By the following day, the storm had finally ceased. Sapphy felt nauseous all through breakfast and couldn't manage to eat anything while Lisa shot her looks of concern every now and then. Later that morning, Sapphy sat silently with her friends in the Common Room; she couldn't bring herself to join in while everyone else chatted and joked. Padma entered, looking very serious as she sat down and announced that she had just been at a Prefect's meeting. Everyone looked at her curiously and Sapphy's heart began to thud rapidly as Padma relayed the grim details of Katie Bell's attack. While the others were all deeply shocked, underneath Sapphy's anxiety was a conspicuous lack of surprise, and this was disturbing in and of itself. She couldn't meet Lisa's eye, afraid that her friend might give her a look of reproach.

She had to get out of the Common Room. Grabbing her bag and pushing past some whispering second years, she hurried down the dizzying spiral steps from Ravenclaw Tower and made her way to the sanctuary of the library. It was peaceful; the only sounds were the rustling of parchment, the scratching of quills and the odd harsh whisper from Madam Pince as she prowled between desks on the lookout for any wrong-doing. Finding a solitary desk away from prying eyes, Sapphy sat and began to write.

Dear Nan,

It's happened again. I had a nightmare the light before last, about a lightning struck tower and yesterday I had a horrible feeling, like something really bad was going to happen. Soon afterwards a girl named Katie Bell was attacked - someone gave her a cursed necklace and she is in St. Mungo's now. We still haven't heard how she is, or whether she's expected to recover.

I feel terrible, Nan. All that same dread that I had all through the spring of fourth year is back and all the guilt from the summer after. I thought I had finally gotten to the end of those feelings - but it's honestly just as bad today as it was on those days after Cedric's death.

I keep thinking about it again. All the times I wanted to stop him in the corridors, to shout at him that he needed to drop out of the Tournament, to get away from Hogwarts, to get out of the country if that was the only way he would remain safe. I remember what you told me. That once Death has marked someone, that person would be taken. That I couldn't do anything to change it.

Even so, I tried Nan. I never told you this, but I wrote him letters. I sent them anonymously, with a school owl. They seem like such a measly effort now; they made no difference. On the day before the final task, I looked for him. I hadn't slept for two nights in a row and I wandered around the castle as though I was in a dream. When I found him, my nerve gave out. I thought I had lost my mind and that it had just been a hallucination. I convinced myself that he would be fine, that it was me who was in trouble, who needed to leave.

I wish I had told him, Nan. Even if it hadn't changed anything. His ghost visits me again now. I'm scared, Nan. I don't want my Second Sight anymore.

"Sapphy?" Startled, she looked up. Her eyes were swimming with tears and for a moment all she could see was a blurred shape standing over her. She blinked, and realised it was Perry.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, bending to her level, his face full of concern. He patted her arm awkwardly. She hesitated. The strong urge to keep what happened a secret battled with a need to confide in someone.

"I've had another vision," she said finally, her voice hoarse. "Well it wasn't a vision," she continued, wiping tears from her face. "More of a premonition."

He stared at her, his jaw tight. "Was it about Mum? Or Nan?"

"No! No, it… it happened just before Katie Bell…" She started to sob.

"Come on, Saph," Perry said kindly. He gathered her things and put them in her bag, before helping her up and away from the gaze of the curious students on either side. They reached the door of the library and he pulled her into a nook in a quiet corridor off the Entrance Hall, where he conjured two comfy, blue velvet upholstered seats with a twirl of his wand. She couldn't help admiring his spell work, even at a time like this. She blew her nose as they sat down.

"It's not your fault," he said heavily. "You're not the one giving out cursed necklaces. You didn't murder anyone." She nodded miserably into her lap.

"Remember what Nan told you? You See things because they will happen. Not because they might if you don't do something to stop it. You can't change fate." She nodded again.

"Besides, I've just had a meeting with Dumbledore about it." At this, Sapphy jerked her head up to look at him. "The word from St. Mungo's is that she will almost definitely make a full recovery." He beamed at her and, after a loud sniff, she gave him a watery smile in return.

"I feel loads better," she said with another sniff, getting up. "I'm going to go up to the Owlery to send my letter to Nan."

"I'll walk with you," said Perry, giving her a clumsy pat on the back.

But as they walked back past the ajar doors of the library, Perry gave a yelp of pain and began to cough and splutter. Sapphy was alarmed to see blood in his clenched fist as he continued to choke. "Perry?" she cried, stopping to stare at him as he doubled over.

"I'm… fine…" he managed to croak in between coughs, standing up straight again. There was blood on his face, hands and the floor now.

