The Second Harvest Moon Ⅴ

Unfortunately, as Rowan carefully accepts the stone tablet, she finds that Merchieftainess Murcurs has not yet released the stone tablet from her grasp. Merchieftainess Murcurs' yellow eyes are cold and harsh. "There can be no errors, Child of the Founders," she warned.

"There won't be," Rowan replied, before Merchieftainess Murcurs releases her hold on the stone tablet, and allows Rowan to stow away the stone tablet as well.

Merchieftainess Murcurs rises from her seat to her full height, which is very large and looks down at the young witch. "Such a curse will not be easily bound, Child of the Founders, take the utmost necessary precautions."

"I will," Rowan replied as Nadira slowly unwinds her body from Rowan.

"I can aid, protector," Nadira hissed excitedly.

"NO!" Both Rowan and Merchieftainess Murcurs roared as they turned their fierce gazes upon her.

Nadira's sapphire-colored snake eyes sparkle in dismay and confusion as Rowan much more gently says, "The curse is even capable of eating you, Nadira. And the curse cannot be broken merely bound, and you are the sole guardian of Hogwarts, you must remember your duties above all including myself."

Mollified Nadira hisses her tongue still somewhat unhappily, but Nadira hisses, "Very well, protector, I shall not interfere tomorrow night," before slithering away in a bit of a huff. Nadira was quickly consoled by the mervillagers, who happily worshiped her and fed her delicious tidbits such as tasty raw fish.

Seeing Nadira being coaxed by the merpeople, Rowan bows her head with gratitude towards Merchieftainess Murcurs. "I do not believe I have thanked you yet Merchieftainess Murcurs but you have my utmost gratitude for tonight and in all that which you and your people do and continue to do for Nadira. She is loved and cared for here, but more importantly honored and not feared."

"Land dweller's fear that which they cannot comprehend," Merchieftainess Murcurs murmured with a tiny smile as she stared out of the entrance at the ongoing festivities. "And serpents will always continue to be such mysterious beings."

Turning back to face the young witch, Merchieftainess Murcurs says, "I wish you good fortune, Child of the Founders. And that you might have the cunningness of your forefather, Salazar Slytherin in order to survive the tumultuous times that draw nearer with each passing day."

"I will wish you the same, Merchieftainess Murcurs," Rowan sincerely replied.

Merchieftainess Murcurs' yellow eyes blink solemnly back before Merchieftainess Murcurs returns to the festivities of her people. With great laughter and joy, the mervillagers welcome her as their merry voices wash over her.

All too soon, the guest is forgotten in the distance as Rowan watches the merpeople, before swimming away, and back to the surface of the lake. Her return to the surface goes unperturbed as she is lost in thought within the eerie, glowing lake waters except for something huge and rapidly approaching from the distance. There was nowhere to hide in the middle of the lake and neither the surface nor the bottom of the lake was near.

From long ago a forgotten memory appears in Rowan's mind and it is that of Terry and Severus sharing Chocolate Frog Cards. She can see Terry showing Severus the card of the Giant Squib, and saying, "Mate, this is why you never want to take a dip in the lake."

Severus scoffed, but still narrowed his eyes and read what was on the back of the Chocolate Frog Card as the Giant Squib on the front of the engraved card wiggled its giant tentacles at them. In a voice out loud, he read, "The bane of ancient mariners and students of Hogwarts – should the latter decide to go for a dip in the lake."

A curse escapes Rowan's mouth before she reaches for her wand and unstrapping it from the wand holster. She was just going to have to risk something going wrong with whatever spell she cast as long as she survived the encounter. And though she had a gift with magical or nonmagical creatures that only seemed to apply to land-dwelling creatures as she had never had fish or other sea-dwelling creatures like her very much.

The distance grows smaller and smaller as the Giant Squid rapidly approaches until at long last the enormous creature is before her. A round eye about the size of a soccer ball stares straight at Rowan, who tries not to move, but grips her wand so tightly in hand that her fingers become stark pale white. Her mind hurries to think of a spell that might just work under the water without backfiring.

