Chapter Text
Upon his arrival at King’s Cross at the start of summer, Jamie’s mother had overwhelmed him with questions, not only about his studies, but about the more dangerous events of the year. To appease her nervousness, he had downplayed these events, revealing only key points of information as to not upset her. As per Jacob’s wishes, Jamie didn’t tell her he had been found and freed, and was on the hunt for the rogue professor.
Summer was being boring thus far. Having been sworn to secrecy, he knew that if he sent letters to any one of his friends, they would inevitably ask about Alastor Moody dragging him away during Bill’s graduation party, so he decided against sending any. The Auror had revealed that “R” was the name of a dangerous villainous organisation, Rakepick being only a minor player in the group, and that he would be investigating their operations around the world, looking for Rakepick and Jacob as well. He had also promised the teen he would teach him how to better protect himself, and that he would seek him out from time to time to exchange information and plans.
Jamie briefly considered sending Merula a letter, but he doubted he would ever get a reply, even if Merula actually read the letter and didn’t outright burn it. She had very clearly stated that she didn’t want or need him, and pressing her on the issue would only worsen it, even if he did miss her greatly. So with no correspondence with anyone, and not being able to use magic outside of school, especially since he lived in a Muggle town, he had nothing else to do other than read, and wonder about Jacob.
Midway through July, an official letter from Hogwarts arrived with his O.W.L. results. With slightly shaky fingers, he opened the envelope, reading the parchment inside.
ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS
Pass Grades: Outstanding (O), Exceeds Expectations (E), Acceptable (A)
Fail Grades: Poor (P), Dreadful (D), Troll (T)
Potions: O
Transfigurations: O
Charms: O
Herbology: E
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
History of Magic: E
Care of Magical Creatures: E
Divination: E
Astronomy: E
So, he had passed everything, and with high marks. Relaying the news to his mother, making her extremely proud of her son, and as they celebrated he wondered what classes he’d take on his sixth year, as he could advance into any N.E.W.T. level classes he wished to. Since the career options that interested him the most were Curse-Breaker and Auror, he needed to attend Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts. He decided to keep attending the rest as well, even though his schedule would most likely be quite heavy. If he ever felt overwhelmed, he could always drop Divination or History of Magic, or even Astronomy or Care of Magical Creatures. Divination had not been very noteworthy thus far, with Professor Trelawney’s antics, but it hadn’t been extremely hard either. History of Magic was always a good time to take a kip, and Rowan’s notes almost always brought him up to speed, but he’d hate to disappoint his friend by dropping the subject. Astronomy was interesting sometimes, though much like Divination it didn’t hold his interest for long, only enough for him to actually try to pass the subject. Care of Magical Creatures was certainly filled with excitement, as well as danger, and seeing the many creatures he’d had to fight thus far, it didn’t seem wise to drop it.
Summer continued, as boring as before, but Jamie filled his free time with reading in advance about the subjects he’d take, distracting him from worrying so much about Jacob, or his friends, or Rakepick. When summer was reaching its end, and September 1st arrived, Jamie boarded the Hogwarts Express, ready for his sixth year. Having to attend a meeting with the rest of the Prefects, he didn’t see any of his friends except for Charlie Weasley until the briefing was over, when he and Charlie searched around the train. They found Nymphadora Tonks in a private compartment.
‘Wotcher, Jamie, Charlie!’ Tonks welcomed them excitedly. ‘Blimey, am I glad to see you!’
‘Me too,’ Charlie said. ‘Especially after how Jamie “disappeared” from Bill’s party before graduation!’
‘We didn’t have a chance to ask you about it before everyone left for the summer holidays,’ Tonks lamented.
‘I’m very happy to see both of you, too,’ Jamie said, slouching on his seat and taking a Chocolate Frog from a pile. ‘As for that disappearance, I’ve been sworn to secrecy.’
‘You know who that was, though, who crashed Bill’s party?’ Tonks asked with a smirk, leaning forwards. ‘The famous Auror, Alastor Moody?’
‘Mad-Eye Moody,’ Charlie noted. ‘That’s what my dad says people call him.’
‘He was a hero of the Wizarding War!’ Tonks said, clearly excited. ‘Responsible for sending countless Death Eaters to Azkaban… He’s a rather big deal, Jamie.’
‘I know that now. I can see you’re a fan of his, Tonks,’ Jamie said, chuckling.
Tonks nodded. ‘Anyone who’s ever thought about becoming an Auror would be a fan of Mad-Eye Moody!’
The door to the compartment opened, and Rowan stepped in, smiling wide. ‘Hi! How were everyone’s summer holidays?’
As he sat down, Charlie said, ‘I spent mine doing a lot of reading about-’
Rowan interrupted him, jumping on his seat. ‘Oh my goodness! Me too!!’
‘I was going to say, reading about the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary?’ Charlie finished.
‘Oh. No. I read about other things.’
‘I’m just happy to be back at Hogwarts with minimal bumps and bruises,’ Tonks said, somewhat proudly.
‘Bumps and bruises?’ Jamie said with a mouthful of chocolate. ‘What were you up to, Tonks?’
‘Nothing dreadfully exciting,’ Tonks waved off. ‘But you know me. I manage to get banged up just dismounting my broom.’
‘What about you, Jamie?’ Rowan asked. ‘You’d had a tough end of the school year. What was most on your mind this summer?’
