Disclaimer: J K Rowling created Hogwarts. There are some other places, names, and ghosts taken from the Harry Potter series, but the primary characters from those stories don't appear. I will finish this and hope to not take another break, but anticipate whining if review numbers remain low.

The Great Whist Tourney

Elizabeth awoke to the hand over her mouth before Vivien even started to shake her shoulder. Vivien mouthed, "One-thirty," and Elizabeth reluctantly rolled out of her warm bed. In the light of a small candle floating in mid-air they dressed silently and moved to the Common Room.

"Must you wear that black cloak?" Vivien complained

"It's warm, besides isn't the point to not be seen?"

"Yes, but it always gives me a creepy feeling to be talking with a shadow. Remember the plan. I forgot my history text and was too worried to sleep. You graciously said you'd come with me when I went to retrieve it."

"That should get us as far as the history classroom if anyone stops us."

"We won't see anyone this time of night, unless it is your friend the Vampire, and you need only smile at him. No one goes into the hallways past the history room."

Vivien applied the pas de chat charm to their feet and they slipped silently from Slytherin. The occasional torch provided enough light for the trip to the classroom wing. "Lumos" commanded Elizabeth as they turned a corner into unlit territory. Halfway down the hall they found a small alcove, and pulling back the hangings on one side the two proceeded down a relatively narrow flight of stairs.

The stairs ended at what might have been a moderately-sized classroom at one time, now largely filled with crates, trunks, and barrels. "I hate this room more than your cloak," Vivien complained. "Why do they keep all these souvenirs of dead people?"

"They aren't all dead people, it's the property of students and teachers who didn't return to claim it."

"Yes, but dying is the best reason not to return. Besides look at the dates on those crates, even if all those students eloped they're dead now."

Painted on the side of each container was a name and date, printed when the possessions were crated and sealed with curses to keep out any but the rightful family. A Slytherin aptly called Rat had found the dungeon several years ago. He'd returned to Slytherin with donkey's ears on his first attempt to loot the crates. His second attempt resulted in a donkey's ears and tail. Bowing to threats the curse wouldn't be lifted unless he provided an explanation he showed other students his discovery. When they pointed out a number of crates dating to the years of Wizard's Plague Rat ended his thieving ways, at least as far as this room. The room had mostly served Slytherin couples who wanted privacy, but had taken on another function this year.

Squeezing between crates they came to an oak door, probably to what had been the professor's office when this had served as a classroom. Elizabeth knocked twice and a house elf ushered them in to a warm and well-lit room.

Four card players looked up from the table in the middle of the room. The two Ravenclaw wizards beamed at Vivien. "Good to see you," growled one of the Slytherins, "We're down twelve more points on our shift."

Since the Great Clock had not yet struck Elizabeth and Vivien moved to a small table where the house elf had set out tea, coffee, and a few pastries. Vivien took a small cup of tea and moved over to watch the hand play out. Elizabeth took a bite of a dried cherry pastry and thanked the house elf, who simpered and bowed in gratitude. Elizabeth then managed to badly scald her tongue on a sip of hot coffee, but it had the consequence of waking her fully.

"What's going on," one of the Slytherin players complained, "damn house elves have just been bringing tea and toast."

"Don't say 'damn house elves'," Elizabeth scolded. "They don't have to bring anything."

A Ravenclaw tossed a card on the larger table, "They're here to serve us students, at least as long as we don't ask for anything Mrs. Dalyrumple would object to."

"Well, they don't need to bring tea, and it wouldn't hurt you to thank them."

Vivien added her musical laughter to the subject, "The house elves love Miss Gray."

The hand ended shortly after the clock struck two. The Slytherian partners initialed the score sheet and surrendered their chairs to Elizabeth and Vivien. The house elf had departed promptly when the chime rang.

Vivien smiled so radiantly at the two wizards that they practically melted. "Whose deal?" she asked, and they eagerly passed the cards to her.

