HARRY POTTER AND ICE CREAM DELIGHTS

Author: Luckner

Disclaimer: The characters and their world are the property of J.K. Rowling, various publishers and Warner Bros. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER 22: MOANING MYRTLE FINDS A HOME

"Look out!" Ron shouted as he grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her to her knees. At that moment a streak of green light shot over their heads, causing a rush of air as it passed. The green missile flashed down the hallway and disappeared through the open portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, completely confusing the 'Fat Lady' who was guarding the door. Two third-year girls, who were leaving at that moment, dodged aside in shocked disbelief.

"What in the world was that?" Hermione exclaimed, as she struggled back to her feet.

"I have no idea," Ron declared as he stared after the missile like object.

"Come on," Hermione said urgently and pulled the reluctant boy towards the common room entrance. Once inside they were greeted by a most remarkable sight. Ginny Weasley was seated beside the fireplace casually writing a note while a tiny green dragon circled eagerly above her head. Neville, Harry and Luna sat nearby, watching in amusement.

"What's going on?" Ron demanded as he watched the circling dragon warily.

"I'm just helping Fred develop his new 'Dragon Post' service," Ginny said casually as she held the folded note above her head. The dragon seized it with tiny talons and streaked towards the door, paying no attention to the fact that Ron Weasley was standing in the way. The startled boy jumped to the side as the dragon shot past.

"That thing's a bloody menace," Ron exclaimed.

"Ron, language," Hermione reminded the boy gently.

"Err…sorry, Hermione," he replied sincerely.

"But why dragons?" Hermione asked, feeling more curious then annoyed.

"They are faster than owls and they really look cool," Ginny declared in delight.

"I'll stick with Pig," the boy declared, in possibly the only positive statement that Ron Weasley had ever made about the tiny, hyperactive owl.

"Oh Ron, owls are so passé; dragons are what's hot. Fred already has more than fifty pre-orders for them; just as soon as he gets the charms right," Ginny insisted.

"What charms?" Hermione asked, showing some real interest.

"Charms that prevent muggles from seeing them," Ginny replied.

"Did Dumbledore approve this?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Of course he did; he and Professor Flitwick are already using their dragons to exchange messages, and Professor Sprout has placed an order for one as well. Fred says that the Welsh Greens are the fastest, but the red color of the Chinese Fireballs are making them the most popular," Ginny explained.

And indeed, over the weeks that followed, 'Post Dragons' became the best selling item at Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. Dragon fever seemed to be sweeping the country, and every teenager felt the need to have one.

Harry Potter, however, felt more than content to stay with his faithful owl Hedwig and Luna Lovegood never cared what was popular. These two were the exceptions to the rule, however, and soon the tiny dragons could be seen everywhere around the school. Surprisingly, Professor Dumbledore seemed to think it a delightful idea, in spite of repeated protests from Mr. Filch.

-o-

As the weather warmed there was renewed interest in Quidditch among the students. It was only a few days before the match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff and there wasn't expected to be an empty seat in the stands. In previous years Slytherin House would have been the easy victor, but this year the match was more competitive. In the last few weeks Slytherin had lost their two Beaters and their star Seeker Draco Malfoy, and the team was spending every possible minute training replacements. Most of the Slytherin team was made up of sixth- and seventh-year students, and dispite player losses they thought they would have little trouble brushing aside the young 'Puffs.'

Vincent and Gregory would have loved to play against their old house, but they knew they could not try out for the team until the start of their seventh-year. Nevertheless they volunteered to serve as reserve Beaters in case they could help, and in the days leading up to the game the two teens worked to improve the regular Beaters. On the night before the game the two regular Beaters volunteered to step aside so that Vincent and Gregory might play the game against their old teammates. The generous offer was in the best traditions of Hufflepuff; and it reminded Vincent and Gregory once again of the stark difference between 'Puffs' and 'Snakes.'

The day set for the game dawned bright and sunny, with just a slight breeze. It was perfect Quidditch weather and the students started down to the pitch early, determined to get the best seats for this much anticipated game. Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood found seats in the top row of the Gryffindor stands, and made no secret of what team they were cheering for. Luna was wearing a new hat that she had just created; one with a fearsome, growling Badger on top. It roared loudly from time to time, and Harry thought it quite effective in showing her support for their friends in Hufflepuff.

