Chapter 25

Amelia looks up as Skye and Bathsheba [Beth] both walk down the corridor to the infirmary together.

Standing up, she smiles at them, "Thank you for coming so quickly. Madam Pomphrey hasn't told me that Miss Corbeld is asleep, so if we could get this over with quickly, hopefully we can remove the danger to the school tonight. If not, we'll need to close the school temporarily."

Skye just nods, while Beth asks, "Why am I even here?"

Opening the door, Amelia says, "Because you were one of two teachers that Miss Corbeld said she trusts."

Gobsmacked, Beth stands there for a moment, before hurrying in, "But I've never spoken to the girl."

From her bed, Retha smiles brightly, "You're here." She tries to get off to run over to Skye, only for Madam Pomphrey to stop her, "I tried to take Ginny's diary away, the one that always makes her eyes go weird when she writes in it. She shouted at me, and then I saw her and her eyes were glowing red before she hissed at me. That's when I ran."

Skye doesn't even hesitate, she walks forward and perches on the side of the bed to give Retha a comforting hug, "You did the right thing. What happened after that?"

"I ran into a second year, and knocked her over. I didn't realise she was a Hufflepuff until she pulled a shield and spear out of nowhere when the hissing followed me. She… She said that I'd be safe, and she'd protect me. But she stopped moving before she finished saying protect. I heard Madam Pomphrey say that she's dead, is that true?"

Poppy lets go of her professionalism, and puts her hand on Retha's arm, "I'm sorry you heard that, Miss Corbeld. Sally-Anne isn't quite dead, but she is beyond wizarding magic."

Retha looks at Poppy with such raw emotion as she asks, "She'll be alright then, won't she?"

Helplessly, Poppy looks at Amelia, Skye, and Beth for support. Taking a deep breath, Amelia answers, "We don't know. All we know is that there's a chance she'll be alright. Sally-Anne has been taken to the place where she has the most chance to recover. Just remember that she did what she did to protect you, what happened was not your fault. It was the fault of whoever hissed at you."

As Retha looks at Amelia in astonishment and says, "You believe me?" Beth finishes processing the name.

With a raw note to her voice, Beth says, "Sally-Anne? She's a Griffindor. What happened to her, as I've been stuck in the common room looking after my house after the alert went out."

Amelia glances at Retha, "Let's discuss that outside rather than forcing Miss Corbeld to go through this again."

As the two of them head outside so Amelia can fill Beth in on the details, Madam Pomphrey summons a dreamless sleep potion from her stocks, and administers it to Retha.

As the girl nods off to sleep, Skye lets go of her, and walks out to join the conversation.

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As Skye gently closes the infirmary door behind her, Amelia is talking to Beth.

"…there's nothing you could have done to help either of them."

Beth shakes her head, "It doesn't matter, she was my responsibility, and…"

Skye places a hand on Beth's shoulder, "Beth, you can't take responsibility for things that other people did willingly. You can feel sad that you couldn't do more. But blaming yourself for something you have no control over will only lead to feeling less and less worthy as a person."

Beth turns around to face Skye, "How would you know? You're younger than I am."

Bitterly Skye answers, "Because I got stuck with 500 years of memories of a guy who committed suicide when he was the only survivor out of all of his friends and companions. They saved nearly all of the collected writings of the Irish Celtic people, even though it ultimately cost his chosen their lives. It's because he couldn't cope that he discarded his immortality for me to be duped into taking on." Skye turns away to hide her tears, "We should find and confiscate that diary before it gets too close to Padma Patil and triggers a blood bath."

Amelia looks startled, "Padma?"

Skye nods grimly, "She's a chosen of Kali. Lovely lady, terrible temper."

Amelia stumbles as her knee gives way, "Does she… No, I don't want to know while I'm on duty. Merlin, we should get hazard pay just coming to this school now."

Swiftly Amelia and Skye make their way through the school to the dungeons, and the Slytherin dorm. As they approach the door, Skye barks out the professor's password and marches through the entrance with distinct purpose.

As they enter the common room, one of the prefects smoothly stands up to meet them, "Hello Professor, is there anything I can do for you?"

Amelia smiles and pulls out her badge, "I need to speak to Ginny."

Skye adds, "Ginevra Weasley."