The compartment went silent. After a few seconds in which he thought of his reply, Jamie admitted in a soft voice, ‘It was hard to keep my mind off my brother… Wondering where he could be, if he’s safe… He’d asked me not to tell my mum I’d found him. It would break her heart to hear he’s gone again. To keep that secret all summer was difficult…’
Again silence. Rowan broke it after about a minute, saying, ‘I can’t imagine. I’m sorry that Jacob put you in such a rough spot.’ On a more cheerful tone, he asked, ‘So now that we’re back at Hogwarts, what next, Jamie?’
Jamie laughed at the sudden levity. ‘You’re awfully full of questions today, Rowan!’
‘Well, you did tell me before graduation that everything’s about to change…’ Rowan reminded him. ‘And you were so busy curse-breaking last year that there’s much catching up to do.’
Jamie nodded, looking out the window. ‘That’s true. Perhaps we should start by catching up with all our friends when we arrive. Which should be soon, I think…?’
The four friends chatted during the rest of the train ride, as well as on the carriage. When they arrived at the Great Hall, they sat down at their respective tables, waiting for the Sorting to happen. McGonagall arrived with the first-years, and as they were being Sorted, Jamie looked around the tables through his “special occasion” glasses, noticing something strange. ‘No Merula… No Ben… No Beatrice… That’s troubling…’ he thought. So deep in thought he was, that he didn't even register as two more Weasleys were Sorted into Gryffindor. The last student was sorted, and Dumbledore stood up to begin his speech, taking Jamie out of his search as he listened to the wizard.
‘Students of Hogwarts, your attention, please…’ The Headmaster opened his arms welcomingly. ‘It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the start of a new year at Hogwarts. And with a new school year comes new opportunities… To further your studies… To develop new friendships… To grow as young wizards and witches… And to apply difficult lessons learned in the past to build a brighter future.’ Dumbledore’s tone became serious, as he brought his hands together. ‘In recent years, we’ve been through some trying times. But Hogwarts remains an institute dedicated to learning. It is our obligation to uphold and defend this high purpose. And there is no place here for those who seek to threaten it. And so, Professor Rakepick will no longer be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts.’ Whispers broke among the students, until Dumbledore raised his voice, continuing, ‘All are urged to let the proper authorities deal with her and the Cursed Vaults.’ His stern expression changed to a kinder one, as he said, ‘Your priority should be your lessons and preparing for your wizarding careers. Our staff is here to support you in those efforts. Do not hesitate to ask for help. Now it is time to enjoy each other’s company and this magnificent Welcoming Feast.’ Dumbledore clapped once, and the empty golden plates were filled with food in a blink.
‘I wonder who will teach Defence Against the Dark Arts this year…’ Rowan said, at Jamie’s side.
‘I suppose we’ll find out soon enough,’ Jamie muttered, not very interested in the subject as he searched again from his seat for Merula, Ben or Beatrice, without result.
‘What Dumbledore said about letting the authorities handle Rakepick and the Cursed Vault…’ Rowan caught Jamie’s attention. ‘You don’t suppose he was talking to you?’
Jamie shrugged. ‘He might’ve been. I’m sure it got back to Dumbledore that Mad-Eye sought me out.’ Looking at the Gryffindor Table for the fourth or fifth time, Jamie asked, ‘You haven’t seen Ben, have you?’
Rowan shook his head. ‘Not since you came back from the vault…’
No one other than Rowan noticed Jamie sneak away to the Artefact Room, while everyone else went to their Common Rooms. Luckily for the Slytherin Prefect, it was the fifth-year Prefects the ones that were tasked with taking the first-years to the Common Room, so he could get away without much trouble. Inside the Artefact Room, Jamie was lucky twice, as Ben was inside, just as Jamie’d hoped. The Gryffindor was holding a skull on his hand, examining it, when the Slytherin spoke. ‘Ben! What are you doing?’
Ben didn’t look at him, still examining the skull. Instead, he asked casually, ‘What do you think I could get for this skull in Knockturn Alley?’
‘What?!’
‘What could I get, if I were to make a trade?’ Ben repeated the question, looking at Jamie at last.
‘Why would you want to trade a skull?’ Jamie asked, still puzzled.
‘Hmm, so you’re no help,’ Ben said. ‘Perhaps I should ask Jae Kim.’
‘The skull isn’t even yours,’ Jamie said, snatching the skull from Ben. ‘You can’t just take it.’
‘Sure I can,’ Ben said with a smirk, trying to get the skull back. Jamie stepped back, keeping the skull out of Ben’s reach, and the Gryffindor’s smirk turned into a questioning look. ‘Unless you plan to stop me?’
‘Of course I’d stop you,’ Jamie said, walking past Ben to place the skull back in a shelf. ‘Stealing artefacts from Hogwarts to trade in Knockturn Alley?’ Jamie looked at Ben, raising an eyebrow. ‘Have you gone mad?’
Ben didn’t try to get the skull again, instead grinning proudly. ‘Actually, it’s rare that I think so clearly.’
‘Ben, what is really going on with you? You weren’t at the Welcoming Feast.’
Ben rolled his eyes. ‘That stuff is for kids.’
‘…Which we are...’
With a scoff, Ben said, ‘After the horrors we’ve seen? Perhaps you’re still a kid. I’m not. I told you when we last talked at the Hog’s Head Inn that I was vowing to make myself a new person.’
