Chapter 25

The dozen sat at the round table having slowly recovered from the events that had taken place earlier. No one had spoken for quite a time, how much could not be determined as time was a different thing in this place. Finally the silence was broken.

"Suggestions?" inquired the first to speak.

Initially, no one responded. Finally the one who spoke rarely said,

"One must determine if what the one who leads said is true. Can he teach others to do what he clearly can?"

"Your point being?" the first asked.

"If he is some form of mutation, a singular entity, we can indeed wait him out as he says. They were a short lived race when we ruled the surface world. I don't imagine they have improved much. And even if they have doubled or tripled that span, what of it? It would still be a blink of the eye compared to what we have experienced. This point is pivotal."

"I believe we have a more immediate issue to deal with," offered a third speaker.

"Which is?" asked the first.

"His threat to hold us responsible for any action of our instruments. We know that several unsanctioned incidents have already occurred. They must be reigned in."

"Indeed," replied the first. "They have proven to be most unreliable with results well below expectations."

"It is apparent that caution is indicated and time must be spent to fully understand our nemesis," a fourth speaker began. "If needs must, we should divest ourselves of these rash and unreliable instruments and secure the services of a few of sufficient capabilities to fully expose the strengths and weaknesses of the one who leads. We have attempted much while knowing little. To our detriment."

"Indeed," several others added.

"It is agreed, then?" the first asked. "We step back from direct actions and concentrate on gathering all that may be found on this one. Perhaps an extended period of quiet may eventually put them off their guard. If one recalls, their attention spans were much like their life spans. Far too short to be of value. Let us begin."

"So what do you think, Harry? Is that the end of it?" Abagail asked from her spot on a couch in the living room at Meadow Crest.

"If I was inclined to fits of wild optimism I'd say yes, little one," Harry replied, his voice betraying the weariness he still felt. "However, since I tend to be more practical than that, I'd have to say there's room for doubt."

Harry was sitting in his chair by the hearth looking at the small assembly of friends and family as they went over the events of the previous day. After he and the dragon had done what he thought was reasonable to persuade the old ones from continuing their campaign to regain their control of the surface world, they had returned to the dragon's body and reverted back to Harry in the flesh. Abagail was thrilled to have him back while Bane and Ronin appeared more interested in what had occurred.

Harry explained as best he could as they climbed up out of the chamber and out into the forest proper. They chose not to ask if Harry thought he was successful in any way. It was obvious that some watch had been set on the entrance because by the time the four of them had reached the end of the trail near Hagrid's hut, the Centaurs that had been hovering near the edge of the forest had disappeared.

"Alright there, Harry?" Hagrid asked from the doorway of his hut.

"I'm just fine, Hagrid. How did it go up here?"

"Not bad atall, Harry. That last bit flushed a few o' the more nervous ones out inta the open. Might be a few dead branches ta pick up here and there, otherwise, no problems," Hagrid replied.

Harry simply nodded, then said his farewells to Ronin and Bane and then he and Abagail left for home. When they got back to Meadow Crest, Ginny met them both with big hugs and after some whispered conversation, Harry trudged to their bedroom and he didn't emerge until nearly noon the following day. When he awoke he was hungry but not dragon hungry so he assumed the big fellow departed during the night.

So now he was in the living room with Abagail, Ron and Hermione, Charlie and Eleanor, and of course, Ginny.

"Are you sure, Harry? From what I felt, they seemed like they were pretty scared," Abagail insisted.

"I wouldn't think to argue with you about that, little one, but I just can't imagine them giving up that easily. If what we think is true, these may very well be the last of their kind. Would you give up with out a fight in those circumstances?"

"If you feel that way about it, Harry, why did you try it like that," Charlie asked?

