Dumbledore meets with Neville and Harry for a debriefing. The boys flip slowly through the book of Old Ones seen in Diagon Alley. Harry points out Cassandra and Neville concurs. Dumbledore reads "She has been seen there only once… It was not long before the only time before now that Adam was seen…seven-hundred-fifty-two years ago...the eight century." Neville pales.

Neville says "There was a symbol carved on a rock."

Dumbledore raises an eyebrow. "Can you draw it?" Neville nods and Dumbledore gets him some parchment and a pen. Neville works carefully. "You've both done an outstanding job. Madam Pomfrey is very pleased with the ingredient and Professor Sprout is already applying the berries to host trees so Hogwarts can have a colony of the mistletoe."

Neville finishes his drawing and slides it shyly to Dumbledore. Dumbledore explains "It has several names; triple spiral, triskelion, trefoil. It also has many meanings. Its use predates even the arrival of the Celts…it goes back to the Neolithic. It is said to represent, the past, present, and future. Also, life, death, and rebirth… father, mother, and child… How was it oriented on the stone?"

"Like this." Neville holds the parchment with one of the loops downward directly below the other two forming an inverted triangle.

Dumbledore nods. "Does that mean something Professor?" Harry asks.

"There were three loops on each of the three spirals?" Dumbledore asks and Neville nods.

"What is it Professor?" Harry asks.

"It could represent the nine months of pregnancy… The triangle oriented that way could represent… well… that can wait until you are older. The triple spiral can represent the maiden, the maiden, the mother, and the crone… the triple goddess.

"What does that mean?"

"It could mean that she follows a religion lost to antiquity… When women were the only ones to use magic."

"Professor, there was a feeling that I got in her wood. It was natural, but also…" Harry shrugs unable to explain.

"Its growth was guided… It looked wild, but it was a garden. There were stone steps held in place by thick roots." Neville explains.

"He did say that the forest is an extension of her…that nothing would happen there that she would not be aware of." Harry adds. "When we were in her bed, I think an owl let her know the professors were around."

"You were in her bed?" Dumbledore asks with suppressed alarm.

"There was only the one bed. She left us alone all night and came back in the morning. Whatever she did that night made Professor McGonagall nervous." Harry explains and Dumbledore nods with relief. He will need to talk to Minerva about it.

As they leave, Neville lags behind. Looking at his shoes, he asks Dumbledore in a shaky quie voice. "The shape…is it because it is like…what I saw?"

"What did you see?"

"When she got out of the lake…after bathing?"

Dumbledore nods and pats Neville on the shoulder. Neville turns crimson starting with his ears. "Perhaps it is best you don't think about that." Neville nods. Dumbledore said nothing more about it because he did not want Neville to have reason to think about the incident.

As they near where the class will be held Hermione grows increasingly fidgety. "Problem?" Adam asks.

"Would you drop me off before we get there so they don't know I came with you?"

"Why? Ashamed of me?"

"No… I don't want them to think I'm the 'teacher's pet' and tease me."

"What do you care what they think?"

"I don't but…"

"But, what?"

"I'm wearing the same clothes as last time."

"Is there some rule against that?" Hermione shakes her head. "You think that they will think less of you because they think you can only afford one outfit?" Hermione pouts. "There is only one person whose opinion of you matters."

"You?"

"Nope"

"Professor McGonagall's"

"No"

"Whose?"

"Someone you know well, someone who knows you best."

"My mother?"

"No" Adam says. Hermione is mystified. "You. Just you. But if that doesn't work…remember…" Adam gets a hint of a grin "…the only one in the room whose words can literally hurt someone is you."

Alex returns with Ginny who runs skipping into the house to tell her mother about her ride.

"It was wonderful Mum! We went so fast!" Molly hugs her in relief for her safe return.

As Alex and Ceirdwyn discuss the tracking device out near her truck, Amanda tells Michelle to get ready to go. Molly steels herself to take one last try. But before she can form the words Amanda says "Why don't you two come along?" Molly nods. "Good. We're going to change clothes before we leave."

When they return, Amanda is dressed as a seductive sexy witch and Michelle is wearing a robe reasonably typical of a student witch but without any indications of house.

Molly and Ginny go off to get their coats. Michelle asks "Why are we dressed like this again and why did you change your mind about having them with us?"

"They don't like us going to that place. Dressed like this we'll blend in. There are three points where we can't avoid revealing ourselves. First, we would need to ask to be let in. But Molly can and we can slip in with her. Third, we would need to make arrangements to leave but Molly can let us out."

"You skipped the second one."

"That is the tricky one. They will know when we go to the sword dealer."

"How do we avoid that?"

"WE can't. I'll create a distraction and YOU will slip in alone."

"Alone!?"

"Alone. You can do this. I've described the sword you are to select." Michelle looks doubtful. Amanda continues. "Before that happens though, I want to check out their shops. The cloak you are wearing has hidden pockets…"

Michelle holds up a hand. "It isn't that I'm unfamiliar with the concept of the 'five finger discount' or a 'boost coat' but why me?"

"Where would I hide anything in this outfit? And what else could I wear to create a distraction?"

Michelle fumes. "And how do we get back together?"

"You go out with them and I go up and over."

"Does Duncan know you are planning to steal from our hosts?"

"No… And I'm not stealing from our hosts…I'm liberating interesting cultural items… which can be converted to cash later."

"If you get caught, you'll get them in trouble…and I don't want to be boiled in a cauldron." Michelle hisses.

"Oh, pish posh… They aren't cannibals… unless you believe Hansel and Gretel… which I don't."

"Who said eaten. I don't want to be boiled into some sort of magical gunk."

"There is nothing magical about you…"

"Do they know that? How do you know what they think? Maybe there is some old hag just waiting for some boiled Old One head to complete her potion?"

"Don't be so dramatic, you aren't that old."

"Do they know that? Do they?"

"You are being silly."

Hagrid tempts Adam's horse, Ceridwen, with an apple. For the first time the horse cautiously approaches the half-giant. Hagrid remains still as Ceridwen takes the apple and retreats to eat it. Ceridwen, the horse, named for a Welsh witch, a champion of rebirth, transformation, and change crunches the apple and looks to Hagrid who holds up a second apple. She approaches with less caution and allows him to pat her head as she eats the second one.

Ceirdwyn and Alex come inside as Ginny and Molly return with their coats. "Ginny and I are going to Diagon Alley with Amanda and Michelle, but you are welcome to stay."

Amanda heads out followed by Ginny. Michelle holds on to Molly's arm. "She may be planning to acquire things from the shops."

"Well, we'll just have to keep an eye on her."

Alex cautions "You'll need to watch close, she's good."

"Dear, dressed like that? Everybody will be watching." Molly chuckles.

"You mean the sexy witch outfit?" Michelle asks.

"She was supposed to be dressed as one of us?" Molly responds choking back a laugh. "I've heard some of us don't blend in when we try to dress as muggles. Now, I see what they mean. I thought she was dressed like a… what do you muggles call a… loose woman?"

Alex giggles. "A slut?"

Ceirdwyn responds "That wasn't slut… It was more showgirl slash stripper."

"Where do you suppose she had her sword?"

"Zeist pocket." Ceirdwyn says with a bob of her head.

Molly is confused but rather than join in the Amanda bashing she returns to comforting Michelle. "Not to worry dear."

"She's planning to stash the stuff on me…in this…"

"Ginny dear, take Michelle upstairs and get her into one of the twins robes." Ginny nods and leads Michelle away.