Things seemed to improve at Hogwarts during the time following the encounter with Valefor.

The story of the Valefor sighting appeared on the front page of the Daily Prophet, which made the story blow up even more throughout the school. Arius and Crowley appeared to be on normal talking terms again, and James, Lorcan, and many others continued to give Alice and Zander regular attention. Tobias was hanging around with Lorcan and James fairly often after the day of the liquor chocolates—and the Slytherin girl, Mary-Lynn, continued giving Alice nasty stares from a distance, often muttering to her friends in hushed tones.

But it hardly mattered; things were as wonderful as ever.

Alice's first Quidditch game of the year kicked off without issue—and she flew and whizzed through the air with broom control that ought to have been admired, not bothered by the blistering cold air in the slightest. Hufflepuff just managed to win the game by ten points, which she couldn't wait to write home about.

In fact—as Christmas drew near and as all the students at Hogwarts began to prepare for their holiday away from school—Samuel O'Heiden sat in his cabin, resting slacked back in his recliner, his foot propped up on the table near the gently crackling fireplace, and he stroked along his chin as he quietly read over Alice's letter from weeks ago, mulling over it all yet again.

Roman had spoken to him about it, and Arius had written him about the same issue—but absorbing his daughter's own words hit him differently, and he found himself skimming over this same letter again for what must have been the fifth time.

Just then, the thick wooden door shook within its frame with a couple of booming knocks. Samuel blinked and turned his head, eyeing the door and waiting for it to open, as he recognized the pattern of the knock all too well.

Just as he expected, the door creaked open, and the large, stocky figure of Roman lumbered into the cabin, wearing a beanie and gloves and hurrying to seal the door shut to keep the icy air from invading the home.

"Evening," Samuel said in his usual softened rasp, making a loose motion over toward his couch. "Need a rest stop again?"

"Aye," Roman replied with a nod, sighing and seeming exhausted as he sank into the couch. "Thank you, mate."

Samuel nodded and faced the letter again, losing himself in it distractedly.

Roman sighed, rubbing hands together and warming them a bit. "I do appreciate it, honestly. The aurors are running amok, and that means they're running me all over, too. I don't have anywhere else to stay whenever we're out and about in Ireland, so…"

"No trouble," Samuel mumbled into the parchment. "You'd do the same for me. Hell… you have before."

Roman breathed out a laugh, squinting at the parchment in his friend's hand, then giving him a quizzical look. "Alice write again?"

"No, no…" Samuel uttered, scratching along his chin. "Not since she won her Quidditch match. No, I jus…"

He trailed off, staring, eyes narrowing at the parchment intently.

Roman read him, sensing something was on his mind. "What?"

Samuel sighed, slowly lowering his hand and making a mild gesture to the paper he held.

"Malachi," he muttered. "He gave her a hard time again, the day after…"

"Oh, mate… don't dwell on that," Roman advised, shaking his head. "Bloke's a right foul git to everyone at the auror's office. Not a human being alive is good enough for him. He's nothing to worry over."

"He might be," Samuel said in a soft, serious tone, turning and meeting his gaze. "You said Potter and Weasley were in charge of the auror teams in pursuit of Valefor, alongside you. Right?"

"Ahm… aye," Roman replied slowly, making a strange face and a nod. "That's right…"

"But not Malachi," Samuel clarified, giving the paper a slight shake. "Malachi wasn't part of that, was he?"

"No… not at the time," Roman told him. "He was meant to meet with a delegate in Bristol who might've had a lead on some foreign Shadow Hands, and he just hadn't left yet. Why?"

"Because—he showed up at Hogwarts the day after Valefor did," Samuel stated. "When he apparently had no reason for being there."

Roman reeled slightly back, sitting firmly upright and giving him an intense look. Then, he made a gentle shake of the head, scoffing out another breathless laugh.

"You're barking," he mumbled. "You honestly think Malachi is…?"

"No—I don't think he is," Samuel told him firmly. "I just think he could be."

"I think someone would've noticed if we had a Shadow Hand working among the aurors," Roman chuckled. "Especially if it turned out to be him. Lotta folks would love an excuse to lock him away. He really is a git to everyone—"

"I dunno if you understand how our society is now," Samuel said severely, flicking the parchment away and turning to face him fully. "Folks still remember the dark times and the Second Wizarding War—and that's still fresh on a lot of us. They'll be a lot more eager to forget and look away than they will be to find a new problem. Especially a problem so reminiscent of our recent bloody past."

Roman frowned.

Samuel sighed and continued. "And before—the Death Eaters infiltrated the Ministry enough to take it over completely. Now we have a new dark wizard rising with a great big following across the world, and if they have a single brain cell among them—then the first people they'd want to penetrate is the aurors."

