Three
Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the flowing mass of Canadian students to the 'green room', which was actually a thin disguise for a beginning-of-term party. The members of Tatterwings were in the centre of the room, blushingly accepting praise and sipping everyone's favourite, Butterbeer.

Ron steadily made his way towards the three girls; Harry and Hermione pulled him back.

"Please," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes, "Think, Ron."

"What are you going to do when you get there?" Harry asked, "What are you going to say? Do you know?"

"No," Ron replied, "But now that you've asked me, I've started thinking, and now I'm nervous." He glared. "Thanks ever so much."

"Well, it doesn't look like you have a choice now, Ron," Hermione said, "Because they're headed this way."

And indeed, the three girls were making their way to where Harry, Ron and Hermione stood. Ron turned to stone.

"Hey!" The brunette yelled at them. "I'm Tara, and these are my fellow bandmates Suzy and Angela." Suzy, the blond, and Angela, the black- haired one, smiled. "It's just so great that this exchange could happen - we couldn't go, but that's okay, because now all the cute British boys are coming to us!" Angela slung an arm around Harry. "How do you like Mount Boucherie so far, Harry?" She asked him.

Harry blushed, and shifted uncomfortably. He sent a pleading look to Hermione, and smiled slightly at Angela.

"It's great - it's going to take some getting used to, though." He told her. She smiled sweetly.

"Well, hope I'm not interrupting anything," Draco called from behind them. They all turned at looked; he was back, pale and malevolent and dressed to kill. Ron glared, Harry glared, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

I will not succumb to this childish, childish spoiled brat's charms, Hermione told herself fiercely. I will not, I will not, I will not! The equally childish part of Hermione's mind said, But of course you will, dahling, and smirked at her. Hermione shoved it to one side, reminding it of Draco's status as Prat and Spawn-of-Evil, and payed attention to what was going on.

Tara had begun to finger a pendant that hung around her neck; she spun it once, twice, three times.

"Where did you get that necklace?" Draco asked, his pretense of sarcasm gone as if it had never existed.

"Oh, this?" Tara said, lifting her green eyes to his grey ones. "I had them made specially for us." She lifted them up for all to see, three pale silver roses entwined around each other, with a diamond dangling at the bottom. "It's the emblem of Tatterwings - three roses, one stone. Three maidens, and soul's song." She looked at Draco almost expectantly.

Three hearts, one master, Draco's mind reminded him. It was the final line of the poem his father had taught him, so long ago..

A secret glance passed between Tara and Draco, a secret understanding.

Without a word, Draco turned and left.

"Well," Tara exclaimed, "Let's not let him ruin the party! Enjoy yourselves! Have fun!" She and the three others waved goodbye, and melted into the crowd.

"I don't know about you, but I think I've had enough fun for one night." Harry said. "I'm going to find out where we're posted."

"Uh-huh." Ron said tonelessly as he stared where Suzy had stood.

"Ron?" Harry poked his motionless friend.

"Leave him alone, Harry," Hermione told him, smiling. "His brains leak out whenever he sees a pretty girl."

Harry smiled back, and they dragged Ron along after them to find out where to go next.

*** Tara, Suzy, and Angela walked down a silent and empty hall. Their footsteps echoed faintly, and as they walked they spoke to each other in soft voices of something they had been told once. "'And now at last it comes.'" Tara began. "'You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you shall set up a Queen....'"
Her voice trailed away, and Angela began after her, like streams of differently scented incense, rising where another had fallen.
"'And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night!'"
"'Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain!'" Suzie whispered, her thoughts pale and far away.
"'Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning!'"Tara chanted.
"'Stronger than the foundations of the earth.'" Suzie breathed.
All the girls joined in together at the last line-
"'All shall love me and despair!'"

***

Draco walked down a different hall in his own silent reverie. Very few things had the effect on Draco that this poem did. Very few.

As he walked he suddenly noticed that he was at his destination; at the gate to the garden by the infirmary, and three young girls were waiting for him there. He went in and sat down on the grass with them. The moon was quite suddenly blotted out, as if it could not bear to watch these proceedings. The stars were not so lucky as to have clouds pass over them, and so they kept on lighting up the skies.

"Hello, Draco," Tara greeted him. "Have you spoken with Lucius?"

"I have," he said, "and he said you would tell me what I need to know."

She smiled.

"Harry Potter will be betrayed to the Dark Lord on December the twenty- fifth, at midnight exactly. Everything has been arranged. He will not have any warning. He will go to Pierre's Peak, the cliff overhanging the sea several miles from this school. He will go with complete trust in the one who leads him there. He will go with you."

"Thank you, ladies," Draco rose.

"We will help you," Angela said, "we will weaken his defenses. We will come between him and his friends and cut them off from them. But we will expect our rewards."

"Payment on delivery, girls," He sighed, as the moon appeared again. "For all of us."