Janus?

Monday arrived with a furor of classes and homework despite the freezing cold temperature that by lunch Rowan bitterly regretted not taking Madam Pomfrey's offer to stay one more day to rest in the infirmary. Still, at least her Prefect duties were temporarily foisted on Terry and Bethanie. And mostly she pretended not to see the pitiful stares sent her way by the 1st years and the other Slytherins. She needed to maintain plausible deniability over anything that Terry might elect to do.

Still feeling out of sorts, Rowan attempted to study until it came for her last class period of the day, Advanced Arithmancy. With a huff and a groan, she began the long trek all the way up to the seventh floor. She was rather winded by the time she arrived at the top of the tower. She would have blamed her lack of exercise, but she regularly worked out at least three times per week. No, rather her body was still suffering the aftereffects of having attempted to channel Severus's magic.

More warm than cold despite the frigid air, Rowan's face is a bit flushed as she rounds the corner of the winding staircase only to find the handsome ash brown-haired, Barrett Boone with a furrowed brow. His silver eyes are crinkled, and his nose is wrinkled causing the spray of freckles on his face to draw closer. The Ravenclaw Team Captain was a good-looking lad with a lazy grin and natural charism that charmed all those that knew him.

"Boone?" Rowan carefully approached the preoccupied 7th year.

Barrett Boone's gray eyes turn confused and bewildered towards her, but there was nothing lurking within his eyes except for bewilderment. Seeing him failing to respond, Rowan frowns and says, "Are you not feeling well? I know that preparation for the N.E.W.T. and coursework have dreadfully increased, perchance, a visit to the infirmary might be in the best of interests."

"I-, no," Barrett lifted his hand to touch his head. "It's just-," his voice broke off, before making up his mind again. "I think there is something wrong."

"Whatever do you mean?" Rowan alertly asked.

"I feel as though I have experienced this before with Professor Lye," Barrett muttered in concentration, before shaking his head. "It must be just all the stress," he said with a wry smile. "I might just take you up on the offer, Prince." He seemed almost back to normal no longer casting strange or lingering gazes at Rowan.

Before Rowan can ask Barrett to clarify his words sets of footsteps are heard from the winding staircase behind them. "There you are!" Head Boy Darcy Travers exclaimed pursing his pink lips in delight at spotting his boyfriend, Barrett Boone. Following directly behind Head Boy Travers is his friend, Parsley Parkinson, a hard-faced 7th year Slytherin.

"Prefect Prince," Parsley Parkinson politely said, while Head Boy Travers merely nodded at Rowan, before pulling his boyfriend into the classroom.

"Professor Lye?" Rowan pensively thought to herself. There was something off about that statement, but what? She wracked her mind as she took a seat and unpacked her school bag.

The glossy russet-haired, perfectly endowed Head Girl Matilda Madley arrived in tow with her dear friend, in a round-faced young woman with short hair, Alice Yates, the future Mrs. Longbottom. Beaming at Rowan, as usual, the round-faced girl instantly sits down between Rowan and Matilda Madley to keep the peace between the two girls. It wasn't that Rowan and Matilda hated each other, but they didn't exactly like each other either. They were rather neutral about each other, really.

"I don't think I've congratulated you formally, Rowan," Alice cheerfully said. "It's been slipping my mind, but I wish you and James great happiness upon your betrothal."

"Thank you, Alice," Rowan drily answered.

"Likewise, Prince," Head Girl Madley said with a sincere, but brief smile that would have dazzled breathless much of the male population.

"Thank you, Madley," Rowan graciously said, before glancing up at the door.

The two friends of Barrett Boone also 7th year Ravenclaw's arrived together. The first had short hair and eager eyes, Brandon Ackerley, a good-natured Ravenclaw. The second had long hair pulled back neatly with properly ironed robes, Cadmus Quirke. Much less patient than his friends, but frequently praised by the professors for his intelligence.

Boone's two friends move to join him, but Rowan's frown deepens as a result. Boone hardly ever arrived not in the company of his friends, but more so, the remark made by Boone in the hallway bothered her. She tunes out the conversation of Alice and Matilda trying to remember what Boone might be referring to about Professor Lye.

Rowan began to list the symptoms of Barrett: confusion, bewilderment, lost, dazed, distracted-. Amid listing the symptoms, she straightens up and recalls a single spell with all those characteristics, an unforgivable, the Imperius Curse. Her eyes widen in horror and shock.

A cold shiver of dread races down Rowan's spine at the implications. She had been working under the assumption that by tying the vessel of Hydra down at Hogwarts with the presence of a centaur, Ronan that the vessel would be unable to act. Yet she knew better than anyone that just because one has a bad card that doesn't mean the poker game is at an end.