Elizabeth, a mediocre player at best, felt vaguely honored to sit opposite Miss Kestrel - one of the best players in Slytherin. More than honored, Miss Gray felt deeply grateful to even be allowed to know Vivien. Elizabeth sighed at the beauty of the woman sitting across the card table from her as Miss Kestrel shuffled and dealt. Perhaps the two of them could hold hands as they strolled slowly back to… Elizabeth closed her eyes and shook her head to clear the cobwebs, then she glared at her friend. Whatever charm or potion Miss Kestrel was using to enhance her beauty and the reactions of those around her was far too powerful.

Vivien laughed and complimented and scored points as the game continued. The wizards of Ravenclaw sighed and fawned and adored the blonde witch as they lost points. Elizabeth tried to fight the charm which made her want to join the young men in worshipping her friend and grew increasingly convinced that Vivien was, in fact, cheating. Vivien gathered a trick from the table that Elizabeth felt quite certain the wizard sitting to her left had won. Even more unbelievable to Elizabeth, two hands later Vivien led the queen of diamonds, and Miss Gray distinctly remembered the card being in her own hand as she sorted her cards into suits. Elizabeth looked up to complain about the manner in which her friend played, but Vivien looked so beautiful that Lizzy could not wish any unhappiness on her friend, Vivien's happiness was the most important thing in the world.

In the back of her mind a small voice screamed, "This is wrong!" but at the moment Elizabeth lacked sufficient strength to act upon the voice, and the two Ravenclaw wizards appeared satisfied with being allowed to worship at the altar of Miss Kestrel's beauty.

Slytherin gained sixty-three points in the hour between two and three.

At a quarter until three another house elf appeared with coffee, tea, and pastries. It offered a treacle tart to Elizabeth who thanked her sweetly. The elf responded with the same adulation the wizards showed towards Vivien. A few minutes later a knock sounded on the door and the elf opened the door for the next team of Ravenclaw players.

"What is going on!" Vivien protested as Rose Fowler and a tall witch with a sour face entered the room. "You were not scheduled to play! Where are Mr. Belby and Mr. Chambers?"

"When Miss Quirke and I heard that you were playing we decided that we must be allowed to see you at the table and find out if you were as good as your reputation. We traded places with the two, they will play at five."

When the clock chimed the hour at three the house elf departed and the two Ravenclaw wizards, after finishing the hand and initialing the scorecard.

Miss Quirke wrinkled her nose in disgust on sitting down at the table. "The room is oddly stuffy," she complained, and waved her wand, "Deliquaro!"

Elizabeth's head, which had felt like it had been wrapped in cotton, suddenly felt clear.

"I was told Mr. Belby and Mr. Chambers would be here," Vivien objected again. Elizabeth noted her friend looked worried.

The two witches shrugged. "Best laid plans," Miss Fowler commented, "I'm certain they had the best of intentions in regard to playing now. Miss Quirke and I will fill in as best we can."

And it appeared the two witches could fill in very well indeed. After three hands the sixty-three point advantage the Slytherin witches had gained in the previous hour had been slashed to forty-eight points, and Vivien's face was white with terror. Ravenclaw gained another point in the next hand, and the blonde witch was sweating.

Conversation died at the table as three of the four witches played with focused ferocity.

Yet another house elf arrived with tea and toast, and apologized to Elizabeth - assuring her that he had not know she would be there. Rose Fowler dealt what would be the last hand for Miss Gray and Miss Kestrel. Elizabeth couldn't believe the cards she fanned in her hand, easily the best hand she had received all night. Not even Miss Gray could lose with a hand that good.

As the hand played out young Nigellus Black arrived with Miss Honig for the next Slytherin shift.

"Should we let them take your place now?" Miss Fowler asked.

"No!" Vivien declared firmly, "We play out the hand before the next team takes over, those are the rules."

Vivien's hand shook as she initialed the score sheet. Slytherin had gained fifty-two points relative to Ravenclaw in the last two hours. The blonde woman was still trembling as she left the card table with Elizabeth.

"What's wrong?" Miss Gray asked, her concern for her friend outweighing the anger she felt for Vivien's recent actions.

