Rose shoveled breakfast foods into her mouth as quick as possible. Today was a very important day. She and her friends had an appointment to visit Stella during the last half hour of breakfast; then they had classes, then Al would be sent back to school. The past few months had been some of the hardest for Rose. Though she spent most of the first semester apart from her cousin, she hadn't realized how much she needed him until he was completely gone. Especially the days he was unconscious. She had taken many sleepless night and risks and a couple of detentions to carry on Sugamina. Albus was nearly dead for that time, but his vision was not. Scorpius worked harder than ever in studies and planning. He was much more of a book nerd than Rose thought even she was. He would use references, document everything they had learned and created schedules and time slots to work their task around classes. Max had taken on the heavier weight of the physical magic behind Transfiguration. It was a mark of how much he cared about the cause that he set apart a time every night for Rose to teach him Transfiguration theory. He had successfully transformed a guppy into a shell during one of their earlier classes; Professor Donima had been so pleased and shocked that she rewarded Gryffindor thirty points. Olivia was their everything. Rose couldn't fathom what would have happened to them or how many times they would have been caught if it weren't for her. She had the trust of the teachers in the palm of her hand to toy with had she pleased. She was never late, never behind, and never slow. Her studying was frantic and fast, and she always found what they were all looking for by mere instinct. She would end up in an area completely unrelated to their search and come back with the answer they needed. She was always there to hear rumors flying, some regarding Sugar's peculiar behavior, and she always brought them back in time to crush it.

Yoman had been relentless with Stella. They seemed to have formed a bond. He would teach her tricks and common phrases. He would have her read to him while he wove baskets in the cave behind the waterfall. He gave her blankets and taught her music and art and crafting. Rose couldn't voice her thanks for Yoman enough.

What really pushed Sugamina to the next level wasn't the Marauder's book which was by far the biggest discovery of their year, but it was when they had come to give Stella an update on Albus. She had shown them what Yoman had taught her and produced a small flame in the palm of her hand. This had made everyone freeze where they were, and Stella first assumed that she had killed them somehow. They didn't get a clear answer regarding their question whether this was a type of muggle trick like Scorpius' or if she perhaps had magic. Because if she did, then there is a possibility that she will be a witch when she transforms and could attend Hogwarts. Nobody had mentioned this to Albus when visiting him that evening. They all thought it best for him to see himself.

"Rose, calm down, you're gonna choke," said Max, taking a swig of orange juice.

"You have to hurry, Max!" she called. "We're going to be late!"

"No we're not," he smiled. "I know you're excited, but you need to relax."

"Come on!" Rose stood from the table and took Max by the arm and heaved him from the hall.

"I can walk on my own," he said.

"Not quick enough," she muttered as they exited the great hall.

"No?" Max smiled and took off with a burst of speed. Rose chased after him.

They jumped over roots and stumps and navigated their way around the hilly ground. The day was warm, and hot sun shone upon their backs. While running, it wasn't long until they reached the ivy covered stone wall. Muttering the unlocking spell, Max pushed the door open, and they both waltzed in. As usual, the smell of peppers and flowers met them as their spirits rose a great deal.

"Scor and Olivia should already be there," said Max, glancing at Rose's watch. "I think they used the mantle serpent through the broom shed."

"We have fifteen minutes until we're supposed to be in class," said Rose, becoming worried that they won't make it in time.

"We'll be fine. We just have to pop by, say hi, tell her when to expect Al and we'll be good."

Rose waded into the stream in spring and ducked her head under the waterfall to fall breast deep into cool water on the other side. They could use an incantation to part the waterfall so not to get drenched, but it was no use as they fell deeper on the other side anyway. People back at school were beginning to whisper regarding why they always showed up to class soaking wet.

Scorpius was already in the cave, a ball of light above their heads to illuminate. Yoman had built himself a wooden perch and was sitting on it with Stella's books while Stella herself splashed around in the water excitedly.

"You told her didn't you?" said Rose.

"It slipped, sorry," said Scorpius looking guilty.

