to close in. Kenneth and Clark exchanged looks.

"Speed test," said Kenneth, starting to run toward the other side of the always shrinking room. Clark was on his heels. Kenneth was a fast runner. He took a good advance on Clark. And he saw the ground disappear just before the door, leaving a gaping hole. He waved his wand at the door, which swung open with a bang.

"You'll have to jump," he told Clark, over his shoulder.

"Right," panted the Ravenclaw.

Kenneth quickened the pace and tried to gain thrust. He leapt over the hole and landed brutally through the door. He rolled on the ground to free the passage for Clark. He saw him jump, but he was too short, and plunged into the hole, and disappeared with a flash.

Kenneth winced.

"Too bad," he said. "On my own again."

He got on his feet. The room was dark and silent. This wasn't really reassuring. He saw rays of light on a regular frequency coming out the walls. Kenneth was sure it was linked to the trap in the room. He picked up a stone from the ground.

He threw it through the first ray of light. And in response, there was a huge clicking sound. The stone went through the whole room, crossing six rays of light. And for each ray of light, a huge pendulum came down from the ceiling, swinging menacingly. The cadence wasn't the same for each pendulum, which left basically no chance of running through.

Kenneth jumped against the wall, just in time to avoid the first pendulum of the mechanism, which was now blocking the passage to the next room. Kenneth looked at the movement for some time, trying to find a way out.

Wow, that should be fun, he thought bitterly.

Outside, Clark was getting to his feet, still acclaimed by his house-mates. He had gone further than the other three in the last group, which left only Kenneth remaining in the Maze. Julie wondered how controlled the whole exercise truly was. If someone got into an accident, who would know until it was too late? She was waiting anxiously for Kenneth to get out in one piece. There was a rhythmic noise in the structure that sounded pretty ominous.

"He's in the same room I got through," said Donahue to his friends. "The one with the pendulums. No way he will pass through it," he added confidently. "I had a lucky shot, on this one. One of the pendulums missed one move, but I'm sure it was an accident."

"We'll see," said Gillian Crawley.

"It's all seen," said Donahue.

Julie was worried. Kenneth had been inside this thing for a long time now. What on earth was he doing?

Kenneth stopped to look from left to right. There was no way he could catch the rhythm and avoid the pendulum. He shot a quick look at the top of the room, the ceiling. And the arms of the pendulum. He invoked the scanning spell. No Magic on it! Of course!

He evaluated his move, and the jump he'd have to make. Then breathing deeply in, he leapt for the closest arm of the pendulums, and grabbed it. He clenched his arms around the wooden piece of the mechanism, and succeeded in pivoting. He then grabbed the next arm, and jumped from one to the other, without going near the pendulum itself. He was convinced that the mere contact would mean he would be transported out of the Maze. Kenneth looked around him. The cadence of the balancing movement was different for each pendulum. So he had to be very cautious with his moves.

He concentrated a long time, still gripping the wooden arm. Then he jumped, and caught the next pendulum. He almost missed the first arm, and had to grab the second not to fall.

Phew! he thought. One down. Five to go.

"What the heck is he doing?" said Will.

It had been ten minutes since Kenneth had entered the fifth level. Given the time Donahue had spent in there, and the way he described the test, it was starting to be worrying.

"He must be petrified, hiding in some place," said Donahue, sneering. "You should go pick him back, up, Professor."

"Maybe he's right, Harry," said Hagrid, under his breath, not willing to give Donahue the satisfaction of being listened to.

Harry threw a look at Alexander, who shook his head. The Entropist seemed quite confident. Harry decided to act the same way.

"Let's give him a little more time," he said, casually.

Last one

Kenneth grabbed the second arm and jumped to it. He could see the exit. He slid a little lower on the arm. Then he used the thrust the pendulum was giving him. He jumped and let go of the arm. He landed brutally on the stone floor, but he had the time to lean on it, before the pendulum hit him in the back. He rolled on himself and reached the door. He scanned it for any trap, and opened it, still lying on the floor.

