As October drew to a close, the castle had become uninvitingly chilly and Sapphy found her body heavy and uncooperative as she struggled out of bed for Monday morning's Divination class. She trudged downstairs for a sleepy breakfast and still felt only half awake as she made her way past the portrait of Sir Cadogan near the top of the North tower. "Good morrow, gentle lady!" he called, planting his sword with vigour in the grass of his portrait before attempting to lean on it casually and falling over with a loud clank.

"Morning Sapphy," said Artimus through a yawn as she joined him and the rest of the class below the round trap door at the top of the spiral staircase. He was pale and had shadows under his eyes.

"You look about as tired as I feel," she sighed, dumping her bag on the floor and propping herself up against the stone wall.

"I was up quite late finishing my Alchemy homework," he explained. "An essay on the link between gold and eternal life outlined by the Vedas texts." He leaned back against the wall too, smiling dreamily to himself.

"Interesting topic then?" said Sapphy as she watched him seem to drift pleasantly off in thought.

"Oh, not at all," he murmured distractedly. "Very long and tedious, really..." She waited for him to elaborate but he was staring with unfocused eyes through the window opposite them, still smiling and looking uncharacteristically vacant. Slightly puzzled, Sapphy decided to leave him to his revery.

Before long, the silver ladder leading to the trap door unfurled itself elegantly at their feet and the students climbed up into the hot, dimly lit attic. Sapphy was thinking that the incense-thick air would not be very conducive to staying awake when she noticed Professor Trelawney. She was hunched over strangely at one of the furthest round tables in a corner with her back to the room and hooded in a black cloak instead of her usual shawls. Sapphy and Artimus glanced at each other worriedly. While Trelawney's behavior had always been odd, this year she had definitely been acting even more deranged than before.

Once they had all settled and a perturbed silence fell over the students, Trelawney rose slowly, and lowered the hood. There was a long, tense pause and when she finally turned around some of the girls screeched in horror and Sapphy's breath caught in her chest. What they saw was an unfamiliar, hideously ugly face; her eyes were milky blue and crossed, sunken into deep, jaundiced looking hollows. Her cheeks were scabbed and sagging and when she cackled at their terror they could see that she was missing most of her teeth. At first Sapphy was wildly sure it was a hag who had somehow managed to get into the castle, but the more she stared in horror the more she could recognise Trelawney's old features underneath.

"Professor?" weeped Parvati. "What's happened to you?"

"Time!" crowed Trelawney gleefully. Her voice was raspy and broken. "The slow but sure decay that comes for us all. What you look upon is the face of the crone, the Wise Woman. She was once as young as yourselves," she croaked, hooding her face again and spinning in a hobbled semicircle. Mid way through the turn, her movements became suddenly elegant and she removed the hood to reveal another face, framed by long flowing locks of auburn hair. Her skin had become smooth, her eyes were bright and clear and her posture had straightened. The class gasped, utterly captivated by seeing a sixteen year old Trelawney.

"Year by year, time took some of her beauty and left some wisdom in it's place," Trelawney said in her new girlish voice, and she twirled once more to greet them as her familiar self at last. "You may find the crone frightening but there is much you can learn from her. What date is it, this Saturday coming?" She rounded on Megan Jones, who seemed baffled by this abrupt change of subject.

"October 31st?" she tried uncertainly.

"Indeed! The ancient festival of Samhain, or Hallow'een as we know it now. The dark winter half of the year commences on this spirit night. It is a liminal time when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted." Trelawney was sweeping the room with energy and visibly enjoying the rapt attention of her audience.

"Even Muggles honour the Dark Mother on this night. They dress as crones and ghouls, and carve pumpkins to look like protective spirits to guard them from the spiritual chaos. Communicating with ancestors and departed loved ones is easier at this time, and Hallow'een is also known as the Feast of the Dead."

Her voice had dropped to a reverent hush and the class leaned forward collectively to hear her better. "In olden days, single candles were lit and left in a window to help guide the spirits home. Extra chairs were set to the table and around the hearth for the unseen guest. And the possessors of the Inner Eye may receive rather more visitors than are welcome..." She gazed around at them with satisfaction as a shudder seemed to ripple around the class from student to student.

