Albus had not been joking when telling Stella that he would work harder than he ever had before on Sugamina. Weeks were spent with their noses in books, studying not school, but animagi. Little was available on the subject in the open library. Rose reckoned that the more helpful books would be in the restricted section only open to the older students.

Olivia worked as hard as anyone. Rose's hair was in a ball atop her head, having now given up on trying to tame it. Al removed is glasses to rub his eyes before replacing them upon his nose and hurrying through the novel as though he were on a time limit. Max had stopped trying to convince them that what they were doing was wrong and now didn't even seem to disapprove of the matter as he had become slightly more interested in at least trying with transfiguration. Scorpius hadn't changed in his manner or in the way he studied.

"Al, calm down," said Rose, closing 'Check Before You Wreck; Transfiguration' and replacing it upon its shelf.

"I can't calm down," Al replied looking as though he hadn't slept a wink since the gillyweed. "Every minute I waste up here is another minute she's sleeping in a mausoleum."

Albus' obsession was tottering on less than interest and fascination, but more on feelings he seemed to have. Rose thought this as least, though the idea was absurd. Worse for them all was that three had Quidditch practice every other morning. Breakfast in the stands looked more like a library. The food was still brought and set up by the time the Gryffindor Quidditch team streaked to a halt in the stands, but around Scor, Max, Al, and Olivia who had joined them, the area resembled more of a library.

"What's all this?" asked Ishmael Stewart the first practice after the Holidays.

"Exams," Max replied. "Worried sick."

"Exams?" called Isaac Fisher incredulously. "But those are months away!"

"Procrastinate all you want, Fisher," said Scorpius, not glancing up past the pages of, 'Mundane to Magical.' "But we will be enjoying the summer sun when the season arrives while all else are in the castle with quills in their hair."

The five students did visit Stella every morning and every night. The Slytherins snuck away as they always did through the broom shed, but the Gryffindors had to sneak from the window. Astronomy lessons had entirely ceased to Max's disapproval. Instead, the Astronomy window was filled with studying for actual school. They were lagging a great deal. Professor Dalbert had called each member of 'Sugar' back after two separate lessons to have a sit down about their falling behind.

"I don't understand it," Dalbert had started to Rose and Max who were both covered in soot from a misfired burning jinx. "You two are some of my best students in your year why you're falling behind is beside me. Weasley's essay was half its usual size and six inches shorter than the required length." Rose hung her head. Dalbert sat back in his chair to look at them. "I see only one explanation." The two looked up worriedly, doubting that he could have ever found out. "The only thing that links the two courageous Gryffindors in fear and distraction. But let me ease your conscience, Belladonna is far from hurting you."

Max and Rose blinked for a moment. "We have some of the strongest Aurors the Ministry has to offer on her tail. Harry Potter himself, even Ronald Weasley has stepped back into the Ministry to find her." Rose hadn't known this. "I have even been looking into it. No one threatens my students; I was an auror back in the day too, believe it or not. I left during the turn of the Ministry back during the second wizarding war."

"I'm worried about my brother, sir," said Max, probably thinking this excuse of his mother to be an easy 'get out of trouble free card.'

Dalbert scooted his chair closer. "Let me tell you something. I once had a brother too. My twin, actually; I believe you and Will are twins also? Yes. His name was Ezra. That was us, he was Ez, and I was Ezzy. Brilliant man. Good brother. He was a metamorphmagus himself. Difficult to explain to our extensive family. Jewish they were; they didn't much approve of witchcraft."

"I thought you were a Spaniard," Rose interrupted.

"I am," he slightly smiled. "But I won't get into all that now, it's rather extensive. My brother, really, it's a rather long story, but I'll reach my point. Belladonna killed him."

The room became dark suddenly. A cloud seemed to be trying to help set the mood.

"I will not let the same thing happen to your brother, Max. Much pain it caused my family, I have been looking for her. I still don't know why she killed him, what the purpose was around it, but I will not rest until she is caught."

