Just kidding… I'll post right now!

Chapter 15

The Stone of Rialle

A week later, students started filtering back into the school, and Lily was happy not to be the only girl in the dormitory again. She was relieved to see Belle again, and jealous of her holiday… although Madison seemed to think that Lily's didn't sound so bad.

The snow continued to pulse down from the sky steadily. Lily couldn't help but stare out the windows, wishing it were spring.

The day that classes were due to start, Lily rolled out of bed, groaning and rubbing her eyes.

"Morning." She yawned to Belle. She made her way over to the mirror, and scowled at her frizzy hair. She brushed it, and got dressed, then headed downstairs with her books slung over her back.

"Hey guys." Lily replied, as she caught up with the marauders in the hall. "Going to breakfast?"

"Yup." James said.

"We're dining with Patricia and Janna this morning." Sirius said, raising his eyebrows.

Lily smiled at him slyly. "You're breaking up with them, aren't you?"

Sirius looked astounded. "Are you kidding?"

"Yes, we are." James said, laughing at Sirius. "They aren't as cool as we thought."

"What do you mean?"

"They're brainless ditzes, that's what we mean." He replied. "They giggle at everything, and they're so full of themselves… they're worse than Sirius."

"Hey!" Sirius snapped.

"But they're really not our type. But we're waiting a little before breaking up with them, right Si?" James said.

"Right-o, Jamie-boy."

"Don't call me that."

After breakfast, Lily halfheartedly walked up to Defense Against the Dark Arts, knowing that her holiday was officially over. When she entered the classroom, she sat at her assigned seat, and waited patiently for the bell to ring.

As it sounded, the rest of the class scurried like rats to their seats, and remained seated watching Professor Moody's door.

10 minutes passed.

15…

Where was he?

Finally, 20 minutes after the bell had rung, Moody came rushing into the classroom, his roster in hand, and his travel cloak hanging loosely on his shoulders.

"Morning." He said gruffly. "Get out your books."

The look on his face was murderous, and no one dared to ask where he had been, or what had taken him so long.

Lily pulled out her book, and stared expectantly at the Professor. He was now rustling through papers on his desk, and paying no attention to the class before him.

James cleared his throat loudly and with anticipation, hoping Moody would notice. He didn't.

"Er- Professor? Is something wrong?" Lily ventured softly. Moody's electric blue eye swiveled onto her, while his brown eye focused on his desk.

"What's that, Evans?"

"Is something wrong?" She repeated.

"No… nothing." Moody said-- though nobody believed him. "Class dismissed."

"Sir?"

"We've barely been in here a half hour-"

"And you even less…"

"I said class dismissed." He growled. "Now get out of my classroom."

Lily and James exchanged a glance before packing up their things. When the rest of the class had left, they both approached Moody, James leading the way.

"Sir? Can we help you with something?" He asked cautiously.

"God damn it!" Moody shouted, making Lily take an uneasy step back. "Where is it?!" He yelled, ripping open a drawer, and piling its inner recesses on his cluttered desk.

"Er- where's what, Professor?" James asked, trying to be of assistance.

"Stay out of this, Potter." Moody snapped. "If I've gone and lost it…"

"Alright, sir. We were just trying to help." James replied, moving towards the door thankfully. Lily followed closely, sighing in relief.

"Potter!" Moody barked, as Lily's fingers rested on the doorknob, itching to turn it and run.

"Ye-yes, sir?"

"You can help me, actually." Moody replied, walking over stiffly. His face softened, as he looked at Lily and James. "You both are very kind." He said. Lily would have been flattered, but the scar on his face wiped away all charm.

"What can we do, sir?" Lily said quietly.

"I need you to find a book… it's very important." Moody replied.

"A book?" James repeated.

"Yes- emerald cover… golden buckle… titled Stones of This Century… hard to miss, really." Moody explained, returning to his desk. He scribbled something on a piece of paper, and then hobbled back over. "Here's a note for the restricted section of the library. I might have returned it accidentally."

"All right." Lily said, accepting the note.

"Hurry." Moody begged James.

"Er- okay." James replied, whipping open the door, and hurrying down the corridor. "Geeze! That guy is crazy. All that for a book?"

"It is pretty strange."

"Pretty strange? It's crazy." James said.

"Like him?" Lily suggested, laughing. But they rushed to the library, checked the restricted shelves, but to no luck. They returned to Moody's empty handed.

"That's what I thought." Moody said sadly when he saw them in the doorway. "Could you check one more place before next period?"

"I guess…" Lily said. "Where?"

"Sybil Trelawney's. I think she may have borrowed it." Moody replied. "Just tell her I sent you." James shrugged, and headed back out the door.

"I've never been to the Divination classroom." Lily said, as James led her up a flight of stairs.

"You're lucky." He said. "I hate that class. She's always predicting my death… and I always fall asleep."

"But learning about the future must be fascinating." Lily said. "Isn't it?" She added when she saw James's face.

"No. It's so stupid. She's such a fake." He laughed. "I swear, if any of it's true I'll give you my broom."

Lily snorted. "Seriously? It's that stupid?"

"Yeah. That stupid." He said. "Hello Sir Cadogan." James waved to a picture, stopping for a moment. "How goes finding your horse?"

"Good Even, my fine master and mistress. My darling Mable is forever lost, and cannot be uncovered. But I assure you I shall come upon her! A quest is in order, if only I could unearth my fellow knights." The porky knight in the painting replied.

"I'm sorry." James said, holing back a laugh. "See you later."

"Until our next meeting!" Cadogan shouted after them.

"Frightening, isn't he?" James said.

"Just a little." Lily said. James stopped in a circular room with no doors. "Did we take a wrong turn?" She asked.

