Okay, this one is a bit longer, because it sets up a lot of things, and we're stepping into the main event, here. Hopefully you will like it.
Billdog718 is still the beta and still doing a great job at it, so thanks to him! Also thanks to my mate Wolf-Redlance for the inside talk on this chapter and the help for deciding about some huge changes in characters dynamics. He'll know what I'm talking about, right mate?
Thanks for the reviews and faves. Keep them up, I love those.
Struck Through the Heart
The rumour of the new aggression spread in the school as fast as usual, but this time, Ian was far too busy to have something to do with it. He was concerned by the matter, but on a different level. He was far more interested in the fact that there was a spy in the school than by the attack on this Basil Charleston that he didn't know at all.
So he wasn't dealing with rumours, simply because he was investigating the school directly. Alexander had agreed to his offer to help, if only so that Ian could hone some of the skills they shared. Their ability to read the magic remaining in any place could be of great help.
So, two days after the aggression, as soon as he had finished his Charms lessons, he was out in the corridor where Charleston had been found. He walked cautiously, all his senses on guard, trying to find any trace of anything.
He then spotted someone in the nearby bathroom. It was a tall silhouette, which was obviously searching the place. But the moves were so calm that Ian refused to think the attacker was back on the spot and, no mistake, it was Professor Potter, who was investigating the bathroom. The teacher looked up when Ian opened the door.
"Ah, my assistant," he said with a smile. "Alex had told me that he had put you on the search."
"Apparently you have started without me," said Ian, smiling back.
"For what I have found so far, I could have waited for you," said Potter. "Did you sense anything?"
Ian shook his head.
"Not in the corridor," he said. "The attacker is still very careful to mask his magic. It's like no one was ever there. Is that even possible?"
"Oh, it is," said Potter. "There is a whole branch of charms that are aimed at dissimulation. All the spells that are used in the hiding of our landmarks from Muggles... Sadly, they can also be used by one individual, in order to hide illegal activities."
"Whoever this is, they did a lot to cover their tracks," said Ian.
"Yes," said Potter. "but I think this time he has been surprised by Mr Charleston. So I guess that's why he remembers having walked into someone. The memory charm was incomplete. So maybe he has messed up with something else."
"We can hope so," said Ian, grinning.
He started to scan the place carefully, trying to sort out the spells that had been performed in the bathroom. He found some surprising things. Like one spell, for example, that had been used to increase the memory of someone, so he could remember anything regarding Potions.
"Wow, there are some strange things around here," he commented.
"Student's stuff?" asked Professor Potter.
Ian nodded. Potter smiled then chuckled at that. Ian shot him an interrogative look. He shook his head in dismissal of his worry.
"I just remember the day Professor Weasley, Ron and I did brew a Polyjuice Potion right in the middle of one of the girl's bathrooms," he said, stiffening his laughter.
"In the bathroom?"
"Well, it was haunted, so no one was getting there," explained Potter. "You know, that's the home of Moaning Myrtle."
"Ooh," said Ian in understanding. "Can I ask why you were brewing a Polyjuice Potion?"
"We wanted to take the place of Draco Malfoy's cronies, to make him talk and confess that he was the Heir of Slytherin. There were a wave of attacks upon the School. Long story."
"Just like these days?" said Ian.
"More or less," said Potter. "The victims were found petrified, as the Heir was using a Basilisk, but we're not looking for a Basilisk but for a spy…"
Ian suddenly frowned.
"What is it?" asked Potter.
"I've checked for spells, not for potions," he said.
He then scanned the room again, this time looking for elements remaining on the floor, elements that would be used for a potion. He was about to renounce his idea when he saw something, just inside one cubicle. He walked closer, and knelt in front of the door.
"There is something there," he said pointing to a little puddle.
Professor Potter joined him, and waved his wand.
"Colligere," he said, and the puddle, turned into a little sphere of glass, with a tiny amount of liquid dangling inside of it, and with a stopper on the top of it.
He put the stopper off and smelled the liquid. He winced.
"Polyjuice," he said.
"So what does it mean?" asked Ian.
"That it can be anybody," said Potter. "Someone in the school is not who they pretend to be. Not only is the spy among us, but they look like one of us."
"Charming prospect," said Ian. "There are more than a thousand students in this school. That gives us quite an amount of suspects."
"You forgot about the Teachers," said Potter.
"Great," said Ian. "That brightens the picture, huh?"
"Did I tell you how I love my job?" said Professor Potter, with a dark smile. "and I have the exams to prepare, to add on things."
A figure in beauty and coldness, Lilia was waving her wand in a graceful and terrifying dance, caught in a fight, a fierce duel with another wizard. As the two figures danced around each other, Julie tried to catch glimpses of their faces as spells flashed and curses flew. But her opponent remained in the shadows.
Suddenly, Lilia cast a terrible, familiar curse.
"Avada Kedavra," she screamed.
The scene exploded in green light as a horrible scream of pain suddenly echoed...
And Julie woke up. The visions were becoming more pressing. Something was bound to happen, she just knew it. She was haunted by the feeling that she was actually running out of time.
Pushing herself out of bed, she realised it was morning. Surely Professor Wroxton wouldn't mind if she dropped by quickly before breakfast.
Kenneth was now working on his exams, buried in a book, on a table of the library. Next to him, Kalindra was trying to keep the control of her nerves, since she stated that she was unable to keep everything she needed to know in her head. Kenneth knew better than this. She was smart, and she was only getting nervous.
The exams didn't bother Kenneth too much. He had more on his mind than that. Unlike the previous times the school was in a crisis, the Defence teacher had come to him spontaneously, and kept Kenneth updated on the investigation. Well, it did save time, compared to having Ian report it to him, 'just to be safe'.
The prospect was a bit worrying. There was a spy in the school and everyone was a suspect. Kenneth had taken to keep an eye open around the common room, trying to figure out, who could have slipped inside the school and there was Julie, of course. To be honest, Kenneth sort of dreaded their next encounter. He was pretty sure that they had a lot of unresolved issues, right now and, no mistake, as if she was summoned by his imagination, Julie appeared at the corner of the bookshelves behind which he was working.
"Kenneth?" she said. "A word? Not here, though."
Kenneth nodded, a bit glumly, gathered his things in his bag, and pushed by Kalindra's elbow, and stood up. He thought he heard her whisper something like "go, my boy", but he wasn't sure. He followed Julie in the corridor outside the Library. He was pretty sure he knew what it was about. They still hadn't talked about the way the battle in Hogsmeade had been concluded. The punch in Donahue's face, as satisfying as it had felt, had to be a sore spot for Julie. If anything, she had the tact to wait for the whole ordeal with Thierry to settle down, before she brought it up.
