CHAPTER 20

31 October 1992, DADA Classroom - 9:43AM

"This - pant - is - pant - bloody - pant - MAD!"

Draco was currently doing the double dutch drill, viciously cursing Gilderoy Lockhart's name (mentally) while struggling not to trip over the jump ropes as they magically moved in opposing eggbeater-style directions. He's been at it for what felt like eternity, already on his third try. The first attempt had ended with him being smacked in the face by both sets of ropes before being knocked down by Lockhart's Tripping Jinx. The second attempt had earned him a Stinging Hex to the back (after not turning quickly enough), before he stumbled and dropped his wand while being smacked in the face by one of the ropes. The third time seemed to be the charm, though Draco wasn't sure how long he could survive without collapsing from exhaustion.

According to the DADA Professor, the entire point of the drill was to improve their situational and full-body awareness, mastering body control and maximizing their bodily dexterity. It wasn't enough to just jump in between the ropes; they needed to successfully duck and dodge spells being lobbied at their bodies and their feet, while using their wand to deflect the spells with Averto, the ping-pong inspired spell the Professor had finally taught them a week prior. It was very difficult for those who'd never played double-dutch before, and many were hoping they wouldn't be dismissed from the team should they not be able to master it. In spite of it all, Professor Lockhart was annoyingly persistent in his belief that they would be able to master the gauntlet, especially if they were to ever cross paths with "an enemy of the Dark Forces".

Out of all the students, Yurika Haneda and Alicia Spinnet had been the most successful so far, each lasting a little under ten minutes. Both had cousins in Japan and the States that routinely participated in double dutch championships as members of all-star teams. In fact, Alicia's cousin Maryanne Spinnet held the current title of "Most Valued Witch" (with over 200 personal points) as part of the Salem Snapperbacks, the twelve-time World Champions of the Global Wizarding Double Dutch League.

"Now now Mr. Malfoy, focus on the task at hand! You've lasted only three minutes so far, let's try and push it to an even five. And make sure that wand is at the ready, ha-Ha!" With that, Lockhart shot three Rictusempras in rapid succession at a still-scowling Draco. The young wizard successfully averted the first, dodged the second, but fell victim to the third, jerking in laughter while he tripped over his feet, landing in a painful heap on the ground as his wand clattered away. Jim snickered cruelly (and quite loudly), delighted to see the blonde ponce land on his stupid poncy face. Ginny snickered too, but she was smarter about covering her mouth and pretending to cough. Shaking off his irritation, a wincing Draco stood and retrieved his wand before going to stand by Justin, who clapped his shoulder encouragingly. The genuine camaraderie between the muggleborn and the pureblood shocked many in the class, with the two oft partnering with each other when playing ping-pong. Unbeknownst to everyone, the two had - for the past month and a half - discretely met with each other and Professor Snape to discuss 'pertinent House politics'.

"Mr. Potter," said Lockhart firmly. "Are you apt for giving it another go? You seem well recovered from your previous attempt." It was Draco's turn to snicker (internally), pleased to see the 'King of the Leprechauns' be taken down a rightful peg. Jim had yet to recover from the humiliation dealt to him by Draco and the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team in their last match, and was even more testy than usual as a result.

Jim grumbled under his breath, causing Lockhart to smile even wider.

"Actually," said the Professor slyly, "how about we have both Potters take a turn between the rope gauntlet?" Harry's eyes narrowed at Lockhart's suggestion, wondering what the bloody hell the man was playing at. "What do you say, hm? As the muggles say, teamwork makes the dreamwork, ha-Ha!" With a flourish of his wand the ropes lengthened enough to accommodate both brothers comfortably, though not enough to keep them completely apart. He gestured to the ropes, watching with his impossibly bright smile as the two brothers stiffly made their way over and assumed their starting positions.

"Now, Mr. Diggory," the boy in question blinked to attention. "You and I will take turns casting Stinging and Tickling Hexes at Messrs. Potter whilst they double and dutch. The point," he paused here to level a significant look at both brothers, "is that the two of you work together to ensure that neither of you gets injured. Understood?" A few beats passed before both brothers nodded tersely. "Let us begin!"

