Chapter Six : Birds of a Feather…
Nick and Sunya returned to Hogwarts the next day. As soon as they walked through the main door, McGonagall met them.
"Welcome back," she said to both of them. "I'm sorry Mrs Feldira, but I need to speak to Mr McCallum."
"It's all right, Minerva, Sunya should come with us, she's aware of the situation," he told her with a sigh.
"Then follow me," she said, starting to walk towards her office, before she stopped abruptly. She turned and looked at them, one after the other over her spectacles. Nick knew what was coming.
"Oh! I see," she said, "well that's another concern. How long has this been going on?"
"A few days," Nick replied, glancing at Sunya who blushed and lowered her head.
"I won't bother you with it, but please try to be quiet about it," she told them, a hint of a smile on her face.
Nick was relieved, as was Sunya. They followed the Headmistress to her office and sat down on chairs in front of her desk.
"Miss Orpington woke up two days ago. We had some trouble with the mandrakes, that's why it took so long but she's fine, don't worry," she said as Nick was about to question her. "The reason you're here is because she remembers exactly who attacked her. It was you."
Nick was stunned. He started to open his mouth but McGonagall cut him off.
"Of course I know it wasn't you, the culprit used Polynectar juice. But it means that he had been planning this, perhaps since the break-in at your office, or even before, who can tell. The point is, it's serious, and the only reason Miss Orpington is alive is because the attacker missed her and the spell hit her off a rebound. But Poppy believes that otherwise it would have been powerful enough to kill her. I told Miss Orpington and her parents that someone had impersonated you and that we would appreciate their discretion during the investigation, and they agreed, so you're safe."
"Oh, so Aresia was really attacked? I thought the rumours were exaggerated," Sunya said.
The headmistress sighed and told Sunya all the facts, at least all that she knew of.
"And just this morning, an hour before you returned, an Auror knocked on my door, with a note from Mr Potter saying that he thought it best to send reinforcements until light had been shed on this case. But I suppose you already know?"
Harry had told Nick this morning that he had made arrangements to send someone he trusted to protect everyone. Nick nodded and told her that it might be related to some of the Auror Office's cases, omitting the fact that people had died. She would find out soon enough. She tried to pry more information out of him, but Nick told her she would know more in due course and that he couldn't tell her things that weren't his to tell. She got up and accompanied them to the door.
"About this new development in your relationship, I'm glad for I know you'll be good to each other, but I meant it, you need to keep a low profile. At least until Mrs Feldira graduates. There are people on the board who wouldn't miss the opportunity to bring you down." McGonagall had hired him, and some people weren't thrilled at the time. Even now, there were voices against the employment of someone who had been in another wizarding school. Nick and Sunya promised to keep a low profile, which was what they'd intended to do anyway.
They spent the rest of the holidays between the library and the Three Broomsticks, Neville joining them regularly once with his wife Hannah, who was considering leaving the Leaky Cauldron that she was running to become matron at Hogwarts since Mrs Pomfrey was about to retire.
One evening at the Three Broomsticks, Nick had the honour of being interviewed by Rita Skeeter. She wanted to know how a 'young Hogwarts teacher' could be so generous at a charity event, offering such a prize for a piece of jewellery and donating such a valuable piece of history. He replied that he had made a fortune by selling stolen goods to the wizarding elite, according to the paper she had published when he was recruited by McGonagall. The journalist said nothing more and walked stiffly out of the pub.
"I don't think she'll like you any more than she likes Ginny, now." Neville said to Nick.
"I couldn't care less." Nick replied.
"Be careful, Nick. She has caused trouble in the past."
"I know, Neville. At least I didn't try to stab her with her quill."
As it turned out, Neville was right. Two days later, she published an article in the Daily Prophet in which she portrayed him as an "arrogant upstart", who'd been given a leg up.
'We should ask ourselves how a simple Hogwarts teacher could afford, at one single charity event, to spend four thousands galleons on jewellery, and let me say that it is very strange for a single man to spend that much on women's jewellery and then to donate a priceless piece of history. I bet there's a lot to be discovered about Professor McCallum's past life.'
Well, now he had to send her an owl to try and tame the fire, because he really didn't want her to dig too deep into his past. Harry had assured him that dispositions had been taken to protect him and that all records had been stripped of his name. He had also classified all records of his family's deaths, but who knew with Rita Skeeter…
'Dear Mrs Skeeter, I'm sorry about the other night, you caught me on a bad day. I didn't mean to be so rude, so I'll answer your question now. As you well know, I used to work with Gringotts' goblins and wealthy wizards, negotiating and identifying highly valuable items, and over the years, I have made some profitable investments which have allowed me to secure some valuable items for my personal collection. When I heard about this charity, I wanted to do something for my community, so I made donations, both in goods and in gold. You have my blessing to publish this letter as it is, if you wish, that's fine with me.
Yours faithfully,
Nicholas McCallum'
Astonishingly, she published his letter unaltered, which was quite strange at the time, but two days later, she published another article about his potential love affair with Ginny and the possible love triangle curse that has followed Harry Potter since he was a teenager. At least she wasn't digging into his past. He apologised to Ginny and Harry who said that they didn't care, she was after them regularly anyway.
