Okay, here we have a new one! I have been on a good roll, these days, and the chapters have a been a bit easier to complete. So, here is the next part. This does advance the arc's overall story a bit, even if it focuses on the school plotlines, there. But I hope you will like it.

I'd like to thank Billdog718 for the proofreading. His wife was the one who proofread the previous one, so thanks to her, as well.

The End of a Reign

"What do you mean, you don't know how?" asked Ian, astounded. "How difficult is it to find out that kind of stuff?"

The subject of his outrage was a tall sixth year from Hufflepuff, who was looking a bit sheepish.

"Well, you're the one everyone goes to, to hear..." he began.

"To hear gossip and rumours," Ian finished in his place. "Right. But, you have to realise that I only pass them around. I don't find out everything that goes on in the whole Castle, Reginald. And, last I checked, I had no way to sneak inside the Hufflepuff common room and find out if Annie Knittel is dating a dorm-mate. Also, not to point out the obvious, but why would you care if she is dating a girl?"

"Well, I kind of..." stuttered Reginald, but Ian got the meaning loud and clear. The guy was having a crush.

"And has it occurred to you that if she is indeed dating a girl, then it will probably rule you out, given your... a boy?" Kieran pointed out, helpfully.

Reginald looked a bit sobered by the idea. He looked uncomfortable and at a loss.

"Reginald," said Ian, patiently. "At this point, you don't need a spy. You need to get there, and if you are truly interested in the girl, then ask her if she is dating anyone. That should be simple enough. If she is, girl or boy, it won't matter, because she will not be available, right? And if she isn't, then you will have shown your interest."

Reginald looked gobsmacked for a moment, and then he nodded, before to walk away, lost in his thoughts. Shaking his head, Ian had a sigh. He and Kieran resumed walking toward the Transfiguration classroom.

"Why do people come to me about this?" asked Ian.

"You brought this on yourself, Ian," said Kieran. "You began spying and spreading your gossip."

"About Quidditch! About the House Cup and stuff like that," said Ian. "I never asked to become everyone's agony aunt."

"Agony what?" asked Kieran.

"Muggle term," said Ian. "It means everyone comes to me with their problems and ask for advice. What the hex do I know about dating? I don't even have a girlfriend. I mean, you'd think they'd be looking for someone with at least a track record, right?"

Kieran had a smile, that Ian found odd. Before he could ask, however, he noticed a commotion in the distance. Puzzled, he shifted his direction. Kieran had seen it, too, and she followed him. When they reached the gathering of students, Ian managed to worm his way through the crowd, until he was what was going on. The room where the Quill was hidden was apparently being fully emptied. Right before his eyes, Gillian, Alwena and Raphaella were carrying the benches and basically any furniture that was in the room outside, levitating them with their wands. When they were done, the room was bare, but there was still no sign of the Quill.

"Hey, Wena, what's going on?" Ian asked out loud.

"We need to get the clutter out, to get a clean sweep," she said.

"I'm sorry, what?" asked Ian, puzzled.

"No time to explain, Malcolm," said Gillian, with a smile. "We have limited time for our attempt. Okay, people, sorry, but we need to clear the room and shut the doors, for this."

There was a groan and a few people stepped out of the room. Then, with a smile and a little bow, Alwena close the double doors, on the three of them. Ian wondered what was going on and how they were going to proceed. He went to put his ear on the door. Amused, he noticed that no one moved to do the same. It was as if everyone acted as if he was the only one allowed to spy. Or perhaps, they knew he would share what he heard, and didn't want to bother with the actual listening.

Suddenly, he heard a curious sound beyond the door. It was like... a bell ringing? It was warped and distorted, but it did sound like that. The sound echoed again, louder this time. What was going on, in there?

"A little more to the right," came Raphaella's voice.

The sound echoed again, a little fainter, now. It was repeated three times, before silence fell again. Ian, still puzzled, moved away from the door.

"What was that?" asked Kieran.

"Beats me," said Ian. "Some kind of spell..."

And then, the doors opened. Everyone turned to see Alwena, Gillian hot on her heels, step out of the room. And, following them, was Raphaella, and she was holding the Quill! The moment of shock lasted for a bit, until everyone began to cheer and applaud, Ian at the first row.

"How the hell did you do that?" he asked, over the crowd's cheering.

"We would very much like to know that," said a voice behind the students, who parted quickly to let Dumbledore, Professor Weasley and Professor Flitwick, pass through.

The headmaster looked at the three students who had succeeded in finding the quill, and had apparently undertaken the redecoration of the whole room.

"Ah, our mixed team," he commented. "Excellent. Miss Crawley, Miss Silverleaf, it appears your choice of partner to replace Miss McDougall was wise indeed. Congratulations, Novice Di Angelo."

"Now, how about you explain how you solved this year's puzzle?" Flitwick asked Raphaella, who smiled and nodded.

"It was an idea that Gillian got from a friend, when he mentioned that the muggles use something called a... radar?" she said.

"Oh!" said Professor Weasley, showing understanding. "Clever."

"Hermione?" asked Flitwick.

"It's a device that is used to detect flying objects at great distance, by sending waves in the air," said Professor Weasley. "When said wave hits the object, a plane, or anything big enough, it sends back a signal, and we can pinpoint the position. I assume you did the same in the room."

"Well, we knew it was in the room," said Gillian. "So we got rid of the furniture and anything that wasn't the Quill. Then we sent a magic pulse that would echo against anything solid in the room, even if it was invisible. Raphaella was casting the spell with her staff, because the effect is actually derived of the nature of staff magic. It allowed our spell to reach the entire room. Wena and I were following her direction, until we found the quill."

"Very clever indeed," said Dumbledore. "Well, as usual, this calls for a celebration. Again our congratulations to your team. This will be once more thirty points to Gryffindor and sixty points to Ravenclaw. Well done, all of you."

There was more cheering at that, and the three were dragged by their respective housemates, while others began to run to spread the news. Ian was glad to see Gillian's team keep the Quill. Now that was a streak he didn't mind going on, unlike the endless source of boasting for a Slytherin prefect he knew.

But, at the same time, he was left thoughtful. Kieran picked it up very quickly.