The ropes began slowly turning as the brothers jumped between them, establishing an easy rhythm. The spells soon followed. Harry succeeded in dodging two of the Stingers that Cedric and Lockhart shot at them, though Jim wasn't as lucky as he was clipped by the third.

"OW! Bloody hell!"

"Tsk tsk, language Potter. Mr Harry Potter, remember the task, to work together." A thousand insults whirled through Harry's mind, though thankfully none escaped his lips. He didn't want to have to explain to his mother why he'd earned a month of detention for telling the DADA Professor to "blow it out his arse!", among other equally unsavory things. Grunting, Harry muttered to Jim to "Pay attention!", something his brother did not take kindly to.

"I am paying attention - pant - you prat!" He snarled the last bit before huffing to dodge a Tickler lobbied at his head. Harry dutifully ignored him whilst he dodged his own Stinger, lest they devolved (again) into fisticuffs. For reasons that still escaped him, Jim believed that he'd stolen his Invisibility Cloak. Harry had sworn he hadn't a clue who had stolen it or why, but his brother was beyond reason. He'd made idiotic references to 'calling cards', something about Slytherins Rule, Gryffindors Drool. While Harry agreed with the rather juvenile sentiment, he wouldn't have been stupid enough to leave a calling card or any other evidence of him taking the Git's cloak. Jim, of course, still didn't believe him, and had been a hateful and unbearable ass about it to almost everyone for almost the entire month of October. On top of the month-long detention he'd already earned with Professor Snape, Jim had succeeded in earning a bonus week of detention with Professor McGonagall. The notoriously strict Head of House was in no mood to entertain Jim's abominably foul behavior, disappointed to see him revert back to his First Year antics.

"Pay attention Messrs. Potter!" Lockhart's gratingly cheery voice rang out, before he and Cedric shot a rapid round of hexes at the brothers. Jim was able to dodge a few, and then use Averto to flick a Stinger directly onto Harry. Snarling Harry returned the favor, before accidentally stepping on one of the ropes and being slapped in the face by the other, nearly toppling over. Jim's responding snicker was immediately cut short as he was also hit in the face by the same rope, before Cedric's stinger hit his left arm painfully.

"OW! Bloody hell Cedric I need that arm!" The wizard in question grinned sheepishly, but Lockhart did not look amused. With a sharp twist of his wand the ropes froze mid-movement, giving the brothers a moment to get their bearings.

"Messrs Potter." His tone was sharp, causing the rest of the class to exchange nervous glances. "The entire point of this exercise is to work together to avoid being struck by spell or rope. In the real world, when beset on all sides by the darkest and most unrelenting of forces, you will have to rely on your partner to live to tell the tale. Do you believe I would have survived the ravenous horde of Fear Gorta in Marauding with Monsters, had I not relied on the fearsome abilities of my ally Brandon McMahon?" The twins shook their head 'no' at what was undoubtedly a rhetorical question.

Lockhart nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now, to make sure you follow instructions, I will…raise the stakes." With a sharp flick of his wand the ropes resumed their eggbeater motion, before slowly increasing in speed. As the Potters worked to maintain the pace, Lockhart requested for Alicia to join him and Cedric in casting spells. This time, the DADA professor would cast Stingers, Diggory would cast Ticklers, and Spinnet to cast Tripping Jinxes. Thinking quickly to avert what would be an inevitable disaster, Harry came up with a plan.

"Listen to me Jim," whispered Harry, fighting the urge to roll his eyes when his brother sneered in response. "Lockhart won't - pant - bloody let up until we work together and get this right. Unless you want to spend the rest of the school year - pant - doing this, or worst yet - pant - spending more time in detention doing this - pant - this. For the rest - pant - of the school year. We can - pant - work together on this. Just - pant - trust me." Jim's eyes widened in horror at the possibility before quickly having to dodge a Stinger that nearly took his face off. He spent ten whole seconds staring at Harry, before nodding tightly.

