– Chapter Eighteen –

The Seals and the False Prophet

It was clear that Harry was having issues being the fourth Champion, and once Monday came around he could no longer hide from everyone else in the school. Although Romi was immersed in trying to grapple with the idea that the Apocalypse was upon them though really it felt like every other year at Hogwarts; she kept a close eye on Harry. The rest of the school, obviously, just like the Gryffindors, thought Harry had entered himself in the Tournament. Unlike the Gryffindors however, they did not seem impressed.

The Hufflepuffs, who were usually on excellent terms with the Gryffindors, had turned remarkably cold towards the whole lot of them. One Herbology lesson was enough to demonstrate this. It was plain that the Hufflepuffs felt that Harry had stolen their champion's glory; a feeling exacerbated, perhaps, by the fact that Hufflepuff house very rarely got any glory, and that Cedric was one of the few who had ever given them any, having beaten Gryffindor once at Quidditch.

Herbology was a very unpleasant experience as Romi and Neville sat with Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones. They were very cold and didn't look at Romi or Neville once, and kept giving dark glances to Harry who was sitting at the table beside them.

Things weren't made any better when they headed down to Care of Magical Creatures after Monday's Herbology lesson.

Predictably, Draco arrived at Hagrid's cabin with his familiar sneer firmly in place.

"Oh, great," Romi said, watching Draco coming down from the castle. "Let a skrewt eat me now."

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until we have to face the horseman?" Neville said, cynically.

"Oh, I think now would do just perfectly," Romi replied.

Draco and the rest of the Slytherins finally caught up to the group of Gryffindors outside Hagrid's cabin.

"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," he said to Crabbe and Goyle the moment he got within earshot of Harry. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because doubt he's going to be around much longer… half the Triwizard champions have died… how long do you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."

Crabbe and Goyle guffawed sycophantically, but Draco had to stop there, because Hagrid emerged from the back of his cabin, holding a teetering tower of crates, each containing a large Blast-Ended Skrewt. To the class's horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the reason the Skrewts had been killing each other was an excess of pent-up energy, and that the solution would be for each of the class to fix a leash on a Skrewt and take it for a short walk. The only good thing about this plan was that is distracted Draco completely.

"Take this thing for a walk?" he repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end or the sucker?"

"Roun' the middle," said Hagrid, demonstrating. "Er – yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Harry – you come here an' help me with this big one…"

"I can think of so many things right now I'd rather be doing," Pansy said in a shrill voice to her gang of Slytherin girls.

"Don't let your mind wander," Romi said loudly to her. "It's far too small to be let out on its own."

There was a snicker from the Gryffindors as they bravely set forward to harness their Skwerts.

"Do we have too," Neville said, staring down into a crate with the Skrewt clicking menacingly at him.

"I think so," Romi replied. "How much time you wanna bet before they get away from us?"

Neville huffed and then went to get a leash for both of them. They finally joined the rest of the class walking the Skrewts, they did not look like to be having a good time at all. No longer shell-less and colourless, the Skrewts had developed a kind of thick, greyish shiny armour. They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs, but still without recognisable heads.

Every now and then, with an alarming bang, one of the Skrewts' end would explode, causing it to shoot forward several yards, and more than one person was being dragged along on their stomach, trying desperately to get back on their feet. It did not take long for Romi's Skrewt to explode, and out of quick, however silly, thinking she dropped the leash and the Skrewt continued to explode rapidly forwards alone.

"Romi!" Hagrid called annoyed and worried from his cabin, starting to run after the Skrewt.

"Sorry," she said, not sounding it at all.

The next few days at Hogwarts were one of great animosity. Everywhere that Harry went he was met with dislike on all sides. Romi tried to spend as much time with him as she did with Neville, Ginny and Luna.

They had been spending every moment they could get in the library. Luna had found the only good book so far, describing several, assumed, symptoms of having a horseman nearby. Yet nothing so far as to how to stop them.