"Ian? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," said Ian. "I'm just thinking. This radar thing... That's actually a very interesting idea."

He didn't want to say more, for the moment. He could probably use Kieran's help, if he was going to go through with his idea, but first, he would need to speak to Alexander. There was maybe a way of making the claiming of the Silver Quill a way to help the entire school. He was pretty sure that the girls wouldn't mind.

It's not that she minded being woken from her sleep that much, given the circumstances, but Kalindra could really do without the broken sleeping hours. But when Julie woke with an agonized gasp from what had appeared to be a very upsetting dream, she couldn't find it in her heart to complain. Julie had tears in her eyes, and she was trembling all over. Kalindra rushed to her side.

"Goldilocks? Are you alright?" she asked, urgently.

Julie could barely speak and just shook her head. Kalindra did her best to comfort her, as the sobs receded. When she felt Julie was breathing normally again, she decided not to let it fester.

"What was it about? Did you see someone in danger?" she asked. "Was it Kenneth?" she asked, much lower, so that Mandy, who had been awakened, too, didn't catch it.

Julie shook her head again.

"It was awful," she said. "I saw... I saw a boy... He... he was being whipped! And it kept happening. Over and over again! So much pain... Kallie, he was in such pain!"

"Merlin," whispered Kalindra, completely understanding how it could be traumatic.

"Did you see who it was?" asked Mandy, gently, as she joined them on the bed. "I mean, do you know who was mistreating him?"

"I didn't see... I didn't see any faces," said Julie, darkly. "I... I don't even know if it's in the past or the future! I feel so bloody useless!"

"Don't say that," said Kalindra. "It will make sense. I'm sure you're getting all these visions for a reason. It can't be random."

"I know," said Julie. "I just suck at making sense of them. And while I struggle, the threats keep on piling up..."

"Julie, don't," said Mandy. "No one expects you to be able to change everything just because you get visions. You're not the first seer that ever was and you don't see people clamouring for seers to be put to public service. If your visions help, great, but don't put that pressure on yourself."

Julie weakly nodded, and soon Kalindra was gently pushing her back into her pillow.

"Try and get more sleep, Julie," she said. "It will be better in the morning. You'll go to Wroxton and you'll make sense of it. Don't worry. It will be fine."

"It should be fine," said Alexander, confidently.

"You realise that you saying that never reassured me, right?" asked Harry, with a wry grin.

"Oh, relax, Potter," smiled Alexander. "You sound like an old man."

Harry only rolled his eyes at that. Ginny, on the other hand, was thoroughly amused. "So what did bring this up?" she asked.

"Well, Ian, here," said Alexander, nodding to his apprentice, who had an uncertain smile, "did come to me with an idea to test the defences of the school. We need to determine if the wards have been breached again, and if it explains the attack on that Lightbrown kid."

"And how will you do that?" asked Ginny.

"They will use an idea that is actually, pretty ingenious," said Hermione.

"The team that won the Silver Quill challenge used it to find an invisible object. They are going to send a magical pulse over the whole school grounds and it will go hit the protective wards. If the wards are whole, it will send back a pulse that will be whole as well. If there is a default, they will sense it."

"I guess it'll make sense of that when I see it," said Ginny. "How can they 'sense, a default in the wards?"

"It's part of magicometry," said Alexander. "Both Ian and I are able to read the traces of energy, and if the energy has been altered, it feels... wrong. It's a little difficult to explain. It's all subjective. When there is a flaw in the ward, it should feel... uneasy, somehow."

"Okay," said Ginny. "And you wanted me here, because...?"

"Well, if I'm right," said Alexander. "It should be pretty spectacular, and people are bound to notice. You, dear, are our way to... notify the press?"

"You're too kind, Lockenburn," said Ginny. "I will need full details on the spell, then, if I'm to report this right."

"You got it," said Alexander.

"How will it affect the people in the castle?" asked Harry.

"It shouldn't," said Ian. "It's only energy. And the pulse we're sending is mostly... light. It will ring against the wards, because it's energy, but it should pass through the rest, people, stone, trees..."

"Should," noted Harry.

"Oh, where is your sense of excitement, Harry?" mocked Ginny.

"I'm marrying you," said Harry, dryly. "That should be enough excitement to last me a lifetime."

"Awww," cooed Alexander, as Ginny was torn between being moved by the comment or figuring out if he was having her on. "Cute, Potter."

"It should also bring enough headaches for said lifetime, so you'd be kind not to add on the list, Alex," added Harry, with a grin, which he didn't lose, when he had to dodge an unconvinced slap on his shoulder from Ginny.

"Prat," she said.

"Love you, too," said Harry, grinning wider. "So, go ahead, Alexander. Try not bringing down the castle, right?"

Alexander only smiled in response and walked with Ian to the spot they had chosen. By their calculation, the only spot they could stand on that was roughly equidistant from all of the wards' borders was near the lake.

Harry may act like he wasn't fully trusting of Alexander's experiment, but he did think it was a good idea. They needed to ensure that the wards were holding on. The assaults on them, last year, may have left weaknesses that could be used by whoever had sneaked inside the school.

"Ready?" asked Alexander.

Ian nodded. He was glad that his idea had caused such an enthusiastic response in his mentor. The tricky part had been to come up with a way to use the same principle as the girls from Gillian's team had in the Quill room, but on the whole school. Also, they needed to find a form of magic that would act as a 'pulse' and wouldn't cause any damage. There, as Ian had foreseen, Kieran had come handy, because she had suggested using a variation of the spells the Odinson twins had used for their light show, during the Christmas break.

Next, Alexander and Ian had discussed at length with Sven and Susan, so that they could learn the way the twins had altered the lumos spell, in order to add the sound, the various shapes. Once it had been clear for them, they had come up with a spell that was, indeed, just a light spell, but that would still carry a bit of energy that would be stopped by the wards. They had tested it on the wards near the gates, and it had taken a few attempts and fine tuning to get it right. Ian had been fascinated by the whole process and was now eager to try it.

The reason they needed to resort to this was simple. The Hogwarts grounds were simply too vast, with most of them reaching their limits in the Forbidden Forest, to be able to test them completely. One would have to go through the darkest parts of the woods, while scanning extensively. It would take... literally years.

