Later in the week, Rosie met up with Harry to call Sirius. Harry had been chatting with Nearly Headless Nick before she found him. The ghost often seemed to be in Harry's company these days - especially since Harry had gone to the deathday party.

"I bid you adieu, Harry!" The ghost said, once he spotted Rosie. He left with an elegant bow.

"Talk to you later, Sir Nicholas!" Harry replied with a smile.

Once the ghost had departed, Rosie spoke. "He's seems to like you a lot."

Harry smiled. "Yeah, Sir Nicholas is great. I really got to know him well since his deathday party."

As for Rosie, she had been getting regular letters from Remus at this point, and wanted to share the news. And concerning the issue of Toby - well, there was no reason to bring that matter up. She wanted to deal with it on her own. There was no reason to worry Sirius or Harry. Plus, speaking to Sirius always made her feel better. Harry and Rosie found a quiet corner to sit, and Rosie pulled out the rectangular mirror. "Sirius," she called into it. His face appeared, almost immediately. He was looking rather disheveled.

"Padfoot, did you just wake up?" Rosie asked as she scanned his face. His eyelids were drooping and his hair was a mess.

"Errm - What time is it pups?"

"It's nearly 3 o'clock!" Harry exclaimed. "I swear, you're getting worse."

"Uuhh - It's too early for a lecture," Sirius groaned.

"You know, I think you're the one who is supposed to be lecturing us, and not the other way around," Rosie informed him.

"At this rate, he's going to be nocturnal soon," Harry said to Rosie. She grinned and nodded.

"Hey, don't talk about me like I'm not here," Sirius said.

"Knowing your mental faculties before you've had your coffee, I don't think you really are here, Padfoot," Rosie said, cheekily.

"Coffee…." Sirius muttered. He looked away from the mirror. "Kreacher! Get me a coffee! Now!"

"Coffee in bed?" Rosie asked.

"It's like he's given up on life," Harry said to her, in mock mournfulness.

"Did you just get dumped or something, Padfoot?" Harry asked his godfather.

"Aaah! What did I ever do, to deserve being saddled with such brats!" Sirius moaned, staring up at his ceiling before looking back down. "And by the way, I've never been dumped."

"Hmm." Rosie replied.

"If you say so," said Harry.

"Enough about me! How are you two pups?"

Rosie looked at Harry. "He's changing the topic. I think we've touched a sensitive spot." Harry nodded sagely.

"Pups!" Sirius exclaimed. "I'm right here. Look. I'm drinking my coffee. I'm awake now."

Harry and Rosie gave him twin grins. Sirius sipped his coffee and glared at them.

"How are classes?" Sirius asked.

"Good. Professor Snape has me working alone on my potions now," Rosie informed him.

"What?" Sirius exclaimed. "Is he punishing you?"

Rosie shook her head. "No! You have it all wrong. Rom - my lap partner - Professor Snape has him working on special projects because he's so far ahead."

"Snivellus is giving someone special projects?"

Rosie sighed and shook her head. "That isn't a very nice nickname, Sirius."

"Who says I'm trying to be nice?" Sirius grinned evilly.

"Snape's not so bad," Harry said. "Once you're doing well in his class, he just leaves you alone."

"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed. "I thought you were on my side." Sirius looked like he was pouting, and it was hard not to giggle at his expression.

"Let's - not talk about Professor Snape, okay? We'll just have to agree to disagree," Rosie said, placatingly.

"I don't recall ever making such an agreement," Sirius muttered. Harry rolled his eyes, and Rosie grinned. Sometimes it seemed like Sirius stopped growing up once he reached the age of fifteen.

"So -" Rosie looked at Harry and then Sirius. "I have some news."

"Oh?" Harry asked, while Sirius looked at her inquiringly.

"I've been writing to Remus," she announced.

"He's been writing you back?" Harry asked, startled. "He wrote me back once, and then I never heard from him again!"

"Remus?" Sirius was saying, and expression of surprise on his face. "Remus - Lupin?"

"What other Remus would I be talking about? And yes, he has been writing me back," Rosie said to Sirius and then Harry.