He then jumped on his feet and ran through it. Just in time. He could feel the wind from the pendulum's swing right in his back. The door shut violently behind him.

The light of the sixth room lit up, with a little bell sound. Everyone shot stupefied looks on the glass table of result of the Maze. As Kenneth was the only one left in the training structure, the ringing could only mean one thing. He had gone through the fifth room and he had equalled Donahue's performance.

Donahue seemed quite displeased with this. Kalindra could see it. And she was honest enough with herself to admit that seeing Donahue upset wasn't unpleasant. Since Kenneth had shared his suspicion with her, about the fact Donahue had planned for Kenneth being attacked just before the pitch fight, Kalindra had little patience for anything that concerned Donahue. His strutting, his arrogance, his manners. Everything irked her about him. So to see him being challenged was a treat.

She saw that Julie was ignoring his reaction, which certainly didn't help to appease his mood. She was eyeing the Maze warily. Was she worried about Kenneth? That seemed unlikely. So far this year, she had shown nothing if not disinterest for Kenneth's well fare, and now she looked concerned about his safety?

Once more, Kalindra wondered what the hex was going on with the French girl.

And still the Maze was making its noises, showing that there was still someone inside, standing a fight against Professor Potter's traps.

Kalindra smiled to Mandy, who was clearly sharing her thoughts.

"Come on, Lionheart," she said. "You'll show them!"

Mandy nodded enthusiastically.

Kenneth studied the Sixth Room with caution. He knew that Donahue had been caught in this one. So there had to be some very special trap. He scanned the room with his wand, and it revealed that a lot of spells were interwoven with each others, forming some sort of invisible web in the room. He summoned one stone from the ground. He decided to give it a try. He threw the stone through the room and the Spell were triggered. A huge lighting bolt crossed the place from left to right and started to rebound in every direction. Meanwhile, some light ball, was doing the same from up and down. The whole room was scanned, and there was no way to escape the traps.

Kenneth waved his wand and aimed at the ball.

"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted.

The ball exploded in sparkles.

But he had lost his concentration. He saw that the lightning bolt was now speeding his way toward him. Kenneth made quick wave of his wand and the lightning hit a shield an inch before it hit his chest. It rebounded again, and seemed to go for another circle in the room. Kenneth scanned the room again and saw that some spells were still here. He summoned the stone again. But before to cast it, he had an idea. Maybe the lightning could be neutralized. He surveyed its course cautiously, took aim, and cast the stone right into the lightning's path. The wave of energy hit the stone and it disappeared in one flash of light. And so did the lightning.

Now he had more room and time to think.

There was a flash of light and a stone appeared on the ground of the landing area. Harry took it and smiled.

"Very clever, Mr Lionheart," he said.

"What?" asked Hagrid.

"The lightning bolt in the room he's in is an apparition spell," said Harry. "But it's only targeting moving things. So Mr Lionheart is providing targets to the spells "

"That's not the way it must be done!" protested Donahue. "You said we had to use only magic and our wits."

"And that's what he's doing," said Harry. "He's using what he found in the room to counter the trap. Sometimes using his brain doesn't mean casting all the spells you know., Mr. Donahue."

Kenneth scanned the room more cautiously. He saw that a path had been cleared, now that the lightning was gone. He could crawl to the other side of the room. He made sure he got the position of the spells right and began to crawl on the stone ground, making his way through the room. He reached the other side, and leaned against the wall to catch his breath. Then he studied the door. He was about to use his wand again to scan it, but something in his instincts warned him. Sure enough someone like Professor Potter would have thought of the scanning spell in this Maze. So Kenneth made sure to take cover, before he cast the spell to reveal any Magic. And sure enough, another lightning bolt sprung from the door, and began to rebound wildly in the room. Kenneth took another stone from the ground, aimed and cast it right in the course of the spell. Both of them vanished in a second.

He smiled. Surely, the others were wondering what could be going on in this place.

Harry got the second stone from the exit area. He chuckled discreetly.

"Crafty boy, isn't he?" said Hagrid.

"Definitely," said Harry, smiling.

