Chapter 26

Sunday, November 3rd,1991-Ravenclaw Tower Common Room, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Somewhere in Scotland

Noe shrieked and nearly dropped her wand. Her yell made the fifth year girls sitting on the other side of the common room drop what they were doing and turn towards the third year girls with alarm. Noe did not scream like that.

Penelope's mouth dropped open. "Merlin's beard!"

"Holy Morgan's cow's staff!" Audrey Blackthorn babbled, unable to choose which exclamation to use.

Grace squealed and jumped up and down, hugging Violet rather than Noe so that Noe wouldn't really drop her wand. "You did it! You did it!"

Swimming though the air around Noe was a beautiful sliver fish with thin, flowing fins, her patronus, fully formed.

"That…that!"Jasmine stuttered. "That's a N.E.W.T. level spell!"

"That's beyond N.E.W.T. level!" Penelope corrected, lowering her wand. "Congratulations, Noe."

Noe blushed. "Thanks."

Grace finally allowed Violet to breath and stopped acting like a rabbit, though she still had a huge grin on her face. "I want to try again! Expecto patronum!"

Silvery mist ballooned from the end of Grace's wand, forming a shield that was twice as tall as her. Before her face could start to fall the shield folded itself up and, quite appropriately, took the shape of a fluffy rabbit.

Grace squealed again. "You try, Vi!"

The fifth year girls went back to studying. They didn't look when Grace squealed for the third time, signalling the condensing of the silver cloud that Violet created into a bright silver butterfly.

"How are they doing that?" Emily whispered.

"I think they've been practicing for years," Penelope whispered back. "If prefects could give points I would."

"Your turn, Patricia," Grace ordered. "Come on!"

Patricia stopped massaging her temples (curse that headache that just did not want to die!) and tried the spell again. The first two times she produced the usual silver smoke that they had all been able to create reliably since the year before. Maybe it was a bit thicker than usual but it didn't look much different. On her third try a giant snake burst from the end of her wand, making a four girls scream.

"We're fine! We're fine!" Patricia gasped when the fifth year girls jumped out of their seats and drew their wands. "Sorry!"

Penelope lowered her wand. "It's fine. Try to calm—Patricia? Are you alright?"

All of the blood had drained from Patricia's face. Her patronus vanished.

The common room was filled with the hissing of snakes.

"Uh oh," Grace said.

Patricia opened her mouth and spoke with the voices of hundreds of Oracles.

"For birth of death from Erebus's grave, the warrior star shall break the cage. Release the lock by bloodied script, and from furious jaws the killer slip."

Noe and Violet managed to catch Patricia as she fainted before she could hit her head on a bookshelf.

"Well," Grace said, "that didn't sound good."

Letter from Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore to Nicolas Flamel; dated November 3rd,1991

To my dear Nick,

The security that I and the professors you chose have put around your possession has been holding up well. There has been a slight problem with someone unlocking the door at all hours but we both know that if Hagrid is not allowed to visit his dear Fluffy the consequences will be unpleasant.

I wish to ask for your opinion on a, shall we say, disturbing prophecy that was brought to me this afternoon. As there is always the danger of this letter being intercepted, yesterday was Fawks's Burning Day, please let me know when it would be possible for us to meet.

Enough business, last time we talked you shared your argument for why the merfolk of your country are less warlike than our selkies and Merrows. While I do believe that your warmer weather may have something to do with it I would like to remind you that France has a significantly lower Faerie presence, especially of the Dark variety… (The letter continues for a foot and a half of parchment)

From your friend,

Albus

Tuesday, November 5th,1991-The Hospital Wing, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Somewhere in Scotland

Patricia opened her eyes and groaned. "Not again."

She was in the hospital wing. Again.

Madam Pomfrey bustled over with a tray full of potions and put them down on the bedside table.

"Are those all for me?" Patricia asked, dismayed.

Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow. "Do you see anyone else here?"

Patricia grumbled and fell back into her pillows. She did need all those potions though. She felt like she'd been run over by the Knight Bus.

Well, at least her headache was gone.

A/n: These chapters just keep getting shorter...

Happy 2017,

Cynder2013