"Nottie, that again?" Rouvenia blows a strand of hair from her face, frowning. "That's not funny right now!"

Nott glances around, anxiety personified.
Something tells me he's not lying.
That he wasn't lying down at the Black Lake in summer. It wasn't a stupid joke …

"Our society is at stake," Elliott kindly sums it up, amused still, "and you're joking as though we're about to go swimming again? Not a good comedic timing."

Nott gulps, ever more timid. "You don't understand, I … I'd heard them then, too. You just wouldn't have believed me anyway, so I dismissed it. Any joke comes with a tad of truth, right?"

"What tad of truth?" I ask, coming straight for him. "You were talking about prophecies and how they were singing about a revolution. Was that true?"

He barely dares to nod his head.

"Then how could you bloody dismiss that in the light of today?" I almost yell.

"I had no idea that …" He pauses, looking up at me quite desperate for help. "How could I have known they were singing about this revolution?"

I groan impatiently as I shake my head.

"Your reaction was already odd at the lake." More quietly he adds, "You've been obsessed with making us practice in the Room of Requirement for months now … You yourself practiced as though you were obsessed, each and every kind of magic …" A bit louder he says, "I thought it was for our finals, but now it seems like … like you knew this duel was coming …"

"Why wouldn't that surprise me?" Dean promptly grumbles, raising a brow at me as he comes next to Nott to judge.

"Oh, come on," Raymond chuckles, unwelcome to join in, "now you're overestimating Riddle – there's no way he had a hand in this. He'd like to, but it's the truly influential people out there."

He's not even worth a curse.

"The Merpeople," I keep urging Nott, "you really hear them, don't you?"

He swallows, cautiously nodding.

"What are they singing now?" I ask, wheeling around. "Hagrid!"

Eileen on his shoulders and he himself both widen their eyes. "The window," I add when he eagerly awaits orders, "can you open it again?" He nods, perplexed, but eventually hurrying to do as he's told. "Nott," I then say, "listen! Focus! I want everybody else to be as silent as the grave!"

Raymond mumbles, "I'm not going to let you tell me to –"

"Shut up!" I hiss and glare at Nott again. "And you listen!"

Everyone's watching him in awe now, not least because he seems so frightened as he finally concentrates on what none of the rest of us can hear.

"How does he do that?" Eileen whispers, among many others that begin to wonder as well. "How can he hear what's not there?"

"Practice, obviously," I'm impatient to even reply. "And now stop talking, we needs silence."

She gives me an apologetic smile, then Nott closes his eyes again. And after a while, opening them, he seems as worried as can be.

"They're not chanting only," he claims, eerily staring at the ground until he eventually ventures to regard me. "Tom, they're summoning each other."

"They're trying to help Dumbledore," Black takes a wild guess.

"No," Nott corrects immediately, crossing his arms over his chest as if to protect himself. "They're not on his side, that much I can tell …"

"What are they up to?" I urge.

"They wish to do what they do best, for Grindelwald." He gulps. "But what would that be?"

"Singing?" Dean suggests. "Like in Greek mythology?"

I nod while Harper says, "In Homer's epic, their songs hypnotised sailors to lure them into their deaths."

"So they try to distract Dumbledore?" Rouvenia gathers, worried even for her standards.

"Quite unfair to call on such powers for a duel supposed to be between two," Eric dryly remarks.

"Tom," Elliott whispers, hastily pulling me aside, "that causes another problem – the pipes! Surely the Merpeople know where it leads, and if the Dark Lord's in contact with the Sirens, then he might also know about –"

A shriek outcry in the Great Hall interrupts all our thoughts and fights as the crowd behind us splits in two. "Giant snake!" we hear a girl shout before she falls over fainting.

Each and every soul present turns around – and the path literally paves itself for Nagini as the bystanders rush out of her way in panic.

She's quick as hell and yet so elegant, Raymond, however, wishes to heroically intervene and takes aim. "Vipera Evane-"

"Don't you dare!" I yell and block his spell as Nagini continues on her way towards us – despite the bewilderment that befalls our spectators.
Raymond in particular has a rather hard time understanding what I just did.

I couldn't care less about Raymond, though, so I only briskly walk towards Nagini, who makes a sudden leap under one of the tables – only to rise, groaning in obvious agony, in her human form on the other side.
For the first time ever, even I am a bit startled at her sight. Her features are clearly marked by the curse, it seems to be tightening around her neck to dim her light. She's never looked more alienated from life, still she's rushing to beckon all familiar faces around her closer.