Rose smiled and shook her head. She had been very easy on Scorpius since Al had been hospitalized. Albus was his best friends, and they were never apart. If this was hard for her, she couldn't imagine how it must have been for Scorpius, but he had formed a closer friendship with Olivia since then.

"He's coming back! He's- back!" Stella sang as she dived in and out of the water. Rose lowered her head under the surface to here snippets of Stella's song ring beautifully below the water. "When?" Stella suddenly grabbed Rose by the arms, grinning.

"This afternoon, after classes," Rose replied.

"He's all better?"

"Better enough. Look, Stella, we can't stay long, we have to be at class," said Rose.

"Yes!" cried Stella suddenly. "Do not get into trouble again. Go, go, go! Learn magic! Olly has already left!" She pushed them through the waterfall as they heard more singing from the other side.

They had to run through the kitchens to make it to Charms in time, Scorpius in Transfiguration. Professor Flitwick was teaching them gusting charms, to spurt wind from your wand. This lesson was inspired by Rose and Max's puddles that they trailed wherever they went. By the end of class, the two were completely dry owning to Professor Flitwick having the students practice on them. Scorpius waltzed up from a passing corridor as Max and Rose, Scorpius and Olivia passed for different classes. Scorpius stopped to show them a beautiful hourglass that had once been goblet and Max stopped to complain about how much homework they were given seeing as exams were tomorrow and nobody had time for revising and homework.

Rose sat in the common room, cluttered with school papers and books and quills and she was sure that the wet something growing on her leg was her ink bottle which she had lost a couple of hours ago. Everyone in the Gryffindor common room seemed to be in the same state. Most of everyone from that house had procrastinated in revising and was now paying the price. Rose's mind wasn't on Hepple the 2nd's failed proclamation degree for History of Magic but on Al. Her foot was tapping the floor like a bunny and Max stopped it with his shoe.

"Rose, focus," she said, staring back down at his previous potions essays.

"I can't, Max!" she exclaimed and was hushed by many people. "I want to see Albus! It's been forever, and he should be arriving at the castle any minute!"

"You can see Al any day," Max tried. "But we only have one shot at these exams."

Rose scowled and clutched her hand mirror tighter. Al was supposed to buzz her when he made it. She tried as hard as she could to focus, but the words on the paper were passing through her brain like Professor Binns words. Max scooted on the floor beside her and began unburying Rose from all her papers and books.

"Look," he started, taking her notes from her lap and pulling his quill from her hair. "Professor Binns said that these lessons would be in the exams." He began circling particular names and title pages. "Now, it won't be as bad as you think. Remember last year? You finished your quiz in fifteen minutes. You know the stuff, Rose, you just need to focus. Now, when was Bernard Bollicks knighted to be goblin king?"

Max spent the next hour forcing her to focus and answer questions. She was spitting out answers that she didn't know she knew.

"See?" said Max, smiling, as he shut her History of Magic school book. "It's all in your head. It all there, you just need to learn how to grab it."

"Ow!" she called.

"What? What'd I do?" Max asked hurriedly, scooting away from her.

"Not you. Somethings – Ow! – something hot is touching me!" She jumped up and began digging through her mess until she found what was burning her. The enchanted hand mirror.

"Oh!" she screeched. "Oh! He's here!"

"Well answer it!" Max laughed.

"Right!" Rose swiped her hand across the face of the mirror. Al's rippled into view. "Albus!" she called.

"Hey! Guess who's back!"

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the library with Scor and Olly. Come on down."

Rose dropped the mirror and had to parkour across heads of students and all their junk. She slipped through the portrait hole with Max and didn't stop until she fell into the library. Max lifted her by her arms where sprinted in the rest of the way and looked around.

"Garren!" she called.

"Rose, this is a library. Don't yell," Garren the librarian whispered from behind a shelve.

"Where's Al?"

"Your little dude is in the Magical Beast section," Garren replied.

"Thanks." Rose ran across the wood floor until she spotted Al's messy black hair behind a table. Rose slid across it until she tackled him in a hug.

"You're back!" she cried.

"And you're squeezing me!" he choked.

"Oh, sorry."

"Quidditch muscle," said Al, rubbing at his shoulders.

"Let me see it! Your scar!"

