"How long is he going to take?" muttered Drake.
He was waiting where he and Tekkno left Ebenezer to tie the bully up in the Forbidden Forest. The sun was starting to set, and Drake was worried about being caught by a teacher, if he was still out by the time it got dark. Eventually Ebenezer emerged from the forest, his robes covered in dirt.
"What happened to you?" asked Drake. "You were ages."
"Next time, you can carry the much older person, and then see how long it takes you" replied Ebenezer. "Anyway, I got caught up with some centaurs. I told them that the idiot Tekkno knocked out went into the forest to try and transfigure all of them into humans. Didn't like that one bit."
"And they believed it?" gasped Drake.
"Any excuse to distrust humans, they'll take" remarked Ebenezer. "I think it also helped that they mistook me gawping at seeing them for the first time as me worshiping how great the centaur race is."
"That makes sense" grinned Drake,
"Why are you here anyway?" asked Ebenezer. "I thought you were with Tekkno and that kid."
"Tekkno succeeded" gloated Drake. "We've managed to get the Room of Requirement to form a passage between here and the base."
"Oh thank heavens" sighed Ebenezer. "Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful for being here; but I could really do with a day of binging YouTube."
The two boys walked across the grounds, and into Hogwarts Castle. This time it was Ebenezer's turn to marvel at the moving staircases, talking paintings, and all the other touches that made Hogwarts so magical. Drake had to lead the way, as he already been to the Room of Requirement.
"It's right here" he pointed out, once they got to the seventh floor. "Just opposite this…"
He paused his sentence, as in the distance he saw what he desired to see the most. At the other end of the corridor, two ghosts were having a conversation. Drake felt his heart double in speed; what he wanted to know most about the wizarding world is about to be found out.
"Earth to Drake" mocked Ebenezer.
"What…" said Drake in a dazed state. "Oh, yeah; that door over there will take you back home."
"Don't be long" warned Ebenezer.
He went through the door that led to the Room of Requirement, whilst Drake ran towards the ghosts. It appeared as if they had just finished speaking to one another, as they were both floating in separate directions. The ghost floating towards Drake looked startled, as he almost floated right through him.
"Someone seems eager to return to the common room" he said.
"Not to see the common room" panted Drake. "I wanted to speak with you."
"To see me?" murmured the ghost. "And what would a student want with Sir Nicholas De Lacy Porpinton?"
"Tell me, what happened to you when you died?" begged Drake.
"I'm sorry?" murmured Nearly Headless Nick.
"How did you become a ghost?" demanded Drake. "When people die, how do they become…"
"Oh…" muttered Nick, in a far more serious tone. "I should have figured; it's this conversation again."
"You've had this before?" asked Drake.
"You are not the first student who has lost a loved one" explained Nick. "Nor will you be the last. Tell me boy, who was it who died?"
"My mum and dad" replied Drake. "They died a few years ago in a train crash."
"A train crash" mumbled Nick. "I take it that your parents are muggles."
"Yes" admitted Drake.
"I see" sighed Nick. "I'm afraid that there is nothing that I can do."
"Why not?" Drake asked like a desperate child.
"Ghosts do not just appear as soon as death arrives" explained Nick. "It must be done when the witch or wizard is still alive. They must cast the spell that keeps their soul from passing the veil, whilst the body rots away."
"Oh" muttered Drake.
He didn't understand most of Sir Nearly Headless Nick's ramblings, but he didn't care about how ghosts were made. He had lost all interest in the subject the moment Nick said that it had to be done by a wizard.
"Your parents' souls have already passed through the veil" said Nick.
"But what does that mean?" snapped Drake. "Where is this veil?"
"It is a place that is impossible to reach, whilst you are still alive" replied Nick. "Any soul that enters the veil, it is almost impossible to get them out."
"I get it" Drake said sulkily. "Oh well; it was worth a try."
Drake turned around to return back home, when a sudden thought hit his mind.
"Wait" he shrieked so loudly, that Sir Nick's head fell off his neck.
"What is it?" Sir Nick asked grumpily, as he fitted his head back into position.
"You said nearly impossible" Drake clarified. "Which means that there must be some way to get the souls out of the veil."
"Truth be told, other than ghosts, I was convinced that there was no way anyone could talk to the dead" Sir Nick explained. "However centuries ago, an ancient wizard created the Resurrection Stone."
"So he could bring back the dead?" gasped Drake.
"I don't know all the details" Sir Nick went on. "Everyone assumed it was merely a myth, even when I was a living child. But on the day Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort, he reportedly used it himself."