"Nope." He replied, pointing up to the ceiling. There was a trapdoor that suddenly opened, and a stepladder descended, stopping before their feet. "Come on." James said, heading up the silver ladder.

When Lily popped up into the room, she was immediately shocked. The tower was filled with squashy chairs and tables. There was a roaring fire in the fireplace, and the lamps were draped with shawls. There was a heavy smell of perfume, and it was intoxicating.

"Good morning, James." A light, misty voice said from a corner. Lily turned abruptly, and saw a middle-aged woman covered in shawls. She wore huge spectacles that made her eyes look four times too big for her body. Bangles and jewels hung from her neck and wrists, so she glittered unnaturally.

"Hello." James said uncertainly. Lily just nodded. "Professor Moody sent us up here for a book…"

"I fore-saw you coming up here and asking me that." Trelawny said, picking a book up from the table. "So I beseech it to you."

"Thank you…" James said reaching out for the leather bound book. But the Professor didn't give it to him. Instead she was watching Lily, her eyes round.

"Who… who is this?" She asked faintly.

"This is Lily Evans." James said shortly, reaching out for the book again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor." Lily said, smiling. Trelawny didn't take her gaze off of Lily, and it made her uncomfortable.

"Lily Evans? Really?" Trelawny grinned. She looked at James, then Lily. "And your hair is naturally red?"

"I guess so." Lily said awkwardly.

"You don't say." Trelawney chuckled. "I think I would be correct in saying that you are a Sagittarius, dear?"

"Er… I wouldn't know…" Lily said awkwardly.

"Oh. I see." She said disappointedly. "And how long have you two known each other?" She asked, peering anxiously over her abnormally large glasses.

"Us? About 7 years, I guess." James shrugged.

"But we weren't friends until last year." Lily added. "Could we have the book, by chance? We need to get back to class."

"What? Oh yes. Of course." Trelawny said, handing the book to James. "You two take care of each other, now." She said, a hint of I-know-something-you-don't in her voice.

"Er- we will. Thank you." James said, making a face as Trelawney turned around.

"I'm quite serious, James. And I wouldn't make those faces at me, or you'll find yourself in detention." Trelawny said, not looking at him.

"I hate that." James grumbled when they were on their way back to Moody's. "She always acts like she knows everything."

"What if she does?" Lily consoled. "I mean, she knew we needed that book."

"Moody could have told her."

"What about you making faces?"

"Any teacher would have known that." James laughed.

"But why did she care about my hair color?" Lily asked thoughtfully. "You don't think she foresaw something about me?"

"No way." James said, cracking open the book to the marked page. "I wonder why Moody needed this book so badly."

"I dunno." Lily said. "What?" She asked, as James stopped in his tracks.

"What was that stone that Death Eater was talking about?" He asked.

"Er… I don't remember. Like, Rialle or something."

"Rialle? Are you sure?"

"I have no clue. Why?" Lily said.

"Cuz it's in this book." James said, flipping the book over for Lily to see.

"What? You're not serious…" Lily replied, taking the book from James. "You don't think Moody knew, do you? I mean… how could he?"

"Maybe all the teachers know." James suggested. "And the page was bookmarked…"

"Maybe he does know." Lily said, glancing at the page. "It says here: The Stone of Rialle- pictured on the left- is the only stone of its kind. It's elaborate aqua coloring, and strange circular shape make it original and special. Though small and growing, The Stone of Rialle also holds amazingly shocking powers. It has an intense power source and restorative deep in it's core. The owner of the crystal will have its power and be, in a sense, untouchable. All the owner must do is crack open the crystal, drink the liquid inside, and then they will never be able to be killed, hurt, harmed, or die of old age. 

The Alchemist, Mr. Nicholas Flamel- also the maker of the Sorcerer's Stone, made the Stone of Rialle for medical purposes. But because the Stone of Rialle is so powerful, he sees it unfit for human consumption. The Stone is currently hidden for safe keeping until Flamel feels that the world can cope with its awesome power."

"Wow." James muttered.

Lily nodded, and looked at the picture on the page. The crystal was indeed aqua- but not in so few words. It was a blue as the ocean, and glittered like the sun. I seemed as though the color continued on forever… as though there was more to the thing than met the eye. She couldn't see the supposed restorative inside, but something made her sure it was there. It was impeccably round, like an egg, and appeared to be very smooth. It was almost like the stone was worn flawlessly even by wave crashing upon year after year. By the picture, Lily couldn't tell the size, but it didn't seem to matter.  

"It's so perfect." James commented, peering over Lily's shoulder at the stone.

"Yeah." Lily murmured. Suddenly, the bell rang, snapping Lily back to reality. She slammed the book shut. "We should bring this to Professor Moody. We shouldn't have read this."

"Why not? At least now we know that deranged guy was telling us the truth." James said.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what this means, don't you, Lily?" James said excitedly. "It's here! Here in this very castle!"

"What?" Lily breathed. He couldn't mean…

"The Stone of Rialle! It's at Hogwarts!" James repeated. "Somewhere in this castle. That's what those men came for! Not me- the Stone!"

"James, don't be silly." Lily said. "Why would the Stone of Rialle be here?"

"I have no clue." James said. "But I do know we've got to find out."

"Are you crazy? That is none of our business, James." Lily said. Lily's argument was not convincing-- not even to her.

"Lily, this is our business. It's Hogwarts's business."

"Exactly! We should stay out of it, James!" Lily retorted.

"Don't be thick. If I know you at all, you're just as curious about this as I am." James said. He was right. Oh God, he was right.

"Come on, James. Let's just bring this to Professor Moody's office." Lily said. "Before a teacher comes."

"Okay fine. But I'm not giving up on this-- and neither are you." James insisted, snatching the book back from Lily and putting it under his arm.