Sapphy was very familiar with such visitors. When they were children, Perry would indulge her for the odd game of exploding snap or wizard's chess now and then before shutting himself away with a book. Consequently Sapphy would spend hours playing long and elaborate imaginary games by herself. One October day, she had heard a child's voice calling out for help. It was coming from an old dried up well that lay in the outskirts of their garden. Alarmed and knowing that she was forbidden from getting too close in case she fell in, she had ran to the house and alerted Nan who had hurried with her to the scene and peered in but found nothing there.

On Hallow'een, Sapphy had been running past the same spot when she was astonished to see the mischievous, freckled face of a girl about her age grinning at her as she peeped around the corner of the well. The girl introduced herself as Effie and immediately joined in with Sapphy's game.

Delighted with her new playmate, Sapphy had regaled her family with stories of their adventures. The adults and Perry had privately called Effie "Sapphy's imaginary friend" until Sapphy's mother had unearthed an old account of a death of a servant's child by drowning while she was researching the history of the house. After that, Sapphy's secret game of filling a basket full of food and toys before lowering it on a rope into the well didn't seem quite so lighthearted.

Effie was her first visitor but there had been others. Her great aunt Perpetua had dropped in for a Hallow'een chat a few times. And then there were the many nights where Sapphy awoke to find Cedric Diggory sitting on the end of her bed, looking lost and terrified.

"Such theatrics," whispered Artimus by Sapphy's side as Trelawney shrieked and pointed to the pouffe beside Lavender Brown and declared that her departed rabbit Binky had joined them 'from Beyond.'

"At least I feel wide awake now," Sapphy muttered. Her heart was still beating unusually fast. She tried breathing slowly and concentrating on the lesson.

"For a Seer like myself, the spirits don't need to leave a permanent imprint of themselves on the earth, like the poor tortured ghosts who join us here at Hogwarts. At this time of year, anyone who has been lost may cross over to converse with those with the senses to perceive them. Last Samhain I was joined by the spirit of Boudica, here in this very room…"

Lavender stopped sobbing over Binky to stare at Trelawney in awe. Sapphy stifled a nervous giggle. They spent the next hour sitting in a circle, holding hands and listening to Trelawney as she claimed that various Historical figures had "crossed over" and were pacing around the attic.

As the class came to close, Sapphy packed up her belongings slowly. "I'll see you at dinner," she told Artimus. He looked curious but didn't question her and joined the last of the class as they clambered out of the trap door.

Trelawney was sitting in her favourite chair, pouring luke warm tea and humming to herself out of tune. Sapphy could tell she was in an excellent mood after frightening everyone so much. "Professor… I wanted to ask you something," she said, fidgeting with the sleeve of her robes.

"Oh?" Trelawney surreptitiously added a generous glug of something from a bottle to her tea-cup. "No doubt you are wondering what other famous spirits have contacted me from Beyond, my dear." She smiled smugly and took a long gulp.

"Actually… I was curious about whether… whether someone might be able to invoke the spirit of someone they have never met. Deliberately call a particular person, I mean."

Trelawney gazed at her for a moment. "There is a way. But it is ill-advised for a young person to try it. It is not only draining to the mind, body and spirit, but if done incorrectly can also lead to hauntings and even possession. The methodology can only be found in the Restricted section of the library."

"I see…" said Sapphy. "I really am interested in reading about it Professor. Just reading about it," she said, carefully avoiding the teacher's eye. "I thought I might write a bit about it in the essay you gave us for homework."

Trelawney sighed and stretched her feet out in front of the perfumed fire. Sapphy noticed she was wearing odd socks.

"Of course you would be interested. Losing your father in such a tragic way…" She was gazing sadly into the fire. "Well … if you promise that it is strictly for research purposes Sapphire?"

Sapphy took a deep breath. "I absolutely promise I would never try to contact my father."

Trelawney stared searchingly at her for a moment. And then, deciding that Sapphy seemed to be telling the truth, she took a piece of parchment from the table and began to write.

oOOOo

A History of Zabini: Part Two.

Madame Cleo Zabini met her third husband, Edgar Rosier, in Venice. He was a known Death Eater who eluded the authorities for a few years by travelling around Europe in disguise. But before long, Cleo had grown bored of moving from place to place with a young boy in tow. Upon his wife's wishes, Rosier returned with her to England and was captured not long afterwards. He only lasted a month in Azkaban before driving a rusty nail through his own throat. The Ministry had investigated Madame Zabini thoroughly and found her story of not knowing anything about her husband's illegal activities to be faultless. Given her obvious grief and four year old son, she was allowed to keep her husband's large inheritance.

