Okay, here is Chapter 23!

Again, I've been amazingly inspired, so the chapters are coming up like crazy, at this point. Again, too, huge thanks to Billdog718 for the betaing. Hope you will like this one. This chapter seriously throws more revelations at us, here.

Merlin's Knight

Gryffindor Tower was the setting for an impromptu celebration of Fields' victory. Everyone involved in the Defence Club was so delighted that Donahue had finally been unseated as the undefeated champion that they dragged younger students into a daytime party that lasted only until everyone was hungry and got down to dinner.

Once they got back to the common room, and since it was a Friday, a lazy mood fell on the room, with most people just sitting in armchairs, playing chess, cards, or just chatting. Kenneth was speaking with Will about the chances of Gryffindor in the Cup this year, when he saw Thierry step in through the portrait hole, a huge book under his arm. He was smiling lightly. He took a seat facing Kenneth.

"Now, that is a big book," said Kenneth. "Bedtime stories?"

The Book was tied with leather, and it was clear it had been restored, or at least it was a very old copy of an ancient manuscript.

"Records of the Order, dealing with Camelot and the legends that have survived up to now," said Thierry. "I requested it from the Sanctuary's library. It arrived today."

Kenneth suddenly understood that the young Novice had been waiting to have the real facts under his eyes before telling him about what they had discussed with Master Amanio.

"So, you're going to tell me about this Knight thing, then," he said.

Thierry nodded.

"That's right," he said. "And we may as well start with the beginning. So I'll tell you about your Great-great-great-and a good measure of great to be accurate - Grandfather."

"What Knight thing?" asked Kalindra, taking a seat next to Kenneth.

"It's quite a long story," said Kenneth, with a smile.

"That I'm about to begin, so you can listen," said Thierry, "and then I won't have to repeat it."

He smiled to soften his remark and winked at Kenneth, who chuckled.

"Alright, I'll shut up, then," said Kalindra with the same smile.

Mandy and many people in the Common Room were now around them, ready to hear the story. Thierry opened the book and started to read out loud.

The Knight

In the times when Arthur Pendragon, Duke of Britain, unified the Realm of Logres under the banner of the Red Dragon, rose the one we call the Knight. Arthur gathered many knights around him, in his wars against the Saxons invaders. Lancelot, Gawain, names have entered legend so deeply that even muggles remember them.

Upon Arthur's victory over the Saxon and the unification of Logres, the Round Table was created, a knight order where any could give a hand to the building of a perfect Kingdom. Soon, not only warriors came to join the order of the Round Table, but also advisers, mages, and even true Wizards, since Arthur respected their council and power. His greatest councillor was our guide Merlin, who was already the most powerful Wizard of this Age.

One day, wizards from over the sea came to offer their council to King Arthur. And they tried to lure him into surrendering his power slowly to Wizards. But Merlin saw through those men and saw that they were coming from the same shores as his own kin. They were the Warlocks of Atlantis, dread servants of the Bane.

Merlin knew their ways and goals could only bring harm to his dream for Logres as a realm of harmony between Muggles and Wizards. So he advised Arthur to reject the offer, and so the King did.

Rejected, the Warlocks tried to sway another great figure of the realm to join them against the King: Lady Morgane of Tintagel, half-sister to the King, and a witch herself. But Morgane had been a pupil of Merlin and also saw the truth of the Warlocks, scorning them.

When Morgane warned him of the moves of the enemy, Merlin began to gather allies against the Warlocks, since he knew that they would come back, and that war would come sooner or later. On this quest for allies, Merlin would meet arguably his closest allies, who would stand by his side through the dark times ahead. Among them was the Knight.

In the stables of Camelot worked a young squire named Johan. He was skilled with the blade and the lance, and his heart was full of courage and flame. But he was still quite young. One day, his lord, Sir Gawain, had sent him getting some special wood from a carpenter. On his way back, he walked into a duel between two wizards. Without knowing it, he had entered a place forbidden to Muggles. And what he saw changed his life forever. One of the men he knew. It was a man named Oswin Wright, disciple of Lord Merlin. The other was a man dressed in ominous cloak, hiding his face behind a hood.

Oswin was suddenly disarmed and his wand fell next to Johan. Without thinking of it, he took it and before the Dark Wizard would finish Oswin, Johan entered the clearing of the fight and brandished the wand. The next spell of the assailant was blocked, to his utter shock. Johan did not waste any time, drew his sword, surprising the man further and wounding him seriously enough to make him falter. Oswin managed to recover during this time and reclaimed his wand, finishing the enemy.

The wizard was astonished. Even if the wand hadn't belonged to him, the young boy had achieved a great act of Magic. So Oswin brought young Johan to Merlin who understood quickly that the young boy was not only a Wizard, but that he was of the blessed kin of the Alliance of the Wand. He called to his friends of the Alliance and a master came to teach Johan in the ways of the Gift.

