Silver knew that Coral had meant well, but that didn't stop him from being angry with her. He had been the owner of the best board in the world for a few short hours, and now, because of her interference, he didn't know whether he would ever see it again. He was positive that there was nothing wrong with the Psychic Wave now, but what sort of state would it be in once it had been subjected to all sorts of anti-jinx tests? Razor was furious with Coral too. As far as he was concerned, the stripping-down of a brand- new Psychic Wave was nothing less than criminal damage. Coral, who remained convinced that she had acted for the best, started avoiding the common room. Silver and Razor supposed she had taken refuge in the library and didn't try to persuade her to come back. All in all, they were glad when the rest of the school returned shortly after New Year, and Shinobi Tower became crowded and noisy again. Khan sought Silver out on the night before term started. "Had a good Christmas?" he said, and then, without waiting for an answer, he sat down, lowered his voice and said "I've been, doing some thinking over Christmas, Silver. After last match, you know. If the Prelates come to the next one... I mean... we can't afford you to… well…" Khan broke off, looking awkward. "I'm working on it. Knuckles is going to teach me" Silver said immediately. Khan gave a great sigh of relief "Well, that's good to hear. I wouldn't want to lose you as a Seeker. Have you ordered a new board" "Not exactly" "What do you mean? You can't use that High Booster against Gossamer". Razor then appeared as if out of nowhere "He got a Psychic Wave for Christmas". Khan needed a few moments to processes these words "You… You-You got a Psychic Wave? Seriously? A real Psychic Wave?" "Don't get excited. Echo took it off me". Silver then explained the whole story angering Khan "Jinxed? How can it be jinxed?" "Elias Acorn. He supposed to be after me and Echo thinks he sent it". Khan didn't seem to have cared that a famous murderer was after his Seeker "But Elias couldn't have bought a Psychic Wave! He's on the run! The whole country's on the lookout for him! How could he just walk into Quality Sky Chase Supplies and buy a board" "I know but Echo says she's going to strip it down". Khan went pale "I'll go and talk to her, Silver. I'll make her see reason... A Psychic Wave... a real Psychic Wave, on our team... She wants Shinobi to win as much as we do... I'll make her see sense".
Classes started the next day, everyone was anxious about Care of Magical Creatures on an early January Morning but it seemed like Big had gained some of his confidence back over the holidays. He had prepared a massive bonfire full of small baby Biters, little lizards made of lava. They spent a the lesson keeping the fire going with logs. It was a surprisingly fun lesson, especially when the Biters would show their appreciation by occasionally leaping onto one of the students and keeping them warm. Pyjamas' lessons were the same, right down to always reminding Silver that he was going to die soon. What made Silver's day however was the end of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Knuckles had returned and after talking to Khan Silver was keen to know when his first Prelate lesson would be "Yes. Let me see... how about eight o'clock on Thursday evening? The History of Magic classroom should be large enough... I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this. We can't bring a real Prelate into the castle to practice on". Silver thanked him and left to go down to dinner. Razor joined him "He still looks ill, doesn't he? I wonder what's wrong with him". There was an impatient tut behind them, it was Coral "And what're you tutting about?" Razor asked. Coral's had a look of superiority that Silver hadn't seen of her since before they became friends "Isn't it obvious what's wrong with him?" "If you don't want to tell us, don't" "Fine!" she marched off. Razor watched her resentfully "She doesn't know. She just wants to get us to talk to her again".