"A few reasons, actually, Charlie. The first is what I just said to Abagail. They might be the last of their kind to exist. I don't know if I could figure out how to live with the idea that I drove an intelligent race into extinction. The second is that my mum, Lily, once warned me of some pretty horrible consequences if I let my temper get the better of me. And lastly, if it did come down to a fight, I get the feeling that some pretty serious damage might occur like it did out in the meadow. That was just me. What would happen if you added in the dragon and whatever they came up with?"

Charlie simply nodded. It was at this point that Ron chose to speak.

"You know, mate, I've been sitting here having a bit of a think. If it did come down to a fight, how would that probably go?"

"I suppose it would have to be me and the dragon going back. I got the impression that they can't come after me directly," Harry replied.

"And the only way to do that is to use the pillar in the chamber, right?"

"That's right, Ron. As least as far as I know."

"So, if these bogey men in the robes decide they don't want you coming after them, all they need to do is see to it that the pillar, and maybe the whole chamber, is destroyed, right?"

Harry's eyes went wide and Charlie let out a low whistle, then he said,

"What do you think, Harry? Can the Centaurs protect the chamber? Especially from some sort of major magical assault?"

"That's a very good question, Charlie. I suppose I'll have to have a talk with them. Maybe I'll take Ron along with me, him being such a clever fellow and all," Harry replied, casting a baleful glare at his best friend.

The conversation dried up not long after and Harry was left with Ginny sitting on the couch across from him. He looked over at her and saw that she was regarding him intently. He invited a comment with raised eyebrows.

"I'm worried about you, sweetheart," she said.

"What? A generalized concern or is it something specific?" he prompted.

"You're starting to look a little haggard again, Harry. Not really worn out but I think you're losing weight again and your eyes are looking a little hollow. I think you're going to need a good long vacation this summer. Somehow I need to think of a way to isolate you from all of this for a while."

"You could always lock me in the playroom in the basement and set Snuffles on guard," he offered with a grin.

"Harry, that big old fellow sleeps twenty hours a day. You could be gone all day without him ever knowing it. Try again."

"I haven't a clue, luv. I'm afraid you're on your own but I will say this. Whatever you come up with, I'll go along. You made the right calls with the house, so I trust your judgment. I mean, after all, you did pick me for a husband."

He managed to catch the pillow she threw at him. Despite his cavalier attitude toward the idea of a vacation, inwardly Harry was in full agreement that he needed one. And it wasn't entirely the issue of what to do with the old ones. Somehow the potential personal danger as well as the impact on the greater magical community was less wearing on him than the events currently occurring at Hogwarts. A case in point was what Harry had to deal with the following morning.

As it might be easy to imagine, within the confines of Hogwarts, Harry had very sharp eyes, very sensitive ears and very long arms. He was on excellent terms with the faculty and while he could employ his superior position as Deputy Head to compel their cooperation, that had never been necessary. He was always made aware of anything that was going on that might impact the security and serenity of the school. Likewise the ghosts and artwork were all well acquainted with Harry and were more than willing to play a role in helping him maintain some semblance of order. The irascible Sir Cadogan was especially active in this respect, although he was known to promise some of the most dire consequences imaginable when a student would challenge his authority.

As a result Harry was very well read in to the activities of the students, both in terms of actual school work, extracurricular activities and various plots and scheming. As long as there were no negative consequences he was willing to let the plotting and scheming go on. It kept the schemers occupied, taught them valuable skills as he himself knew to be true, and often cemented deep friendships among the conspirators. At the moment he was dealing with the outcome of one such scheme, a rather elaborate one that had a couple of unintended consequences.

Perhaps the most serious and immediate was that the Slytherin seventh year Rutherford had been discovered outside the entrance to his dormitory in a state of petrifaction. After he was unpetrified the boy railed about being set upon as he returned from a long evening of study in the library. After checking with his sources Harry had a much clearer picture of what had occurred, to include the journey the boy had taken with the escort of two Ravenclaws. So now Harry was sitting in the small room behind the faculty dais. His office wasn't large enough to hold the number of students who would be part of this event and he also didn't want to make it seem that this was some form of disciplinary hearing. The need for such would be determined during this conversation, or confrontation, depending on how things turned out.