Soon, King Arthur was impressed enough to elevate Johan to Knighthood. In Camelot, he was known as the Lionheart. Johan, even if he was a loyal subject of Arthur, felt in his heart that he was meant to serve the Cause of Merlin. Arthur sought peace in his realm. Merlin sought peace between Wizards and Muggles, the world over.

When the Warlocks of Atlantis returned and waged war on Camelot and his allies, Johan was on the front lines, forging his legend and earning a title among muggles and wizards alike: Merlin's Knight. He didn't join in the Quest for the Chalice but kept fighting on the Continent, becoming the bane of the Warlocks. Along with Perceval the Blademage and Bohor the Wise, he was among the great heroes of the War of the Unicorn.

When the War receded and the army of the Warlocks was broken, Johan went on a quest of his own, tracking down the High Council, to make sure they would never threaten Logres again. Upon prevailing, it took months of travel for Johan to come back.

When he reached Camelot, an inner war was rising. Mordred, bastard son of the King, was threatening the throne. Seeing the realm heading for ruin, Johan dedicated his life to the protection of the Heir of Arthur, a young boy born with Magical Powers. No one knows exactly what happened to the young boy, except that he escaped the war and death that fell over the Kingdom, and lived hidden ever after.

Merlin, Morgane and his disciples, seeing the doom of the Kingdom, tried their best to stop this madness but Arthur pleaded them to leave, all too aware of the importance of their dream. Magic couldn't change the heart of men, and the knowledge of Merlin and Camelot had to be kept safe. Merlin surrendered to his friend's wish and settled an Order of science and Wisdom in his home forest of Brocéliande, with his pupil and Morgane.

Sometime after the fall of Camelot and the death of both Arthur and Mordred on the battlefield of Camlann, Johan came back to Brocéliande. Merlin asked him about the Heir of Arthur. And Johan accepted to reveal his whereabouts only to the blood of the King. So Morgane went away, to take care of the young boy's education. She entered the legend of the wizarding world. She only appeared twice in the Forest. Once to receive the staff of her dying Master, and a second time to entrust this staff to the Order, when she was about to fade.

But if Morgane set off to live with her nephew, Johan remained near Merlin. He learned what Merlin had accomplished in the Sanctuary of Brocéliande, and chose to protect it, as the Pledge he made to Merlin attested: as long as his line would stay alive, they would protect the knowledge of Merlin from its enemies, whether they would come from Atlantis or from anywhere else.

For in the Grove of the sanctuary laid secrets that Merlin held from his father's legacy. He was the heir to Atlantis' knowledge and thus its protector. By his pledge, Johan was becoming the protector of this legacy as well.

He truly became Merlin's Knight, then, and, through centuries, the line of Lionheart, the House of Johan, helped the Brotherhood of Merlin, whenever their help was needed.

The Lionheart family has done their best to preserve their knowledge of the Pledge, and kept their name in order to remain faithful of this goal. In time, only the direct line of Johan was educated in this task. It is a curious fact that the Wand Gift had remained that strong in this family, since it's rare that it would go on for generations.

Clan Lionheart is the oldest Wandmasters' clan, despite what other families claim. And their heart has remained faithful to the Pledge as far as the Nineteenth Century, when a Dark Wizard named Ibn Fadlan(*), coming from Baghdad, tried to attack the Sanctuary. He was defeated by Thomas Lionheart, a cousin of the direct line. He was answering to his own heart, but many in our Order believed he was in fact led by the Hand of Fate.

At this point, Thierry shut the book closed and looked at Kenneth. The others around him were silent, some with their mouth hanging.

"Wow, that is some legacy," said Kalindra.

"You can thank your Dad," said Mandy, smiling.

"Please," said Kenneth, wincing. "It's complicated enough. So what now? Like Amanio said, I'm supposed to look after you?"

"Not really," said Thierry, smiling. "See, the Pledge is more centred on Merlin's dream than on the Brotherhood in itself. Your fate is bound to protect Merlin's legacy to the World, to make sure it won't fall into the wrong hands."

"Easy stuff," said Kalindra, sarcastically. "That can be interpreted a hundred different ways."

"She's got a point," said Kenneth. "What is to stop any member of the Brotherhood from calling on to me for help. Will I be forced to answer?"

"No," said Thierry, firmly. "It doesn't work like that. By themselves, no member of the Brotherhood can formally ask for the help of the Knight. It's actually the opposite. Master Walter told you. The Brotherhood needs to remain faithful to Merlin's dream to deserve the help of the Knight. Only one man can call upon the Knight and request his assistance."

"Who's that, then?" asked Kalindra.

"Right now, it's Master Walter, because he is the Master of the Sanctuary," said Thierry.

"Traditionally, only the High Master of Brocéliande can ask for the Knight's help."

"Right," said Rob. "So that means if Brocéliande falls into the hands of a jackass, then Kenneth can simply refuse to help?"

"Something like that," said Thierry, with a half-smile.

"How come you are the one to tell Kenneth?" asked Mandy. "I'd think his family would know that."