Rose and Max left the room feeling rather bummed. "I don't understand how that was supposed to make you feel any better about Will still being alive," said Rose as they turned down the Charms corridor.

"I think he just wanted to get the point across that he understands how I feel and that he's looking for her," Max replied, seemingly in deep thought. "But I believe that we should really focus on our studies more. Other Professors won't be so understanding."

Rose agreed with this proposal and did try harder. Library sessions were still entirely devoted to Sugamina, but as soon as the portrait shut behind them, the scramble for their school books began. They didn't seem to have time left for anything but books. They hadn't been in the gardens, nor had they seen Yoman. They didn't waltz down corridors or explore the castle as everyone else they knew did. After hours, the Gryffindor common room full of students laughing and playing exploding snap, doing pranks, or cheering with butterbeers. Rose and Max kept their heads down over their parchment so not to be trampled by the students jumping over the sofas, running from others chasing them with lizards. They were teased now for being the boring bookworms while 'true' Gryffindors took it easy and knew how to have fun. Max would glare up at them; there was a time where he was one. Rose would have to continue pulling on his sleeve and muttering, ("Ignore them.") But it wasn't easy, not even for Rose. She had less of her mother's ("Ignore them.") nature than she had her father's, ("Punch them in the face!") Though she had to focus. Their grades were raising back to the top as they were very well taking great sacrifices for even greater strides to save a young girl's life. If that wasn't Gryffindor, she didn't know what was.

The only others who weren't acting like rambunctious animals, not counting Micah Merlia, of course, was James and Tyler. They were bent low over books and parchment, with ink quills in their hand and hair. They looked exhausted as well, but nobody teased them. Everyone knew very well not to mess with these two. They both shared a short temper, and with even a point and a whisper, you would be blasted off your feet and sporting a pair of rabbit ears for a week. Matthew McHay had been proof of this.

Rose watched them with mild curiosity. Though what James and Tyler were doing was very illegal and dangerous, she couldn't help but be impressed by their ambition. She wondered if Cian Garner had any idea what her brother was up to.

"What'cha doin'?" called Max's roommate, Benjamin, leaning over the sofa to peer at their books.

Max shut his real fast. "What do you want, Ben?" he groaned.

"Don't get all testy," said Ben. "I was just gonna see if ya'll wanna'd to join our game'a pots'n hats?"

Max and Rose turned to find a group of third years and below with blindfolds and tapping their wands to each other's head, calling, "Pot!" or "Hat!"

"No thanks, Ben," Max said, turning back toward his parchment to refill his quill.

"You guys use'ta be fun," said Ben before rolling his eyes and backing away.

Max stared at his ink and tapped his quill on his leg annoyedly. Laughter sounded behind them, mixed with girly shouts, and the Flock's nightly sale of joke sweets where every buyer now used them on each other to test. Rose couldn't tell if Max wanted to join them or get away from them.

Rose looked around the room. Ben was tapping people's heads, Micah was measuring the length between his knee and his toes with a tape measure, Calvert was sketching comic strips while Hugo explained his findings behind the secret magic of Newton's Cradle, and Daniel was talking to Danielle.

"Ouch!" Max called as a pot hit him in the back of his head.

He turned abruptly to glare at the students who slowly sank to the floor as Max's hair tips started their way red.

"Max," said Rose cautiously. He took a deep breath and turned back as his red disappeared again. "Why don't we go somewhere else? Somewhere that doesn't have flying pots."

"My common room is empty," he said, shutting his notepad in his lab and collecting his papers.

Rose took an armful and turned to the outrageously immature Gryffindors who wouldn't shut up. She shook her head and made for the boy's staircase. Max common room was never quite tidy, especially Micah's corner.

Max sat cross-legged on his four-poster bed and spread his papers back out. Rose pushed an armchair over and propped her purple socks on his crimson quilt. It was much quieter in here. They heard only the rain against the window and the scratching of Winston the weasel scurrying in his cage.

"I want this to be over," Max said hopelessly, jotting down names and dates for History of Magic.