"What - What is he even saying to you? Remus - I can't believe it. What's Moony up to these days?" Sirius seemed to be in slight shock. He had long given up on ever hearing from his old friend again, despite his numerous attempts to reach out to him.

"Well, he did ask me if you ever settled down," Rosie said to Sirius.

"Ha! What did you tell him?

"Oh - I said that no one would have you," Rosie replied innocently before breaking out into a grin. Harry chuckled with amusement.

"Sounds about right," Harry said. "So -" He paused. "Did he ever tell you why he disappeared? Where did he go?"

Rosie furrowed her brow and bit her lower lip. After a moment, she explained to Sirius and Harry about how Remus had blamed himself for what had happened to their parents. Harry and Sirius listened, their expressions surprised and then thoughtful. When Rosie finished explaining, they were silent for a moment.

"I didn't realize he felt that way," Sirius said. "I should have guessed, of course. But - with everything that was happening -" Sirius frowned, as his memories turned to sadder times.

"I'll try writing him again," Harry said softly. Rosie nodded.

The spoke for a little while longer, Harry about Quidditch, and Sirius about some of his prank projects.

"Have you had a chance to use the tattoo prank yet?" Sirius was asking Harry. It was one of Sirius's projects that was still unreleased to the public. Sirius always like to give either Rosie or Harry his prototypes to try out.

"Contrary to what you think, I don't really go around pranking people all day," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. Sirius pouted.

"Spoil sport," he muttered.

"Which one was this again?" Rosie asked. Sirius had so many prototypes that it could be hard to keep track. Some were simply works in progress. Other projects just didn't seem to turn out 'right' and were set aside for another day. And some, well, Sirius was very particular about which ones he brought to market. ("I have standards, you know," he had once informed her, when she asked why so many of his projects just sat in his workshop rather than on the shelves of Zonko's Joke Shop).

Sirius broke into a wide grin. He loved discussing his projects. "It comes in the form of a clear potion. You discretely dab a spot the liquid on your target's skin - even just a drop will do. Then, when the perfect time arises (such as an important dinner party), you say your keyword, and an ever-expanding tattoo forms on your target's skin. I have three models so far: The kitten model, where a kitten chases an endless ball of yarn, until the target ends up looking like they've been wound up in yarn; The puppy model, where a puppy leaves muddy paw prints all over the target's body until they look like they're covered in mud; and, my favourite, the spider model, where a spider spins webs all over the target's body, and hatches little baby spiders. By the end, you look like a creepy crawly mass of black and brown."

"Eeww" Rosie's face was scrunched up in disgust at the idea of being covered in spiders, even if they were only tattoos, and not real spiders. "Well - the first two models sound - cute." She usually tried to say something positive about Sirius's projects. Though in truth, most of them were a lot of fun - as long as you weren't the victim (or as Sirius called them, "targets"). Rosie always thought 'victim' was a more apt descriptor.

"It is cute," Harry said with a grin. "Sirius tested the tattoo on me. But that was in the early stages, so it only lasted an hour. The yarn and the paw prints look really real too! It isn't cartoon-y at all. But - the yarn was also pink and purple. It would definitely be embarrassing for a bloke."

"So how long does it last now?" Rosie asked.

"About twenty-four hours," Sirius replied proudly. "So why haven't you used it, Harry? I made the spider version especially for you, so you could use it on that Weasley boy that you kept complaining about last year."

"When I told you that Ron had a fear of spiders, I meant a mortal terror. Not a minor bit of uneasiness. I might not be friends with the git, but I don't want to traumatize him either," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "And besides, Ron isn't that bad. It's Seamus that's worse."

Sirius shook his head and sighed. "So prank Seamus! You're too nice, pup."

"Well, considering that you're hardly a model of shining virtue, Padfoot, I think Harry turned out pretty well," Rosie told Sirius.

"I'll have you know, I'm quite proud of my wickedness," Sirius replied to Rosie. "Oh! Pup! Are you still researching animagi?"

"Not so much these days. I've read every book I could find on it. I am thinking of starting the process over the summer," Rosie admitted.

"That's my girl!" Sirius said with a pleased grin. "But anyway, when you mentioned animagi, it gave me an idea for a new project."

"Oh?"