"As we suspected, knowledge of the Pledge appears to have been lost," said Thierry. "It surely happened when Kenneth's great-grandfather Gawain was killed in the war against Grindelwald. He couldn't pass down the knowledge to his son."

"Isn't it a little bit convenient?" asked a voice that surprised everybody.

When the group turned, they found Julie standing there, looking outraged.

"What do you mean, Julie?" asked Kalindra.

"Just the moment when the Brotherhood needs protection, you happen to pull an ancient promise out of the bag to rope Kenneth into helping you," said Julie, not leaving Thierry's eyes out of her sight.

"I'm not asking anything," said Thierry.

"Thierry didn't say Kenneth had to do anything," said Mandy, echoing the young novice.

"Maybe not," said Julie. "But don't tell me that there isn't anybody in your order that wouldn't want Kenneth and his clan as full-time protectors. All the Orders have their extremists."

Thierry shot her an intense look. Then he nodded.

"That's true," he conceded, "but again, if we had wanted that, we could have gone to Lancelot, instead of Kenneth. We chose to ask Dumbledore for help. I just thought it would be good for Kenneth to know about his family's history."

"Oh, come on!" said Julie, her temper rising. "You tell that story to Kenneth, and you don't expect anything to come from this?"

"What's your point, Julie?" asked Kenneth, rising from his chair.

"You know how you work," said Julie. "Don't tell me that now that you know about this, you will not watch out for the Brothers in the Castle."

"And that's bad?" he replied. "Why?"

"Because it puts you in danger!" said Julie, hotly. "Again!"

Kenneth marked a pause and looked around. Kalindra seemed to catch his eye, so she got up.

"Okay, everyone! Up to bed!" she announced loudly.

There was a collective groan of annoyance, but no one resisted much, because it was late, for one, and no one dared to challenge Kalindra, no matter the year. Soon, Kenneth was alone facing Julie, who appeared a little embarrassed for causing a scene, but who still looked upset.

"Alright, what is your problem?" he asked.

Julie seemed to ponder how to answer, before she took a deep breath.

"Why does it have to be you?" she asked. "Why would they put this on your shoulder. You're not even of age and they tell you how you're supposedly their protector."

"Julie, they told me this for me to learn..." he began.

"But I know you, Kenneth!" she said, cutting him. "From now on, you will consider it your duty to protect them. You'll charge head on and you'll step in as their shield."

The tension in her voice told Kenneth everything he needed to know. From what Kalindra said, she kept having these visions. They were intense and scary, sometimes waking her in the middle of the night, screaming. He knew better than to dismiss them, since they had predicted a lot of what had happened, last year.

"You had a vision," he said, simply.

Julie turned wide eyes to him, her mouth half open. He expected her to deny it, or to protest, but her shoulders slumped and she nodded.

"I saw you fight," said Julie. "You were outnumbered, wounded, but you kept fighting."

Kenneth raised his eyebrows.

"And I was defending a Brother?" he said.

Julie nodded again.

"That would explain why you got so worked up about this," said Kenneth. "Someone in particular?"

"No," said Julie, shaking her head. "Just a silhouette in robes like theirs. To be honest, the place and time weren't so clear. Now that I heard Thierry's story, I think it may not have been you as much as your whole bloodline. The clothes kept changing. But the point was clear, you were risking your life to defend them."

"Well, it kind of makes sense, I suppose," said Kenneth.

"Please, don't make light of this," said Julie. "You have to promise me that…"

"That I won't help someone in Brotherhood's robes?" said Kenneth, with only one eyebrow arched, now. "Julie, you can't be serious."

"Why should you always get caught in those messes?" Julie shot back at him. "You seem to enjoy it!"

"I don't enjoy it, Julie," said Kenneth softly. "It's just that it's something I can do, so I simply have to do it."

"Why?" said Julie. "Why are you taking these responsibilities upon yourself?"

"Because I've been given the power to do so," said Kenneth. "I just can't turn my back to those who may need me, just because it is dangerous."

"You're as intoxicated as the rest of your family!" said Julie, with an exasperated sigh. "Why does it always have to be you, paying the price of war?"

"Why would it be someone else?" said Kenneth, simply.

Julie seemed annoyed by the directness of his answer. She had to know that he was right.

"It's just... I don't want to see you hurt," she finally said. "So please, be careful."

"I'm always careful," said Kenneth, with a smile.

"Kenneth," protested Julie weakly.

"I know," said the young man. "I'll be careful, I promise. Thanks for the warning. But you should relax. I'm not planning on taking on a Quest for the Grail or something."

"Good," said Julie, after a while. "Knights and heroes are overrated."

Kenneth had a smile. It had been a long time since he had felt this comfortable with Julie around. He chose not to deny it. Maybe it was time to put aside the bitterness. Julie wasn't a bad person. He didn't need to be cold all the time.

"Don't hesitate, if you get more details," he said.

"If I can help…"

Julie let her sentence trail off, and he could see a curious sadness in her eyes, but it passed quickly as she composed herself. She seemed to reach a decision.