"A bet… I won two galleons if Slytherin gained fifty points while I played, five galleons if we gained a hundred points."

"And your losses would have been?"

"Two galleons if we gained less than fifty, four galleons for less than forty."

"Do you even have two galleons?"

"I was going to pay you back with my winnings! I'll give you both galleons."

"I asked if you even have two galleons."

"You know I don't," Vivien snapped.

"And if you had lost?"

Miss Kestrel hesitated, then admitted, "I'd have asked to borrow more from you."

"You shouldn't bet if you can't afford to lose!" Elizabeth scolded.

"I couldn't lose! Not if they played fairly, I--"

"Played fairly? May we discuss how fairly you played?"

"I cheated within the rules!"

"Excuse me, what does 'cheated within the rules' mean?"

"Did either of the wizards object to anything I did?"

"No."

"Then I cheated fairly. The committee that drew up the tournament rules allowed that."

Elizabeth sighed. "How did you get into such a foolish bet?"

"Because I couldn't lose! Not if they were honest. I should have won four galleons. I'd have given it all to you. But--"

"But they told you Mr. Belby and Mr. Chambers would be playing, and they didn't, so you claim that they cheated. You raised an objection, what does that mean? Is there a penalty for cheating if they other side objects"

"They didn't cheat fairly," Vivien muttered in a sullen voice.

"What does that mean?"

"Technically lying to me about who was playing isn't cheating. Different teams can be substituted if some problem keeps two players from the game. But it wasn't fair."

"You expected fair from Ravenclaw? Why would they have made such a foolish wager? Had it been two more wizards you'd have… Whatever charm or potion you used in there was far too effective."

"You too?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"An ancient family recipe," Vivien laughed.

"Dangerous," Miss Gray muttered. "I'm saying it was too easy, you should have known they would try something."

"They gave me a handi-- You are correct. I should have known."

"A handicap? There was a handicap involved?"

Vivien yawned, "I am tired. I am glad I needn't play again for hours."

"What was the handicap?" Miss Gray demanded.

"Shhh,.. We could meet someone in the hall," Miss Kestrel whispered, pulling the history text out of her robe to provide an alibi if challenged.

"You will explain the handicap to me or I shall scream," Elizabeth threatened.

Vivien sighed in exasperation, "Fine. You were my handicap."

"What? I was your handicap?" Elizabeth looked hurt. "I play that badly?"

"You have such a reputation for fair play that they knew you would not cooperate with anything you didn't think was right."

Elizabeth wasn't certain if she should be pleased at news of her reputation or offended that she could be considered a handicap for a better player. She did feel that Vivien had used her, and had no business offering wagers while relying on the strength of their friendship to make good any debts of honor. Tired, cross, and out-of-sorts she did not speak to Miss Kestrel for the rest of the day.

The whist tournament ran continuously for a week. Miss Kestrel, on the committee to organize the event, scheduled herself to play five times during the week. Elizabeth was scheduled for only one other session on Thursday during the late afternoon with Mr. Philpott as her partner. Keeping the tournament secret from the faculty represented part of the challenge, and if one of the houses were caught it would result in the other house being declared the winner. The house elves represented a minor risk to the tournament. They would not keep secrets from the housekeeper, but unless Mr. or Mrs. Dalyrumple asked directly, "Are students doing anything they should not," the house elves would not volunteer the information.

Playing whist with Vivien reminded Elizabeth she needed to put her own financial affairs in order.

The day after Miss Gray and Miss Kestrel's early morning excursion, as Charles Potter entered the Great Hall for breakfast a Gryffindor fourth year pointed out, "Someone left a book on the table for you."

The notice would not have been required. The book sat atop a plate at the end and side of the table where Mr. Potter generally took his meals. A piece of parchment had been tucked inside the front cover - with a couple inches sticking up. The visible portion of the parchment read, "For Mr. Potter." He smiled as he read the title, "One Hundred and One Curious and Forgotten Spells." He pulled out the parchment and read the message. "I discovered this in my trunk and remembered you had requested to see it. Please read and return at your leisure.
PS: You are forgiven."

