Chapter 11: A Bewitched Broom and an Overdue Conversation

When at last Wood had released the Gryffindor team from practice, Harry slumped wearily into a seat at the table. He barely acknowledged his three friends as he dished up a large bowl of the soup for dinner. Only after his third bowl did he finally take a breath and acknowledge their existence, other than an occasional grunt.

In the common room of Gryffindor Tower after dinner, Ron, Neville, and Hermione all told Harry of their meeting with Summer's Breeze. Harry was too exhausted that night to go exploring the Room of Requirement, and the following week proved just as busy.

Not only was Wood pushing the team in Quidditch practice, the teachers too had upped their workloads.

In Defense against the Dark Arts, Professor Quirrel had moved the class into duel studies. Every class, they'd pair off against a classmate to practice the spells they'd learned last term.

Harry, Ron, Neville, and even Hermione, all proved themselves to be near the top of the class. Parvati Patil and Dean Thomas both proved themselves challenging. Harry and his friends had to admit that while Quirrel was a servant of their enemy, he wasn't that bad a teacher. Although, the teacher seemed to avoid them altogether outside of class.

Likewise, the ghostly Professor Binns had assigned them no less than two separate essays to be turned in for History of Magic.

In Transfiguration and Charms, they were being pushed to perform more and more complicated spells.

Harry had partially expected this. His parents had warned him that the second term was where the real challenge came from the teachers.

And, on top of it all, Oliver Wood was pushing them to practice three to four nights a week. Harry often wondered how Wood was getting all his own homework done. It seemed like every time Harry had seen him in the Dragon Clubroom or the Gryffindor common room, Oliver was always pouring over a new chart he'd drawn up for possible plays.

Harry had learned to avoid him during these moments after witnessing Fred and George get roped into helping him, not being able to escape for at least an hour. It seemed their victory at their first came had lit a flame with their team captain. The three Gryffindor chasers quickly followed Harry's example, and thus were spared from getting roped into Wood's mania outside of Quidditch practices.

Harry couldn't blame Wood for his enthusiasm. As the match loomed ever closer, he felt his own excitement growing. He truly was looking forward to testing himself against Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff seeker. The older boy was two years ahead of him, and was absolutely sharp on the Quidditch pitch. Harry kept thinking back over the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff match from right before the holiday break. He tried to remember all he could. How Diggory had led Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw seeker, around the pitch. The older girl would be another interesting opponent to face. While Cedric had taken the snitch, Cho had managed to keep up with him. Had she been just a tad quicker, it was possible she may have taken the snitch herself.

Susan Bones often joined them whenever they worked on their homework in the Dragon clubroom, along with a slightly reluctant Daphne Greengrass. The two girls quickly grew to appreciate Harry's insights when it came to Potions and History homework. When Hermione dropped that she thought it a bit of cheat that Harry had grown up the next door neighbor to Bathilda Bagshot, the very author of their History of Magic textbook, they were quick to take her side. Ron simply raised an eyebrow and asked if they'd rather work it out on their own, something Hermione would have not trouble for, Susan and Daphne changed their tune just as quick.

On a rare night where Hufflepuff had the Quidditch field for practice, Harry relaxed in the clubroom. Ron and Neville were in a fierce series of chess matches, shooting for best out of ten, while Hermione was working through her reading list. Harry had just finished polishing and maintaining his Nimbus, when something Daphne and Susan said caught his attention.

"They're still so adorable, but you can tell they'll be so majestic when they're full grown!" Susan was saying.

"Won't they! Bit of a shame Hagrid isn't going to raise them all the way. Did you know he's planning to release them to the herd that lives deep in the Forbidden Forest?" Daphne asked. "Wish I could see them."

Struck with a sudden inspiration, Harry found himself saying, "Well, why don't you come with us then?"

Hermione, Ron, and Neville all stopped what they were doing to stare at him. A look passed between the three when they looked away. The two girls stared at him in shock. Harry glanced around to see if any of the other club members were paying any attention before he took a seat near them all.

