The flaming sparks of the cozy fire burning in our Common Room were mesmerizing to watch. Each one produced a specific sound, different than the previous. It wasn’t like any normal fire, it was as if the sparks were speaking… as if they were telling a story. Something from the distant past or so I thought… I really liked sitting here. It gave me some sort of peace, some comfort. Those moments while I was just gazing into the fire and listening to the sparks made me forget about all my worries. They made me forget about her… at least for a bit… I tried talking to her on our way to Hogwarts, but she wouldn’t even look at me. It felt like she didn’t even notice I was there. Did something happen to her during the summer? Or is she just back to her usual self again?

To make matters worse, this whole situation with Ben is just making things worse… He’s been missing for quite a while and apparently, not a single person knows where he is… Hopefully, Rowan will be able to decipher the note we found in the Artefact Room. For all we know, it might be complete nonsense left there by someone, but it’s the only clue we have…

He was still sitting there, watching at the paper, trying to figure out its meaning. It’s been a few hours already. I guess I shouldn’t interrupt him. He needs to concentrate…

Once again, I found myself thinking of her… It felt like it was yesterday when we entered the Icy Room. Countless times have I thought about it. Who knows what could’ve happened had we not interfered… And that strange message… I still haven’t quite figured out its meaning. I understand the part saying I should protect her, but what could that darkness be? Is it something related to the Dark Lord? Or something else perhaps? And that key to salvation? I am so confused…

“Dylan, I’ve done it!” Rowan’s voice suddenly snapped me out of my thoughts.

“You aren’t going to believe this, Dylan,” he continued. “At first, I thought I’d translated it wrong, but I quadruple-checked my work.”

“What does it say?” I asked.

“Your next instructions have been Transfigured into a Black Quill, and hidden in the Slytherin Common Room,” he started reading. “Failure to follow your instructions will result in severe punishment. -R.”

“Black Quill? And who is R?” I found the translation strangely confusing.

“I’ve been wondering the same thing. Felix Rosier? Rubeus Hagrid? Argus Filch? I can’t imagine any of them writing this…” He replied.

“If this message was intended for Ben, we have to find that quill. We can use Reparifarge to undo the Transfiguration.” I said.

“The bigger problem is how we’ll get in the Slytherin Common Room. Students aren’t allowed inside another house’s Common Room,” he commented.

“I’ll focus on learning that spell. You try to come up with a plan to get us in the Slytherin Common Room,” I suggested. To be fair, if anyone can figure out a way to do it, it’s Rowan.

“Be careful, Dylan. Whoever wrote this note sounds dangerous…” He warned me.

Shortly after, I decided to make my way to Transfiguration Classroom. The class should be starting soon, and I definitely want to learn that spell…

***

As I was making my way to the classroom, I noticed that the corridors were a lot more lively than usual. Plenty of first-years were happily running around, fascinated by the vast corridors and hallways. There was a lot of cheerful laughter around, which reminded me how great Hogwarts actually is. Honestly, given all the troubles and worries, I didn’t have much time to relax. I’ve spent most of my summer thinking about Jacob’s fate and those weird messages I’ve gotten. And her… With each passing day, the thoughts of her occupied my mind more and more… Maybe… maybe it’s related to that message… it has to be… I can find no other reasonable explanation…

“You look worried, Edwards,” I suddenly heard her voice addressing me. I looked up and there she was, standing near the stairs leading to the classroom. Could it be that she was waiting for me? Or is it just a mere coincidence she was here?

“What do you want, Merula?” I asked, curious what this is about.

“I was just wondering whether you’d had any luck finding that cowardly Mudblood friend of yours,” she replied coldly. Could it be that she was worried about Ben? After all, we were saved from the Icy room thanks to him. But I doubt she’ll admit it… Perhaps… perhaps she knows something?

“Do you know what happened to Ben?” I asked.

“I know more than you. I know that sometimes even when people are missing, they’re exactly where they’re supposed to be,” she answered.

“What are you talking about?” What could she mean by that? It was kind of confusing…

“There are things happening at this school that you could never begin to understand, Edwards,” she replied. “Trying to uncover those things is going to get you killed…”

“Are you talking about the Cursed Vaults? Do you know where they are? Did Ben go looking for them?” I was desperate to find out what she knows, but she didn’t want to be specific…

“You’ll learn everything soon enough. Unless you die first,” she said with a slight grin just before she went to the classroom.