"So, it's been ages since we have talked," she said.

And, for a moment, there, they had returned to this understanding they shared last term, when they were able to speak of very serious matters easily. So Kenneth reached out as well.

"It has," said Kenneth. "You're making progress with your visions?"

"I do," said Julie. "Wroxton is a lot of help. But there are still a few random visions that come to disrupt the ones I'm trying to make sense of."

"Such as?" asked Kenneth.

"Well, such as reckless Wandmasters that suddenly discover their calling as heroic bodyguards, causing me to foresee the possibility of their imminent death," she said with a wry grin.

"So sorry about that," joked Kenneth. "How's your family?"

"I got a letter from Ariane, my sister," said Julie. "She's getting engaged, soon."

"Soon? Meaning there hasn't been a proposal, yet? How does she know, then?" asked Kenneth.

"The way she talks about her boyfriend's attitude," said Julie, smiling. "I know Julien. He'll be popping the question in no time."

"Nice," said Kenneth. "They have been together long?"

"Three years," said Julie. "They met at school. How is your father?"

"Busy with work," said Kenneth. "He's been made a consultant by the Department, so he's travelling a lot, dishing out advice to other countries on how to deal with dark wizards like Death Eaters."

"That's nice," said Julie. "So, what about you?"

"Me? Well, not much," shrugged Kenneth.

"That's not the impression I had," said Julie. "What's up with Gillian?"

She had a wince, then, like the question had escaped her. It was as if she didn't dare to ask. Kenneth couldn't fathom why.

"Again, not much," he said. "I mean, she's alright, but… there wasn't enough there."

"So you're not dating?" said Julie.

"No," said Kenneth. "Didn't seem like a good idea."

"I see," said Julie.

"And what about you?" asked Kenneth.

"Me?" said Julie.

Kenneth's eyes were pretty clear on what he meant.

"That was quite a fight in the duelling club," said Kenneth. "What was that all about? Did he do something to you?"

She appeared to consider her answer for a while. This was, in itself, both surprising and worrying. She had been very quick to defend Donahue in the past. Now, she was hesitating. Was she figuring out if she should share with him, or was she actually wondering if Donahue had gone too far?

"Not really," said Julie, after a while. "To be honest, Robert acts as if our couple was perfect…"

"But it's not?" Kenneth finished for her.

Julie shook her head.

"Some things start to annoy me, about Robert," she said.

"Welcome to the club," said Kenneth, with a timid smile. Julie had a sad smile in return.

"I mean, he's a nice guy, and I like him a lot. He keeps on trying to put my mind off serious things," she explained. "I found that great, at first, but now, it's not what I need. Sometimes I want to forget I've been marked for death by a cult of fanatic warlocks, but sometimes I also need to talk about it. You see?"

Kenneth nodded.

"And he's been a pain in the arse with that duelling club streak of his," she added, her sigh turning into a laugh. "I'm glad Fields has put an end to this."

"I won't say I mind," said Kenneth.

"Why didn't you step up?" asked Julie, genuinely curious. "I know everyone expected you to."

"I don't care about what everyone expects me to do," said Kenneth, shrugging again. "I'm not in this club for the glory. I don't need to prove my worth in a duel."

"I guess you don't," said Julie.

She looked at the clock and, when Kenneth followed her look, he realised it was high time for bed, if Julie wanted to make it to the next Quidditch practice with her wits about her.

"Well, I should head to my dorm," said Julie.

"Again, thanks for the warning," said Kenneth.

"You're welcome," said Julie. "That's the only positive side of these visions, so far, to be able to warn people."

Kenneth nodded and began to walk to the stairs leading to his dormitory room. But before he walked upstairs, he turned back to her and smiled.

"You know, I realised I never told you something," he said.

Julie raised her eyebrows, clearly wondering what he meant.

"You were really beautiful in that dress, back at the Ball," said Kenneth with a curious grin.

"You think so?" she asked, blushing.

"Absolutely," said Kenneth.

"Well, you were quite elegant yourself," said Julie. "But you're used to that."

"Maybe," said Kenneth on a sceptical tone.

He headed to the stairs.

"Kenneth," she called him.

He turned to her, with an interrogative look on his face.

"Thank you," she said. "It's always nice to hear."

"I mean it," he replied. "Good night, Julie."

"Good night," said Julie.

He went up the stairs, a tension he hadn't realised lifting from his shoulders. The whole conversation had been intense.

It was as if they were back right before her abduction, last year. She was reaching out to him, trying to restore their friendship. That was obvious. Kenneth wasn't that reluctant to accept that. He knew he missed her, even if it was only as a friend. Kalindra kept telling him that he needed to stop shutting her out, and maybe she was right. Well, he could do little about it, right now, except sleeping on it.

It wasn't that obvious, but it was easy enough for Ian to pick up the signs. He had been sensing a tension rising, these last days. Somehow, he was convinced that something was about to happen. He couldn't explain it. But something was brewing, right now.