The prefect smiles sadly, "I'm afraid she's not in the common room at the moment."

Amelia's shoulders sag minutely, before they firm up, "This is an active pursuit and investigation. Miss Weasley is wanted connection to the petrification's going around the school. If she is within this dorm, or you know where she is, and you do not tell me now. Once we find out her whereabouts at this time, you will be arrested for obstruction of justice and charged. The consequences of this, regardless of if you are only fined, is that you will be expelled from the school, and your wand may be snapped if you have not passed the requisite exams, or have alternative education already lined up. This is not subject to the headmaster's authority, as it is purely a legal matter. I ask again, is Miss Weasley here, or do you know where she is most likely to be found?"

The prefect licks their lips, as silence falls over the common room. As the moments stretch on, the prefect looks more and more nervous, until a first year calls out, "Professor Snape took her away."

Amelia smiles at the first year, "Thank you Miss…"

The young girl looks around nervously, "Andrew"

Skye makes a beckoning motion, and crouches down, "Charlotte, can you stay with Millicent over there. She's part of the mundane studies group, and she'll look after you."

Charlotte smiles, and runs back to sit beside Millicent, who gives Skye a long-suffering look. Skye just sends her a reassuring look, before hurrying out of the common room after Amelia.

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As they arrive at Professor Snapes office, Ginny walks out teary eyed, and looks up at the two of them apprehensively, "Hello?"

Skye crouches down in front of Ginny, "Ginny, are you ok?"

Ginny nods, "I am now."

At the same time, Amelia bursts into the office to see the glimmer of green fire die down in the fireplace.

Outside, Skye gently asks Ginny, "Ginny, do you know where your diary is?"

Relief washes over Ginny's face as she responds, "Professor Snape took it away, I can finally talk about it."

Skye smiles at Ginny, "That's good. Do you remember anything about earlier this afternoon?"

Ginny shakes her head, "I remember going to History of Magic, and doodling in the diary, and then I was in Murtle's bathroom."

"Have you ever ended up there before?"

Ginny nods, "A few times. I didn't hurt anyone did I?"

Skye gives Ginny a reassuring smile, "No Ginny, you didn't hurt anybody."

Ginny sags in relief, "I tried to throw it away, I really did. I even got it in the toilet there once. But I couldn't leave it there. I can still feel it, you know. The need to write in the diary, to tell it everything."

Amelia stands silently at the door to Snapes office as she takes notes of what Ginny's saying.

Skye nods seriously, "I'll ask Airmed if she can do anything to help your mind heal."

Skye reaches into the mist and pulls out a small, stone, stylus with a flint cutting edge glued and lashed onto the stylus. Down the length of the stylus is a phrase in ogham. Finally, at the top is a small hole with a leather thong.

Skye smiles at Ginny as she hands over the Stylus, "Ginny, I want you to wear this, and only take it off if you need to use it for writing. Not even at night or when you wash. If you push a little magic into it, I'll be able to hear you no matter where I am. If you're in trouble, I'll be there as fast as I can be. Otherwise, if you just want to talk at me, I'll be able to hear you. Do you understand?"

Ginny looks at it in awe, "Is this like the ravens and the sword and snake the Hufflepuffs have?"

Skye smiles at Ginny, "1 point to Slytherin for an astute observation. It is indeed, and that's why you mustn't take it off unless you're using it."

Light seems to come back into her eyes, "Does this mean you're going to teach me magic?"

"Ginny, I'm already teaching you magic. If you mean, am I going to teach you Celtic magic. It's too soon to say, as I haven't picked my mundane studies class yet. And you can only be part of that class if you have parental permission."

Ginny looks glumly at the floor, "Mum would never sign that, as she's still furious I got sorted to Slytherin."

Skye smiles, "You have two parents, don't you?"

"But Dad always does what Mum says."

"Ginny, you are in Slytherin, the house for those with cunning and ambition. But that doesn't mean you are defined by only your cunning and ambition. Sometimes honestly asking for help will do you more favours than trying to manipulate people into helping. Cunning is your ability to think around a problem, and ambition is your desire to succeed at something." Ginny starts to bounce on her feet in excitement, as her mind runs away with ideas, "One last thing before you run off. Never underestimate the importance of trust. If people trust you, and your word, they will be far more willing to help you than if they think you always have an agenda. So, while you should learn the lessons of politics and intrigue your house teaches, you should only apply them when you have to. After all, if you treat others fairly, they will treat you fairly. And the best deals are those where both people think they got what they wanted."

