Anthony looked up from his books as Smith entered the library, watching him keep his heavy breathing down to avoid the vulpine scrutiny of Madam Pince. He's been sprinting- why?

As the Hufflepuff boy slumped down next to him at the table where a petrified Draco Malfoy was sitting, by all appearances reading, he glanced with a confused look before giving up on the query he was about to ask.

"Hannah's been telling everyone the Chamber of Secrets is open and the Death Eaters are going to come through it." Anthony might have responded with an amused smile, but he was more frustrated than anything else.

"Of course it's Hannah." he started. "It could have been anyone else, and people would have believed her, but it just had to be Hannah."

"You think she's telling the truth?" Smith asked.

"I know they're active. I know they're targeting students." He grimaced involuntarily. "I know the Chamber is open."

"Well, I believed her, I just wanted to know if you did. What else have you heard from your friend?"

"Not a lot- I had a message from him through that girl- what's her name, red hair, shorter..." the Hufflepuff failed to refresh his memory, probably in the same boat. "Says there's someone in Slytherin who can speak to snakes."

"This is the first-year Slytherin."

"He's probably not lying. There are all sorts of esoteric types of magic in the world." Anthony explained from personal experience. "The most likely explanation is that it was imported from somewhere like India a long time ago." Smith seemed to more or less accept the idea. It was a commonly acknowledged fact that the subcontinent had a longer magical history than Britain, or at least a longer recorded one. There was some point to looking into Druidic lore, he imagined, but it was unknown to him.

"He also said the monster was getting around in the plumbing." the Hufflepuff remembered. Both of them looked at Malfoy a moment, as though he might develop a look of shock, but his face was, as always, placid. It's that stiff upper lip of his- Had he shown surprise when I cast the leg locker, someone might have noticed his expression by now.

"We should have figured it would be a snake of some sort. The probability of Salazar Slytherin using anything other than a basilisk or a cockatrice was low in the beginning. Your friend Susan was barking up the wrong tree with the werewolf sneaking around the castle in human form."

"I think she stole that one from Hannah."

As he turned another page in the book he was reading, doing his best to keep on top of coursework, he decided it was quite possible the boy voluntarily sitting with him lacked friends in his own House, at least of the male persuasion. Terry Boot of his own year had become a companion some time after Hermione was petrified, and Anthony had been grateful for the change in perspective.

"Do you know anyone in the conspiracy?" he asked.

"No. Only reason I didn't go after Hannah; the rest of them would have made me. Electrum would have, at least."

"Tell me about him." Anthony requested. I have nothing better to do at this point. If the school falls, it will not be because I didn't fight for it.

"His real name is Cadwallader. Real nonentity until last year, with Ebony and all that, plays Beater for the House team." Beaters are seen as support players, while the Seeker gets all the attention.

"What does he want?"

"I couldn't wrap my head around it at first." Smith started, staring off into space a moment. "He seems to... genuinely want to protect everyone."

The idea lingered in the air for a moment as the Ravenclaw considered it, wondering how the ambitious idea did not land him in Slytherin, unless he developed it later, or it required an extraordinary amount of hard work to implement. He doubted the hat placed much stock in personal preference.

"That does sound like a ton of work. What does he mean to do, nationalize Hogwarts with Aurors walking the halls?"

"I honestly don't know. The trick of it is he always knows more of the plan than you do, probably something Ebony taught him." the Hufflepuff answered. "What are we going to do with him?" he asked, indicating the immobilized boy.

"I suppose if we left him like this he'd only tell someone eventually. I had intended to use him as a hostage, but that plan has a good chance of falling through if the Death Eaters take the castle. The castle has so many secrets, so much hidden knowledge I'd exploit with the opportunity. They'd have him back from me, wherever I put him, and that would be the end of us."

"We could toss him into the gap." Smith suggested. It appeared the boy's cowardice had progressed even further, but Anthony refrained from comment. It was objectively a viable idea, and most likely it minimized risk. I was hoping to get more out of capturing the Malfoy scion than a bit of petty revenge. Fortunately, there's another option.

"Given what you know, that's what I would have done." the Ravenclaw wizard started. "I've been looking into a few things in the library since Winter holiday, and I have a better idea."

The other boy looked around before asking what it was, the yellow trim of his robes fluttering only slightly as he turned.

"It's an enchantment applied to the soul."

"Sounds complicated."