The first individual to enter was his son James, followed by Cecil. Harry had arranged the chairs in the room into a circle so that everyone involved would be able to see everyone else. With a silent gesture he indicated two chairs for the boys. Since Harry didn't say anything, the boys kept silent. A few moments later, Ted came through the door, holding it until Victoire walked through, not quite sweeping into the room like her mother would have, but still able to make her presence felt. Harry made the same gesture and while Ted was ready to take his place without comment, Vee would have none of it.

"Good morning, Professor Potter."

"Miss Weasley," Harry said in reply, his face without a readable expression, which told Vee volumes.

Cecil watched the exchange with bafflement. He knew full well the relationship between all the others in the room and he had no idea why the pretense was necessary. But as an outsider, he wasn't about to mention it. So they sat and waited for the last to arrive. And he did so late and with more drama than might have been prudent.

"Well, I'm here as you requested, Professor," Rutherford said as he strolled into the room, before pulling up short, seeing who else was in the room. "Are you having a go at me, Professor? You expect me to get a fair hearing with this bunch?"

"Mr. Rutherford, I expect you to sit down and keep a civil tongue in your head. This is simply a conversation so that I can find out what has been going on. And your being here was in no way a request," Harry replied calmly.

The Slytherin had taken his seat but was still perched on the edge of the cushion.

"I'll tell you what's been going on, Professor. As usual, I've been the victim of unwarranted harassment and attacks on my person. My father is going to want to know what you intend to do about it."

Cecil was shocked at what he was hearing. Had this moronic twit no idea what was happening here?"

"Mr. Rutherford, you know as well as I do that you've no intention of telling your father anything, just as when you were a first year. He would be no more receptive to the news you've been in trouble as he would have been then," Harry replied.

"Why am I in trouble? I was the one that was attacked."

"We will get to that in a moment," Harry said, as his eyes swept the assembled students. "Alright, so what we have is the claim that Mr. Rutherford makes that he was attacked without cause or warning and left totally petrified just outside his dormitory. However, based on information that was made available to me, the facts appear to be that Mr. Rutherford was in fact hit with a Petrificus Totalus spell somewhere in the lower dungeon and then levitated by two members of Ravenclaw house and transported to the spot where he was found. Would someone care to explain how this came to happen? And then you, Mr. Rutherford, can explain to me the discrepancy between these two versions of events."

Harry let his eyes settle on each one of the students as he spoke. They came back to rest on Victoire. She squirmed a bit and then sat up a bit straighter and returned his look. Then he looked at Ted and saw nothing but challenge. James was obviously torn and Cecil looked very worried. James looked as if he was about to say something when Ted began to speak.

"Sir, it's rather simple actually. A number of us have been meeting regularly as a study group with the aim of improving our performance on our NEWTs, particularly in the areas of DADA and Charms."

Rutherford interrupted with a loud derisive snort but was quelled by a look from Harry. Ted went on.

"It's been an ongoing effort, for the past several years in fact. I believe you'll find the results quite satisfactory."

"I see. And you, Ms. Weasley? What's your part in all this?" Harry inquired.

"Um, well, sir, as you may be aware, I'm interested in being a healer and Charms features very heavily in that profession. In addition, as the other students practice, accidents can happen and my being at the study sessions might prove useful."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at his niece and said,

"You consider yourself skilled enough to deal with the consequences of a miscast charm, Ms. Weasley?"

"Perhaps not skilled, but I'd be able to help until Madame Pomfrey could be summoned. Some help is better than no help don't you think?"

Harry couldn't help but think of a very personal example of where that had proven not to be true and he instinctively rubbed his right forearm in reaction. He looked at his niece and replied.

"No, I don't and I believe with very good reason. So, we know why this group was behind locked doors in one of the dungeon level rooms. We still don't know why Mr. Rutherford wound up as stiff as a cod on an iceberg. Anyone?"

