Chapter Twenty-Eight

Research Rivals

Quintin woke up that morning to fists banging on his door and came out to see several young witches looking at him expectantly.

"We need you to come to the Chess Room at once!" Pippa said. Reading her expression immediately, Quintin sighed.

"I'll be down as soon as I get dressed for school," he promised, shutting the door again.

Six minutes and thirty-two seconds later, he made his way down Fluffy's stairs, through the Mirror Room, and into the Chess Room, shuffling over to where the Bloody Baron sat at the chess table, brooding. All of the witches coming out of their rooms took one look at him and skirt around, some of them even hugging the wall to get as far away from him as possible before diving past Quintin.

"He's not dangerous, he just looks dangerous," he told them as they passed by.

"I think he's scary," Pamina said, and hurried past to join her sister who was watching from the Mirror Room.

Shrugging at that, Quintin walked over with his hands in his pockets.

"Good morning, Baron. What are you doing in here?" Quintin asked.

"I have decided to haunt this fine Chess Room for a while. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course I don't mind, we've been friends since I was a baby, but you have put off the witches a bit," Quintin admitted.

"Some things never change," he said setting up the board. "Sit down and play me, Quintin."

"I only have twenty three minutes before I should head to breakfast," Quintin warned.

"Then I'll beat you quickly," the Baron promised. Quintin sighed and sat down, moving his knight.

"So why have you decided to haunt in here exactly? You've never done it before," Quintin asked.

"I am protesting!" the Baron declared, charging with his own knight. "I am protesting the poor treatment of ghosts in this castle!"

"I thought you didn't like protesters. You once told me that the only thing you liked about protesters is that they were easy prey."

"These are different times, Quintin. When one is angry in this modern age, one protests. When one was angry back when I was alive, one beheaded protesters," the Baron explained, frowning at Quintin's pawn move and doing the same.

"Okay, well, what happened to turn you into a protester?" Quintin asked.

"That Maxen girl attempted to exorcise one of us, and on Halloween, no less!" the Baron fumed.

"Zelda?" Quintin said in surprise.

"The Headmaster stopped it, of course, but Ravenclaw was undoubtedly shaken and his rights were violated! He has filed some sort of formal complaint with the government, but that girl is still here. Punishment be damned, she should be expelled from the castle! All of the ghosts are upset and none of them want anything to do with her now," the Baron explained, moving out his bishop. "She has used forbidden magics in an attempt to do away with one of us!"

"You're right. She should have been expelled. Why wasn't she?" Quintin asked.

"Lord Eric and Albus Dumbledore convinced the Headmaster to give her a second chance due to her age. I tell you now, sir, no good will come of it! As much as Brittle tries, that girl will be nothing but a blot on this school as long as she's allowed to stay," the Baron warned. "All attempts at reforming the girl will be for not!"

"Maybe, but this is a school, after all. It's their job to try and educate her no matter what," Quintin reminded him. "Regardless of talents, regardless of family background, this school has always done everything it can to treat every student equally and with respect."

"I trust you'll remember that when you become aware of what Brittle is helping the Maxens do," the Baron said, moving another pawn.

"What's that?" Quintin asked.

"Oh, I'll let you find out that one on your own," the Baron decided, waiting for the next move.

Just before lunch, Severus held the proposal in one hand while his other was under his chin. He had been mulling it over since it had arrived in his inbox, but now that Danyelle was standing before him with an even expression, he found himself mulling it over again.

"You realize, I'm sure, just how poor the timing is of this proposal," Severus said at last.

"I do, but I had it filed before last night. This was more because of that first incident with the Scribe's Quarters," Danny explained.

"Couldn't they at least pick a different topic?" Severus said exasperation.

"You're thinking of the pain in the arse that would be for you, not what would be best for the students," Danny chided him knowingly. "I think having two opposing teams working on the same research project would actually help curb political criticism of the project. I also think it has the added benefit of possibly inducing personal grown on members of both research teams. Don't you?"

Severus gazed at her fixedly, but wasn't surprised when Danny's gaze didn't waver.

"Fine, I'll sign off on it, but I do not want Zelda's name on this in any way or form," Severus said.

"I knew you were going to say that. And you're right, she's proven too irresponsible for something like this," Danny said. "But I'm sure you know as well as I do that she'll use that ability of hers to get involved, and I'm not certain how to stop it."