Ginny nods as she throws the leather thong over her head, and pulls the two slipknots tighter, so that it hangs just below her collar bone. Then she runs off to the common room.

From the doorway, Amelia asks, "How did you do that?"

Skye looks up at her, "Ecne was the god of knowledge and wisdom."

Amelia nods, "I understand."

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Exhausted, Severus throws some powder in the Floo, before stumbling through into his office at the school. As he's about to stand up straight, he freezes when he feels the cold touch of metal on the back of his neck.

From the side, Amelia's voice asks, "Give me one good reason not to gut you right now."

Severus pales and chokes out, "The diary is gone."

"So destruction of evidence?"

Severus' mind runs through all the possible arguments he can think of, that won't fall foul of his oaths, or cost him his life. Finally he settles on baring his forearm, "No, just destruction. I can't say any more."

Amelia looks at the faint dark mark for a moment, weighing his words, before she removes her sword, "Why not just tell us what it was?"

Skye lays a hand on Amelia's forearm, "Amelia, he stressed the word can't. How many oaths do you think he's made?"

Amelia grumbles about wizards and their penchant for making oaths, "Too damn many. Of course, one is too damn many for me these days. Professor Snape, would you be willing to swear an unbreakable oath that the diary will never be a problem for the school again?"

Severus nods, "I would."

Amelia looks at him, weighing his honesty, "I don't trust you. You have done far too much to damage this country for me to do that. But I trust you believe you have done what you said you did. Don't make me regret it. Oh, and you should see Madam Pomphrey about those burns, as fiendfyre burns are notoriously harder to heal the longer you leave them."

After a moment, Severus cautiously straightens up, only to find that he's alone in his office.

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The next morning, an Exhausted Minerva stands tiredly in front of the school.

"Good morning everyone. As many of you will have worked out, there was an incident yesterday that led to you being confined to your common rooms. I'm sorry to say that this incident may have caused the death of a second year student. Madam Pomphrey assures me that all of our conventional treatments wouldn't be enough to save the students life. There is a slim hope that an unconventional treatment will work, but only time will tell."

Minerva licks her lips as the entire hall has gone silent, "Normally you would all be going home on Monday, so that you are able to celebrate the solstice if that is your tradition. Due to the events last night, the Hogwarts express will be leaving the first morning after the blizzard passes." She points at the ceiling to accentuate her point, "Because of this, all students need to pack today. For those staying over Christmas, the Ministry is providing alternative accommodations while we attempt to locate monster that has been terrorising the school. We believe that it has been using the pipes in the walls to travel, so if you hear any sounds from the walls, please vacate the area and inform a professor or Auror as soon as possible."

From his place at the end of the table, Lockhart looks up sharply at the mention of pipes, as they're a form of tunnel.

Relentlessly, Minerva carries on through her announcements, "As most of the first years are probably well aware already. There will be a new Mundane Studies course starting in the Spring term. If you wish to be part of this class, and you have been scoring at least Acceptable in all your classes, we will need a form to be filled out by your parent or guardian stating that you are allowed to participate in this course. There are only 20 spaces available, and muggleborn will be given precedence. I am told that by the end of the course, you will be sitting your GCSE's whatever they are. The last announcement is that classes today are cancelled in order to give you time to pack your bags. For your own safety, please do not wander the school, instead, stick to the common areas like the Great Hall, Library, and your common rooms."

At the pronouncement, a muted cheer goes across the hall, before it dies out at the reminder of why they're cancelled.

By the end of breakfast, almost every first year has taken a form for the mundane studies course.

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After breakfast, Pomona girds herself, and makes her way to the Hufflepuff Dorm where she can see the 2nd years laughing and joking with the rest of the house. As she watches her house for a few moments, while she gathers her courage and determination, it becomes clear that their laughter is a little hollower than the rest of her house, and the jokes a little more brittle too.

When the blond hair of Miss Greengrass appears from the dorm rooms, Pomona pushes herself away from the doorframe and walks over to the young lady.