Eight o'clock Thursday Silver left Shinobi Tower and headed to the History of Magic Classroom. Knuckles was already there, the only other thing in the room was a large case lying on the floor "What's that?" "Another Mimic Ghost. I found this one hiding in Rykor's office. It's imitation won't be as strong as a real Prelate but it'll be good enough". Silver nodded, trying to hide his apprehensiveness. Knuckles but on his shovel claws "Okay, The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Silver. Well beyond ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm. It creates a guardian that works as a shield against the Prelate". Silver had the image of a Big sized bodyguard holding a club. Knuckles continued "The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Prelate feeds upon, hope, happiness, the desire to survive. But it cannot feel despair, as real people can, so the Prelate can't hurt it. But I must warn you, Silver, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it" "What does it look like" "Depends on the person. Now to produce it you need a happy memory and you need to concentrate on it with all your might". Silver closed his eyes and tried to think back, certainly nothing at Penders Drive. He eventually settled on the first time he had ridden his Blue Star around the Sky Chase Pitch. He tried to remember the sensation "Okay" "Now the incantation is Expecto Patronum" "Expecto Patronum" Silver slowly repeated. Knuckles nodded "Okay, do you want to try with the Mimic" "Yeah" Silver said taking a deep breath. He moved in front of the case trying to hold onto his memory but something kept intruding. Any second now he might hear his mother again and he didn't want that… or did he? Knuckles kneeled down next to the case and opened it.
A Prelate Chameleon climbed out and began slowly lumbering towards Silver. He raised his hands trying to ignore the growing cold in his chest "Expecto Patronum… Expecto Patronum… Epecto… Expe…". The class and the Prelate dissolved and his mother's voice was louder than ever "NOT SILVER! PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING!" "Silver! Silver!". Silver sprung back to life, he was lying on the floor "Sorry" he said feeling humiliated. Knuckles helped him up "Are you alright?" "Yes" ""Eat this before we try again. I didn't expect you to do it your first time; in fact, I would have been amazed if you had" he gave Silver a few pieces of chocolate. Silver ate it leaning against the desk "It's getting worse. I could hear her louder that time". Knuckles stared at him "Listen, Silver, if you don't want to continue, I'd completely understand" "No! I've got to keep going. What if another Prelate shows up at the next match". Knuckles slowly nodded "Alright, but you should choose a different memory. Happier. That one clearly wasn't strong enough". Silver tried to think, what about when Shinobi won the House Cup in his first year. He thought that should be enough and moved back to the desk "Ready". Knuckles hesitantly opened the case. The Prelate returned and extended out his hand to Silver "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum… Expecto Pat…". He heard the voice again but then there was another voice, a man's voice "Kal, take Silver and go! It's him! GO! RUN! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF!" then a stumble, an explosion and a horrifying laugh "Silver! Silver, wake up". Silver again found himself lying on the floor. He sat up breathing heavily "I heard my Dad. That's the first time I've ever heard him. He tried to take on Finitevus himself, to give my mum time to run for it". Silver suddenly realised there were tears among his sweat. He looked down pretending to fix his shoes as he wiped them away. Knuckles stepped back from him "You heard Shadow?".
Silver finally looked up with a dry face "Yeah… Did… Did you know him?" "Yes, I knew both your parents We were friends at Soleanna" "What were they like at school?" Silver asked completely forgetting about the lesson. A nostalgic smile formed on his face "They were there for me when no one else was. Tikal was a gifted witch and an uncommonly kind woman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in others even when… they couldn't see it themselves. Shadow on the other hand had a… Well, talent for trouble. Something I've heard he's passed onto you". The two smiled having a moment until Knuckles looked back at the case. His smile was gone at once "Silver, perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced... I shouldn't have suggested putting you through this" "No! I'll have one more go! I'm not thinking of happy enough things, that's what it is". He tried to think, there had to be something and then it came to him, the day he found out he was a wizard, the day he knew he would be leaving Penders Drive "I'm ready". Knuckles paused and then slowly moved to the case "Okay. Remember, you have to concentrate. Go!". He opened the case and the Prelate returned. Silver raised his hand "Expecto Patronum!". Nothing, the Prelate was still advancing. Silver focused on the memory, the letter, Avalon, counting down on his calendar, the Soleanna Express "EXPECTO PATRONUM!". A huge cyan cloud burst out of his palms. It formed between him and the Prelate which had come to a halt, it's breathing turned into a strange gasping sound. Knuckles started to laugh in amazement. Silver didn't know how much longer he could go, his knees felt like water "Riddikulus" Knuckles yelled. The Prelate's eyes started to flash in different colours and it retreated back into the case. Knuckles slammed it shut and continued to laugh "Well done, Silver! Well done! That was a great start" "Can we have another go?" "No, not tonight". Knuckles handed him a full bar of chocolate "Eat the lot or Madam Vanilla will have my head". Silver took a big bite out of the chocolate and felt his strength return. Then he had a thought "Professor, if you knew my parents then you must have known Elias Acorn". Knuckles looked up very quicky "What makes you say that?" "Nothing, it's just I know they were friends at school". Knuckles' face relaxed "Yeah, I knew him. Or I thought I knew him. You better get to bed, Silver. It's getting late". Silver quickly left the class room, turned a corner and then sat down to finish his chocolate. A strange emptiness came over him. He had never heard his parents voices before but he'd never be able to produce a Patronus if he wanted to hear them again "They're dead. They're dead and listening to echoes of them won't bring them back".