He followed her to a nearby deserted classroom. Distractedly, he wondered if all the classrooms of the castle had ever been filled to capacity. With a thousand students or so enrolled, there were still a lot of empty rooms, in the castle. Had there ever been a school year where the Castle was full?
But that wasn't really important, right now. Julie seemed to be coming here often, because she moved to sit on to a table, as if she was used to it. She also must have noticed his tension, for she smiled.
"So, I was right, then," she said. "You do think that I'm mad at you."
"Aren't you?" asked Kenneth.
"Over what am I supposed to be mad? The punch?" said Julie, shaking her head. "The way I see it, Robert got exactly what he asked for."
Kenneth didn't try to hide his surprise.
"Really?" he said.
"I thought you said you gave me more credit than just being a blind follower of Robert's opinion," she said with a smile.
"True," said Kenneth. "I didn't think that would go as far as condoning a punch in his face."
"I won't say I approve of the violence, but you won't see me defend him, this time," she said. "Also, you may feel just a little bit more justified, when I tell you that, indeed, I have broken up with him, which basically sweeps away his right to touch me. So, again, no complaint from me, Kenneth."
"You broke up with him," said Kenneth, torn between shock and the curious notion that she may be pulling his leg.
"I did," said Julie. "That was even before the attack, if you must know. So he wasn't acting protectively as much as he was lashing out, actually."
"How did that even go down?" he asked.
Surprising him, Julie smiled.
"Not well, but at least, things are clearer, now," she said.
"Clearer?" he repeated.
Julie rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"Alright, I see I can't escape explaining the whole thing," she said. "Beyond the various differences of opinion that we discussed earlier, I found out that he did a few things that I couldn't admit. So, you can now begin to dig in all the 'I told you so' you probably amassed over the last year. Yeah, Robert was wrong for me, and I was a fool not to see it."
"Julie, you don't have to explain," said Kenneth. "I mean, it's hardly bad news, but it hasn't much to do with me."
Julie's smile was tainted by sadness.
"Actually it does," she said, "because the reason that finally caused me to dump him is about you."
"I don't understand," said Kenneth.
"You were right," said Julie. "Back to the pitch fight. You said Robert was behind the shocking spell that hit you. I found out that he was. He taught Walters and told him to hit you with it. He knew you would suspect him, of course. He actually planned on it, so that I would defend you and we would stay even further apart."
"You're kidding," said Kenneth, astounded.
"I wish I was," said Julie. "I'm sorry, Kenneth. I'm sorry you got dragged into his schemes to make sure he would keep me. And I owe Gillian even more of an apology."
"What? Gillian, why would you..." began Kenneth.
The idea flashed through his mind in a second. No. That was... sick!
"You mean that he was behind the rumours about Gillian?" he said.
"He didn't openly admit it," said Julie. "but I know he was."
"But why?" asked Kenneth.
"He saw us grow friendlier again," said Julie. "You and me. After I told you about my visions, we started talking again. I was spending more time with you, with Kallie. He couldn't have that, the manipulative git, so he went all sneaky on us. He mounted that whole mess around Gillian, your partner to the Yule Ball, to goad you into defending her, so that I would be led to side with him and we would be at odds again."
"But we weren't," said Kenneth. "You didn't side with him."
"Yes, he presumed a bit too much," said Julie. "Still, the crap Gillian had to take just so that the two of us remained apart... I feel awful for her. I will have to talk to her and tell her she was right."
"She knows?" said Kenneth.
"She brought up the idea," said Julie. "She and Ian did a little digging. When Ian figured it out, she came to me and warned me, but all of this is almost beside the point."
"What do you mean?" asked Kenneth.
"Kenneth, all of Robert's schemes would have meant nothing if I hadn't pushed you away in the first place," said Julie, seriously. "I owe you the full truth. At least, I owe you that much. I mean, I've been… the worst kind of bitch to you…"
"Julie," he began to protest.
"Kenneth, please, let me get it out, alright?" said Julie.
It was finally time for her to come clean with the only person that mattered. The confidence she had shown in Miss Weasley, in Kalindra, in Professor Wroxton, none of it mattered. The only one who needed to hear the truth was him, and she braced herself before finally confessing and surely ruin their friendship forever.
"I'm not overdoing it, and I don't need you to defend me, right now. I have been an arrogant, stupid bitch," she began. "I made a lot of mistakes since King's Cross. After I kissed you, you had every right to be hurt, especially if you saw me get back with Robert, in September and I was too much of a coward to explain myself to you, because I knew that my resolve would fail me. The truth is, Kenneth, I never opened your letter," she finally said.
"What?"
Kenneth's utter shock was clear in his voice.
"I never opened it," said Julie. "I never dared. I was terrified."
"Terrified? By what?" he asked.
"You need to understand the way my visions work," said Julie. "I can dream up something, or I can get a flash and a vision, sometimes by touching something. When your letter came to my house, I was elated, but as soon as I touched it, I... got a vision of the future."
Kenneth's eyes narrowed.
"And that was terrifying?" he said. "Your future with me was terrifying."
"Yes, because I saw you die!" she said, very quickly, before he could add anything or get a false idea. That had the merit to shut him up and he remained silent, his mouth agape.
"I saw you in Hogsmeade," said Julie. "Remember that narrow street we ran down? I was running there in my vision and when I joined the main street, there was that hidden attacker. He cast a spell at me, and I saw you jump in the way. It caught you in the back, and I saw you die in my arms, swearing your love to me."
Kenneth was too shocked to speak.
"But that didn't happen," he finally said.
"No, that didn't happen, but as soon as I had that vision, I was terrified," said Julie. "I couldn't live with the idea that you would die for me. So I resolved to keep you away from me, so you wouldn't jump to rescue me. So I left your letter unopened, because it allowed me to imagine you were just telling me you just wanted to be friends. I made myself avoid you and I even chose the easy way out, by resuming my relationship with Robert. Somehow, I knew that was the way to make you hate me."
"Hate you?" said Kenneth.
"I know," she said. "I seem to have made a crappy job at that, but I needed to keep you safe. The only thing I could think of was to act as if I wasn't in love with you. I needed you to resent me, so that you wouldn't risk your life for me. Of course, I was an idiot. I know saving people is in your nature, and..."
"Shut it," said Kenneth, suddenly.
Julie looked at him, puzzled.
"I'm trying to think," he said, darkly.
After a moment, he looked at her.
"How could you?" he said.
"Kenneth, I..." she began.