‘But you can’t just make yourself an adult over the summer.’
‘Of course I know that. But I’ve made myself stronger. After this summer, I’m like a new Ben,’ Ben said proudly.
‘Well, so far, I don’t like “New Ben,”’ Jamie stated.
Ben chuckled. ‘Tough.’
‘You’re being rather… rude.’
‘Which is better than being scared all of the time, I’ll tell you that much.’
‘What exactly did you do over the summer to “make yourself a new person”?’ asked Jamie.
‘Well, you don’t become fearless sitting at home watching the telly. I tested the speed limits of my broom. I also spent some time around Borgin and Burkes,’ Ben explained. Looking around the shelves, he asked, ‘What else in here do you think I could trade? I don’t need to trade anything in here. I just want to see if I can.’
‘You’ve become a bit of a daredevil, Ben,’ Jamie commented sarcastically. ‘Why all the risky behaviour?’
Ben rolled his eyes again. ‘We’ve talked about this. We escaped death. I feel invincible. The “Forbidden” Forest? It’s just a forest to me now.’
‘There’s a fine line between “fearless” and “foolish,” Ben. And what does your family think of it? And where’s Sickleworth?’
‘My parents just might be scared of me,’ Ben said. ‘And I stopped taking care of Sickleworth. He’s on his own now.’
Neither spoke for a few moments. Jamie finally said, ‘Ben, I don’t know what to say… Your confidence is almost…’
‘Dangerous?’ Ben asked with a smirk.
‘Yes! It wasn’t so long ago that Emily Tyler bumping into you with her chair was a test of courage.’
Ben nodded. ‘I remember that day with you and Charlie at the Three Broomsticks. He thought talk of dragons would scare me. It’s not his fault. People behave differently around you when they assume you’re afraid… Treat you as if you’re made of glass… Instinctively want to protect you…’
‘What’s wrong with wanting to protect your friends?’ Jamie asked, not expecting that to come from Ben.
‘Nothing!’ Ben said with a smile. ‘That’s my point. I want to be the protector now. And as far as making assuptions go… I don’t want anyone to assume anything about me anymore.’
‘There’s little chance of that,’ Jamie conceded. ‘Even I can’t figure you out right now.’
Ben’s face turned much more serious. ‘What Rakepick did to us in that Cursed Vault… That kind of cruelty and betrayal by an adult we trusted… It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. You’ve been changed by it, too, Jamie… Whether or not you realise it yet. But I may have changed for the better. If you want to help someone, focus on who’s changed for the worse…’
Jamie sighed, knowing full well what he was implying. ‘She wasn’t at the feast either. I don’t know where she is.’
‘Likely trying to shred training dummies down at the grounds,’ Ben said, rolling his eyes.
Flashes of light confirmed Ben’s theory, as Jamie saw when he snuck out to Hogwarts’s lawn near the outer wall of the castle, approaching the Slytherin girl. ‘Ben said I would find you here trying to pulverise training dummies,’ Jamie said in an upbeat tone.
‘“New Ben” talks too much,’ sneered Merula, her eyes focused on the dummies she was wordlessly blasting apart.
‘His new… outlook… will take some getting used to,’ Jamie admitted, still in a friendly tone, as he admired her non-verbal spellcasting.
Merula turned to him, snarling, ‘Enough small talk. What do you want?’
‘I missed you over the summer, Merula,’ Jamie said. ‘You didn’t even come to the Welcoming Feast. We haven’t had a chance to catch up.’
‘So you want to chat with me. Want to know what I want? I want to not chat with you,’ she coldly said.
‘Come on, Merula,’ Jamie pleaded. ‘We haven’t talked since you were recovering in the Hospital Wing after…’
‘After my mentor and role model and blah blah blah blasted me with the Cruciatus Curse and left us for dead?’ Merula asked in a mocking tone, rolling her eyes. ‘I told you I didn’t need you then, Smith. And I don’t need you now. You’ll get in the way.’
‘Of what?’ Jamie asked, curious.
Merula turned her attention back to the training dummies, blasting one again. ‘I won’t rest until Patricia Rakepick is dead,’ she declared, lighting another dummy on fire. ‘I’m not powerful enough to defeat Rakepick yet.’ Each sentence was accentuated with another blast. ‘But I will be.’
‘Rakepick isn’t worth it,’ Jamie said. ‘Don’t let your anger at her take over your life. Why not channel your energy into something more positive than revenge?’
With a scathing side glance, Merula stated, ‘If you’re not on my side, you’re on my way.’
Jamie was taken aback by her statement. ‘I don’t see how killing Rakepick will make things better, Merula. Can’t we find and stop her without killing her?’
‘We’re looking at a “killed or be killed” situation,’ Merula snapped at him. ‘I know what side I want to be on.’
‘And then what? Spend your life in Azkaban for murder?’ asked an extremely concerned Jamie.
‘If it’s good enough for Mum and Dad…’
‘I hate seeing you like this,' Jamie said. 'You’re like first-year Merula… Only much louder.’
Merula seemed quite proud of that fact. ‘That’s right.’
‘After what we all went through with Rakepick, it’s normal to want revenge-’
‘Normal?’ Merula spat. ‘Nothing is normal for me. I can’t just get up and go to class every day like a good little witch planning her career. Not while Patricia Rakepick walks the earth.’ Raising an eyebrow, she noted, ‘I actually thought for a moment you’d want to join me. After what Rakepick did to your brother, I thought you’d want revenge, too.’