"Why are you here?" I call out to her.
Obviously no need for greetings.

Countless pairs of wide eyes are on her, and on me, too, but we have no time to lose. Nagini wouldn't be with us if it wasn't of some importance … And yet she hesitates before opening her mouth. As though she would rather not voice what she's about to say.

"Tom, you must comply when they come –"

"They?" I glare at her, raising my chin. "Acolytes in the castle?"

She's quick to nod. "They'll be in the Hall in a heartbeat."

I hear excited whispers from all corners, most of the students, however, keep holding their breath, unsure what to make of the stranger who was a giant snake a moment ago – and obviously known to me.

"Tom," she almost whispers only to pause again, as if she had to force herself to continue. Then she struggles to say, "Grindelwald wants the Head Girl and Boy to attend the duel –"

How discreetly worded, what a blessing he's not just using my name at this point. In case of his victory, I can only imagine he's hoping for more promising manoeuvres if I stay under the radar …

"No! No way!" Elliott protests, pushing himself in front of Leonora to shield her. "No, that is not going to –"

"Listen!" Nagini hisses, hastily circling the tables to get closer to us. "We don't have time for arguments!" She briefly looks at me, as though guilt was piercing through her, and it makes this whole scene incredibly suspicious for me. But she continues still, letting her gaze wander to each of us, "He has the Merpeople behind him. The sirens – they're on his side –"

"Nott, you were right," Rouvenia breathes in horror. "They do want to distract Dumbledore!"

Nagini's gloomy gaze is literally searching mine as she claims this – and I can't point my finger at it, but her appeal, supposedly so close to her heart, seems off. Odd. Something just won't add up.

"Alright!" Rouvenia shouts. "We'll need lots of us to come along with the Head Girl and Boy! We need to help!"

"Come along?" I repeat in irritation. "Not one of you will come –"

"Aren't you listening?" Harper growls at me. "Tom, Nagini just confirmed Nott's suspicions!"

If only Nagini's look at these words wasn't so odd …

"We have to do something!" Harper finds, forcing me to look at her as she raises her index finger. "If sirens are gathering around the island to disrupt the duel, we need every wand we can get!"

"Yes, because if Grindelwald wins," Rouvenia adds, "the madness over blood purity is sure to get worse! Our world will be in shambles!"

I'd need to stop the time. Just to think. I only need a little peace and quiet for a moment, a bit of silence – because something about this whole story is bothering me.
Something's wrong …

Avery eventually nods, Eric also thinks it's a done deal. More and more faces in the crowd light up, hellbent on fighting a war that's not meant for any of them.

"Wait a second," I hear myself demand in an attempt to curb the euphoria. "You're all underestimating Dumbledore, he doesn't need us, he's said –"

"Tom, since when exactly do you listen to the man?" Harper snaps at me. "Can't you see what's at stake?"

"I sure can, but –"

"What did we do all those exercises in the Room of Requirement for if we're just going to stand by now?" Rouvenia calls out to the group.

Dean and Raymond look at each other, perplexed – since they were never there – but the ignorance on their plump faces couldn't be more marginal.

"We can't just passively watch a historical turning point," Rouvenia concludes her little speech.

Too many ideas at once, too much noise – I can barely hear myself think.

"When, if not today?" Leonora calls out now, pushing past Elliott. "Ready your wands!"

"No, wait!" Elliott shouts – but unlike me, not out of skepticism, out of pure concern. "This isn't an exercise!"

"Above all, it's crude," I interject, blatantly eyeing Nagini as I say it. "Something's wrong, we –"

I'm immediately snarled at by Rouvenia. "You're nothing but ignorant if you don't see a need for action! Why else would you teach us to defend ourselves and how to attack those who try to hurt us?"

"All those exercises with Edwin," Harper also murmurs, "around Christmas, recently at Easter – tirelessly, Tom – and you just wish to leave him to his fate down by the lake?"