So Ian's idea had been more than welcomed by Professor Dumbledore, and the idea had granted him twenty points to Ravenclaw, already.

Now, the question was if Ian and Alexander could generate enough power to make it work.

Stretching his shoulders, Ian placed himself facing Alexander, as they had rehearsed. On their right, the lake was silent and peaceful, without even the slightest hint of the giant squid's presence. The weather was cloudy, and a bit cold, as spring was only beginning to win over winter. There were even a few traces of snow which hadn't melted yet.

"Alright, here goes nothing," said Alexander, and Ian raised his hand, and called on to a light ball in his hand.

The spell, in its execution, was also simple enough. Ian would create the light and Alexander would generate the pulse, sending the light across the whole lands of Hogwarts.

Ian stilled his mind, focusing all of his intent into the light. It turned bright enough that he had to close his eyes. Alexander had done the same, if only because it helped focusing on feeling the result of his scan.

Ian could only tell that Alexander had begun, when he felt the energy push against his hand, when Alexander's spell mixed with his own and then he felt the energy spread out, like an explosion, but in one, clean wave. He tried to open his eyes and look around. He saw the wave of light fly over the lake, disappear in the woods, until, with a thunderous gong, it exploded against the wards, and caused them to shimmer in blue.

He looked at Alexander and saw him intensely concentrating on what he was feeling. Ian could see the returning wave converge on them, like a wave coming back on water. It reached the light ball that Ian was maintaining, and Ian felt the moment Alexander received the pulse in return. The light flashed brighter, blinding him for a few seconds.

"One more," said Alexander and the energy exploded around them again. The second wave acted like the first, and Ian was able to follow it better, this time. He could almost feel the pulse, himself. When it converged once more in return, Ian attempted to follow the energy, to see if he could read it. But it was too quick.

The flash was just as bright, and then Alexander lowered his hand. Ian did the same, cancelling out the light.

"Good job," he told Ian. "Want to have a go at the pulse?" he asked, with a smile.

Ian nodded. He had learned both aspects of the spell, but he wasn't sure he could reach the wards. Alexander only smile in encouragement, and raised his hand, generating the same light Ian had created earlier. Ian called on to his magic and raised his hand as if to touch the ball of light. When he felt the concentrated energy in his hand was enough, he pushed it inside the light and, after closing his fist, he opened his hand again, causing it to explode outwards. He could feel the whole of his energy spread out, and he was actually forced to close his eyes, so that he wouldn't be confused by what he was seeing, as opposed to what he was feeling. His eyes told him that he was still facing Alexander. His mind and sensation told him he was everywhere around the school. He felt the forest, the life in the trees, the centaurs, everything that lived in the castle... it was amazing. And then he hit a wall. Every bit of his energy was stopped completely and sent back.

Knowing the energy was returning, Ian didn't fight it. On the way back, he could feel the energy of living things again, but also a bit of magic, here and there. The whole Castle felt like a huge maze of energy that confused him a bit. There was the magic around the Quidditch pitch, and also something vague, lost in the forest, that he couldn't identify, but it was so faint that it slipped his mind when he felt the energy converge back on him. The sensation ended as he let go of the spell. When he opened his eyes, he saw Alexander was beaming proudly at him.

"Excellent," said the Entropist. "You are growing stronger."

"Well, I'm glad I reached the wards," said Ian.

"You did," said Alexander. "See anything?"

"I... I felt like the whole of me was stopped," said Ian. "Nothing passed through."

"No, indeed," said Alexander. "Well, that's the good news. The wards are whole and holding strong."

"The bad news, then?" asked Ian, growing serious at once.

"We still don't know how the attacker got inside," said Alexander.

On that note, he and Ian headed back to where Professor Weasley, Professor Potter and his fiancée were waiting for them.

Ian could see many faces at the windows. He hadn't hoped that his stunt would go without an audience. Clearly he had been right. The whole school must have caught sight of this.

"Okay, what the hex was that?" asked a voice that Kenneth recognized at once, causing him to smile broadly.

He stopped, and so did Kalindra, who had been walking beside him in the courtyard. She knew that voice as well, so she smiled brightly, as he turned to face his cousin. Sonia Lionheart was making her way inside the courtyard, all clad in her Auror robes. Kenneth hurried to meet her in a heartfelt hug.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"No, kiddo, you go first, because I'm the Auror and that lightshow was visible from the coast," said Sonia, smiling. "What happened, here?"

"Professor Lockenburn and his apprentice tested a spell to ensure the wards are whole," said Kalindra. "That did make a commotion. How have you been, Sonia?"

Sonia turned to Kalindra and her eyes widened.

"My, my," she said. "Kalindra? Wow, you have grown since the last time I saw you. I'm fine, thanks. You?"

"Well enough," said Kalindra, grinning.

"So you're saying that only two people did that?" said Sonia.

"Oh, yes," said Kenneth. "Well, you must have heard of Professor Lockenburn, right?" he added.

"Oh, I did," said Sonia. "Shacklebolt and Dawlish have tried to get him to join the Aurors for years."

"So, really, what are you doing here?" asked Kenneth.

"Well, really, I was in Hogsmeade, doing some follow-up on paperwork with the local Ministry office," said Sonia. "And I saw the whole horizon go off like fireworks. I thought I kinda had to investigate. Once I saw that there was no damage, I thought I'd drop by and see you."

"Well, it is good to see you," said Kenneth. "You have time to stay a bit?"

"Not much," said Sonia, wincing. "I need to meet Troy for dinner at his folks."

"And you don't want to cross them," said Kenneth.

"Why?" asked Kalindra.

"The Jenkins family, bless their soul, is a bunch of scary people," said Sonia, with a feint shiver.

"So you fit right in with their lot, then," Kenneth teased her.

"You little brat," protested Sonia. "Is that the respect I get from my own blood?"

"Pretty much," said Kenneth. "I was taught that our name doesn't earn us any special treatment."

"That's for outside the family, you nitwit," said Sonia, chuckling.

"Really?" said Kenneth, feigning horror. "Oh, my, I'm in trouble next time I see Bohor, then."