‘I just don’t see this vendetta of yours ending well,’ Jamie said, but the sound of footsteps behind him made him turn around.
‘Perfect,’ Merula sarcastically said, looking at the newcomer. ‘Penny is gracing us with her presence.’
‘You’re both out here alone in the dark casting spells?’ Penny asked.
‘So you’ve come here to judge us, Penny? Brilliant,’ Merula said mockingly.
Penny’s eyes widened, as she asked, ‘What’s going on? Do you suddenly hate me?’
‘Oh, I don’t hate just you,’ Merula said in the same tone as before. ‘You have good hair, but you’re not that special.’
‘Ignore her, Penny,’ Jamie recommended. ‘Merula is in a… mood.’
‘I was actually looking for you, Jamie,’ Penny said. ‘It’s about Beatrice.’
‘Did she get stuck in a portrait again?’ Merula asked, her words dripping with sarcasm.
Penny shook her head. ‘No. This may be even worse…’ She pulled Jamie away, out of Merula’s earshot, so they weren’t interrupted; meanwhile the Slytherin witch continued shredding training dummies apart with more flashes of colourful light. ‘Do you remember how Bea felt unsafe, even after the Portrait Curse was broken?’
‘Yes. But I thought we had reassured her.’
‘I thought so, too. And I was sure spending the summer holidays away from Hogwarts would help.’ Penny’s face fell. ‘But instead, she… sulked all summer.’
‘I can’t even picture your sister sulking,’ Jamie noted.
‘And then… Beatrice started exploring…’
‘Exploring?’
‘She kept saying she was “searching for herself.” Whatever that means. She’s been reading more “grown-up” books lately. Trying too hard not to act her age, I guess.’
‘And where did her “search” lead?’
‘Away from me,’ Penny lamented. ‘We’ve always been close. Now Bea’s like a stranger.’
Pity for his friend overwhelmed Jamie. ‘I’m sorry, Penny.’
‘I thought you especially would understand… You know what it’s like to be close with a sibling who suddenly… isn’t there.’
Jamie nodded slowly. ‘Yes, I do understand how that feels.’
‘Except Beatrice is actually physically here!’ Penny protested. ‘Yet she still feels… gone. Now that we’re back at Hogwarts, I’m afraid we’ll only grow further apart.’
‘We won’t let that happen,’ Jamie promised. ‘We’ll talk to Beatrice.’
Penny shook her head, saying, ‘She keeps dodging me. This time last year I was introducing her to you at the Welcoming Feast… This year she wouldn’t even come to the feast with me.’
‘I did notice Beatrice wasn’t there…’ Jamie said.
‘And the thing is, almost everyone at school wants to hang out with me…’ Penny lamented. ‘So it especially breaks my heart that my own sister wants nothing to do with me.’
‘Then I’ll talk to her,’ decided Jamie. ‘You told me Beatrice used to look up to me, at least as a curse-breaker. She went through a terrible ordeal as a victim of the Portrait Curse. Perhaps I can get through to her.’
‘I hope so. She’s been making “interesting” choices… Spending time with a new crowd… I honestly don’t know what they do all day but it can’t be good.’
‘Then I’ll look for this new “crowd”… If I find them, I’ll find Beatrice.’
‘Good luck. She’s almost… unrecognisable.’
After just the very first day of classes Jamie had, he was almost overloaded with homework. Not dropping any subject was also not helpful, but Jamie refused to give up. Any time they had to cast spells, they were now encouraged, and in most cases required, to do it non-verbally. Having trained all summer, Merula was already ahead of her classmates in the ability, and Ben quickly caught on. Jamie had a bit more trouble, though he could wordlessly perform simple spells without much issue, which was a start. He still had the intention of keeping his word to Penny, and after a bit of asking around, he found out that Beatrice and her new crew hung around often in the Clocktower Courtyard.
The “Courtyard Crew” Beatrice now belonged to, as Andre called it, was composed of only Ismelda and Beatrice. Technically, since until that year Ismelda had mostly stuck to herself, this was the closest to a crew she had since working with Merula the previous year. Beatrice had radically changed her looks, wearing now a heavy black jacket over the sweater of her uniform, the Hufflepuff tie loosely worn over it. Black high boots and fingerless gloves completed the look, as did heavy amounts of dark eye shadow. Her blonde hair, still neck-length, was now messier and covered one of her eyes, much like Ismelda’s hair did. When he tried to approach Beatrice in the Clocktower Courtyard, Jamie was immediately ignored and pushed away by both girls. Beatrice insisted in trying something new, lamenting that the rest of the world wasn’t letting her be.
Concluding that he couldn’t get to Beatrice without first getting past Ismelda, Jamie decided to ask someone who had experience in that matter. He found Barnaby painting with Badeea, each with their canvas and paints. When Jamie went up to them, Barnaby welcomed him excitedly. ‘Hey, Jamie! Look at my painting!’
On the white canvas, a crudely painted Bowtruckle with two dots and a smile for a face stood, immobile. ‘Impressive work, Barnaby!’ Jamie said, smiling.
‘You know what they say…’ Badeea said. ‘“Impressive is in the eye of the beholder.”’
Barnaby frowned. ‘That doesn’t sound right, Badeea…’
‘I hadn’t realised you were still giving Barnaby painting lessons, Badeea,’ Jamie noted.