Almost on cue, the ropes' speed increased, and Harry took a quick calming breath, pleased to feel his heart rate slow as his thoughts soundlessly drift to the quietest corners of his mind. He could hear his heartbeat, a steady thumping rhythm echoing in his mind. With a deep breath, he Dilated his perception.

THUMP. It was fascinating to see everything in his surroundings slow to a crawl as his thoughts sped up to near superhuman levels. The rope moved comically slow, and with little focus, he could see the spells as they came towards he and his brother.

THUMP. "Duck!" Jim ducked just as Harry did, watching as the Stingers sailed overhead. "Avert!" Both brothers cast Averto over their torsos, successfully deflecting the Ticklers Spinnet cast at their person.

THUMP. "Jump!" The brothers leapt as one to avoid the flurry of Tripping Jinxes lobbied at their feet, successfully evading them.

THUMP. Turning, Harry saw Lockhart sneakily cast Furnunculus at Jim's face. Because he was still Dilated, Harry was able to use Averto to parry the spell directly back into Lockhart's surprised face. The man was obviously quick on his feet, averting the spell away before raising his hands.

"ENOUGH!" Harry ended the Dilation, feeling a touch of vertigo as everything returned to its normal pace. The ropes disappeared, allowing the two brothers some reprieve. A panting Jim was giving him a strange look, but thankfully he didn't speak. Lockhart stared intensely at Harry for a few seconds, before breaking out into thunderous applause, smiling with almost every last one of his overly white teeth. The class haltingly followed along, some more enthusiastic than others.

"Well done you two, well done! That is precisely what I am looking for when it comes to teamwork! Did you all see that?" He received a few nervous nods in response. "Jim trusted Harry to ensure that he would evaluate the best position for them to take, before working together to maximize their advantage. When facing off against the forces of darkness, these are the very skills that will save your life and that of your partner. Remember that. Class dismissed!"

As the last student of Team Counterstrike filtered out of the class, Lockhart locked and warded the door. With a sharp gesture of his wand, a hidden alcove revealed Luna Lovegood, who he'd placed there to observe the Potter Twins during his lesson.

"Well?" he asked. "What did you see?"

"Their wrackspurts did want to devour each other at the start, and they were very close to at one point. But then their Blibbering Humdingers took rein of their wrackspurts, keeping their ravenous appetites at bay. Kept their nargles calm too, enough for each of them to focus on their tasks even while working together. So I would conclude that yes, in a matter of life and death, Harry and Jim can work together to ensure that both live to tell the tale." Lockhart made a noncommittal sound.

"And what of the giant wrackspurt you mentioned earlier last month? The one in Jim's stomach that's growing fatter? Any changes?"

Luna looked thoughtful. "It's really interesting; it has days when it looks too fat for its own good, but then it has days when it looks like it hasn't been properly fed. I think the days it looks weak, Jim is able to better express his repressed emotions. On the days it looks too fat, he bottles everything up inside. He needs to find the proper means to express his emotions, lest he ends up literally gorging himself on his own anger and unhappiness." Lockhart just stared, before nodding.

"Thank you very much Miss Lovegood, you are dismissed."

3:21PM

Waving a goodbye to his mum as he left her quarters, Harry quickly trekked to the Slytherin Common Room, doing a quick mental review of the upcoming lesson for Team Mysterioso. He'd been fascinated at the depth of detail Eurus had managed to convey with her drawings and annotations in her officially named "Mysterioso Manifesto". Granted none of the creatures described looked like anything found in nature (magical or otherwise), but it was helpful to have a frame of reference for the many beings that Luna could see. For extra security, Lockhart had obscured their notes parchments with a specialized security charm that rendered the text invisible until activated by a unique password, and looked to be gibberish to anyone who wasn't a member of Team Mysterioso.

Upon reaching the entrance, he gave the password ("Serpens Caput") before entering to face veritable chaos.

On one side was a furious Ginny Weasley, being held back by Druscilla Crabbe and Astoria, both of whom looked to be struggling with keeping the petite witch from her target. On the opposite side was an equally livid Draco, actively struggling against Graham and Miles as they struggled to hold him back. Theo and Blaise (growing increasingly concerned) were standing nearby with wands out, ready to intervene if necessary.