Ian wasn't sure what he had noticed was what he had felt, though. It had certainly an impact on him, since it regarded some friends, of his, but he wasn't sure that it warranted this feeling of anticipation he was getting, these days.

In any case, there had been a shift in the dynamics in Gryffindor. It had been a few days, now. And Ian could see that Julie was spending a lot more time with her House-mates, rather than with the circle of friends around Donahue. This was hardly bad news, but it still had been a bit puzzling, for a bit, until Ian saw what had changed.

Kenneth. It appeared Kenneth had decided to bury the hatchet. He wasn't acting so cold around Julie. He wasn't basically going anywhere but where Julie was. And it clearly made all the difference in the world.

The whole mood of the Gryffindor sixth year was different as a result. Ian could tell that Mandy was also more open with Julie. Rob appeared a bit more relaxed as well. And Julie also looked a lot less tense than what she had appeared to be in the last months.

But if Ian was glad that his friends were doing a bit better in their relationships, he could see the reaction, and that was more likely to be bad news in the long run. Because someone else had noticed.

Donahue wasn't pleased. Oh, of course he was putting a nice face, acting as if he didn't mind one bit who his girlfriend was hanging out with. But Ian had learned to read a few signs, when watching the Slytherins.

Donahue was chomping at the bit, right now. He didn't like that. Oh, Ian could tell. The sixth year prefect wasn't apparently ready to admit that his girlfriend was beginning to repair her friendship with Kenneth Lionheart.

Ian wasn't sure what his next move would be, but, somehow, he didn't feel like it would be good.

The next afternoon, Mandy was wandering and wondering. More precisely, she was wandering in the corridors of the Castle, wondering what to do, before dinner. No, let's be honest, she was wondering where Thierry was, and what they could do together, before dinner. He hadn't showed up all afternoon. He had eaten with them for lunch, but after that he had disappeared.

She wasn't sure on how to behave with him. She knew she liked him, but what to do with that knowledge? Was it a good idea to try and get closer with him? She knew he was handsome, nice and friendly. But he wasn't going to stick around that long. At some point, the Brotherhood would return to Brocéliande, after all.

Also, Thierry seemed to dread, in a curious way, this kind of relationship. She couldn't understand why he kept everyone at arm's length, somehow.

When she walked by an open door, she stopped dead on the threshold. He was in here! She passed her head through the door frame.

"Hey," she said. "Where have you been?"

Thierry raised his eyes to her and smiled.

"We had reunions with the Novices," he said. "I'm early on the next one."

Mandy walked in the deserted classroom. She smiled to him.

"I was impressed by what you told us about Kenneth, last night," she said.

"Yes, I was quite impressed when I learned about that myself, three years ago," said Thierry. "Then you can imagine my reaction when I came to meet Kenneth in person, just like that."

"Something like a quest fulfilled?" asked Mandy, smiling.

"No, more something like a confirmation," said Thierry. "To see the legend come alive is something precious."

"Like if it wasn't in vain?"

"Something like that," said Thierry with a smile.

"So the reunions, what are they about?" asked Mandy.

"I don't know," said Thierry. "The Masters like their little mysteries. So we never know the subject of the reunion before, so we must be ready for anything. I mean, he may want to interrogate us on any subject, so we need to be excellent on anything."

"Wow," said Mandy.

She was now standing really close to him. And somehow, this proximity was exciting her in a strange sort of way. She looked deep into his sapphire blue eyes. And she felt a urge inside of her.

I want to kiss him, she thought.

And that mere thought made her blush furiously. Thierry noticed it and blushed, too. Was he feeling the same?

Mandy was about to reach for his arm with her hand when the door opened wider, letting Raphaella Di Angelo and Werner Heinzbrück in. Mandy stepped away from Thierry, with her face more flushed than ever. Thierry cleared his throat. Jeremy Wats entered the room, followed by Orlando. Mandy nodded to Thierry and walked out of the classroom.

"I'll see you later," Thierry called after her.

Mandy turned back to him and smiled.

"Sure, you will," she said.

When she crossed path with Werner, she saw that the young boy was smiling. Jeremy Wats even winked at her! She was beginning to blush again, but then Master Anselme entered the room, followed by Alan Colville and the youngest Novice, Anton. The look on his face was enough to make Mandy's blush a distant memory.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her, aggressively.

"I was speaking with my Housemate, Sir," said Mandy, earnestly.

"Really?" said Anselme, suspiciously.

"That is true, Sir," said Thierry.

"When I will want you to speak, De Vannes, I'll ask you to," countered Anselme, between his teeth.

"Sir…" began Raphaella, who was still standing near the door.

"Silence, Raphaella," said Anselme.

Mandy looked back at Thierry. Again he had this rebellious look for his Master, and he was looking worried, for her! When Mandy got back to Anselme, he was staring at her, as if he wanted to bite her. Colville walked past her with a contemptuous smile.