‘We just started again. Barnaby has big plans.’
‘Yeah!’ Barnaby said happily. ‘Over the summer, I learned what a “Renaissance Man” is. It means knowing only a little bit about a lot of things.’
Badeea held back a laugh as she asked, ‘Where did you get that definition?’
‘Can’t remember. I’m sure it must have been from somewhere… Anyway, I’ve decided I want to become a “Renaissance Wizard,” Jamie.’
‘That’s ambitious,’ Jamie complimented. ‘I look forward to seeing how it turns out.’
‘Thanks! So what did you want to see me about?’
‘Actually, I need some advice about Ismelda.’
‘She doesn’t have a crush on me again, does she?’ Barnaby asked. ‘My shedule’s quite packed with Renaissance Wizard activities. You know, we haven’t been all that friendly in years.’
‘So are you refusing to give me advice?’ asked Jamie, shocked that Barnaby would decide against helping a friend.
‘Of course not,’ Barnaby reassured him. ‘You’ll just have to duel me for it.’
‘Duel you for advice? Why?’ Jamie asked.
‘Because a Renaissance Wizard can’t just stop at painting lessons. I could use some duelling lessons, too,’ Barnaby reasoned.
‘Diego gives duelling lessons,’ Jamie said.
‘But you’re the one who’s duelled a Troll and a Dragon.’
‘Barnaby! I’m sure those aren’t exactly good memories for Jamie,’ Badeea said. ‘He was doing what had to be done to break the last curse.’
Barnaby’s face fell, as he realised what Badeea was saying. ‘Sorry, Jamie. We all know what you’ve been through.’
Jamie waved it off. ‘Don’t worry about it, but if anything positive can come out of something negative…’
‘Sounds like I could be getting my duelling lessons…?’ Barnaby asked, hopeful.
Jamie nodded. ‘Let’s duel.’
The wizards took out their wands, and placed themselves in their respective stances after bowing. Barnaby shouted, ‘Flipendo!’ Almost at the same time, Jamie had fired the same spell without a word, ducking. Jamie’s jinx went under Barnaby’s outstretched arm, hitting him below the shoulder, while Barnaby’s Knockback Jinx passed over Jamie’s head. Barnaby wasn’t hurt much by the spell, but it did throw him off slightly from the surprise, which Jamie took advantage of by firing a Freezing Charm non-verbally. Staggering backwards, Barnaby yelled in shock, ‘Expelliarmus!’ The red jet of light collided with Jamie’s Immobulus, and Barnaby, excited by his luck and agility, cast a barrage of spells at Jamie. ‘Depulso! Expelliarmus! Impedimenta!’
‘Protego!’ Jamie blocked the incoming flashes, sending the third one back at Barnaby, who was slowed down significantly when it landed. A bit more at ease, Jamie took a moment to breathe, and to allow Barnaby to return to the duel. A few seconds later, Barnaby was freed from his own spell, raising again his wand at Jamie.
‘Petrificus Totalus!’
Jamie stepped to the side to avoid Barnaby’s curse, hissing, ‘Stupefy!’
The red light hit Barnaby in the face, and the boy fell unconscious to the ground. After a few seconds, he started groaning, waking up. Sitting up, he said with a smile, ‘You sure schooled me. I feel I’m a better dueller already!’
‘You really are quite good, Jamie,’ Badeea said, while Jamie helped Barnaby get up.
‘Thank you both.’
‘So about Ismelda…’ Barnaby remembered. ‘What did you want to know?’
‘She’s sort of taken Beatrice Haywood under her wing,’ Jamie explained.
‘Ismelda and Penny’s little sister? Odd pair,’ Barnaby commented.
Jamie nodded. ‘Beatrice has been a bit lost since getting out of the painting.’
‘Sometimes I get lost just trying to paint.’
‘I thought of Beatrice often this summer, every time I began work on a new portrait…’ Badeea said. ‘Almost afraid to paint anything I couldn’t imagine being trapped within…’
‘Penny’s worried about Beatrice falling under the wrong influence,’ Jamie said. ‘Ismelda can be rather… jaded. But she’s also being so protective of Beatrice that there’s no getting to her. You must know something that can help, Barnaby, having been under Ismelda’s spell when we first met.’
‘Yes, Merula’s too,’ Barnaby replied.
Jamie gave away a small scoff. ‘Don’t get me started on Merula. She’s reaching new levels of jaded.’
‘Honestly, what helped me the most… was time with you,’ Barnaby admitted, deep in thought. ‘I wanted friends. Everyone does. But the ones I first found were often bitter and cruel. So I often joined in, afraid to be left out. Until you showed me I could have friends that didn’t behave that way. So that’s my best advice, Jamie. Spend time around Beatrice, whether Ismelda’s around or not. Beatrice probably just wants to feel like she’s part of something. Soon she’ll see that she has choices.’
His words left the other two speechless. After a few seconds of silence, Badeea muttered, ‘That. Was. So. Wise.’
‘Rather touching, too,’ Jamie added.
‘So you’ll find Beatrice and Ismelda again, keep trying…?’ Barnaby asked.
‘Yes. Thank you for the advice, Barnaby. You may be a Renaissance Wizard after all.’