His relationship with Sunya was something he had wanted without knowing it, and now he could see that he had been attracted to her, perhaps since the first time he had met her. He had spent years keeping people at arm's length, only truly connecting with Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and their children. Of course, he had affairs, but they were always random girls he knew wouldn't be around for long, and he never made any effort to keep them. But what he felt for Sunya was different. And it was amazing, even if they had to keep quiet about it. They were apparently really good at playing friends, at least now that they had to, because no one had noticed anything.
Sunya had to defend her thesis the following week. The results were due within three days. And after that, they would be free to live out their relationship. Timothy had asked her to take over his classes, as she was also one of Nick's best students, and he was beginning to feel overwhelmed. She had agreed, with McGonagall's blessings, to fill in until she found another job.
"So? What do you think?" she asked Nick as he read the last words of her thesis, wich he had already read twice.
"Well, I don't know how to put it nicely…" he said with a smirk.
"Oh, come on! Don't do that! Just tell me please, I'm dying!"
"That's excellent, Sunya, they'll lose their gobstones when they hear you!"
Sunya waited only a day for the results, which was unusual, so she was afraid it was bad news. They called her in for the first hour after lunch, she could not eat. She sat for an hour on a bench next to Nick's office, where they would announce their decision, since it was he who had suggested that she defend her thesis, three months ago. She had been afraid that their relationship had been discovered and had gone to see McGonagall before coming, but she had told her that she would have known if it had been the case.
"Mrs Feldira, you're early," said an old wizard with snow-white hair, dressed in whimsical blue robes with gold and silver stars, a large bronze eagle on his chest. He winked at her, which helped her relax as he was one of the committee members. "Please, let us take place and we'll call you in a moment"
They entered the room, one after the other: Mr. Donagus, the old wizard in blue; Evara Harkart, a witch in her fifties with a stern demeanor, dressed in green; Mrs. Burnston, dressed in blue, who gave her a kind glance; and finally, Janus Hesba, a tall man with long black hair, wearing a grey Muggle suit assorted with a long cloak. Nick, who had been following them, stopped and sat down beside her, nodding slightly. They stayed there in silence for a few minutes, only hearing unintelligible chatter coming from the office, until someone called them to come in.
"Mrs Feldira, Professor McCallum, please take a seat," Mr Hesba said, his hands extended in welcome. "We are here today, on the 26th of April, 2012, to present you, Mrs. Sunya Feldira, with the results of our deliberations. We heard the defense of your thesis on the 25th of April, and, following this we debated and came rapidly to an agreement. I'm pleased to inform you that your thesis has been accepted. Congratulations, Professor Feldira! It was really impressive, you have earned the jury's congratulations."
Everyone stood up and applauded, including Nick, the committee wizards shook her hand and Mrs Harkart handed her the graduation parchments. They presented her with a small wooden box containing two very nice quills. They talked for some time and wished her all the best before they left. As soon as they were gone, Sunya jumped on Nick's neck, and they kissed, a long, passionate kiss.
"Congratulations, I knew you would do great!" he told her, holding her hands.
"Thank you, I couldn't have done it without you!"
"Of course, you could've done it on your own. I just supported you, it was all you."
She gazed at him with a mischievous smile on her face and took a step towards him.
"So I'm no longer a student of yours?" she asked him teasingly.
"I guess not," he said as she took another step closer.
"So it's ok for me to do that?" she replied, untying her robes.
"I guess it is."
The following weeks were like a dream come true, Sunya had taken up her position teaching the Third-year and she worked with Nick to prepare them as best she could for their examinations. They remained cautious about keeping their relationship discreet, but they were also relieved that they weren't risking too much now. McGonagall had arranged for Sunya to have a temporary office next to Nick's, to avoid late night wanderings in the school corridors. They had planned a trip to the coast for the second weekend in June, so Sunya was packing a bag filled with Muggle attire as they were bound for a Muggle town.
She was nervous because, as the one who knew the place, Nick had told her that she would apparate them. She was supposed to meet him at Honeydukes in half an hour, so she had to go now. On her way to Hogsmeade she ran into Neville.
"Hi Sunya! Seems like we keep running into each other here. Oh, you're going somewhere?" he asked her, looking at her bag.
"Yes, I have something I need to handle, I'll be back by Sunday."
"Oh, OK! I've just seen Nick, he's going away for the weekend too. Well, take care."
"Thanks, Neville, have a nice weekend."
She arrived just in time to see Nick coming out of Honeydukes with a big bag of sweets.
"Ready to go?" he asked her, still chewing on something.
"Yeah, but I'm really nervous about apparating us there. What if I mess up and get us splinched? Or worse!"
"I've got Dittany's essence, I'll heal us. And you're good at healing too if I remember correctly. Everything will be fine, trust me."
She nodded and he moved closer, putting his hand on her forearm. He looked at her, smiling. She took a deep breath and they disappeared with a snap. They apparated into a really small alley in a small Muggle town on the coast, east of London.
"See, no splinching and right where you wanted us!" Nick told her with an even bigger smile.
She smiled back, and they changed into Muggle clothes before stepping out of the alley, the sea stretching before them. The day was sunny, the beach packed with families playing ball on the sand and walking along the shore. Sunya took Nick to an inn with a sign that said 'Godric's rest'. It was a charming, beige, two storey house, with bow windows and a set of steps leading up to a porch. They entered and Sunya registered them with a pink-haired witch in the lobby, who then led them to a room upstairs.