"It was my choice," said Kenneth. "My choice to fight for you... I chose to come to your help. I chose to rescue you in the Maze. Choices like that define me. They define the Wandmaster, the wizard that I am and you chose to rob me of my choice! How could you do it?! Why did you do it?"
Julie's unrestrained emotions suddenly burst out.
"Because I was a coward and arrogant!" she said. "I thought you loved me, and that it would lead you to risk your life for me and I couldn't face that. I couldn't face the idea of causing your death. I couldn't face the mere idea of having that kind of power on you. I'm not stupid. I got the message, last year. You jumped into a deadly spell to save my life, Kenneth. It means something! I know how far you would have gone for me. I couldn't bear to let you sacrifice your life for me. I'm not worth this kind of devotion, Kenneth!"
"What if you were to me?!" he countered. "That wasn't your choice to make."
"Actually it was," said Julie. "Because in the end, it's because I accepted your protection that you're still alive."
"What?" said Kenneth.
"Here comes the part where you really start to hate me," said Julie. "All of this... the train in September, the ball, all of these moments I messed with your heart, all of this was in vain, because I was wrong about my vision. It was because I was pushing you away that you would have jumped in to save me. When you asked me to let you protect me and I accepted, you were with me through the whole fight and you were in perfect position to save me without being hurt. All of it was for nothing. I broke your heart over an arrogant mistake. I should have embraced your love and your protection, and I didn't and now, I will understand if it is too late, if I made a total mess of things. I can understand if you hate me, now that you know this, but I owed you the truth, because, no matter what I've done to you, you still saved my life. I'm trying to set things right, now. I dumped Robert, because I was with him for the wrong reasons. I'll make my amends to Gillian and to the others, for the drama I put them through and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, one day."
She held out the unopened letter to him.
"I know I don't deserve to read this, so..." she said, putting it in his hand.
On that, she walked away, unable to bear the weight of his eyes on her. She could feel the stinging of tears in her eyes, but she held on, at least until she had reached Gryffindor Tower and the relative safety of her dorm. There, she sat on her bed, dropped her face into her hands and wept for the pain she had caused, for the wrong she had done, and for the love she had lost.
Ian was coming back to the Common room. He had again helped Professor Potter to scan a corridor, where Ewan had found Ichabod Lightbrown. They had been searching for traces that would resemble the ones they had found in the bathroom.
His mind was trying to sort out possibilities. The spy could be anyone, even one of the Novices. But that was impossible to determine, without endangering the person whose place had been taken, or raising the alarm among the Warlocks. So all they could do was trying to find tiny elements.
Most students were unaware that a spy was in here. They believed that someone was just stunning students, probably for a bit of a laugh, or to do something particularly forbidden. As it didn't leave any harm on any victim, they didn't worry too much about that, but some students knew. Ian, Kenneth, Julie, and Kieran were among them.
Ian got in his favourite armchair, clearly disappointed by his research and soon, there would be exams to worry about. His mood was getting darker with every thought.
Kieran took a seat next to him.
"I had an idea," she said. "You said the spy could be anyone, right?"
Ian nodded.
"But, if someone was impersonated, there would be strange behaviours, right? Difference in attitude," she went on. "I mean, they couldn't be exactly the same person we know."
Ian nodded again. She was right, of course.
"So it could be a first year," said Kieran. "Since we don't really know their behaviour, it's easier for the spy."
"It makes sense," said Ian. "You have a suspect in mind?"
"Well, not exactly," said Kieran. "Except that we can rule out Ewan."
"You're too kind," said Ian, smiling.
"It's not even being kind, Ian," said Kieran. "Your brother is insane. No one could mimic that without me or you picking it up."
Ian's smile turned to a chortle.
"Okay, you win," he said.
Kieran's grin was a bit smug, now.
"See? I knew I could cheer you up," she said. "But seriously, I'm sorry to say, but the most likely answer would be that the spy is in the Gryffindor first year."
"Because both attacks happened near the Gryffindor common room, right?" said Ian. "It would make sense, but it also could be a false trail."
"I doubt the spy would have planted a false trail," said Kieran. "If they wiped Ichabod and Basil's memories, that means they had no other option. So they were surprised, or caught off guard. Someone able to sneak in the school for a whole year... you think they would plan to leave traces like that? No, they had to improvise."
Ian nodded.
"What do you propose we do?" he asked.
"Well, I would say go to Potter," said Kieran. "Doesn't he have a tool that shows everyone in the school?"
Ian's eyes widened a bit at that. Yes, Alexander had mentioned that.
"How in Merlin's name did you hear about that?" asked Harry, stunned, when Ian brought up the existence of his special device.
"Frankly, you don't want to know, Professor," said Ian.
"I guess I don't," said Harry. "Mr Malcolm, if you would be so kind to stay away from my living quarters. I'm an engaged man and even before we're married, Ginny and I do value our privacy."
"Er... Sure," said Ian, blushing a bit.
Harry had a smile. Ian was brilliant, but he was still a child at heart. Good, there was still a bit of leverage left, there.
The notion the young Ravenclaw had brought up was brilliant, though. Trust him and Kieran to come up with such a theory. Of course a polyjuiced spy would fit more easily within the first years, since no one, with a few exceptions, could actually know if their behaviour was different.
The idea of checking the Marauder's Map for anyone who wouldn't belong was inspired. Granted, Harry had done that the very second he had suspected Polyjuice being in play. He had scanned the entire Map, with a list of all people supposedly admitted in the wards.
There was the most frustrating part: no presence that wasn't supposed to be. Everyone on the school rolls was accounted for, and Harry had made sure the names matched their pictures.
According to the Map, everyone in the school was who they claimed to be. Either the Map was confused, which would be quite the puzzle, there, or someone had managed to circumvent it, either by having the same name as one of the students, or through magic. But said magic would have to be targeted on the Map, which was impossible, since no one coming to the school from the outside would have known about the Map.
Anyway, Ian was still looking at him expectantly.
"Sadly, Ian, while you had a good idea, it doesn't help very much," said Harry. "I have checked on the map and no one stands out as an impersonator."
"The Map?" asked Ian.
"It's a long story, and I don't believe I'm ready to share it with you, Ian," said Harry, with a smile. "Let's not give you too many ideas at once."
Ian's grin was a bit too bright and innocent.
"Have it your way," he said. "I'll figure it out on my own."
As the boy strode away, Harry couldn't help but smile. He was really something and he also could be quite a pain in the neck, that one. Still, it was a nice thought to know that he was on the lookout. Harry wondered how much comfort it had been for Dumbledore to know that the students of the DA, armed with the skills Harry had shown them, were out there to protect the younger students, during the war. Having Ian and Kenneth to look after their schoolmates did help Harry quite a lot.