"Yeah," Rose agreed. "Nobody likes History of Magic."

"No," Max corrected. "I want Stella to be human already so this will be done. I mean, it's a never-ending task. I know this needs to be done because I know we can't leave her where she is, but I also know that going the pace we are, it'll take the best of three years to riddle out the how before we even get to the do. I know it sounds selfish, it's only been two weeks, but I feel trapped."

"I'm sure it'll all work out," said Rose. She had felt the exact way and didn't have a proposition for him because she was still trying to find it on her own. "I'm sure. We're just going to have to-"

"They're getting worse," Max interrupted, now not making eye contact. Rose didn't need him to elaborate, though he did. "The nightmares, about her. But now, instead of being trapped in a chimney while she continually slaps Will, Stella is in a cage dangling above the living room, and Al is there. I call for him to get help, but he just shakes his head and shoves books and papers into my arms telling me that if I don't turn her into a human and get her out, then I will be stuck in the chimney forever. Then I hear Professor Dalbert coming by floo, and I'm still stuck. There's a flash of green flame then-" he paused with a wary glance at Rose who was listening horrified. "Then I hear you scream and I wake." He allowed himself a small, nervous laugh. "I swear, twice I almost jumped from bed to run to your common room with my wand."

Rose didn't find this at all funny. His were much worse than hers consisting of her sitting in the mausoleum, buried waist high in papers and books as a giant clock ticked before her, counting the time she had left to save Stella before she was executed for conversing with humans. All the while, each Professor stared down at her with pocket watches in their hands, when she was suddenly on that rock, with her exams before her, but the giant Stella clock hadn't stopped ticking either. She scrambled around between Stella and her studies, then realized that she was late for the last Quidditch match of the season. Rocky shows up and tells her that she's off the team and that Danielle must take her place. The ticking becomes louder and louder as the Professors threaten her with detention and expulsion and failing grades. The ticking becomes agonizing. Rose covers her ears as a flash of green flames engulfs her, and a high, cold laugh reaches her ears, and her papers go flying, all with a huge red 'T' for troll. Then she wakes, sweating and gasping.

"We need a lead," she said at last.

"Is that not what we've been looking for all this time?" Max said in exasperation, falling back onto his quilt and pulling a box cutter from under his pillow.

"I've been working on how to do it ourselves," said Rose.

"Not me." Max began carving at scribbles on his bed post. "I've been looking in the discreet places, people who have become animagi, those who've tried, and people who are trying. I've ransacked James and Tyler's dorm; they have nothing lying about regarding their pursuit. What time is it?" he asked, still laying upside down to carve.

Rose rolled her eyes as he still refused to get his own watch. "Twenty past nine," she replied.

Max yawned and sat up. "I need to take a shower before Micah gets up here. You know him, lather, rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat." He threw his tie on his bed and started at his buttons as he shut the bathroom door behind him.

After having no control to snoop through the sparkly stuff around Micah's drawers, and after being rather impressed at how good Calvert's illustrations were and amazed at how many muggle comics he had in boxes under his bed, Rose fell backward onto Max's. For some odd reason, she could no longer study without him being there, as though his presence was crucial to her focus when he should very well be a distraction. Rose reached up and absentmindedly picked at the carvings on his bed post. She reached quickly away when one of them had given her a splinter. Rose turned to look. She suddenly furrowed her eyebrows and started perplexed at the words.

The largest carving showed three letters which together read, 'Max,' the others around it 'Prongs,' Moony,' 'Padfoot,' and 'Wormtail.' Rose jumped to her knees at the sight. These names she recondited from the Marauders Map, these were the legendary Marauders. Prongs was James Potter senior, Albus' grandfather. Padfoot was Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather. Moony was Remus Lupin, Teddy's father. And Wormtail was Peter, he was in no way related to them nor did they speak of the traitor who was responsible for the Potter's death in Godric's Hollow. But why would Max have written those names here? She didn't even think he had noticed them from the Marauders map and when referring to them, nobody used these nicknames. Rose stroked the carving more carefully now to be sure of no more splinters. But these looked older. The words had been painted over unlike Max's. He couldn't have possibly carved them. That would mean that these carvings would have had to be carved by the Marauders themselves!

