CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

William tapped hard for the third time on the door. He was about to turn and leave, thinking there to be no one inside, when he heard a voice from behind.

"If you expect to enter my house in that state, be warned. You shall bear my wrath for every speck of dirt you pile on my floors"

Professor Kai was standing behind William holding a tray of potions. It seemed he had just returned from the apothecary.

William understood the warning at once and soon set to clean his legs and his clothes as much as possible before entering the house.

No one would think Professor Kai's admonition of William was severe once they set eyes on his abode. Every inch of the house was sparkling clean. Everything including books, chairs and dishes were stacked neatly in its place . The place was so clean that it seemed as though a dozen house elves had just finished cleaning up in here.

Kai motioned him to wait in the living room while he deposited his potions in the cupboard. William sat down double checking that he wasn't leaving any marks on Professor Kai's chairs. A feat which was proving difficult considering how it was painted milk white just like every other piece of furniture in the house.

Kai returned to the living room and sat down in front of the boy. Without looking up, William spoke "You asked to see me?"

Kai who was rocking back and forth in his chair, had his hands locked under his chin. He didn't speak but observed William very closely. After a long while, he said " So, how much have you told Bernaby?"

William, having expected this question beforehand, kept his head lowered and mumbled "Don't know.. talking about"

"I am talking about your latest occupation which has been acting as a spy for your father and retrieving information about certain visitors from the future. Don't try to hide it William, I have been informed that you have been following them for quite a while. Surely you must have wasted no time in informing your father of the interesting details"

William's head sank even lower. He kept mumbling indistinctly under his breath.

Kai stood up abruptly. He walked closer to William and spoke more gravely. "William, you and I both know that you do not care much for your father's ways. I have seen the good in you and I am sure you wouldn't want to do anything that would endanger the lives of innocent people. If you have told your father something, let me know what it is, so that we can take steps to correct your mistake, lest it be too late"

William seemed to struggle with words. After a long while he spoke, his voice trembling. He started explaining everything he had done since seeing Rose and Scorpius being burnt at the stake.

When William finished speaking, Kai turned around and returned to his seat. A huge crease had settled on his forehead, his concern clearly etched on his face.

"Did he say whom he intends to transport to the future?" asked Kai.

"No" replied William curtly, his voice laden with guilt.

After several moments of silence Kai spoke again. "It seems he may already have set his plans in motion. But there is still one vital piece of information that he is unaware of. As long as it remains hidden from him, we might still have some hope."

For the first time William raised his head. Curious, he wondered what this piece of information could be. He was about to ask Kai the same when he replied,

"No, I cannot divulge it to you. It isn't that I trust you. But I fear your father may extract that piece of information from you through other means. No matter how good you are deep down, the fear of your father still outstrips your will to do good."

William felt ashamed at Kai's comment and replied weakly. "I wish I could stand up to him"

"Only he who has overcome his biggest fears can hope to be a true wizard."

William, feeling the shame inside him grow, got up to leave. Kai added " I trust you would know by now not to relay any more information to Bernaby. I would request you to keep me updated on your father's doings. We may not be able to stop him but we can at least hope to be prepared when he strikes"

William nodded. As he stepped out of the door he heard Kai call from behind "One more thing, don't get too attached to the girl. They are merely visitors in our time. They do not belong here and have to ultimately return to where they came from"

William turned around, looking shocked wondering how Kai had read his mind. But before he could inquire about this, Kai had closed the door behind him.

If swear words had an impact on people, Scorpius Malfoy would have turned into a giant slug. For Rose Weasley had cursed and swore at the blond so many times that even Scorpius could sense her ill will. However, if anything, it was making him more smug. Anything that irritated Rose Weasley brought him satisfaction. For at this moment, he was fondling a certain brown haired witch's hair in his hands while she lay her head on his shoulders.

Scorpius felt like the past few days had been blissful. He had managed to declare his affections to Roslyn and she responded with an equally fervent desire to be with him. The star crossed lovers now openly exhibited their affections for each other in front of Rose as though she were an invisible being.

Rose, who was watching the pair of them from across the room couldn't take the scene any longer and walked out of the house in a hurry. Her breathing was ragged and quick and she was tearing apart a handkerchief in her hands.

Every now and then she would curse Scorpius and insult Roslyn. The anger at being ignored she could understand, but it was mixed with a strong feeling of envy. This baffled her. Why would she be jealous of Scorpius having a girlfriend. It was something that never bothered her at Hogwarts. Why now?

Lost in her thoughts she wandered through the woods. It was only after a while when the sun started setting, that she felt conscious of the fact that she was alone. It was getting dark and she started to feel slightly unsettled. She had not properly mapped her way into the forest.

Just when she realized that she may have got herself lost in the woods, she felt a sharp pain in the side of her head. This was followed by excruciating pain, a pain so severe that her knees gave away. She screamed loudly and fell to the ground.

Author's Note: Hope you liked it. Its been a while since I wrote, so my writing is a bit rusty. I am also looking for beta readers so please PM me if you would like to help. Review and let me know what you thought! Great to be back!