"It is, but I've been reading about it for weeks. It's one of the greatest achievements of the Roman empire." Pioneers in the Western magicks that shaped Europe, the Romans had developed many of the higher arts in enchantment before the knowledge was lost at the fall. The decadence of the empire had been responsible for the loss of influence, and the subsequent combative destruction at the hands of Germanic Rune Meisters had dealt the final blow, but the enchantments on Roman libraries had allowed for the rediscovery of the scrolls by later wizards. Presently, as under Louis XIV, the French saw themselves as the inheritors of the magicks and might of Rome.

"How does it work?" Smith asked.

"The book says it leaves an irremovable mark on the skin. From what I can tell, it gives me a permanent magical connection. If he ever causes any one of us trouble, we could really put him in a world of pain."

"We can't still use him as a hostage?" It's a reasonable question.

"I doubt they would call off the invasion just for him. The trouble with Death Eaters is that you can't trust any one of them to act rationally- they're all manipulated by the boss." In his version of the plan, they would have to give the boy back, but ultimately the two of them, well the four of them if the other two came, would split. Canada and Australia were obvious choices, and in the event that Malfoy went after them himself, that was where he would look. America or possibly Israel would make the most sense for him, but both were similarly obvious, especially if anyone knew him to be the brains of the operation. That's something even this idiot would guess. He had asked his friend to look into English speaking countries around the world and at the end of a long time of contemplation he had settled on Liberia. I expect the four of us to stand out well enough, but they would never seek us out.

There was a crashing sound that could likely only be heard in the silence of the library.

"Deal with it. Keep anyone from getting in here." Anthony muttered as he waved his wand over the Slytherin. "Signum Animi" he started, moving the boy's collar to see a deep red mark forming. That's the enchantment- given time, I could make a proper Roman Eagle. Alas, I have too little time and too much taste.

Smith seemed to be casting spells in the background, sealing the door to keep as many students as possible from escaping. Fortunately, the librarian seemed to be on board with it, though his mind was focused on the book he had stolen from the Restricted Section. We're going to have to get out of here the moment we're done. Sealing the enchantment with a simple somatic transfiguration, he imagined the mark seeping down to Malfoy's bones, reminding himself it was no worse than his sort deserved. The potion would come last, though in truth that was a misnomer, the active magical component was an enchantment applied to the liquid. He had been inspired by the blood magic Professor Snape had reportedly performed to save the Hufflepuff, Justin something, though apparently this was a different matter.

A green flare of spellfire through an enchanted window caught his attention, and apparently he was not alone in this regard.

The regulars recognized it instantly as a killing curse, though even some of those cramming for tests shared in the subsequent panic. Anthony might have sighed, but he had another purpose for the air moving up from his lungs.

"Well, look's like it's that time anyway." He uncorked the phial. "Down the hatch, Draco." As he poured the solution down the throat of his hostage, he irrationally detected panic in the Slytherin's eyes before turning his attention to Smith, who was finding more and more students inclined to reinforce the door. Shield charms and transfigurations had made a mess of it, and he doubted he would get out, though that was some time in coming. He nodded in the Hufflepuff's direction.

"We're leaving?"

"We're raiding the Restricted Section- then we're leaving." Anthony explained as he kicked open a chest from under the table. Like his father's it was charmed, but the purpose would be in carrying books. He had no intention of getting in there himself.

"The portkey's expired." the other boy muttered. Shame- these things seem to have a half-life on them or something. To think of what I had to invest getting it off the Weasley twins.

"We'll have to get out another way." he obviated as he used the levitation charm on the stack of books already on the table. Smith picked up the trunk, finding it had already been charmed to be featherlight as he carried it to the appropriate section of the library. The first-year had given them guidelines on what they needed, and what would be available elsewhere.

"Where's your friend?"

"His neck of the woods, getting potion ingredients. It was clever of him to get the trunks ahead of time, though I suspect he likes taking the girl to London." The Hufflepuff chuckled as he worked, not stopping a moment. He was a regular ingrate, though it seemed he was at least willing to put in the legwork when under proper leadership. Airy ideals did not seem to work on him, which suited the Ravenclaw well enough.

"We should have brought more witches." he commented retrospectively. Anthony snorted. They heard a scream in the distance, and it sounded like a student begging to be let into the library. "They're going to fall for that, aren't they?"

"I expect so. We get as many as we can, then we shrink the trunk and go." The others will be in London by now. It's not a safe place, but it's a good place to find international portkeys when you need one.

"Will the others wait for us?" the other boy asked as the door opened quickly, admitting the students before closing again, though the shield charms would have to be reapplied.

"They might." I'd be disappointed if they did. "It's not part of the plan. You have the powder?" Smith nodded as the door opened yet again to admit still more students, at least one of whom, if his arithmancy was correct, had to be a Death Eater in disguise.