"I'm aware of that possibility," Roman mumbled. "But…"

"I'm just saying," Samuel surmised, raising a hand. "I don't like it. I don't like Malachi showing up there when he did. That just set off a red flag for me. That's all."

"Right… well… I can keep a closer eye on him," Roman offered. "And I can station a couple of aurors on the train tomorrow too, if you're worried. Alice and Zander are riding back for the holidays tomorrow, right…?"

"No, no… I'm going there to pick them up," Samuel replied, shaking his head. "I've gotta take something to Emmet, anyway… and I'd rather not mail it."

Roman stared at him. "Did you get what he needed for…?"

"Oh yes," Samuel affirmed, cracking his signature smirk. "No more rationing or close calls for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Well… I might as well go with you, then," Roman shrugged.

Samuel squinted at him. "What for?"

"Oh, y'know… protection," Roman snickered. "Bodyguard. Something in that area."

"Oh… piss off," Samuel laughed. "I can handle flying from point A to point B."

"Aye… and you can also do flips, and doughnuts, and windmills all around muggle boats and airplanes. Again."

Samuel opened his mouth, then choked out a laugh and looked away shaking his head.

Roman wore a coy expression. "You can't keep doing things like that, y'know. The Ministry'll catch on eventually. I don't even know how you get away with doing what you do here."

"It's only illegal if it's perceived as magic," Samuel replied knowingly, raising a finger and revealing his crooked half-smile again. "Muggles see what I do as a fanciful parlor trick. And that's all it really is, to be honest…"

"You call that a parlor trick?" Roman scoffed ridiculously. "Blimey, Sam. You're doing wandless magic on a regular and effortless basis. Y'know that's not actually a common skill for wizards to have, right?"

"Well…" Samuel nodded sideways. "I wanted Alice to have my wand. That was a damn special wand, and I had to hand it down…"

"So you just adjusted to not having one."

"I'd already adjusted to wandless magic a long time ago. I just got better at it when Alice started at Hogwarts."

"Right, well… case and point. You've got a lotta skill for a ruddy carnie."

"Ah… y'know, that reminds me…"

Samuel stood swiftly from his chair, meandering over to the fireplace and collecting something from the top of it, gently stroking it with his thumb. It was a small, worn compass, one with chipped gold plating and a fancy design on the inside—though there was no mark showing where north might have been. The needle swiveled around aimlessly behind the glass, and it didn't seem intent on landing on a particular direction as of now.

Samuel gazed thoughtfully down at it, Roman giving it a questioning sort of stare.

Then, Samuel slowly held his free hand over it, murmuring under his breath as he did.

"Invenietis amica meainvenietis amica mea…"

The needle continued to spin, slightly faster, but still without stopping on a direction.

Roman stood and sauntered over, examining the compass curiously. "What's that for?"

Samuel released a cloud of breath, slowly lowering his hand.

"Christmas present," he replied with a smooth sense of conclusion. "Alice is worried she'll lose her friend. But, with this… well… she won't worry anymore."


The school day had ended, and various students had gathered in random groups up and down the great hall—some of them studying or reading while others chatted and sat with their packed-up belongings close by, prepared to take the train ride out of Hogwarts for the Christmas season.

A sense of peace and serenity was in the air of the school now, no stresses about exams or worries of Quidditch matches and dueling club standoffs—because now, the only thing anyone had to think about was their vacation away from it all.

Alice, Zander, Tobias, James, and Lorcan all sat together at the end of the mostly vacant Gryffindor table, trading conversation and laughs late into the afternoon. Zander sat on the very end, flipping through a book about advanced offensive spells, and he didn't often speak to the others, as they all seemed perfectly capable of carrying on the discussions without him.

He didn't mind that James and Lorcan seemed to have grown attached to Alice and Tobias, though he didn't have much to say to them, so he just rarely spoke during these larger get-togethers.

Besides—Alice seemed to be enjoying the newfound friends and popularity, and he didn't mind simply letting her have that fun, even though he himself thought little of it.

"Jaaames!" Alice whined, snatching the plate of pastries back from him. "You're hogging them all! I want some too!"

"Thn ye'shoulda ate faster," James replied with a muffled mouth of food, crumbs escaping out the corners of his mouth.

Lorcan scoffed and laughed, shaking his head down at the table.

"Mother sent me plenty, Alice," Tobias said kindly, opening another box of chocolaty German pastries. "Do not vorry."

"Ooo!" Alice grinned, leaning over James and swiping one of the chocolate ones. "Thank you, Tobi! You're the best!"

"Tobi?" Zander barked without thinking, slapping the book down and giving her an aghast look.

Everyone else fell momentarily silent, turning and ogling Zander as if he'd changed colors before their eyes. He hadn't spoken a single word all afternoon until now.