Charles smiled even more broadly and picked up the book to check for a table of contents. As he opened the front cover three gold coins slid out and clinked as they fell onto the plate.

On Wednesday evening Sarah Cooper was allowed to return to the meeting of the Dueling Club, the first time since she had set Mr. Bulstrode on fire. When Professor Sauberkehren asked if there were any challenges to be made a hush came over the students present, wondering if Mr. Bulstrode would challenge the third year. Augustus looked like he wanted to say something, but he remained silent. He would not acknowledge Miss Cooper's presence.

The third year spoke up, "I wish to challenge Mr. Bulstrode to a duel for his insulting and arrogant manner."

The Dark Arts professor turned to the fourth year, "Do you accept the challenge?"

Augustus actually smiled. He wanted to face her again. "I accept."

Several other duels preceded that of the two Slytherins. The Galens checked their potions, just in case, as they waited for the rematch. Students whispered among themselves, ignoring the first duels. The threat of expulsion which hung over Miss Cooper if she repeated her spell had been widely reported. Some wondered if her hatred for Mr. Bulstrode ran sufficiently deep to set him ablaze again. Mr. Bulstrode had somewhat mixed feelings on that subject. He wanted revenge. Being set ablaze hurt tremendously, even with the help he received. But he would gladly spend more time in the infirmary if it meant Miss Cooper being thrown out of the school.

The two took their places at either end of the dueling field. Some of the students in the front row slid their benches back slightly.

They bowed almost imperceptibly to each other and assumed the wands down position. Professor Sauberkehren stepped back from between them and checked right and left. Neither moved, awaiting his signal. "Now!"

Miss Cooper moved faster, she sent a spell at his face, "Feriro!" It was a striking spell, and one usually considered too weak for dueling since the effect was rather like a physical blow, in this case to his left eye. She managed another, "Feriro!" before the large wizard could bring his wand into play, and blood spurted from the fourth year's nose.

"Frangero!" Mr. Bulstrode thundered. He aimed well, breaking her wand arm. A murmur ran through the club, the breaking spell was not allowed in club duels.

"Stop the duel," Professor Thomas called. Galens stood to move forward.

"I don't yield," Sarah shouted, taking the wand with her left hand and firing again, "Feriro!" It was a lucky shot, hitting again in the left eye and leaving it swollen shut. "Feriro!" her next spell went wide, she had tried to hit him in the right eye, but could not aim as well with her left hand.

"Frangero!" Augustus, in pain and with only one eye working, missed her left arm. He broke ribs. The girl bent in pain, then straightened as best she could.

"I said, stop the duel," Professor Thomas called again.

"No!" Professor Sauberkehren protested. "She does not yield and he deserves his revenge."

"Feriro!" She hit him in the stomach and he gasped for air, but it did little damage.

"Frangero!" He managed to hit her other arm.

"Stop it!" Professor Thomas shouted. "Miss Cooper, yield!"

Unable to move her arms the third year glared defiance at the bully, "I do not yield to trolls."

His next shot broke her left leg.

She wobbled, standing on her good right leg, as Mr. Bulstrode took aim with his wand. "Expelliarmus!" Professor Thomas knocked the wand from the hand of the fourth year.

Poppy Crouch ran forward to help her friend.

"I do not yield," Sarah gasped through the pain as Poppy and a fourth year Slytherin witch helped her lie down so the Galens could work.

Mrs. Pilton saw Miss Cooper in the infirmary on Thursday morning before she was released. The third year argued that since she had only used an accepted spell in the duel she must be regarded as innocent in the incident. The acting head of the school almost retorted that her behavior had provoked the incident, then reflected that the young woman probably recognized that fact for herself. Instead Mrs. Pilton sighed and patted the young woman's hand, "Dear, choose your battles wisely. There are more problems in the world than you have strength to fight."

"But if it is a battle which I think is right?"

"I said chose well. Does an insult deserve what you have done and suffered?"

Miss Cooper looked thoughtful, "It depends on the insult, doesn't it? There are words which can be ignored… But aren't there things which must be defended?"

