Chapter 54

"Where do you think he is?" Draco asked as they walked through the empty corridors of the school.

"Who knows?" Ron replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's already past curfew. He could be anywhere by now, probably setting off his next prank."

Harry expanded his senses as much as he could, trying to locate the poltergeist. They had already searched the main entrance, and the second and third floors, with no luck. "He isn't here," Harry said. "Let's try the trophy room. That's where you found him last time, right?"

Hermione nodded her head, remembering how badly that night had gone, and how close Ron and Harry had come to dying.

They made their way to the stairs, going to the third floor, as they continued their search.

"Stop," Harry whispered as they rounded the corridor. "I think he's here."

They peeked around the corner, finding Peeves staring at a trophy case with an uncharacteristically forlorn expression on his face. Harry furrowed his brows as they continued to watch him, wondering what could have had happened.

"Who's there?" Peeves demanded, turning his head sharply in their direction.

Harry stepped out, followed by Hermione, Draco, and Ron. "We've been looking for you Peeves."

"You," Peeves said, recognizing the children immediately as his gaze softened. "I'm not interested in making any deals tonight. You should leave… before Filch finds you."

"…You're not going to try to get us in trouble?" Ron asked, surprised by the poltergeist's reaction.

"Not tonight," Peeves said, turning back to look at the trophy case sadly.

Harry stepped forward, moving to stand beside Peeves as he stared at the item Peeves seemed fixated on. "Aurelia Nightingale," he read out loud, noting that the name was on a memorial plaque from almost 200 years ago.

Peeves looked back at Harry, broken from his revere. "What did you just say?"

"Aurelia Nightingale," Harry repeated, "it's the name on the Memorial Plaque you're looking at, right?"

Peeves nodded, for once not sure how to react. It was a name he hadn't heard uttered in hundreds of years, and while it annoyed him to be disturbed, it was still nice to hear her name.

"She was important to you, wasn't she?" Harry guessed.

Peeves nodded sadly.

"Who was she?" Harry asked, finding himself concerned for the usually boisterous and troublesome poltergeist.

".. My friend," Peeves found himself replying, unsure why he was telling all this to a first year.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Harry replied, sensing there was a lot more to it than that.

Peeves nodded silently as he continued to stare at the plaque.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," Harry added. "…We'll leave you to mourn," he said, looking towards his friends, nodding his head toward the stairs.

"The headmasters tried to remove the plaque over the years," Peeves said, causing Harry to stop and look back at the poltergeist. "But old Peeves wouldn't let them," he said, a watery smile on his face, and a hint of pride in his voice. "They said no one knows who she is, but Peeves still knows, Peeves will always remember."

Harry nodded, moving to stand beside Peeves again as they both stared at the plaque. "What was she like?"

"She was kind," Peeves said, looking like he was holding back tears now. "She was mischievous, played pranks, got people to laugh, even one boy that was far too serious for his own good," he said, nodding to the prefect badge sitting next to the plaque.

"Peter Pratchett," Harry read out loud. "That was you."

Peeves nodded his head.

"I never thought you'd be a prefect," Harry said, having trouble seeing the prankster as a prefect in life. "Did you play any pranks with her?"

Peeves shook his head. "Peter didn't like pranks. He was too serious for that, too busy studying, too busy trying to make a name for himself to see what was in front of him… what was important," he said, his voice catching. "Not until it was too late."

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Peter entered the triwizard tournament," Peeves replied, a flash of anger crossing his face. "He thought if he won, he would be set for life."

Harry nodded, remembering reading about it in Hogwarts: A History. "They discontinued it in 1792," he said, making the connection between the last time the tournament was held and the year Aurelia died.

Peeves looked at Harry, repeating the hated words that were burned into his memory forever. "Come, seek us where our voices sound. We cannot sing above the ground, and while you're searching, ponder this; We've taken what you'll sorely miss. An hour long you'll have to look, and to recover what we took, But past an hour, the prospect's black, Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

"I'm sorry," Harry replied.

Peeves nodded, finding some comfort in finally being able to talk about it with someone again after so long. "Peter misses her. He's been waiting for her, but he knows she'll be here one day. Peter will see her again," he said, nodding to himself.

