CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE LEGEND

Erica sat quietly in the Ravenclaw Common room when she heard a familiar groan. She shurgged and ignored it, continuing on with her reading.

"COME ON AND LET ME IN!" said a voice from the other side of the entrance. Erica jumped and dropped her book on the floor. "I ANSWERED THE QUESTION RIGHT! LET ME IN!" Erica sighed and walked over to the entrance, opening it cautiously. Nick stood on the other side, his pale face red with anger.

"Uh...Nick?" She asked. The raven haired boy looked at Erica, finally notcing that she was there.

"Hello, Erica." Nick replied. "Didn't notice you were there."

"Are you okay? You're yelling at the doorway." A blush crossed Nick's face.

"You heard that?" Erica nodded.

"You're lucky I was the only one in the common room. Get in here." The first years walked back to the Common Room, where Erica resumed her reading. A question then popped into the girl's mind.

"Nick," she asked calmly. "Where were you anyway?"

"I was with Albus in the Slytherin Dungeon." He answered. "I wanted to talk to him about him having trouble getting back in there."

"Oh really?" The girl said sarcastically. "And what did you both come up with?"

"We came up with nothing, to be honest." Nick laughed nervously as Erica shot him a glare.

"Boys..." Erica mumbled under her breath. She continued to read. Nick looked over at her.

"So, what are you reading?" He asked curiously. Erica, angry for being interuppted for the third time, looked up at him.

"I'm reading a book by Joanne Rowling." She showed him the cover, with the author's name written in golden letters on the bottom. "She's an accomplished author, both in the wizard and muggle worlds. I enjoy reading her stories."

"I thought you'd be doing research on the mysterious kidnappings around the school."

"I was...about an hour ago." Erica put her book down and handed Nick the parchment she had written on earlier.

"Wow...that's a lot of notes." He said, taking the parchment. Erica sighed.

"What interested me most was an old legend I came across."

"Tell me the legend." Erica looked at him. "What? I'm curious."

"I'm kind of surprised you don't know it. It's a popular tale for wizard children."

"Then how come you don't know it, Erica?" A look of shock crossed her face.

"My parents never told me wizard tales when I was younger. They said that they were...Wait...how come you don't know about the legend?"

"Simple. There aren't any wizard books, other than school books, in my foster home." Erica's face went red with embarrassment.

"Sorry, I forgot the you-"

"No, it's fine. So what's the legend about anyway?" Nick asked, trying to keep the girl from embarrassing herself further. She bent over a pulled out a book with a frayed leather cover. Erica opened it and began reading.

"'Long ago there was a powerful wizard." She began. "He would protect the witches and wizards from any harm that should befall them. But as time went on, the wizard became weak and ill. So, he came up with a plan to keep his power living on. He transferred his powers to four objects. However, a part of the wizard went into each object, carrying one of his traits with him. And so, the wizard gave the four objects to his apprentices. The first apprentice received a sword with the power of bravery enfused into it. The second, was given a diadem, to which gave the power of wisdom. The third, received a locket, which held the power of ambition. The final apprentice was given cup that held the power of loyalty. And so, the four apprentices took the wizard's place as guardians of the wizarding world. One day, there was a man who wanted to be the guardian himself, but could not have the power to do so. This was due to the fact that the wizard had infused the apprentices' blood into their objects, so only their heirs could use them. The man became enraged and attacked the four. The battle is said to have lasted for twenty days. When the dust finally settled, the man disappeared and claimed that he and his family would return to take over bith the wizarding and the muggle worlds. To prevent this from happening, the apprentices hid their objects away do the fate would not befall the two worlds. But, according to legend, someone will tamper with the objects, and make it possible for the man's descendants to find them and destroy our way of life.' The story cuts off there."

"I don't mean to be rude, but most of that story sounded very familiar." Nick said as Erica closed the book.

"That's what I was thinking. My guess is that the legend is true. But I don't know what the objects are, let alone who controls them...Nick?" Erica looked over and sighed. The red eyed boy had fallen asleep in the chair. Yawning herself, Erica took her things to her dorm.

'I'll tell Al and Callie my discovery tomorrow.' She thought as her mind fell into its dreamscape.