Gossamer played Raiju a week after the start of term. Raiju won, though narrowly. According to Khan, this was good news for Shinobi, who would take second place if they beat Gossamer too. He therefore increased the number of team practices to five a week. This meant that with Knuckles' anti-Prelate classes, which in themselves were more draining than six Sky Chase practices, Silver had just one night a week to do all his homework. Even so, he was showing the strain nearly as much as Coral, whose immense workload finally seemed to be getting to her. Every night, without fail, Coral was to be seen in a corner of the common room, several tables spread with books, Arithmancy charts, rune dictionaries, diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects, and file upon file of extensive notes; she barely spoke to anybody and snapped when she was interrupted. "How is she doing it?" Razor asked watching her. Silver didn't understand "Doing what?" "Getting to all her classes. Void told me that she's never missed a Muggle Studies class but half of them are during Divination and she's never missed any of them either". But Silver didn't have time to work out Coral's impossible time table, he had an essay to finish on Potions or they'll be hell to pay. But he got interrupted again, this time by Khan "Bad news, Silver, I've just been to see Professor Echo about the Psychic Wave. She- er- got a bit shirty with me. Told me I'd got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you staying alive. Just because I told her I didn't care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Ga first". Khan shook his head in disbelief "Honestly, the way she was yelling at me... you'd think I'd said something terrible... then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it". He screwed up his face and imitated Professor Echo's severe voice "'As long as necessary, Khan'. I reckon it's time you ordered a new board, Silver. There's an order form at the back of Which Gear. You could get a Blue Star II, like Rutan's got" "I'm not buying anything Rutan thinks is good".
February came and the cold was getting worse than ever. Shinobi's match against Gossamer was getting closer and closer and Silver still hadn't ordered a new board. He had been asking Echo news on the Psychic Wave after every lesson with Razor standing at his shoulder hopefully. After the twelfth time this happened Echo responded before he could even say anything "No, Silver, you can't have it back yet. We've checked for most of the usual curses, but Professor Charles believes the board might be carrying a Hurling Hex. I shall tell you once we've finished checking it. Now, please stop badgering me".
To make matters worse Silver's anti-Prelate lessons weren't improving. Several sessions on, he was able to produce an indistinct, cyan shadow every time the Mimic-Prelate approached him, but his Patronus was too feeble to drive the Prelate away. All it did was hover, like a semi-transparent cloud, draining Silver of energy as he fought to keep it there. Silver felt angry with himself, guilty about his secret desire to hear his parents' voices again. Knuckles never got impatient with him ""You're expecting too much of yourself. For a thirteen-year-old wizard, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement. You aren't passing out anymore, are you?" "I thought it would drive the Prelate away" "The true Patronus does do that. But you've achieved a great deal in a very short space of time. If the dementors put in an appearance at your next Sky Chase match, You will be able to keep them at bay long enough to get back to the ground". Silver didn't exactly feel confident "What if there's more than one" "I have complete confidence in you. Here have a drink". He poured him and Silver a drink and he then raised his glass "To a Shinobi victory against Gossamer… Not that I'm supposed to take sides as a teacher". They both drank in silence and then "What happens to people that Prelates attack?". Knuckles lowered his glass thoughtfully "Well, the Ministry doesn't usually allow them to attack people. Their mere presence is enough. There are very few people that have experienced their worst weapon" "What?" "The Prelate Kiss".