Harry looked at Peeves, not having the heart to tell him Aurelia was gone. If she came back as a ghost, it could only be the moment after she died. "What happened to you after that?"

"Peter," Peeves corrected.

Harry nodded, "Sorry. What happened to Peter?"

"Peter died trying to save her," Peeves answered.

"…Peeves, what happened when Peter died?" Harry asked. "Was Aurelia there waiting for him?"

"No," Peeves shook his head sadly. "He saw a door made of light, but he was alone, and afraid. He didn't want to go without Aurelia, so he waited, and waited. He thought she might still be alive and wanted to go back… that's when Peeves woke up."

"Thank you for telling me about her," Harry said. "She sounded like a nice person."

"Goodnight Potty," Peeves said, a small smile on his face.

Harry smiled at the Poltergeist one last time before he made his way back to his friends. "Come on guys, let's go," he said, leading them back to the stairs.

Hermione could feel the tears on her face as they left somberly, giving Peeves his privacy, and time to mourn.

When they reached the second floor, Hermione sniffled. "He waited all this time for her," she said, thinking about how heartbreaking Peeves's story was. "Do you think he'll see her again… some day?"

Harry shook his head sadly. "Peter stayed behind. It's too late for him to cross to the other side now."

Hermione nodded her head, more tear spilling from her eyes, as she thought about how tragic it all was.

"Do you think Peeves knows?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Harry admitted. "He's been around for a long time. If he didn't figure it out for himself, the other ghosts would have told him."

"Why is he still waiting for her if he knows the truth?" Ron asked.

"It's all he has," Draco replied solemnly. "Everything he does… it's all to keep her memory alive."

Hermione gasped, realizing what Draco was getting at. "All the pranks he plays, they're for her."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to look at Peeves the same way again," Ron admitted, not sure how he was supposed to act around him now. "What are we even supposed to say to him now?"

"Nothing," Harry replied softly. "What Peeves told us tonight was personal. He wouldn't want anyone else to find out."

Draco nodded in agreement. "This is me," he said, nodding to the corridor leading to the dungeons. "See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," Harry said, followed by Hermione and Ron.

Draco walked into his common room, his mind still preoccupied by what he found out about Peeves as he walked past his fellow Slytherin's to his bedroom. He got a few odd looks for coming in so late after curfew, but no one questioned him.

He wrote it off as them still giving him the cold shoulder over what happened with the test, and continued past them, just ready to go to sleep.

When he opened the door to his room, he let out a startled gasp, his eyes widening as saw who was waiting for him. "W-what are you doing here?" He stuttered.

"Hello Draco," Ismelda smirked. "We've missed you."

Draco's face went pale as he frantically thought about what they were doing here. He was supposed to be out of the study group. He hadn't spoken to them in weeks.

"You were out late," Lucian continued, a hard edge to his voice. "We were worried something might have happened to you."

"I'm fine," Draco said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Where were you?" Ismelda asked.

"…I-I was studying," Draco finally answered. "…I lost track of time."

"Studying? Is that something you even do anymore?" Lucian asked, "I thought stealing tests were more your speed," he said with a sneer, still furious with Draco for nearly ruining all their plans.

Draco felt his face flush in embarrassment, but didn't dare look away, not with what these two were capable of. "…I'd like to go to sleep now, so if you could leave, I would appreciate it."

Lucian looked at Ismelda. "He wants us to leave," he said darkly.

Ismelda nodded her head. "That's too bad. I was really hoping we could catch up Draco. It's been too long."

Draco felt the hairs on his arm stand on end as a shiver ran down his spine, his instincts screaming at him to get as far away from them as he possibly could. He darted back towards the door, trying to make it into the hall only to stop, frozen in his tracks.

"Petrificus Totalus," Ismelda said before walking past him, firmly closing the door shut.

Draco's eyes widened as he saw the vial in Ismelda's hands, his blood running cold as he recognized the truth serum instantly. He didn't know how, but they knew.

Lucian pried open Draco's jaw, allowing Ismelda to drip the potion on his tongue. "Incarcerous," he said, wrapping Draco up in a thick set of ropes before Ismelda removed the body bind.