Mrs. Pilton smiled, "I don't deny that. My advice was to choose your battles wisely. Weigh the risks and the benefits, and try not to let your emotions rule your brain." She patted Sarah on the hand again, "Be careful child."

The head of the school found Professor Sauberkehren in his classroom between classes. He wanted to believe it was the boggle who castigated him for allowing the duel to continue. "At Durmstrang--" he began to protest.

"We are not at Durmstrang," she reminded him sharply. "You are to set an example to the students by following the rules. If faculty cannot comply we have no business asking the students to obey. She managed to cow the man slightly, finally getting him to accept that he should have enforced the call by Susan Thomas to stop the duel.

At the end of the conversation she asked for constructive ideas on how to deal with the two Slytherins. "I threatened her with expulsion if she broke the rules in the club. He knew that. I am half-tempted to expel the young man. I don't know what to do with the pair."

The Dark Arts professor tried to justify his actions, "I thought that allowing revenge might make them willing to drop the matter."

"I believe that in most cases retaliation will only make matters worse. We need to find another way. I am about to threaten him, should he break the rules again. If you can find a minor infraction in either or both to put them out of dueling club in might eliminate some potential for friction."

In the afternoon, after being sent to Mrs. Pilton's office following an unusually harsh caning, Mr. Bulstrode lay on his stomach in his room, loudly cursing Miss Cooper, frequently extending the rants to Miss Honig for the crime of being Jewish, and occasionally cursing Miss Crouch for treating the other two with anything other than the contempt they deserved for polluting Slytherin.

Miss Gray and Mr. Philpott made it back to Slytherin from their stint at the whist table just before supper on Thursday evening. On the first day of the tournament Slytherin had taken a strong lead. It had melted over the second day and Ravenclaw had taken a small lead on the third day. Since then the scores had remained close, but with Ravenclaw frequently slightly in the lead. Mr. Philpott, a strong player and frequent partner for Mr. Malfoy, and Miss Gray had gained thirteen points on Ravenclaw in their two hours, but their house remained twenty-seven points behind.

On Friday evening the final two hours of the tournament were to be held in the Slytherin common room. The Bishop arrived first. Hufflepuff's Mr. O'Connell carried the stakes. Between the deep purses of the Wells and Malfoy families ninety galleons had been wagered by each side and he did not feel comfortable carrying that amount of gold.

Ravenclaw arrived en masse at seven to watch the final two hours of play. Miss Kestrel and Mr. Malfoy served as the final champions for Slytherin while Mr. Wells and Miss Quirke played for Ravenclaw. Slytherin stood seventeen points behind Ravenclaw. Miss Kestrel and Mr. Malfoy would normally have made such a sum with ease, but Ravenclaw put in their two best players against them. With four skillful players at the table the luck of the deal became even more important.

Elizabeth saw her brother beside Miss Fowler as they arrived. She went to greet Weasel and ask how classes were going and realized the robe Miss Fowler wore looked familiar. "Is that from Kestrel's?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes."

"I thought so. I bought--" Elizabeth noticed that a look of panic had come on Weasel. He begged her with his eyes to say nothing. Miss Gray had been about to say she had purchased two robes there for Edward William. She realized this was one of the robes she had purchased, passed on to Miss Fowler as a gift - without the information of how he had obtained it. "-- or rather, I buy, many of my own clothes there."

Weasel gave her a look of gratitude. She had him now - she would hear the complete story of how he found the book on Welsh herbs.

While the final players continued at whist the two houses enjoyed a small party as they waited news on the final score. At the end of each hand the results were called out and Ravenclaw's lead eroded gradually as the time passed.

Ravenclaw had an advantage of only two points as Miss Quirke dealt what would surely be the last hand of the tournament. There were only a few minutes until nine and the end of the tournament. Mr. Malfoy and Miss Kestrel's hands fit perfectly. He managed to strip trumps. Vivien had signaled a long suit and his final lead crossed to her hand and left her with the lead.