"It'll be a new candy," Sirius explained enthusiastically. "When the candy gets eaten, the target will end up with the ears and tail of their animagus form - or if they're not interested in learning their animagus form, it'll show their patronus." Rosie's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"That's actually an amazing idea! Oh! I wish I knew what my patronus and animagus form would be."

"That is a really good idea, Padfoot," Harry said with a grin that mirrored Rosie's. "Send me some when you've finished the project!"

"Don't I always?" Sirius replied. "It's in the early stages yet. But I expect it'll be a best seller."

"Modest as ever," Rosie added with a slight smirk. Yet, she couldn't help but be proud of Sirius. He truly had a talent for creative and interesting pranks.

Rosie met up with Madam Pomfrey every Tuesday and Friday evening to observe the matron as she worked. If there were no students, Madam Pomfrey explained the theory behind healing, or showed Rosie the wand work and explained the incantation of various spells. It wasn't a true apprenticeship - it was more more accurate to say it was a pre-apprenticeship. Nonetheless, Rosie welcomed the opportunity. This particular Friday, Madam Pomfrey was telling Rosie about basic diagnosis spells. Basic diagnostic spells were the type that only told you about the patient's current conditions. There were many other types of diagnostic spells such as those that could tell you a patient's medical history, or certain detailed diagnostic spells that focused on certain maladies.

"Casting a basic diagnosis spell is relatively easy. The incantation is egritudo, and the wand movement is like this." Madam Pomfrey moved her wand in a smooth, wavy pattern. They were seated side by side in the matron's office in the medical wing, next to the cupboard that contained the store of healing potions. Aside from the two petrified students, the Hospital wing was currently empty. Rosie had her books in front of her, as well as parchment and her quill in her hands, for note-taking.

"In fact, for the next student that comes in, I'll have you cast the diagnosis spell on them, just to see how it feels. The good thing about diagnosis spells is that if you do it wrong, it will have no effect on either you or the patient. The true challenge in diagnosis spells is understanding what they mean. It can take extensive training to make sense of what the diagnosis charm conveys. Most healers spend years on this aspect of their training. Occasionally, I still have trouble making sense of what the magic in a diagnosis spell is trying to tell me - particularly in the case of rare ailments and diseases. You're lucky to be getting an early start." Madam Pomfrey smiled indulgently.

Rosie nodded, absorbing all of Madam Pomfrey's words. "I read a little about it in that new book you gave me. It mentioned that most beginners start by using basic diagnosis spells to discern different genders. Can you explain how the diagnosis spell communicates?"

"Diagnosis spells create a mental image in your head composed of colours and shapes," Madam Pomfrey explained. "This is combined with sensations in your own body. This makes localized injuries easier to find. Especially if the patient is unconscious." Rosie nodded, as her quill flew across her parchment, taking notes.

"On top of that, the diagnosis spell conveys the patient's status with a number of colours, which mean different things. Red, for example, indicates pain. Green can indicate a viral infection. Bright green indicates a magical infection, whereas a dull green indicates a muggle infection. The intensity of the green indicates the extent of the infection. Intensity is sometimes easier felt than seen. Different shades of green can enable you to pinpoint the family of the virus, but this is a skill that takes years of training to learn." Rosie was wide-eyed as the matron lectured. It was remarkable, how complex the art of diagnosing was.

"Blue indicates bacterial infections. As with viral infections, bright blue suggests magical infections, and intense blues tell you the extent. Poisoning is usually indicated by brown. Pay special attention to the sensations in your body as well - for example, if a student has been bitten by a poisonous spider, you will feel on your own body, where that bite is. This can tell you whether a poison has been ingested, or whether it has entered the patient's body through other means. Infections of the blood tend to make your entire body feel a tingly heat. Likewise, if any infection is located in an organ, you will feel a tingly heat in your own body, where that organ is located, even if the patient cannot feel it themselves. Many liver infections are painless to the patient, but you will feel a tingling in the location of your liver." Madam Pomfrey paused for a moment, looking over Rosie's notes to make sure she was able to keep up.