"That would be me, sir," James offered.

"Go on," Harry prompted.

"I wanted to get into Ted's special study group. He wouldn't hear of it. So I was down there trying to figure out a way to hear what they were up to. I was curious. We heard someone coming down the stairs and so we ducked into the shadows and saw him. He was using a glass pressed up against the wall to try and hear what was going on inside the room. I figured he was spying and based on what I had heard about him, I assumed he was up to no good. So I spelled him."

Harry could see that Rutherford was preparing another outburst but he cut him off.

"I see, well, thank you for taking ownership of the deed. Now, how did he get out of the dungeon?"

James looked to Ted, who took a deep breath and said,

"I arranged that, sir. When I came out and saw what had happened, I figured I'd try and keep his part in this quiet," indicating James with a nod. "I assume this bugger hadn't seen who zapped him, so I thought if he came out of it near his dorm, he wouldn't be able to prove anything."

"Alright, then, finally some clarity," Harry began, his eyes sweeping the room. "I suppose it might be considered an effective use of your collective time to engage in this form of study, although one would have to view the excess of secrecy to be somewhat suspect. We'll discuss that at some future date. Mr. Rutherford, your sneaking around is likewise considered suspicious but since you were not in violation of any curfew rules, you're in the clear, for the moment. Mr. Lupin, Mr. Rutherford, you two have a short time left until graduation. Stay out of the dungeons and stay out of trouble. That is not a suggestion, am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," the two chorused.

"In addition, Mr. Rutherford, I am aware of your oft spoken opinion that Mr. Lupin and his groupmates are involved in some form of plot to destroy Slytherin house and possibly take over Hogwarts with the possibility of my approval. Unless you can provide solid proof of this assertion I suggest for your own good that you keep it to yourself for the time being. And while we are on the subject of truthfulness, perhaps this might be a good time to discuss your version of events."

Rutherford offered no response beyond a sullen scowl.

"I'm waiting, Mr. Rutherford."

"Well, I suppose my memory might have been affected by the spell he used on me," the Slytherin teen said, giving James a meaningful look.

"Perhaps, although I'm not aware of that being a side effect of Petrificus Totalus. Since I already know what happened, and you are now aware that I know, I'll simply warn you that any further lapses of truth will not be tolerated."

With that said, Harry focused his attention on the two youngest members of the group.

"Mr. Potter, you seem to be the major transgressor here. You most assuredly are aware of the prohibition of use of unauthorized magic within the school, and in particular, using it on another student in such a manner. I will see you after dinner in my office to discuss this further and the consequences. Mr. Rhoades, you will be there as well."

Again there was a chorus of 'yes, sir'. Harry then turned his attention to Victoire.

"Ms. Weasley, while it may be commendable that you possess such a strong sense of concern for the welfare of your fellow students, I'm going to have to insist that you restrict your activities to the simplest of injuries. Cuts, abrasions, and so on. Anything else is to be referred to Madame Pomfrey immediately. And you are to report all activity of any kind to her on a regular basis. I will be discussing this with her and she will then discuss it with you, am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," she replied in a subdued voice.

Harry took another look around the circle of chairs and then fixed on Rutherford again, who was looking rather smug.

"Mr. Rutherford, one more thing. If for some reason you find it necessary to speak about the Weasley family in general or any of its members specifically, I trust you'll remember that the name is pronounced Weasley and not weasel," Harry said, and then added, "Stand your ground, Miss Weasley. I'll handle this."

Harry added the last because as soon as he said the word 'weasel' Vee had begun to launch herself from her seat. Harry looked around the circle again and then said,

"Mr. Rutherford, on your way. I think you could do with a head start."

The Slytherin looked at Harry and then quickly rose and left the room. Harry looked back at the others and said,

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Rhoades, on your way."