"This is your room, I hope you'll like it. If you need anything, just touch the bell here with your wand." She pointed to a small bronze bell next to the door.
"Thank you, it's lovely." Nick said, putting down his bag.
"Steak and kidney pie tonight, with roast potatoes and pudding. There are Muggle's restaurants nearby if you prefer, and we serve breakfast from seven to ten."
"We'll have dinner outside tonight, thank you," Sunya told the concierge.
The woman left and Sunya jumped on the bed, laughing. She sat with her legs crossed and looked into Nick's eyes.
"So, there's this little French restaurant just down the street, I thought you might like to have dinner there. They make an excellent gratin da-fuh-noy," she told him, excitedly.
"Oh, you mean gratin dauphinois? I haven't had that for years!"
"Gratin da-phi-noy?" she tried
"Dau-phi-nois," he repeated slowly.
"Dow-phi-nois?"
"That's it! That's not bad at all! I should teach you some French, what do you think?"
"I'd love to! But not now, it's time to go."
They were on their way to the restaurant when Sunya stopped abruptly, looking distressed. She turned and looked around, searching for something, her face ashen, a hint of fear in her eyes.
"Are you all right?" Nick asked her. "You look like you saw a dementor. Sunya?"
She remembered where she was and turned back to Nick, taking his arm and starting to walk again, a little faster.
"It's all right, I thought I saw someone I knew. We're going to be late, let's hurry."
The restaurant was on the ground floor of a large building, with an all-glass front and dim lights. They had a nice evening, the food was really good, and even if they made some minor blunders, they could have been mistaken for Muggles. Almost.
After dinner, Sunya wanted to go and dancing in a Muggle nightclub.
"You're considering giving back your wand?" he asked her, laughing.
"I find it interesting to see how Muggles live, they have a different perspective on the world, and their way of life can be quite refreshing. And we do listen to some of their music. Plus, I really want to dance, and there isn't any wizarding place nearby."
"You don't need to convince me, after all, I like Muggles movies. I'm in."
They asked people on the street for a place to dance and ended up queuing outside what looked like a warehouse. They entered a large room, most of it occupied by a packed dance floor, a crowded bar running the length of the right wall, the other walls lined with booths. The music was loud, the lights flashing rapidly, the bass line shaking them to the core.
"It's fantastic! Come on, I want to dance!" Sunya shouted, pulling Nick onto the dance floor.
She looked around and began to move like the other girls, swaying her arms and body, her hips moving to the rhythm of the music, her body pressed against Nick's. Soon, they were just two more dancers in the crowd. The smell of perfume, sweat and alcohol was strangely intoxicating.
"I want a drink," Sunya said to Nick after a moment.
"That's a good idea," he replied. "Stay close to me"
They began to make their way through the crowd when someone bumped hard into Nick, and walked away without a word. Someone nearby approached him.
"Check your pockets mate, the way he bumped into you, that's how they steal your wallet," the man told him.
"Oh! OK, thanks," Nick said, checking the wands he'd tucked under his shirt. Thankfully, they were still there.
"What's going on?" Sunya asked him nervously.
"Nothing, a man bumped into me, and this guy told me it was maybe a pickpocket. But he didn't steal anything." They finally reached the bar. "What's your drink?"
"I'd like to try some beer," she told him with a big smile.
He ordered a pint of lager for her and a double scotch neat for himself. As he turned to give Sunya her drink, he saw her deep in conversation with a blue-haired girl in a tight champagne sequin dress. The girl, who had her arms around Sunya's waist, whispered something in her ear, and Sunya laughed, nodding towards Nick with a mischievous glint in her eye. The girl laughed too, and they began to approach him with a playful air.
"Hi, I'm Katie, I was telling your girlfriend that she's gorgeous," the girl said with a wink.
"Oh, that's nice. Please don't take her from me, I'm no match for you"
The girl laughed and turned to Sunya.
"He's funny and gorgeous too. Do you mind if I stay with you? My friends have left, but I still want to party. Please?"
"That's fine with me," Nick said after Sunya gave him a questioning look. "Do you want a drink? My treat."
They waited for her drink and went to get a booth. The girl sat down opposite them, stretching her legs, her bare feet on the seat between them.
"You don't mind? My feet hurt!"
They talked for a while, Katie telling them about her life. She was twenty-four, living not far away and working in social media, whatever that meant. She asked them what they were doing for a living, and they replied that they were teaching history in a board school, far from here. They had another round of drinks and returned to the dance floor. Katie was a good dancer, and she clearly loved it. Sunya was thrilled and Nick had to admit that it was quite fun. The alcohol and the music were beginning to affect Sunya and she moved closer to Nick leaning against him as they swayed to the rhythm. A tall guy in black t-shirt and jeans said something to their new friend who shook her head in disagreement. He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her towards him.
Nick stepped in and heard Katie ask the man to leave her alone, but he didn't.
"She asked you to leave her alone," Nick said in a cold tone, loud enough to be heard clearly.
"What do you care?" asked the bully.
"She's with me," he replied as Katie broke free of the man's grip and, playing along, walked into Nick's open arms.
"OK, OK," the man said, looking at Sunya who was now just behind them, "there's plenty of girls here, look at that beauty!"
"I'm with him too," she said, joining Katie in Nick's embrace.