That night, his Prefect duty patrols took Jamie to the Clocktower Courtyard, while he was deep in thought. He had just received a message from Professor Snape that “Miss Haywood” needed him there. Outside, in the Courtyard, he noticed three standing figures. One of them was Snape. The second was Beatrice. ‘Maybe Snape’s berating her…?’ thought Jamie, until he noticed they were looking at the third figure. It looked like a… ‘A statue? That wasn’t there before…’ Getting closer, he gasped, realising what it was. The stone figure of a terrified young boy. Approaching them, he asked, ‘What… What happened to him?’
‘He’s been Petrified,’ Snape replied, eyes still locked on the stone statue.
‘Like a… statue,’ Beatrice muttered.
‘Miss Haywood found him. It appears we have another curse at Hogwarts.’
‘I got a message that “Miss Haywood” needed me…’
‘You assumed Penny,’ Beatrice said dismissively. ‘No, I told Professor Snape I wanted you to see this. Because you’re the best curse-breaker at school… And because I want you to know you were wrong to tell me Hogwarts is safe.’
‘Normally I wouldn’t honour such a request but Miss Haywood was understandably upset,’ Snape noted.
‘Who knows about this?’ Jamie asked.
Snape replied, ‘Before anyone is told, we need to investigate what there is to tell.’
‘It’s a… Statue Curse,’ Beatrice mumbled.
Jamie stepped closer, feeling the stone statue with his fingers. In a whisper, he muttered to himself, ‘The texture is the same as the Merperson Trident I found in the last Cursed Vault. The trident must be made of similar material.’ Examining the petrified student, he concluded, ‘I don’t see any clues as to when or how he was Petrified.’
Professor Snape nodded, deep in thought. ‘I suspect this “Statue Curse” is connected to the final Cursed Vault. In which case, finding the vault and breaking the curse would be the only way to save this student.’
‘Rakepick is already looking for the final Cursed Vault,’ Jamie warned him.
‘Yes, I know. I spent my summer searching for Rakepick… to no avail.’
‘We have to find the Cursed Vault before she does.’
‘Forget Rakepick,’ Beatrice hissed. ‘Just find the Cursed Vault faster this time! You can’t let someone stay stuck in a port-’ Beatrice quickly corrected herself, as flashes of fear passed by her face. ‘…as a statue for the whole school year.’
‘I do have a clue that connects the Petrified student to a Merperson Trident I found in the last vault,’ Jamie said, thinking back to the object that was inside his school trunk, shrunk to a quarter of its original size for easier transportation.
‘I need to go inform Professor Dumbledore and get this student to the Hospital Wing,’ the Head of Slytherin House declared.
‘I knew this school was doomed,’ Beatrice muttered. ‘I knew it.’
‘Miss Haywood, you’ll want to refrain from any talk that alarms the other students-’ Snape said, but Beatrice didn’t listen, as she stepped closer to look at the terrified stone eyes.
‘Everyone should be alarmed. We don’t know who’s next.’
If Jamie ever had any doubts about whether he should have taken N.E.W.T. level Divination, his next class blew them all away. Originally, he had been legitimately interested in the subject, but Professor Trelawney’s lessons proved to be… uninteresting at best. But in this particular class, when they were revising how to read the tea leaves, when she came over to his table to assist them, she almost dropped his teacup in shock. ‘Oh! Oh my…’ she muttered. ‘Oh… Well, this is rather troubling…’
‘What is?’ Jamie asked, assuming this year he’d be the one to get a death omen, as it seemed to be Trelawney’s annual tradition.
‘I’m seeing murky water…’ the professor said, focusing in an overly dramatic fashion.
‘It’s just the puddle of tea,’ said Tonks, who was sitting with Jamie.
‘Changes swirling around you…’ Trelawney interpreted. ‘Endings… Final endings… Prices to pay… The ultimate price…’
‘Like… a death?’ Jamie asked, a bit uninterested, sensing he was right on the money about the death omen.
‘It’s gone,’ Trelawney said, shaking her head. ‘The vision is gone.’
Despite his doubts, Jamie was a bit curious. ‘What does it mean?’
‘Many things… Many things… Just be careful, my dear,’ Trelawney warned, walking away to other students.
Tonks elbowed him, smirking. ‘Chin up. It’s just tea, right? Trelawney isn’t known for her accuracy with prophecies…’
‘I know, I know…’ Jamie said, waving it off. But in the back of his head, something felt wrong. This wasn’t her usual predictions about a student meeting a gruesome end. Unless she had decided to change her pattern, this might actually be something worth looking into.
Jamie was studying in the Library when Charlie sat in front of him, with an alarmed expression. ‘Jamie! Is it true that you discovered a petrified student?’
Jamie looked around to make sure no one heard them, and whispered, ‘Technically Beatrice did, but she asked Snape to show me what happened right after. Has word really gotten out that quickly?’
‘It’s all the school can talk about. The prevailing theory is that it’s another curse.’
‘That’s what Snape believes, too. Which means, to save that student, we’ll need to find and break the curse on the final Cursed Vault.’ Closing his book with a sigh, he added, ‘Honestly, I can’t even study now. All I can think about is whether Trelawney’s prophecy might be related to all of this…’
‘Trelawney gave you a prophecy?’ Charlie asked.
‘Yes, after reading the tea leaves in my cup during a revision on Tessomancy.’
‘But aren’t Trelawney’s prophecies notoriously incorrect? Do you think this one’s real?’
‘Unfortunately, yes. It fits too well, and it wasn’t her usual delivery either. There was something… off.’