What was the chance that her best friend is assigned the same room that once belonged to the core of everything the Weasley-Potter family is built upon? The largest word besides Max's name was Prongs. She gave a small laugh. And what is the chance that he gets the bed that belonged to James Potter senior? She grinned broadly and stood from the bed to look around the room. She was suddenly much more interested in this dorm. After all, the Marauders were illegal animagi themselves. Rose glanced under tables and beds. She was looking for maybe a note, pictures, more carvings. Anything she could show her Uncle. James was his father, and she thought he would pleased to find some lost treasure of his father's.

She examined the other bedposts and dresser drawers. She slid under chairs and checked door frames. Rose was just in the middle of bouncing on a squeaky floorboard when Max came through the door in his striped pajamas and a toothbrush in his mouth.

"Rose, what are you doing?" he asked through a mouthful of foam.

"This board is squeaky," she mumbled, still bouncing.

"You're bleeding," he noticed, pulling the toothbrush from his mouth.

Rose glanced at her finger which had a drop of blood dangling from the end.

"Hold on." Max went to the bathroom sink, spit, then returned to take her hand. He wiped the blood before putting is mouth to her finger and drawing back a moment later with a shard of wood between his teeth. "My Lord," he exclaimed, removing the splinter. "That's massive. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, checking the wound. She wasn't new to splinters anyway. "It was your bed post. Do you never get splinters from it?"

"It doesn't matter if I do," he replied, now drying his hair with his towel. "My body pushes them back out."

"Right," she mumbled again, then suddenly remembered. "Max! Did you know that this room once belonged to the Marauders? Al's grandad and Teddy's father and Harry's godfather!"

Max looked around, mildly interested. "Was it really? Huh, what are the odds? Why are you still bouncing?"

"I'm looking for clues," she replied.

"For Sugamina?"

"No, for the Marauders! Don't you think it's weird that this board squeaks when all the rest don't?"

"That board has always squeaked. And this castle is thousands of years old and had been through a war; I'd expect we'd have a few wary boards," he replied.

"But there is two feet of stone directly below the floor!" she said. Rose reached down and stripped away the shag rug. Only the dusty wood floor lay beneath. She was slightly disappointed. "Never mind."

The dormitory door swung open, and Micah Merlia followed by Daniel walked in, sniggering. Micah stopped smiling and dropped his yarn which rolled across the floor when seeing Rose.

"Hey Posy!" he called, then turned red in the face. "I mean Rose!"

"Posy is his nickname for you," Max rolled his eyes and plopped on his bed.

Micah glared. Rose took the fallen yarn and handed it back to him.

"I should get to bed now," she said, collecting her own books and starting for the door. "Good night." Rose accidentally grazed Micah's arm as she passed.

"She touched me!" Micah screeched as she turned down the hall but not near far enough to be out of earshot.

"Calm down, won't you?" she heard Max say. "It's just Rosie."

"You're hopeless," said Daniel.

Rose fell back in her bed, exhausted. Something tickly stroked her nose, and she opened her eyes to see the squashed face of Mary's owl, Cromwell. He had a handful of letters clamped in his beak.

"He's been carrying those all day," groaned Sydricwolfredmarybeth Pye, Mary for short, from her bed across the room. "I can't get him to drop it, have fun if you want."

"May I have those letters Cromwell?" she asked kindly. The owl placed the letters by her face and hooted merrily. Mary snorted slightly. Flipping the stack over, she found that they were addressed to her. Of course, she hadn't been at breakfast because she and Max had sat through Stella's morning English lesson. She hadn't been around to receive the morning post.