The man looked at them in disbelief and walked away, angry. They laughed and continued dancing. The night wore on and they left the club just two hours before dawn. They walked back to the waterfront.
"So, thanks for earlier, the guy was drunk as a skunk," Katie said to Nick, giving him a kiss on the lips, "and thank you for the dances," she told Sunya kissing her the same way.
"Thanks for the kiss," they replied together, chuckling, not quite sure if it was a Muggle gesture.
"Aw, you're too sweet," she said. "So, can I have your number? I'd like to keep in touch."
"Number?" Sunya asked, not knowing what she was talking about.
"Your phone number, so I can text you, or give you a call."
"Oh! We don't have phones," Nick said, suddenly remembering that Muggles used them a lot to communicate.
"Wait, you don't have a phone? Neither of you? Are you from a cult?" she asked incredulously.
"Oh, no! Nothing like that, we just don't use them where we come from."
"You know what? I wouldn't have believed it from anyone else, but somehow, I'm not really surprised, coming from you. You really are no ordinary people, are you? Let me tell you, you see that little house over there by the rocks? That's where I live. If you're ever in the neighbourhood, feel free to drop by." And with that, she bade them goodnight and went on her way.
Nick and Sunya stayed on the beach, cuddling and kissing and watching the sun rise. Then, they went back to the Inn and straight to bed.
They returned to Hogwarts on Sunday afternoon, happy with their Muggle getaway. Nick had waited for a moment in Hogsmeade, trying not to be too obvious about their weekend together. No sooner had he entered his office than there was a knock at the door. Before he could speak, Sunya entered, terror showing on her face.
"What's wrong?" Nick asked her, worried.
She handed him a parchment and said nothing. He looked at it, not knowing what to do. The parchment was folded, so he turned it over. There was a wax seal closing the letter, unbroken. It was a capital 'F', surrounded by a circular, pointed frame in which he could read 'I maghi escono vincitori'.
"What does it mean?" he asked her, not understanding her distress.
"It's my family seal! It means wizards come out victorious," she said, her voice strangled. "They must want me back! Open it, please, I can't."
Nick broke the seal and opened the parchment. He frowned at it for a moment and handed it to her. She took it and looked at it. Only one word was written in an intricate, adorned script: Congratulations.
"They must've heard about my graduation, which means I'm still under surveillance. Nick, that's not good! Could they have someone here, at Hogwarts?"
"I doubt it, Hogwarts is safe. They could've heard about it at the Ministry, when your graduation had been registered. Did they have someone there?"
"Yes, I don't know who, but they have people in every wizarding authority in the world," she replied, now panicking and breathing rapidly.
"Calm down, breathe. We'll take care of this. I'll let Hermione and Harry know, and McGonagall too, but we need to tell them about your family."
"They're going to come after me, I know they will." She was sobbing now, Nick took her in his arms and kissed her forehead gently. When she felt better, he went to his desk, wrote a note on a piece of parchment and put it in his vanishing box before turning the key.
"I've informed Hermione, let's wait for a moment and see if she replies."
They sat on the small couch he had next to his desk and talked for a while, Nick trying to lighten Sunya's mood without much success. After an hour, the box clicked, meaning that something had appeared in it. Nick stood up and went to get Hermione's response. He read the parchment and handed it to Sunya.
'I knew about Sunya's family. I'll investigate from my side, don't try anything. As long as you're at Hogwarts, you're safe. Tell Minerva, Harry will inform Williamson. I'll keep you in touch.
P.S. I looked into Costas Anastasiades, your Cypriot wandmaker. He disappeared nineteen months ago. It can't be a coincidence.'
They decided to go to McGonagall right away to tell her what had happened. The night had fallen and the corridors were dark and silent. They climbed the gargoyle stairs and walked through the headmistress' office door, which had opened in front of them. McGonagall was sitting at her desk and gestured for them to sit down while she read a note.
"Professor Feldira, Professor McCallum, what can I do for you this late at night?" she asked them, glancing over her square spectacles.
"I think I may have a problem," Sunya said. "Do you remember, when I first came here, what I told you about running away from my family?"
"Yes, I remember."
"Well, they found me," she handed the parchment she had received to the headmistress. "It's my family's seal. I received it earlier today."
McGonagall opened the letter and read it, then she looked back at Sunya, raising her eyebrows.
"This is unusual. Nothing more? Couldn't it just be a congratulatory letter?"
"Believe me, it's not. They didn't want me to do this, they wouldn't bother to send me their congratulations. They're up to something."
"Well, nobody's going to bother you as long as you're here, I'll ask everyone to keep their eyes open. Have you told Mrs Granger and Mr Potter yet?"
"I sent a message to Hermione," Nick intervened, "she told us that she'd investigate."
"Is there anything else I should know?" asked McGonagall.
Sunya looked at Nick who encouraged her to speak. She told the Headmistress about her pureblood family, and their dark magic heritage. She left out some of the things she had told Nick, but all in all, she had depicted them well. Minerva told them to return to their quarters and bade them good night.
The next day, Williamson doubled up the shifts with Stuart, the other Auror, but Sunya heard nothing more from her family. She had spent the previous night with Nick, too frightened to sleep alone. The Quidditch final will take place this weekend, and the students were deep in revision for their exams next week, so Nick and Sunya didn't have much work. They spent a lot of time resting by the lake, enjoying the return of sunny days with long walks around Hogwarts grounds.