"It's working," Ismelda declared, noting the glassy and faraway look in Draco's eyes.

"Good," Lucian said. "Let's get started."

"Did you spy on us in the Astronomy Tower?" Ismelda asked.

"No," Draco replied in a monotone voice.

Lucian looked at Ismelda in surprise. He had been so sure that Draco was involved. "You asked the Friar about Acromantula," he said, looking back at the first year.

"…" Draco stared back at them silently.

"Why isn't it working?" Lucian asked, confused.

"You have to ask him a question," Ismelda reminded him before turning to Draco. "Why did you ask the Friar about acromantula?"

"We wanted to know if he saw one in the school," Draco replied.

"Why?" Lucian asked.

"We wanted to know if the ghosts knew about the place we're looking for."

"What place?" Lucian asked, frustrated by their lack of progress with Draco.

"I don't know what it's called," Draco answered.

"He's fighting against the potion," Ismelda realized.

"What? Is that even possible?" Lucian asked, confused.

"Not directly," Ismelda explained. "The potion compels him to answer truthfully, but with enough focus, you can control how much truth you reveal."

"What do we do? Give him more Veritasium?" Lucian asked.

"No," Ismelda shook her head. "Too much Veritasium will kill him. We need to ask the right questions. What's in this place you're looking for?"

"Magic," Draco answered.

"Great," Lucian said sarcastically. "He just described every room in Hogwarts."

Ismelda ignored Lucian as she continued her questions. "What will you do when you find this place?"

"…" Draco remained silent, clearly fighting against the effects of the potion now. "…Release it."

Lucian and Ismelda stopped and looked at each other, thinking the same thing. "Why do you want to release it?"

"…To… stop… you…" Draco finally replied.

"He's one of them! He has to be," Lucian said, knowing he was right this time.

"Why do you want to stop us?" Ismelda asked the question she had been dying to know since they spied on them in the Astronomy tower.

"You're dangerous," Draco replied.

"Who are you working with?" Lucian demanded.

They watched as Draco visibly started to sweat, struggling against the compulsion to answer them before finally succumbing to the effects of the potion. "…Harry… Ron… Herm….ione."

"I told you it was them!" Lucian said, rounding on Ismelda.

"Not now," Ismelda dismissed, turning back to face Draco. "Who broke in to the Ravenclaw dormitory?"

"…Harry, and… Ron," Draco said, struggling not to answer.

"Where is the tome they stole?" Ismelda demanded.

"…I don't know," Draco replied.

Lucian growled, tiring of Draco evading his questions. "Who had it last?"

"…Harry," Draco revealed.

"Did you find the chamber?" Ismelda asked.

"No," Draco replied.

Ismelda breathed a sigh of relief, glad they hadn't discovered it.

"They're not going to stop digging," Lucian said.

Ismelda nodded her head in agreement, knowing they needed a more permanent solution to stop them. "Where were you tonight?"

"The trophy room," Draco replied.

"What were you doing there?" Ismelda asked, knowing the entrance to the chamber wasn't there.

"We went to talk to Peeves," Draco answered.

"Shit," Lucian said, shaking his head. The poltergeist was the most difficult of the ghosts to deal with. For whatever reason, the wards didn't have the same effect on him as it did the other ghosts, and with his knowledge of the secret passages within Hogwarts, there was no telling what he knew.

"We need to talk to the others," Ismelda said with a sigh, pulling out her wand. "Obliviate," she said, removing the memory of their interrogation.

Lucian nodded as they quietly left Draco's room, making their way to the library to speak with the others.

"What happened?" Andre asked as Lucian and Ismelda arrived.

"You were right, it's them," Lucian confirmed.

Andre nodded, a satisfied look on his face as they repeated the details of their interrogation. "We need to eliminate all of them," Andre said when they finished.

Talbott and Ismelda, the other senior members of the study group, shared a look, neither one liking the idea.

"We can't just kill them," Ismelda said, shaking her head.

"We can," Andre said resolutely. "They know too much and are willing to do whatever it takes to stop us."

"And what's going to happen when four first years just up and disappear?" Talbott asked. "There's going to be questions. They're going to send in Auror's to search for them. That's the last thing we need."