"Mental illnesses can be a little more challenging to understand," the matron continued, once she was satisfied with Rosie's notes. "They usually occur in shades of silver or grey. They can feel different as well - almost like a fogginess in your own mind. They can be differentiated from headaches, which have a more jagged sensation, and of course, headaches are also red, to indicate the pain. As for the shapes you will see in your mind - well, that component of diagnostics is quite advanced. The shapes tend to communicate the specifics of how the disease interacts with the particular witch or wizard. Ah - but I should be telling you about differentiating genders. That way, when you try the diagnosis charm on the first patient, you will know what to expect." Rosie felt a flush of excitement. While she did not want to see any students getting hurt, she was eager to try the spell for herself.

"Discerning between genders is something that is felt, and not seen," Madam Pomfrey explained. "You will feel it in the genital region." Rosie's cheeks flushed, but if Madam Pomfrey was aware, she paid no heed. The matron was used to the squeamish, easily embarrassed nature of school children. To her, patients were patients, and Madam Pomfrey tended to take a no nonsense approach.

"For females, the sensation is more internal. It will not be tingly - any tingly feeling is indicative of a problem. You will simply feel something there. It is difficult to describe, but you'll soon understand. For males, the sensation will be more external. It may seem strange, at first, but you'll quickly become used to it. If the student is healthy, you will feel nothing from the diagnosis spell except their gender. If the problem is minor, and it usually is, you will feel something very faint, like a light tingling. In the case of physical fatigue that is not quite painful, you will perceive a very faint sense of redness." Rosie nodded. Her embarrassment was fading slightly, in the face of Madam Pomfrey's calmness. She thought that casting her first diagnosis spell would probably feel weird, but she was looking forward to it.

Madam Pomfrey explained a little more about the different colours of diagnosis spells, when they were interrupted by a student entering the infirmary.

"Madam Pomfrey?" The student called out. It was one of the older Hufflepuffs - someone she didn't recognize.

"Right here, dear," the matron said. She stood up from the desk, and exited the office, greeting the student. "Headache again, Miss Pocklington?" The Hufflepuff girl nodded, a hand resting on her brow while her expression looked pained.

"Come this way," Madam Pomfrey said to Miss Pocklington, leading the girl towards one of the beds. "I'm training a new possible apprentice Miss Pocklington. This is Miss Potter," Madam Pomfrey gestured to Rosie, who was following the matron. Miss Pocklington sat down on the bed, and looked from Madam Pomfrey to Rosie.

"Hello," said Rosie politely.

"Hi," Miss Pocklington replied, and then winced.

"Miss Potter is learning about diagnostic spells. She'll be casting a diagnosis spell on you. It won't hurt a bit. Meanwhile, I'll go get you your potion." Madam Pomfrey wandered off to the potions cupboard, leaving Rosie with the Hufflepuff girl.

"I'll be casting it now. Don't worry, you won't feel anything," Rosie told the girl, feeling like she had to say something, before waving her wand at her. The Hufflepuff girl nodded slightly, but the movement seemed to pain her.

"Egritudo," she called out, as she waved her wand in a smooth undulating motion. She felt the diagnosis charm work almost immediately. In her temple, she 'saw' and felt a tingly redness that had a jagged quality. In her lower pelvis, she felt an odd sensation - it reminded her of her emotional link with Harry - it was like an image superimposed upon another image. Not painful, or tingly, but something that was just 'there.' Curiously, she could also sense the girl's emotions, in the same place that she felt Harry's emotions. In the back of her head and neck, she felt the girl's stress and anxiety - it seemed her headache was likely caused from those feelings. Perhaps the workload she was under was too heavy? Rosie couldn't really guess. The rest of her felt 'blank' which suggested that the Hufflepuff was otherwise healthy.

Madam Pomfrey soon returned with the girl's headache potion.

"Here you go, dear. Drink up now!" The Hufflepuff took the potion gratefully and drank the bitter brew in a single gulp. Still feeling the residual effects of the diagnostics spell, Rosie felt the redness fading away. She couldn't help but smile, and Miss Pocklington smiled in return.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," she said to the matron. Rosie looked over at the girl. She could still feel the edge of stress in the back of her head, but when the pain had faded, the stress lessened.

"Nice to meet you Miss Potter," the girl said. "Good luck with your apprenticeship."