After the attack, Harry had begun feeling nervous. He was searching for a reason, as often. The Warlocks had a reason to try and get Julie, but he couldn't understand why they were trying to get Amanio and the brotherhood. No matter how long the Warlocks and the Brotherhood had been enemies, an old grudge wasn't enough to justify such an attack, on a very dangerous target.
So when Fawkes dropped on his shoulder, carrying a note from Dumbledore, summoning him to his office, he had the feeling that he was about to get some answers, finally.
Heading there, he was joined by Alexander. They exchanged a meaningful look, before climbing the stairs and entered the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, looking very grave. Facing him, in an armchair, Amanio was looking quite concerned as well.
"Take a seat, Harry, Alexander," said Dumbledore, gesturing to them.
Harry and Alexander did as they were told and soon turned to look at Walter.
"We need to be a bit more open, now," said Dumbledore. "And Walter agreed to tell you more about the stakes we face. He chose to keep things to himself, and I agreed with him, for a while, since we needed to be sure of the enemy and their intent. Since they revealed themselves as the Warlocks, we now know what they want, and why we fight."
Harry and Alexander nodded. It wasn't the first time Dumbledore would keep things close to his chest, to Harry's annoyance, but he usually had good reason to do so, but that Amanio wouldn't trust them was a bit unnerving. Harry chose to let it go, though.
"You have to know what the Warlocks are truly after," said Walter. "If you're going to defend us against their attack, you have to know the truth."
He then produced two jewels. They were made of gold, hanging on a single chain.
"These are the Keys of the Core," said Walter. "They grant entrance to the Master of the brotherhood. They allow me to get inside the Core."
"So the Warlocks want the keys," said Harry. "Why? What's in there?"
"For most people, it's empty, and the only treasure we own are the writings of Merlin," said Walter. "We have the Codex here with us, and we still are working on his translation and interpretation. It contains Wisdom and knowledge, not power. But I do know that the Core conceals something very important, that the Warlocks mustn't put their hands on: the Staff."
"The Staff?" repeated Alexander. "You mean Merlin's Staff?"
Walter nodded.
"In this sacred Staff, resides the Power of our lord Merlin," he went on. "It is a powerful Tool of Magic."
"But how would they use it?" asked Dumbledore. "A Staff only answers to its master."
"Yes," said Walter. "But it is possible to bewitch a Staff and force it to obey. Someone already perverted one of the Staff of our Order, and we can't allow the Staff of Merlin to fall in the wrong hands."
"I understand, Walter," said Dumbledore.
"So they were after you when they attacked the Sanctuary. They were trying to get the keys from you," said Harry.
"Exactly," said Walter.
"Alright," said Alexander. "So our goal is to stop them from getting their hands on you."
"You must remember that we thought the Warlocks had disappeared," said Walter. "When Albus told me they had returned, I did suspect that they would have been the ones to attack the Sanctuary. They have long coveted the power of Merlin and his Staff is among the most powerful items in the world. But we couldn't know who was behind the attack, at the time."
Harry nodded, wincing. He turned to Alexander.
"You think Lilia is involved?" he asked.
"Likely," said Alexander. "According to the Entwistle twins, she is in charge of anything happening in Britain."
"Lilia?" said Walter.
"The High Priestess Lilia," explained Harry. "We had to deal with her, last year, when she attempted to use Julie as a sacrifice to raise the Bane of Atlantis. Could the Staff be used to do that?"
"I do not know," said Walter. "The magic contained in the Staff is extraordinary and most of it is unknown. It would certainly help them to enforce their power and an army led by someone wielding the Staff would cause unprecedented ravage."
"Yeah, not something we should look forward to, then," said Alexander, wryly.
"But there is something odd," said the old man. "How could they have known the place of the Sanctuary? I mean, no Warlock has ever succeeded in finding it. There is magic preventing Muggles and Warlocks to ever find it. They simply could not find it. They should have wandered aimlessly in the woods."
"About that," said Harry. "Kenneth felt a familiar presence, during the attack. We know there is a spy in the school, but it's possible that the Warlocks have the help of someone else, outside of the school. Someone able to find the Sanctuary could have led them there."
"But who?" asked Walter. "We have many visitors. Aurors from all countries, Savant wizards and witches, and of course, history lovers and travellers. The Vale of the Sanctuary is the place of many pilgrimages. We use this as a mean to keep in touch with the Outside World, but no one among these people has the means to lower the defences, like they were, during the attack."
"Someone sold you out, somehow," said Harry, "either a traitor or someone able to pass through the wards. I have no other explanation."
When Kalindra saw Kenneth get back at the table of the Library, she knew something had gone wrong. She didn't wait for him to say anything. She gathered her things and stood up immediately, dragging him out of the Library.
When they reached the outside, she felt Kenneth start to relax a little. She tucked him onto the lake shore, near the tree they used as a relaxing spot.
"What happened?" she suddenly said. "Why can't you two just sort it out?"
"You knew?" asked Kenneth sharply. "About her vision. Did you know?"
"What?" said Kalindra. "Oh… So she's told you about that… Yes, Kenneth, I knew. She cracked before the Ball and told me what had kept her from getting with you. Look, I know I kept her secret, and you can hate me for it, but you need to understand that she was only doing this to protect you…"
Kenneth suddenly deflated and leaned against the tree.
"All of this… all of this, because she thought…" he whispered.
"I know," said Kalindra. "It seems pretty messed up."
"And the vision was wrong," said Kenneth.
"Wrong?" repeated Kalindra. "What do you mean?"
"She said that she had made a mistake by interpreting the vision and pushing me away was in fact leading me to die for her," said Kenneth.
"How is it even possible?" asked Kalindra, puzzled.
"In her vision, she was on her own, and when she was attacked, the only way I had to save her was to jump in the way of the spell," explained Kenneth. "But when it finally happened, she accepted my help, and I was beside her. So I was in position to fight, so Julie realised that if she hadn't been pushing me away, I still wouldn't have died to save her."
"Oh, hell," said Kalindra. "So, all of this mess was for nothing?"
Kenneth had a sad smile.
"How angry are you?" she asked gently.
"I'm angry that she chose to make that choice for me," he said. "It was my choice to make, not hers."
"She chose this because she loves you, Kenneth," said Kalindra, soothingly.
"Maybe" said Kenneth.
"Look," said Kalindra. "I know she hurt you, but, you have to try and put yourself in her shoes, for a while. I know it wasn't easy on her, this year, despite what we thought. I can't even imagine what it was like, to get that vision over and over again, while doing her best to stop it from happening. I mean, I talked to her Divination teacher about it. That kind of vision… it literally haunts you… It messes with your brain, and all."