"No," Lucian said, siding with Andre. "The last thing we need is them sniffing around, and finding out anything else. Look at what they've already done. If we don't do something now, they're going to find the chamber!"

"Exactly!" Andre nodded in agreement.

"Four first years can be managed," Ismelda countered, "especially now that we know who they are. What we can't manage is a full investigation by the Aurors. We can't save Celestia with them looking over our shoulders, too."

"…What if there's a way to get them out of the way without killing them?" Beatrice asked, thinking of a way to defuse the tension.

"Like what?" Andre demanded.

"The Draught of Living Death," Beatrice answered. "We can capture them, and dose them with it."

"That still leaves the question of what to do with them afterwards," Ismelda pointed out.

"We can leave them at the edge of the forbidden forest," Beatrice explained. "Everyone will wonder what happened to them, but with no injuries, there won't be a drawn out Auror investigation at least until they can question them."

"That could work," Talbott agreed, thinking out loud. "The main ingredient to the antidote is Mugwort, and that won't be ready for harvest until the start of summer."

Ismelda nodded her head in agreement.

"This is a mistake," Andre said adamantly. "They don't know that we know who they are. If this doesn't work, we lose the element of surprise."

"Andre.." Elspeth said, speaking up for the first time. "We're not killers, and this isn't what Celestia would want either."

Andre let out a sigh of frustration, seeing the looks on his friend's faces, and knew he was outvoted. "Fine. What's your plan to dose them with draught?" he demanded.

"We already know they're looking for the chamber," Talbott continued. "It's out of the way. No one is going to stumble on it by accident, lets turn it into a trap."

"You want them to find the chamber?" Andre asked incredulously. "We can't risk that!"

"No, but they've already proven how resourceful they are, and with Peeves added to the mix, it would only be a matter of time before they found it anyway," Talbott answered.

"There's also only one way in and out," Lucian said, warming to the idea. "They won't find it as easy to escape this time."

"So what? We're supposed to guard the chamber day in and day out until they find it?" Andre asked skeptically.

"No," Ismelda shook her head. "Draco's the key. With a few well-placed compulsion charms and a few false memories, he'll convince them to look for the chamber tomorrow, then stumble upon the entrance. We'll be waiting in the chamber for them. As soon as they step inside, we'll hit them with a few stupefy's, then douse they with the drought, and be done with it."

"And you all agree with this plan?" Andre asked, letting out a sigh when they all nodded. "Fine," he said, getting up to leave. "Take care of Draco tonight."

'They don't understand what's at stake,' Andre thought, frustrated as he returned to his common room. 'We can't let an opportunity like this slip through our fingers. I'll have to take matters into my own hands.'

Draco woke up with a start, feeling energized.'Peeves has to know where the chamber, or at least where we can look,'he thought confidently.'We're so close to ending all this madness,'he thought with a growing sense of relief.

He quickly got dressed, making his way to the grand hall for breakfast.'We don't even have to wait for tonight,'he thought.'It's the weekend. No one will even look twice at a group of first years exploring the castle.'

Making it to the great hall, he spotted his friends already having breakfast. He walked briskly to his own table, wolfing down a quick breakfast before he approached them. "Meet me outside," he whispered.

"What is it?" Harry asked, "what's going on?" He asked, noticing the intense look on his friend's face.

Draco shook his head, "not here," before walking out of the great hall, pacing back and forth impatiently as he waited for his friends.

"Draco are you ok?" Hermione asked, concerned for her friend.

"I'm fine," Draco said, brushing off Hermione's concerns. "We need to talk to Peeves again, right now."

"Why? What's the rush?" Ron asked.

"I had a thought last night," Draco explained. "The ghosts can faze through walls, so they know all about the secret passages."

"So?" Ron asked. "There's a ton of secret passages in Hogwarts. That doesn't exactly narrow it down."

"It does," Draco insisted, wondering why he hadn't considered it before. "We need to ask about the secret passages no one uses, or ones that lead to nowhere."

Harry nodded his head, seeing what Draco was trying to say. "You think they took the extra steps to hide the entrance, even from inside the secret passage."

"Exactly," Draco nodded. "It's exactly what I would do if I wanted something to stay a secret."