Al lifted his shirt to show them a faint pink line across his side.

"Now you and your dad both have scars," she said.

Rose forced him into a library chair. "We have so much to tell you!"

They talked for hours about everything and not just Sugamina. They told him about classes, and Quidditch, who's dating who now, and exams. He learned about who's winning the house cup and their detentions. After they had said everything they could think to say, it was Al's turn. He told them about how scary the hospital is at night, about Urstwhile and his poor conversational skills. He talked to them about his impossible homework and intense desire to brew a potion. But most of all, he told them all he had riddled out in the Marauders book of animagi. This sparked must talk, and discussion as the two parties perceived some passages differently and needed to be understood and riddled out. They were discussing the second page when Garren tapped them on the shoulder.

"Come on dudes, it's nine twenty-five, and the Professors are awfully cranky because of exams tomorrow. You need to get to bed."

They took his advice and ran to their common rooms. Both Max and Rose tripped over Elvy Balimp as they burst through the portrait hole. Rose now had no excuse not to focus on her least favorite subject, Astronomy. Max helped her more now than ever. It was past midnight, and the common had hardly emptied at all. Rose was resting against the sofa, a little too comfortable as Max poked her roughly awake to thrust her buzzing mirror into her hands.

"What?" Rose mumbled, half out of it. She swiped her hand across the glass and waited as Albus' face appeared with Scor beside him. They were both moving quickly somewhere dark and windy.

"Rose!" Al breathed heavily. "Rose, Stella can do magic!"

"Really!" she said in surprise with a sideways look at Max who was nodding. "How do you know?"

"She levitated a mushroom!"

"She what?" Rose was actually surprised by this. "What do you mean?"

"I mean Yoman was cleaning mushrooms, and she levitated one to me so I could try it!"

"But that's impossible! She's not even a human yet!"

"Unless this is some sort of elf magic!"

"But, merpeople don't know how to-" she stopped as Max snatched the mirror and hung up.

"What's tha?" asked Ben, jumping on the sofa and trying to see the mirror.

"It's none of your business," said Max angrily.

"I heard da word mermaid. Is this 'bout the search tha the school were doin a lille bit back?"

"Go away, Ben," said Rose.

"I still think you guys was a part of the whole thing," he nodded. "It only makes sense."

Rose stood up and swung her bag over her shoulder. "You should be studying, Ben," she said. "I saw your last mark for Herbology. Perhaps you should stop sticking your nose in other people's business and focus on your own problems." She strode toward the staircase where Max met her.

"I'll have Olly obliviate him in the morning."

Something was nipping at her hand. Rose waved it away. The nipping continued harder. "Cromwell, go away," she mumbled, rolling over. The nipping stopped. Cromwell suddenly swung forward and slapped her in the face with his wings. She sat up abruptly. "What!" she called. The owl hopped up and down on her school bag. "Ugh, I don't have classes today," she mumbled. "Today I have- EXAMS!" She sprung out of bed, grabbed her bag and flew from the room, before turning back to get dressed.

She had slept through breakfast! She had the Potions exam first! Rose jumped down stairs, four at a time, being sure to skip the yellow stone steps. She cursed Gryffindor being in a tower when potions were in the dungeons. The entire rest of the school was empty. She alone was late and listening to her heart thump. Why hadn't Max woken her? Well, it wasn't entirely his responsibility, now was it? Rose skidded into the dungeons. It was empty. But, she was sure that potions were first. Rose took her schedule from her bag and examined it. She had Transfiguration first! Rose, heart thumping, ran as fast as she could to get to the Transfiguration corridor.

"I'm so sorry Professor Don-" She stopped. The classroom was empty too.

Why was the classroom empty?

Rose was in tears as she ran all throughout the castle. Every classroom, every office, every corridor was deserted. She was alone. Rose ran to the only place she knew there would be life. Ducking under the waterfall, she found no one. Where was Stella? Where was Yoman or any of the other house elves?

Her legs were going to give. She was breathing great gulps of air as she tried to catch her breath. Rose entered the entrance hall and fell to her knees.

"Professor Kemp!" Rose cried, seeing a figure near her with a pipe between their teeth. "Professor Kemp! Where is everyone? I have exams!"