As the Hufflepuff team flew out onto the pitch in their bright yellow uniforms, it was clear that the Badgers had come to win. The Slytherins flew out to a good deal less cheering, but that was nothing new for the 'Snakes.' Madam Hooch made her standard request for a "good, clean game," and then sent the balls aloft to begin the play. Fourteen brooms rose simultaneously into the bright blue sky and the game was on.

Megan Jones, the Hufflepuff fourth-year Chaser, snatched the Quaffle out of the air and began to fly towards the Slytherin goal. Her teammates Martin Summerby and Kevin Whitby took up flanking positions on either side as they streaked down the pitch. Suddenly Adrian Pucey and Emmeline Vaisey broke into the Hufflepuff formation and stole the Quaffle, taking the ball in the other direction. The Hufflepuffs pursued as best they could, but on their faster brooms the Slytherins were widening the gap.

Suddenly a Blodger struck the Quaffle that Pucey had tucked under his arm and jarred it loose. Vincent Crabbe had timed his shot perfectly and Kevin Whitby snatched the falling ball and turned back toward the Slytherin goal. An instant before he took his shot Gregory Goyle hit a Blodger against Miles Bletchley, the Slytherin Keeper, causing the boy to swerve away from the hoop to avoid getting hit. The Quaffle shot through the center hoop, and the 'Puffs' led the game ten to nothing. The stands cheered wildly and Luna's Badger hat could be heard roaring loudly.

It was at that moment that Pansy Parkinson opened the poster that she had made especially for this game. She held it high above her head so that only those in the air could see it. It described the Hufflepuffs using several vulgar words, and if a teacher should happen to see it Slytherin would likely lose a good many house points.

Charles Warrington, one of the new Slytherin Beaters, flew over to Vincent with a sneer on his face and pointed down at the Slytherin bleachers. "We just wanted you blood-traitors to know what we thought of you," he said in contempt, and flew away.

A few minutes later Warrington was nearly knocked off his broom when two Blodgers streaked past him on a downward course. Pansy looked up just in time to see two black objects hurtling straight for her. She jumped aside barely a second before the balls struck her seat and smashed through, leaving a gaping hole that extended all the way to the ground. Her poster had been torn to pieces, and as the girl stared at the jagged hole she turned deathly pale.

Vincent and Gregory flew down to Warrington, who was still trying to regain his composure, and hovered a few feet away. "We just wanted you 'snakes' to know what we think of you," Vincent said with a sneer. During the rest of the game the Slytherin team learned that none of them were safe while Vincent and Gregory were in the air; every time a Slytherin player got his hands on the Quaffle, a Blodger would come in out of nowhere and cause him to lose it.

The rest of the 'Puffs' took inspiration from their newest members and stepped up to play a really outstanding game. The Slytherins were clearly in over their heads as the Hufflepuff Chasers scored one goal after another, and the 'Snakes' didn't seem to know quite what to do about it. They tried to muscle aside the younger Hufflepuffs, but Vincent and Gregory exacted a severe punishment on any Slytherin who went too far. It was almost a relief when Ernie Macmillian caught the Snitch for Hufflepuff, and the game was brought to an end. The score was an almost unbelievable 320 to 40, and the stands went wild.

The party in the Hufflepuff common room that night lasted until midnight, and Professor Sprout made no attempt to quell the festivities.

-o-

But a few days later an event took place which showed that Slytherins didn't forget and didn't forgive. Harry and Luna were just walking to the Great Hall for lunch when Susan Bones came running up to them, a frantic look on her face. She skidded to a stop, completely out of breath, and took a second to regain her composure.

"Have you seen Vincent or Gregory?" She asked urgently.

"No, not since Charms," Luna answered.

"Something's happened; will you help me?" She asked hopefully.

"Always," Harry replied firmly.

"Marie Hedges said she saw Pansy and some Slytherins taking Vincent and Gregory away. I know they are going to hurt them," Susan said in panic.

An equally concerned look appeared on Harry's face. He knew well that there was no love lost between Slytherin House and the two newest members of Hufflepuff.

"Do you have any idea where they may have taken them?" Harry asked.

"No, Maria tried to follow them, but she was seen and Pansy shot a spell at her," Susan said.

Harry thought for a moment and then he had an idea. "I know how we can find them," Harry declared as he turned and ran in the direction of the stairs, the two girls at his heels. When they reached the Fat Lady's portrait Harry shouted the password and the three of them ran through, completely shocking the lady in pink. Reaching his dorm room Harry threw open his trunk and pulled out the Marauder's Map, spreading it on his bed.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," the boy declared as he touched the map with his wand.