"Nice to meet you too," Rosie replied with a happy smile. "Thank you for letting me try the diagnosis spell on you. You're perfectly healthy! Just, a little stressed." Miss Pocklington smiled wanly.

When Miss Pocklington left the Hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey smiled proudly at Rosie.

"Well done, Miss Potter! It worked on your first try?"

Rosie nodded happily. "It was just like you said! I could feel that she was a girl. And I could see and feel the redness in her temple. It started to fade away when she drank the potion. I could also feel that she was stressed."

Madam Pomfrey looked at Rosie oddly. "Feel that she was stressed? How so?"

"Well, I felt it in the back of my head and neck. It just felt like she was stressed out. Perhaps from school work?" Rosie looked up at Madam Pomfrey questioningly. Madam Pomfrey had a slight frown on her face, though it wasn't an expression of disapproval. More of an expression of curiosity.

"The diagnostic charm shouldn't tell you what students are feeling emotionally, unless those emotions cross over into more extreme states such as depression or mania, which would then manifest as greys or silvers," Madam Pomfrey explained. "Perhaps you were just feeling your own stress? From trying the charm for the first time?"

Rosie bit her lower lip, but didn't contradict the matron. Whatever it was she felt, it was very similar to the link she felt with Harry. Perhaps it was as the matron said, or perhaps it was some odd fluke. She wouldn't be able to know for sure until she tried the diagnosis charm on another student.

It was late November, and Rosie was in the Great Hall for dinner. As usual, she was sitting next to Romulus and Luna. Other students were still making their way into the Hall and finding their seats, and the Hall was a low hum of conversation and laughter as the students wound down for the evening.

Most of the teachers were already at the Head Table. She could see Professor Lockhart animatedly talking to Professor Snape, and while it was amusing to see Snape's pained expression, she also felt a stab of sympathy. It was amazing that the Professor even came to the Great Hall at all - if she were Snape, she would have just taken meals in her room a long, long time ago.

She could see Professor Flitwick having a discussion with Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. She and the other first years wouldn't have that class until third year, however. Whatever they were saying seemed to amusing Professor Flitwick because his chortling caused him to nearly fall out of his chair. Rosie grinned - Professor Flitwick was definitely one of her favourite teachers. He was like a walking bundle of good humour.

Toby and the rest of the Triad weren't yet at the Ravenclaw table, though Marietta and Sarah were seated. The girls were currently ignoring her, but then again, they were more likely to attack her from the shadows than out in the open. She hated the way she now wasted effort looking out for Toby. She hated the way she was more aware of him than ever. It made her feel weak - like the other Ravenclaws that couldn't keep their eyes off of him, even if her reasons were different.

"Have you started experimenting with any charms yet? You mentioned last time that you thought you were ready to attempt something soon." Rosie said to Luna, to distract herself from worrying about Toby. This was a discussion the pair of them had been having for a while. Both of them already knew the first year material, and it was more fun to speculate on trying something new. However, most of their discussion had thus far been limited to theory. Moreover, Rosie tried to be sensitive, knowing that Luna's mother had died in a magical experiment.

"A little with the Lumos charm," Luna said in her dreamy voice. Rosie nodded. It seemed like one of the first year charms with greater potential for experimenting with. She herself had tried changing the colour of the light, but when the tip of her wand began to smoke, she quickly stopped. She certainly had no inclination to set her wand on fire. Though in theory, Rosie was able to grasp some of the concept of experimental charms, in practice, she had never yet succeeded.

"I was trying to change the shape of the light. It was becoming a bit oblong, but then the wrackspurts started distracting me and I had to stop," Luna continued.

"You got it to work?" Rosie asked in admiration. Luna nodded, smiling dreamily. As for Edine and Sakiko, they smirked condescendingly, rolling their eyes when they heard Luna's references to wrackspurts. Though the attacks on Luna had largely stopped, Edine and Sakiko still caused Luna mischief in small ways.