"But we still have time, right?" Neville said, one night as they watched Ms. Pince lock up the library and put out all the lights. They started making their ways back to the Towers. "We don't know when the Horsemen will arrive."

"That's even worse, isn't it?" Ginny said with a huff. "They could appear at any time, and we may not be prepared in any way."

"That's depressing," Neville answered.

"So is the universe ending," replied Luna lightly.

Romi couldn't help but chuckle slightly at Luna's tone of voice.

Romi had also spent extremely busy hours in the Hospital Wing. She was excelling at her Apprenticeship according to Madam Pomfrey, who was eager for the assistance as the cases of flu and colds sky-rocketed within a couple of weeks. Romi was now very well experience in making Pepper-Up Potion and administering it to the ailing masses.

Fleur Delacour spent a very loud half an hour sweeping around the castle, exclaiming the sickness was due to the draftiness. Romi was getting very frustrated with Fleur's obnoxiousness, but after so many cases was starting to wonder if Fleur might be right.

When Romi and Neville arrived outside Severus' dungeon after lunch on Friday, they found the Slytherins waiting outside, each and every one of them wearing a large badge on the front of his or her robes. Romi squinted at them and saw that they all bore the same message, in luminous red letters that burnt brightly in the dimly lit underground passage:

Support CEDRIC DIGGORY-

the REAL Hogwarts Champion

"Oh, this can't end well," Romi muttered to Neville as they walked closer. He shook his head in agreement, his eyes wide. Just then Harry and Hermione started to walk up to the line.

"Like them, Potter?" asked Draco loudly, as soon as Harry was close enough. "And this isn't all they do – look!"

He pressed his badge into his chest, and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another, which glowed green:

POTTER STINKS

The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges, too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry. Romi could almost see Harry getting angrier.

"Oh, very funny," Hermione said sarcastically to Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "really witty."

"Want one, Granger?" said Draco, holding out a badge to Hermione. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see, don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

"Hey!" Romi started, threateningly, but she didn't get very far, because Harry, clearly furious and completely losing his temper, pulled out his wand and pointed it at Draco. People all around them scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.

"Harry!" Hermione said warningly.

"Put it down!" Romi hissed.

"Go on then, Potter," Draco said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now – do it, if you've got the guts–"

For a split second, they looked at each other, then at exactly the same time, both acted.

"Furnunculus!" Harry yelled.

"Densaugeo!" screamed Draco.

Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in mid-air and ricocheted off at angles. Romi threw up her arms to shield from the light, as did most of the other students in the Hallway. Harry's spell hit Goyle in the face, and Draco's hit Hermione. Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great, ugly boils were springing up. Hermione whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.

"Hermione!" Ron had hurried forwards to see what was wrong with her. Romi was right beside him. Ron dragged Hermione's hand away from her face. Hermione's front teeth – already larger than average – were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, towards her chin – panic stricken, she felt them, and let out a terrified cry. Romi pulled out her wand and tried to remember anything that would be able to help.

"And what is all this noise about?" said a soft deadly voice, Severus had arrived.

The Slytherins clamoured to give their explanations. Severus pointed a long yellow finger at Draco and said, "Explain."

"Potter attacked me, sir–"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.

"–and he hit Goyle – look–"

Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.

"Romi–" Severus began.

"I'm not doing anything," Romi snapped back before Severus could finish his sentence.

"Take him to the Hospital Wing," Severus said quietly. "You might learn manners as well as how to heal this."

Romi glared at him.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"

He forced Hermione to show Severus her teeth – she was doing her best to hide with them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind Severus' back. Romi was furiously angry at Pansy and was already plotting her revenge.

Severus looked coldly at Hermione, then said. "I see no difference."

Hermione let out a whimper, her eyes filled with tears, she turned on her heel and ran all the way up the corridor and out of sight.

It was lucky, perhaps, that both Harry and Ron started shouting at Severus at the same time; lucky their voice echoed so much in the stone corridor, for in the confused din, it was impossible for him to hear exactly what they were calling him. He got the gist, however.

"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Romi go to the Hospital Wing."