"I'd like to live like this forever," Sunya told Nick on Wednesday afternoon, as they walked through the greenhouses. "I'm worried Nick, I know they're up to something!"
"I believe you, but there's nothing we can do until they make a move. The only thing we can do is to be careful."
"I know, but I can't help worrying." She turned to him and gave him her special smile. "Thank you for being here."
"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I wasn't here for you?"
"Oh, boyfriend? Are we a thing now?" she asked mischievously, playing with a lock of her hair.
Nick glanced around to make sure they were alone. Then, he pulled her close, their bodies pressed together. Their eyes locked, their breathing shallow, they lost all sense of time and space. And they kissed, a long, passionate kiss. There was a new intensity in their embrace, as if they wanted to melt into each other, to become one, to run away from the world and live in this moment for eternity. They were burning from the same fire, forged from the same crucible, hammered on the same anvil, and somehow, against all odds, in this vast world, they had found each other. Two beings broken by life, finding another half to hold on to. Their lips parted, leaving them breathless, two halves again, but with the promise that, as long as they had each other, they could be whole.
As they regained consciousness of the world around them, they became aware of the presence of someone nearby. They turned to see Neville, frozen in place at the entrance to the nearest Greenhouse.
"I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you, I…" their friend stammered. "But you…and you…together? I had no idea. I'm sorry for staring at you, but…"
"It's OK, Neville. You would've found out eventually anyway. It's not really a secret, we just want to keep it quiet." Nick reassured him, smiling, and somewhat relieved that he knew.
"Then maybe try not to kiss like that in the middle of the corridors," he told them with an awkward smile. "I'm happy for you though."
"Thanks, Neville," Sunya replied. "And I'm sorry if we made you uncomfortable."
Sunya had to go to the Astronomy Tower to retrieve a set of quills she had left there a few weeks ago. As soon as they passed the seventh floor, Nick stopped. The old wand was buzzing in his pocket, almost burning his hand when he reached for it.
"What's going on?" Sunya asked when she saw that Nick had frozen. "Nick?"
"It's my wand, the old one," he told her in a low voice. "Something's wrong."
Sunya saw him take out the wand and look around as if he were discovering the place for the first time. After a moment he blinked and looked at her.
"You need to see this; I can't explain it," he said, holding out his hand to her. "I must warn you, though, that there will be an emotional aftermath, but it will pass."
She hesitated for a moment and took his hand. After a few seconds, her vision changed, the colours shifted slightly and the world became more vivid. Her vision blurred a little before becoming sharper than ever, lines of light popping out of the air all around her. She looked around, and then at Nick. He was caught in a web of white and purple strings of light, intertwined as if woven from a fabric of pure energy.
"Is this magic we are seeing?" she asked Nick in a whisper.
He only nodded, and she looked at her own hands. They, too, were surrounded by this fabric of light, mostly white with a few strands of purple. All around them, the magic was pulsating, like waves, with the same pattern as her hands, except for a part of the wall to her left. It was shining a bright purple, strands of magic escaping towards Nick's wand, spiralling into the tip as if being sucked in. Suddenly, everything returned to normal, and Sunya felt a great emptiness inside. She felt as if she had lost a part of herself.
"Are you all right?" Nick asked her. "I know it's hard the first time."
"I think I'm ok. What does it all mean? What was your wand doing?"
"I don't know, it's the first time I've seen it do that. Take a step back, I want to try something."
He lifted the wand and tried to focus on the wall where all the magic was concentrated. He made a gesture and the wall began to change, the stones moving to form an arch, revealing a room beyond. Nick hesitated for a moment and stepped into the room. It was a small room, the walls covered in books, a desk in the centre, and nothing else. Sunya joined him, looking around.
"Is this an office?" she asked Nick.
"I think so. But it's not supposed to be here, we're out of the tower, there's nothing here."
He picked up a parchment on the desk but it crumbled to pieces. He took out his other wand and lit it, trying to read what was written on another parchment.
"...can't keep it any longer… everything is changing now, we have to take care of… before it's too late… contact Salazar, he may change his mind… fading away… fear it will disappear forever… we will hide… vault of the founders… I'll seal this office as well, until the time comes." Nick read aloud, trying his best to decipher the old parchment.
"Salazar Slytherin? Do you think this is a thousand years old?" Sunya asked him.
"I don't know, it looks like it. I've never heard of an office here, and I'm almost certain that it wouldn't have been possible to open it without this wand. I think it's from the time of the Founders. We need to get out of here for now, someone could come at any moment."
They stepped outside and, with another wave of the old wand, Nick closed the office. They went back to Nick's office after Sunya had retrieved her quills and agreed that they'd go back to the hidden room the next day after everyone had gone to sleep.
Nick woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling. He felt like someone was observing him, so he grabbed his wand and lit up the room. There was no one there. He got out of his bed and opened the door to the corridor, but it was completely empty and silent. He went back to bed, but it took him a long time to fall asleep again.