"You can leave us, now," said Anselme, walking by her, with the same dismissive attitude. He reached the centre of the room. Mandy lightly shook her head, she walked toward the door. She passed by Raphaella who threw her a sorry look.

"Get a girlfriend," mumbled Mandy.

Raphaella hid her smile, while Mandy was walking out.

What the heck did this old dusty vulture wanted with Thierry? It was really annoying! She was about to kiss him? So what? Thierry himself had told me that Anselme was born within the Order. That meant that his Dad had got at least one girlfriend in his life!

Cursing after the stupid bigotry of the Novice Master, Mandy headed back to the Gryffindor tower.

Harry and Hermione hurried up the path leading down to the Hogwarts Gates, knowing they were late. The Staff meeting had been longer than expected. Harry even suspected Snape to have brought up that point about the planning of the exams, because he knew that Harry and Hermione were having a family dinner at the Burrow.

As soon as they reached the grids, Harry caught Hermione's hand and apparated. They emerged near the shed where Arthur kept piling up muggle stuff to study it. Hermione commended him on his precision.

"It's almost as if being hungry gives you more focus," she said, grinning.

"That would be your husband, 'Mione, not me," said Harry.

When they reached the door, they barely had knocked that it jumped open and Ron ushered them in quickly. His look gave Harry a curious impression and old reflexes took over.

"Is Ginny mad at something?" he asked.

"Good assumption, wrong ginger," said Tonks, who appeared in the living room, greeting them with a quick hug.

Harry wasn't surprised to see her here. Since she had heard about the tension between Remus and Tonks, Molly kept bugging the woman to show up at the Burrow nearly every week, since she felt that she needed the company.

"Is that so?" asked Hermione, in reaction to Tonks' statement.

Harry could tell that she was puzzled and so was he. Usually, when Ron looked like he was walking on eggs like that, it meant that either his wife or his sister was throwing a tantrum. Perhaps this time it was the original terror of the Burrow, since Molly Weasley's wrath could be legendary, when she was properly pushed.

Turned out Molly wasn't smashing things in her kitchen, when they got there. Instead, she was riveted to her sink, trying to listen what was going on in her backyard. She only tore herself from her fascinating eavesdropping to come give Harry and Hermione a hug.

"What's going on?" asked Hermione.

"My dear brother is having yet another spat with our favourite Quidditch Chaser," said Ginny, coming in from behind Harry. "They've been at it since she got here."

After a quick kiss to his fiancée, Harry craned his neck to peer through the window and caught a glimpse of Fred in the distance, facing Angelina, and they were engaged in a rather passionate argument, apparently.

"Angelina?" he said. "What's he done, now, to piss off Angelina?"

"Oh, for once in his life," said Ginny, "I will admit that Fred didn't do anything wrong."

Ginny, Hermione and Tonks settled at the kitchen table, while Molly resumed her concerned watch at the sink. In the silence, Harry could make out the voices of Fred and Angelina outside. The words seemed heated, though Harry couldn't quite make out what they were fighting about. He joined the others at the table, Ron placing himself behind Hermione, rubbing her shoulders softly. She welcomed that with a grateful groan and a smile.

"So what news from the front line?" he asked Ginny.

"Angie is kind of stuck in a bind, right now," said Ginny. "The problem is that since they keep fighting, then shagging, then fighting..."

"Ginny!" protested Molly, from the window, shocked at her daughter's candid words.

"We're all grown up, around this table, Mum," said Ginny, with a shrug. "We know it happened. That's the main issue. She sleeps with him, but she fears that she is using him. Of all the stupid things to think... Anyway, she feels lousy for using him, but she can't wrap around her head that Fred is hooked, now and for real. They've been tip toeing around each other, clashing over the fact they don't take each other seriously, until Angelina did the worst move ever."

"She dated Keller," said Hermione.

"Right," said Ginny. "Fred got upset and he tried to retaliate by dating that Hotchkiss chick. But he couldn't go through with it. But Angelina thought he did, so she was crushed, and then she realised she truly fancies him. The two prats are just unable to face the facts. So last time I spoke to Angelina, and I told her that Fred hadn't gone out with the bimbo, she was so elated that she hugged me. And they went back at their 'will-they-won't-they' game of theirs. She showed up tonight because she knew we were having a family dinner. The problem is, these two dumbasses are unequipped to have a normal conversation, so they are fighting their way through the whole thing."

"And what is the subject of the current dispute?" asked Harry.

"Something about being unable to speak their feelings," said Ginny. "Pretty hypocritical from the both of them, if you ask me, but... anyway, I'm giving them five more minutes before I get out there and spank the both of them."

Harry got up from his chair and went to the window. When he tried to make out what they were saying, he caught Angelina's voice.

"Maybe if you had spoken, then!" she was saying.

"I did! And when I did, you called me silly!" objected Fred. "You didn't take me seriously. Oh, yes, Freddie the clown, how could he be serious about that stuff..."

Harry shrugged.