"Alright, listen. It's high time we all had a bit of a chat. I know that you two and Tulip are involved in some…business." He held up a hand to stall them when they opened their mouths to refute him. "I also know that we're not on opposite sides. How I know isn't what's important right now. In about a month, Hagrid is taking the foals to a…glade. Deep within the Forbidden Forest. A glade that's guarded by a Guardian. An ancient unicorn named Amaranth. She's asked him to bring us with him when he goes, but somehow…I just feel like you two might've been included in her message. Just a feeling I had just now."

Susan and Daphne stared at him for a long moment before they turned and stared at each other. Daphne finally nodded. "Alright, Harry. You've called us out. Tulip's had a feeling you knew for the longest while, and the two of us have believed you suspected us of something since the troll." She blushed. "And you saw me get caught by Snape that one time."

Harry smiled sympathetically. "I have a feeling you got heavily told off for that. And the troll too?"

Susan flinched. "Was really surprised Aunt Amelia didn't send a Howler for that." She sighed. "And before you ask, yes, my aunt is involved in…matters. Not sure how much your parents know, Harry, but I know aunty is very much their ally within the ministry. Yours too, Neville."

Neville chuckled. "Harry, Ron, and I have bugged our parents, and Sirius Black, for years about anything to do with the Order of the Phoenix, but they've never told us things. Just the usual, 'You're too young for all that. Go play Quidditch. We'll tell you when you're older.' Though they have told us a few things now we're at Hogwarts."

Ron snorted. "Speak for yourself. My dad had no issue joined, but my mum, well…my two uncles died fighting you-know-who. Or at least his followers. So you can understand her hesitancy."

"I think mine and Neville's mums helped talk her into it." Harry said, his voice more grave than usual. "And I think that's why you two should come with us."

Hermione cleared her throat. "I quite agree with Harry. Our paths keep crossing, regardless of intention or not." She paused then, eyeing the two girls. "I guess another question is how much do you two know, exactly?"

Susan and Daphne exchanged a confused look. "What do you mean? We know that you-know-who is trying to steal what's up in the castle. And that we got more involved than we should have. What more to it is there? You know our Order exists, and we know yours does."

Ron nodded. "That's the basics of it, yeah. But it turns out there's a lot more going on too. Can't really get into it all here, though. Too many ears could listen in."

Neville shared a look with Hermione, who gave a small nod. "But, after the Quidditch match this Saturday, how about we meet here. Then we can go somewhere we can talk more freely."

Susan raised an eyebrow at him. "And this super secret spot is safe?"

"Of course! It's up in the castle! And you'll be able to meet someone Harry hasn't had the chance of meeting yet. So it all works out a bit!"

Hermione frowned thoughtfully. "To be fair, we haven't exactly used the spot quite like this before either. But it was recommended from a good source."

"From how you've described Hermione, she'll be waiting for us. Probably listening in right now." Harry said.

"And you best fly your best and win for Gryffindor, Harry! She will no doubt have comments for you." Hermione smirked back at him.

"Don't discredit Hufflepuff just yet, Granger! You've got Potter, but we've got Diggory." Susan piped up. There was a playful bite to her tone.

"I can't wait to face him on the field!" Harry said. "I'm a little surprised he's not in the Dragon Club."

Susan waved him off. "Cedric joined the Sphinx. He's more into networking and socializing cause of his dad's position in the Ministry. Come to think of it, doesn't your mum work in the same department? The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?"

Harry tilted a hand back and forth. "Kind of. She's a bit of a hybrid. Does a lot of work with the Aurors, as well as the CMC. I know she's done a lot of work for your aunt, Susan. So has my uncle Sirius and my dad."

Hermione suddenly blinked, looked at everyone in turn before landing on Daphne. "Your parents don't work for the Ministry do they?"

Daphne hesitated for a moment. "Yes. Both of my parents have seats on the Wizengamot."

Hermione slumped into her seat. "It just dawned on me. My friends are all children of people who work in the wizard government. Four of you have parents in Magical Law Enforcement, and one whose parents are members of the governing body. And my parents are dentists."

"Dentists?" Daphne frowned. "Aren't they the muggle healers that do something with teeth?"

Hermione blinked. "Yes. Though muggles call them doctors, physicians, rather than healers. But yes, my parents do work on people's teeth. Clean them, remove cavities and put on fillings. Even straighten teeth. Which is a whole different process than how wizards do it. We have spells we can use, but muggles? They have to use wires on teeth over months even years to straighten people's teeth."