As the plain parchment began to change into a detailed map of the castle, Susan's eyes widened in astonishment. "Where did you ever get this?" She asked in complete wonder.

"It's a long story; ask your boyfriend," Harry said with a smirk as he searched for the dots marked with the boys names.

"Here they are," Harry declared as he pointed to two small dots marked 'Vincent Crabbe' and 'Gregory Goyle.' What really concerned Harry was that the two were not alone; in the same confined space were also dots for Pansy Parkinson, Adrian Pucey and Charles Warrington

"Where are they?" Susan asked urgently.

"Let's see…second floor….behind the stairs…its Moaning Myrtle's bathroom!" Harry declared as he stuffed the map in his pocket and ran out of the dorm room, brushed roughly by Seamus Finnegan who was just returning from class.

"Hey, what's going on?" Seamus called; but the three were already half way down to the common room.

Everyone knew that the Slytherins were very angry about their Quidditch loss to Hufflepuff, and blamed Vincent and Gregory for their defeat. The thought that Pansy might be planning some kind of retaliation made the three teens run even faster, and they dashed down the stairs at breakneck speed. Reaching the second floor they ran down the hall, skidding to a halt just outside the girl's bathroom.

As he readied his wand, Harry felt an icy cold hand touch his shoulder. He spun around and faced a very distressed Moaning Myrtle. It was the first time that he had ever seen the girl ghost outside of a bathroom, and he was certain that only desperation could have driven her into a public hallway.

"Harry, please help me," Myrtle said in a desperate voice that made him immediately feel sorry for her. "They've taken my bathroom."

"Of course we'll help you," Luna said sympathetically

"Can you tell us what they are doing?" Harry asked, getting the germ of an idea.

"Well, there are two boys tied up and wearing blindfolds, and three others holding wands on them. A loud girl said they were going to take the boys into the forest tonight and leave them for the giant spiders, and that if anyone tried to interfere they would be sorry. It seemed strange, the boys didn't seem a bit afraid. Are they Gryffindors?" Myrtle asked.

"No, Hufflepuffs," Susan said proudly.

"Myrtle, will you help us?" Harry asked.

"Of course, Harry," Myrtle said sincerely, a look of determination clearly evident on her silvery face.

"What we need is a distraction so we can get in unseen. Can you go to the other side of the room and do something to get their attention?" Harry asked.

The girl gave them a sad smile. "Of course I can; it will be my first chance to help in fifty years," Myrtle said wistfully. "Give me a minute to get ready," the ghost said and quickly vanished into the wall.

Harry reached out and gently pushed on the door. "It's sealed," he whispered to the others.

"Move just a little, Harry," Luna whispered back as she pointed her wand at the door. A pale blue mist enveloped the door briefly and then faded away. "That should do it," she said.

At that moment the teens heard Myrtle's shrill voice shouting from inside the bathroom, and Harry pushed the door open silently. As the three teens entered the bathroom they were greeted by a very strange sight. A furious Pansy Parkinson was shooting one useless spell after another at Moaning Myrtle, who was floating near the ceiling. The ghost was throwing one insult after another at Pansy, mainly concerning her physical appearance and her magical abilities; culminating in a series of rude sounds that might have been made by a sick cow. The Slytherin boys were watching the exchange in confused disbelief. Vincent and Gregory were standing bound and gagged against the far wall, completely ignored by everyone.

"Oh, hello there," Myrtle said pleasantly as she saw Harry and his friends by the door.

"Acco wands," the three teens shouted at the Slytherins, catching them completely off guard. The wands were torn from their hands as they were spinning around.

"What do you think…," Pansy started to shout, but she was cut off when she and her friends were hit with stunning spells that dropped them to the floor.

"Brilliant, Myrtle," Harry said appreciatively, and he noticed the ghost's silvery appearance had acquired just a touch of pink.

They quickly untied Vincent and Gregory and the two boys gratefully thanked their rescuers.

"Pansy said they were going to leave us in the Dark Forest tonight, and that we were going to be spider food," Vincent said with a shiver, as he stretched his sore muscles.

"We're taking these three to the Headmaster," Harry said as he nodded to the three Slytherins, who were just beginning to regain their wits. "Maybe Luna should walk you two to the Hospital Wing," he suggested carefully.