"Potter…" Drake spoke darkly.
"I do not know what he has done with the Resurrection Stone" said Sir Nick. "And if asked about it, he refuses to comment."
"Does he…" Drake muttered. "One more question Sir Nicholas; does the stone work on muggles."
"All living creatures have souls" Sir Nick answered. "But I would advise you against trying to obtain it. If Harry does not wish to speak of it then…"
"I'll make him talk" said Drake darkly. "Thanks for the info."
He then left the ghost, and walked into the Room of Requirement.
Three weeks has passed since Patricia Muggs chose her new quiditch players.
"Our new beater will be Aoiffe Donnelly" she announced.
"Yes" cheered Aoiffe. "I can finally hit people with a club."
"You mean with a Bludger" corrected Benedict.
"And our new chaser will be Jackson Lestrange" Patricia continued.
"Damn right" he grinned.
One thing that James did not miss was Patricia's physical training sessions. In their latest one, Patricia was making them run five laps around the quiditch pitch.
"You do realise that seekers are supposed to be the light" complained James.
"I do" replied Patricia. "That means you'll have to be on a diet. No more cake for you Potter."
"I bet the Ravenclaw team don't have to do all this running" moaned Aoiffe.
"You are correct Aoiffe" said Patricia. "McLaren makes her crew do eight."
"I've already scouted ahead" explained Benedict. "Darren Crawford has been helping run the team's quiditch training, whilst she prepares for her future car races."
"Darren's involved in Ravenclaw's training?" gasped Jackson.
"There are a load of different houses involved" Benedict elaborated. "I'd say that about half the participants are the main team and reserves, and the rest are all people trying to get on McLaren's favour, some of which are from other houses."
"Has McLaren picked the rest of her team yet?" asked Cameron Corner. "Not including Floyd of course."
"Dexter has kept his position as chaser" answered Patricia.
"He does all of McLaren's homework for her" noted Tulip.
"The third chase is a first year girl called Kirsty Robins" Benedict went on.
"I remember her" said Aoiffe. "She got a week's detention for spiking Isaac's drink with a love potion."
"Who did it make him love?" asked James.
"Take a wild guess" Aoiffe muttered, her face blushing red.
"And their new keeper is a seventh year called Kenneth Roscoe" said Patricia.
"I heard about him" said Jackson. "He levitated Isaac high into the air, and left him hanging high up on a castle ledge."
"Well the one positive to come out of it is that Roscoe sucks as a flyer" said Patricia. "And I mean, he is really bad."
"I'm very surprised that Zabini didn't get a place on the team" muttered Benedict. "He's probably the best flyer they have, who wasn't on the team last year."
"I'm not after what happened to him" chuckled James.
Zabini was found tied up to a tree, almost beaten to death by centaurs. Professor McGonagall was beyond furious, and threatened to transfigure the centaurs into full humans, if they ever attacked another student again. James would have felt sorry for Zabini, if he didn't see him suspiciously following Isaac McLaggen with a rope the previous night. He also wondered whether Zabini's accident caused less bullying, since he didn't hear of any incidents with Isaac ever since.
"Ravenclaw's match against Hufflepuff is next week" said Benedict. "We'll see how prepared they are then."
The next morning, James and Jackson were forcefully woken up by Aoiffe, after using an ice cold water spray charm on both them and Darren.
"A shrug would have been enough" complained James.
"You boys still take too long to get out of bed if I did that though" Aoiffe smirked.
"And what was the reason for you spraying me?" demanded Darren angrily.
"Payback for beating me up on the train" replied Aoiffe. "And by the way, learn to wear a shirt when you go to bed; girls aren't impressed by guys who try too hard."
James and Jackson waited for Aoiffe to leave the dormitory, then got changed into their robes. Reluctantly, they had to admit that Aoiffe did get them out of bed quicker than if she just left them. To James' horror, Patricia had already decided on what he was having for breakfast, and provided him with a relatively small plate of food.
"Jackson, I seem to remember you beating me in the flying test last year" James pointed out, after seeing Jackson's considerably larger plate of food. "Fancy swapping; I'll give you my broom."
"To tell you the truth James, I think being a seeker is overrated" grinned Jackson.
James was about to dig into what little breakfast he was given when an owl came flying down next to him. He had never seen the owl in his life, but he was carrying an envelope in its beak. James grabbed the letter, checked that it was for him, then opened it.
I want the Resurrection Stone James Potter. I know your father was the last person to use it. Make him give it to you, then send it to the lost and found section in Paddington Station. If I do not get it by the end of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw match, you will be punished. Do not test me.