"No!" Romi said fiercely. Severus stared at her.

"Do as I say," he said coldly.

"No!" Romi repeated, putting her hands on her hips, her wand still gripped in her hand.

Severus grabbed her upper arm in a very painful grip and steered her away from the rest of the class who were staring at Romi dumbstruck. Severus took her out of ear reach.

"You will do as I say young lady, or I will contact your Father," Severus said.

"Go ahead!" Romi snapped back, suddenly losing all faith her godfather. "Someone has to stand up to you!"

"Go!" Severus demanded dangerously, "I will talk to you later."

Romi held his gaze as long as possible, trying to out hold her will. She glanced at Neville though and then spun on her heel and marched away furiously, not looking back. Her mind wheeled as she pounded the stairs to the hospital wing and she entered it almost nearly as furious. She couldn't believe her Godfather right now.

Hermione was sitting on a bed while Madam Pomfrey examined her teeth. Both looked up at Romi's arrival, and a second later, the door opened again and Romi could only assume that it was Goyle entering afterwards.

Madam Pomfrey looked between Romi and Goyle, then spoke.

"There is a jar in my office, Romi," she said, "with some green paste inside, please apply it for Mr Goyle."

Romi nodded, not trusting that she wouldn't explode again and went to Madam Promfrey's office. She searched her supply cabinet, found the paste that she was looking for and headed back towards the beds.

Goyle was sitting on a bed on the opposite side of the room as Hermione. Romi stormed over to Goyle with the paste in her hands.

"If you say anything, make any little noise, I will make that fungus worse," Romi said threateningly as she used her wand to spread the paste. Wisely Goyle said absolutely nothing while she worked. "Leave that on for the rest of the night, and wash it off in the morning. You'll be fine."

Goyle nodded and walked off. Romi turned to look at Hermione. She was sitting with Madam Pomfrey who was holding up a mirror for Hermione to see. Her teeth were extremely long now, halfway to her waist and undoubtedly extremely painful.

"Now, just let me know when they have returned to their normal size," Madam Pomfrey said and pointed her wand at Hermione's teeth. "Minimus."

Hermione's teeth began to reverse their direction and shrink back down to normal size.

It took a good ten minutes until finally Hermione gave the signal that they were right.

"All right then," Madam Pomfrey said, examining Hermione's teeth. "You shouldn't eat right away, and only soft foods for today and tomorrow, anything hard will be painful."

Hermione nodded quickly wiping her cheeks, "thank you."

"You're welcome," Madam Pomfrey said and she bustled off. Hermione looked to Romi.

"Did you get in trouble?" Hermione asked.

"Why would you say that?" Romi replied.

"Because you were absolutely fuming when you came inside and I know you, you would have yelled at Professor Snape," Hermione answered. Romi walked closer to her.

"Harry and Ron yelled and got in trouble," Romi answered sitting on the bed. "I left with the promise of having to talk about it later."

Hermione grimaced. "I hope he doesn't do something to bad to you."

"He won't," Romi assured her, "at least, I doubt it." Hermione didn't look convinced.

"I'm sorry Draco got you," Romi said.

"It wasn't your fault," Hermione answered. "Jerk as he is."

Romi giggled. "I could go and smack him for you."

"Yeah, that'd be great. I know that you hit hard," Hermione replied.

"Wow," Romi said, feeling less angry already. "I'm surprised, jumping on board with the whole revenge thing. I thought you thought that was one of my flaws."

"It is one of your flaws," Hermione said, getting off of the bed. "But I'll share in this flaw for a little while."

"I don't think we're going to find much today," Ginny said finally, after nearly two hours of silence. "I'm going to write to my mum and get her to send me all of my myths and legends books at home, they are the only thing I can think of that will help. Might as well take the rest of the day off and sleep or something."

"Sounds good to me," Neville said, stretching out at the desk. He yawned loudly, and then relaxed. "Back to the Tower, or outside?"

"I think outside would be nice," Luna said, glancing at the window. "It'll be light for a little while longer. Might be able to practice our sword techniques."