Knuckles had a strangely twisted smile "The metal around their face melts away revealing mouth which they clamp over the face of their victim and take their Core" "They kill them?" "No, not kill. Worse. You can exist without your Core, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you'll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no... anything. There's no chance at all of recovery. You'll just exist. As an empty shell. And your Core is gone forever... lost". Knuckles took another drink "It's the fate that awaits Elias Acorn. It was in the Daily Prophet this morning. The Ministry have given the dementors permission to perform it if they find him". Silver was stunned at the idea of having your Core sucked out but then he thought of Elias "He deserves it" "You think so. Do you really think anyone deserves that" "Yes… for some things". He was tempted to tell him what he knew but it would force him to reveal what he heard. He finished his drink, thanks Knuckles and left the classroom. He wished he hadn't asked about the Prelates, the answer was so horrible. He was so lost in thoughts over getting his soul sucked out that he ended up bumping into Echo halfway down the stairs "Do watch where you're going, Silver" "Sorry, Professor" "I've been looking for you in the Common Room. Well, here it is, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all. You've got a very good friend somewhere, Silver". Silver's jaw dropped, she was holding the Psychic Wave and it looked as magnificent as ever "I can have it back? Seriously?". Echo was actually smiling "Seriously. I daresay you'll need to get the feel of it before Saturday's match, won't you? And Silver. do try and win, won't you? Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year. in a row, as Professor Infinite was kind enough to remind me only last night". Silver took the Psychic Wave and practically skipped back to Shinobi Common Room.
Before he made it Razor ran up to him with the widest grin Silver had ever seen "She told us. You got it back! You have to let me have a go with it" "Yeah, anything". Silver felt lighter than he had in a month "We should make up with Coral, too. She was only trying to help" "Yeah, I saw her in the Common Room". They headed to the entrance where Antione was pleading with King Arthur "I wrote them down but I must have dropped it somewhere" "A likely story". Razor rolled his eyes and approached "Oddsbodikins" "Very good my brothers in arms" Arthur opened the door. Silver found himself surrounded by the excited crowd of Shinobi "Where'd you get it?" "Can I have a go?" "Have you ridden it, Silver?" "Gossamer has no chance!". The Psychic Wave ended up being passed around all most everyone in the Common Room. Finally when the crowd dispersed they managed to find Coral studying by the fire "I got it back" Silver told her. Coral looked up, very tired "I'm sorry. I just wanted to be sure" "Yeah, we know. And hey, we got it back before the match. No harm done" Razor said happily. He then looked eagerly at the board "Do you want me to take it upstairs, Silver. I've got to give Wacky his tonic". Silver knew what he was doing and handed the Psychic Wave to Razor. He carried it like it was made of glass and carefully took it upstairs. Now alone Silver looked at all the work Coral was doing. She had an essay on why Muggles needed electricity, a rune translation and an Arithmancy essay "How are you getting through all this stuff?" "Just working hard". Silver thought she looked worse than Knuckles when he returned from his sick day "Maybe you should drop a few" "I can't do that. They're all so interesting" "Yeah, but I don't think-". A strangled yelled echoed from the stairs to the boys dormitory. Razor then appeared carrying his bedsheet "LOOK!" he yelled throwing the sheets in front of Coral "What?" she said confused and a little scared. Then they saw it, there was something red on the sheets. Something that looked a lot like "BLOOD! HE'S GONE! AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT I FOUND ON THE FLOOR!?". He threw a few small white pieces onto the table. They looked like scales, white Chao scales.