"Aye," Alice murmured. "I jus… I thought it was a good nickname, since he… he's got… 'Tobi' in his name…"

Zander continued gaping at her bizarrely, looking as if he'd never heard anything more ridiculous before in his life.

James spotted the look on his face—then exploded into laughter.

Lorcan and Tobias joined in his snickering seconds after, Alice giggling and gently smacking him on the arm.

"Alice, Zander," another voice joined the scene.

Alice and Zander both raised their heads—seeing Professor Crowley striding toward them from the nearest hallway, nodding at the two of them and motioning for them to stand.

"You're needed in the headmaster's office," he informed. "C'mon."

Alice and Zander traded faces, then stood and joined the professor.

"Oy!" James called after them. "If we don't see you again before we leave—we're gonna try to make the carnival!"

"Yes! Me as vell!" Tobias hollered.

"And me," Lorcan nodded, raising a hand.

"Okay!" Alice beamed, waving them off and walking backwards. "Hope ya' make it there! Happy Christmas!"

They yelled their farewells, then Alice spun back around, following Zander and Crowley out of the great hall.

The three walked in silence for a while, venturing up the moving staircases and entering the isolated halls of the higher floors.

Then, Alice peered over at Crowley curiously as they walked. "D'you know what he wants to see us for?"

"No," Crowley replied. "He just told me to come up there with you two. And he decided to send me a howler during my nap to relay that message. I don't know why… he could've just as easily came and knocked on my door… but y'know. He's a madman. Dunno what else I'd expect…"

Alice snickered, Zander turning away and hiding a forming smile.

Eventually—when the three of them stepped out of the magical stone lift—they emerged in the corridor leading to the headmaster's office, and Crowley knocked on the doors twice before pushing them open.

Inside, Arius stood in front of his desk, Zeus on his perch as usual—and two more people were standing on either side of the headmaster, one rather stocky, the other sleek and slender.

Alice skidded to a halt mid-step—spotting the familiar worn overcoat and the head of messy sandy hairs, and she recognized him instantly, from the widow's peak hairline to the crooked little half-smile.

"Dad!"

Alice sprinted forward—tackling Samuel with a spine-snapping embrace.

Samuel laughed, hugging his daughter warmly and tightening his grasp on her.

Arius smiled as he watched, as did Roman, Zander and Crowley approaching from the other side while the doors eased shut behind them.

"Feels like I haven't seen you in years," Samuel exhaled, gently combing her hairs back before slowly releasing her.

"I didn't know you were coming here!" Alice exclaimed, beaming with delight. "Blimey—we were about to get on the train with everyone else!"

"Aye, well… I figured I oughta whisk ya' both outta here before someone else tried to," Samuel replied with a smirk and a wink, making a subtle nod in Zander's general direction. "Like an angry father."

"And, if Malachi so chose to intercept Zander and drag him away for Christmas… well, I imagined he'd have a harder time of doing that if I briefly hid you away up here," Arius added whimsically. "I do believe you planned to spend Christmas with the O'Heidens, yes?"

"Yes," Zander breathed, unable to hide a growing smile. "Thank you."

"And… I'll be escorting ya' back to Ireland via broomstick," Roman informed. "You fly an Irish Rogue 3000, right, Alice? Mine's an older model Nimbus, but I reckon it can keep up well enough."

They all talked and traded greetings and plans with one another—all except for Crowley, who glanced around at them all, then turned and prepared to make a quiet leave.

"Whoooa—come back here," Arius hollered after him, side-stepping away from the group and waving Crowley back over. "You're not done here yet. I called you here as well. Come'ere."

Crowley repressed a groan, tossing his head back and trudging back over toward the headmaster's desk.

"I believe my associates here have something for you," Arius said with a smirk, gently pointing over at Samuel and Roman. "Something that only a belligerent Scottish auror and a wickedly silver-tongued Irishman could obtain on such short notice."

Roman stared at him. "Was that a compliment or an insult?"

Arius made a nonchalant shrug. "Whatever you want it to be."

Samuel rustled Alice's hairs, then sauntered over to Crowley and pulled a small cloth bag from within his coat, a round black one that looked almost empty.

Crowley eyed the bag oddly, and Samuel reached inside—the bag practically swallowing his arm whole, as its interior was equipped with an expansion spell. When he retracted his arm from the tiny bag—he was holding a plastic blood bag from a muggle hospital, fresh and filled with the deep crimson liquid.

"Carnivals make a good place to run a charity in the muggle world, given the circumstances and the causes are right," Samuel explained, tossing the blood bag to him. "And… if you pretty much run the whole place, and if you tell your customers that you're running a blood drive to save someone's life… then you get what you ask for. Didn't even have to lie."