"No, we want to follow through with this and make sure these 'snakes' get what's coming to them," Gregory said firmly.

Susan looked down at the three moaning Slytherins. "Get on your feet, you three have an appointment with Azkaban," she said harshly.

"We didn't do anything, you attacked us," Pansy said arrogantly.

"Save it for Dumbledore," Harry said shortly, and waved his wand at the three.

As they started to leave the room, Adrian Pucey suddenly staggered to the wall and shrieked in pain. While everyone turned their attention to the stricken boy, Pansy carefully withdrew a second wand that was concealed within her robes. Moaning Myrtle, who was floating above their heads, saw Pansy aiming her wand and acted instantly. She shot down from the ceiling and flew directly into Pansy chest, crying out a warning at the same moment. The intense cold of the ghost passing through her body caused Pansy to tremble violently and almost drop her wand. Luna swung around and hit Pansy with a Petrificus Totalus, causing her to go stiff as a board and fall to the floor with a crash.

"Thanks Myrtle," Harry said sincerely while Luna bound Pansy with magical cords. "Well, Pucey, if your acting is quite finished you can start moving," he growled.

As they walked down the hallway, the strange parade attracted the attention of a large group of students. Harry and Susan covered the two boys with their wands, while Luna guided an unconscious Pansy Parkinson along with a Mobilicorpus spell. Floating above the procession was a proud Moaning Myrtle, who was escorting the group to the Headmaster's Office.

Turning a corner they encountered Professor Dumbledore, together with Professors McGonagall and Snape, who were rushing from the opposite direction with grim looks on their faces.

"I see that you have the situation well in hand," the Headmaster said with relief. "Professor Snape, will you please take Miss Parkinson to the Hospital Wing and have Madam Pomfrey check her out. I would like you to stay with her and bring her to my office as soon as she is released. Professor McGonagall, would you please escort the rest of these students to my office; I myself will be along shortly."

As he watched Harry and his friends being led down the hallway he couldn't help but smile. They always seemed to be involved when anything happened. "May I have a word with you, Myrtle?" He asked the ghost who was floating peacefully over his head.

An hour later everyone was assembled in the Headmaster's office, Pansy and Professor Snape being the last to arrive.

"We were just minding our own business when Potter and his friends attacked us," Pansy screamed in anger.

"And why would Mr. Potter do that?" The Headmaster asked.

"Because we're Slytherins, and they all hate us," Pansy declared like the fact should be obvious.

"And what about the charges made by Mr. Potter and the others?" He asked patiently.

"Lies, they are all Gryffindor lies. They attacked us and then said that they would get us expelled," Pansy said, as she cast an evil look in Harry's direction.

As Harry and his friends listened to the irate girl they wondered if Professor Dumbledore could possible believe her lies.

"But Miss Bones, Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe are all Hufflepuffs. Why would they lie? He asked.

"Because they hate us too; everyone knows that Hufflepuffs are just too pathetic to get in a decent house," Pansy declared with a smirk. Harry could feel Susan stiffen by his side, and he knew the girl badly wanted to curse the arrogant Slytherin; but for that matter so did he.

"Does Ravenclaw share the same prejudice?" Dumbledore asked carefully.

Realizing that no Ravenclaws witnessed the encounter, Pansy felt safe in answering. "No, Ravenclaws don't have a prejudice against us; you can trust what they say," Pansy said as she eyed Harry and Susan with displeasure.

"Then we have one more witness to question. Myrtle, could you join us now?" Dumbledore asked.

The ghost floated forward from the back of the office wearing a look of pride, knowing that the Headmaster valued what she had to say.

"Wait, a ghost can't act as a witness!" Pansy declared in disbelief.

"You're quite wrong, Miss Parkinson. I highly value Myrtle's opinion, and I've always found her to be honest. Also, she was in Ravenclaw House; and you did say that Ravenclaws had no prejudices against Slytherins," Dumbledore said.

"But you can't! It's not fair," Pansy sputtered in frustration.

Harry and his friends realized immediately that the Headmaster had lured the girl into a trap of her own making, and they exchanged sly smiles.

"Now Myrtle, you've heard everything that has been said over the last few minutes. Will you tell us what you saw? The Headmaster asked patiently.