We all did indeed practice as though our lives were depending on it. I practiced day and night. When I wasn't, I'd absorb magical theory in books. Not just for our exams. For much more practical reasons. It drove me mad that Grindelwald had only come out of his tent in Albania for small talk and dinner.
Just in case he won I wanted to be as prepared as possible. I read whichever books on defence and offence I could find, legends about tournaments and duels – and Edwin had to show me every move, every trick he'd picked up or learnt from Grindelwald over the years, ad nauseam.
I was never in better magical shape. The others were never better.
But it seems so foolish to bring our skills into this before we can even speak of victory or defeat …

Yet Rouvenia scolds Elliott, too. "If the Gentlemen are too afraid to risk a thing, then it's up to us." She nods at Nagini. "Tonight's Walpurgis Night, like all those that came before it, needs nothing but witches! This is the moment we were prepared for at Hogwarts. For which we have worked hard! Trust in your talents! Be brave! Grindelwald's followers are murderers and agitators, let's show them our teeth!"

"You want to go out there and attack?" Nott sounds scared already, and for the first time I believe his fearful nature actually serves him.

"Indeed!"

"Rou!" I shout, unable to hold it in any longer. "An attack would be more than foolish!"

"Why?" she snaps. "What do you suggest then, Riddle, that we just –"

"Don't start a fight you cannot win!"

"So what are we supposed to do instead?" Harper asks, her eyes narrowing in anger. "Nothing, like you? Since you've vowed to stand neither for nor against the Greater Good, as if none of it is any of your business?"

"Harper, there's something wrong about this, can't you see that?"

She's never been so doubtful about me in public before, not even in private – and she's never been angrier at me, but then again, she's probably never had better reasons to be …

"Any support is supposed to be all about the sirens anyway," I add, glaring at Nagini. "Isn't that right?"

"Yes," she confirms, however just too hesitantly for me to buy into it.

"Nagini," I hiss, "what's going on? You're obviously hiding something, you –"

"Riddle is a parselmouth!"

The realisation expands like a wildfire, and I instantly regret letting my guards down.

"A Parselmouth?"

"Was that really Parsel?"

I only briefly allow myself to look around, there's no time to be wasted, but it's quite enough to be sure I won't get rid of Slughorn's wild interest any time soon …

"If you open fire with his people," Nagini says, ignoring the rest of the students around us like I do, "it won't help anyone – leave that to your professors when the time comes." She takes a deep breath, nodding at Rouvenia and Harper. "But you have to keep the Merpeople at bay."

"We will!" Rouvenia firmly claims, Harper and Leonora nod.

"And how do you imagine that?" I ask them. "Do you seriously believe that if Grindelwald's hunters are sent for two people, they'll take a horde of resentful students with them?" I try to get through to Harper. "Even from the papers you should know him better by now. Nagini, you, too! What makes you think they let anyone accompany us?"

"Well …" Nagini swallows. "You have to try …"

Am I imagining the silent plea for forgiveness in her gaze? Or am I simply becoming paranoid for good? My head is spinning, it's never been blurrier whom to trust …

The usual suspects around us express their unconditional willingness to volunteer to save the world, but I still cling to my doubts.

"And you really think the professors have our backs?" Eric asks, already shaking his head in tragic amusement.

"Queenie and Edwin will also defend you as best they can." Nagini gives me a desperate glance. "This much is true …"

I'm taken aback yet again. What the hell is she trying to tell me?

Eric tilts his head, being about the only one trying to think it through first as well. "I don't know … Tom?" I don't listen to him until he properly snaps me out of my running thoughts. "Tom!"

I regard him as he promptly repeats, "I said this might not be enough cover, don't you think?"

"Backing from the professors alone?"

Eric nods.

I sigh, squaring my shoulders. "Depends on how many there are – it's about thirty of Grindelwald's people on the shore, correct?"

"About the same number as the professors and other staff, yeah."

"Professor Slughorn!" I shout and turn to the old bat. He's more than overwhelmed, but I can't take that into consideration right now. "Do you think that if acolytes wanted to stop students from keeping sirens away from Dumbledore, your colleagues would intervene with all their skills and fight for two if necessary?"

"Why yes!" he exclaims in awe, not flinching once. "And so would I, Tom, without hesitation!"

"Well, then …" Eric shrugs. "Won't get better than that I suppose."

"Where did she run to?" we suddenly hear a man yell from the corridors, the echo chilling and furious as it gets. "Where's that bloody reptile!"

I've never seen panic in Nagini's eyes before, but whoever's voice it is we hear – it seems to make her heart rate sore. She literally freezes right before three men rush into the Great Hall, followed by … Vivian?