"We should let them have it," he said. "If they vent out, maybe it will clear up things once and for all."

"Sure," said Ginny.

"The thing is," said Ron with a wince. "We kind of planned to have dinner in the backyard, so we're waiting for them, here."

They all laughed when Hermione swatted him behind the head. But Molly still looked worried as she was looking out the window. Harry put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"They should be alright, Molly," he said. "They need to let all of it out of them."

"I know that, dear," said Molly. "It's just that I know my Fred. He's the kind of boy who lets his mouth run away with it. What if he blurts out something that ruins it for good? I mean, he would regret it if he suddenly went..."

"SO WILL YOU MARRY ME OR NOT, DAMN IT(**)!" Fred's voice suddenly reached them through the window, unmistakable.

A deadly silence fell on the kitchen. Harry looked around and saw that all the women of the room shared the same expression of numb shock, their mouth slightly open. Ron, on the other hand, was doing his best to stifle his laughter.

"Oh, Morgana," breathed Ginny, after a while. "Did he just..."

Everyone rushed at the sink to look through the window. Harry motioned to give way to Ginny, so she could have a look. Near the tree where Harry had told Ron about his relationship with Ginny, Harry saw Angelina and Fred, facing each other in a shocked stillness.

Suddenly, with swiftness and the strength only professional Quidditch could offer, Angelina lunged at Fred, sending the both of them rolling in the grass, locked in a passionate kiss.

"Okay, so that happened," said Harry, chuckling.

Ginny was the first out the kitchen door and she was followed by everyone in the backyard, to see Fred and Angelina getting back to their feet, before falling into a softer embrace and another kiss.

"Guess that means yes, then," said Ron. "Good! That means that won't ruin dinner."

His wife hit him again behind the head, making everyone laugh and drawing the couple's attention. Fred and Angelina, realising they had an audience, turned to face the rest of the family. Angelina was beyond embarrassed, now. Fred was beaming, though he looked a little uncertain. Harry could guess what it was about. He leaned closer to Molly.

"I think they dread your reaction, Molly," he said.

This jerked Molly out of her shock.

"What? Oh, Merlin!" she exclaimed, before to rush to Fred. "Oh, Fred, you silly boy! You just had to make that wonderful thing into a farce, hadn't you?"

She caught him into a crushing hug that was the trademark of the Weasley family.

"I'm so delighted!" she said.

She let go of him only to capture Angelina into her arms, which did a lot to reassure the brown skinned girl about her reaction about marrying her son. When she was done, Ginny swooped on Angelina like a hawk on an unsuspecting pigeon to subject her to the exact same hug.

The family dinner turned into an impromptu engagement party, with all the Weasleys that hadn't been there for the announcement being summoned immediately at the Burrow. Bill, Fleur and Nymphea showed up just before Arthur and George joined them last, asking what he had missed. If Angelina was to ever understand what it meant to join the Weasley family, it would be that night.

Harry was delighted for his friends, of course. He also thought that Molly was right. Fred just had to make his proposal into something his whole family would laugh about for at least a generation. Anyway, the two were engaged, now, so the method didn't matter, really.

Later in the evening, while Molly was again threatening to melt into tears of joy, Harry seized the chance to sit beside Angelina.

"So, how much of it was actually planned?" he asked her.

"Honestly? None of it," said Angelina, sheepishly. "I had no idea what I was thinking about, coming here, and I couldn't even imagine that the adorable dork would propose!"

"You still couldn't let the chance slip by, huh?" said Harry.

"Oh, Harry, what can I say? He's so infuriating. He's a kid at heart, and I know for a fact he will drive me mad on a daily basis, but... I love him! I just had to fall in love with the prankster, huh? I've come to the point where I just can't live without him."

"Well, getting married would probably solve that," said Harry. "I don't know if I said it, already, but I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," she said. "Well, apparently, it means that I've been added to the Potter wedding committee, too."

"You?" said Harry, with faint horror, "with your raging passion for all things pink? Someone, kill me, just now." They both laughed at that.

"Anyway, so far, I'm not complaining about my sisters-in-law, but I'll be glad to see you join the ranks," said Harry.

"I know, right?" said Angelina. "I'd be glad to have me as a sister-in-law."

"Smartass," mocked Harry.

But, honestly, with the twins, Harry had been a little worried that they wouldn't show the sense their brothers showed in choosing their brides. At least one had proved him wrong.

Thierry reappeared hours later, after dinner. He was walking as if he was enraged with something. He headed straight at the dormitory stairs. But Kenneth stepped between him and the staircase.

"What happened to you?" he asked, seeing the bruise on his hand and a slight cut on his face.

"I fell in the stairs," said Thierry.

"And you're that angry with yourself because of that?" asked Kenneth, without any trace of humour.

"I was stupid, and I lacked attention," said Thierry.

He was heading again to the stairs, when Kenneth grabbed his arm. Thierry winced slightly and Kenneth did let go immediately, shocked that he may have hurt him.