After all the years of loneliness Myrtle felt the seriousness of the situation, and hesitated only a moment before answering. "I saw these three Slytherins tie up those two boys," she said as she indicated Vincent and Gregory. "Then they said that they were going to take them into the Dark Forest tonight and leave them for the giant spiders," Myrtle finished honestly.

"You can't take this ghost's word for anything, she's just lying to protect her friends," Pansy said angrily.

"That is quite enough, Miss Parkinson. I think I have a clear picture of what happened today, and the actions that need to be taken," Dumbledore said firmly. With that he allowed Harry and his friends to leave the office, but Pansy and the two Slytherin boys remained behind. A few minutes later the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall escorted the three Slytherins down to their dorm rooms to gather their belongings, and it was clear to everyone who saw the three that they would not be returning. As they passed out through the great oak doors, Pansy caught sight of Harry and Luna talking with Susan.

"You'll all pay for this; that I promise you," she screamed angrily as she was led off school grounds.

-o-

Later that night, as Moaning Myrtle floated peacefully near the ceiling of her bathroom, she had the opportunity to think about the events of the past few hours. It had been a wonderful day for the lonely girl, and she was proud of the help that she was able to give. But she felt sad as well, because she knew that the excitement was over and that she was alone again. But at that moment five sixth-year students were meeting in the Hufflepuff common room discussing how they might change all of that.

"Why don't we all go visit her tomorrow and show her that we think of her as a friend," Harry suggested hopefully.

"That's a good start, but it's not enough Harry. We'll all be graduating next year, and then she'll be alone again. We need to make a permanent change," Luna said firmly.

"Maybe we can," Susan said as her eyes fell on the Hufflepuff ghost, who was floating nearby assisting some third-years with their studies. Few people realized it, but the 'Fat Friar' was probably the most beloved ghost in the entire school. During his lifetime Brother Frances had belonged to a monastic order known for their scholarly pursuits, and he saw no reason why his afterlife should be any different. The gentle ghost was a perfect fit for Hufflepuff House, and he took the greatest of pleasure in helping the members of the house with their studies.

"Brother Frances, could we speak to you for a moment?" Susan called to him.

The portly ghost floated across the room to join the teens. "Of course Susan, how may I help you?"

"We wanted to speak to you about what happened today, and the part played by Moaning Myrtle in saving Vincent and Gregory," Susan explained.

In the minutes that followed the five teens explained the incident in detail and their hopes that something could be done to end Myrtle's loneliness. Harry had never spoken to Brother Frances before, but as time passed he realized how lucky Hufflepuff House was to have such a caring spirit watching over them. Nearly Headless Nick and the other Hogwarts ghosts seemed completely self-involved, but Brother Frances seemed to take a great interest in the students and their welfare.

The silvery ghost seemed to ponder the problem for a moment before an idea came to him. "If you would all care to join me tomorrow, I think I might have the solution," the ghost said mysteriously. The five teens readily agreed that they would all meet outside of Myrtle's bathroom early the next morning.

The next day Myrtle was gently floating over her toilet, thinking about how exciting the previous day had been, when she heard a knock on the door. She thought it very curious, as no one had ever knocked on the door in the fifty years that she had haunted the room. Curiosity made her fly over to see who was being so polite, although she honestly suspected that someone was merely playing a prank on her. Sticking her head through the door she was surprised to see Harry, his friends, and the smiling Hufflepuff ghost.

"Good morning Myrtle, may we speak with you?" Susan asked politely.

"Yes…yes, of course," the rather surprised ghost replied as she backed into the room. The new arrivals entered the bathroom, and the Fat Friar moved to the front of the group.

"Hello Myrtle; we've never met formally, but my name is Brother Frances and I just wanted to thank you for helping these young men with their difficulty," he said sincerely as he gestured to Vincent and Gregory. "I also wanted to ask if you could help me," the ghost asked carefully, his normally jolly personality put aside for the moment.

"I'll do anything that I can," Myrtle replied a little shyly.

"You may not be aware of this Myrtle, but I'm the oldest of the Hogwarts ghosts. I've been the Hufflepuff ghost for a thousand years, and I'm afraid I'm beginning to slow down. I really need someone to assist me," Brother Frances said sincerely.

Susan managed to keep a straight face, but it wasn't easy. Hufflepuffs knew that their dear friar worked harder than any ghost in the castle, and seemed to have endless reserves of energy. The portly spirit gently woke his charges each morning, helped them with their studies and problems during the day, and saw to it that they got to bed at a reasonable hour each night. No ghost at Hogwarts was more loved or respected by their house.