Sonia shook her head, laughing. She, Kalindra and Kenneth began a quick tour of the castle, so that Sonia could reminisce a bit of her school years, while sharing some news from the family. Apparently, Bohor's wife Holly was pregnant again, which was both excellent news and a bit terrifying.

"Why would that be terrifying?" asked Kalindra, puzzled.

"You haven't met Blanchefleur, her eldest," said Sonia. "She is quite the tyrant, already. That's another potential little monster unleashed upon Lionheart Hall. Seriously, those kids are adorable, but together, they can be a menace, and their ranks are about to grow. The horror!"

"Also," said Kenneth, seriously, "Holly is incredibly cranky, when she's pregnant."

As they returned toward the Great Hall, after visiting the Gryffindor tower, they ran into Professor Potter. Sonia greeted him warmly with another hug. Kenneth had seen firsthand how close Potter actually was from his family, despite seeing them so rarely. He guessed that it was due to fighting a war together. Kalindra, on the other hand was surprised. Kenneth mouthed 'later' for her benefit.

"So, Harry, I heard you were engaged," she said. "And with little Ginny Weasley, of all people. Ha! I so completely called it. You didn't mention it, when you visited Lionheart Hall."

"It didn't come up," said Potter, with a smile. "You can expect an invitation, though."

"I'd better," said Sonia. "I will be waiting for your owl, Mr Potter. Do not fail me on this."

"So, are you reassured that we didn't blow up the school?" asked Potter.

"Yeah, I took a thorough tour to make sure you didn't," said Sonia. "Now, are the wards secure?"

"As secure as they can be," said Potter, seriously. "They haven't been broken through since the attack in last may."

"Well, that's good, because we don't want the Brotherhood to be put in danger, around here," said Sonia.

"How would you know about the Brotherhood?" asked Potter. "I thought that was classified information, even among Aurors."

"It is," said Sonia, shrugging. "But I was sent to Brocéliande, a few years back. I met the Brothers and since then, I drop by once and awhile. Decent bunch. Last time I was in the Sanctuary, they told me that Amanio and the Novices were staying in Hogwarts."

"I see," said Potter. "Well, if you want to join Ginny and I for dinner..."

"Can't," said Sonia, wincing. "Dinner with the in-laws. And they're..."

"... scary people," said Kenneth and Kalindra at the same time, causing the four of them to laugh."

As Sonia was taking her leave, Kenneth briefly wondered how tight security actually was in the sanctuary, if they kept telling people that the Novices were in Hogwarts. From what he had understood, their presence wasn't exactly a public announcement. But then again, said Novices weren't exactly lying low among the students.

Well, he supposed that Hogwarts was considered safe enough from whoever was after them.

"Your cousin is really something," said Kalindra, as they parted ways from Potter.

"She was pretty tame, today," said Kenneth.

"True," said Kalindra. "I saw her wilder than that, but then again, I was a little younger. So impressionable..."

"Idiot," said Kenneth. "So, I guess people saw what happened today from Hogsmeade, then."

"I think people are going to talk about it for a good while," said Kalindra, seriously.

And true to form, the event did garner a bit of attention. Regular wizards and witches had been surprised and a bit scared by the sky suddenly lighting up with light over Hogwarts. The Press was on it within the hour.

A piece in the Herald and the Prophet by Miss Weasley did provide everyone with a detailed explanation for the phenomenon, and explained it had all been a security test for the school. Her statement had been confirmed officially by the Board of Governors, the Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix. So there wasn't much wiggle room to distort the facts and try to find some ominous purpose to the display of magic.

Which of course didn't discourage anyone to try. It started with a note in the Prophet, voicing a minority in the Board, who had objected to the use of such powerful magic in a school where children lived. Julie was no expert, but it was clear enough. That one was Macke's father in his finest work. The ball had been caught by many reporters who fancied their conspiracy theories. As soon as the name of Alexander Lockenburn was mentioned, a huge lot of theories emerged, from the simplest, to the most ludicrous, that said that Lockenburn was just laying down the founding stones of his takeover of Hogwarts, by marking all the inhabitants of the castle so that he could take them out in one go, when he would be ready.

That was utter rubbish, and most papers treated it as such, but made for a fun read, in the common room, especially when said reading was done out loud by Ewan Malcolm, with both Odinson twins pulling menacing faces and threatening everyone around with their doom when 'their time would come'.

But then, things got annoying when Macke junior got involved. Again, the little twerp was spouting his nonsense about freaks in the school, disgraces to the name of wizards, or whatever he was usually saying about Ian and his friends. But now, he was accusing them of sinister motives, which wasn't only stupid, it was insulting.

And Julie felt particularly strongly about that. She hadn't taken sides in a lot of disputes, between Houses, since she had arrived in the school, but if there was one issue on which her stance was clear, it was the one of Chaos Magic.

Ian had been among the first to welcome her to Hogwarts. He had remained friendly to her, even when she had been sorted in another House, even when she had started dating Robert, a prefect from the House from which most of the abuse he was subjected to came from. And then, he had saved her life not once, not twice, but three times, by putting his own neck at risk doing so.

Also, an on another note, since they had arrived in the school, the Odinson twins had been nothing but good Housemates and nice kids to her. She wouldn't accept anyone calling them freaks. When she voiced this to Robert, she was surprised to find him hesitating a bit about this. She had always thought that, unlike Macke, Robert did respect Chaos Magic and its practitioners. But this time, he appeared a little conflicted.

"It's not so much the people involved, Julie," he had said, when she brought his attitude up. "I mean, I know Malcolm and Lockenburn are good people. They are heroes and all. But the power involved in this... Who authorized them to play with that?"

"Dumbledore," said Julie.

"Well, maybe Dumbledore should take the parents' concerns a bit more seriously," said Robert. "It's easy to be spooked when teachers just take decisions like that on their own authority."

"They had the support of the Board," objected Julie. "It's just Macke pulling his own weight, there. It was all to strengthen security."

"Well, yeah, that's what they say," said Robert, dubiously.