"What's going on, Thierry?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Thierry on a dark tone. "Really, mind your own business, alright?"

He walked away and quickly climbed the stairs up to his bedroom, leaving everyone wondering. Kalindra walked over to join Kenneth. Kenneth was looking at the empty staircase in wonder. Now he wasn't only intrigued by what Walter had just said. He was worried, now. The Old Master was right. Something was really wrong. And it had something to do with a private matter for Thierry. But what? Kalindra looked puzzled as well.

"You think something is going on?" she asked.

"Almost certain," said Kenneth. "And if you ask me, it doesn't look good."

Something woke Ian in the middle of night. He didn't know what it was, but it felt like a strange impression, something like a call coming from nowhere. The echo of someone calling his name, but the echo was like it had faded in the wind.

Was it real, or just the remnants of some dream? Ian tried to shake away his doubts to get back to sleep. But again, he felt the call. Something was drawing him awake and toward the window.

Ian got up and threw a look by the window of his bedroom. And he then saw someone. In the bright moonlight, standing in the snow, in a fur cloak, she was looking straight at him.

Again? was the thought shooting in Ian's mind immediately.

Aria Entwistle was clearly developing an interest in the students of the school. But the fact she was looking straight at the Tower was clearly proof that she had been calling him.

Ian didn't hesitate. He dressed up quickly, put on his winter cloak and, after a long hesitation, this time, he opened the window. After a long concentration, he made a step outside the window and closed it again, to be sure not to wake up anyone. Then he began to float down toward the ground, Aria still waiting for him on the snowy grounds of the Castle.

He landed safely. Aria gave him a smile, where Ian could see that she was amused and impressed at the same time.

"I can see you're making quite progress in the use of those gifts of yours," she said.

"That was a first try," said Ian. "What do you want?"

"So blunt, young Ian," said Aria on a reproving tone.

Ian yawned.

"You woke me at three in the morning, don't expect me to be polite," he said.

"I guess you're right," said Aria, with the same smile. "I have to warn you."

"Against what?"

"There's a menace over this school," said Aria.

"Really? I was thinking this attacked student had been knocked out on his own," said Ian sarcastically.

"You don't understand," said Aria. "This is not a student who did this. There is a spy, lurking among you, in disguise. He's acting as one of yours, but he's not."

Ian was startled. It did echo is suspicion. Thinking of his talks with Kieran about the possibility of an inside job for the attack on Ichabod Lightbrown, he wondered why Aria would choose to bring it up, now?

"And you come to me about it," he said pointedly. "It can't be a coincidence. You have to know that I have my suspicions about it."

"Indeed," said Aria, smiling in approval. "I see that Ravenclaw mind of yours keeps its promise. I just wanted to tell you that you are right. There is an intruder in the school."

"So, who is he?" asked Ian.

"That I cannot say," said Aria. "That hasn't been revealed to me. I thought that warning you was important."

"I have two more questions," said Ian. "Can you suffer two more?"

"Well that would make three but go on," said Aria with another smile.

"Okay," said Ian, yawning again, in spite of his interest for the news. "Why are you warning me? Why not Professor Potter, or better, Dumbledore himself?"

"Because your teachers may think it is better for you not to know some things, because that would keep you out of trouble. But by sending them the message through you, I make sure you get it."

"So you want me in trouble?"

"So you can be in position to act," said Aria. "Your gifts are precious, and they could be the thing changing the course of events. Second question?"

"Why not a letter?" asked Ian. "Why did you have to wake me up?"

"Because the message is always remembered more vividly when it is given in special circumstances," said Aria, with another mysterious smile.

"Such as?" asked Ian, archly.

Aria only smiled, as she began to fade out of his sight. Ian wasn't sure, but she may have winked to him before to vanish completely.

Ian sighed as she disappeared.

"Yep, Kenneth is right," he said. "It really becomes annoying, that disappearing thing of hers."

He shook his head in disgust and raised his eyes to the window of his dormitory. He began to rise from the ground, getting back to bed as soon as he could. The message could obviously wait for tomorrow, or she wouldn't have delivered it at such a barbaric hour.

(*)Okay, I got that name somewhere… Ibn Fadlan is the narrator of Michael Crichton's "Eaters of the Dead" that gave birth to John McTiernan's "the Thirteenth Warrior", with Antonio Banderas. The idea of the Eater of the Dead (Death Eater) was too funny not to use the name…hehehe

(**) Also, I need to give credit where credit is due, here, because that line (and the general feel of the scene) has been shamelessly ripped-off the work of the amazing Chris Dee, author of the epic 'Cat-Tales', the BEST (no substitute accepted) Batman fan-fiction ever written. The shouted proposal, out of pure annoyance, comes from 'Knight before Christmas'. It's up on ffnet and on her personal page, so if you like Batman and haven't read this yet, you go check it out, NOW! I mean it, you close that page and you get there, now!

I apologize for the rip-off, but I just couldn't find a better way to close that storyline! It was just perfect! Now, my conscience feels better.