Without a word or other gesture, James made his way to the door with Cecil in tow. When it was just Harry, Ted and Vee, the Deputy Headmaster blew out a long breath and said,

"That was a pretty good cover story you came up with, Ted. If you had presented it that way when the idea first occurred to you, it might have made things easier to deal with."

"I suppose so, sir. But I was young and not so devious then," Ted said with a grin.

"Be that as it may, your cover has been blown and I don't think your friend bought it for a moment, so now you'll have to play it straight. You are now a NEWT study group. And you Miss Weasley have no reason to attend the sessions. Stick to your studies and early healer training. Madame Pomfrey will be advised accordingly."

"Yes, sir," she said sullenly. "But sir, we still have all that stuff to deal with, don't we?"

"I can't say for sure, Miss Vee. Certain action has been taken against the heart of the matter. We don't know how much good it did, but you'll have to play your parts differently for a while. So for now, you, sir, will concentrate on your NEWTs and you, miss, on your exams. Yes?"

They both nodded and then Vee said,

"What about James, what's going to happen to him?"

"Well, what he did was quite serious. He has some tough questions to answer and the consequences to deal with."

"And his friend?"

"He's going to find out that being the friend of a Potter can have its darker moments."

At lunch that afternoon, Harry was discussing recent events with Bill.

"So where do we stand now, Harry? Do you think you made an impression or are we still on the brink of all out war?"

"Oh, I'm sure we made an impression, Bill, the question is whether it was strong enough. And your brilliant youngest brother raised an issue that will add to our worries," Harry said and then explained the idea of the vulnerability of the pillar chamber.

Bill nodded before he said,

"So, if they can't get you, they just slam the door shut on you. But there still has to be some place where they've been communicating with their followers, yes?"

"That's right, but that search hasn't turned anything up so far," Harry replied with a shrug. "Oh, you may notice your daughter in a bit of a mood for a while. I had to put them all on a leash for a while after what happened with Rutherford."

"I'm sure she'll get over it. What are you going to do about James?"

"I'm taking the coward's way out. I'm going to drop it in someone else's lap. I'll deal with that after classes when I go see about what we can do about securing the chamber."

With that double mission in mind Harry made his way to the edge of the Forest at the head of the trail leading away from Hagrid's hut. He knew his presence was already noted and it wouldn't take long for someone to meet him. He was half way to the small clearing when a hunter Harry vaguely recognized appeared on the trail in front of him.

"Hail and well met, Serpent King."

"Hail and well met."

"Ronin will meet you in the customary place, Serpent King," the Centaur hunter said, stepping aside.

"Thank you."

Harry had to wait only a handful of minutes before the large Centaur entered the clearing.

"Hail, Friend Harry Potter."

"Hail, Friend Ronin."

"How may we be of service, Serpent King?" Ronin asked.

"Service? What makes you think I require your services, old friend?" Harry asked with a grin.

"When the Serpent King arrives in the forest unannounced it suggests a certain urgency. We must also need consider the present situation. I doubt you have much time for social visits, Friend Harry Potter."

"You are indeed one of the wise, Friend Ronin. I have two issues to discuss with you," Harry began, then explaining the possible need to secure the chamber.

Ronin listened carefully, an occasional nod the only indication that he understood what Harry was saying. When Harry was done Ronin said,

"A grave matter indeed and I will bring it to the Elder's immediate attention. We will put additional watchers on the chamber and the edges of the forest. Perhaps your brother who knows much of the enchantments of security will lend his skills. I fear such work will require many talents."

"I'll bring it to everyone's attention this evening. There is another matter that I require your assistance with, a personal matter."

Harry then explained the incident involving James, Ted and the others. He outlined the discipline he had meted out to the others but then when it came to James,

"So, I have to try and walk a very fine line and it will be too easy to make a mistake one way or the other. Depending on what measures I impose I can be seen as too lenient because he's my son or to avoid that I come down too hard on him which would be unfair to the boy."