One letter was from her parents, one from Harry and Ginny, one from the Scamander boys, and one from Teddy. She opened and read her parent's usual greeting, questions, and farewells. Harry and Ginny had sent a letter saying hello, then asking about Al because he hadn't been writing as often. Harry put in that he expects he's probably just getting older and is making new friends, so he doesn't have much time on his hands. Teddy's was asking how's she's been and asking questions about Hagrid. He said that Hagrid wrote a while ago to check on him and stated that he had been feeling rather lonely lately and was wanting a new pet. Teddy wrote, afraid that Hagrid will try for a dragon or giant spider. The Scamander twins' letter was slightly more interesting. They had sent a converse card that was like a howler but which doesn't yell.

'Hey Rose,'

It read.

'Sorry I couldn't write, but the Tebo's got my quill. Lorcan is trying to get it back. Oi! Careful!

'He doesn't mean haaaaarm!' Lorcan cried from a distance away.

'I mean you! Don't hurt him! Sorry, mom's off giving a report on her book to a few Ministry whatevers. Dad's upstairs. Uh, no I don't think merpeople have magical abilities besides the fact that they are magical beasts. I don't reckon there's anything I could tell you that you won't be able to find in a book. But I suppose, hypothetically speaking, as you have repeatedly insisted, if the human that the merperson mated with to keep from devolving had magical abilities, it is possible that the hypothetical mermaid could have magical powers if hypothetically turned human. That it, if the human doesn't have an extensive line of squibs in their heritage. You may want to check that out.

Rose, I don't know what you're doing, but be careful. The Ministry is becoming much stricter when referring to magical beast's life. They're becoming rarer. I know you're not a very hypothetical person. You're much more a doer. I haven't known you be a philosopher. You're more of an explorer.

'Lysander! Get your butt over here to help before I send the murtlap on you! You said it would only be a minute!'

'Ugh, I have to go. Anyway, I'll be at Hogwarts next year, Perhaps Lorcan and I can help with your hypothetical mission. Bye! Oh God! Lorcan! Why didn't you tell me it had your leg?'

'It didn't mean to! Get 'em! You were using dad's quill, remember?'

'Come 'er! Ow! It's got me!'

'I'll get dad!'

'Don't you dare!'

Lysander had forgotten to shut off the converse card. Therefore, Rose had eleven minutes of screaming to listen to considering she couldn't shut it off until it was finished.

Rose scribbled back a few replies, not being too detailed because she was tired and greatly looking forward to sleep.

'Dear mom and dad,'

She wrote.

'I'm doing well thanks. Studies have gotten more complicated since after the Holidays as I expected they would. Quidditch is still good, dad. Yes, beater is tiring though I've gained a substantial amount of muscle since I took the position. Scorpius is fitting in well with the Slytherin team. He's gotten splendid, though I would appreciate if you didn't mention I said that, I reckon it would go straight to his head. I have an upcoming match against them too. Al is doing well. He's not too focused on Quidditch, though; he's been studying a lot. He's taken a sudden interest in Transfiguration. Max would do well to pick the subject up too. He still ends up in the hospital wing after nearly every class. But Al's not liking his new glasses, says there are now a lot of blind spots, and he has to get used to holding books further from his face.

Anyway, thanks for writing, I'll keep you updated,

-Rose'

'Dear Harry and Ginny,

I'm fine, thanks. The flash backs are getting worse but nothing I can't shake off with Quidditch. Al is doing quite well. You're right in thinking that he doesn't have a lot of time on his hands. Between Quidditch and school, he has none. Albus is doing very well in studies, especially Potions. He's the only one of us that leaves smiling because he knows he'll have the best marks, and he always does. I don't know where he gets it from. I swear, he looks just like James Potter senior in those glasses. I think he chose to go with square so that he won't be an exact replica so that he won't live in your shadow, but he looks identical to his grandad. He is making new friends. He's been hanging out with Olivia Merik. She's real cool, but I don't think anything romantic will ever spring up between them; she's way too wild. He and Scorpius are as close as ever and recently, they've been friendly to a new girl who is rather unpopular and isn't treated well by others. Good of them to take her under their wing. She's nice and spends a lot of time by the lake. Therefore, we have too. But Al's doing good.