The glass sphere from the seventh room lit up with a slight crystal sound. The Gryffindors in the room cheered at once, now certain that a Gryffindor would hold the record for the first try of the Maze.

Harry noticed that Donahue's face was sporting a very grim expression. He wasn't sure that he wasn't pleased with that.

Kenneth scanned the closest area of the room, before to step away from the door, which closed behind him. As soon as the door closed, jets of fire suddenly went out of the walls. Kenneth dropped on the ground, avoiding contact by an inch.

"Wow," he said, raising his eyes to the ceiling.

Of course it wasn't real fire, since Professor Potter wouldn't try and hurt his students in a training session. But Kenneth was sure that the fire had the same effect as the lightning. Kenneth tried to get back on his feet. Nothing happened.

I guess it was the welcome of the room, he thought.

The first fire jets had been out of the walls with the clicking of the door. But Kenneth thought that they weren't only meant to be used with the door. He then noticed that the stones of the ground had different shapes and colours. Maybe some were linked with the fire and some were the safe path out of the room.

Kenneth tried, kneeling cautiously, to touch one of the stones. A green one. The fire started automatically. He dropped on the ground again, waiting for the fury over him to finally recede.

Then he tried the blue ones, and the fire started again.

Red and Yellow were also starting the fire.

Kenneth smiled. Of course. Each student was more likely to try the colours of his house in the first place. Red, Blue, green and yellow, for Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.

There were only two colours left. Black and grey. And both of them were too far for a try. Kenneth would have to try one, and suffer the consequences. He tried to think like Potter. Grey was obvious, since any colours was starting the fire. So, the darker way might just be the safer.

Kenneth breathed in, and took a little jump to a black step stone. Nothing happened. Kenneth spotted the next black stone and jumped on it. Still nothing. He jumped his way across the room like this, from a black stone to another. But at some point, he saw that the wall of the entry door was beginning to move, and to close in behind him. So he had now limited time to get through the room. He made another step to a black stone, trying to forget the wall behind him. And suddenly, at his feet, all the stones of the way switched colour, leaving only grey ones.

Kenneth let out a groan.

"Nice one, Professor," he said.

And he saw that the stone ceiling was also descending on him, now, ready to block the exit door. No way out if he stayed too long in this place, and fire whatever the step he would take.

"Okay, that will be fun," he said, pulling his wand at once.

"PROTEGO!" he shouted, and he began to run to the exit, the fastest he could.

Fire surrounded him, but his shielding charm protected him, and when he reached the exit door, it was almost out of sight. He plunged to the ground, and rolled under the wall, which closed behind him. He got on his feet, his wand ready. But nothing more was after him, now. Only the door. It was wide open. Kenneth scanned it and found that it was clear of spell.

He walked through it. And he entered yet another section of twists and turns, leading to what should be the ninth room. But soon, he realised that this wasn't the usual corridor... this was a room in itself! There was an entire level dedicated to finding his way. He knew that he wouldn't go far, if he navigated blindly. So he returned to the door and began to properly explore the labyrinth, to be sure not to miss anything. He considered the pointing spell only he realized that since the rooms were turning around the centre, he could pick a false path by trying to head west, where he knew the centre was, when he had stepped inside the maze.

The Eight glass sphere lit up with blue light, and the Gryffindor covered the crystal sound with their cheers.

"He's amazing," said Mandy.

"You said it, Girl," said Kalindra, smiling.

"Okay, folks," announced Michael Waltham, from Hufflepuff. "Now I'm placing a bet that Kenneth will reach the end of the Maze. Ten sickles."

"You're on," countered a Ravenclaw.

"Twenty that he reaches it," said Will.

"No way," said Jerome Bosch, a Slytherin seventh year. "Thirty he doesn't last the next room."

"You're on for your thirty sickles, Bosch. He'll do it," said Gillian, smiling slyly.

Kalindra saw that Julie was throwing a surprised look at Gillian.

What did you expect, Goldilocks? she thought. Just because you didn't choose him doesn't mean no one will.

