Chapter 58 – A bad decision

It wasn't uncommon for a raven to be around Hogwarts all year round, but the storm raging around the castle had made them all leave. All but one black bird, which was hidden in an alcove outside the Great Hall. It sat motionless and Professor Sprouse wondered how it had gotten in. Normally the wards repelled wild animals. The school rules allowed ravens as familiars, but limited them to the Owlery, the Dorms and the Great Hall. The bird was looking around with intelligent eyes without moving and when their gazes met, a feeling of recognition hit Professor Sprouse.

The thoughts in her head started to whirl, while she tried to place the feeling.

She knew that it could simply be the bird outside in the Courtyard she fed on some nights, but it felt like more and made her uneasy. She had seen the eyes once already, somewhere, not too long ago.

Looking at the bird over her shoulder once more the Professor carried on towards the Astronomy Tower. Dinner was over and her class would start soon, as it was already dark outside. They were lucky today, as the clouds that had hung over the school all day had vanished and the snow had stopped falling. It would be cold atop the tower, but she would be able to teach some more star charts. Since winter break they had spent most nights inside, the weather rarely allowing a practical class. The first years joining her this evening were in dire need of more than just listening and memorising, she could already feel them loosing interest in her subject, and the year had just started. It would be their first experience with the telescope today and she hoped to show them that Astronomy was more than just names and star charts. They would only learn its importance for potions and arithmetic later on, after they had a solid base of knowledge, until then she had to keep them interested. The new moon was already over, but it would still be a good night to watch the stars, the next full moon was still a week away. Mercury would be visible at the Greatest Eastern Elongation soon. With it high above the horizon in the western sky she was rejoice at studying it with her students.

She entered her classroom and took the last stairs up to the roof to open to door for later. She only had little time left until her first years would enter the room, but she couldn't keep from going outside for a few minutes to look at the clear sky she had missed so much the last weeks. Since she had witnessed Saturn she felt uneasy and was waiting anxiously for a response from her old master. That she hadn't heard anything could either mean that it wasn't important, or that they had to look into it.

She missed talking to her Master. She even missed the hot winters in Swaziland. Life there had been hard, both the environment and being an outsider, but she had grown up to accept and love it. Coming back to Scotland was the best decision, she wouldn't do anything different, but her heart longed for what she had left behind. She had known when she started her internship that she would never be allowed to see them again. Contacting her master was already a bold move, but she wanted certainty. With a last glimpse of the stars she turned around to let her students in.

In the darkness she never saw the raven sitting on top of the tower, following her with its eyes.

XxX

"It wasn't anywhere in her room. I searched every corner."

Albus was furious. They needed the time turner, or else Scorpius would be dead soon. Delphi had told him as much in her last letter a few days ago. Together with some facts about where they had been and what they had done to show him she really had someone watching their every step. It had dashed all his hopes to please her with his birthday letter.

He wasn't stupid, or at least not enough to risk his or Scorpius lifes, by ignoring the facts staring into his face. They were fucked if they didn't find a solution fast. It had hurt when his picture of Delphi had crumbled after reading her latest words. He wanted her to turn back to the easy-going girl he fell in love with, but her behaviour put him off and suddenly he felt dirty. Dirty because he believed in her, dirty for his feelings for her, and dirty because he did her bidding. Just remembering his fantasies of her thanking him made him feel even worse. Scorpius interrupted his thoughts thankfully.

"I know Al. She's wearing it, I saw it when we talked. It's hidden by her robes. This will be even harder than we thought." Scorpius didn't dare to mention that it had somehow looked off. He wasn't sure what about it was different, but he was rather sure that the time turner had looked changed.

"Just my luck. So we need to regain it from her directly. Maybe we can enter her room again, but at night. We would need a way to make sure she doesn't wake up. Do you still have some drops of your dreamless potion you got last time at the infirmary?"

Scorpius starred in at his roommate in disbelief and made sure once again that the silence spell they had put up held. They were gathered behind Scorpius' curtains and sat on his bed, so he didn't know if one of the others had entered the room. He knew it would fuel the rumours that they used privacy spell while in the same bed, but they couldn't risk being overheard.

"Yes, but I don't think we should do that Alb."

"Do you want to end up dead?" Albus deadpanned and played with his sleeves, showing he was not as indifferent as he let on.

"No, but I think if Miss Granger, lets say by accident, woke up while we search and we explain everything she would help us. As long as we stay silent the person watching us can't see what's happening inside a dark room, don't you think. And said person has to sleep too. I think your Aunt Hermione is our best chance to get out of this alive." Scorpius argued, while he already knew he wouldn't win. He never won against anyone, but he argued with himself that he had to try at least. If he gave up without trying that made him the worst kind of coward.

"No, we'll try once more Scorp. That plan is to risky." Albus was final and Scorpius hang his head, biting his cheek to keep his resentment hidden. Albus was better at making decisions that Scorpius, who always shyed away from it, but this time it felt wrong.

"Ok, but if it doesn't work we'll talk to her right?" There was still hope in his eyes, he knew it, and maybe Albus saw it when he answered:

"Yeh, sure we'll do."

"Then I've got a plan how to get her out of Hogwarts, maybe. We have her password so we can prepare everything while she is gone."

They shared a moment in silence, neither looking happy, but they knew they agreed on the plan for now, even without words.

Remember your teenager years? I for once was up to a lot off stupid bad decisions, just not as bad as Albus, I guess. But I want you to remember 5th year Harry...