Kenneth had a twisted smile at that last bit, and Kalindra felt she had hit the right note. Then he sighed deeply, but remained silent for a while. Kalindra noticed that he was holding an envelope. She had a pointed look at it, until he finally broke the silence.
"My letter," he said. "She gave it back to me. She says she doesn't deserve to read it."
"Wow, so she's giving up?" said Kalindra, bewildered. "Why?"
"She's sure that I will hate her, now that I know that she has broken my heart over an arrogant mistake," said Kenneth. "Her words, not mine."
"Do you?" she asked bluntly. "Hate her, I mean..."
Kenneth closed his eyes and rested his head against the tree trunk behind him.
"No," he said, with another sigh. "Merlin help me, I can't even hate her. I'm kind of pathetic, aren't I?"
"It all depends," said Kalindra. "Given the crap she's put you through, if you're still blindly in adoration of her, yeah, that's pretty pathetic. Now, if you're able to admit she screwed up and work your way into forgiving her, then it's the mature thing to do."
"Where is that romantic streak of yours?" asked Kenneth, with a twisted smile. "The way you kept going on about it, I would have thought you'd be all for me forgiving her right away."
"Oh, I have learned, especially because of Julie, that nothing is as simple as I would like it to be with the two of you," she said. "You are in love with her. To a degree that scares me a bit, I must say."
"It scares you?" said Kenneth, puzzled.
"It's so absolute," said Kalindra. "You... Kenneth, you jumped to a very probable death to save her life, last year. That's... intense, for a fifteen-year-old boy. So maybe you needed to see that she is not perfect."
"I never saw her as perfect," said Kenneth.
"Well, if you did, she certainly proved you wrong," said Kalindra, smirking.
"Is it actually helping?" asked Kenneth. "You kinda sound like you want me to resent her."
"No, I don't," said Kalindra. "That's the point. If you just sweep the whole thing away, you will end up resenting her. She screwed up. Big time. You are angry at her. You have the right to be. I think that, right now, you need to be. If you just dismiss it, you'll never work through that anger and she'll always assume you're just being kind and whatever you rebuild with her will be tainted by that."
"So I'm supposed to be lashing out?" said Kenneth, doubtfully.
"No, that's not what you do," said Kalindra. "Just... if Julie knows you're angry and why you are, it might help."
"She knows why I'm angry," said Kenneth. "I told her she had no right to take away my choices."
"And does she know that's the only reason you're angry?" said Kalindra. "Does she know you don't hate her?"
"She... she didn't exactly give me time to say so," said Kenneth.
"I thought so," said Kalindra. "So, here's what. You take the time you need to work through what happened. You think through it and you decide what you want to do."
"And you will be..." said Kenneth, knowing from her tone that she meant to step in.
"I will be telling Julie off for her screw up and I will also tell her that she's been a moron and I will tell her that she's an idiot for giving you that letter back," said Kalindra. "Then I will tell her that you don't hate her, that you need time and that maybe she shouldn't be giving up. Does that sound right to you?"
Kenneth had a sad smile. Kalindra knew she had read him right.
"I guess," he said.
She grinned widely. There was hope after all.
"Anyway, you don't need to do anything right now," she said. "We have the exams coming... that should keep you busy."
Ian was in the Common room, gathering his notes. He had spent the last hour discussing Charm theory with Edwin, and he felt he needed a break. The exam was in two days. He was ready, at this point, so there was no point in obsessing over it. Edwin wasn't as confident, but that was because Charms wasn't his strongest subject. Ian was far from serene, when it came to Potions, but he knew Kieran would help him out. He still had a few days, and she had planned a whole session, the next evening.
Speak of the bookworm, he thought with a smile, as he saw Kieran step down from the Peak, where she spent most of her free time, these days, patiently reassuring Diana that she wasn't going to fail horribly. He smiled and waved at her, and when she saw him, her eyes turned a lot more decisive. Uh-oh, he thought. She has the look. She's up to something. Kieran came to drop into the couch he was settled in, nodding to Edwin.
"So I have this plan," she said.
"I don't like the sound of that," said Ian.
"What, you think I can't come up with a good plan?" she said, ticked off.
"Oh, I'm sure it's good," said Ian. "But when I have a plan, just like you made yours sound, it usually involve me sticking my neck into trouble."
"So?" said Kieran, frowning.
"So, as long as it's my neck, I don't mind, but it's your plan," said Ian. "I don't like the idea of your neck stuck into trouble. I mean, it's a pretty neck."
Kieran blinked at him for a moment, before giving him a smile.
"That's actually sweet," she said. "In a chauvinistic, patronizing way."
"Hey, hey!" said Ian, raising his hands in defence. "I said I didn't like it, it doesn't mean I have any way to stop you."
"Yeah, and don't you forget it, Malcolm," she chuckled.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" asked Ian.
"The exams are here," said Kieran.
"So you plan to... study?" offered Ian on a feigned hopeful way, before dodging a punch to his shoulder.
"Prat," said Kieran. "You remember I said we need to observe the first years, to see if any of their behaviour feels odd, right?"
"Yeah," said Ian.
"Why would you need to observe the first years?" asked Edwin.
Ian looked around, gestured for Edwin to move a bit closer and spoke as low as he could.
"To make it short, the attack on Hogsmeade was planned, because there is a spy in the school," he said. "According to Potter, he's using Polyjuice, so it could be anyone. Kieran thinks it's one of the first years, because no one would notice if they act differently."
Edwin took a minute to digest that. As a prefect, he had been informed of part of the situation, but not all of it.
"Well, that's assuming they aren't like Kieran and you," he said. "You know some students get here with friends they know already."
"Good point," said Kieran, on a tone showing she had considered it, already.
"So we need to focus on people who didn't know anyone before getting here. That's a lot of the Muggleborn, a few purebloods that would have lived apart, and people from... the outside."
"None of the Novices could be fooled if one of them was suddenly impersonated," said Ian.
"I know, but I discretely asked Raphaella," said Kiera. "One of them did enter the Brotherhood pretty recently, so they don't know him much."
"Who's that?" asked Ian, his interest piqued.
"Anton," said Kieran. "I know he's a second year, but that's a possibility."
"But why would he have been around the Gryffindor Common Room?" asked Ian.
"That's why I'm not sure about him," said Kieran.
"Okay, so you plan on going there and just ask?" asked Ian.
"I know for a fact that your brother is getting a bit desperate about his Potions exams," said Kieran.
"Who doesn't?" mumbled Ian. "Alright, so you basically swoop in to the rescue of my brother and offer your help to the whole year, basically?"