"I was reading a book on different ways to channel magic," Rosie started to explain. "That is, alternatives to using visualizations, such as channeling other imagined senses, such as one's sense of touch or hearing. For example, if you wanted to cast incendio then rather than visualizing a flame, you would try instead to hear it - the crackling of sparks, for example, or to imagine it's heat. It was largely theoretical of course - and many spells are largely visual. Still, it's such a-"

Rosie was so engaged in the discussion, that she did not pay heed to Romulus nudging his elbow into her side. However, when she felt a hand ruffling her hair, she froze, as stiff as a pillar of ice.

"Hello little one," said Toby in his honey warm voice. He had just entered the Great Hall, flanked by his two friends. Rosie could hear Edine and Sakiko sigh enviously. Couldn't those two at least try for subtlety? They were complete idiots for thinking that Toby's attention was even remotely enjoyable.

Rosie turned in her seat and looked up at Toby. As usual, his smile was charming and warm but it was a warmth that veiled a dark irony. Since the day she had confronted him, he had been doing something like this, almost every time they crossed paths. It was as though he wanted to constantly remind her that he was in control, and that she was just a little mouse that only lived so long as she entertained him. What made it more difficult was that his actions were a textbook example of friendliness, so that if she reacted in anger, it made her look irrational and insane. Often he would just ruffle her hair. Sometimes, he'd give her a light, and playful flick on the forehead. Other times, instead of sitting in his usual chair in the common room, he'd come over to her chair, and prop himself against the armrest, wearing that ever-mocking smile, while examining whatever she was reading.

Sometimes he was alone, and other times, he was flanked by Samir and Christopher, who usually gave her unreadable expressions. A few times, Samir even looked at her with something like pity. It only made her feel all that much worse. She felt as though she should have gotten used to it by now, and while she was able to act calm, she never felt calm. Thank goodness Toby couldn't enter her dorm room, or she'd never have a moment's peace.

Up the table, Marietta and Sarah were giving her their usual crucio-eyes. It was surprising that the air didn't crackle due to their passionate hate. Unlike the incident with Luna, many of the Ravenclaws were fairly divided when it came to Rosie. Toby's behaviour confused them. Some of the Ravenclaws she had never spoken to before were suddenly very friendly to her. Others, like Marietta and Sarah looked at her like they were plotting a hundred ways to fillet her alive. The reaction of the other Ravenclaws was a little stressful - the hexes that got thrown at her were certainly much, much more dangerous than simple tripping jinxes, and without Romulus's insistence on learning self-defense, she certainly would have ended up in the hospital wing multiple times over. Not that Rosie was particularly good at self-defensive spells - but she had quickened her reflexes, and she was good at dodging. Being raised with Sirius also helped in that regard.

As it was, only one incident was bad enough that it warranted a visit to the infirmary. Once there, Rosie had asked Madam Pomfrey if she could do the diagnosis charm on herself. The matron just rolled her eyes, and told her she needed to stay out of trouble and get some bed rest. Even with the increased viciousness of attacks, Rose suddenly had more Ravenclaws looking out for her as well. Such was the life of being Toby's newest toy. At best, all she could manage was to pretend the situation was normal, and pretend it didn't bother her at all.

Rosie's eyes were cool as she looked up at Toby. It took all her efforts (and constant reminders of blank and empty, blank and empty to maintain that coolness). She didn't want him to know how much his actions bothered her. She wanted to act like she didn't care about him at all. She wanted him to believe that she wasn't afraid of the cat-like predator that lay within him..

"Hello, Woodbridge," she said, her tone polite, pasting a fake smile on her face. "Are you having a good evening?"

"Such a polite little Eaglet!" he exclaimed with a grin. "And yes, seeing you always brightens my day."

Rosie's eyes narrowed at him, and then she suddenly mentally kicked herself for showing him any sort of reaction at all. Toby just laughed, pleased to have riled her up, even if it was just the slightest bit.

"I'll see you later, little one," he said with a playful, mocking grin, before gliding off to sit with the other fourth years. His movements were disturbingly graceful. Rosie refused to watch him walk off, so she turned back to her plate. Next to her, Romulus was watching Toby coldly, as though guarding against another sneak attack. Luna, for whatever reason, seemed to be busy organizing the utensils into a runic shape that Rosie didn't recognize.