Susan, Daphne, Ron, and Neville all stared at her in astonishment and mild horror. Daphne stared openly, but Susan had clamped a hand over her mouth. She shook her head. "Those poor people!"

Hermione chuckled nervously. "It isn't nearly as bad as I make it sound. The way I talk about it makes sound so…barbaric."

"Well, maybe a little." Susan said. "But my aunty always reminds me that muggles have to find other ways to accomplish things, since they can't just wave a wand or hand and get something done. Or a snap of the fingers."

"Hold on. I've got so many more questions about your parents, Granger, but I feel like something important nearly slipped through the distraction. Harry mentioned meeting a 'she'; who was he talking about?" Daphne asked, looking between the four of them. Susan nodded.

"That is a question that can only be answered after the match on Saturday." Ron said, grinning at her.

Daphne eye him sharply then sighed and nodded. "Alright, Weasley. Saturday after the match."

The next few days seemed to breeze past them, and Friday night found Harry and the rest of the team being ushered off to bed early by Wood, who insisted they get a good nights sleep. Harry did his best to shake the nerves. Hufflepuff would be playing hard to catch up on points after their loss to Ravenclaw, who was also ahead of Gryffindor by twenty. Wood had insisted that Harry keep Diggory from catching the snitch early, and had given clear instructions to not catch it himself until Gryffindor was over a hundred and ahead of Hufflepuff.

He was in the forest, with his friends. He couldn't see them, but he could hear their voices coming from up ahead through the trees.

They were going…somewhere. He couldn't quite recall. But it was somewhere safe. Peaceful.

He walked on. The sun filtered from above. It should have been cold. It was always still cold this time of year. Yet it was warm. Almost late spring warm. Or just the cusp of summer.

There was something behind him, slithering along the ground.

He walked on. There was a warm gentle light ahead. Bright.

Harry awoke slowly, the sun just barely filtering in through the curtain of his bed. He could just faintly hear the other boys in his dorm still sleeping, so it was still early, yet he could tell it was close to when he should think of getting up.

He lay there for a moment, thinking of the remnants of the dream he'd had. It'd been months since the last time he remembered a dream, and this one wasn't that surprising. Yet it made him pause. Was Tom and Quirrel really just…leave him be? Here he was at school, one of Tom Riddle's henchmen right there, and he was left to his own devices. In fact, he loved Quirrel's Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The man may have sided with evil, but he was still a good teacher. Which left him feeling…conflicted. Something nagged at him again. That familiar…itch in the back of his mind. An image flashed through his memory: a man raging before a mirror. There it was again. Mirrors…

The feeling passed. The memory faded. Harry lay staring at the top of his four poster bed. He brushed aside the curtains and reached for his glasses. Breakfast would start soon. He fastened his wand holster around his arm and pulled on his robes.

He headed down into the common room, and was surprised to see Hermione already awake. She smiled at him. "Sleep alright? Wood just came through. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie are already down at breakfast. Shall we? I take it Ron and Neville are still asleep?"

"Yeah, they were all still out when I got up." Harry replied, moving towards the portrait hole.

Hermione walked alongside him. "Well, there is still a couple hours before the match yet. I expect Wood is going to want you all down to the pitch early for one last lecture?"

Harry shook his head. "More than like. The twins were saying that he's always like this before a match, even before he became captain this year. I now understand some of Charlie's complaints! He was captain of Gryffindor team till he left Hogwarts last year."

"What is Charlie like? I've heard you, Ron, and Neville talk about him before. And Ron has another older brother, right?" Hermione asked.

"Bill, yeah." Harry nodded as they entered the great hall and took seats at the Gryffindor table. "Best way to describe the both of them is cool. Charlie was one of the best seekers Gryffindor has had, though he did write me a letter last term saying how glad he was that I'd taken his spot. He always thought I was as good as him at seeking. Every time we played over the summer holiday, we'd practice by chucking apples and rocks around. Now he's studying dragons at a preserve in Romania. Bill wasn't on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but he's every bit as good a flyer. Mostly played keeper. Knows a lot about curses, jinxes, and counter jinxed and anti-curses. He works for Gringotts as a cursebreaker."

"I bet Charlie got along well with Hagrid." Hermione grinned with a laugh. "And Bill sounds like he's a bit like the twins."