"I have NEVER cheated in my life you vile little WEASEL! But I don't doubt you did, born of LOWLY DIRTY WEASELS!"

"Keep my family's name out of your FILTHY Death Eater mouth you OVERBLOWN FERRET!" Ginny snarled, attempting to free her arm to grab her wand. She was itching to curse the blonde little bastard right in his stupid smarmy face.

"You're not even FIT to think the Malfoy name, much less speak it from your STUPID WEASEL MOUTH!"

"DEATH EATER SWINE!"

"INDIGENT SCULLERY MAID!" Ginny's face rapidly turned tomato-red.

"DARK LORD BOOTLICKER!" Draco turned an impressive shade of puce.

"You - you - SULLEN WENCH!" Ginny's eyes widened and with an enraged scream, she freed herself from Druscilla and Astoria and pounced on Draco. Her fists flew in rage all while Draco attempted to buck her off, using his hands to parry her punches. Their fellow students stared in various states of shock, before Miranda Bonnevie (who'd entered the Common Room at the exact moment Ginny had leapt on Draco) shook off her appalment.

"PROTEGO DUO!" A shimmering white shield erupted between the two, forcefully pushing them apart. Malfoy looked uncharacteristically ruffled, with a massive bruise forming on his left eye. Ginny had a few scratches on her arms, her bright red hair completely unraveled from their milkmaid buns.

"Just what in Morgana's tits is going on here?!" exclaimed Miranda, coming to stand between the two Second Years lest they attempted to tear each other apart again. "This is absolutely unconscionable behavior, and I would be well within my rights as Prefect to not only take off several points, but have you two idiots languishing away in detention for the rest of the school year! With Professor Snape!" Both their eyes widened, neither wanting to explain to their Head of House the reason that they'd been tussling like toddlers in the middle of the Common Room. "Now someone explain to me what is going on here?"

Blaise stepped forward. "About twenty minutes ago, Miss Weasley entered the Common Room with Misses Crabbe, Haneda, and Greengrass, discussing her day's events. She mentioned how well she'd done in Lockhart's double dutch exercise for Team Counterstrike, well within the vicinity of Draco," he gestured to the wizard in question, who at least had the decency to be embarrassed. "Naturally, things had devolved from there. Draco interjected and claimed that Ginny hadn't done as well as him, before Ginny retorted that obviously he'd cheated. Draco then returned the accusation, before the two devolved into the very argument you walked in on."

Miranda pursed her lips when Blaise finished, turning to glare at an abashed Ginny and Draco. She then turned to stare at Harry, almost sizing him up. Finally, she straightened.

"I don't have time for this base foolishness and…childish drama. Potter!," she barked, leveling a glare at the wizard when he smiled all too brightly at her. "These two idiots are your friends, keep them in line and out of everyone else's way, especially my own. Got it?" A beat passed before Harry nodded amicably. With a sneer, Miranda stormed off to her room.

"Ummm…so what now?" asked Druscilla, strategically placing herself between Ginny and Draco, enough that she could block the witch from attacking the blonde. While she normally wouldn't have given a hoot about a blood traitor like Weasley, the girl had saved her life during their flying lesson when Druscilla's broom had gone haywire. She owed the girl.

"Now Ms. Crabbe, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley will take some time to cool off, before we'll reconvene to sort this all out. A quick conference if you will." Leveling once last sneer at each other, Ginny and Draco went their separate ways to cool off, while the Silver Trio discreetly made their way to the Lair.

Around fifteen minutes later, their group was comfortably seated in the Throne Room, Draco and Ginny significantly calmer than before. Harry was seated with Draco and Theo on the left side, while Ginny and Blaise were seated on the right. The Hydra was silent, though Harry knew it was watching and listening.

"So, now that we've all had a little breather, let's start by answering the pressing question of why you two," he pointed at Ginny and Draco, "eagerly started a rumble in the Common Room."