Charlie nodded with a shrug. ‘I believe in trusting your gut, and if your gut is telling you this is real, it probably is.’
‘That’s why I’m going to look into it,’ Jamie decided. ‘The problem is that it’s vague. It’ll be too hard to decipher.’
‘Then why don’t I help you?’ Charlie offered.
‘Really? You don’t even take Divination… Are you going to help me?’
Percy sat at Charlie’s side, with a serious look. ‘Not if I have any say in the matter.’
‘You followed me here, Percy?’ Charlie asked.
‘Yes, to make sure you’re not shirking your studies like you shirked your responsibilities all summer,’ Percy said.
‘You’ve been shirking your responsibilities, Charlie? That’s not like you,’ Jamie noted, concerned.
Charlie’s shoulders hung. ‘Returning to normal since Rakepick betrayed us and left us for dead in the vault has been… hard. I can’t just carry on like nothing happened.’
‘I understand what happened with Profess…’ Percy corrected himself mid-sentence. ‘…with Rakepick was awful, but that’s no excuse. Honestly, it’s bad enough that I have to babysit the twins now that they’ve started at Hogwarts. But I never thought I’d have to tell my Prefect older brother to keep his mind on school. What would Bill say if he knew about this?’
‘Bill would sympathise with what I was going through,’ Charlie said with confidence.
‘Bill was betrayed by Rakepick too, yet he’s managed to focus on his duties as a Gringotts Curse-Breaker,’ Percy pointed out. ‘You should follow his example and focus on your duties as a student.’
‘I’ll tell you what, Percy,’ Charlie said. ‘I’ll devote the rest of the day to studying, if you agree to decode Jamie’s prophecy with me. You studied all summer in preparation for your first year in Divination, Percy. I’m sure you’d be a big help.’
Jamie cut them off. ‘I appreciate it, Charlie, but you don’t have to do that.’
‘I want to,’ Charlie insisted. ‘If I can help stop this Statue Curse, it’s worth it.’
Percy thought about it. ‘Well, I do find Divination quite useful and interesting… All right, I’ll accept your offer. But I’ll need to know exactly what the prophecy was.’
‘Trelawney said she saw “murky water” in my future. As well as, and I quote, “Changes swirling around you… Endings… Final endings… Prices to pay… The ultimate price…”’
‘That’s certainly ominous,’ Charlie commented. ‘We better start trying to decode it right away…’
With the Weasley brothers' help, Jamie came up with plenty of theories on what the Divination professor could have meant. ‘How are we supposed to figure out which of these interpretations are right?’ Jamie asked, looking at everything they’d written down.
Percy said, ‘I’m sorry, Jamie, but I’m afraid there is no “we.” Charlie and I need to study. But you could ask Madam Pince. She might have a book recommendation that could help.’
Overhearing them, a red haired first-year approached them with a wicked smile. ‘I wouldn’t go near her for a while if I were you,’ he warned.
His identical twin came to his side, snickering, ‘She’s in a right foul mood.’
‘What did you two do?’ Charlie asked, berating them.
‘Nothing!’ the second twin said. ‘We just thought we’d introduce ourselves to Madam Pince is all…’
‘By “reorganising” a few of the Library shelves,’ the first one finished.
‘I take it these are the younger twin brothers you mentioned?’ Jamie asked.
‘Oh, that’s right, I haven’t introduced you yet,’ Charlie remembered. ‘Jamie, this is…’
The one that had arrived last said, ‘I’m Fred, the older twin. First-year Gryffindor, of course.’
‘And I’m George, the younger twin. Also a first-year Gryffindor.’
‘It’s nice to meet you both.’
‘I wish I could stay and chat, but I have detention,’ George said with an eye roll.
‘The year’s barely begun and already you’re getting in trouble?!’ Percy scolded them.
‘Like I said, George, it doesn’t make sense for us to both suffer through Filch’s punishment,’ Fred said. ‘I’ll take the blame next time, promise.’
‘Next time?!’ Percy was fuming with anger.
George laughed at their brother. ‘I’m going to hold you to that, Fred!’ he said, leaving them to go to his detention.
‘Charlie and Bill have told us plenty about you,’ Fred told Jamie.
‘All bad things, I hope,’ Jamie joked.
‘Just that you drool when you sleep and sing when you think no one’s looking,’ Fred said with a giggle.
‘Fred!’ Charlie protested.
‘Kidding! But I have heard all about your adventures in the Cursed Vaults. Though I was mostly interested in hearing all about the tricks you’ve pulled around Hogwarts! I’d be honoured to have such a master trickster as a friend.’
‘I don’t know, Fred… I’m starting to think I have too many friends.’
‘I’m glad you’ve met, but now Charlie, Fred and I need to study,’ Percy cut their conversation off.
‘Yes, Mum,’ Fred said, rolling his eyes.
‘I’m sorry we couldn’t be of more help decoding Trelawney’s prophecy, Jamie,’ said Charlie.
‘You’d have to be as gifted in Divination as a Centaur to make sense of that vague prediction,’ Percy noted.
‘A Centaur, you said…’ Jamie muttered, smirking and standing up. ‘Thank you all. See you around.’
A hooded figure walked across the thick forest at night, reaching a clearing he’d discovered in his fourth year at school. Raising his arm, he fired red sparks high in the air, and waited until he heard the sound of hooves approaching. ‘Thank you for meeting me, Torvus,’ Jamie said, lowering his hood.