"Is that far-fetched?" asked Kieran, suddenly a bit worried.
"Not for you," said Edwin, before Ian could. "That's the kind of thing you do all the time for the rest of the Ravenclaws."
"And if you offer through Ewan, no one will bat an eye," said Ian. "Just be careful, Kieran. The guy we are after didn't hesitate to curse two students."
"I know," said Kieran. "It's not like I'm going in there blind."
"Right," said Ian. "Still... maybe I should come with you."
"That would raise suspicions," said Kieran. "Ewan would think you're spying on him for your parents and he wouldn't trust me."
"I don't like you going alone to try and smoke out a spy," said Ian.
"I'll go with her," said Orlando, who had stopped to listen in.
"You would?" asked Ian, hopefully.
"That bastard has set me and others up to be taken out by the Warlocks," said Orlando. "I will do whatever I can to help."
"Won't that be even more suspicious?" asked Edwin. "If a Novice shows up..."
"Well, it would be," said Kieran, her face showing how quickly she was working through the possibilities. "but, if I'm going to help with Potions, then Orlando does make sense. He's the best in our year."
Ian had to admit this was true. If Snape had been tolerant of the skills of the Novice, Orlando steady progress was now placing him at the very top. He was only competing with Kieran, now, and even she admitted that he was better than her, on that subject.
He nodded to the Novice.
"Try and keep an eye on her, will you?" he said.
Orlando had a meaningful nod.
"Don't worry, Ian, I'll take care of her," he said.
"What do you need me to do?" Ian asked Kieran.
"Nothing," said Kieran. "Keep your ear to the ground and try to catch reactions from my tutoring sessions. But you can't be seen around those. If the spy is good enough to have set up the attack on Hogsmeade, he'll know you're the number one spy in here.
"And he'll know you're my friend," said Ian, getting a bit more worried.
"Ian, it's not like I'm planning secret meetings in the dark," said Kieran. "I'm talking tutoring in the Library, here."
"I guess you're right," said Ian, still a little bothered.
As if to prove Kalindra right, exams came over the school without any kind of mercy, and soon, nobody had time for anything else. Kenneth was busy trying to get an acceptable grade in this Potions and Astronomy classes, his weakest subjects.
Beyond being busy studying, he admitted that he was feeling preoccupied about Julie. She did look pretty down, since their last talk, and she had taken to give him space. She wasn't clearly avoiding him, per se. Since she had dumped Donahue, she had stopped hanging out with any of his friends. She was still in their Gryffindor group, but she deliberately stayed closer to Jennifer, or Alwena, and her friends from the year under them. Whenever one of his friends expressed curiosity about the renewed tension between Kenneth and Julie, Kalindra would kindly but firmly tell them to drop it.
Seeing her like that left him conflicted.
Part of him wanted to go to her and comfort her, or at least tell her she didn't need to beat herself up like she did. While he was still angry at the whole situation, his anger wasn't completely aimed at her, if he was honest with himself. He should have sensed that there was something off, right from the start. Maybe he should have trusted what he knew of Julie and gone to confront her way earlier in the year, and maybe she'd have simply given up on her misguided plan. But he hadn't, and he had wallowed in resentment, probably helped by Donahue's attitude about having 'kept' Julie. So he considered that he was owed at least part of the blame, but another part of him clearly didn't want to talk to Julie, right now, because her decision had hurt him and, even now that he knew her reasons, it still stung that she had taken it upon herself to decide what he was supposed to do.
Finally, there was that stubborn, unyielding part of him that still cared for her and didn't want her to be hurt, to suffer, especially not on his behalf. Somehow, he felt a bit reassured that what he had felt for her last year hadn't been in vain, that she hadn't dismissed him out of simple callousness. She had pushed him away because she feared for his life. That was always something.
He still needed to figure out what he was going to do. How was he supposed to react? It's not like, should he choose to forgive her, he could simply ask her on a date, out of the blue. That would be completely ridiculous. In his current state of mind, he preferred not to ponder too many options, so he had decided to push the issue to after the exams. That was probably the only thing that kept him from blowing up at people, or to go to Donahue, Walters and Cootes and punch their teeth in.
Another diversion came from three letters. One from his father, just keeping him informed of what was going on home and telling him that Uncle Bedevere had dropped by. Kenneth immediately thought of Gareth and his dispute with his father. He wondered how his cousin was doing.
He had his answer when the second letter arrived. Gareth was writing to him from France. And he was telling him that he was sorry about the way he had left things, last time he had seen him. He was on a mission for a private collector and he was doing quite good, according to him. He told him that he had seen Sonia, and that was funny, since they had already crossed path last summer, in the same country. Kenneth remembered Sonia mentioning something about it.
And the third letter was from Sonia herself, who told him the same thing about Gareth. But the letter from Sonia caught his attention, since she was mentioning the Brotherhood. She told him that she was back in the village of Brocéliande, where she had passed, during the summer. She was worried because there had been an attack on Hogsmeade.
Many people here are wondering about the students of their Order. Troy told me they were in Hogwarts, but if there has been an attack on the Hogsmeade village, were the Novices involved?
Kenneth remembered that, indeed, Troy had been there when Hogsmeade had been attacked. Sonia told him that she didn't understand why, but people here seemed to know her name very well. Did he have an idea why?
The rest of the letter was nothing but the usual news about Troy and her, and the fact that she had found Gareth in a better shape than last time she had seen him.
That was good news. But the fact that Sonia was in the neighbourhood of Brocéliande was odd. He decided to speak to Professor Potter about this, but he missed the occasions during the Defence Exam, since Potter was busy with the OWLs and NEWTs. And Kenneth had no will to trouble Thierry with that, since he had enough work to do.
Given their particular status, the Novices were only passing exams as a current test. It was just to make sure that they would have learned from this year, but for the Brotherhood, grades had no interest whatsoever. Thierry was as serious as the others in his work of revision. Kenneth would often stay behind in the Common room with him, to work for the next day.
Kenneth saw the fifth years pass the OWLs and the Seventh Year pass their NEWTs. He crossed path with the ministry examiners, and Professor Tofty even waved at him when he saw him. Kenneth remembered the old man's attitude when Kenneth had passed his defence OWL. That had been fun.
Unfortunately, his mood wasn't bright enough to savour the memory. It seemed like he wasn't the only one depressed. Kenneth could feel that Ian had been preoccupied, these days. And so was Kieran. He doubted that it was related to the exams. It's not like Ian or Kieran had anything to worry about, when it came to the fourth year exams. These two, and most of their friends, were almost guaranteed to pass with flying colours, and he was actually looking forward to Kieran's OWLs results, next year, which would no doubt set a new record in the school's history.