Angelina snorted. "Bill and Charlie are like weird mixes of the twins and Percy."

Harry grinned. "So imagine if Percy had a sense of humor!"

Hermione scrunched her face, trying to keep from laughing. "Percy isn't that bad!"

Katie and Alicia both chuckled. Angelina shook her head. "Percy is about near the complete opposite of Fred and George. Saying Percy has a sense of humor is like saying the twins are capable of behaving themselves."

"Hey, we resemble that remake!" Fred said as he sank into a seat next to Angelina.

"Indeed! You talk as though we don't deliberately ask ourselves: what would Percy do?" George said, taking a seat across from his brother and next to Alicia.

"And then doing the exact opposite." Fred grinned. "Besides, Bill and Charlie both turned out alright."

Hermione shook her head. "Yes, but it sounds like Bill and Charlie took school a bit more serious than you seem to."

George shrugged as he piled eggs and bacon onto his plate and grabbing some toast. "Well, it's not like my brother and I don't have plans. We've got plenty ideas of what to do with ourselves."

"Exactly! We've got our goals! Not that there's much to tell about it just yet." Fred winked.

"But probably has something to do with why the both always disappear off to wherever it is you go." Angelina eyed Fred from the corner of her eye.

Harry didn't miss the quick look between Fred and George. George swallowed a mouthful of juice before answering. "Yes, well. Lately it's been a bit more difficult lately."

"But we can hopefully come to an agreement later today." Fred gave him a nod.

Wood seemed to shake himself at this point. "Oh! Good! The team's all here now! Was afraid I'd have to send Harry to fetch you too!" He said to the twins. "Well, once we're all finished, we'll head down to the pitch, get changed, and go over a couple of last minute things."

Fred and George both shared another look before looking at Harry, who shrugged as he bit into a piece of toast.

Ron and Neville both sat down, Neville still blinking sleep from his eyes. "Morning! You were up early again, Harry."

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Woke up early and decided to head down to breakfast. Found Hermione already waiting in the common room."

"Right, everyone done, then?" Wood asked, looking at his teammates and their plates. "Excellent! Let's head out!"

Harry sighed and pushed himself up from his spot at the table. Ron and Neville were already tucking into their plates and just gave him a wave.

As he stepped out of the castle, he couldn't help but grin. Snow still blanketed the ground, yet the sky was clear and sunny. Hagrid waves enthusiastically from the entrance of his hut. Harry, Wood, and the girls all dipped into the Dragon Clubroom to grab their brooms, then they met the twins in the locker room to change into their Quidditch robes. Harry pulled on the goggles Ron and Neville had gotten him for Christmas.

For the next hour, they listened to Wood rattle on nervously. Harry wasn't nervous. He could barely contain his excitement. Both Hufflepuff and Gryffindor had reason to prolong the match, yet there was the chance that Diggory would go for the snitch early to end the game on their terms. He knew he'd do the same, despite what Wood claimed. They headed onto the field as they heard footsteps trodding up into the stands.

Madam Hooch already waited on the field, the box containing the balls at her feet, her broom in her hand. The Hufflepuffs were also making their way towards the center of the field across from them.

Harry stood across from Cedric Diggory, who gave him a grin. Harry grinned back. They set their brooms down in the snow, along with the rest of their teams.

Both teams waited, eager to take to the skies. Madam Hooch was giving her usual speech. Clean game, don't get too aggressive. Finally, she gave a sharp blast of her whistle. The bludgers were set loose, zooming into the air. The quaffle was launched. And the snitch had vanished.

Harry's Nimbus leapt to his hand, and he kicked off, followed closely by Diggory before he veered off. Harry chose to go high to try to keep on eye on the chasers as well as look for the snitch. The other seeker stayed further down, circling the field.

Hufflepuff got first possession of the quaffle, but the three Gryffindor chasers were playing a good harassment blockade. Fred and George kept the Hufflepuff beaters off, and it became a small statement as Huffelpuff kept possession of the quaffle, but Angelina, Katie, and Alicia refused to let them pass.

A bludger struck the back of Katie's broom, which finally gave Hufflepuff the opening they needed. They surged ahead, lined up their shot, and scored! He saw Cedric do a victory pump with his fist.