Nick and Sunya spent the next morning helping students with their studies and met for lunch in the Great Hall. They had the afternoon free so they decided to do some research on the founding of Hogwarts and found plans of the castle. Mrs Pince pointed them to some books, but they contained nothing they didn't already know, so they asked her if there was anything in the Restricted Section. She told them that there were, indeed, some old volumes that had been put there because they were in bad condition that might be of interest, and let them in. After a few hours of breathing in old dust and leather preservatives, they felt they had learned nothing at all.
"So, everything we know about the founding of Hogwarts is in Hogwarts : A History? There's nothing of importance anywhere else?" Sunya whined in despair.
"Apparently not here. That's ok, we'll find out something tonight, at least I hope we'll get some answers. In the meantime, I should tell Hermione." Nick told her, standing up and stretching with a yawn.
"Go on, I'll catch up with you, I want to finish the last two books, in case there's something in them."
Nick left the library and went to his office while Sunya returned to the last books they hadn't read yet. The first two contained nothing of interest, but the third actually had some new information in it. It had to be the last one, of course! It was a register of the construction of Hogwarts. It said that most of the castle had been built by magic, but also that architects had been consulted. There were a lot of names listed here, along with the general layout and memorandums.
She meticulously noted anything that could prove useful and carefully put all the books back in their place. She joined Nick in his office before they went to have dinner. Minerva gestured for them to take their seats beside her, at the empty high table.
"Professors," she greeted them, "how is it going?"
"I haven't heard any news," Sunya replied.
"Have Mrs Granger and Mr Potter found out anything? "
"Not really, a few properties here in the UK, a few family members here and there, nothing out of the ordinary," Nick said.
The Headmistress warned them to remain vigilant and then returned to her duties. After dinner, they went back to Nick's office to discuss Sunya's findings. It told them nothing more about visible strands of magic and hidden offices and vaults, but they now had a list of names from which they could conduct some research. Shortly after midnight, they decided it was safe to go, so they returned to the astronomy tower and Nick asked Sunya to try and open the passage.
"I'm the only one who has used this wand for a very long time, we need to know if anyone else can use it. Do you want to try?" he asked her, holding the wand out to her.
"I don't know, if you think it's safe, I guess I can try."
"I think the worst that can happen is that nothing happens. The wizard who sold it to me told me that every member of his family had tried to use it without success. It's your decision."
Sunya took the wand and, following Nick's instructions, focused on what she wanted the wand to do. After a moment, she felt a tingling in her spine that went through her whole body and concentrated in her right hand, where she held the old wand. She saw the wall begin to change into an arch, just as it had the day before.
"Good," Nick said, smiling, "you can use it too, I had a feeling that you could, we're the same. So if I die, you can continue the research."
"You can't die! I won't let you!" Sunya snapped, giving him a dark look.
"Everyone dies eventually," he sighed as he entered the office.
Nothing had changed since the previous day, so Nick took a chair that was crawling under parchments and placed it next to the one at the desk before sitting on it, leaving the other for Sunya. She was still looking at him from the outside, so he gestured for her to join him.
"Look, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon, but this whole situation is dangerous, we both know that now, and you're in danger too, so we need to be prepared, that's all," he told her calmly. She nodded and sat down next to him.
They tried to look into the diary where they had read a few lines the day before, but the ink had faded in so many places that almost nothing made sense. '...trolls have been attacking since…need to make a truce with the centaurs…going well, but the walls…newcomers offered to help with…'
"I don't think we're going anywhere with this one for now, maybe we can restore some of it, but that's for later. Pick one from the shelves," Nick asked Sunya, closing the diary carefully.
She stood and moved to the shelves on her right, quickly reading some titles. There were a few she recognised, but most of the volumes were unknown to her. Finally, she chose a red leather-bound book that said 'Wizardry of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow', and went back to the desk to open it.
Regarding the origins of Wizardry, only fables subsist now, and it's hard to tell when men first began to wield magic. The most common form of magic is also the easiest to master, requiring only the innate ability to use it, the knowledge of the spell and a magic wand to channel it. It's the magic used by wizards to accomplish the tasks of everyday life. But do not disregard it, for this kind of magic can be powerful. A second form of magic is inherent in the natural forces wielded by magical creatures. We understand little about it, but those creatures possess an instinctive knowledge of how to use it without any need of learning. The third form of magic we know, and the most challenging to master, is the magic of the will. Few wizards truly command it today, and they are fewer as generation passes. We believe it to be the oldest form of magic, and probably the most powerful since it's only limited by the power of will of the one who masters it. It does not require a wand if you are a true master of it, but a specific wand with a core of pure magic makes it easier to channel.
Yesterday's magic, the magic of the will, is fading. The reason, we don't know, but today, only one in ten wizards can wield it, and the ability to craft wands with a core of pure will has been lost.
We believe that tomorrow's magic will be the everyday magic we currently consider lesser, as more and more individuals are born with the innate ability to use it…
The rest of the text had faded too much for them to read it, but Nick was confident it could be restored, and it was promising. They had learned more in ten minutes than anyone had in ten centuries! They spent another two hours going through all sorts of books, but Sunya had chosen the best one so far on the first try. They decided that was enough for the night and went back to Nick's office. The next morning, they decided to wait until Saturday to return. They could stay longer as they didn't have anything to do on Sunday morning. But nothing went as they had planned.
On Saturday morning, Nick received a note from Neville, who was ill and asked him to take his place and look after the Gryffindor Quidditch team before the match. All he had to do was to take them to the pitch and make sure they were ready. Nick told Sunya to save him a seat and that he would join her just after the match started. They had breakfast together and went their separate ways.