I look forward to seeing you in June.

-Love Rose.'

'Dear Teddy,

I'm doing well, thanks. I didn't know about Hagrid being lonely; I suppose I really should visit more often. I don't think he's taken on any new creatures, but I'll keep an eye out for you and inform you of any burst of flames or screams from inside the hut. No, I'm not getting on any better with my roommates.

Alexis has been really nosey lately and still thinks I like Illya Vizzini, outrageous. She's still trying to hook us up though you and I both know that the idea is absurd.

Pamela minds her own business and sight; she still won't tell us how she became blind.

Danielle continues to pester me about Max, poor thing.

Mary has taken up a sudden interest in my stuff. I have no proof that it's her, but I just know. I'm missing a scarf, hair ties, two pairs of socks, my lip balm, and I'm even running low on bobby pins though you know I always put them back.

I've tried hiding my stuff, but there's nowhere that she won't look. I know when she's there because she leaves the dresser drawer cracked open, or the blanket flipped up, or the mattress askew. I've confronted her, and she dead on denies it. But I smelled my lotion! She was wearing my lotion! How many other people wear Vanilla Bean? She leaves the bottle all sticky too.

The only roommate I actually like is Cromwell. You know I used to hate the stinky thing, but lately, I've found that he's rather sweet. He's bonded with me too. He insists on taking my post and wakes me every morning in time for Quidditch because I don't wake up to my watch. Mary doesn't like it. She thinks I've stolen her pet. That's why she's being so beastly I think. Maybe next year she'll be expelled for, I don't know, stealing? And I'll get someone decent. It would be nice to have a female friend in Gryffindor. Olivia's pretty cool, but I think she's too much like me for us to be 'best friends.' I wouldn't be able to stand myself. How Max does is beyond me.

He's doing well too. No sign of you-know-her, but I don't know if that's good or bad. I sound stupid, I know. But the further she is away from us, away from hurting him, the further Will is away too. I can't tell whether I want her near so Will can be saved, or if I want her blasted to kingdom come.

Don't let mom or dad read this, please. They wouldn't understand. I'm feigning fine, but you and I know I'm not. I'm terrified.

I am sorry that you were bit my a Malaclaw. Just be sure to stay in bed and not to get cocky. I know you don't believe in all that luck stuff, but this is proven fact by Newt Scamander. Hope you can get back to work at the Magical Menagerie as soon as possible as I know you love it. And good luck on that promotion which is thankfully two weeks away; the Malaclaw venom will be out of your system by then. But don't worry about the pain, Victoire will take good care of you, I'm sure.'

She drew a little winky face here.

'But I must go. Love you, Teddy,

-Love, Rosie.'

Rose dropped her quill to shake a cramp from her hand then continued.

'Dear Lysander or Lorcan,

Thanks for the info. Professor Dalbert wanted a report on an impossible feat of magic, so you understand, all hypothetical. You really have inherited your parent's brains and will become just as renown as they are, I'm sure. See you two next semester.

Love, Rosie.

Ps. You left the card on for eleven minutes after you were finished. You should get that bite looked at immediately and buy your dad a new quill before he missed his old one.

Pps. Stop bringing dangerous animals into your basement.'

Rose sighed, tied up her letters, and after checking to be sure Mary was asleep, she handed them to Cromwell who hopped excitedly, flew to the window, lifted the lock himself, and dove out into the rain seeming happier than ever.

She reached into her bedside cabinet to retrieve a bandage for her splinter gash. Silently cursing Mary as her drawer was no longer neat and now ransacked, she pulled the tape from the band-aid and looked for the wound. Maybe it was the low candle light, but she couldn't find it. The cut was missing. Rose laid back in her bed, being too tired to care much about her healing, and hoped that she would get a quiet night with no nightmares and no ticking. She thought about Max and hoped he would sleep soundly too. Rose closed her eyes and the ticking began.