"What the hell?" James screamed.
"What's wrong?" Patricia asked.
James handed her the letter. Patricia read it several times, before scrunching it up in her fist.
"Team, Professor Longbottom's office; now."
"The Resurrection Stone" Professor Longbottom murmured, after going through the letter himself.
"Obviously this is the work of Silverstone McLaren" said Patricia angrily.
"I don't think it is" muttered Benedict. "I cannot think of anyone who McLaren would wish to see from the dead."
"Maybe she wants to ask some old F1 driver for some racing tips" joked Jackson.
"I can say with reasonable certainty that this is not McLaren's doing" confirmed Longbottom. "First of all, the handwriting doesn't even closely resemble McLaren."
"She could have had someone else write it" said Corner.
"True, but the deadline is after her game with Hufflepuff" continued Longbottom. "Which means she can't be in Paddington to retrieve the stone; and if this person is serious about this threat, then I don't think they'd have someone else pick up such a powerful item."
"Maybe this is all Crawford's work" theorised Corner. "He won't be playing quiditch."
"I've spent a lot of time with Darren" said Professor Longbottom. "And I can safely tell you that unless James or Bella told him about the Resurrection Stone, he would probably have never heard of it."
"I don't remember saying anything about it" added James.
"The most likely explanation is that it was done by someone outside of Hogwarts who has it in for Harry" deduced Benedict. "A former Death Eater, or their child perhaps."
"On paper, that sounds the most likely" said Longbottom. "But if it is someone who has a grudge against Harry, then they've waited an awfully long time to act."
"Do you have any ideas then Professor?" asked James.
"I have a hunch" muttered Longbottom. "Something isn't right around here. Do you remember the journey to get here on the Hogwarts Express?"
"You mean the one where I got assaulted by Crawford?" responded Aoiffe.
"Yes" replied Longbottom. "Do you remember what else happened on that train journey?"
"Some muggle idiot parked their car in front of the train" answered Jackson. "And three idiot wizards disembarked to take a look."
"And do you know who those wizards are?" asked Longbottom.
"No" murmured James. "I don't remember hearing anything about it."
"Exactly" said Longbottom. "At the time, they lied about their identities to the train driver, but Professor McGonagall expected them to be emerged after the students started talking about it amongst themselves. But they never did. Tell me, how can three students commit something so massive, yet remain completely anonymous?"
"I don't know" replied James.
"Well let me give you a hint" said Longbottom. "A few weeks ago was the first trip to Hogwarts. John Dawlish the caretaker was responsible for head counting the students, yet somehow he counted three more people coming back to Hogwarts, than they have leaving it."
"To be honest Professor, Dawlish doesn't seem like that guy who can count to five, let alone how many students there are here" teased Aoiffe.
"But the number three is an interesting coincidence" noted Benedict.
"I went down to Hogsmeade afterwards to conduct my own investigation" explained Longbottom. "What I found out was that three child squibs were staying at the inn there for several weeks, and checked out the day of the Hogsmeade visit."
"Are you saying that there are intruders in Hogwarts?" gasped Patricia.
"I will alert the staff to be on high alert" said Longbottom. "In the meantime, I will personally write a letter to Harry Potter. A threat directed at both a highly respected auror, and a parent of a Hogwarts student will not be treated lightly."
Nobody was in the mood for quiditch practise that day, not even Patricia. Within minutes, the news of a group of students breaking into Hogwarts, spread all over the school. During lunchtime, he heard from Cameron Corner, that Sir Nearly Headless Nick had actually spoken to someone inquiring about the Resurrection Stone.
"I saw him talking to Professor Longbottom" he explained. "He said that it was just a kid around your age."
"For once you can't blame me for this" interrupted and eavesdropping Darren Crawford.
"We never suspected you to begin with" said Bella. "What purpose does the Resurrection Stone serve anyone who doesn't care about anyone else?"
"To be honest, I don't care who wrote this letter" said James.
"Why not?" asked Jackson.
"Because whoever did this was someone who broke into Hogwarts, and therefore is probably someone we never met" replied James. "I'm more worried about what he does if he doesn't get the Resurrection Stone."
"He's just a kid James" reassured Jackson. "Corner said they're about our age."
"Age is no barrier to cruelty" replied James. "Can we say that everyone our age is incapable of harm?"
His eyes directed themselves towards Darren. He was their age, yet has already assaulted numerous people, including girls, and reaching the peak of where he crippled his younger brother for being better than him at football. James didn't know what harm the blackmailer was capable of, but he didn't want to find out.