So what was bugging his two friends?
Ian walked out of his Charms practical exam. He was pretty confident with this one, and the knowing smile he had from Flitwick hadn't done anything to contradict that. Charms had always been his strongest subject. Besides, there wasn't much pressure this year. It's not like he was standing for his OWLs, right now.
Practical exams were taken one student at a time, and it had been instructed not to linger around the classroom, for reasons of fairness and order. So Ian emerged alone from the class and went to look for his friends. As he headed back toward the Nest, eager to share with Kieran how she had done, he was caught up by his brother.
"Hey, Ian," said Ewan, casually. "How's it?"
"Not so bad," said Ian. "Practical Charms is over, so I've got a free period, there."
"Nice," said Ewan.
"How are your exams going?" asked Ian. "Will I have to plan for emergency rescues from Mum's wrath?"
"Nope, actually," said Ewan. "I won't say I'm golden, but I'm not set up to fail as much as I feared."
In the Malcolm family, and on the specific subject of Academics Ian and Ewan were near polar opposites, Ian clearly being the brains and Ewan the brawn, forcing his way through learning.
"Between the twins who work like maniacs, and Rachel who has decreed that none of our gang would be held up a year, if only because she needed to keep an eye on me, I've been pestered all year long for the exams, so I actually managed to squeeze in some school work," said Ewan.
"Excellent work ethics," said Ian. "Pestering... squeeze in..."
"Haha," said Ewan. "Oh, by the way, as annoying as it was to have Kieran show up because you clearly believed I needed rescuing, it did help, so thanks."
"Hey, don't look at me," said Ian, grinning. "It was her idea, not mine. So how did it go?"
"Weird," said Ewan. "I mean, it was interesting, and she and Orlando are awesome at Potions. I actually liked to learn a few things with them, which is saying something, but I have the feeling that they weren't really here just for that. There was something on Kieran's mind."
"Yeah, about that," said Ian.
"Oh, right, here we go," said Ewan, sombrely. "There was more than just helping us, right?"
"Yeah," said Ian, gravely. "Look, you have to keep it to yourself, okay?"
Ewan nodded, even if he looked like he didn't like it.
"Kieran and I have this working theory that the spy who set up the attack in Hogsmeade and cursed Ichabod and Basil is in fact living among the students under Polyjuice potion. That means he can be anyone," said Ian.
"So?" asked Ewan, listening intently.
"So if one is to impersonate someone, they'd better make sure not to mess it up, otherwise people can get suspicious," said Ian. "Kieran figures that it'd be easier for a first year, because some of them didn't know anyone before coming to Hogwarts, so their friends wouldn't get suspicious of a change in attitude."
"Oh... So Kieran was actually... scouting us for a spy?" he said.
"Basically, yes," said Ian. "I don't like the idea, but since the attacks took place near the Gryffindor common room, the spy could be in your year, Ewan."
"Wow... does she think that I'm..." said Ewan.
"Of course not," said Ian. "She says no one can do crazy like you."
"Too kind," said Ewan, with a twisted smile that reassured Ian a lot, as it was very much like his brother, right now. "Man... So you think one of my friends... Rachel? Sven?"
"We don't know," said Ian. "But I think we can assume Sven and Susan are okay. They're Chaoticians, I doubt anyone could fake that. And if they were spies from the start, what would be the point of Polyjuice?"
"What am I supposed to do?" asked Ewan.
"For now, nothing," said Ian. "You said the tutoring was weird. Did you see anyone reacting to that?"
"I... I didn't pay attention," admitted Ewan. "I... everyone was there... I know Susan and Sven were fascinated. Rachel was buried in her notes. She's all sorts of panicky about Potions. I remember that Michael looked a bit ill. Chris was asking a lot of questions... I... I just don't know, Ian."
"It's fine," said Ian. "We didn't expect it to work just like that. But we had to use the opportunity given by the exams."
Julie saw the end of the exams approach with a relief tinted with depression. Despite the lifted burden of these examinations, Kenneth was still clearly avoiding her, and even when she was trying to catch his eye, he would avoid her gaze. She wondered what he was playing at. Did he want her to suffer? If so, she could understand it, and was even ready to comply, but that was too much out of character for Kenneth. He wasn't vicious.
At least she hoped that her own wrongs hadn't turned him vicious. The mess she had made of her life would have been laughable if she wasn't so depressed, now.
She was really down when she joined her friends in their dormitory room, before the dinner. She must have looked like, because Kalindra threw her a concerned look as soon as she was in.
Julie let herself fall on her bed, sighing deeply.
"Uho," said Mandy. "We have a depression problem, here."
Julie shook her head, and gave a weak smile. It was so much like Mandy to try and cheer her up. Too bad she felt that awful.
"Aw, Come on, Julie, I'm trying to cheer you up," said Mandy. "You could help me a little, huh?"
"Still won't talk to you, huh?" asked Kalindra.
Julie shook her head again.
"Yeah, I kinda thought so," said Kalindra. "I told you to give him time."
Julie nodded this time.
"I know," she said, "and I'm ready to do that. I'm just... afraid that I've done too much for it to be fixed."
"Er... guys? What is this about?" asked Mandy.
"Shush, Mandy," said Kalindra. "Julie, he doesn't hate you. I mean it. I told you so."
"Yeah," said Julie. "You did, but you were right. I've been such a stupid bitch. It's already a miracle that he doesn't want to curse me on sight."
"What the hell are we talking about?" asked Mandy, growing annoyed.
Julie exchanged a long look with Kalindra and nodded. She resumed working on the ceiling, as Kalindra spoke up.
"Long story very short," said Kalindra. "Julie and Kenneth are into each other. Julie kissed him in June, but when Kenneth wrote to her, Julie got a vision of Kenneth getting killed to save her life. So she resolved to keep Kenneth away from her, and to do so, she didn't follow up on that kiss, got back together with Donahue and basically screwed up most of this year and it was all for nothing, because Julie's vision was misinterpreted and Kenneth didn't need to be put through this crap in order to stay alive. Julie chose to be honest about it, and now she feels guilty, Kenneth is pissed and Julie believes she has lost him forever."
"What the actual f..." whispered Mandy. "You... you... That's... that's nuts!"
"Nuts?" said Julie, without looking away from the ceiling. "Well, that's a new one. I was gunning for stupid, arrogant, short-sighted, selfish. 'Nuts' is a refreshing change. You can go ahead, Mandy, I know I screwed up big time."
"I wasn't talking about that," said Mandy.
"Huh?" said Kalindra and Julie, at the same time.
"I mean it's nuts to think that you have lost Kenneth," said Mandy.