It was less than a year before she married again; this time to a fabulously wealthy wizard who turned eighty-five on the day of the wedding. According to rumour, Sebastian Selwyn was no fool when it came to deciphering the motivation of his young, beautiful wife. The two had reached an "understanding", Daphne had explained, her voice dripping with emphasis. They lived together for almost three years, and were by all accounts very happy together splitting their time between his lavish estate in Somerset, his townhouse in London and his apartments in Morocco until Selwyn became too ill to travel. Cleo nursed him faithfully for months and cried what looked like real tears of anguish at his funeral. But then again, Cleo's tears always looked real.

It was possible that she had been fond of Sebastian, Daphne had said, but no-one who saw them together doubted that she had definitely fallen in love with husband number five. His name was Thierry Auger, a dazzlingly handsome French man who was in London on business at Gringott's bank. They married after an unusually short courtship, said Daphne, and before long rumours began to spread that Auger was a gambler and Cleo's enormous fortune was dwindling in his hands. One evening she travelled into the city from their country home to find him in her bed with a much younger woman. The courts heard her tragic account of what had happened next: upon realising that her lover was a married man, the young lady had stabbed him with a shard of glass from a broken mirror before turning it on herself. Cleo had miraculously survived without a scratch.

oOOOo

Sapphy wandered slowly through the castle on her way down to dinner. She was hoping to spot Noah. Eventually she came across Alfie and Max Bingley horsing around in a group of Gryffindor boys in the Transfiguration department. She hovered near them uncertainly for a moment, watching them wrestle.

"Hi Sapphy!" called Alfie, noticing her. He casually shoved Max onto the floor before walking over to her. "I've barely seen you since Hogsmeade! Where have you been hiding?"

The Room of Requirement, she thought to herself.

Alfie didn't wait for an answer. "You look like you've recovered from whatever you had that day at least. It was weird! One minute you looked completely normal, and the next you went as white as a sheet…"

Sapphy froze. They were all looking at her now and she could feel herself going very red.

"She probably had diarrhoea and doesn't want to talk about it," suggested Cormac McClaggen, nodding understandingly at Sapphy. "Butterbeer always has that effect on me."

"Well… Madam Pomfrey sorted me out in no time!" said Sapphy shrilly. She fought a very strong urge to run away. "Anyway, I was wondering-"

"Actually Sapphy, there was something I wanted to ask you…" said Alfie conspiratorially. He led her away from the others.

"Your friend Lisa," he began. "I've tried talking to her a few times, when I've bumped into her. But she's always in a big rush going somewhere or other."

There was a pause. Sapphy shuffled her feet, feeling very uncomfortable.

"So… I think she probably doesn't like me, that way. But I was hoping… maybe she's just shy?"

Sapphy sighed. "To be honest Alfie, it's actually both."

"Oh…" he looked crestfallen for a moment.

"Sorry," said Sapphy quietly.

"Ah well," he said. "Can't be helped… and I know now. So could you tell her she doesn't need to avoid me anymore? We might as well be friends, since you and Noah are so nauseatingly smitten with each other."

Sapphy smiled. "Do you know where he is by the way?"

"He's behind you, actually."

She turned around to find him exiting a classroom door to their left, grinning broadly. "My two favourite people!" he exclaimed, grabbing them in a hug.

"I'm telling your parents you said that next time I'm over," warned Alfie. He rejoined the others.

Noah bent down and kissed Sapphy gently. Then he took her hand and they began to meander through the castle. Sapphy noticed Romilda Vane and her friends whispering and staring at them as they passed by.

"Had to talk to McGonagall on how to get my Transfiguration grade up," said Noah, seemingly oblivious to the attention. "I've decided I'd like to apply to be an Auror when I leave." He smiled shyly at Sapphy.

"That's so cool!" she exclaimed, squeezing his hand. "You'd be perfect for it."

"Only if I can get the N.E.W.T.s…" he said, biting his lip. "Most of my other subjects are ok, but Transfiguration has really been bogging me down this year. Today we had to conjure a rabbit, but all I made was this weird, blood coloured jelly. It was just wobbling there on the floor, covered in fluff..."