"Oooh fun," Romi said sarcastically. "I have to get yelled at," Romi said standing up. "So, enjoy the nice weather without me."

"Yelled at by who?" Ginny asked.

"Severus," Romi answered, "Neville can fill you in, if you haven't already heard."

She left the library and headed for the dudgeons. There was very few people around down there, aside from the occasional Slytherin leaving their common room. Romi came up her to Godfather's office, plucked up her courage and knocked.

Severus opened it a minute later.

"I didn't expect that you'd come to me," he said, opening it wider and allowing her inside. She couldn't tell by his voice what kind of a mood he was in.

"I didn't want to wait for the punishment," Romi stated. "Waiting is always worse."

"I see," Severus said, closing the door behind her.

"Did you contact my father?" Romi questioned.

Severus paused watching her.

"No," Severus said finally and went back to his desk. "I wasn't going to say anything rash."

"Like you said this afternoon?" Romi said. Severus watched her as he leaned on the desk.

"Are we going to fight about it again?" he asked.

"I'm up for it if you are," Romi said grumpily, flopping in his spare chair.

"I'm not," he answered icily.

They stared angrily at each other for a moment.

"Romi," he said finally. "You are my goddaughter, and I do love you, but I cannot allow you to speak like that to me in front of the entire class."

"No one's stopping you from talking like that," Romi replied annoyed.

"Romi, enough," Severus said, slapping his hand on the table. Romi jumped slightly at the noise, but it did not subdue her if that was the idea. "Just because you are my goddaughter doesn't mean you get to say whatever you like. I am still your teacher."

Romi watched him, feeling very mad again.

"You will join your brother and Mr Weasley in detention – no excuses," Severus said before she could protest. "Understood?"

Romi held her ground for a little bit, staring at him and then nodded.

"Alright," Severus said relaxing slightly. "Now that's over, are you alright? Something seems to be bothering you lately?"

"Switching just like that?" Romi asked, annoyed still.

"Yes," Severus replied. "Just like that."

Romi looked at him and saw the Godfather that she remembered from when she was growing up, and she found she couldn't be as mad at him as she wanted to be. But as much as he looked like he wanted to help, she couldn't tell him.

"I'm alright," Romi replied, hitching a smile. "Though this really annoying teacher just gave me a detention."

"Very funny," Severus said dryly. He paused for a moment, then said, "You will ask me if you need help or anything, right? I know that it's probably just you growing up, and I've been trying to give you your space, but I'm still here if you need me."

"Thanks," Romi replied. "If I need anything I will go to you," she said. Though deep down, she could feel that she probably would never make good on that promise.

"Oh, this isn't good," Ginny said the next afternoon, staring down at the book in front of her. Her mother had sent all the books that she had requested and the four of them were sitting outside on the lawn enjoying the last bits of good weather.

"What?" Romi asked, tossing her own book aside. She was lying on her back, and craned her neck to see Ginny, who was lying on her stomach. Ginny's hands were propping up her head and at the same time keeping her long red hair out of her face.

"I think I just found something," Ginny said, looking at bit closer at the page. She was silent for a moment.

"Well? Spill," Romi said when Ginny hadn't continued.

"This is written by a monk in the twelfth century," Ginny said, motioning to the book in front of her. "It says that the False Prophet can only be let out if the sixty-six seals have been broken."

"The sixty-six seals?" Neville replied. "What were these seals to look like?"

"I don't know," Ginny said, "he doesn't say, but he does say that if the seals are not broken then the False Prophet cannot rise, and if the False Prophet cannot rise, then neither can the Horsemen."

"So the seals are broken," Luna concluded, "That's what Elena must have been doing last year – breaking the seals."

"It would seem that way," Ginny said. "And we've been told the False Prophet is here already. And he's gathering the horsemen here." She read onwards a little bit, "look at this bit here."

She pointed to a part in the text, her red hair falling loose in front of her face. Neville, Luna and Romi leaned in to read the part of the text she was pointing at.

