The last rays of sunlight had already faded away from the horizon a while ago. The Hospital Wing was so quiet at this time of day. There weren’t that many students left in here. Other than Merula, there were only two other students resting in beds. Madam Pomfrey was tending to one of them. I believe he got injured during the Quidditch practice, but I wasn’t sure since I didn’t pay too much attention, to be honest. I just wanted for her to recover. Just why did she go there on her own… I kept repeating that question in my head constantly, but I simply couldn’t come up with an answer…

Madam Pomfrey said that she should recover after resting for a night. Somehow, I wanted to be here to make sure that everything goes well. To be fair, I was aware that there was nothing I could do to help her situation, but I wanted to stay, regardless. And I was glad that no one prevented me from remaining by her side.

She looked so peaceful while sleeping… Her breathing got back to normal, or at least it seemed that way. Occasionally, she would cough every now and then, but other than that, she was just sleeping. I was holding her hand the entire time. Her long fingers were so gentle, so delicate. Her hands weren’t cold anymore, yet still, I couldn’t let go. I don’t know why, but it was giving me some sort of peace, some comfort…

A couple of times she would murmur something incomprehensible. I could only assume she was dreaming about something… something nice, hopefully…

More than once, I found myself gently stroking her hair. Despite looking like a complete mess, it was very sleek and pleasant to touch. For some reason, she seemed to like it. I could notice her smiling in her sleep while I was patting her hair. I still found it hard to believe that she was the same person who sabotaged my cauldron, the same person who bullied my friends, the same person who attacked me on more than one occasion… But regardless, I will give it my best to keep her safe, after all, given some time, she might soften up… I just refuse to believe that she is innately evil…

I took another look at the night sky. I could clearly see it from the window. The stars were shining bright and the moonlight rays were falling upon her gentle cheeks. It made her especially beautiful. I could look at her for ages… I…

“…Er… Excuse me, Dylan,” I heard a quiet, scared voice addressing me. I turned around and noticed Ben standing behind me. He seemed rather upset about something.

“Ben, what are you doing here? Is everything all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” I asked.

“I might as well have… I am afraid this could be far worse. Our Prefect, Angelica, wants to have a word with you. It appears that the word has spread about our adventure…” he answered with a concerned look. “She said she wants you to meet her in the Great Hall as soon as possible.”

“I… see…” I replied, reluctantly. “Thank you, Ben. You can tell her I’ll be there shortly.”

“All right… just… don’t keep her waiting for long… I am afraid that we could be in serious trouble… what if we get punished… or expelled?” I could see that he was terrified.

“Don’t worry, Ben. I hope it won’t come to that.” I tried to reassure him.

Soon after, he left, very quietly, as if he was scared not to wake Merula up. Apparently, he is still very much afraid of her. I can’t really blame him for that… I stayed by her side a while longer, holding her hand and gently patting her hair. Then I stood up and started walking away. I should let her rest. There wasn’t anything I could do to make her feel better. On the way out, I thanked Madam Pomfrey for letting me stay at Merula’s side for so long. It’s been several hours since we brought her here. I guess I should hurry to the Great Hall and see why Angelica wants me to meet her. I mean, I am almost certain it’s related to the mysterious icy room. I took one last look at Merula as I was leaving the room. She was sleeping so soundly, with the rays of moonlight gently caressing her gorgeous face. I… I guess I’ve grown quite fond of her lately. Despite her being cruel and unfriendly, there was something… something I couldn’t explain with words, that was drawing me to her. Like it was some sort of spell, bewitching me… I’ve never felt anything like that before…

***

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The Great Hall was full of students. It was suppertime after all. I couldn’t remember when was the last time I ate. In the morning, probably? All the excitement and adventuring made me forget the hunger…

As I was approaching the High-Table, I could see Angelica standing near it, waiting for me. She gave me a stern look the moment saw me enter the Hall. Oh well, I’d better talk to her.

“You wanted to see me…” I asked with a bit of insecurity in my voice.

“I warned you that word travels fast at Hogwarts, Dylan…” She said while looking at me seriously. “Is it true that you entered a forbidden corridor with Rowan, Ben Copper, and Merula Snyde?”

“…” I froze… So, she knows… I tried to speak, but I couldn’t get the words to come out of my mouth.

“Do not lie to me, Dylan. It will greatly damage our relationship…” She warned me.

I guess there is no point denying it now… Several students saw Rowan and me carrying Merula to Hospital Wing anyway… I should probably try to protect the others.

“Yes, but it was my idea. I thought the corridor was connected to the Cursed Vaults and was hoping to find a clue about my brother,” I answered truthfully.

“I understand why you did it, but you have to realize that you represent all of Gryffindor,” she reminded me. “Professor Dumbledore has requested to see you later this evening.”

“Why?” This came as a huge surprise. Does even the Headmaster know about it? This could end up far worse than I initially thought…

“I assume to talk about what did or did not happen in that corridor,” she replied. “Good luck, Dylan. You’re going to need it…”

I guess I have enough time to eat my supper before meeting Professor Dumbledore. I sat on my usual spot and started eating… It might as well be my last supper at Hogwarts…

***

“Dylan! I wanted to catch you before you meet with Professor Dumbledore!” Rowan intercepted me just as I was leaving the Great Hall.