They were distracted by the appearance of food on the table. It was the usual delicious Hogwarts fare. Rosie grabbed some rosemary roasted chicken, some broccoli and a pretty bread roll, tied in an intricate looking knot. Food usually settled her mood - unlike Harry, who stopped eating when he was anxious, she found food comforting. As she began to eat, she considered her situation with Toby. She knew that he made her uneasy, and that on some level, she was a bit scared of him. On the other hand, to even have that fear was like letting him win. She frowned into her plate. There was no way she'd let a stupid fourth year get the best of her, even if people did think he was a genius. She had lived with a prankster Marauder for ten years! She could handle stupid Toby and his stupid fake-friendly act. And even if she couldn't, she wouldn't go down without a fight. She knew she had to stop being so passive about his actions. If this was a war of 'friendliness,' well, she could be as friendly as the best of them.

She was just starting to feel relaxed (especially since the bread roll was so utterly delectable - fresh baked and steaming) when she heard a scream from one of the other tables. Like the rest of the Great Hall, all eyes turned towards the Gryffindor table, where one of the older girls had stood up, and was frantically rubbing at her hands, as though there was something dirty she was trying to remove from her person.

Suddenly, there were other cries from other Gryffindors, and then more from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. Students were standing up, and the clattering of utensils could be heard between the screams.

"What's going on?" Rosie asked, but she wasn't alone in the question. Everyone was looking around, confused and panicked, wondering if they should be fleeing, when she suddenly heard a cry from across the table - it was Anthony Goldstein, one of the second years. The eyes around the Ravenclaw boy turned towards him.

"Get it off me! He was exclaiming. Bloody hell, get it off!" He was rubbing at his arm, his hand covering whatever dark thing was there, when suddenly, what looked like a snake was crawling up the side of his face, and biting. Blood oozed out of the wound, leaving twin crimson trails sliding down his cheek, before the snake pulled out it's fangs and moved on. The girls around him were screaming - in fact, shrill screams were echoing all throughout the entire Great Hall. The students around Anthony had quickly recoiled, not daring to be near him, lest whatever was attacking him attacked them as well.

The snake looked horribly real - why wasn't Anthony reacting to the pain of the bites? But as the Snake wriggled across his face, Rosie realized it wasn't an actual snake - it was a tattooed image of a snake. A horrible, cold chill ran down Rosie's spine. The snake kept 'biting' Anthony in different locations, leaving tattooed blood trails everywhere it when. The sight was horrifying and ghastly. Many of the students had already gotten up and were fleeing the Hall in terror. The teachers were yelling something, but Rosie couldn't hear their words.

She turned to look back at the Gryffindor Table. Where was Harry? This was bad - this was very bad. These tattoos sounded just like the project Sirius had described to Rosie and Harry over their call. However, Sirius had made no mention of a snake tattoo.

Her eyes found Harry at the table. He looked like he was completely in shock. His eyes were wide, frightened, confused. She could even feel his confusion and feel his fear, echoing her own. Whatever was going on, he appeared to know nothing about it, but he did not seem to be a target of the attack. She could see Hermione next to him, covered in snakes and blood trails. Unlike many of the other Gryffindors, she was calm, as though aware that whatever was on her skin was just an image, just an illusion. Her expression was almost curious and scientific, as she observed the moving patterns on her skin. There were accusing eyes aimed at the Weasley twins, but that pair was also covered in writhing snakes, and looking as bewildered and scared as anyone else.

In fact, only the Slytherins acted calm. Rosie turned and looked over at the Slytherin table. The blondes Draco Malfoy and Astrid Rowle looked positively gleeful. However, Luthais, Mathilda and some of the other first year Slytherins were wide-eyed and pale. Even some of the older Slytherins looked bewildered and worried. As she eyed the table, she saw that even one of the Slytherins had been afflicted with the tattoo. The older Slytherin, whom she didn't recognize, hand his head bowed downwards as though in shame. None of the other Slytherins did anything to comfort the sole victim of the tattoo attack.

Suddenly, she could hear the headmaster, calling for order. He was using the sonorus charm so that he could be heard over the still panicking crowd of students.