Romi looked at it for a moment, then when Ginny didn't read it out loud, she did; "'Four that stand firm in love, four that hope from above, to defeat these Horsemen, fierce, one loyal heart must be pierced. First the magic will flow, followed by the horseman in tow, each face his own to defy, binding chains round the neck untie.' Now what in the world does that mean?" Romi asked looking up at them.

Ginny was looking at her stunned.

"What?" Romi asked.

"That's not in Latin, Romi," Ginny said, glancing at the book, "That passage is in Old English – I didn't think you knew Old English."

"I don't," Romi said, looking at it again. "Or maybe, I guess I do."

Neville shook his head, with a smile on his face.

"The more I get to know you, the stranger you become," Luna said, looking at Romi deep in the eyes, "and that's saying something coming from me."

Romi laughed, Neville was grinning, but Ginny apparently wasn't paying attention, she was staring at the text in the book.

"Read it again, Romi," she asked. Romi obliged and repeated the passage.

"Pierced through the heart," Neville said, looking slightly nervous. "That doesn't sound pleasant."

"I imagine not," Romi replied.

"First the magic will flow," muttered Ginny. "Does he mean the magic of the Horsemen?"

"And what would that be?" Romi asked.

"Well, I would guess that it would be something like disease for pestilence, and shortages of food or something for famine, and fights breaking out for war…" Ginny trailed off.

"And for death?" Romi questioned.

No one answered her.

"Did Captain say something about each of us having a nemesis?" Luna said. "One for each of us?"

"So how do we decide?" Neville asked.

"I have a feeling that they decide for us," Romi answered. "We can expect that the horsemen won't be easy. They will do their best to distract us, keep us from dealing with the main issue."

"The Chains," Ginny said, sitting up, crosslegged and tucking her hair behind her ears. "This monk talked about chains untied. What if he is referring to the necklaces that Captain was talking about? If we get them from the Horsemen, then maybe it'll render their powers useless."

"That's seems as likely as anything," Neville replied. "Next questions; who's coming first?"

They were silent for a while.

"Pestilence," Romi replied slowly. "I think it'll be Pestilence."

"How can you be sure?" Ginny asked, curiously.

"The number of head colds coming into the Hospital Wing lately," Romi said. "Flu season hasn't even started, and I treated six people alone on Friday during my class."

"Great," Ginny said. "Everyone be on the lookout, I have a feeling it won't be long until something more substantial appears. I wonder if magic will be enough," Ginny said, looking worriedly at Romi.

"Perhaps I should get a blade as well," Luna said smiling at the three of them. "I think I've become just as proficient as Romi, I think."

"Where are you going to get a blade here?" Neville asked, spreading his arms around to show them where they sat on the castle grounds.

"We live in castle, Neville," Luna said lightly, "there are plenty of statues of armour."

Romi smiled, "that could work, if the armour would let you borrow it."

"Maybe's there's someplace in Hogsmeade?" Ginny suggested.

"We'd never get it back into the castle," Neville pointed out.

Luna thought for a moment. "There is a legend about a room in Hogwarts that you can hide anything in there, and it disappears."

"The room or the item?" Romi asked.

"The room – it comes and goes at will," Luna said. "Perhaps there is something in there."

"A room that can't be found," Ginny said sounding unconvinced and looking at Luna.

"Unless you already know where it is," Luna said, smiling brightly.

It just looked like a wall to Romi. Though she obeyed when Luna told them to close their eyes. Several seconds passed.

"Okay," Luna said finally, and all three of them opened their eyes. In front of them was a large, very orate door.

"I told you I knew where it was," Luna said, pulling the door open.

It was enormous inside, and there were piles and piles and piles of items thrown everywhere. Several hundred years of Hogwarts students hiding their valuables, just to be forgotten in the passing years. Heaps of broken furniture were piled high around them, with several hundred thousand books lying around. Fanged Frisbees and winged catapults were stacked beside crystal vials and bottles with their contents still glimmering in the light.