"Oh dear, Mr. Fancourt," came the genial voice of Professor Slughorn. He bore down on them from the direction of the Great Hall, a forgotten napkin still tucked into the collar of the tweed waistcoat that strained across his enormous stomach. "It looks as though you've been hit with a rather nasty coughing hex," he mused, twirling his glorious handlebar moustache as he examined Perry shrewdly. Perry could only nod in reply while Sapphy looked around nervously at the empty Entrance Hall. Who had cast the hex?

"A little debate between siblings perhaps?" chuckled Slughorn, with a knowing wink at Sapphy. "It's not surprising to see two Fancourt's in a bit of a tussle. Darling Ocean has a fiery temper if I remember correctly," he said with twinkling eyes. "How is she? You both must come along to one of my little get togethers. I'm having a Christmas party you know, you simply must-"

"Er, Professor - Perry…" Sapphy protested over the hacking coughs, gesturing helplessly at her brother whose face was now quite purple.

"Oh! Goodness, yes, you must come with me to my study, my dear boy" he said, steering Perry in the direction of the dungeons. "I have an excellent batch of cough remedy potion that I've only just brewed for Filius. Too fond of his pipe, the old devil, his little lungs aren't up to it these days..."

Perry and Slughorn disappeared around a corner and, feeling very confused, Sapphy began to climb the marble staircase and begin the long walk to the West Tower. Upon entering the Owlery she forgot her troubles for a moment as she gazed around at all the beautiful owls perched cosily in their little nooks dotted around the high walls. She loved them, but had refused to leave Onyx behind in first year. Onyx loved the Owlery too and was on her second strike from Mr Filch for sneaking up there and causing mayhem. The owls at home, belonging to Sapphy's Nan and mother, dreaded her return during school holidays.

Careful to avoid any droppings, Sapphy sat down on the cold, hard stone floor to add her signature to the letter along with a postscript.

P.S. Just heard Katie is likely to make a full recovery. Also, some mystery person has started hexing Perry from around corners for no obvious reason.

Sighing, Sapphy rolled up the parchment and sealed it with her wand. She stood up and after scanning the walls for an owl to call down she decided upon a small,handsome Elf Owl who swooped onto her arm with grace and held his leg out helpfully. She tied the scroll onto it and with a hoot he hopped to the nearest ledge, flapped his wings and took off.

She watched him grow smaller and smaller in the distance, lost in thought. And without warning a hand grasped her upper arm; she let out a little gasp of fright and turned to find Blaise Zabini behind her, his lurid, scarlet aura blinding her for a moment. She swore loudly and took a few hasty steps backwards. "Why would you sneak up on me like that?" she cried, feeling very rattled.

"I need to talk to you," he said quietly.

"About what?" she demanded. "I thought I had made myself clear the last time. I'm really not in the mood for this today." She made a start to move around him but he blocked her path. Furious now, she tried to push past. But he stood firmly and suddenly her anger was replaced by fear. She shrank back; something had occurred to her. "Y-you followed me," she gasped, glaring at him. "And you hexed my brother?"

He rolled his striking, golden eyes. "I had to get you on your own."

She thought of the unknown dangerous person at Hogwarts who had cursed Katie; of how far they were from the main castle. No-one would hear her if she needed to shout for help. Tremblingly, she drew her wand and pointed it directly into his chest. "Just leave me alone!" she cried and wildly tried to remember the defensive spells she had learned in the DA the previous year.

His eyes never left her terrified face; he looked immeasurably serious for a moment and then all of a sudden he let out a barking laugh. She froze, completely wrong-footed. I've never seen him smile before, she thought faintly. His teeth were a gleaming white.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he sneered, shaking his head and looking at her almost pityingly. He swatted her wand away with some annoyance. "And I'm not in love with you either, I know that's what you think." His tone was mocking but soon he looked serious again. "I need your help."

Feeling foolish, she put her wand back into the pocket of her robes. "My help?" she said questioningly, as though she didn't have the faintest idea what he could mean.

"Don't act like you don't know where this is going," he said impatiently. "Your gift. Your Second Sight," he murmured, a hungry expression on his face. "I want you to use it to help me."

She shook her head despairingly. These requests had happened to Sapphy at least once a year since she had started Divination and her reputation as a talented Seer had quickly spread across the school. She had sometimes agreed - and always regretted it. As a young witch, her psychic strength had not fully developed yet, and using her Sight was physically exhausting and sometimes emotionally draining. If the induced vision involved pain or suffering, Sapphy felt it all as if it was happening to her. After she had collapsed from strain while trying to help Euphemia Bode solve the mystery of her father's suspicious death last year, Ocean and Madam Pomfrey had forbidden her from doing anything similar again until she was of age. And even if they hadn't, why would she help Zabini? "You think feeling me up under the desk and hexing my brother is a good way to earn my sympathies?" she growled, crossing her arms.