Sapphy couldn't help but laugh. "To be fair, that sounds really difficult… but I'm sure you can get your grade up with a bit of practice. Why don't we do some study tonight in the library?"

"That," he said, throwing an arm around her, "is a great idea. Only thing is, I need to go to a quick Quidditch meeting after dinner."

"No problem!" she said, a little too enthusiastically. She was thinking of the slip of parchment from Trelawney in her pocket.

"I'm sure you can't wait to witness my amazing conjuring abilities in the flesh?"

"Well… bunny jelly sounds kind of fun," she said. She'd probably help him fight a mountain troll if he needed her to, she thought to herself.

They said they would see each other later and Sapphy hurried to join some of the others at the Ravenclaw table and began to wolf down her fish pie at an unnatural speed.

"Hungry then, Saph?" asked Terry. He watched her in amazement as she crammed mashed potato into her mouth.

Lisa squeezed in between them. "Sapphy… Operation Christmas Party. Have you had any updates?" she quizzed, helping herself to some pie. She waited as Sapphy chewed and swallowed.

"Not yet. But I have one about Alfie," she said, eyeing Lisa with some reproach. "He says you've been ignoring him since Hogsmeade."

There was a loud clatter as Terry knocked over his goblet of pumpkin juice. Lisa's cheeks had turned bright pink.

"Well… he was just far too keen."

"Yeah. Lisa only likes boys who never acknowledge her existence Sapphy, you know this," said Anthony wryly.

"Stop eavesdropping," Lisa snapped.

"Well," Sapphy continued. "You don't need to worry about it anymore. He knows you're not interested and he'd like to be friends." She drained her own pumpkin juice.

"You can't be friends with someone you fancy," Morag piped up. They all turned to stare at her in surprise. "Can't work," she said, shaking her head sagely.

"Of course it can," said Artimus from beside her.

"Where are you going?" asked Lisa, looking puzzled.

"I'm meeting Noah to study in a while and I need to do something first," she explained.

"See? This is how it starts," said Terry, jerking his head at Lisa. "You might as well say your goodbyes now." He glared at Anthony who looked unfazed.

Sapphy hurried from the Great Hall to the library. Madam Pince looked even more hawkish than usual as she sat writing something at her imposingly huge desk. The restricted section was behind her. Sapphy suddenly felt furtive, even though she was perfectly entitled to access it. She glanced around but the library was pretty much deserted as everyone was still at dinner. Trying to seem as casual as possible, she began to wander over to the roped off entrance.

"Sapphy!" came a sudden hiss.

She jumped and even let out a little shriek. Madam Pince's head jerked up and peered at her sourly. She felt a firm grip pull her behind a bookcase and she realised it belonged to Mandy, who was doubled over and struggling to suppress a manic fit of giggling.

"Your face!" she whispered. "Muffliato." They both glanced around the bookcase to where Madam Pince was now swatting the air around her head as if trying to shoo a swarm of invisible bees.

"You nearly wet yourself!" chortled Mandy. "What are you doing? Why do you look so sneaky? Are you trying to get ahead for the Christmas exams?" She was staring at Sapphy intently as she fired questions in rapid succession.

"Mandy, please! You need to relax!" said Sapphy with exasperation. She leaned wearily against the bookcase, trying to regain her composure.

"I'm perfectly relaxed, it's you who's up to something. What is it? Non verbal spells? Michael was in here during his free period earlier reading up on them, Flitwick hasn't even finished the winemaking charm and he's-"

"I'm doing an essay for Divination," Sapphy interrupted. "Have you even had dinner?"

"Oh… actually, no. But that's ok, food just slows you down! Makes you too dozy to study."

"There's apple crumble for dessert."

"I'll see you later then," said Mandy immediately, and with that she practically ran out of the library.

Madame Pince had stopped investigating the source of the buzzing noise, and was now wheeling a dusty book trolley from desk to desk. Sapphy tiptoed past her, into the Restricted section. As she was now at N.E.W.T level she didn't need permission, but she didn't feel like talking to her all the same.

She let herself in the roped barrier, checked the note and began to examine the spines of the books. Some were so withered that it took a while to make out the faded lettering. She discarded Where Are the Werewolves by Amaris Ascelin, moved past Interviewing Inferi by Mortimer Dante, and through many more, until finally…

"Got you," she whispered to herself. Discourse With the Dead, by Ethelinda Nightshade.