"I have a thought; it involves making Aurelius their research supervisor," Severus said, signing his permission. "We'll have to discuss it later. I promised to have lunch with Quintin and Seren today. Show that to Librarian Boulderdash. I suggest making Bonnibel the head researcher. She is less likely to be persuaded by Zelda if she is in charge."

"Agreed," Danny said, taking the form. "Thank you!"

"Good luck," Severus said, showing her out on the way to picking up Seren from the daycare.

By the time he arrived back in the Study, Quintin was sitting in one of the chairs and there was another box of Licorice Cauldrons on the desk.

"Were you aware that the Bloody Baron is hanging out in Dusthorn's Chessroom?" Quintin said without even a greeting.

"Good afternoon. I am now," Severus said, and Seren ran over to the desk.

"He said the ghosts are having a protest. Did Zelda really try to exorcise Ravenclaw yesterday?" Quintin asked.

"Yes, but before you continue this conversation, I will remind you that I will not discuss disciplinary actions since those are considered private... Seren, we should eat lunch before having any cake," Severus added when Seren presented her fairy cake to him insistently.

"I made it for you," Seren said.

"Yes, thank you. I promise I will eat it after lunch. Sit down, please, Serendipity," Severus said.

"The Baron also said that Ravenclaw filed some sort of protest with the Ministry about her. Does that mean she's in trouble for committing a crime now?" Quintin pressed.

"To be perfectly honest, I didn't know he had gone as far as to issue a Ministry complaint, but if he did so, it is well within his rights," Severus replied. "Can we have more pleasant birthday conversation now? How is your research going?"

"We've had to add more people to the research team. Between adding Quidditch practice, Halloween, and Grandfather's demands I practice forms every evening without fail, I haven't had as much time to work on it. It is alright for us to add more researchers right?" Quintin asked.

"As long as it isn't the entire house, yes," Severus replied.

"No, just Pete, Duncan, Oscar, Pippa and Virginia mostly. Hey, who are going to be our Prefects when Jack graduates? Because if it's going to be fourth years since we won't have anything higher, I'd like to nominate Pippa for it," Quintin said.

"I suggest you take that up with your house leaders," Severus said.

"Are fourth years going to be allowed to be prefects in our house?" he pressed.

"I see little way around it, although I suppose I should come up with some sort of formal rule on the subject in case there is ever any reason for this to come up again," Severus mused. "My main concern is allowing students in the lower half to be Prefects who aren't as reliable in fifth year as they are in first. I hardly want a new house stuck with two students as prefects all seven years if they're not a good fit." Severus heard a series of huffs and glanced over at the Sorting Hat. "Yes?"

"There is a simple solution, Severus. Simply make the Prefect position temporary for all under class wizards until they reach fifth year," Godric suggested. "That will give the house leaders the flexibility to change class leaders until the members of a new house have received a responsible age."

"Yes, that's probably wise," Severus agreed.

"But fourth year is only a year younger, so I'm sure whoever gets it will be fine all four years," Quintin protested, then paused. "Wait, are you thinking of adding a new house?"

"Whether I am or not, if I hear any speculation about a new house in the corridors, I will not only refute it and condemn the rumor, but I will hold you personally responsible no matter what the consequences," Severus warned, squinting at him.

"He's suggesting that you keep it under your Hat," Godric summarized.

"I think that was more than just a suggestion," Quintin said. "Fine, I get the hint."

"It was also more than a hint," Severus said.

"I know. I won't mention it again," Quintin promised.

"I want to be in the Hat's house!" Seren said running up and grabbing him off the shelf and putting him on her head.

"You said you wanted to be in your brother's house yesterday," Godric reminded her.

"Yes!" Seren said, walking back to the table with the Hat on her head.

"And your mother's the day before," Godric added.

"Yes, hers too!" Seren agreed.

"You can't be in all of them, Seren," Quintin informed her sister with a laugh.

"I can pretend!" Seren explained.

"Yes, alright, a new house every day. Do you want to play Brave Knights later, Seren?"

"Yes," Seren said again. "Do you want to play too?" she asked Quintin.

"Sorry, Seren, I have to go back to class after our birthday lunch," Quintin reminded her.

Seren gasped and went over to the desk, grabbing the fairy cake once more and presenting it to her father.

"Fine! Sit down and finish your apple salad, Seren, then I'll share it with you," Severus informed her.