"Because he's pompous, bigoted, obnoxious tit who deserves to be knocked down a few pegs," spat Ginny. Unbeknownst to her, Nidhogg gave a soft nod of approval, not all that fond of Malfoy.

"Because she's ..." Draco struggled to find any words he could say without contravening his Vow. "A Weasley!"

"Actually," said Harry with a smug expression, "it's because you're both under a spell."

"WHAT?!" Ginny exclaimed. Draco just sighed as if defeated, though he glared at Ginny all the same. Surprised at his reaction, Harry asked:

"Drake? Were…were you already aware that you're under a spell?" Draco frowned at the nickname, something that had caught on with the rest of the Slytherin team since their epic thrashing of the Gryffs in the prior month. Oddly enough, he wasn't as annoyed about it now as he'd been some weeks prior. He sighed before continuing on:

"Yes, I am. Father told me about the Oath of Enmity that exists between House Malfoy and House Weasley. Told me all about it after…well…you know at Flourish and Blotts." Ginny looked scandalized at the idea that Draco knew more about their feud than she did. Theo just looked disappointed, staring in defeat at his well-ordered notes that he'd painstakingly gathered for the past few months. Sighing, he put them back into his knapsack.

"Well I'm not aware of the spell," Ginny retorted, eyes narrowing at Malfoy's head. "Mind telling me what it's all about?" A few scathing replies flew through Draco's head, but with a calming breath, the boy allowed his Occlumency to (finally) assert control and beat back his instinct to insult the little ginger girl.

With a sigh, Draco began: "Prior to the events of 1788, the Noble House of Weasley and the Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy had been in a general state of de facto alliance for almost 300 years. In fact, our two families supported each other during the conflict between the Muggle Houses of York and Lancaster, rewarded rather handsomely by King Richard III upon resolution of the conflict. While the House of Weasley never formally swore fealty to the House of Malfoy, our two families had several joint business ventures and supported one another politically in the Wizengamot. It was widely understood - widely expected - that my family's House would support the elevation of the Weasleys to the status of Ancient and Noble House as soon as one of those seats became vacant."

Ginny stared hard at Draco, though her expression held a bit of incredulity. Harry just looked impressed, briefly wondering if a Malfoy or a Weasley had been involved in the destruction of Castle Black.

"This state of affairs continued until 1788, when the Heads of the two Houses – Hephaestus Malfoy (Hufflepuff, Class of 1750) and Barnabas Weasley (Slytherin, Class of 1753) – decided to formalize their alliance with a marriage contract between Meleager, the Malfoy Heir, and Camilla, the eldest daughter of Barnabas. However, problems arose when Meleager, in a serious breach of etiquette, rather loudly let it be known that he was less interested in Camilla, who was six years his senior, than in Ludmilla Weasley, who was only one year his junior and who was considered to be more attractive than her older sister. According to father, Barnabas' father Amadeus Weasley (Slytherin, Class of 1703) had warned Barnabas that the inevitably unhappy union would bring ruin upon their houses, and that if his son truly wanted to foster an alliance between the two Houses, he would bequeath Ludmilla to Meleager. As it stood, the two were already very much in love with each other, and had already expressed wanting to be married once they graduated from Hogwarts. Unfortunately, Barnabas was more eager to marry Camilla off than to ensure either her or Ludmilla's happiness. It's been noted several times that Camilla and Meleager…didn't really get along with each other during their years at Hogwarts."

Ginny's eyes widened at the mention of Ludmilla Weasley, who her dad had mentioned during some years past (on her 7th birthday to be precise) as being the last female Weasley prior to her. Harry grew more curious, wondering why Barnabas hadn't heeded the sound logic of his father, who'd clearly demonstrated his worth as a Prince Advisor.