"No," said Julie. "Tell me you don't believe that nonsense. You know of the security issue, here, Robert. You're a prefect, for Merlin's sake. You have been briefed on what happened to Ichabod. The wards had to be checked."

"I guess," said Robert. "Still, you should be careful around Malcolm and his friends."

"Excuse me?" said Julie.

"There may come a time when the Chaoticians won't be seen as savoury characters, and it won't be good to be associated with them," said Robert.

"Okay, I'm trying to figure out if you're joking right now," said Julie, firmly.

"Joking?" said Robert.

"There may come a time when... Are you even listening to yourself?" said Julie, amazed. "When would that be? When Timothy Macke turns the whole of England to his side? How is he supposed to do that? Cast a nation-wide dumbing charm?"

Robert had a wince showing that he conceded the point, there.

"And also, I surely hope you're not trying to tell me who my friends should be," said Julie.

"Julie..." began Robert.

"No," said Julie, cutting him mercilessly. "Because I owe Ian Malcolm my life, and if it comes to a time when I have to choose between his friends and yours, I won't hesitate very long. I mean, there may come a time when a stupid menace like Walters won't be seen as... savoury?"

Robert's wince was more pronounced, now.

"You're my boyfriend, Robert, not my father," she said, coldly. "And I wouldn't even admit my father trying to control the kind of friends I make."

"Alright, alright, I apologize," said Robert, graciously. "I think I get a bit caught up in the Slytherin game, sometimes, and I see everything as a power play."

"Well, get over it," said Julie. "It's not an attractive side of you."

"I'll try," said Robert.

"Honestly, I tried, Ginny," said Tonks, sighing. "I tried to get over it, but I'm not sure I can."

"Okay, first," said Ginny. "Who asked you to get over it? I was there, when Harry talked to you. He didn't say to get over it. He said not to take it too bad and to be patient."

"But, since then, he's been barely speaking to me," said Tonks. "It's like he's avoiding me."

They were relaxing in the lounge of a pub, near Diagon Alley, in Muggle London. Ginny and Tonks had created strong ties during the years of war, and they liked to get together from time to time, just the two of them. That spot had become a fixture of their life. The mood was cosy and the drinks excellent. In the years before Ginny finally got with Harry, another point of interest was that the Barman was easy on the eyes, too, but right now, neither she nor Tonks seemed to care, as long as the drink kept coming.

"He feels a bit guilty," said Ginny.

"Why?" asked Tonks. "I told you he was kind enough."

"And yet he knows he hurt your feelings," said Ginny. "And he doesn't know how to act around you, so he tries to age old approach most guys take, when they're confused: they avoid the subject altogether."

"You make it sound like it's rubbish," said Tonks, with a smirk.

"It is, but they can't seem to wrap their head around it," confirmed Ginny. "I swear to Merlin, between Remus and Fred, I don't know who the most infuriating is."

"Yeah, I heard all about Fred's antics," said Tonks. "Is he really that much into Angelina?"

"I know my dork of a brother," said Ginny. "He's in love with her. Done for. She's the one for him."

"What about her?" asked Tonks.

"Well, I'd say she's the same," said Ginny. "I mean, she's no sister of mine, but the signs are clear. They keep hovering around each other like that. Would you believe I caught her sneaking out of his place, the other day?"

"So, what, they're finally together?" Tonks said.

"If only," said Ginny. "Both deny anything happened. They are back to arguing, now. At least, it doesn't involved any other party, this time, so we can hope they will finally admit they belong together."

"A relief, it will be, huh?" said Tonks.

"You have no idea," said Ginny. "At least George is sparing us the drama. I have no idea who he is dating, or if he's dating at all, but he's not moping about it."

Tonks chuckled at that.

"Now, you," said Ginny, narrowing her eyes at Tonks, who had the common sense to gulp a little.

"Me? I thought you were pissed at Remus," she said.

"I am, but I'm a bit cross with you, as well," said Ginny. "What is your game with Derrick Longbottom?"

"Derrick?" said Tonks. "What game are you talking about?"

"Neville wrote," said Ginny. "He said that he saw you with his cousin and was curious as to whether or not something was going on there."

"Derrick? No," said Tonks. "No, no, no. Trust me. He's a sweet guy, but nothing is going to happen, there."

"Why not?" asked Ginny, pointedly.

"Let's say that Derrick is... otherwise engaged," said Tonks, with a smile.

"How so?" asked Ginny.

"Well, we've been meeting, for work," said Tonks. "He's been tasked by Kingsley to lure me back in the Auror Corps."

"Are you considering it?" asked Ginny.

"Well, it's not like I want to, but if my boss won't speak to me, then work is going to become problematic, and I may be better off going to work elsewhere," said Tonks, sadly.

"I'm sure it will work out," said Ginny. "So, about Derrick."

"Yeah, well, while he's trying to recruit me back to the Aurors, we've been talking" said Tonks. "And I found out that he's slipped something right under our noses, last New Year's Eve at Neville's. He's been all kind of stealthy about it, because it's a bit delicate, but he's actively courting someone who is kind of close to his chain of command, shall we say?"

"Wh... Ooooh," said Ginny, suddenly getting it. "Susan?"

"Yep," said Tonks. "They played it very safe, because her Aunt was in the room, and she, in essence, controls the Aurors, so... You know she's Susan's only relative."

Ginny nodded.

"Is it serious?" she asked.

"Pretty serious, yeah," said Tonks. "It's been going on for a few months, now. So, no, nothing going on between me and Mr. Goof."

"Mr. Goof? Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" laughed Ginny.

"Not if he retaliates by calling me Kerplunks," said Tonks, smiling.

"So, about Remus," said Ginny.

"You don't quit, do you?" smirked the older witch.

"You know me," said Ginny, smiling. "I'm a bit of a bloodhound, when I want to. As I was saying. I'm sure he will come to his senses. Actually, if you were to suggest that you might leave the Order for the Aurors... that would give him the kick in the arse he needs."

"Isn't that a bit sneaky?" said Tonks, a bit reprovingly.

"Only if you're not really considering it," said Ginny, shrugging. "Always bluff with a bit of truth. And, who knows, if it does work out, you may actually need to transfer to the Aurors."

"Why?" asked Tonks.

