Alli pulled the key out from inside her robes. She and Hermione stood at the black door guarding the mysterious object. Alli held the illuminated tip of her wand close to the chain-link handle.

"How is it that you have the key to unlock it?" Hermione asked discerningly. Alli shrugged and did not answer. "Alli, how did you get the key?"

Alli sighed impatiently and shook her head annoyed.

"I took it from Dumbledore's office the other day," Alli told her plainly about to put the key into the lock. It was difficult to see and her hand was shaking with nervousness.

"And, how is it that you just got this key from him?" Hermione said strictly. Alli turned away from the door to face Hermione.

"You see that I'm trying to get the door open, right?" Alli said aggravated by Hermione's persistence.

"Alli…" Hermione said slowly.

"I don't think he knows about it," said Alli.

"You didn't… steal it," Hermione asked her, "did you?"

Alli looked away and began chewing on her bottom lip.

"That's illegal!" Hermione snapped.

"I had to," Alli said looking back at Hermione's face. Alli's face was straight and stern.

"And, how, may I ask, did you manage to get into Dumbledore's office?" Hermione reprimanded.

"That's confidential information," Alli said, a smile creeping onto her lips, "I can't tell you." She turned back to the door as Hermione rolled her eyes. The key made a sharp click and then came the sound of several more locks unlocking until the door opened. Alli walked into the room with Hermione following behind. Alli's eyes scanned the room a second time in awe. The low hum of energy engulfed Alli once more drawing her gaze to the object. The three infinity symbols surrounding a ball of the bluest white light hovered towards the side of the room just as it had the first time Alli had seen it. It grabbed her attention so greatly that she didn't immediately notice the black door closing behind them. The creaking of hinges pulled her attention away.

"Hermione!" Alli yelled, "the door!"

Alli ran back and reached for the handle, but it was moving away too quickly. Hermione took her wand from her pocket.

"Immobulis!" said Hermione.

The door stopped moving just enough for Alli to grab it and with difficulty (as she was not very strong) pull it back open.

"Good job," Alli told Hermione as she exhaled deeply. Hermione smiled lightly.

"Thanks."

Alli felt as if there may have been a slight bonding moment between she and Hermione. For some odd reason, Alli accepted that as a positive thing. The moment didn't last long for when Hermione turned to look at the object, she drew in a sharp breath.

"What?" said Alli curiously.

"I think I know where I've read about this," Hermione said awestruck.

"Where?"

Hermione faced Alli.

"It's a dangerous object. I remember reading about it in a book I had checked out of the restricted section ages ago," Hermione told her.

"Can you find it for me?" asked Alli in a serious voice.

Hermione began to speak and then stopped. Alli raised her eyebrows.

"What's wrong?" said Alli.

"Why do you care so much?" Hermione stated. Alli sighed and looked at the object. She knew Hermione would ask, but Alli was sick of explaining her reasoning behind her recent curiosity and adventurousness. She knew Hermione well enough to know that she would have to explain everything—her dreams about the key, her dreams about Draco, and her desperate need to know why this object was so important to her. That was the hard part. Why was the object so important?

"Well, Harry and I always have those same dreams about You-Know-Who," Alli began, "After Draco died I kept having dreams."

"But, Harry hasn't mentioned any," Hermione interrupted.

"Just chill," said Alli calmly. Alli's voice was without its usual bite and snappy attitude. "I'm going to explain everything."

Hermione nodded allowing Alli to speak.

"Okay, so yeah, Harry hasn't been having any more dreams, but I have. It's like, I don't know. I'm not sure why I keep having dreams about this stuff if it has nothing to do with You-Know-Who." Alli stopped and contemplated this for a moment. She hadn't really spent much time thinking of that; and as she was about to continue Hermione said exactly what Alli was thinking.

"Unless, You-Know-Who is behind it all," said Hermione.

"Unless, he is hiding away behind the action," Alli said pensively. Hermione and Alli shared a silent understanding before Alli continued. "Well, these dreams have been about," Alli held up the key, "this."

"Okay," Hermione replied. Alli bit her lip.

"Well, the key showed up in my dream at the start of the semester. I dreamt Draco was giving it to me. He said something about unlocking the secret and saving him. Not too long after I had another dream where I had found the same key in Dumbledore's office. So, I decided that I wanted to see if it was actually there."

"Which is why you wanted Harry's Invisibility Cloak, then?" said Hermione.

"Yes."

"Hmm, I've never met a Slytherin so keen to break the rules by sneaking around," Hermione told her with a smile. "Maybe you should be in Gryffindor."

Alli didn't smile.