The two of them just stare each other in the eye until a giant tentacle of the Squid slowly moves towards her. Unsure if the Giant Squid is attacking or not, Rowan waits as her heart beats wildly in her chest. The giant tentacle gently wraps itself around Rowan and begins to speedily lift her to the surface of the lake.

Shivering and breathless with a mix of emotions, Rowan bursts into the freezing night air. Shaking violent from the cold, she is gently deposited at the surface as the giant tentacle retreats and vanishes into the depths of the lake. With teeth loudly clattering, she swims across the surface of the lake until her feet touch the sandy lakeshore and wades onto the shore.

Trembling violently from the cold, Rowan's wand hand quivers as she casts a drying and warming charm on herself. She lets out a loud sigh of relief as her clothes become very rigid but dry. She lets out a loud sigh of relief as the warmth of the charm sweeps over her and warms even the cockles of her heart. Feeling much better, she casts, "Lumos," to light the way as she takes care to make her way up the muddy banks to where her cloak rests pinned down by a round stone.

Rowan shivers again upon donning her freezing cloak but quickly begins to warm up again thanks to the warming charm. Casting the lake one last final glance, she turns away from the shore when she gets an unsettling sensation creeping down her back as though she was being watched. It was a haunting familiar feeling that she had not felt since during the tournament.

Resisting the urge to teleport away or check her mind mapscape, Rowan grips her wand that much tighter and hurries back to the front entrance of Hogwarts. Crossing the empty lawn and past the greenhouses, she hurries and only relaxes upon entering through the front doors. Letting out a soft audible sigh, she rubs the back of her neck with one hand and stiffens. The hairs on the back of her neck are still standing straight up. She wasn't alone.

A sound rustling sounded further down the hall caused Rowan to cautiously peer into the darkness that lay further ahead. She raises her wand higher in the air to cast the light upon the shadows of the front hall. There standing further down the hall is the figure of a professor dreamily leaning against the entrance of the Great Hall studying the starry sky displayed within the confines of the Great Hall. The Professor in question has slightly red eyes, raggedy oily hair, and long robes that have the scent of burned herbs to them, the Divination Professor, Professor Ariel Zephyros.

Professor Zephyros' eyes are languorous as usual as he stares off into the distance and hums to himself a quiet child's rhyme. His glazed eyes turn away deliberately from the starry enchanted ceiling towards the Slytherin Prefect. "Prefect Prince, I do not believe that it is your night for patrol," he dreamily mused out loud. "A nighttime rendezvous, perchance?"

"No, sir," Rowan truthfully replied as her grip tightened around her wand. "I wished to go for one last swim before the lake freezes over. And with upcoming events and festivities, I do believe that I will not have another opportunity."

"Mm, yes, it does seem like a nice evening for one last final swim," Professor Zephyros muttered to himself causing Rowan's eyes to widen before her face goes perfectly blank.

"I did not see you during my swim, Professor," Rowan slowly said. "I apologize that I did not greet you sooner."

"No, I'm afraid that the Giant Squid doesn't much like intruders in its lake," Professor Zephyros dreamily remarked. "However, I am genuinely surprised that the squid did not attack you. Then again, Prefect Prince, you were born under the sign of Capricorn, a beast. And a beast always recognizes another beast."

Rowan does not even recoil at the remark and instead retorts, "It is late, Professor Zephyros, and I have a very long day tomorrow. Please excuse me for the night." And moved to walk past the Divination Professor as calmly as possible without showing how tightly she was clenching her wand in her hand. Quickening her footsteps, she hurries to the winding staircase.

"Good night, Prefect Prince," Professor Zephyros called out in passing to the Slytherin Prefect that disappeared quickly down the winding staircase and into the Slytherin's lair hidden within the dungeons.

Returning to gaze up at the starry sky within the Great Hall, Professor Zephyros dreamily mutters to himself, "The night of a new moon approaches to intertwine with Samhain. The stars shall vanish, and darkness will rule the night. And the heavens will be rent in twain to reveal their inner mysteries." Long after the words were spoken out loud, there stood the Divination Professor unmoving until at last departing to his quarters before the light of new morning as the early risers and inhabitants of the castle begin to stir and rise.