He swore and his face became a mask of rage; his molten-red aura blazed brighter for a moment. But after taking a few slow, deep breaths he seemed to collect himself. "What I did in the Astronomy Tower was completely moronic," he said in a careful, measured voice. For once, his eyes weren't boring into hers, but fixed on the stone floor. "I'll admit I assumed you would be as easy to... manipulate as other girls, and about that I was mistaken." He sighed heavily. "Even you must admit," he said softly, meeting her eyes again, "that we had a connection. In the forest." She felt her cheeks flush pink and she stumbled backwards, sitting down on the stone ledge behind her as her legs seemed to give way. "I thought I could use it to persuade you." He looked wretched now as he stepped forwards, getting to his knees to be on her level. "I need to know what happened to my father," he said as his voice shook slightly. "He was murdered before I was born-", at this Sapphy flinched as though she had been hit, "- I need to know by whom. My mother is a liar." His jaw tightened and his expression was grim. "No doubt you've heard the gossip about her? Because it's all true. And more."

She had heard of the infamous Madam Zabini. His mother was rumoured to be uncommonly beautiful and to have been widowed seven times under mysterious circumstances, each time bequeathed an amount of gold larger than the last. For a moment Sapphy felt a pang of sympathy for Blaise. Not knowing her own father was the biggest source of sadness and regret in her life. But she wasn't strong enough for this case. There was far too much pain and violence in his story, and following what had happened in Hogsmeade, Sapphy never wanted to experience another vision ever again.

He took out his wand. "I can give you my memories if that would help? I've heard you own a Pensieve." His wand was pointed to his own forehead now, his velvety voice so compelling, his face so intoxicatingly beautiful.

"I can't," she said curtly as she stood and pushed past him.

"I have gold," he called after her in desperation. "And I won't touch you ever again, Sapphire, I promise!"

"I don't need gold," she muttered and as she hurried towards the door of the Owlery she heard him swear again violently. There was a loud blasting noise and she turned in horror to see him standing with his back to her; he was still clutching his wand and the place directly beneath where it pointed was marked by rubble. The owls were flapping and hooting with fright around a large, smoking chasm in the solid stone floor.

Sapphy went to bed early, and was relieve to find the dormitory empty. Her moonstone necklace was on the windowsill, bathed in a pool of silvery light from the full moon. She hadn't worn it the last few nights and, hoping that it would protect her from nightmares, she put it on and got changed before she lay down on her bed, falling almost instantly into a deep, peaceful sleep.

She dreamt she was in the garden of the house she had grown up in; but it was not the wild, overgrown jungle that she knew. Though she recognised the surrounding wisteria-lined stone walls and the swing that hung from the willow tree, this garden was well tended and the grass was short and lush beneath her bare feet. The full moon illuminated everything and she padded about, admiring purple rose bushes, tiny, delicate sweet-pea flowers, the dew-twinkled plum and pear trees and hydrangea bushes bursting with frowsy pale blue and lilac blooms. The night was still and balmy; though her cotton nightdress was thin she was not cold.

She reached a bench; no longer rusted and overtaken by tenacious ivy, it was painted a gleaming teal green. She sat and closed her eyes, breathing in the beautiful smell of lavender that hung in the air. When she opened them, her father was sitting next to her, admiring the garden happily. She gazed at his side profile, recognising it from the moving, framed photographs that she had pored over as a child. His hair was dark and peppered with grey; he hadn't inherited Ocean's large nose as she had, his was small and neat, and the pleasant curve of his lip reminded her of Perry's. He turned his head to look at her, smiling; and she saw her own large, pale grey eyes, though lined, reflected back at her. She returned his smile and held out her hand, which he took. It was warm, and pleasantly calloused and so big it cradled her little one. They sat companionably for a moment.

"This is beautiful," Sapphy murmured, indicating the garden; so familiar and yet unfamiliar.

"Yes, it was my pride and joy," he said, and looked about fondly again. She loved the sound of his voice, so deep and warm. "Poor Atea never did have a green thumb. Perry did his best with it until he went to school though, do you remember?" Sapphy nodded sadly. She could remember Perry hacking fiercely at the weeds and wild grass that had choked everything their father had grown.

"He used to help me out here," Odhran continued. "It was our place to talk things over."

They were quiet again for a few minutes, listening to the pretty song of a nightingale.

"Why am I here, Dad?" Sapphy asked finally. He looked at her with a serious expression now.

"You need to use your Gift," he said quietly. "You need to make something good of it. Reclaim the power it holds, so it's burden doesn't overwhelm you."

She hesitated.

"You're strong enough," he said with a reassuring smile. "I promise you. Help the boy; his story is mirrored by your own. By helping him to heal, you'll heal too."

He squeezed her hand for encouragement. "I love the hair, by the way," he said and she laughed. "Very cool." With one last loving look at her, he stood and she let go. As he wandered away slowly he seemed to dissolve in the night's air.

Sapphy slept on. And in the morning when she awoke feeling more refreshed than she had in days, she knew what she must do.