The three girls seemed to take this as a personal insult, and they quickly made up for it with two successful scores back to back. It was Harry's turn to celebrate, choosing to do a couple of loops in the air before returning to keep an eye out for the snitch.

Hufflepuff returned Gryffindor's vengeance with equal effort and enthusiasm, and the game quickly turned into an exchange of scores.

He looked around and made eye contact with Diggory. They both grinned. The way the game was going, it would come down to them as to which team would come out of top. They watched as the teams continued on. Fifty points. Sixty. Seventy. Eighty. His grip began tightening on his broomstick. They were tied at ninety points each. And then his broom jerked beneath him. He corrected, only for the broom to jerk again. It twisted and writhed beneath him, and with rising horror, a thought struck him: his broom was being cursed or jinxed. He grasped the broom tightly, his eyes roving over the stands where the spectators sat. He remembered one important detail about jinxes like this. Eye contact. Look for those staring at him without blinking, which was much easier said than done. His nimbus writhed beneath him like a pegasus trying to buck him off mid flight.

"Harry! What's wrong with your broom?" Cedric yelled as he flew over. Of course, Diggory had been watching him and had quickly noticed the odd behavior. "Whoa! Harry?"

Harry clung to his broom as it thrashed him about. "Jinx. Curse. Something." He managed to grit out. His eyes continued scanning the spectators below. And finally, he locked eyes with Professor Snape. The man was looking at him, at his broom, quickly mouthing words. But Harry had an odd feeling about it. As Snape murmured, he could feel the broom calm with each word, before it jerked wildly again. So Snape was murmuring a counter curse? He could feel slightly worry in the man's eyes. Harry blinked and moved on. There. In the shadows near the ground. He could just make out the figure of a man there. A particular strong jerk to the right nearly threw him off, but Harry had been flying since he was only a year old. He twisted and leaned but held on to the broomstick beneath him.

Cedric seemed to have gotten what Harry had been getting at, and was speaking quickly with Fred, who had flown over to see what was up.

He found Hermione, Ron, and Neville. Hermione had grabbed a pair of binoculars and was looking up at him. He took a risk and gestured down, to where the man in the shadows was. She must have seen it because she immediately whirled the binoculars away from him, down to where he had pointed.

The broom bucked and twisted beneath him, turning him away. It rolled suddenly, but Harry managed to hold on. Fred and Cedric were circling beneath him, ready to catch him if he fell. The broom dropped quickly, causing them to veer out of the way, then it shot upwards even higher. And then he was diving. Straight down. The wind rushed past him, almost driving the breath from his lungs. A flash of gold. And he was free! Soaring back up. He wheeled his broom back around. There! The golden snitch has flitting about just ahead. In moments, he held the tiny golden winged ball up over his head.

Cedric and Fred were at his side as they landed. "Harry!" Fred called. "Everything ok now? What was that all about?"

"Dunno." Harry said as he dismounted. "A jinx or curse of some sort."

Cedric frowned. "Must have been one powerful curse to get a broom to go out of control. You're sure you're alright?" When Harry nodded, Cedric grinned and shook his head. "That was some catch! Didn't think you'd be able to pull out of that dive, and next thing I know, you've wheeled back around and caught the snitch." His face darkened. "But who…" Harry shook his head, cutting him off.

By this time, everyone else has come running out onto the field. They were swarmed by the rest of Gryffindor team and house. The final score had been one hundred and thirty for Hufflepuff to Gryffindor's two hundred and seventy. Harry followed his team back into the locker room where they quickly changed out of their Quidditch gear and back into their school robes. Most of Gryffindor house had waited and immediately swept over the Gryffindor team.

Harry managed to slip out and ducked into the Dragon Clubroom. A few members from other houses were in there, discussing the game and already speculating who would win in the Slytherin versus Ravenclaw match next month.

A brown, bushy haired missile slammed into him, nearly knocking off his feet. "Harry! Oh I'm so glad you're alright! I was so certain it was Professor Snape at first, because he was staring at you so hard without blinking, but then you gestured down and we saw someone in the shadows. Of course we rushed down as fast we could, but Tulip and Susan had already gotten there. Whoever it was had bolted, so no one got a good look at him." Hermione blabbered into his chest.