"I heard that's a bit problematic, when you're dating your boss," said Ginny, casually.

"Ha Ha Ha, you're hilarious, Weasley," grumbled Tonks. "Thanks for the advice, though. I guess I owe you one, now."

"Well, join the club," Ginny said smugly, before giving Tonks a toothy grin.

The Club gathered once more on the next Saturday afternoon. Everyone wondered what was on the menu, this time. The memory of Julie and Donahue's duel was still fresh on everyone's mind. For most attendants, the fight had just been a cool show, especially since Julie had showed serious guts. But for those who knew Julie and Donahue, the confrontation had been puzzling, actually.

Kenneth was among those. For him, something odd was going on. He was trying to force his mind from the whole issue, but he had to admit that a small part of him, somewhere deep inside couldn't contain a certain satisfaction at the thought. Not that he wished any ill on Julie, but the thought of her continuing relationship with Donahue still tended to make him sick.

So, many people wondered what was next. The groups once again spread in the duelling room, between training and competing. Kenneth's plan was to work with Rob and Mandy on group duelling, two-on-one or three-on-two, to see how one had to take one's allies into account during battle. Kalindra felt like venting, after a painful lesson with Snape and had chosen Eamon Clarke for a duel, on a stand in the far side of the Hall.

But, once again, the main stand was Donahue's to strut on. Kenneth paid no attention to the prefect's parading, until he spoke up, and gathered everyone's attention.

"Alright!" he said loudly. "I'm issuing an open challenge! If anyone wants a shot at the streak, they only need to step up!"

Silence fell on the room, and like a single person, everyone turned their head immediately at Kenneth. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Kenneth was about to coldly refuse, when a voice rose from his right.

"Oh, what the hell," said Fields, dropping his robes. "You're on, Donahue!"

The Gryffindors cheered at that, as Fields was walking to join Donahue on the stand, pulling up his sleeves. Kenneth had a smile. He was surprised, but pleasantly. Donahue, on the other hand, seemed a little taken aback by that turns of events. He hadn't planned on anyone answering the challenge, except maybe for Kenneth. But now, he found himself facing a very decided Fields, who was jumping on the spot to warm up. Many encouraging shouts were heard, coming from any house but Slytherin. Kenneth caught a glimpse of a smiling Janet Spencer.

Professor Potter had shown no reaction whatsoever, but Kenneth could tell from the twinkling in his eyes that he was captivated as he came to act as the judge.

"Alright, wizards," he said. "Bow."

Donahue made his usual flourish, but Fields nodded stiffly, his wand glowing a little.

"Wands at the ready," said Potter raising his hand.

Donahue adopted his favourite guard, still relying on his duellist hold of his wand. As for Fields, when Kenneth detailed his posture and the way his fingers wrapped around his wand, he couldn't help but smile. He had always suspected Fields of being a shifter.

"Begin," said Potter, with a step back.

"Expelliarmus!" shouted Donahue, but Fields had countered him with a silent shield.

The duel began, pretty intense. Spells flew back and forth, silent or spoken aloud. After the third stunner deflected silently, something became clear: Fields was putting a hell of a fight!

The cheering went up as Fields, not only blocked the knocking spell Donahue sent his way, but he sent it back, and Donahue had to step back to hastily block it. The Prefect's face showed both his surprise and his annoyance. But he didn't give any ground. And then, something happened made Kenneth's instincts ring. Fields began to advance! He sent two stunners back to back, forcing Donahue to maintain his shield, for a few more seconds. He then tried to retaliate with a minor shocking spell. But Fields repelled it with a Sphere and then silently cast a spell at Donahue's feet. Donahue's right foot was suddenly caught in quicksand! The loss of balance was enough to break Donahue's focus for a moment. Fields, without a break waved his wand swiftly.

"Expelliarmus!" he snapped.

Red sparks shot out of his wand and Donahue's wand flew from his hand, as he looked up in disbelief. Fields didn't catch the wand, letting it fall at his feet. Instead, he twisted his wrist and with a last wave, cast his final attack.

"Stupefy!" he said.

The spell caught Donahue defenceless, and sent him at the other end of the stand, where he hit the cushioning spell. The hall exploded in cheers, as Fields raised a hand in victory. Kenneth had a huge grin, as he clapped in congratulations. Professor Potter came to acknowledge his victory, after reviving Donahue, who looked angrily at Fields.

"Very smooth, Mr Fields," said the teacher. "I particularly liked the way you broke Mr Donahue's balance. How did you come up with it?"

"I thought that since the summoning of quicksand is pretty fast when cast silently, I thought it could be useful in a duel," said Fields.

"Well done," said Potter. "Mr Donahue, I'm afraid this marks the end of your undefeated streak. But that was a good duel, nonetheless."

Donahue composed his face, controlling his rage, and he came to shake hands with Fields.

"Well played," he said.

"Thanks," said Fields, with a grin.

Ian was bored.

So, this was maybe not the most accurate statement of all. He wasn't completely bored. He still was busy with school work, having fun with his friends. But otherwise, he was bored. Not much had happened since the claiming of the Quill. Well, of course, that didn't take his stunt with Alexander into account, but that wasn't something Ian needed to think about or to sort out. He had been there, and it was done, now.

But that little part of his mind, which liked mysteries, secrets, and stuff like that, was in a bit of a dry patch. Since the Quill, there wasn't much going on, in terms of gossip. The exams were growing closer, the next Quidditch game was being prepared. Nothing new, nothing different. So, whenever he got bored like that, his mind tended to wander a bit. So here he was, sitting in the common room in the Nest, hanging out with Kieran, who had buried her nose in an advanced seventh year spell theory book, and he was speculating.

What had they learned from the huge scan he and Alexander had performed? What could it actually mean?

Since the defences of the school had been checked, there was a bit of tension among the teachers, and so far, Ian had failed to catch them talking about it aloud. So he wondered what they were so wound up about.

And suddenly, as he was following a cloud with his eyes, through the window, it dawned on him. Of course. It made sense.

"Bloody hell," he muttered.

"What was that?" asked Kieran, without raising her eyes from her book.

"I just figured something out," said Ian.

"About what?" asked Kieran, still distracted.