"Miss Greengrass."

Daphne looks up at Pomona nervously, "Yes Professor?"

"Would I be able to have a private word in my office?"

Daphne's nervousness increases as she looks around at her friends. Finally, not being able to come up with a reasonable reason to refuse, she nods, "Certainly Professor."

Pomona smiles tightly, before leading the way to her office. Rather than sitting at her desk, she instead takes one of the armchairs that are placed before her Floo.

Gesturing at the other chair, Pomona says, "Please, take a seat."

Daphne glances between the chair and the desk in confusion, before sitting stiffly in the armchair.

Pomona grimaces as she sees the stiff posture in her student, something that is purely due to her own treatment of Daphne. Swallowing hard, Pomona nods once, "Miss Greengrass, I owe you an apology." Pomona winces when she watches the shock travel through Daphne, and her stiff posture is replaced by a guarded one.

Looking down at her hands, Pomona sighs, "To be honest, I should have done this sooner. But most of the people that pray to me are in the USA, and I didn't want this conversation to be interrupted by a random disappearance. No matter how much you may understand it."

Daphne smiles slightly, "Thank you for the consideration."

Pomona winces again, and starts to inspect her hands, "I guess I deserved that. I cancelled your detentions last week. I'd have informed you then, but someone had a problem with Kudzu trying to take over their property in Texas. I have also returned all of the points taken due to being summoned by prayer. Finally, I have added a note to your parents' letter, saying that your abrupt disappearances are due to unavoidable Family Business, to do with Family Magic, and should not be penalised. It doesn't make it right, as I cannot roll back time and unsay what I said. However, I am sorry for what I said and did when you and Dr Danann tried to explain what was happening."

As Pomona falls silent, Daphne sits there for a long moment as her composure is in tatters. Pomona's apology, backed by actions, is not what she was expecting from this conversation. Her arguments that Hurricane Season is over, or that she has worked out how to provide advice through prayer, or even that she's getting help with keeping up with her studies; all of that falls to the wayside. Even pulling up her occlumency doesn't help, as instead of feeling like a comforting shield between her and the outside world, it feels like she's closing herself off from everything. Especially her sanctuary.

Daphne startles as she realises that Harry's domain really has become a sanctuary to her. Even her own, nascent, domain that keeps tugging at her awareness doesn't feel quite as tranquil as Harry's domain is. Maybe she should start looking into more eastern architecture, and Feng Shui.

Belatedly, Daphne realises that Pomona has fallen silent, as well as crumpling into her chair. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she smiles gently as she looks over at Pomona.

"Professor, I'm sorry I didn't respond to your apology sooner. Quite frankly, it was unexpected. Honestly, I don't think it's enough, I don't think it could ever be enough. But I think that's because you can't take the hurt away, you can't give me back the time that was taken from me. For what it's worth, I accept your apology, and I thank you for giving it. I don't know if anyone has told you, but if you lessen the amount you are concealing your magic slightly, you can hear the prayers a whispers. I've since worked out how to send an answer back to those who just want advice."

Pomona straightens slightly in her chair, and gives Daphne a wan smile, "Thank you. And thank you for the advice, I hope it will help with being pulled here, there, and everywhere."

Daphne laughs, "If they're using any sort of sacrifice it won't, but that doesn't mean that you have to do what they ask you to, when you get there. Did I ever tell you about the time I was sleeping, and a talk show host summoned me for an interview, and demonstration of my abilities?"

Pomona shakes her head, "Not that I recall."

"An old carpenter had just taught me how to make a puzzle box that could only be opened if you pulled all eight corners at the same time. So I built a person sized puzzle box, and constructed it around him. Since then, none of us have been summoned just to appear on TV."

Pomona laughs, and shudders at the memory of her only appearance on TV, "Thank you for that."

Daphne smiles, "You're welcome, though I would recommend agreeing to some TV appearances, as you can get a lot of the advice type prayers out of the way simply because they know you'll be available occasionally. I appear on Celtic watch around once a month, and give a couple of demonstrations on different joints and construction methods. Along with how to identify different problems in a building. Just, don't do it in the UK, as it's a national crime to perform magic in front of the mundane, while it's an international crime to reveal the wizarding world to the mundane."