Nick arrived in front of the Fat Lady's portrait just as the team was coming out of the Gryffindor common room. They made their way through the castle, being stopped every now and then by students wishing them good luck. They arrived at the Quidditch pitch on time, so Nick decided to give them a little speech.
"I know you're thinking that it'll be easy, that everything's set, but it's not! Your chances of winning are certainly good, but you could lose. If Ravenclaw catches the Snitch too early, you'll lose. You have to stay focused. Who are you?"
"Gryffindor!" roared the players.
"And why are you here?" Nick asked.
"To win!"
"Good! Now, everyone on the pitch."
The stands were packed, the crowd cheering loudly. Mrs Hooch was setting up the ball's box, ready to release the Bludgers and the Golden Snitch. Nick looked around and noticed that McGonagall wasn't in her usual place. This was odd as she was always attending Quidditch matches. He asked Horace, who was nearby, if he had seen the Headmistress.
"I saw her," replied Slughorn. "She was going back to the castle to attend to an emergency."
Mrs Hooch called for the players to come to her, and when they were all ready, she gave the signal and opened the box. The Bludgers immediately flew away at great speed, followed by the Snitch who lingered for a few seconds before disappearing into the sky. The players took off and the game began. Nick left the pitch to join Sunya in the nearest tower, as they had agreed. As he climbed the stairs, someone called out to him.
"Professor McCallum! Professor McGonagall is looking for you, it's urgent. She sent Aresia to tell you but she fell and hurt her knee. The headmistress is waiting for you in her office." said a young Slytherin girl.
"Thank you Jane. That is your name, right?" Nick asked her with a smile.
"Yes Professor, it is."
"Well, enjoy the game!"
The girl climbed the stairs two at a time while Nick hesitated to go up and let Sunya know, but the girl had told him it was urgent. He swore and turned back, walking quickly down the stairs. He entered the castle at the bell towers and walked all the way through the south wing, crossing the stone bridge and walking down the courtyard to the headmistress office. He gave the gargoyle the password, and climbed the stairs to McGonagall's door. He knocked, but the door didn't open. He knocked again, and again, but still no answer. That was strange. Minerva wasn't the kind of person to summon someone and not wait for them to arrive. Something must have happened to force her to go somewhere. He took a piece of parchment from his pocket and wrote a few words for her before placing it on the doorknob.
'Knocked without answer
At the Quidditch pitch, north-east tower,
Nicholas.'
He turned back and walked all the way through the castle and grounds back to the Quidditch pitch. He was within a hundred feet of the tower when he heard someone calling.
"Nicholas?"
"What now?" he muttered to himself. He turned to see Flitwick looking at him questioningly.
"Hello Filius, how are you?"
"I'm very well, thank you. But aren't you supposed to be in Hogsmeade?" the Charms master asked him.
"Hogsmeade? No, what makes you think that? I'm supposed to be here with Sunya to watch the game."
"Well, I was with Professor Feldira just five minutes ago, and Miss Orpington came to tell her that you wanted her to join you in Hogsmeade, near Scrivenshaft, urgently. She thought it was strange, but after asking the girl if she had understood well, she went to join you."
Nick's heart skipped a beat. He felt like his legs were going to give out on him, his blood pounding in his ears. Something was wrong, McGonagall stooding him up after summoning him, Aresia hurting her knee badly enough to send Jane to him in her place, but climbing the Quidditch Stand Tower to deliver a message to Sunya? Suddenly, something clicked.
"Find McGonagall!" He shouted to Flitwick. "And find Williamson and Stuart, send them all to Hogsmeade, Sunya's in danger!"
Sunya entered the village and walked towards Scrivenshaft. The weather was bad, the sky black with clouds and the wind cold. Why did Nick want to meet her here? They were supposed to meet at the Quidditch pitch. The village was almost empty and when she got to the shop, she saw Nick waiting for her. He gestured for her to follow him and turned behind the shop into a small alley. She hesitated for a second, something was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She put her hand in her pocket and grabbed her wand before following him.
The alley was narrow and dark, with a few crates stacked here and there. She started to walk towards Nick when she saw him holding his wand, she thought it was strange. Then, it struck her. The wand! It wasn't Nick's, she knew that wand! From that moment on, she knew what was going on, she had been tricked, someone had impersonated Nick with Polyjuice Potion, and she knew who it was.
"Jestor! What are you doing here?" she called out to her cousin.
"Ha! That was quick! What gave me away?" the man asked, a look of madness on his face, Nick's face.
"Your wand! Where is Nick? I swear if you've hurt him…"
The man raised his wand and sent her a powerful blast, which she deflected.
"You shouldn't swear little cousin," the impostor said, "or else, Kralathia will have your tongue."
He attacked her again, and again, testing her. She parried the attacks and responded with a binding spell that almost hit him. He had taken the opportunity to approach her and was now only a few paces away. He laughed like a mad man and attacked again, showering her with spells, leaving her no time to do anything else but defend herself.
"Leave her alone!" Nick, the real one, shouted from the entrance to the alley.
"Nick! He is too strong, I can't hold him much longer!" Sunya cried in despair.