"About why the teachers are so tense about the result of our search," said Ian. This time, Kieran did put down her book. She looked at him, frowning a bit.

"And?" she encouraged him to go on.

"And why would they be nervous about the defences being secure?" Ian explained. "Well, it would be a good thing knowing that no one had breached the wards. But, if you think about it, it means that we don't know how the attacker who wiped Ichabod's memories got in."

"We did know that," said Ian.

"It also tells us that we don't know how they got out," said Ian.

Kieran nodded, looking a bit puzzled.

"Worse, it tells us that we don't know that they got in," said Ian. "Or out."

"What do you... ooooh, you mean that the attacker could still be in the grounds?" said Kieran.

"Yeah," said Ian. "They could be in the grounds. They could have slipped in or out with others when we open the gates' wards, for scouts at the Quidditch game, for officials... They could be gone, but they also could still be here. They could be in the castle."

Kieran's eyes widened a bit. That wasn't a concern to be dismissed lightly. There still could be a threat to the students, to the teachers, to the Brotherhood, lurking within the very walls of Hogwarts.

"Bloody hell," said Kieran.

"See?" said Ian.

"You plan to go to Alexander about that?" she asked.

"I'm sure he knows about it," said Ian. "But I plan on bringing it up during our next lesson."

"You'll keep me posted about what he says, right?" she said, firmly.

"Of course," said Ian. "What would I do without you?"

He won a little smile with that comment and he enjoyed the idea.

The secret passage to the Nest opened and a few senior students stepped in. They looked excited by something. Ian quickly checked who was in the group, and noticed that these students only got together for the Defence Club sessions. Did something happen there.

"What's up, guys?" he asked, aloud.

"Donahue's reign is over," said Flaherty, a seventh year with a wide smile. "He sent an open challenge, and someone stepped up to whoop his arse."

"Oh," said Kieran, excitedly. "Who beat him?"

"You'll never believe it," said Flaherty. "It was Fields!"

"Ooooh," said Ian. "I bet Donahue didn't like that."

If Robert had expected to find a compassionate shoulder to cry on, he was in for a disappointment, this time. Julie certainly wasn't about to offer her commiseration on the loss of his duelling title, such as it was. She could tell that he was angry at that.

"Honestly, Robert, what do you want me to say?" she said. "You lost a duel in the Defence Club. That isn't such a big deal."

"How can you even say that?" asked Robert, incredulously. "Do you even realise what it means for the rest of the school?"

"That you kept a streak of more than thirty school duels by remaining undefeated," said Julie, shrugging. "I fail to see how that's bad for your image."

"But I'm seen as vulnerable, now," said Robert, stubbornly. "Anyone could decide to have a go at me."

Julie turned to him, actually confused.

"Er... Robert, you do realise we're talking about the Defence Club, don't you?" she said, patiently. "You do realise that nobody is actually out to hurt you, right?"

"Oh, you know what I mean, Julie," said Robert, a bit snappishly.

"No, I'm afraid I don't," said Julie, very seriously.

"It's about reputation," said Robert. "I need to prove that..."

"You need to prove what, Robert? That you're the best, all the time? That your leadership cannot be contested?" she cut him, her temper rising a bit. "What is the point? You are sixteen, for Merlin's sake. Don't try to make this into more than it actually is. So Fields got the better over you in a school duel. What, you're going to declare a blood feud over this?"

"I would have thought you would be a little more supportive, here," said Robert, a bit coolly.

"Not on this, Robert," said Julie. "I was already annoyed at the whole 'Streak' business in the first place. So you kept racking up victories, good for you. But did you have to strut so much about it? Did you have to throw that into everyone's face? Have you ever considered that some people didn't even give a damn about it?"

"You can't be serious," said Robert. "I'm talking to you about my standing in this school! It's bad enough I lost twice on the Silver Quill, now I'm beaten in a duel by Fields?"

Julie shook her head.

"You make it sound like such a failing," she said. "Robert, Anthony is far from being a pushover."

"What? But he never steps up!" protested Robert.

"So?" countered Julie. "Does it mean he's useless in Defence? No, of course not! Don't confuse getting attention and talent, Robert. If you had paid attention to him, you'd have noticed that his grades in Defence excel yours. You don't see Kalindra step up, either. And yet, I bet that she can probably kick your arse in real combat, too."

"Johnson? As if she could," said Robert, rolling his eyes.

Julie stopped before him, halting his stride.

"Now that's enough of this," she said. "Try and remember that Kalindra Johnson risked her life to save mine, and that was by fighting off real enemies, in a situation where she could have been killed. The Defence Club is nothing compared to that."

Robert appeared a little miffed at that. Julie should have felt sorry for this, but the root of his irritation did annoy her, right now.

"Robert, you are someone important in here, and it tends to give you the idea that everyone out there will care about it," she said. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but this is Hogwarts. We are in a school. The duelling club, the Quidditch Cup, the Silver Quill, the House Cup, all of this is meant to build our confidence and challenge us, but when it comes to life and death it means nothing!"

"Then why would you waste your time with me, then?" Robert snapped.

Julie had a sigh.

"Robert, your tendency to want to shine all the time is exactly the part of you I don't like," she explained. "I chose to be your girlfriend because I think there is more to you than that. It's one thing to have confidence. I like that in you. It's another to live for some futile attention. If you spent a little less time trying to step over others and a little more trying to be yourself..."

"You don't have any idea of how things work, in here, Julie," said Robert. "Be myself? I am myself. This is not a little game I play to kill time. I am setting down foundations for future relations. I need to be a leader, in here, if I'm to be respected, out there."

"Then pick your opponents more wisely, then," said Julie. "Going after Anthony or Kalindra will gain you nothing. You know what they want to do, when they graduate? Anthony wants to be an Auror and Kalindra wants to work in the Order of the Phoenix. They will not be competition for you, out there. You think you have to play that game? Then play with people who care about it."

"You say they don't care? You're naive, Julie," said Robert. "Everyone plays the game. You think Fields stepped up there because he was bored? He stepped up to take me down."

"No," said Julie. "He stepped up to shut you up."

"Same thing," said Robert.