"This is incredible," Ginny said, bending down to examine a book near the base of a large black cabinet, with silver furnishing. Ginny didn't touch the book, but looked very carefully at every angle of the page it displayed.

"I have to agree," Neville said, "It is incredible."

"Here we go," Luna said after having walked around a large pile of what looked like the charred remains of a vast number of books. Romi, Neville and Ginny followed Luna to the back of the cathedral like room.

Stacked among the thousands were swords, axes, daggers and bows.

"Wow," Ginny said, looking over the weapons. "They must have been here for centuries."

"Yeah, when wizards still needed Muggle weapons," Neville said, he gently lifted a sling off the rack. "What is this?"

"It's a sling," Romi said, "You put a rock in it, and throw it."

"Sounds like my kind of weapon," Neville said, "Primitive and inaccurate."

"If you can be very accurate if you try," Romi said with a smile. She looked over her shoulder and around. She pointed to a couple of Fanged Frisbees that were half-heartedly floating over a pile of discarded garments several feet away. "Try hitting those."

"Yeah, right," Neville said, going to put the sling down again.

"No, seriously!" Romi insisted. "Maybe the sling is your weapon."

"Maybe I don't want to have a weapon," Neville replied, but he didn't put the sling down, instead, looked very carefully at it.

"Come on, just try, you won't be hurting anyone," Romi said, smiling, "I promise we'll stand far behind you."

"What would I throw," Neville said.

"These," Luna answered, depositing a handful of what seemed to be marbles in his hands.

"Are these… rocks?" asked Neville, looking at them closely.

"I think they are made out of metal," replied Luna, "but they fit the sling."

Neville looked at the three of them with raised eyebrows, "if I try, will you promise not to laugh when I miss it?"

"We promise," Romi said, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible and not smile.

Luna and Ginny nodded too.

Neville sighed and looked over at the Fanged Frisbee. He looked for a moment whether he was contemplating not doing it all together, but then he loaded one of the metal marbles, gripped the sling and taking aim, fired.

There was silent for a moment, Romi wondered if perhaps the marble had got stuck in the sling, when half a second later, the Fanged Frisbee went down with a crash.

Romi looked at Neville.

"That's impossible," Neville said, looking at the sling. "Just a coincidence." But he loaded and second one, and taking aim at a different Frisbee, fired again. The Frisbee went down.

"Uncanny," Ginny said, softly. "Do you think it's magic?"

"What in this place isn't?" Romi asked.

Suddenly another Frisbee went down, and Romi looked to Neville.

"I didn't do that," Neville said. He smiled, "so it must have been a mistake."

"I threw that one," interrupted Luna. Romi looked over to her. Luna had an array of throwing knives in her hands. "They called me to I picked them up. Magic," she added smiling.

"Yeah, magic," Romi muttered. She looked to Ginny. "You're turn."

"My turn?" repeated Ginny. "I'll stick with the books, I think."

"Come on," answered Romi. "I have my sword, Neville's got a slingshot, and Luna's got the daggers. If we're going to fight the Apocalypse, I think both magic and Muggle weapons are better than just magic. Especially when they seem to be magical Muggle weapons."

Ginny tried not to smile and then sighed. She looked around and her eyes landed on a large wardrobe to her left. She walked over and pulled the doors open.

Inside was an unstrung short bow. The curved wood was still in impeccable condition, with a quiver stuffed full with arrows beside it.

Ginny gently picked it up and chose one of the strings. She strung it like she had been using bows her whole life and plucked an arrow out of the quiver. She held the bow up, threaded the arrow and aimed for one of the last hovering Frisbees.

The arrow took flight and pinned the Frisbee to the opposite wall. She lowered the bow.

"I think you've found it," Romi said.

"Isn't this just a little bit strange," Ginny asked. "I mean, all of these other weapons are rusted through. But not these ones."

"Well, that's why I picked it up," Neville said, playing with the string in his hands again, "'cause it looked intact."

"But why are these intact when the rest aren't?"

"Magic," Luna replied with a smile.