Anthony's arithmancy was always correct.

They had already discussed the possibility of having to fight, which was why the Hufflepuff had been learning a simple shield charm, which was effective enough for most attacks and therefore the most likely to be useful. Pushing past the scared students entering to get out, Smith cast a shield charm, making it look like he was covering for the others, though his and the Ravenclaw's exodus quickly revealed they had something else in mind, to the dismay of the older students shouting at the pair of second-years. There were times when he wondered why none of them had come to the same conclusion he had, that Hogwarts ultimately had to be abandoned but he supposed their parents had all decided that the school was safe enough, so it was possible stupid was in their blood. But it's more likely that they're too focused on what has happened to realize what most likely will happen.

Avoiding an unidentifiable wizard in dark robes, he decided there was no time to go over the incorrect risk analysis that people must be using. He sent a cutter out ahead of the other boy's shield, an ineffectual deterrent, but a functional distraction. Sprinting around a corner, they lost the man and vaulted over what looked to be a corpse, but there was no time to check. An explosion could be heard on the upper levels.

"We can't go up there!" Smith shouted, scanning the corridor.

"Find a broom- we'll get above it." Anthony responded, nearly having to repeat himself. The other boy had hardly experienced anything like this, meaning his reaction times would be cut. I'll probably have to repeat myself, but at least he can cast a shield charm. The nearest broom closet had already been raided. "Okay, we've checked that one, let's go." he encouraged, the Hufflepuff searching more thoroughly than necessary, most likely out of fear. Another explosion from the upper levels supported Smith's fearful suspicion, sending a visible shiver down his spine as the Ravenclaw nearly dragged him out, sprinting to the stairwell. Catching sight of a discarded broomstick on the ground, the pair of them ran for it, though a cloaked figure on a broom flew into the corridor, sending curses in every direction. Heaving himself out of the way as another shield charm went up, the flier suddenly seemed fixated on them, firing off leg-lockers for some reason. Diving for the broom is out of the question.

Casting a body-bind as Smith absorbed most of the spellfire, he missed and cast again, though not only did he find the incantation a bit of a mouthful, but that curses in general were slower getting off. Fortunately the second one landed, which confused him for a moment until he approached as the Hufflepuff jumped on the opportunity and knocked the frozen flier from his broomstick, which he retrieved. Removing the hood out of an insatiable curiosity revealed the face of Victor Crabbe.

"He your friend?"

"No." Anthony answered just as efficiently. Seizing the other broom, he made an attempt to break the nearest window with a killing curse, but the spell was beyond his reach. Getting onto the broom, the two of them made their way up, not hearing any explosions until they were past it. Uselessly staring down, the other boy ascertained a few details about what was going on at the bottom.

"They're split up by House." he explained as they reached the exit, which he discovered had been sealed. Of course- they had students working with them, so they sealed the doors ahead of time. "Probably can't trust the Slytherins at this point." The Hufflepuff flew to another exit as he spoke, though this was a nearby window which he broke by striking it, dying enchantments flickering in red and yellow. I suppose the school should have thought of that.

"Confringo!" The blasting curse did away with the rest of the window and the pair of them were out of it, beholding the battle below as they climbed. There were only a few dark robes loosing killing curses, but only a few people willing and able to fight them. Bodies lay strewn about across the ground, though his guess was that not many were dead. They're none of my concern.

What concerned him was directly above.

Smith was shielding to avoid an enormous, thrashing herptile with emerald scales, involuntarily levitated into the air.

"GO AROUND!" Anthony shouted through the wind of the updraft, swerving to avoid it himself. Shields aren't infinite- I've not seen much they can't block, but it's totally unsound that they can just bock everything always. Flying clear of the writhing mass, where he guessed it had been lifted to avoid harming students, he caught sight of the other boy going around the other way before having to duck a length of tail. Shielding in a panic, Zacharias was struck from below by red spellfire of some sort, causing him to go rigid and slide off his broom.

Can't have expected everyone to make it.

The Ravenclaw knew better than to return to the chaos below, least of all to retrieve a helper who had mostly outlived his usefulness. A square protuberance in his trousers indicated that he was carrying the books, meaning he would risk not only his own life but a fair bit of knowledge by flying after the Hufflepuff, and simultaneously he would gain very little. Perhaps a Gyffindor would have made a different decision, but he was pretty sure the first-year girl was one of them, and she was already with Harper on their way out. He sighed slightly as he stared down before abandoning the falling form of Zacharias Smith.

Worry not, old mate. Only the good die young.