‘I am happy to indulge the human who returned my herd’s arrowhead and helped me bring an end to my exile. Were you able to defeat the dragon in the Cursed Vault and break the curse trapping those students in portraits?’
Jamie nodded. ‘Yes, thanks to your advice about working together, we were able to subdue the dragon and break the curse. Unfortunately, we weren’t prepared for our professor, Rakepick, betraying us. We made it out, but…’ his voice cracked and trailed off, as he was reminded of that night.
‘I’m sorry to hear that. What of your brother? Did you manage to find him?’
‘Yes, but he left shortly after to chase after Rakepick. I hardly got to speak to him.’
‘I’m sorry, Jamie. I know what it’s like to be abandoned by those who mean the most to you.’
‘I know you do. You probably had it even worse, Torvus. Your whole family shunned you. I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been.’
‘We’re together now, that’s all that matters. I hope you’re able to have a proper reunion with your brother too,’ Torvus wished him.
‘Thank you.’
‘But I imagine you didn’t come here to catch up.’
‘Indeed. The real reason I came was because-’
‘A curse from another vault has been unleashed on your school and you’ve come to consult me,’ Torvus guessed.
‘Yes, a student’s been petrified. But I actually came because of Divination. My professor, Trelawney, gave me an ominous sounding prophecy. I don’t have a lot of clues about what and where the final Cursed Vault is. Just a Coral Key, and that petrified student looks similar to the Merperson Trident I found in the last Cursed Vault. So if this prophecy is related to the final Cursed Vault and this new curse, deciphering it might provide some answers.’
‘And you want my help doing that because you heard Centaurs are skilled in Divination,’ Torvus said, not as a question, but as a statement. Jamie nodded, and Torvus said, ‘Tell me what this prophecy said. I’ll see if I can provide any further insight.’
After being told the prophecy, Torvus couldn’t guess it’s meaning. However, he offered to ask the members of his tribe who were much more gifted at Divination, who used sage and Mallowsweet to refine their findings. Since humans were not welcome in their camp, Torvus advised Jamie to present them with suitable offerings, gifts that showed he understood and respected Centaur herds and culture.
For the next few days, Jamie gathered a few herbs from the Herbology Greenhouses, more specifically Dittany for its healing purposes. He also asked Hagrid for advice, who gave him a batch of his (in)famous Rock Cakes, and also recommended trying something related to the stars. With the help of Badeea, Jamie decided to prepare a star chart. He didn’t have to look very far, though, because Badeea kindly offered her own star chart, one she’d found in the Artefact Room and that recorded centuries of star movements. Bringing the presents to Torvus, Jamie was told by the Centaur that all of his gifts, save for the rock cakes, would most likely be appreciated. As for the cakes, they showed an association with one of the few non-Centaurs they accepted in their camp, a good sign that Jamie could be trusted. The decision was not Torvus’ to make though, and Jamie would have to wait a few days before they would finish deliberating.
About a week later, Jamie received a message from Torvus, through Hagrid, saying that the Centaurs had accepted his request to visit the camp. Meeting with Torvus in the clearing, the Centaur led him to a larger clearing after about an hour of walking. A crackling fire in the centre illuminated the imposing figures of the Centaurs. Torvus, as it turned out, was on the smaller side of the spectrum. ‘I can’t believe I’m finally in the Centaur Camp,’ Jamie said, trying to hide how excited he was.
‘You are quite fortunate,’ Torvus said. ‘Few humans are granted the privilege to visit. However, I would not celebrate just yet. You still need to present your offerings to the Centaur chosen to be your judge. He will decide whether you’ll be welcomed and allowed to seek our help deciphering your prophecy… Or forbidden from returning.’
‘For Hogwarts’ sake and mine, I hope it’s the former.’
‘While we wait for your judge to arrive, I am curious to hear what an outsider thinks of our camp,’ Torvus said with a questioning look.
Jamie looked around the hide tents, and the Centaurs that were looking at him. It had sort of a fantastical air. ‘It feels magical, which is saying a lot since I go to school in an enchanted castle,’ commented Jamie.
‘Perhaps coming here will help you appreciate that there’s more to magic than wand waving.’ Torvus looked at his side, noticing a big and pale Centaur approaching. ‘It looks like your judge is ready, Jamie.’
‘James Smith,’ the palomino centaur, with white-blonde hair and blue eyes, spoke. ‘I am Firenze, of the Forbidden Forest Centaur herd. I will be determining if you are worthy to remain as a guest in our camp. Now, present your offerings.’
Jamie pointed at each offering, placed on top of baskets. ‘My first gift is a rare star chart. It has hundreds of years’ worth of star movements on it.’
Firenze nodded, looking over the chart. ‘This is a fascinating find. I am eager to study it.’
‘Next is a batch of Hagrid’s… “infamous” Rock Cakes.’
‘I’ve sworn off Hagrid’s Rock Cakes after I lost a tooth to one,’ Firenze noted. ‘But the fact that you are friends with Hagrid, one of the few friends of the herd, reassures me.’
‘Finally, a bundle of Dittany from Hogwarts’ greenhouses for your healing magic.’
Firenze took the Dittany, examining it up close, satisfied. ‘This looks very high quality. It will create powerful cures.’ Putting it back down, he announced, ‘Now that I have seen your offerings, I am ready to make my decision. Step forward.’