"But I was from Ravenclaw House," Myrtle said doubtfully.

"But that's perfect; I've really been having difficulty assisting our students with some of the modern spells. You would really be doing me a great favor," Frances said sincerely.

"Well if you really want me…," Myrtle said hopefully.

"Of course we want you," Susan said sincerely, and Vincent and Gregory quickly agreed.

That night at dinner Professor Dumbledore made a very special announcement: Hufflepuff House would from that day onwards have two ghosts. A beaming Moaning Myrtle was led to the Hufflepuff table by Brother Frances; and from that day onward she never moaned again. In Hufflepuff House she was cherished and respected, and she found the friendship that she had never found in life.

-o-

As Voldemort and Bellatrix moved east, they used the level of fear shown by the muggles as their compass. At the last village before the mountains Bellatrix Lestrange asked an old woman which road they should take to reach Baska, a village on the east side of the mountains. There was terror in the old woman's eyes and she quickly crossed herself, and then in a whisper she warned Bellatrix to take any route but the 'Old Roman Road.' The ancient road, which led directly into the heart of the mountains, was regarded as a haunted place by the locals, which was avoided at any cost. Naturally, it was the road that the Dark Lord and Bellatrix knew they must travel.

The next day the road had narrowed to little more than rough path, heavily overgrown and blocked in places by fallen trees. The path climbed steeply into the mountains, and the orchards and pastureland of the valley were replaced with dense old-growth pine forests. There were few signs of human habitation, and the few hovels that could be seen were the poorest of the poor.

That afternoon they found confirmation of what they were looking for. They rounded a bend on the trail and were confronted by a grisly sight: two human skeletons impaled on sharpened wooden stakes that stood on either side of the trail. It was clearly intended as a macabre warning to anyone who dared venture further along the forbidden path.

"I think we're getting closer, Bella," the Dark Lord said in an amused tone at the thought that a few muggle bones would frighten him.

"Cheery little greeting," Bellatrix added as she patted the skull of one of the skeletons in passing.

After that point there were no more signs of human habitation, only the thick green forest and the saw-toothed mountains beyond. The forest had a deadly quiet to it, with not even a bird's call to break the spell of silence. The squirrels and rabbits which had been frequently seen had now vanished completely, the ominous silence made the trail feel like a tomb. And still the path twisted upwards around rocky outcroppings and rock falls marking ancient landslides.

Then late one afternoon, on the third day after they had left the village, they saw it: a ruined castle standing starkly against the darkening sky. The castle had three crumbling towers that reached into the sky like broken teeth, and the shattered battlements showed that the site had once been the scene of terrible battles. But there was something more than the physical appearance; the castle also had a palpable feeling of evil about it. From where they stood they could see dozens of impaled skeletons surrounding the base of the structure like some bizarre necklace of death.

The Dark Lord realized that it was too late in the day to investigate further, as he cast a glance at the red ball of the sun that was disappearing behind the mountains to the west. Soon everything would be plunged into darkness, and even Lord Voldemort had no desire to be present once the darkness came. The village they had passed through three days previously didn't have much to offer, but it did have a rustic inn where they could obtain lodgings. They would return to the castle in the morning, after the black had retreated.

"Let us return to the village for the night," he said as the last light began to disappear into a half-twilight. Bellatrix also felt uneasy about the approaching darkness, and was more than willing to leave the accursed place. The two apparated away and appeared near the old inn on the edge of town.

The next morning they returned, under the protection of their invisibility cloaks, and moved cautiously up the trail. The Dark Lord moved his wand back and forth as he scanned the rocky terraine ahead of them. Suddenly he halted as his magic showed up bands of purple light crossing the trail a few meters ahead.

"Hmm…wards; and nasty by the looks of it," Voldemort said in admiration.

Realizing that they could not go forward, the Dark Lord looked up the almost vertical cliff that bordered the trail. From up there he would have an excellent view of the castle and the surrounding countryside. Climbing was out of the question, but such a small obstacle would never stop Lord Voldemort.

"Care for a little flying, Bella?" He asked with a smirk.

"Whatever you command, my Lord," was her ready response.