"That's where you're wrong," said Julie. "He didn't challenge you to end the streak, or to break your image. He challenged you because he was fed up with your endless boasting. Anthony doesn't care if you're a leader in Slytherin or if you have influence in Hogwarts. He was just tired of seeing you looking down on everybody, over victories in school duels."

"You sound like you agree with him," said Robert.

"I do," said Julie. "That was pushing it, Robert. Pride is one thing. Arrogance is another."

"Oh, now, I'm arrogant?" said Robert.

"You can be, sometimes," said Julie. "As I said, I like your confidence, but you need to realise that for some people, it's annoying when it's pushed too far. Try to think about it, right?"

Robert seemed to digest the blow to his pride, if his face was anything to go by. Julie couldn't even feel guilty for talking him down, right now. She had been dazzled by Robert Donahue, the dashing prefect. But she had come to realise that for most of her friends, people she respected and trusted, he was overbearing and irritating. She needed to face the fact that she was maybe a bit too different from him than she thought.

"Well, I need to meet the prefects," said Robert a bit stiffly.

"You know I don't say that to be mean, Robert," she insisted.

"I know," said Robert, regaining a bit of warmth in his tone. "See you later, right?"

Julie nodded and watched him go. She didn't feel like heading for the Common Room, where she was sure there would be a celebration of Fields' win, so she chose to go for a stroll in the Castle. She needed to think.

Settling at the courtyard's arcades, she leant against the pillars and sighed. She had begun to try and separate issues in her mind, if only not to get too confused and also to try and follow Wroxton's advice. If she let herself be overwhelmed by her vision, she couldn't think clearly. So she needed to sort through her various problems one by one.

First, and most immediate, she was beginning to come to grips with Kalindra's advice about Robert. Even if she pushed aside her feelings for Kenneth, and her decision to bury them, she was now more and more aware that she and Robert could be heading nowhere as a couple.

She wasn't looking for excuses to break up. She certainly didn't want to break up with him just because of Kenneth, because that would actually prove that she had been using Robert. She knew she hadn't. Her heart still felt for the Slytherin prefect. He was still attractive and charming... When he wanted to be.

There was the point. The more time passed, the more Julie realised that Robert didn't understand her the way her friends did. Sure, she had told him, the year before, that she liked that he wasn't involved with her troubles, that he was some kind of refuge. That had been true, back then, when they were just beginning, fresh out of two dates and a few kisses. Now, it had been more than a year, and she had expected him to actually step in, if only as a support or a listener. He hadn't. He kept trying to put her mind off the topic, and sometimes, like on Valentine's Day, she had even felt like the threat on her life was a bit of an inconvenience to him.

To be honest, she wasn't expecting him to put himself in danger. That would have been awful of her. But after dating him for a year, sharing a lot of opinions and thoughts, she would have thought that he would be a little more... realistic about her predicament. But what seemed to matter more to him was the little bits of honour that he was getting in school. And he appeared shocked, even angry, sometimes, that she didn't support him, on that front.

Julie knew that her life was messed up. She knew she had worries that most teenagers didn't have. She knew it was unfair to expect from a sixteen year old boy that he would completely understand that. But she also knew that some of her friends did understand. Kalindra understood, Kenneth, even if they were still distant, understood all too clearly. Hex, even Ian, who was only fourteen, saw more than Robert about the truth of the outside world.

Even without her visions, the killers on her trail and her odd lineage, Julie knew that life wasn't easy out there. Robert didn't see that, or he chose to ignore it. This often led them to disagree on various issues. And if they couldn't resolve that difference, they wouldn't work out in the long run, she knew that.

This sad train of thought about how ugly life could get out there brought Julie back to the vision she had experienced, that night. That battered child... Who could he be? What was the significance? She kept wondering how it was connected to her. Despite some vision appearing completely unrelated, like the one she had of a floating staff or that sword she had dreamt of during the Christmas break, she couldn't help the feeling that it was part of a larger picture, and that it was part of her path.

Maybe she was meant to find that child? Maybe she actually... Julie's heart constricted at the idea. Maybe she actually knew that child, and had seen a bit of his past? The visions were less elusive, now, but what she was supposed to do with them still escaped her. The example of Kenneth and her treatment of him was the glaring proof of how poorly she dealt with those.

She would never know if that was a coincidence, or if her thoughts about a vision of Kenneth had triggered the whole thing, but as soon as her mind brushed with the idea of her visions about the Wandmaster, she was suddenly assaulted by a flash.

The fight was furious, so intense she couldn't make out details, which kept changing. There was screaming around, explosions and spells echoing in the distance. Kenneth was fighting off several robed figures, his wand dancing around him. On his cheek, there was a deep cut. Julie could make out blood on his left hand, dripping a bit, from a cut that had torn the sleeve near his shoulder open.

Behind him, struggling to get back up, was a figure in robes she recognized all too well. Kenneth was defending someone from the Brotherhood. And he was growing weaker.

The vision shattered and she gasped, finding herself back in the courtyard, looking around in alarm.

Kenneth could be in danger! The Brotherhood... the images from the vision were swirling in her mind, and she felt panic beginning to rise.

Calm down, Julie, think for once. What did Wroxton tell you?

She forced herself to regain control of her breathing and she tried to analyse what she had seen. Details were essential, as Wroxton kept saying. Now, was there any sign that it was going to happen right now?

Coming to think of it, the curious shift in detail hadn't been minor. Now that she applied the discipline that Wroxton had taught her, she could recall that the clothing of Kenneth kept changing. The surroundings weren't the same, either. In fact, the enemies were so indistinct that she couldn't place them exactly. The only thing she had seen was the Brother in robes and Kenneth protecting him, putting himself at risk doing so. Where, when... it was irrelevant, apparently.

Still, there was a threat on Kenneth and he needed to be told. This resolve, at least, had been shaken. From now on, she was going to be open about what she had seen. The vision was about Kenneth. He needed to be warned, but her first stop would have to be Wroxton's office.

And done! Now, I can promise with seriousness that the next chapter should be up very soon. It is being proofread as I post, and it should be ready as soon as tomorrow. Hope you liked this one. The next are picking up the pace somehow.