Mr. Wells and Miss Quirke, knowing they would lose the hand badly began to slow the play. They waited before playing cards. They talked of classes. They asked questions of Miss Kestrel and Mr. Malfoy - which were usually answered with, "It is your turn to play a card."

The chime of the Great Clock sounded through Hogwarts as Vivien led again. "We win!" Mr. Wells declared.

"No you don't," Vivien retorted. "We must finish the hand. You will lose."

"The rules say that the tournament ends at nine," Mr. Wells reminded her.

"The rules say that a hand in play will be finished after the chime."

"The rules are designed when the next team takes their seat at the table. There are no next players," Miss Quirke pointed out. "This is the end of the tournament."

"That is irrelevant," Mr. Philpott, who had been listening closely, shouted. "A hand in play must be finished."

"Besides," Vivien added. "Your delay of game represents a form of cheating. You knew you could not win so you refused to play. Slytherin wins on your cheating penalty even if we were to allow your ridiculous claim - which we do not."

Mr. Wells smiled, "We might have delayed the game. Where in the rules of whist is there a rule against slow play? If there is no rule against playing at a slow pace it can not be regarded as cheating."

"You lost," Mr. Malfoy grunted. "Admit it, and pay your debts."

"Bishop!" Mr. Wells shouted, "tell them we won. Ravenclaw is ahead at the end of the tourney."

"The rules are a hand in play must be finished after the chime," Mr. Philpott insisted.

"Only before a change in players," Miss Fowler called.

"They cheated!" a chorus of Slytherins yelled.

The Hufflepuff wasn't certain what to do. "May I see a copy of the rules under which the tournament was played?"

"It wasn't written out," Miss Kestrel admitted.

"Not written out?" the Bishop asked in disbelief.

"We didn't think Ravenclaw would cheat in that manner," Mr. Philpott explained.

"We aren't cheating!" Miss Quirke insisted. "The tourney was scheduled to end at nine."

"The hand must be played out!"

"I rule the bet null," the confused Bishop told them. "You should have written down the rules under which the tournament would operate." He pulled out two leather pouches, each heavy with gold coins, and tossed one to a Slytherin and one to a Ravenclaw.

And all hell broke loose in the Slytherin Common Room as fighting erupted between the two houses. With some of the anger directed against the gangly Catholic Mr. O'Connell crawled beneath one of the heavy tables in the central alcove off the Common Room and pulled his wand to protect himself.

In the perception of Ravenclaw they managed a dignified and orderly retreat. Slytherin saw it as driving out the thieves and cheats. It was twenty minutes after the last of the Ravenclaw's left before the Bishop cautiously emerged and made his own strategic retreat.

At Dueling Club on Wednesday Miss Cooper and Mr. Bulstrode were warned they would only be allowed to use disarming spells should they duel. Should a spell or curse off the approved list for Dueling Club be used they would be expelled from Hogwarts. Should they use a spell or curse other than the disarming spell, even one approved for use in normal club duels, they faced expulsion from Dueling Club and failing Dark Arts. Miss Cooper, the faster of the two, disarmed the fourth year.

The absurdity of arguing that magic did not exist brought out a larger number of students than anyone could remember seeing for a winter term debate. Seven faculty members agreed to serve as judges to declare the winning side.

Mr. Belby of Ravenclaw spoke first. "Fellow students, distinguished faculty, Mr. Ackerley and I present a simple thesis today, but one which is no less significant for its simplicity. There is no magic."

Catcalls and jeers from the spectators greeted his comment.

"Please, let me explain. Should an African savage be somehow transported to our own land, and should that simple native see a steam locomotive, moving tons of iron more swiftly than the poor brute can comprehend, he will surely call the vision magic. But, of course, it is not magic. It is simple physics and the brain of a good English inventor. We need no magic to explain the workings of a steam engine, it obeys the forces of nature."

In the audience, friends of Mr. Jones in Gryffindor added a few raucous calls to the description of Africans.