This was an entity that had outlived if not destroyed all its enemies. Of course, Hydra would not be squeamish about using alternative means to achieve its goals. If anything else, it was a practical or rather absolute existence.

The newly repaired Hogwarts wards could not prevent murder as they had not halted the power, the curse of Tom Riddle on the DADA post, or his murder of Myrtle Elizabeth Warren (Moaning Myrtle) during his tenure as a student while at Hogwarts. Rather it prevented the power of external forces but not did do much for those contained within Hogwarts especially considering the fact that Salzar Slytherin constructed an entire chamber underneath Hogwarts without the rest of the founder's knowledge. Or that in Potter's time the use of dark curses against the students by the brother and sister duo, Alecto and Amycus Carrow. There were definite flaws to the Hogwarts wards, but she had no power to change nor adapt the existing wards only the Headmaster did.

The use of unforgivable cures was a question that Rowan had not considered before, but one that she should have. Then again, it could all be a trap. Hydra was not someone to be underestimated.

Rowan is distracted from her depressing thoughts by the sweeping of robes. Glancing up, she sees a long, thin raven-haired of a medium build. The fair-skinned witch has sweeping scarlet robes with a matching witch's hat. Her dark, grave eyes intently fall upon them causing everyone in the classroom to automatically sit up. Much like Professor McGonagall, Professor Vector had a stern atmosphere about her, but less somber with a touch of mirth to her dark eyes.

"I have graded your essays on the calculations of the sun, stars, and moon in correspondence to the new year," Professor Vector said. "And I am pleased to say that you all produced excellent work," she grinned at them in reward causing the students to feel relieved and proud of their work.

"Now does anyone know the yearly event that will commence on January 17th and end on the 19th?" Professor Vector asked the classroom. The arm of Cadmus Quirke instantly goes up reminding Rowan of a certain still unborn bushy-haired muggleborn Gryffindor. "Please go ahead, Mr. Quirke."

Cadmus proudly tilts his neck upward at being called upon. "This upcoming Saturday will be what is known in ancient times as the Feast of Fate that honored the Moirai."

"That is partially correct, but still 5 points to Ravenclaw," Professor Vector said causing Cadmus to quilt, but vow to study harder. She quickly gestures her wand at the chalkboard. White chalk begins to draw planetary and arithmancy formulas on the blackboard before returning to its place.

Turning to face the class Profess Vector begins the lecture. "The 17th of January is one of the few holidays which celebrates time. In ancient Roman custom, the Feast of the Fate was used to celebrate the Roman God, Janus, who was the god of past, present, and future, the God of Time in essence. His image is that of a god with two opposing faces one face gazing into the past and another into the future. Therefore, even to this day; January is named after Janus."

"However, where Mr. Cadmus erred is that Janus is typically celebrated on the 1st of the year and the Feast of Fate pertains to another, three Greek goddesses known as the Moirai. The date is not only just limited to these three goddesses, but also to the Norns of Old Norse, Coatlicue of the Aztec, Pachamama of the Inca, and Manat of ancient Arabia," Professor Vector explained.

"In ancient Greek mythology, the Moirai weaved the tapestry of life and death," Professor Vector continued. "Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis weaves the thread, and Atropos cuts the thread." She paused and pointed to the planetary formulas on the chalkboard.

"Haven taken Astronomy with Professor Sinistra all of you should be familiar with the ruling plant of this month. Does anyone care to answer?"

Alice Yates hand rises in the air and Professor Vector signals at her to speak. "Capricorn is in the Heavens ruled by the 10th house, the planet Saturn."

"Excellent, 5 points to Gryffindor," Professor Vector said. "You will calculate the position of the planets, sun, and moon in conjunction with the 12 monthly constellations to determine what Fate might have in store this year for each represented constellation. I expect your work to be shown and no less than a three-page essay on the conclusion and interpretations of your findings. You may all commence."

A brief groan is heard in the classroom when only the remaining sound that is heard in the classroom is the sound of quills. Rowan focuses on the present and shoves aside her concerns for the moment. Intently, she draws radiuses and calculates the position of the planets, sun, and moon. By the end of the class period, she had near calculations for the assignment. The Sun was in Capricorn at 25° 60'. The Moon in Cancer at 23° 24'. Mercury was in Aquarius at 08° 35'. Venus in Sagittarius at 18° 43', and thus forth with the last constellation being Pluto in Libra at 11° 43'. She still had to double-check her calculations and write a three-page essay on the interpretations gleaned from her calculations, but the brunt of the calculations was finished. It was a silver lining in the grand scheme of things which wasn't saying much…