"Everyone has gone home, Weasley," said Kemp, stopping to stare at her on the floor. "I am sorry, young lady, but you have failed your exams. You will not be enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry next year. Go home."

"Please, Professor!" Rose sobbed. "Let me take the tests! I know the answers! I revised!"

"Go home, Miss Weasley."

Rose stood up and wiped her eyes. "When will the train leave for Chilrey?"

"Oh, you're not going to that home," he shook his head and removed his pipe. "No, no, no. Your parents don't want a failure; you have contaminated the Weasley name. No, a woman has kindly offered to take you in."

"What? Who? Where is she?"

"She is in a place called Elvinshire."

Elvinshire? Why did that sound so familiar?

"I have forgotten her name, but she said something about a ransom. You will be meeting her shortly."

Elvinshire… Elvin- ELVINSHIRE!

"No, Professor! Please! Don't send me there! She wants to kill me!"

"You know, I do believe I am remembering a name. Yes, it is the name of a flower. My, you two do have something in common. I think it was, hold on… oh yes! Belladonna. Now isn't that a pretty name. I'm sure you will have a marvelous time with her."

"Professor! Please! I can't go with her! She's a monster! A monster!"

Something cold and boney gripped Rose by the arms. Rose tried to fight away. She looked up into the sallow gaunt face of Belladonna Drury. Her stringy black hair hung over her shoulders as the smell of rot and decay entered Rose's nostrils.

"You're mine now, you little rat!" she hissed. "What a lovely ransom for my dear Sylas."

"Get off me!" Rose screamed. "Professor, help!" But Kemp turned and walked away. The room grew dark. Rose tried to swing and punch at Belladonna, but her arms were locked at her side. Belladonna gripped her arms tighter and began dragging her across the floor, into the darkness. Rose screamed and sat up.

"Rose!" She turned her head and jumped back in fear. Max stared at her, looking more like his mother than ever. "Rose, what's wrong?"

"I- it was-" she breathed heavily. She was in her four-poster bed in her dormitory. Max was gripping her by her arms while her blankets were wrapped tightly around her torso. "It- it was nothing."

Max continued to stare in fear. Rose's other roommates were watching worriedly too.

"Come on," said Max. "We have breakfast, then our first day of exams." He pulled her out of bed and waited while she dressed in the bathroom; it took her longer than usual. Her face was pale and her palms sweaty. She hadn't had a nightmare like that in months. Belladonna hadn't shown all year as Rose feared she might. But the absence scared Rose more than her returning. The absence meant that Belladonna Drury was not going to sweep Max in a whim; she was planning something more terrible than any twelve-year-old could be ready for.

She and Max ran down the steps and made it for breakfast. Rose looked at her schedule. Potions were first.

Professor Killpii had them brew a Wicked Glory draft. Rose knew exactly how it was done and was sure she had gotten it right when she ladled it into a vile to be placed on Killpii's desk and graded. Max's was peach when it was supposed to be burnt orange.

"At least you tried this time," said Scorpius who was covered in ash and not feeling too confidant on the green of his potion.

They turned a pillow into a rock during transfiguration, had a chair river dance in charms, and got to blow things up in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Herbology was disgusting as usual as everyone skinned water plumbs which screamed as you pulled the peeling away. Everyone felt terrible though they knew the plant couldn't feel pain. History of magic was easy and long, and dry, and boring, and slow, and redundant. Rose knew the answers but couldn't remember how to spell most of the names; she hoped that wouldn't be part of the grade.

Poor Al to be sent back to school in the week that nobody was about and everyone was short-tempered.

It was Astronomy that Rose was sure she had failed at. Max had taught her the ratios, and diameters of planets, how to read constellations, and how to pinpoint the exact location of certain stars even if you can't see them in the night. Rose could see nothing. She remembered the numbers, widths, and counts for planets, so she jotted those down; Rose hoped that would do something for her grade. She couldn't make out the constellations or moons or planets, which was the base of the exam.

In the end. Everyone has been particularly grateful that the exam week was over. They now had two days left of doing absolutely nothing.