"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Kalindra.
"He's been eyeing Julie during the whole of the exams, always worried and all," said Mandy. "I thought that it was because of the attacks, or Donahue, but... Julie, he's worried about you. I can tell you that. He wouldn't be if you had lost him."
Julie didn't dare to allow herself to hope, but Mandy's words did help. She saw Kalindra nod to confirm what her friend was saying. But still, she sighed.
"I can't believe you thought dating Donahue was good idea, though," said Mandy, sternly. "What were you thinking, Goldie-locks?"
Julie had a sad snort.
"I'd like to tell you it was all planned, but..."
"Damn right, I hope it wasn't planned," said Mandy. "Tell me you didn't get back with the jerk just to spite Kenneth."
"No, she didn't," said Kalindra, more kindly than Julie thought she deserved. "She fell for Donahue's charm, that's all."
"You make it sound so silly. Do you really all think I've been that blind?" asked Julie.
"What do you mean?" asked Kalindra.
"Robert," said Julie. "He has always been so nice to me, that in a way, I refused to believe what Kenneth was saying about him, last year. Is he so awful?" she asked, on a very weak tone. "I mean, I can't be the only one who thought some good of him."
"Awful? No," said Kalindra. "He's too distinguished to be awful, but he's cunning, he's calculating, and he's devoid of scruples. He's also quite proud of himself, and with a head as large as the Quidditch World Cup Stadium."
"Alright, I get the picture," said Julie, with a smile.
"On that score, I don't blame you, though," said Kalindra. "As I told Kenneth many times, even the smartest girl in the school can fall for Donahue's tricks. He's good at that. I'm blaming hormones, girl, not your feelings. At least, you sobered up."
Julie had a twisted smile.
"Thanks," she said sarcastically. "I feel so much better now."
"Again, let me convince you that all is not lost," said Kalindra. "Kenneth's angry, but he'll get over it."
Julie again felt hope in her heart.
"And when he does, you just have to do one thing," said Mandy.
"Educate me, please," said Julie with gentle irony in her voice.
"Grab him," said Mandy. "Pin him against the nearest wall, snog the life out of him and plainly tell him how you feel about him. That will fix it up nicely."
"That's three things," said Julie, with a weak smile.
"Once you've done the first, honestly, the other two will follow," said Kalindra. "She's absolutely right. Once he comes to talk to you again, you need to make it clear for him what you want, okay?"
"Well, at least I cleared things up a bit with Robert," said Julie.
"I can't believe I wasn't there for this," said Mandy, sounding disgusted. "You wouldn't want to do it all over again, right? Redo the whole break-up scene, just for me? Just to see his face, pretty please!" she then asked, eagerly.
Julie laughed at that and Mandy stood up suddenly, making wild winning signs.
"I did it! I made her laugh!" she shouted.
Julie was feeling a bit relieved now, as if some huge weight had been lifted from her heart. No matter the hour, she wished she could talk with Kenneth, now, immediately. She knew she had to wait for him, but now, she wasn't depressed, she was impatient. Part of what she wanted to fix was to let him know how she felt for him. She was his, even if she had hesitated to admit it, but she couldn't lie to herself any more. She loved him, and she had loved him from the moment she had met him. Of course she did. That was the cause of this mess, in the first place. But, maybe, if he was kind enough to forgive her, she could show him how much he meant to her.
Her renewed resolve and hope suddenly shattered as a vice suddenly coiled around her heart and she seized on the bed, causing her friends to jump up in worry. She gasped for air. She was suddenly swept over by a wave of anguish like she had never known before. Something was going very wrong at this very moment! Something terrible had begun! She felt terrified, but not for her. She was safe, right now. But somebody close to her wasn't.
Without any explanation for her friends, who scrambled to follow, she jumped off her bed and ran out of the dorm, dashing down the stairs and across the common room, into the portrait hole. She began to run to the office of Professor Dumbledore. Something was going really wrong! Awfully wrong!
Ian was wandering the corridors, one his way to give his owl Merlin some treats. The bird hadn't had much to do, these days, and Ian didn't want him to feel left out completely. He was still thinking about his talk with Ewan, two days earlier.
Ewan had noticed something off with Kieran, when she had attempted to watch the behaviour of his friends. There was this nagging worry that she could have been found out by someone else and especially the spy.
He may have been playing it cool, but he certainly didn't like the idea of Kieran taking risks. The more the year progressed, the worst the stake looked.
After the attack on Hogsmeade, he now was convinced the year was going to end on a dangerous situation like last year, and even if he hadn't paused to consider safety when he had rushed to Julie's rescue, things had changed a bit. Well, to be honest, they hadn't changed that much, but his perception of them was completely different. He felt like if he lost Kieran, he would be missing a piece of his heart.
So Ian was resolved to tell Kieran that she had to stop trying to find that spy and let the teachers handle it. With that new resolve, he headed to the Nest, to speak with her. But on the way, he suddenly felt watched and a sudden tension rose in the air around him, as if the magic in the castle was reacting to something.
"Ian Malcolm," a voice whispered.
Ian blinked to make sure he wasn't dreaming, or missing someone hidden in the corridor. But there was no one. Yet. Ariel Entwistle suddenly appeared, like walking out of a mist. He looked gravely at Ian.
"Now, it has started," said the mysterious wizard.
"What?"
"Things are set in motion. Your journey is now quickening its pace. The enemy has made the first move. The spy has struck. Closest to you. They have struck through your heart."
"Ewan?" asked Ian, but Ariel suddenly faded out.
Ian was about to turn back and head to the Gryffindor Tower, even if he had to tear a hole in the walls, he would check on his brother, but suddenly he paused. He had a better way, a faster one. Trying to shake away his anxiety, he sat down and breathed deeply in. And he extended his senses to the whole Castle.
He could sense any magic and one of the first spells her mother had cast on Ewan had been a sight spell, to counter the young boy's myopia, at his birth. And it was a spell including Ewan's name. Ian suddenly spotted it in the middle of the Common Room. It was linked to a steady life force and it was moving, surrounded by many other people. He was doing fine.
Ian shook his head, standing up. What was going on? Ewan was fine. His brother was okay, so…
But Ian suddenly realised what Ariel had meant.
Through your heart. A tight knot formed around his heart.
"No, not that," he said.
He rushed out of the corridor, running wildly across the castle. He reached the Nest within minutes, almost knocking down Professor McGonagall down the stairs she was ascending. He almost walked through the statue, because it wasn't opening quickly enough.
He emerged in the Common Room, getting many surprised looks.
"Where is Kieran?" he asked, out of breath, and pale as death.
Mwhahahahaha! Cliffhanger!