"I still don't see why we have to do it right now," Ron pointed out. "It's going to be a lot harder to sneak around in the middle of the day."

"We won't have to sneak around at all," Draco replied. "We just have to act like we're exploring. No one is even going to look at us twice."

"We might not get a better chance than this," Hermione agreed. "The study group is still in the great hall, and they won't expect us to do something this early in the day."

"Alright," Harry said, agreeing with the points his friends were making. "Let's go find Peeves."

It was close to an hour later they found him, stuffing fireworks into a suit of armor.

"Peeves," Harry said. "We need to ask you something."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Potty," Peeves said, back to his old self. "What mischief are we up to today, eh?"

"We need your help," Harry replied.

"Oh, you do now, hmm. What can old Peeves do for you, but be warned, my help doesn't come cheap," Peeves replied, his fireworks forgotten.

"We're looking for a hidden chamber, one that most students don't know about," Harry explained. "Have you ever heard of a place like that?"

"A hidden chamber, you say?" Peeves said with a mischievous smile. "I know, just the place! But it isn't for the feint of heart," he warned. "It's deep beneath the school, but old Peeves knows the way."

"No," Draco said, jumping in. "It's not inside the school. We're looking for a secret passage that leads to an empty room, some place unremarkable."

"Unremarkable?" Peeves said, scratching his head. "Why would Peeves be interested in a place like that?"

"It doesn't matter," Harry replied. "Have you ever found a place like that?"

"…Peeves has found such a place," Peeves replied. "But there's nothing there but a bunch of old furniture."

"Can you take us there?" Draco asked, insistently.

"Peeves can take you," Peeves agreed. "But my help doesn't come cheap. What do you have for old Peeves in exchange?"

"Fireworks," Hermione jumped in. "As much as last time."

"More," Peeves insisted greedily, seeing how adamant they were about finding a room full of junk and sensing an opportunity.

"Twice as much," Draco jumped in, "but you have to take us there right now."

"Deal," Peeves replied with a wide grin. "Don't fall behind!" He shouted, gliding through the hallways with a laugh.

Harry and his friends ran after the poltergeist, following him through the hallways and up the stairs, until they arrived on the fifth floor.

"Almost there, don't fall behind!" Peeves shouted as they continued down the hallway, finally arriving at the stairs leading to the north tower.

"That is what you're looking for," Peeves said, pointing to a mirror hanging on the wall.

"How do we open the passage?" Harry asked.

"Focus on the doorway opening," Peeves replied.

Harry nodded, standing on the low table beneath the mirror as he stared intently at his reflection, willing the doorway to open. At first there was nothing, just his own reflection, but out of the corner of his eye he saw a ripple. Then there was another, and another, until the mirror resembled a pond as the waves spread across the mirror, until he could finally see a dark hallway.

"Remember our deal, Potter!" Peeves said before taking off again.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked, looking over his shoulder at his friends. He could tell they were nervous, particularly Hermione and Ron. "You don't have to come with me," Harry reminded them.

"No way," Ron said, shaking his head despite his fears. "I'm with you, mate."

"Me too!" Hermione piped up, wanting to get this over with just as much as them.

"I'm not sitting this one out either," Draco declared, strangely feeling none of the nervousness he had the previous day.

"Alright," Harry nodded. "I'll see you on the other side."

When Harry stepped through the portal, he look around the large stone room, having no idea where he was. The room was dark, and he could barely see a few feet in front of him.

"Lumos," he said, lighting up the tip of his wand as he looked around, seeing some shadows along the far wall.

"This has to be the place," Draco declared as he lit up the tip of his wand as well.

"I don't know," Harry said, looking around. "I don't see much of anything down here."

"Let's spread out," Draco suggested after Hermione and Ron stepped through. "Look for anything out of place."

Ron nodded, agreeing with Draco as he looked around the stone room, but all he could see was old, and broken furniture littering the floor.

"Wait, I see something," Draco said as he walked to the corner of the room.

"What is it?" Harry asked, making his way over.

"This wall," Draco said, running his fingers along the edge. "It's different," he said, tracing his fingers along a grove. "Help me with this," he said, pushing against the wall.

Harry nodded, pushing his shoulder against the wall as it slowly sunk back.