Ronin nodded gravely.

"A true dilemma, Friend Harry Potter. You are his father and teacher. But I am his mentor. Send him to me as the sun rises on the first day of your weekend. I will address the issue."

"Thank you, Friend Ronin."

"I owe you and the boy much. This will be a small thing for me, but it may well loom large for your son."

With the traditional hand clasp, Harry took his leave of his friend and made his way back to the castle. He heard Wullie sniffing at the bottom of the hut door. Hagrid must have had an errand.

As he sat at the faculty table, Harry looked down to where James should have been. His place was empty. He shifted his gaze and looked for Cecil Rhoades who was at his usual place, but he wasn't eating much. Ted seemed no worse for wear but Victoire appeared somewhat subdued. When he looked to Rutherford at the far end of the Slytherin table, he couldn't make out much but he appeared to be the most animated of the group from this morning.

Harry wasn't surprised then when he arrived at his office to find James standing outside the door. The boy was looking decidedly unhappy but resolute.

"We missed you at dinner," Harry said.

"I don't have much of an appetite today, I guess," James replied. "Sir."

"Understandable. When your friend Mr. Rhoades arrives, come in."

"Yes, sir."

Harry entered his office and shut the door behind him. He looked to the picture that had been taken all those years ago, with Harry surrounded by his family. No one was smiling now. He was seated only a few minutes when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter."

The door swung open and the two boys entered silently.

"Sit."

Each perched on the edge of the wooden chair that faced Harry across from his desk. Harry sat forward, leaning his arms on his desk, his hands folded.

"You two have created quite a bit of difficulty with that stunt of yours. You've made life difficult for Ted and his friends and what they've been trying to do. And you've given Rutherford a moral victory of sorts. What is it you thought you were doing?" Harry asked, using the same calm tone of voice from this morning.

James knew better than to try and hold back from his father at a time like this.

"I knew that Rutherford was spying on Ted and the others, or at least trying to. I don't know how well that glass was working on a stone wall. Anyway, I figured if I was able to catch him in the act, it would show Ted that I could be part of his class," James explained, adding some emphasis to the word class.

"And just how did you know what Rutherford was up to?"

"Some people have seen him snooping around. Plus I talk to the ghosts and such."

This was in fact true. Almost as soon as he had started at the school, he had begun to strike up conversations with the ghosts and some of the portraits. At the moment he was very happy that he had.

"So, all of this so you could work your way into Ted's special program. I assume you had tried asking?" Harry inquired, knowing the answer.

"Of course, I asked, sir. He just told me I was too young and inexperienced. Like he was the one that got attacked by five magic users and killed one of them."

"By accident," Harry added, but then moved on.

"And you, Mr. Rhoades, what were you doing mixed up in this."

"James is me mate, inni he? You always gotta have your mate's back."

Harry nodded.

"A world of advice for you, Mr. Rhoades. If James here has even half the career at Hogwarts that I had as a student, you'll find yourself watching his back a great deal. I can point you in the direction of two of my dearest friends who I am sure consider themselves lucky to be alive today after having spent the better parts of their lives watching my back, in one form or another. Alright, so let's get down to the essentials here. Until further notice, neither one of you is permitted to practice any form of magic outside of your class work. Any sort whatsoever. I don't even want to hear about you using 'lumos' to light your way to the bathroom, use a candle. Mr. Rhoades, you will report to the caretaker, Stan Shunpike at nine o'clock, Saturday morning in the Great Hall. He'll have things for you to do. You, Mr. Potter will report to the trail leading into the forest by Professor Hagrid's hut at sunrise. You will be met there by Ronin. He will take charge of your disciplining. Another difficulty you've handed me," Harry concluded, fixing each with a short scowl. "On your way."

Once outside in the corridor, Cecil turned to James and said,

"Blimey, my ol' man used to take a leather strap to me at times like this. I think I'd prefer that."