"The forces of nature are not always known or understood. Once our forefathers imagined that the world stood still and that the universe revolved around that unmoving earth. Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo changed our understanding of the universe - but did they change the universe itself? No, they did not. They brought understanding where before there was only ignorance. They established the truth of those natural forces which move the universe.
"This universe rests on these natural laws. Cause and effect represents one of those immutable laws. Any effect we observe must stem from a sufficient cause. That sufficient cause may not be seen nor understood, but our ignorance will not change the necessity of its presence. Our ancestors came across laws of nature that muggles can neither see, nor understand, nor use. The muggles called it magic. To our shame we have accepted their terminology. We call it magic when, in truth, it is no more magic than the gravity which compels the apple to fall straight to earth instead of floating into the sky or falling sideways.

Mr. Belby held the floor for twenty minutes, explaining in greater detail how what Hogwarts called magic represented a force of nature and should be studied as a science. He sat to perfunctory applause and Mr. O'Connell of Hufflepuff, having recovered his composure from judging the whist tourney, rose in defense of magic.

"Mr. Belby speaks of cause and effect," the Bishop told the audience. "He insists that nothing happens without sufficient cause. Yet I find his skepticism oddly inconsistent. He has read Hume deeply, but not well enough. Mr. Hume has argued against magic, but he attacks the very foundation of science as well in his skepticism. Were I to strike Mr. Belby on the nose, and his nose start to bleed, an intelligent person might rightly assume that my blow caused the nose bleed. But Mr. Hume would scold that person for holding an unproven assumption. He would say cause and effect is an illusion we project onto the world. Perhaps Mr. Belby's nose simply spurted blood for some illness or fit of temper.
"You can not have it both ways, you cannot call for science and doubt its efficacy in the same breath--"

"I never doubted it!" Mr. Belby shouted. "Don't put words in my mouth!"

Most of the judges marked a point against the Pro side of the argument. A few also deducted a point from the Con side as well, Mr. Belby had not questioned the assertion of cause-and-affect and Mr. O'Connell had altered the position of the other side in his presentation.

The Hufflepuff might have been put off the rhythm of his argument by the interruption, or perhaps he was merely poorly organized. He rambled in his defense of magic, asserting that miracles represented proof that affects may occur without immediate cause. "Look to the Scriptures," he concluded. "For if the Lord can turn water into wine then assuredly there is more to the universe than natural laws. And if the transcendent power of God stands outside the natural laws of the universe He created then as assuredly is magic which also stands outside the limits of natural law."

Mr. Ackerley almost salivated at the opportunity to address the Bishop's arguments in his rebuttal.

"Mr. O'Connell needs to study the word proof, for he points to Catholic superstition and labels it proof. The Catholics have yet to find a lie they are unwilling to believe - whether it is stone statues crying tears of blood; the home of Mary lifted into the air by angels and in God's infinite wisdom wafted through the skies to the Balkans, then Recanti, and then the Lord finally found a suitable location in Loreto; or St. Cynog who continued to walk about with his head in his arms after it had been cut off. He offers nonsense and superstition and calls it proof?
"Students, faculty of Hogwarts, there are no miracles. To work outside the natural laws of the universe is not possible within the universe. None of us have ever seen a miracle. None of us will ever see a miracle. One cannot see what doesn't exist. There are two choices when faced with such stories of what could not have happened. One is to label them fables - either to deceive the gullible into parting with their money or more charitably to think the writer used parable and myth to impart his message. The other choice is to hold some, and I emphasize some, of these stories as those of our ancestors who learned to harness that natural force we so poorly call magic. I emphasize some of the stories for the superstitions the Roman Church taught its parishioners over the centuries transcends all reason.
"If an occasional true story can be found amid the priestly lies it is because of the men and women who performed what we have called magic. Let us call it magic no longer. Let us study it as we study any other force of nature. Let us learn greater things than our ancestors knew as we come to greater mastery of this force of nature within the physical universe."