Using Levitation Charms the two floated up the face of the sheer cliff to a level just above the flat top. It was at that moment that they discovered that for which they were searching. The top of the peak had been sheared off flat, and in the center stood an ancient stone table.

"This requires some investigation," the Dark Lord said as he came in for a gentle landing.

The table was covered in what was apparently dried blood, and blackened bones covered the ground surrounding it. On one side of the flat plateau, facing toward the castle, stood two decaying corpses; pinned in place by the wooden stakes that had been driven through their bodies and into the ground. The air had the sickening sweet aroma of decayed flesh and the ground was blackened with pools of dried blood.

"This is apparently where their rituals are conducted," Voldemort said casually as he tipped a skull on the ground with the toe of his boot. The teeth of the skull seemed to grin back at him in macabre agreement.

He walked to the edge of the cliff and looked across the chasm at the ruined castle, confident that his invisibility cloak concealed his presence from anyone who might be watching. The object of his search was close now, but he must be more careful than ever in how he approached it. Then, looking to the north, he saw another peak about five miles distant. It was slightly higher than the one on which he stood, and should serve well for his plan.

"I'm finished here Bella, let us visit that peak over there," he said as he pointed out the rocky outcropping in the distance.

"Will we levitate or apparate?" She asked.

"We'll apparate to that ledge I see just below the top," he declared, and a second later they were looking back at the flat-topped peak they had just left.

"Yes, this should serve well," Voldemort declared as he walked the length of the wide flat ledge.

"Let us return to the inn; we have planning to do before the night of the full moon.

-o-

A few days before the beginning of spring vacation an incident occurred that, while of little consequence, did have significance for Harry Potter. After his last class of the day the raven-haired boy entered the Gryffindor common room just in time to observe a Weasley family comedy as it played out. Ron Weasley was sitting near the fire, while Ginny and Fred hovered over him with wide grins on their faces.

"Well, when are you going to give her one?" Fred demanded.

"I'm thinking about it," Ron responded weakly.

"Well you better not think about it too long; I've seen the way some of the other boys look at her," Ginny said mysteriously.

"What other boys," Ron demanded, clearly alarmed.

"You know who they are," Ginny replied with a smirk.

"I think our dear brother thinks Hermione will wait forever, how little he knows about women," Fred said as he shook his head sadly.

"And you know better?" Ron shot back half-heartedly, but Harry could tell that they had gotten him worried about something.

"Of course young Weasley," Fred declared with a smirk as he removed a small velvet box from his pocket and opened it for Ron to inspect.

As Harry moved closer he saw that the box contained a ring with a large square-cut clear stone, but then as he watched it changed to a perfect red ruby and a few seconds later into a flawless green emerald.

"It's the latest thing," Fred said proudly. "It's enchanted to become whatever gem the wearer desires."

"It's beautiful Fred; Susan will love it," Ginny said honestly.

"I think so too. We have a date tonight and I'm going to find out," Fred said with confidence.

"I'm sure Harry is better prepared than you Ron," Ginny said as she observed the boy's approach.

"Prepared for what?" Harry asked in confusion.

"A ring for Luna, of course," Fred replied.

"Well, ah…I hadn't actually thought much about it," Harry answered honestly.

"Another clueless boy," Fred responded and shook his head sadly. But Ron now seemed to have a ray of hope, and spoke up confidently

"See, Harry isn't rushing into anything," Ron declared in triumph. As Harry listened, there was something about Ron's declaration that made him feel a bit uncomfortable, and he sat in silence thinking about the exchange.

"Don't worry mate, we have plenty of time," Ron said with assurance. But Ron's confidence only made Harry shake his head; he knew that his red-haired friend would procrastinate on a decision until he was forced to do something.

As for Harry; it was true that he hadn't given the matter much thought, but now he rather liked the idea. It would be nice to let everyone know that he and Luna belonged to each other, and it would be yet another step towards a future that they were both anticipating. But as he thought about it, he realized that he didn't know much about the subject. At sixteen-years-old an engagement ring seemed a bit premature, but a friendship ring sounded terribly trivial. Also, he wanted it to be something special that would match Luna's unique personality; a traditional ring didn't seem right. The more Harry thought about it the more he realized that he needed advise from someone older and wiser, and resolved to speak with Philus Lovegood as soon as they went home for the spring break. Some might find it odd that he wanted to speak to his girlfriend's Father about such a personal matter, but Harry had come to trust Philus completely, and he knew that the older man would understand.