"ORDER!" Professor Dumbledore's voice boomed. "Students! Gather 'round your tables! Your prefects will take you to your rooms! This is just a prank! The images on your skin will NOT hurt you! This problem will be dealt with IMMEDIATELY, and the culprits PUNISHED!"

Rosie was standing up with the rest of the other Ravenclaws. The pair of prefects looked pale - in fact, Penny herself was covered in tattoo blood trails and writing snakes. Penny's eyes were wide, and she could barely stop herself from trembling, but she forced herself to maintain control so that her charges wouldn't be frightened. Many of the Ravenclaws could barely bring themselves to look at her. She looked like a bloody mess. Robert Hilliard, the other prefect, took control of the situation, gathering the student around him, and keeping his voice level and calm.

Rosie turned to look at Romulus. Instead of fear, his expression was oddly speculative. Did he know something? If he did, this was certainly not the place to speak of it. Luna, as ever, was placid and calm. Her expression was more curious and interested, but she did not speak.

The Ravenclaws silently followed Robert and Penny back to the Ravenclaw Nest. Of the few Ravenclaws that had been victims of the malicious prank, several of them were crying. Rosie felt that there was some sort of pattern that she hadn't yet picked up on. As she followed the other Ravenclaws, she thought about the Slytherins and then about the students who had been attacked. Suddenly it clicked. A large number of the students afflicted were muggleborns. Some were half-bloods. And the rest? The Weasleys? Ah - they were seen as blood traitors. This realization was not at all a welcome revelation. If anything, Rosie found herself feeling sick. The "prank," if one could use so mild a word was horribly, horribly malicious. And with the fears surrounding the Heir and the Chamber of Secrets - Rosie shook her head. There was no way that this could turn out well. No way at all. She did know one thing. She had to speak to Harry, and she had to speak to Luthais and Mathilda. Her gaze turned to Romulus. First, she had to find out what he knew.

When the Ravenclaws arrived at the common room, Rosie grabbed Romulus by the arm and pulled him aside, towards the chairs where they usually sat. Though Romulus had initially resisted this gross indignity upon his person, when Rosie turned and glared at him, he allowed himself to be pulled along.

"What do you know about this?" She hissed, trying to keep her voice low, but unable to hide her tension. To his credit, Romulus didn't even bother to pretend ignorance as to what she was talking about.

"I smelled it," he replied, and then silently cursed himself. Smelled it? Was he trying to ruin his own secret of lycanthropy?

"What do you mean?" Rosie asked, her eyes narrowed. "How long have you smelled it for?"

"Hm. Maybe two weeks? A bit less," Romulus responded. He was waiting for the inevitable confrontation about his sharp sense of smell - waiting for her to bring up the question of full moons and wolf-like instincts.

Instead, Rosie asked: "Do you know who did it?" Her expression was conflicted, as though she wanted to know, but did not want to know at the same time.

"I'm not precisely sure. I first noticed it with the Slytherins."

Rosie exhaled, and looked away from him, outside the window. "Why didn't you mention it?" She asked. Then shook her head. "Nevermind, I can guess." Rosie sighed heavily.

"Is there anything else you know?" she asked Romulus in a tired voice.

He shook his head. But then, in the last moment, decided to add one tidbit. "I know that the second year blond boy is one of culprits."

Rosie's hazel-green gaze returned to his face. She nodded and looked thoughtful. There was no question about it. She definitely had to speak to the Slytherins. But Harry first. Whether Harry knew something or knew nothing, the likeness of the prank to Sirius's project was not something that could be ignored.

Rosie's thoughts were interrupted when Professor Flitwick entered the common room, and offered the Ravenclaws words of reassurance - not that reassurance was needed. The Ravenclaws were mostly calm and thoughtful. One could almost see the hypotheses running through the student's heads.

"Please, if any of you know anything, do tell me immediately," Professor Flitwick said. "Your identity will of course remain confidential. We don't want to see another occurrence like this again. My office is open to any students who are distressed and in need of someone to talk to."

When he left, the Ravenclaw common room was once again abuzz with speculation. All in all, they thought it was shaping up to be an interesting year, though Rosie found herself wishing for the peace and quiet of what she imagined a normal student's life was like. With everything that was happening, it was all too much.


A/N: Thank you for the reviews!