"Uh huh. Blast it, Cec, I really buggered this up good and proper. We should have just watched him and told them all about it later. They would have believed me. Sorry I got you tangled up in this," James said despondently.

"Ehh, don't give a second thought, mate. Ain't nothin' like being up before the magistrate onna charge. Just do the time and lay low and it'll pass soon enough," Cecil said, a bit of a smile coming back to give him that roguish look as he clapped James on the shoulder.

When James got back to the common room he was going to just make his way up to his room when he was called over to the fire by Ted.

"Here it comes," he thought.

"So, how many points did we lose?" Ted asked.

"None. It's all on me. I have to report to Ronin on Saturday. He's taking charge of my punishment."

Everyone in earshot winced at the idea of a Centaur handing out discipline. Kai looked like she wanted to cry. Ted nodded and then said,

"Look, I'll be the first to tell you, you really screwed up. There are very few excuses for spelling another student and a little eavesdropping isn't one of them. But you did have some justification for it, at least at our level. But I meant what I said, cuz. There's no way that I'd be the one to put you in harms way. I owe your folks too much to do that. But I'll be gone after the end of term, so keep up with the stuff Ronin is trying to teach you and who knows what next year will bring. Got it?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good," and that was the last they spoke to each other of the incident.

James turned and made his way to the bottom of the stairs before he was intercepted by Kai, who laid a hand on his forearm.

"For what it's worth, I thought what you did was pretty great. Not many first years would take on a seventh."

Then she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before using the other stairs to head to her own room. James watched her go and then made his way up to his room, not all his thoughts centered on what awaited him in the forest at the end of the week. And the Saturday came much faster than he could ever remember. It was early, but not at all bright, when James, dressed in his usual clothes for a day in the forest stood at the head of the trail. And he was as nervous as he had ever been. His major concern was that Ronin would decide he wasn't a suitable student anymore. He was lost in this line of thought when a large shape seemed to emerge from the trees as if by magic right in front of him.

"James Potter."

"Sir."

"You were particularly unvigilant, James Potter."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Come with me, James Potter."

Ronin turned and led James into the gloom beneath the trees. They walked for several hundred yards and then Ronin turned and began to pick his way through the trees. James was a bit surprised. He couldn't remember a time when he had been taken off the trail like this. They covered another hundred yards or so when they came to a spot where a small grouping of boulders lay in the mossy undergrowth. Whether they had been left there by a retreating ice sheet or placed according to some unknown design, it was impossible to tell. Ronin directed James to take a seat where he chose. The big Centaur then folded his legs and settled onto the moss and then faced his student.

"James Potter, your father came to me and asked that I assist him in dealing with your recent transgression. I agreed at the time because I felt that it was my place to assist the Serpent King in his time of need. I continue to agree because I have come to understand that this may in fact be partially my fault."

James registered his surprise at this admission with wide eyes and very elevated eyebrows.

"Um, sir, how could you possibly say that? You had no idea what I was up to."

"James Potter, when you were confronted by the five magic users, your response was founded in courage, skill and cunning. However, when you took it upon yourself to take action in the matter of the young wizard who was spying, you chose to launch an attack from concealment. You chose to do it in a place where you shouldn't have been in a way that is prohibited to students. Tell me something, James Potter. How would you describe this would be spy?"

"He's a sneaky little rotter that delights in causing others trouble."

Ronin nodded and then asked,

"Would you say he was a person of courage?"

James couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he jumped at his own shadow. I was told he didn't do very well when my da brought him in to the forest as a first year."

"Why then did you feel the need to strike from stealth?"

"I'm only a first year, sir. He's pretty much a fully trained wizard. Not the best odds."

Ronin nodded again and said,

"Hence my acceptance of some responsibility in this matter, James Potter. In the several turnings of the seasons of our association, I have failed to instruct you in what is truly important. Let us begin to rectify this error."

When James returned to the castle as the sun was setting he had much to think about.