Kalindra saw that Professor Potter was smiling at this sudden betting frenzy. She exchanged one long look with him and she was suddenly sure that he had winked at her!

"Forty that he will be thrown out before to reach the end!" said Anton, Donahue's best friend.

"Yeh're on," said Hagrid, with his booming voice.

Kalindra burst into laughing at Anton's face, who wasn't expecting anyone to take the bet, apparently. And this time, Potter really winked at her, she was certain of that!

Kenneth found himself in a dead end again. It wasn't possible! The tunnels only had four ways out. The four couldn't be dead ends! Kenneth began to think hard. He had checked the ceiling in the last three dead ends he had been in. And here too. Kenneth felt the walls under his hands. And the thought struck him. Had he done the same, in each dead end?

He could see himself touching the wall in the last one. But not in the second. He ran to catch back his trail and rushed into the second passage he had taken. He emerged in the dead end again. He began to push on the walls, regularly, to be sure not to miss anything. In a very small corner, he suddenly fell through the wall, and rolled on the ground, in a large room. The wall was an illusion!

Kenneth got on his feet and looked around him. He was in a large squared room. And he understood the point of the exercise. The labyrinth was meant to confuse you, and then you had to face the test.

Walls on his left and his right had a kind of spike coming out of it. Just one spike, so it wasn't likely it would be meant to impale students, Kenneth thought comically. He spotted the exit door.

The scanning of the room wasn't showing anything. That was strange, and maybe a little too easy. Anyway, Kenneth started to walk cautiously through the room. As soon as he had made three steps, the spikes suddenly came to life and revealed that they were quite flexible, like giant whips, which began to slash through the room. Kenneth stopped.

His first reflex had been to drop on the floor, but he fought it, since the whips were also going at ground level. He wouldn't be safe on the ground and he'd lose his mobility.

Kenneth looked in the situation. The whips were moving wildly, and there was no way he could avoid them. Except… right in the middle! He had to stay on the straight line, and the whips wouldn't get him. They were too short! Of course! They were too short when he had entered the room. Kenneth had plenty of room to go through. Even if they moved, they weren't any longer. It was just a trick, to try and impress him, and push him into committing a mistake.

Again, he breathed in deeply before to walk straight at the door.

He even closed his eyes, to avoid seeing the whips. Kenneth had always been good at keeping his direction straight, even with his eyes closed. That was something he had learned while mastering the Wand Gift. To know where you were in space even when you are blind was necessary when you faced an enemy.

So he walked straight ahead, until he hit the door. He opened his eyes and smiled. He turned to see that the whips were now back to immobility. That was clever. This room was playing on the nervousness of the students, right out of a stressful exploration of a labyrinth. Cold blood was a strength.

Kenneth scanned the door and opened it. He walked through, to enter the last room of the Maze.

"I don't believe it!" cursed Bosch, as the light of the Ninth room was lighting up.

"You owe me thirty sickles," said Gillian, triumphant. "And thirty to Will, as well."

Will bowed his head to Gillian with a wide smile. Bosch began to search his pockets, looking very grim. Mandy looked at him and smiled broadly.

"He's brilliant," said Rob.

"And he's surely cheating," said Anton, sniffing in disdain.

Rob chose to ignore this last comment.

"You can't cheat in this test, Mr Anton," said Professor Potter. "The spell on the Maze makes the rules the priority. Any rule breaking is you ticket out of the maze. Everything done so far was in compliance with rules."

"See? Yeh're still on for forty, kid," said Hagrid.

Anton, looked at him with disgust.

Kenneth was in complete darkness. He wasn't sure he could light up his wand.

"Revelae," he said, using the spell he had learned from Professor Lockenburn.

A little light was the reaction of the spell, and while there was no spell acting in the air, he saw a little light flicker from a hundred of points from the room.

"Lumos," he said.

His reflection was suddenly seen in mirrors. The whole room was filled with them, so many mirrors that the way through it was lost in the reflections. Kenneth tried to figure out something to get through this thing in less than two years.