Nick launched an attack, advancing on the man and forcing him to take two steps back, bringing him closer to Sunya. Seeing that he couldn't take both of them, the attacker swore, sent a few curses and jumped towards Sunya to grab her arm. He looked at Nick with an evil smile, and waved goodbye. Nick understood what he was about to do. As they began to disapparate, he leaped towards them, his fingers barely brushing against Sunya's shoulder.
He fell hard to a cold stone floor, jumped to his feet, wand at the ready, and saw that he was in an abandoned castle courtyard, a hundred feet from the entrance. He saw Sunya and her captor not far from the building, surrounded by witches and wizards. An old witch turned to him and squinted at him.
"Oh, look over there! Jestor has brought us a gift!" she croaked, gesturing towards him.
Everyone turned to Nick and looked at him questioningly, some of them taking out their wands. He glanced quickly left and right and saw a small building that could provide some cover. He was certain now that some of the witches and wizards were part of Sunya's family, meaning she was relatively safe for now. But he was not. His grip tightened around his wand and he prepared to defend himself against a dozen opponents, even if it seemed hopeless. The sun was high in the sky now, but somehow, it looked dark here, probably due to the overgrown vegetation and the large building. The castle was three storeys high and made of dark grey stone, some of the windows were broken and the main door was smashed in. A tall wizard suddenly stepped towards Nicks, his wand raised.
"Avada…," he began.
"Crucio!" the old witch shouted, pointing her wand at him. He fell back, convulsing with pain. She held the Crutiatus curse for a few seconds, smiling broadly. "You, don't, kill, before, I, say, so!" she screamed, each word coming out separately.
Nick was taken aback. She was torturing someone who was clearly a member of her family with obvious pleasure. He now had no doubt that she was Kralathia, Sunya's grandmother.
"What are you doing here?" asked a blond wizard, standing close to Sunya.
"I've come for Sunya," Nick declared. "She doesn't want to be here, let her go!"
"Or else?" the witch behind the blond hissed.
Looking at her, he immediately recognised Sunya's mother. The resemblance was striking, even from where he stood. He said nothing, observing them as much as he could. A few of them, maybe three or four of the younger ones, seemed afraid, hesitant. The other eight were all looking ready to kill him on the spot without remorse.
"Or else?" shouted another witch, dressed in crimson under a black cloak, raising her wand and sending him a curse that he blocked.
"Or else?" bellowed a wizard on his right, attacking him viciously and laughing madly.
"Or else?" shrieked another voice on his left, joining the fray.
And it went on for some time, forcing Nick to defend himself, dodging and blocking curses. He waited for one of them to hesitate, and when the time came, he managed to disarm one of the stronger wizards with Expelliarmus and summoned the wand to him, breaking it in half and leaving his opponents stunned. Seizing the opportunity, he cast a powerful Incendio on a group of four, setting fire to their robes and causing panic. With everyone looking towards the fire, he ran behind the small building to his right and immediately sent a Patronus to McGonagall for help, hoping they were not too far from Hogwarts. The graceful panther tilted her head towards him and, after a short run, jumped over the fence.
Then, before they could gather their thoughts, he leaned over the corner of the wall and sent a shower of stunning spells into the crowd.
"Enough!" Kralathia bellowed. "Stop playing and kill him, now!"
Nick managed to stun three wizards while the old witch tried to control Sunya who was causing her and two young men trouble, leaving him only five armed wizards, one of whom was still shaken by the effects of the Cruciatus curse. They all attacked simultaneously, sending shards of bricks flying from the wall behind him. Seeing only one solution now, he grabbed the old wand, and focusing his anger, stepped out from behind the wall and let all his rage flow through it. A phenomenal blast of energy flew in front of him, knocking his opponents out of the way. Sunya took advantage of the mayhem to free herself and took a few steps back, wand raised. She stunned one of the boys, disarmed the other and pointed her wand towards her grandmother.
"How dare you?" the old witch roared. "You don't have what it takes!"
Sunya waved her wand and shouted 'Expelliarmus', but her grandmother blocked it. She attacked again with stunning spells, curses and blasts of energy, but the old witch parried them all. By now, the others had come to their senses and were struggling to their feet to watch the duel. Nick heard a snap behind him, but before he could turn, the old witch spoke.
"You see? All things considered, I don't think you're worth the trouble! Anyway, we have what we wanted right here. Goodbye, Sunya!" said Kralathia, a wicked smile distorting her face. "Diffindo!"
Nick saw the curse leave the old witch's wand, a bolt of light flying through the air towards Sunya and hitting her in the chest. He saw her fall, a gush of blood erupting from her back, her hand opening, letting her wand fall to the ground. Her head hit the stone, her eyes staring at him, lifeless, blood pouring from her nose and mouth. She lay still on the ground, no sign of breathing, no life in her face, nothing. All that she had been had vanished, leaving only an empty shell behind. She was gone.
"No!" Nick screamed "No! Sunya, no!"
He heard someone calling behind him, but he didn't care anymore. Once again, his life had been stolen from him, his heart broken, his soul ripped apart. He felt his mind break, his thoughts a whirlwind of rage and hatred. He saw the old witch lay her hand on Sunya's body as well as her mother and two other wizards. He knew they were about to disapparate, taking Sunya with them, so he lost it. He raised the old wand, gathered all that was left in him, and with a primal scream, he brought down hell on earth.