17. Grimoire

"Last year this time we lost Harry... I don't want to lose you too" Ron whispered while he followed Jade. Hermione looked to her best friend and took his hand. "We get out of this alive. It's you and me now..."

"No... me and Draco and me and you... why can't it be all of us?" Ron didn't noticed Jade had stopped and ran into her. She looked at him with her dark eyes and pressed the tip of her wand to his chest. "Stop talking. We don't want any attention on us. We need this book and if anybody tries to kill you I won't help you"

"Nice" Ron was pushed for his sarcasm. He didn't trust Jade but he could see Hermione was following her. His friend still felt guilty and only with Jade's help they had a chance to help Astoria and the snatcher. Ron didn't really cared for them but during the battle he had seen many people died. He had lost two brothers himself and followed Jade and his friend because he didn't want more people to die.

The war was over and they should be save.

Draco looked over to Astoria while he sat next to Scabior. "It's not fair" His hands felt cold and he leaned back in his chair when Kendra turned to him. "What is it?"

"They fought in the battle... they weren't cowards like me... they shouldn't die" Draco felt his tears coming again. He cried so often since his father's death and he realized just now he hadn't spoken about it to anyone. Ron had always been there for him but he couldn't ask the boy who saved him to understand the pain and feel sorry for one of Voldemort's supporters.

"We don't know much about this battle... the Hogwarts battle... Last year our headmaster decided whatever is going on in your country... it has nothing to do with us" Kendra took a deep breath before she turned back to Astoria and touched her hand. "And she fought?"

"Ron told me Jade saved her life. Astoria had mistakenly taken Jade's gobstone with Jade's soul in it and Jade's soul saved her when she was buried under rocks in the dungeons of Hogwarts... many died... I'm sure Salem could have helped or send help. Students aren't warriors..." Draco thought about walking over to Astoria's bed when Kendra screamed in surprise. "Jade's soul did this? But... can't Jade's soul help her now?"

The city hall was at the market place. The muggles had come together and their words written and screamed reminded Jade of the illustrations of the witch hunt. She heard muggles saying to bring witches down and Jade wanted to cast spells at all of them. "No. We have to put our wands away" Hermione took Jade's wand and next Ron's to hide them in her bag. The muggle-born led the three of them closer to the city hall. She had to keep her head down in case anyone of the boys who had seen her in the church regcognized her in the crowd.

"How do we get in?" Ron whispered and often looked back over his shoulder. He was sure it wasn't safe to walk among hateful muggles who could light a fire anytime soon.

Jade asked him to be silent again while Hermione asked a police man if they could write they banners inside since it was difficult to write while the crowd was chanting. After the police man nodded and let them pass Hermione, Jade and Ron quickly went inside and left the main hall as soon as possible.

"We're lucky our new school has no school uniform" Ron put up his hands to make sure Jade knew he was only joking and wouldn't slap him again. When she turned back to Hermione they all got their wands back and casted a spell to make sure they weren't seen by anyone.

"Famous books are either in the major's office, archives or a museum floor" Hermione explained to the other two where they should start looking. Ron left to start looking for any kind of museum while Hermione went to the archives which were most likely in the cellar.

Jade ran upstairs and found the major's office in the second floor. It was a large white painted room. Two desks were inside. One small one with a phone and many papers and a larger one. It was old and dark and its drawers were heavy. Jade opened them one after another but found mostly papers and more documents.

In the last drawer was a box. It was made of steel and locked. The lock was old but Jade had no key. She didn't think about it and used her wand to open the box. The black book was inside and she took the last Grimoire with a smile on her face.

Draco noticed it first that Astoria had stopped breathing. He called the nurse who shook her head. "She is still alive but I fear it's not for long. You should say goodbye to her"

Kendra started crying and hugged Draco who was surprised by her action. He didn't know if he could say anything to make her feel better. He was helpless and his own tears rolled over his cheeks.

"Did you found it?" Ron had already returned to the main hall after he didn't find any museum. He saw Jade coming back but no sign of Hermione. "Where is Hermione? We can't leave without her"

"I don't care about your friend. I need to save Astoria" Jade wanted to run but Ron held her and made her wait until Hermione joined them. The wands and the Grimoire were put back in Hermione's back before they sneaked out and went back to the witch house. A group of muggles was already there and surrounded it.

"We have to use magic to get passed them" Jade ordered Hermione to give them back their wands and all three of them casted spells to knock the small group of muggles out. They ran back to school and to the ambulance floor. Jade's smile faded when she saw Draco and the girl named Kendra crying beside Astoria's bed. Her eyes turned to Scabior next who woke up this moment and frowned. "What happened?"

"NO! Give me the book!"

"Jade... it's... it's too late" Hermione was shaking but Jade didn't want to give up just yet. She took the bag from the younger witch and grabbed the Grimoire. It's wasn't a large book and if she found the right page in time she could still save Astoria.

Page after page was filled with knowledge and spells of gobstone magic and soul possession. Then Jade finally found the page about double souled stones. She quickly read through it before the took something from her own pocket and put a golden gobstone on Astoria's chest. Jade tipped on it with her wand and waited.

"What is she doing?" Ron stood beside Draco and held his boyfriend's hand when the golden shine left the gobstone and sank into Astoria's chest. A moment later she opened her eyes and was breathing again. "Jade" Her first word was the name of her friend and she smiled seeing her next to her. "I'm sorry. I should have trusted you. You... you had my soul, didn't you? But you never did anything to control me, did you?"

"You ask too many questions. You need to rest... and I have to study this book" Jade left with the Grimoire and left many of the others behind unlike Hermione who followed the dark haired witch.