"Are you going to be busy after classes this evening, Quintin? I wouldn't mind visiting Dusthorn," Godric asked.

"If you don't mind my doing homework at the same time. I have to make up two hours of study that I lost attending the Spectral Ball last night," Quintin explained.

"A quiet evening in the Common rooms is good enough," Godric agreed. "Do you mind, Severus?"

"Considering it will get you out of this room for the night, I'm all for it. I'll drop you off in his room before dinner," Severus said.

"It wouldn't be the first time I witnessed one of your date nights, Severus," the Hat pointed out.

"Yes, well, now that I know that you're not just a Hat, I don't want a repeat of it. Apparently neither do you, considering you asked to leave," Severus said.

"I don't mind the show. It reminds me just how carnal living mortals can be..."

"Kindly refrain from saying such things in front of the children, especially while you're being worn by one. I may rescind your rights to visit them today," Severus said. "And you can keep your sniggering to yourself, Quintin."

"Sorry," Quintin said, hiding his amusement with a sip of pumpkin juice.

Students gathered at the research table the moment that classes got out; some with homework, and others like Jeremy and Duncan with research materials. Jeremy had a book of relics out of the restricted section, while Duncan was going through an old Wizard Who's Who to see what might have been edited out of later copies.

"Here we are," Quintin announced, sitting down with his homework next to Jeremy.

"Yes, here we are," the Sorting Hat said. "And I have something to discuss with all of you."

"With all of us? Something you haven't mentioned before?" Quintin asked.

"Yes, it's about something I overheard today that I thought you'd be interested in. That's the real reason I wanted out of the Study tonight, not because the Headmaster was having a date night," the Sorting Hat explained. Quintin took the Hat off and put him at the end of the table so he could see him better.

"The Headmaster having a date night sounds like an excellent reason to beg for a night off," Oscar said, making a face.

"Yes, that worked to my advantage," the Sorting Hat said. "Something happened earlier that your father didn't bring up during your lunch that I think you Dusthorns should know about. Your father decided to give permission for Bonnibel Villin to lead a research group in Slytherin."

"Bonnibel Villin? Really? Didn't think that she was much of an egghead," Pete said.

"Are you saying that we are?" Duncan challenged him.

"A bit, yeah," Pete shrugged.

"What sort of project are they researching, Sir Hat?" Quintin asked.

"The same one that you are," the Sorting Hat said, and the students made sounds of confusion and surprise. "They are researching O'Lauren's Box as well... probably in hopes of finding the Box before you do."

"THAT'S IT!"

Everyone at the table jumped and whirled around to see Daphne standing there in her centaur form, pointing almost accusingly at Quintin.

"That explains who your competition is when it comes to your quest! It's those pesky Villins... and Maxens too, no doubt. That also explains why there'd be incredible danger on the way to finding it, too! Damn, I'm good," Daphne said, pleased with herself.

"Why would they even be interested in that box? Especially when we're not even allowed to open it," Pippa said.

"Do you seriously think they'd stick to that rule? They're obviously interested because that box contains a powerful magic item. If they find it, they're not going to care whether the Headmaster told them not to open it or not," Jeremy said. "In fact, I wouldn't put it past them to steal the item before they turned the box in, and then they could simply pretend it was empty the whole time."

"That's total speculation. We can't really know what they plan to do with it. They may being going after it just to try to show us up," Pippa said.

"Maybe they want to put their own spin on the research article," Oscar put in. "Let's face it, nobody in Slytherin was happy about that article on their founder. Maybe this is a way to try to get back at us for that."

"Either way, I don't think we can trust them not to open it. If they get it, they'll open it... regardless of the Headmaster's warning," Pete said. The others gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment, each one attempting to decide what they would do if they found it first.

"They tried to exorcise a teacher! Of course you can't trust them!" Daphne said impatiently.

"She's right," Quintin decided seriously. "Besides, the very fact that they decided to pick the exact same research project as us proves that at the very least, they're did it to try to show us up."

"True. And we can't let that happen, now, can we?" Jeremy said.

"Can I help too?" Daphne asked.

"Sure, why not?" Quintin said. "Got anything she can help you research?"

"You said the box was covered with astronomical symbols. If we can get an accurate representation of them, I'd say she could be very useful," Jeremy decided. Daphne smiled, turning into her Animagus form so she could take a seat at the table.