CHAPTER TEN: MORE OF THE PAST

Lyra rocketed down to the ground, knowing flying away would rid her of all her chances of staying in the school. Rather than repremand her, Madame Hooch looked at her, shocked and smiling.

"I haven't seen a flyer this good since…"

"Let me guess, Potter," she said foolishly. She had a feeling Pan would've clawed her HARD if he were there.

"Yes actually. How remarkable. You should've tried out for Qudditch!"

Lyra gazed up at her with utter shock and gratitude. They spent the rest of class dragging down hopeful imitators from the air. She would've been happy if she hadn't been so annoyed with Potter. He was the Boy Who Lived, Everyone's Favorite Student, and now he was the greatest Quidditch player ever. When was it going to end? It was a wonder everyone considered him insane since he had been "so perfect" in every way. It made her like Snape even more despite his constant point subtractions for no particular reason.

It seemed suspicious when she thought about it more. What could he have possibly done to ruin such a great reputation. She had a feeling it had something to do with that Lord Voldemort bloke.

Why did everyone gasp at his name? Did she do the same thing Potter did? Her head was filled with questions whose answers no one would ever reveal to her. It seemed she would have to ask the only person who could possibly know: Potter himself.

Pan decided to go back to the basin in Dumbledore's office. It clearly had powers beyond the ones in this school, and he wanted to find out what they were. It might've been their only chance of seeing Will and Kirjava again. His heart pounded at the thought. He scrambled up the basin and leapt in…

Every now and then Harry couldn't help but think of the prophecy. He always felt a twinge of fear knowing only one could survive. Then again hadn't he assumed that all this time? He'd never really thought about death that much. It scared him, as it would anyone. It was hard to believe that in one moment everything would just vanish. He wondered what would happen after that. He shouldn't have been afraid to die, or so he thought, you're supposed to be brave.

"I must not tell lies" he wrote again on the parchment. It was the first day of his second week of detentions. Quidditch trials would be soon, and of course he would have to miss them. His hand was getting used to the pain, and the sharp sting became a dull, ever present ache. This was going to be a long week.

A world of foggy liquid surrounded pan as he drifted down, down into the lobby of a hotel, where a bride and groom stood at the desk. He soon recognized the bride as the woman who sold the necklace in the other world. This must've been the same one, he was glad to see her so happy. The young couple could barely take the key through their passionate kissing, they quickly ran up to the room and locked the door. He decided to leave the couple alone and go back to the fog, to find a different world than this one. Soon he was swimming again in the milky blue basin.

He came down with a crash in a large ballroom where a cold looking, but handsome boy, looking similar to the man in the hotel, sat at a table, looking bored. He reminded Pan of a younger Lord Asriel. He had no more time to contemplate it when a gasp came among a few boys in the distance.

In stepped a glamorous young girl with long, silky black hair and a red dress that flowed behind her, showing off a substantial amount of leg. The boy stood up, his face only showing a slight sense of surprise. That was funny, the woman looked just like a younger…

"Marisa Coulter," said one boy to another, staring at her.

The girl walked over to the table, looking very dignified and mysterious. Pan watched in other silence as a young Mrs. Coulter stood before the boy.

"Are you with anyone?"

The boy shook his head blankly. She dragged him up by the hands.

"Now you are."

The music played while they danced a sharp, seductive tango far superior than the gentle swaying of the other students.

"Where are you from?" The boy said, "I haven't seen you around school."

"I'm in Beuxbatons, at least for this year. I didn't get to go to the last tournament."

"I find the whole tournament thing a bore. I never really got the purpose of it all."

They turned sharply, promenading down the floor and, looking like they barely noticed.

"Where did you learn to dance like that?" he asked

Mrs. Coulter said "You learn a lot in France, and you?"

"Sometimes the orphanage ladies got bored and tried to teach us things. The only thing they were successful with was dancing."

They turned again.

"Do you realize how many people are staring at us?" he asked with little care.

"It happens" she said simply, in a slightly higher pitched- yet eerily reminiscent voice.

They carried on like this long into the night, and eventually began kissing passionately in the corner of the Slytherin common room.

Finally they both went their separate ways and Pan drifted back into the fog. The basin was definitely more than it seemed. Pan rushed off to get to Lyra.