Crowley stared, momentarily speechless and drawing a total blank. He'd only met Samuel properly on a handful of occasions, and the two never even shared much conversation—but now, Samuel had gathered a cavalcade of life-sustaining goods for him when he most needed it, seemingly for no reason whatsoever.

Arius's smile grew—Zander and Alice both watching with raised brows, totally surprised—and Crowley cleared his throat, taking several moments before he managed to muster up a response.

"I… appreciate that… a lot," he uttered. "Thank you."

Samuel slid his hands smoothly into his overcoat pockets, simply shaking his head. "Not a problem at all."

"Dad… what?" Alice breathed, marching toward him. "Hold on… how long have you known he was a…?"

"It's something aurors know, kiddo," Roman explained. "And your dad's best friends with an auror, so…"

"Sooo—we've got a nice little club of secret-keepers here," Arius surmised, clasping his hands together. "Life-saving secret-keepers made entirely of Hufflepuffs and Slytherins. I could write a book about this…"

"Oooh—that reminds me," Alice said suddenly, yanking her father's coat. "Dad—we might have some new friends coming by the carnival sometime during the holiday. Is that okay?"

"'Course," Samuel replied. "Who are they?"

"James Potter, Lorcan Scamander—and the one I wrote you about months ago, Tobias," Alice ranted. "Tobias is coming with his parents, and James and Lorcan are talking like they'll skip their Hogsmeade visits this year if they can talk their families into letting them go to the carnival instead."

"I'll not object to more business for me and more friends for you," Samuel chuckled. "I always wondered if you two even wanted more friends. Suppose I have my answer now."

"Oh yeah—we've made loads of friends," Alice grinned.

"More her than me," Zander mumbled with a shrug.

"Oh, now… don't sell yourself short," Samuel smirked, tapping his knuckles lightly to Zander's arm. "I'm willing to bet they like you as much as they do her. You're just not as ready to dive into it all. No worries there. I was the same way at your age…"

"Sam, are you ready to go?" Roman asked.

"Aye… whenever they are," Samuel nodded.

"Well, then—you'll need your brooms if you're heading off by flight," Arius knew, turning to Crowley. "Trocar—kindly escort Alice and Zander downstairs to gather their brooms and belongings, and do try to be quick about it, just in case Malachi is planning to make another unscheduled visit here."

Crowley nodded, placing the blood bag on the edge of the desk and gesturing for Alice and Zander to follow him.

Alice hesitated, pulling her father into another quick hug. Then, she and Zander marched away, striding across the room with Crowley. The three of them left the room moments after.

Samuel released a deep cloud of breath, turning to Arius and wearing a serious visage.

Arius's expression became slightly more intense as well, as did Roman's.

"I have noticed what you have," Arius remarked, continuing the conversation they'd abandoned when Crowley and the kids arrived. "And… I've already been keeping an eye on it for a while now."

Samuel and Roman traded thoughtful looks, then stared at the headmaster interestingly.

Arius gently leaned against his desk, shifting his elegant cane from one hand to the other.

"As far as I've been informed—it's unknown if the Seal of Shadows has a special 'mark' among them, like the Death Eaters had," Arius said. "So, that makes it a bit more difficult to determine if somebody is one. However—a certain animagus friend of mine has been following him around in secret, and Malachi often frequents all the old dark wizard hangout spots, many of them in Knockturn Alley. He's been seen meeting with shady individuals on and off this year, though none of them have been identified as of yet. This means there's no proof against him—but, regardless of that, his behavior is enough to warrant suspicion and caution."

"You were onto him from the start," Roman muttered. "Why didn't you bring this to the rest of our attention?"

"Well…" Arius shrugged and made a sideways nod. "I did tell Mr. Potter, but I didn't want to start spreading a wave of gossip about Malachi if it turned out to be nothing. Besides, Malachi himself is an auror. If I were to go around telling all the aurors of my suspicions, then Malachi would hear of it eventually. And…"

He paused, reading the grave expression strewn across Samuel's face.

"The timing of his brief visit here didn't slip past my notice, either," Arius stated. "It roused even further suspicion from me, just as it did you."

Samuel made a mild nod, glaring down at the floor for a moment, then meeting his eyes again.

"Though, rest assured… I don't think we have too much to worry about," Arius said, cracking a smile. "Because Zander is a good kid, and he's got Alice by his side… not to mention you, Samuel. Those two have incredible skills, and a great deal of support all around them. If Xyler has some convoluted kid-recruiting program underway in the shadows… then I think those special two are relatively safe from it, regardless of what anyone else might want them to do."

Samuel nodded once more, sliding the compass from his pocket, giving it a once-over, tossing it up in the air, and swiftly catching it, flashing his signature smirk.

"They'll be guided the right way no matter what," he resolved.