Harry awkwardly hugged her back, giving her a gentle pat on the back. "Was mostly surprised at how quick the broom dove down."

"Pretty sure that was a last ditch effort on their part." Tulip said. Her face was grim and more serious than Harry had ever seen her.

Hermione released Harry and looked at her, then the others. She took a few breaths to calm herself. She shared a look with Ron and Neville, then looked at Susan and Daphne. The two girls stood a bit awkwardly to the side. Hermione nodded. "If we're going to talk about this, I say we go some place a bit more private. Too many other ears here. Besides, there's someone I'd like to talk to. She might have a bit of insight for us.

Daphne nodded. "Right. You've mentioned this 'her' before. As well as this secret spot. I guess lead on."

Hermione quickly grabbed Harry and headed out the door, followed closely by Ron and Neville. The other three followed behind, a little further back. In less than ten minutes, they were standing in the corridor on the seventh floor in front of the tapestry depicting Barnabus the Barmy trying to teach ballet to trolls. Harry watched for a moment as Barnabus continually got up and tried teaching them, only to get squashed by a club.

Neville took a breath, scrunched his face in concentration, and began pacing along the corridor. On the third pass, there was the grinding of stone sound Harry knew to single the appearance of the Room of Requirement.

He followed Neville in and looked around. The Room looked vastly different than when it held the Dragon's Mirror. It was bright, almost sunny. Shelves towered around them, filled with all manner of plants, books, and vials filled with liquids of various colors. Vines crept and covered most free surfaces with plotted plants in even more.

"Figured you all would come. I mean, I knew you were already planning to, of course, but I knew you'd hurry here now after that happened. You handled yourself well, Harry. You're a natural flyer. Wonder how well you'd do without a broom." A feminine voice called from around a corner.

They walked into a common area where a series of cushions and tables had been set out. A hearth with a lit fire was set in the far wall, and there was a cooking area next to it. They could see more rooms branching off.

The qilin lay curled on a large cushion, her head held upright to look at them. Harry took in her appearance. Her fur and scales were a mottled brown, almost bronze. A single antler like horn grew from her forehead as part of a ridge that traveled down her snout. She stared at them with sea green eyes. She dipped her head in respect. "Summer's Breeze Before the Storm. A great pleasure in finally meeting you personally, Harry. And Tulip? That was really quick thinking on your part. Very good observational skills."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "And that's a change from when I last talked to you. Then, it was only Harry you really knew anything about."

Summer's Breeze shrugged. "Well, if I'm going to be here with you for longer, then I might as well pay a bit more attention to detail. Which I'm sure is why the Sage sent me here. A sort of hands on experience with the whole 'sometimes you're part of the story' thing he goes on about."

Daphne frowned. "And what does that mean, exactly?"

The qilin looked at her. "My kind watch. We observe. We listen. And we chronicle what we see and hear. In the last few weeks, I've learned that I really haven't been doing that properly till now. I only observed and listened to some of the details concerning Harry, when I should have been looking at the bigger picture. But now, I'm involved directly. Now I'm fully a part of the story, because I'm involved directly with you lot."

"But what has this got to do with the attack on Harry?" Tulip asked. "I mean, let's not be coy. We all know who it was. You-know-who's lapdog Quirrel."

Summer's Breeze grinned, showing off her sharp teeth. "Yes. It was him there at the match. He was trying to keep Harry from the forest. You see, Harry has been asked for by a being much older and wiser than any human or wizard. The unicorn guardian, Amaranth. Quirrel came too close to her glade when he was last in the forest. And now with this blunder…no. I don't imagine Voldemort will be pleased with him.

"You're exactly as Hermione described." Harry said. "And I can tell you're related to the Sage."

Summer's Breezed rolled the wrist of a talon. "Well, it's as I've said. My kind work closely with him. Well. For him really. We do a lot things, though. I trust Hermione has also conveyed that this is technically my first field assignment. So it's a bit of a learning job for me. I don't have a lot of experience with…do you get what I'm meaning?"

"Sort of." Tulip said. "Was it you that scared off Quirrel?"

"Nope. But I was watching. Disguised myself as a raven. Would've saved Harry, if he had fallen off." The qilin replied. "He ran for it when he realized you were coming. He knew he'd been had when Harry looked at him. Not to mention Snape's counter jinx. Was really well done, too."