With another sigh, Draco continued: "After his vigorous initial protests, Meleager bowed to his father's wishes ... at first. But then, only a week before the wedding, Meleager disappeared never to be seen again, along with Ludmilla, the bride price, the dowry, and all the wedding gifts that had been received up to that point. Each family blamed the other for the scandal. Barnabas Weasley called Meleager a rakish scoundrel who had seduced his baby girl, while Hephaestus called Ludmilla a shameless slattern who had deceived his beloved son, perhaps to his death. The situation deteriorated very quickly, with three duels between members of the two houses over the course of the next year. Things came to a head in 1790 when Barnabas Weasley publicly accused Livilla Malfoy, Hephaestus's wife, of cursing the Weasley family with a…redacted spell." Draco whispered this bit and looked around furtively, almost afraid that something would jump out of the shadow.

"What on earth is a redacted spell?!" exclaimed Ginny, a little nervous at the change in Draco's countenance. The blonde twiddled his thumb for a few moments before answering Ginny's question.

"A redacted spell is… is something very bad." All eyes widened at the portentous weight of Draco's voice. "Father told me it's considered… olde magick, from the days when a wizard or witch's mere word would cause the world to change around them." Unbidden, a shiver ran down Harry's spine as he recalled Serena Zabini's near-exact words. Blaise noticed his friend's reaction, but chose to remain silent. "There's no record of the actual spell anywhere; all of the written accounts from that era literally have the name of the spell blacked out. There are some…rumors in my family that the spell was deeply dark Blood Magick, one that barred female descendants from being born. For both the intended target and the caster." Ginny's eyes widened. Ludmilla had been the last female Weasley born for centuries, right up until her birth. Though she didn't have any proof, that redacted spell sounded more and more credible.

"But whatever it was, Livilla would have been… cast through the Veil of Death rather than just imprisoned in Azkaban if the charges had been proven." That same chill ran down Harry's back "However, the burden of proof was on the Weasleys since they lobbied the accusation, and Barnabas was unable to secure a conviction in the Wizengamot. After Livilla was acquitted, the Malfoys turned around and sued the Weasleys for libel and slander, and the damages awarded to them over a false allegation of using a redacted spell caused the Weasleys to lose their Wizengamot seat. Most of the financial difficulties the Weasleys have had over the last two centuries stem from these events."

"Anyway, having lost the court case, Barnabas Weasley exercised his power as Head of House to declare family enmity against the Malfoys, and Hephaestus Malfoy reciprocated."

"What does that mean?" asked Ginny.

Harry took over. "It means, Ginny, that for nearly two hundred years, every Weasley born into your family has instinctively hated all Malfoys on sight, and every Malfoy born during that period has hated all Weasleys for the same reason. In other words, your mutual hostility is not natural. It's a magical effect that continues to plague both your families to this day."

Ginny worried her bottom lip. "Can it be removed? From both families?"

"House enmity can only be ended by mutual agreement of the current Heads of the affected Houses," answered Theo authoritatively.

"Which hardly seems likely since our fathers can't get within ten feet without getting into fistfights," said Ginny tiredly. A few beats passed before Zabini quietly cleared his throat.

"Draco, you mentioned that the redacted spell had negative consequences for both the intended target and the caster, what did you mean by that?" asked Blaise quietly.

"Well…I'm not sure of the spell's mechanics, but Father's theory is that if Livilla had in fact used the redacted spell, it could explain why there's also not been a female descendant in the Malfoy family for the past two centuries as well." The last statement was practically whispered, sending a quiet shockwave through the room.

"...There hasn't?!" asked Ginny incredulously.

Draco swallowed his insult before it left his lips, making sure to take a deep breath before he responded.

"No. The last female witch born to the Malfoy family was Amandine Malfoy in 1789. She was sorted into Hufflepuff in 1800, before graduating in 1807. She was married to Algernon Longbottom, and is the many-times great grandmother of Neville." Draco made a funny face. "According to Father, Amandine's Sorting caused quite the stir; Edward Weasley (Barnabas' youngest son) had exclaimed that he refused to be Sorted into Hufflepuff with the Hat still on his head! With the Oath driving him, he vowed in the Great Hall that no other Weasley would ever be Sorted into Hufflepuff or Slytherin ever again." He leveled an intense look at Ginny, the living exception to the Weasley rule.

Shaking his head, Draco turned to address Harry. "Why are you so interested in this anyway?"