What does that even mean? Is there someone coming after me? Does anyone know I’m looking for the vaults? I can’t quite figure it out… In any case, I’d best get to class. I don’t want to be late…

***

“Welcome to the first Transfiguration Class of your second year,” Professor McGonagall started the introduction. “I will remind you that Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. I expect complete concentration and absolute attention to detail. I realize, however, that you are learning, and mistakes will be made. One such mistake is this failed attempt at turning a cat into a cauldron,” she said as she pointed out to the weird looking cauldron on the table. It had a furry exterior and four cat-like legs instead of the usual cauldron legs. It was quite funny looking, to say the least.

“Thankfully, a spell exists that can undo most mistakes,” she continued.

Then, she took out her wand, pointed it towards the strange looking cauldron, and made a swift, semi-circular movement while uttering the word – “Reparifarge!” Moments later, it transformed into a cat.

Afterward, she went to great lengths to instruct us to properly cast this spell. She was somewhat strict, but very patient and helpful professor. Following her instructions was fairly easy, as long as one was paying attention. I had a bit of a problem with that lately… Not only was my mind full of problems and worries, but often times, I found myself gazing at Merula. By the looks of it, she was doing quite well. Her wand movements were steady, her incantation clear and everything about her seemed so… so perfect… No, I have to focus, I can’t let anything distract me now… I have to learn this spell, otherwise, I won’t be able to help Ben.

I cleared my mind and started focusing on the lesson and lesson alone. I practiced the wand movement, adjusted my stance, and several times I tried pronouncing the magic word as clear as I could. Eventually, it was my turn to perform the spell. I took a deep breath and focused on a cauldron in front of me. Then I pointed my wand towards it and steadily performed the movement while speaking the word – “Reparifarge!” The spell worked and the cauldron turned into a cat. Professor McGonagall seemed pretty pleased about my performance.

“Well done, Mister Edwards!” She praised me. “Your skill in Transfiguration belies your years. Would you be interested in advanced Transfiguration lessons outside of class?”

Advanced lessons! This could be a chance to learn some useful spells that could help me later on. I definitely don’t want to miss this opportunity.

“I would love that, Professor. It would be an honor to study with you,” I answered.

“Very well,” she replied. “You’ll receive an owl when it’s time for your private lesson. In any case, you cast the best Reparifarge spell in this class, and have earned Gryffindor ten House Points.”

“Thank you, Professor,” I said. That’s a nice way to start off the year. Hopefully, I’ll be able to avoid losing House Points this year…

There was still some time before the end of the class. While the other students were demonstrating their spellcasting, I couldn’t help but look at Merula. She was still practicing. Her hands looked so elegant while holding a wand. I recalled holding them while she was injured. For some reason, I wished I could do it again… What am I thinking… that… that wouldn’t be appropriate. Why are those thoughts coming to my head? What is happening to me… Her violet eyes were focused on the cauldron. She didn’t pay much attention to anything else. Her dedication was… impressive… I guess she does aim to become the most powerful witch at Hogwarts. I smiled when I thought of that. It was… quite the ambition to be honest. She definitely belongs in Slytherin.

Shortly after, it was her turn to demonstrate Reparifarge. The Professor’s focus was solely on Merula as she was waving her wand and performing the spell. She graciously did everything as instructed and the spell worked flawlessly. The cauldron in front of her got turned into a cat. Professor McGonagall praised her performance. I could notice that Merula was pretty content with that. She noticed that I was looking her way, so she gave me one of her usual grins as if she was trying to boast about her spellcasting skills. Or was it a smile, I honestly couldn’t tell. She wasn’t close to me, so I couldn’t say for certain… Maybe she was smiling at me? Maybe, she noticed I was happy that she performed well and was glad about it? At least… I wish it was that way… In reality, it was likely the opposite thing, but it doesn’t mean I should lose hope.

I was looking at her for a bit longer, thinking about everything that happened so far. Soon after, the class was dismissed. I remained in the classroom a bit longer, drowning in my thoughts… Then I stood up, took a deep breath and went back to my Common Room…

Previous Part

Next Part