"But why now? He's had all year to go after Harry, but he's only shown interest in the Philosopher's Stone. Why attack now?" Ron asked, frowning. "It just doesn't line up with the strategy he's gone for."

"Because Voldemort doesn't want Harry meeting Amaranth. I've met her, and I will be with you lot when you go to meet with her. But she doesn't just ask lightly to see anyone. Even Dumbledore goes to her, yet she deliberately went to Hagrid after chasing Quirrel off." Summer's Breeze's eyes glinted with a strange light. "Which can only mean one thing, but that will be to her to tell you about it. Know this though: what she wishes to do is not done lightly." The qilin settled down into her cushion, resting her head in the palm of a talon. "Feel free to make use of my den. There's a space for potion making over there. Through that door, I've got a bit of a greenhouse going. Leave that other door, just where I sleep and have my personal space. I'll be coming and going myself. Odds are high I'll be around the castle. Listening and watching. Comparing your magic classes with my own personal knowledge. Speaking of which. I've got some information for you, Ron. About becoming an animagus. Still working on some details, mainly the potion bit. But I've got enough together for you to at least begin the prep work at any time. It's written in that journal there. Next to the ink pot. That's the one!"

Ron flipped through the book. "That's…so we have to hold a mandrake leaf in our mouths for a whole month?"

"A lot more than that." Tulip said, frowning. She looked from Ron to the qilin then back to Ron. "An animagus? That's what you want to learn? Ron, this is some really dangerous magic if not done correctly. And the potion alone is incredibly complex!"

"Then it is a good thing you have a master at changing shape helping you." The qilin smiled, not showing her teeth this time. "I already said I'm working on the potion bit. Tulip, the three boys are already planning to do it. They've been eager to figure it out for years. Hermione'll get roped in at some point, and if Daphne and Susan continue to hang with this lot, they'll want it to. And after that there's Ron's sister, Harry's sister, and Harry's cousin Alexis. So instead of preventing them, I'm ensuring they don't come out negatively."

"And if it still goes wrong?" Tulip pressed, her lips thin.

"I undo it. I am fully capable of magics you believe to be impossible. And no, I cannot quite teach them to you. Not yet." She paused. "Not so much due to inability on your part, but more of…difference of perspective. We will leave it at that for now."

Tulip frowned but nodded. She turned to Harry. "Is this Sage fellow you mentioned worse than she is?"

Harry shot her a wry grin. "Worse. Her boss is a master of leaving you with more questions than answers."

Summer's Breeze sniffed at that. "The Sage is a teacher. He doesn't just give you knowledge. He forces you to learn it. Understand it. And understanding will always inevitably lead to further questions. Many of have gone mad in the pursuit of answers, mainly because they always failed to understand what they had learned. Or refused to accept the answers they were given."

"So…" Susan began. "We're free to come here whenever we wish?"

The qilin looked at her. "If you wish to, yes. I'd prefer it if you kept the number of people you tell about this to a minimum. This is meant to be a refuge for we who know more that most. But you are more than welcome to come here to rest. Study. Pester me with questions." She paused and focused for a moment before a new door appeared and opened. "And even practice your spellcraft. I'd be happy to give out pointers too."

Daphne took a deep breath and let it out. She looked more relaxed than Harry had seen her all year. "Oh it just feels so good to have this all in the open now! Though I still can't tell you who my family is involved with. Sorry, Harry. I'd like to, but there's magics involved. And if the Sage hasn't told you about us more than you know…"

"Then you can't really say." Harry finished. "I was wondering if it was something like that. And from the sounds of it, you three don't know too much more than I do."

Tulip finally relaxed and smiled at him. "True. But now that we know that you fully know and are aware, Susan and Daphne have a bit more leeway on things."

"I got in so much trouble over the holidays. My father gave me such a lecture. Not to mention the owls he sent me last term about how I was getting 'too involved'. Well, now Quirrel's attacked Harry. But…you're sure it's ok for us to come with you? To see the unicorn?" Daphne asked.

Harry shrugged. "Like I said. It's this feeling I've got. So it's settled. Come on. I want to see this spell room Summer's Breeze just fixed up." They followed him as he began exploring Summer's Den.

AN: Alright guys and gals! We are back with more chapters!