"That's amazing Draco," Hermione said. "I can't believe you spotted the door from so far away."

"I just saw it out of the corner of my eye," Draco dismissed as they stared down the stone hallway.

"The stone is a lot rougher than the rest of the castle," Harry observed. "It looks like they dug into the bedrock to make it."

"This tunnel predates Hogwarts,"Merlin observed,"by at least five hundred years."

'The people that lived here before,'Harry thought, remembering his last conversation with Merlin.

"Yes,"Merlin agreed."The order must have re-purposed the ruins of whatever this place was first."

"Let's go," Draco said, eager to end this once and for all.

"Keep your eyes open," Harry said, drawing his wand. "The hallway is narrow. It's the perfect place for an ambush."

The others nodded, drawing their wands as well, following Harry into the corridor as they descended further underground.

Hermione ran her hand along the wall, feeling the rough texture of the wall. She could see torches lining the wall, lighting up as they got closer, providing a dim light that allowed them to see where they were going, but not very far ahead, giving her an ominous feeling she couldn't shake.

"I see something up ahead," Harry said, squinting his eyes. "It looks like a door."

"It is," Draco agreed, now able to see the heavy iron door in front of them.

"How are we supposed to get in?" Ron asked, seeing the size of it.

Hermione raised her wand. "Alohomora," she said, casting the unlocking spell.

Harry's jaw dropped as they all heard the click of the door unlocking. 'That shouldn't be possible,' Harry thought,knowing the order would have put more protections on the door than that.

"No, it isn't,"Merlin agreed."Keep your guard up. This doesn't feel right."

Before Harry could stop him, Draco reached for the handle, giving it a sharp pull, "Come on guys, help me with this."

"NO!" Harry shouted, trying to pull Draco back, but it was too late. The doors slowly opened, and they heard a slow clap from the other side.

"Look what we have here," Andre said as the door opened, revealing the study group waiting for them. "You got here faster that we expected Potter."

"Egwu," Harry said, taking stock of the situation. There was nowhere to run to, nothing to use as cover, and with the rituals the study group went through, they were heavily out matched.

He looked at his friends, knowing that even with their extra training, they weren't ready for a fight like this. His only hope was to stall, and hope an opportunity would present itself.

"Surprise to see us?" Andre taunted, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"How?" Harry asked.

"How did we know you were going to be here?" Andre asked, staring down at Potter. "Or how did we know it was you?"

"Both," Harry replied, observing the rest of the study group. They seemed relaxed, sure of themselves, fully believing they had the upper hand.

"Your friends," Andre said, looking at Ron and Draco. "They really should be more observant of their surroundings."

'It must have been when they talked to the Friar,'Harry thought, kicking himself for letting Draco and Ron go on their own.

"And as for how we knew you would be here, we had an inside man," Andre said, a cold look in his eyes. "You were a big help Draco, we couldn't have done this without you," He gloated.

Draco's eyes widened. "That's not true!" He declared. "I would never help you!"

"Come on, Draco, give it up," Andre taunted, seeing if he could drive a wedge between them. "They aren't idiots. You're the one that led them here, weren't you? You're the one that said you should go in the morning."

"Harry!" Draco said, knowing how bad this made him look. "They're lying! I didn't help them! You have to believe me!"

"I do," Harry replied, never breaking eye contact with Egwu, seeing right through his plan. "How did you do it?" Harry asked, observing Egwu, looking for any tells as he attempted to use the older student's own trick against him. "Did you spy on his some more? No," he said, not seeing any obvious tells. "It was something else, wasn't it?" he asked, noticing the growing smirk on his face. "Draco wouldn't have told you anything… not by choice. Veritaserum," he concluded. "And a few memory charms to point him in the right direction."

"Look at you," Andre said, letting out a cold laugh. "You're always learning. Too bad you didn't learn to stay out of our business."

"What's your plan now?" Harry asked. "You can't kill us, and you know it. The Aurors will come looking. They'll tear this castle apart to find us."

"Why don't you let me worry about the Aurors," Andre replied, a dark look in his eyes.

"Andre, that's not the plan," Ismelda said, trying to rain in her friend. "We've already discussed this."