"I'm not a Gryffindor," Alli said. Her snappy tone was back. "I'm in Slytherin and despite what you may think, it's actually a really good thing. So —"

"Moving on," Hermione said shutting her up. "What else?"

"Whatever," Alli replied. Then, she began explaining the next part in an excited, fast-paced voice. "So, I basically used the Cloak to sneak up to Dumbledore's Office and well, Colton sort of accidentally stepped on it as I was crawling on the floor to get my map that I dropped. He saw me and like completely freaked out for a second. Then, he was really mad at me and took points from Slytherin and stuff, which I actually don't even really care about because the whole house point thing is stupid. But, anyway, we talked for a bit and he decided to help me out because he likes me. He let me into Dumbledore's Office because, you know, prefects know the password and stuff. When I walked in the cabinet that I saw in my dream was there and when I opened it so was the key."

Alli stopped leaving Hermione to process the situation. Alli chewed on her bottom lip anxiously awaiting Hermione's reply. Then, Hermione nodded.

"Okay. I say we find out what this is," said Hermione. Alli squealed, and without warning wrapped her arms around Hermione. Hermione seemed taken aback at Alli's quick, excited embrace. She had never been hugged by Alli and neither had Alli ever wanted to hug Hermione. Yet, Alli had decided rather impulsively that this was an appropriate time to start.

"Thank you, Hermione," Alli said with a genuine smile. Hermione nodded and returned the gesture.

"Shall we go?" said Hermione.

"Yes, let's go."

Alli pulled off the invisibility cloak as Hermione exited the portrait hole of the Fat Lady.

"Ready?" said Alli excitedly. She draped the cloak over herself and Hermione. Hermione led the way. Alli's heart began to beat faster as they neared the door to the Restricted Section of the library. But, her heart nearly stopped when the one person she feared would be there passed in front of them. It was Colton. Not, again! Alli thought. She held out her arm in front of Hermione. Alli pulled Hermione's sleeve leading her back around a corner.

"I'm not sure this is a good idea right now," Alli whispered.

"Do you want to find out what that thing is or not?" Hermione hissed. Alli contemplated this for a moment, then nodded. "Calm down."

"I am calm."

Hermione let out an irritated sigh. Then, she and Alli snuck around the corner once more. Colton was gone. Under the cloak, Alli was hoping with all she could that Colton would not come back their way as Hermione pulled open the door to the library. To Alli's immense good luck, Colton did not come back. But as the door shut behind them Alli was hoping the footsteps she heard coming were just her imagination.

A rope closed off a section in the library with an overhead sign reading Restricted Section. Hooks were attached to the wall on either side of the rope. An enchantment held them in place so they were not able to be unhooked, at least without magic. Hermione pointed her wand at one of the hooks.

"Alohomora."

They were in! Hermione pulled the Invisibility Cloak off over their heads. Alli combed her fingers through her hair straightening the tangles that the cloak had created.

"I sometimes wonder why they even bother to lock it," Alli commented.

Hermione had already begun searching the shelves. Alli did not know what she should be doing so she casually paced back and forth through the shelves.

"Have you found it yet?" Alli asked dully.

"Not yet," Hermione said distractedly. Alli stopped and faced a shelf. In her boredom, she pulled a large black book from the shelf. It was heavier than she had expected and it slipped from her hands. The book flew open letting out a scream until it landed face-down on the ground. The scream was now muffled but continued. Hermione sped around the shelf as Alli was on the ground closing the book as fast as she possibly could.

"Alli! What are you doing?" Hermione hissed.

"Sorry!" Alli said, her heart still pounding from the startling scream.

"Are you trying to get us caught?" said Hermione angrily.

"No," Alli retorted as she stood up. Her eyes fell on the book Hermione now held in her hands.

Hermione rolled her eyes and placed the book on a table. She looked at Alli and said:

"This is the one."

Hermione sat down in the chair next to Alli. Alli pulled the book closer and looked at the title.

"Dark Mythologies of the 17th Century," Alli read aloud. Her hand shook as she grazed it along the edge of the cover. She opened the book slowly to the Table of Contents. Hermione moved the book towards herself and leaned over the page. Her finger ran down the list of chapters. Alli watched her with curiosity. Then, Hermione tapped her finger on a line tracing it to the page number. She flipped the book to the corresponding page and took a deep breath. Alli was nervous and her anxiety overwhelmed her as she spoke the words on the page.

"The Legend of Potens Infinitum Tempora," Alli said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

A noise sounded from behind them and Alli turned around quickly. Colton stood at the entrance to the Restricted Section with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Out of bed after hours again, Allison?"