And suddenly, he could see one of his reflections starting to move, without any starting movement from him. The reflection stepped out of the mirror, and waved his wand at Kenneth. Kenneth waved his wand in reaction, blocking the offensive spell. He started to duel against himself, and the duel was quite fierce.

He countered to an attack and he shot a slight lightning that hit the reflection in the shoulder. Kenneth was thrown on the ground by the shock. He had felt it! The attacks hitting his reflections were like attacks on himself.

Great, he thought.

While he was blocking the attacks, he tried to figure out the idea. How was he supposed to win? By redirecting an attack against the reflection?

A Crazy idea came through his mind. He suddenly lowered his wand. The other Kenneth made a wave that he knew very well. The stunning spell hit him, and a second later, his reflection was lying on the ground, stunned. Kenneth sighed in relief. Then he saw that the other mirrors were staring to move.

A second reflection cast a lightning at him. Kenneth let the spell rebound on him. But the reflection dodged it. Great, he thought. They're learning.

But the lightning bolt hit the mirror from which the reflection came. It wasn't a violet shock but it was enough to push the mirror off-balance, and it fell on the stone floor, shattering on impact. As soon as the mirror was broken, Kenneth's double collapsed in a million fragments, leaving only shining glass dust on the floor.

Kenneth saw the other reflections try to get out their mirrors. And he noticed the way they were disposed in the room.

"Well, lucky I'm not superstitious," he said.

He waved his wand for a repulsive spell and the frame of the closest mirror fell right into another. Kenneth had heard of dominos by Rob, and the way they were all falling with just one push.

All the mirrors were crushed in a matter of minutes. Kenneth felt almost sorry for Professor Potter, who would have to repair them all for the next session.

But the door was visible in the end of the room. Kenneth walked, avoiding the glass debris. He reached the gate and scanned it, more by habit than by true worry.

It was charmed. Kenneth waved his wand.

"Finite Incantatem," he said.

The door simply disappeared. Kenneth raised his eyebrows in surprise. He walked through the frame and ended up in a dark room with a stone lectern, where jewels were disposed. Five jewels. Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and White. Kenneth gave it a thought. It could be the same trap as in the fire room. The fact that the students were keen on choosing their House colour, may be a mistake. But Professor Potter had used it already once. If he had gone through the Fire room, there was a chance he was expected to go for the white jewel. Kenneth shrugged and grabbed the red stone.

And he felt like he was using a portkey. He swore mentally. He had been trapped!

Kenneth appeared out of the Maze. But he was not on the landing where so many of his fellow students had ended up. No, he was on another platform on the right. He looked around him, and saw professor Potter smiling. And he heard a little bell sound. He looked to the origin of the sound, and saw the tenth glass sphere light up with a blue light on the panel.

"You completed the Maze, Mr Lionheart," said Potter, with a smile. "Congratulations."

"I thought it was one more trick," said Kenneth, showing up the red stone.

"The same trick twice?" said Potter, smiling. "I certainly hate to repeat myself. I take it you had to go through the fire room, then. Well, once you had avoided this trap, it was a good way to see if you were keen on using the same tactics all the time. I'd say you did manage perfectly."

"Thanks Professor," said Kenneth.

"Don't get too confident over this, Mr Lionheart," said Potter with a smile. "Thanks to you, I will have to refine all the spells of this Maze and add some more. If one student can get through it at the first try, I guess I was a little too kind."

"I'm sure you were," said Kenneth.

"Anyway, that will grant Gryffindor thirty points," said Potter.

The Gryffindors cheered as one and all gathered to congratulate Kenneth. There was a pretty good amount of slaps on his back and some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs came to shake hands with him.

At some point, Kenneth caught a glimpse of Julie's face. She was smiling, apparently happy of his success. And Kenneth then saw that Donahue was holding his anger in check, but somehow failed at hiding it.

It wasn't his style, but Kenneth couldn't help but smile at Donahue's dismay.

For once, in his life, he clearly enjoyed the triumph.

Alright! this one is done. Do not hesitate to tell me if you liked it! next bit should be up very soon, it's uploaded in my doc manager!

See ya!