"Two reasons. First, I was curious about why you had such an extreme aversion to Ron on the train last year when you'd never met him before then, and later why your father had such an extreme and public altercation with Mr. Weasley. Second, I've made it quite clear that I want the two of you on my Inner Circle, now during my Claimancy and later on when I fully ascend and take the mantle as Prince." Alecto hissed snootily, causing Delilah to roll her eyes in agitation while she hissed words of encouragement to her favorite Claimant. Smiling adoringly, Harry hissingly thanked her for her encouragement. "Anyway, it's imperative my two Consilierii will be able to work together, not be reduced to sniping and physically attacking the other at the least provocation." Draco blushed while Ginny looked abashed.

"So you plan to do something about it," said Ginny cheekily.

Harry just smiled. "In the short term, all I plan to do is ask you two to act like any responsible young witches and wizards. You know your feelings are unnatural. So even if you can't stop feeling the way you do, you can control how you respond publicly to those feelings. Don't allow yourselves to be overcome by external compulsions. And above all, don't embarrass Slytherin House over some ancient feud that has no relevance for either one of you."

"And in the long term?" asked Draco, his tone much more suspicious than Ginny's.

"Well," said Harry with a cheerful grin. "If my short term solution fails, then I suppose I'll just have to make it a project of mine to bring your two warring families together in a spirit of peace and harmony. And you both know how I love my projects."

At that, Jormungand and the Runespoor let out a sibilant chorus of Ki-Ki-Ki's, sending a shudder down the backs of everyone not named Harry.

8:57PM

With a sigh Lily made her way from the Library to her personal quarters, glad to have some alone time. Halloween always made her broodier than usual, and she'd kindly excused herself from the Feast. Thankfully Dumbledore had been understanding of her mood and left her to her own devices.

She'd spent most of her night in the Restricted Section, trying to see if there was any relevant research on house elf magic. As with all the other times she'd tried, she'd discovered nothing new. Just as with Bismuth and Mia, the house elf that had been able to identify the smell of two rogue elves, but hadn't been able to identify who the elves were and exactly which Master(s) they served. Lily snarled in frustration, before schooling her expression into a mask of calm. Figuring out exactly who was set out to kill her children would take a clear mind, and she'd need all the mental clarity she could get.

As she approached the set of stairs that led to the First Floor, she noticed an uncommon amount of flooding coming from the unused lavatory on the floor above. 'Ugh, bloody Myrtle having another one of her snits.' Lily rolled her eyes before using her wand to clear the water and dry a path. Taking the stairs, she paused as she heard a series of shouting, the sounds of which oscillated between an infuriated adult man and terrified (and irritated) children. Bounding up the stairs and round the corner she found Eurus Kolumbiko, Luna Lovegood, Amy Wilkes, and Astoria Greengrass huddled together and trying to put on a brave face while being harangued and threatened with all manner of torture by an enraged Argus Filch.

"MONSTERS! MURDERERS! KILLERS OF CATS!" he ranted. He was gesticulating madly with a broken umbrella, as though he were a knight brandishing his sword.

"For the infinite time you nitwit, we didn't kill anything!" Eurus yelled back furiously, her usual cheery and charming visage nowhere to be found. "Mrs. Norris was already like that when we got here!"

"LIES! MRS. NORRIS NEVER DID NOTHING TO ANY OF YOU! YOU ALL JUST HAVE TO BREAK THE RULES ALL THE TIME!" He took a threatening step towards the girls, before jumping when Lily shot off a Caterwauling Charm.

"ENOUGH!" Filch jumped at the harshness of her voice, before sulking to retreat against the wall that held his cat. Checking to make sure the terrified girls were alright, Lily made her way over to the very stiff feline, suspended by a cord from the ceiling. Like a macabre rendering of a statue. Willow wand a blur, Lily cast several diagnostic charms, growing paler as she read each result. The cat had been Petrified, in a state of complete paralysis and unresponsiveness. 'Poor dear,' thought Lily sympathetically. In the dim lighting she noticed some writing on the wall behind the cat, in what looked like a dark red paint – or at least, Lily hoped it was paint – that spelled out the following cryptic message:

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED!