“I’m sorry, Rowan, but I’m on my way to be punished. I can’t ask the Headmaster if he’ll hire you to be a professor someday.” I politely replied.

“It’s not about that,” he said. “Although, if the opportunity presents itself, that would be really cool. It’s about the code we saw scrawled in the cursed ice. I found an obscure book about ciphers. I think I know what it means.”

“That’s amazing, Rowan. What does the code say?” I’ve completely forgotten about that message. Now he piqued my interest.

“The Ice Knight stands guard past the Vanished Stairs,” he answered.

“I saw stairs and a suit of armor in my vision…” I replied. It all made sense now.

“It’s obviously ominous, and since we found it in the cursed ice, it must be connected to the Cursed Vaults,” he explained. “I’ll spend the summer holidays searching for any references I can find to Ice Knights and Vanished Stairs at Hogwarts. Hopefully, I’ll have it worked out by the time we return for our second year.”

“If we return for our second year. I’m expecting to be expelled,” I said, worriedly.

“I hope not, Dylan. I want to solve this mystery with my best friend,” he cheered me up.

I couldn’t help but smile back at him. I couldn’t have wished for a better friend to be honest. Then I went on towards the Courtyard, to find out my fate…

***

Professor Dumbledore was already there, waiting for me. I hope I’m not too late. What is he planning to do with me, I wonder…

“Thank you for meeting with me, Dylan.” He calmly greeted me.

“Of course, Professor Dumbledore. I–” I replied.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He interrupted me mid-sentence.

“Sir?” I was quite confused by this. This was the first time I’ve talked with the Headmaster in person.

“The quiet night, the crisp air – it truly puts your troubles into perspective, doesn’t it?” He said while looking at the sky.

I looked up as well. It was really fascinating. Thousands of stars were decorating the night sky, making it immensely beautiful. And the moon, it was still shining brightly. It is likely still shining upon her gorgeous face. That moment I recalled how peaceful she looked while resting.

“I oftentimes come here when I need to make an important decision,” he continued.

“My Prefect said you wanted to see me about everything I’ve done wrong this year… And about what happened with the cursed ice.” I said, eagerly awaiting my fate.

“You are expecting a lecture, but I feel as though you want to ask me about something…” He replied.

“I had a vision, Professor. I saw living armor, hidden passages, cursed ice… When I heard about the ice, I had to know what it was about. I thought… I think it has to do with my brother.” I explained.

“Interesting. I have a feeling these things will become clearer to you in the coming years at Hogwarts,” he calmly commented.

“I’m not going to be expelled?” I asked.

“You have made many, many mistakes this year, Dylan. But you have also demonstrated bravery, compassion, and resourcefulness. You show great promise. All things considered, I believe you have earned one hundred points for Gryffindor.” He said while kindly smiling at me.

“One hundred House Points?! Wow. Thank you, Professor Dumbledore.” I couldn’t believe it. Not only did he decide not to expel me, but he even gave me one hundred House Points as a reward!

“In the years to come, you must be mindful of how your decisions impact others,” he advised me. “Remember, Dylan, it is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.”

“Can we talk more about the cursed ice? And my brother? And the Cursed Vaults?” I asked. I am pretty sure he knows a lot more about it than I could imagine, maybe he’s willing to share some of that knowledge with me?

“We can and we will. Next year,” he politely answered. “Enjoy your summer holidays, Dylan.”

I thanked him again before I left the Courtyard. All of my friends were overjoyed once they’ve heard about this. Especially Rowan. He couldn’t hide his joy and excitement. It made me happy too. Shortly after informing them about my meeting with the Headmaster, I went back to my dormitory to get some sleep. It was pretty late, and I was starting to feel the effects of fatigue that accumulated during the past events…

***

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“Another year at Hogwarts has come to an end!” Professor Dumbledore started the traditional, End-of-Term speech.

“I hope you all have learned much this year because I certainly feel like I have learned from you,” he continued. “But enough of my blathering. There is a feast to enjoy, and a House Cup to award…”

He then started announcing the standings of each house.

“In fourth place, Hufflepuff, with 667 points…”

“In third, Ravenclaw, with 680…”

“In second, Slytherin has 697…”

“And with 815 points, Gryffindor!”

“Congratulations, Gryffindor! This year’s winners of the House Cup!”

I could see Professor Dumbledore smiling while announcing the winner. If I remember correctly, he used to be a Gryffindor too.

“We did it, Dylan! We won the House Cup!” Rowan said to me excitedly.

“Now, please enjoy your feast, and enjoy your summer holidays!” The Headmaster said.

While eating the delights of the End-of-Term feast, I couldn’t help but notice Merula sitting on the opposite side of the Hall, on her usual spot. She appeared to be all right after spending the night in the Hospital Wing. I didn’t have the chance to talk to her, but I am not entirely sure if she would even want to have a conversation with me… Occasionally, she noticed that I was looking at her, so she averted her gaze, but even from this distance, I could see that something’s bothering her. She seemed deeply disturbed but there wasn’t much I could do about it. I am just glad that she’s all right. Given time, perhaps, she’ll realize that my desire is not to become her enemy, and hopefully, she’ll come to her senses. Until then… I can only hope…

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