Miss Coote of Gryffindor provided the final rebuttal, and worked to find the throat of the other side. "My friends, I will not attack base atheism," she began. Of course, labeling it as base atheism represented an attack, but she had other points to make. "I will, however, point out foolishness and inconsistency hiding behind the masks of science and logic. I will not speak in defense of Popish superstition, but I will accuse the other side of the debate in lacking the very sense of proof they demand of us.
"Certainly many of the stories which have been told of miracles are nonsense, but the other side of the debate sweeps them all into the dust bin. Many of you have at some point received a leaden sickle or a galleon of Leprechaun's gold. Does the existence of a counterfeit prove that the genuine coin does not exist? How many of the stories of miracles are true, and how many counterfeit? The percentage is not important to my point, to label them all false because they do not fit what a person believes is as much an act of faith as accepting them all because of what one believes--"

"It's not about belief, it's about science," a supporter of Belby and Ackerley shouted from the student section.

Miss Coote raised an eyebrow and nodded her head thoughtfully. "About science… Yes, let us examine their claim to the label science. I do not wish to misrepresent the position of the wizards of Ravenclaw." She looked over at the two, "I understand you to proclaim that science offers the answers to understanding the universe. That through empirical examination, and empirical examination alone, can the nature of everything be truly understood. Faith cannot provide a foundation for understanding the truth around us. Does this represent your position fairly?"

"That is our position," Mr. Ackerley agreed. Mr. Belby nodded in assent.

Miss Coote smiled and turned back to the students, "Then I ask them to prove empirically that science provides the only foundation for knowledge of the universe. Science may examine the physical world it can measure and quantify. It cannot measure, study, or pronounce judgment on metaphysics. To assert that science can do what it, in fact, cannot is not science. Science cannot prove that science provides all answers. That represents a statement of faith, perhaps pure and most certainly simple. To claim that statements of faith are inherently flawed, and then to raise your argument on such a foundation is inconsistent. You cannot both attack faith and build your own argument upon it."

A number of students laughed with Miss Coote, who smiled. "Thank you. I would like to finish with a demonstration of something I do not believe that science can answer. I will request that Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington assist me."

The Gryffindor ghost floated forward, "How may I help you?"

"If you would be so kind to lean slightly."

"But I--"

"Please?"

The ghost's head flopped over onto its spectral shoulder, bringing laughter from the students. Miss Coote addressed the ghost, "Thank you, Sir Nicholas." She then turned to the two Ravenclaw Wizards as the Gryffindor ghost set his head aright, "When science can explain Sir Nicholas I will listen. But if you cannot explain the truth in front of you through science you cannot answer the question of whether there is truth beyond you."

The faculty who served as judges awarded the debate to those who argued against the proposition by a two-to-five margin.

Elizabeth couldn't believe any faculty had been foolish enough to vote for the Ravenclaw wizards and sought out Professor Wood to ask who could accept so silly an argument.

"I was one of them," he told her.

Elizabeth blushed, "I am sorry I was so intemperate with my language. But why?"

"Because I appreciate science. And if the two did not make their case as well as I might like I should point out that the other side did not argue especially well either. Oddly enough Professor Flamel voted with me. The oldest and the youngest faculty members agreed with the Pro side."

"Did he state his reasons?"

"Actually, yes. He found the proposition there is more to learn about magic very exciting. He thinks that in a number of subjects greater study would benefit our knowledge of magic. He asked if we know all the properties of dragon blood, or if we merely repeat what we've heard over the years."

Elizabeth repeated her apology and returned to Slytherin with the other students. The debate had failed to entertain as much as students had hoped. Everyone longed for the return of the sun. Even the boggart in her wardrobe seemed to suffer from the gray days of winter. The dementor which threatened her as she prepared for bed seemed unusually insubstantial and listless. She hoped the creature wasn't ill.

The outline for this story was written before the necessity room was introduced in the series. Like the later family history of Tom Riddle I decided not to use it when I began to flesh my outline into this story.

Mr. Ackerley makes no reference to the doctrine of Papal Infallibility because the Catholic Church didn't realize this had always been church teaching until the Vatican Council of 1870. (Renamed as Vatican I after a second Vatican Council met in the mid-twentieth century.)