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE!

and below that in even larger letters

GRYFFINDORS GRUEL!

Lily swallowed her shudder at the portentous words. At that point, a crowd of students from the Great Hall had gathered, gazing in varying degrees of shock and horror at the scene before them. Some of the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors screamed in horror at the terrible sight of Mrs. Norris, while quite a few Ravenclaws looked on completely aghast. Several of the older year Slytherins murmured quietly among themselves. Cassius, naturally, was the exception.

"Enemies of the Heir beware?" he sneered cruelly at Lily. "You'll be next, mudblood." Harry (who'd finally appeared with Theo, Blaise, and Draco) turned sharply at that, eyes flashing with promised violence at the odious boy's use of that disgusting slur against his mother. Miranda also turned to sharply stare at Cassius, cursing his idiotic lack of discretion at using that terrible slur in front of almost the entire school.

"That will be 10 points from Slytherin for use of that word Mr. Warrington. You will see me in my office tomorrow morning to discuss the terms of your detention." Cassius paled at the sibilant sound of Professor Snape's voice, who'd seemingly appeared along with Dumbledore and Lockhart. Ceasing his glaring of Warrington, Severus moved to stand beside Lily as the Headmaster made his way over to comfort Filch.

"Mrs. Norris has been Petrified Headmaster," said Lily quietly. "I've run a few diagnostic tests, and all say the same. I am not certain exactly what could have caused this, but it's very disturbing to say the least."

"I know what caused it!," screamed Filch. "It was them, those four over there!" He pointed a gnarled hand at the girls as Eurus fingered her wand, wondering if she could get away with hexing the man silly for his awful insinuations. Eurus would never harm an innocent creature, especially one as sacred and revered as a cat.

"Mr. Filch, Mrs. Norris is not dead, but merely petrified as Professor Evans just iterated. She can be restored through a potion that Professor Snape can prepare from distilled Mandrake root just as soon as the Mandrakes growing in the greenhouses reach maturity. As for these young ladies, I assure you that whatever force petrified your cat was well beyond the skill of any First Year of any House. Quite beyond the skill of even the most talented of Seventh years."

"Indeed Headmaster," said Gilderoy gravely, taking in the scene with a critical eye. "The only known curse that could have caused this is very dark in nature, confined to only the darkest of texts that no student would have access to in any capacity." His lips thinned significantly as he gazed at the writing on the wall, expression shuttered. Lily took note of his curious expression, filing it away for later.

Soon after, the Headmaster commanded that all the students return to their dorms for the evening, tasking Professor Evans to ensure that everyone made it to their Common Rooms safely. As they left, Lockhart pulled Dumbledore and Snape aside.

"How much distilled Mandrake root is required for the Restorative Drought?" he asked.

"It varies," replied Snape, "according to body weight. For a human, from four to six drams depending on size. For a cat, one dram will likely suffice, though we have none at all in stock at Hogwarts. I do have four drams in storage in my personal labs in my home, along with five drams in storage at the Prince Institute. Mandrake is as temperamental to grow enough as is, with unique constellations that govern the growing season across differing hemispheres. In the spirit of proactiveness, I will make the necessary inquiries to double check availability."

"Excellent Severus. For the record, I have five drams," Lockhart responded. "I keep it on hand for my lectures about pixies and other creatures with paralytic attacks, though this appears to be much more...aggressive than any of the creatures I'd prepared for."

"We would be appreciative of your donation, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore. "It would mean a great deal to Mr. Filch if Mrs. Norris can be restored immediately instead of months from now."

"Of course Headmaster." Lockhart bowed his head graciously, before making his exit. As he rounded the corner, he wondered if he should have brought up the possibility of waiting to use his limited supply on Filch's cat, since he was more than certain another Petrification would happen again. 'With our luck, it will probably be a student.'

AN 1: Finally! I wanted to get this out of the way, just one more chapter until our Christmas Special *maniacal laughter*. Stakes get higher from here.