Pomona swallows her pride and asks, "Do you have any more advice for me?"

Daphne nods, "See if one of the gods like Skye will teach you about Celtic customs and dress. That way you are representing a different culture, one that hasn't signed onto the statute of secrecy, despite being around longer than the statue. Also, it's too late to hide your private name, and I don't agree with what Morgana did to you. But you can still separate your public persona from your private persona. Honestly, I'm starting to understand why the old gods had set feasts and celebrations. As it gets exhausting having thanks coming in all the time."

Pomona looks surprised, "Skye is a god?"

Daphne nods, "She is. Though she's still a little grumpy about it."

Pomona crumples back into her chair, "I can see why."

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Albus stands and looks out over the assembled witches and wizards that make up the ICW, including the adjunct staff.

"Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Christmas meeting of the ICW. Barring another emergency, this will be the last meeting of the year. Before we can get to the traditional festivities and entertainment, we do have some urgent business to attend to." Albus pauses as groans go around the chamber, "First on the docket is a motion by the Ottoman Empire to censure the Celtic people, and demand that they sign the statute of secrecy. After that, is the swearing of our first international arrest warrants for The Morr… This can't be right, clerk, did we not agree that The Morrigan and her pantheon were to be assigned the same status as Sura and Asura in India?"

It takes some minutes, but the Clerk finally looks up, "That motion was passed on the 17th December 1992 at 56 votes against and 58 votes for the motion. The British government are still compiling a list of known Celtic gods from historical documents."

Albus nods, "This docket item will be set aside for the next session in January, and again, until such time as the list is available. Until then, all such entities will be treated as too dangerous to summon for trial. Moving on, we have updates on the two anomalies, first by the Ottoman Empire, and then by the Magical USA. Finally, we have a report of a new Celtic entity, 'Diougenia', who seems to be rather more discrete than Aoibhgreine."

With a bang of his gavel, Albus takes his seat as the full house of 150 members, and nearly 500 adjunct staff, begin the days proceedings.

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Underneath a private hospital run by the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope looks through a soundproofed window at the man who's tossing and turning in their sleep while lacerations appear on his body, one by one, before clearing up and another set appear, or fingernails pop off, and occasionally whole fingers and toes are removed. His mouth is open in a constant scream that is still barely audible in the observation room.

"Which one is this?"

The cardinal, that oversees the secret part of the hospital, bows his head, "This is Shaun Kincaid your eminence, I am sorry to say that the priest damned his soul to escape this torture."

The Pope bows his head and mutters a prayer for the poor mans soul. "What of the traps?"

The cardinal sighs, "The keepers of the sacred texts have searched the archives, and only reports and stories of the first and subsequent captures of the false deities have been found. We have, however, found the original order, sealed by Pope Innocent IV, ordering the creation of the Sacred Library. We have also found the original order by Pope Boniface IX appointing Nicolas Flamel as the Permanent Guardian for the Sacred Library for as long as he lives."

The pope nods greatly, "And you believe this sacred library holds all of the original research on the traps?"

The cardinal nods sadly, "Pope Innocent IV added a note to the order stating that he regrets the necessity of such an order, but too many of the clergy have attempted to free the demons that protect their Cathedrals, under the misguided notion that it is wrong and immoral to leave them trapped. So it is better to remove the knowledge from those of weak will, than it is to have it readily available."

"And the clergy involved?"

"Declared apostate, and executed according to church law at the time."

The Pope sighs, "We can only wish that our fellow men were not so foolish. But is that not why God sent his son Jesus."

The cardinal carefully controls his face, lest he reveal that the first demon that was trapped, was none other than Jesus. Or that their god expired shortly after Flamel was appointed as guardian of the Sacred Library.

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As the train to London leaves, Lockhart scurries from his hiding place, and climbs onto the baggage car, before unshrinking his trunk, and climbing inside. Opening his correspondence, he settles on a rumoured treasure at the peak of Kanchenjunga, which his contact assures him is actually the same mountain as Chomolungma, a place known by muggles as Mt Everest, and seems to be well known for having treasure at it's peak, given the number of muggles that try to find it each year.

Quickly checking through his encyclopaedia, he finds the entry for the tallest known mountains, and double checks all three names. Happy that neither of those names are in the list, he settles in for the ride.