"No," Andre shook his head. "We're not going to get a better chance than this to get them out of the way than this. We can't let it slip through our fingers."

Harry remained silent, observing them.'There's cracks in his group,'Harry thought.'We might be able to use that to our advantage.'

"My thoughts exactly,"Merlin agreed."Keep pushing, and you might just get out of this alive."

"Harry's right Andre," Talbott said. "He's friends with the Minister."

"You think I give a damn about that pencil pusher?" Andre said, rounding on his friend with a snarl. "He's nothing. We all know the real power is with the Wizengamot, not the bureaucrats."

"Many of whom have children that attend Hogwarts," Draco jumped in. "Do you really think they would stand by and do nothing when pureblood children are killed?"

"Who do you think created the Wizengamot?" Andre chuckled. "They'll do what they're told and look the other way."

"NO!" Ismelda said. "We're not doing this! We've already had this discussion, Andre! Stick to the plan."

"Am I the only one that understands what's at stake here?" Andre growled, looking at his friends in disbelief.

"I'm with you," Lucian said, an unreadable expression on his face. "Leaving an opponent on the field is just poor strategy."

"Lucian," Talbott warned. "You're not helping," he said, trying to stop this from turning into a bloodbath and ruin the plan.

"You really should listen to Talbott," Harry said, seeing the perfect opportunity to turn the study group against each other. "We certainly did."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Andre demanded, glaring at Potter.

"Oh," Harry said, feigning surprise. "Did Talbott never mention it?" He said as Talbott's eyes went wide, realizing what Harry was about to reveal.

"We don't have time for this," Talbott said, jumping in before Harry revealed too much.

"No," Andre said, looking at Talbott suspiciously. "We've got plenty of time. What are you talking about, Potter?"

"Did you know Talbott keeps a journal… or at least he used to?" Harry asked with a smirk, glancing at Talbott. "We found it quite informative. It talked about Celestia, the ritual you want to perform, even what he plans to do after you free her."

"He's lying," Talbott bluffed. "He's just trying to get us to turn on each other, that's all."

"I haven't even got to the best part yet," Harry smirked. "The biggest part about his journal was the notes he took for the book he plans to publish. How he took charge, getting you back on track after your timetable moved up. The way he talks about you," he added, shaking his head. "It's like you're a bunch of bumbling fools who would be completely lost without his leadership."

"That's not what I wrote!" Talbott yelled, inadvertently making Harry's earlier words seem more genuine, as they each remembered occasions where Talbott talked about how famous they would be after this.

Andre's eyes narrowed as he stared down Talbott, knowing enough about him to know that there was at least some truth to Potter's words.

"We'll deal with Talbott later," Ismelda said, trying to keep this from going any further off the rails. "We don't want to hurt you, any of you," she said, seeing the frightened looks on Hermione, Draco, and Ron's faces. "You've got this all wrong, trust me. We're the good guys."

"The good guys!?" Hermione exclaimed, finally finding her voice. "We saw what you did to the Acromantula! You chased us into the forbidden forest and tried to kill us!"

"Hermione…" Beatrice said. "You have to understand. That was the first time we did the ritual. There's a mental strain that goes along with it. It made us more aggressive. We weren't prepared for it then, but we're better now."

"Ravenclaw tower," Ron stated. "You tried to kill us then, too!"

"Of course we did!" Lucian roared. "You broke into our trunks, invaded our common rooms, stole our property. Did you really think we would just sit back and do nothing?"

"This is getting us nowhere," Ismelda said, trying desperately to get some control of the over situation. "We will not hurt you, not unless you make us."

"That's right," Beatrice agreed. "You're going to drink this," she said, holding out a potion vial. "It's the Draught of the Living Death. The antidote will be ready in the summer, and you'll wake up unharmed. We promise. Just drink the potion, and no one has to get hurt," she pleaded.

Harry stared at the potion vial, and then back at the study group, knowing he couldn't let them carry out their plan.'Any ideas?'he thought.

"They're going to open the portal in the spring. I'll have to consult an astrological chart to be sure, but the timing makes sense,"Merlin replied.

'And how do we get out of this to stop them?' Harry thought, looking around desperately for an escape route.