My Ilvermorny House is Horned Serpent, which favors scholars and represents the mind. Such a shock for a Ravenclaw who cares entirely too much about her grades and thinks her mind is her only strong point. Honestly, though, the Hogwarts and Ilvermorny Houses are really different. I can't sum it up as well as this tumblr post so I'll just stick this here:

I don't think this chapter is late. However, I updated a few days behind when I was supposed to several weeks ago, and I've been off my schedule since then, so it feels like this chapter is four days late. Whether it is or not, here's an extra long one!

~~~~

The afternoon did not get remotely better. I spent quite a lot of time moping about, rethinking everything that had happened recently and wondering if I was somehow to blame for it all.

I ran into James eventually, and I could just feel his I told you so trying to come out as I briefly explained why I was on my own. He managed to push it down and give me some sympathy, and I appreciated that. He didn't like Marcus, but at least he was mature enough not to be a prat about it. Wait, did I just say James was mature? All right, maybe it wasn't maturity, but more of an understanding. He thought Marcus would end up like Mackenzie had, I didn't doubt. Well, he was wrong, but that was fine.

"Want to go to Spintwitches?" James asked as we walked down the road.

"It looks a little busy..." I eyed the sporting goods shop, which looked more packed than normal.

"Oh, yeah, makes sense." James pointed to a poster tacked onto an outside wall. Official Sponsor of the Welsh National Quidditch Team. "That's new. Everyone's wanting a poster or something. The Quidditch World Cup is next year, you know, and Wales is looking pretty good for it again."

I hadn't known any of that, but I smiled and nodded as if I did. "Of course. Let's skip that, then."

"Yeah. If you want a poster, Mum can get you one, I'm sure."

"I think I'm good," I said, shrugging.

"Want to go to Quaffle Co., then?" James asked, pointing down the road to a shop I'd never been in. "It's not anywhere near as popular, but I'm sure it's got okay Quidditch supplies. Never been, anyway."

We walked down the road, disturbing a group of birds that had settled on the sidewalk. As they flew up to perch on the roofs around us, James pushed the door to Quaffle Co. open, making a small bell jingle, and let me pass through.

Saying Quaffle Co. wasn't as popular as Spintwitches was like saying MySpace wasn't as popular as Facebook. There was absolutely no one there, and it didn't look like there had ever been anyone. I could see cobwebs on a few of the older brooms. A rogue Snitch zipped past me, trying to get out the door. James quickly closed it and batted the Snitch in the opposite direction. Other than one bored-looking employee, James and I were the only ones there.

"Welcome to Quaffle Co.," the employee said in a dull voice, hardly looking up from her copy of Witch Weekly. "How can I assist you?"

"Just looking, thanks," I called, glancing around at the sparsely stocked shelves.

"Won't be looking for long," James added in an undertone.

"Their nicest broom is a Nimbus 4000," I whispered, pointing to a dusty display case. A promotional banner hung behind it, advertising the ten-year-old broom, which sat in the display case. It was pristine inside, which was only proof that it hadn't been opened in the the years since the broom had been put in the case.

"Wow. And I thought my broom was old." James shook his head. "Bet they've still got posters from the 2014 World Cup."

Just then the bell above the door jingled again, and two people rushed inside. Wren and Albus, strangely enough. I would've thought Albus would've been actively avoiding me. However, they didn't seem to be taking any notice of James and me, or even what store they were in. In a matter of seconds, I realized that this was because Wren was very nearly having a panic attack.

"Wren, calm down," Albus was saying, his arm around her shoulders as she trembled against him. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"That bird, it was my father, I know it was; he's watching, Albus; I can't-"

"Sh," Albus said, glancing at us, then the employee, who was watching the two as if deciding if this was really as entertaining as her magazine. After a moment, she seemed to decide in the negative, and promptly began ignoring us again. By then, James had already crossed to Albus and Wren.

"Wren, what happened?" he asked quietly, gently hugging her. I crossed to them, not even caring if Albus was there. It didn't matter right now.

Wren was slowly calming herself down. "There was a bird, on one of the buildings. It was was my father, I know it was, watching us." She glanced out the grimy window. "Do you think he's still there?"

"Surely not," I said soothingly, even though I had a feeling, if it really was Isaac Predatel, he was definitely still there. "But even if he is, he can't hurt you. He wouldn't risk it."

"Speaking of that, maybe we should go somewhere with more people, just in case," James suggested. Of course, we all knew why. Isaac had been in prison for years for murdering over thirty people at once. He obviously has no qualms about killing. Why would a single employee in a shop that seemingly hadn't been visited in years faze him? Keeping a protective arm around Wren's shoulders, and glancing around for any sign of a suspicious bird, James led the way out the door.

Albus and I glanced at each other, our momentarily forgotten resentment fluttering back. I narrowed my eyes, then nodded towards Wren. "This isn't personal. It's for our friend."

"Of course," he replied, just as coldly. He was avoiding my eyes. I sighed and walked out after James and Wren.

"Act like you didn't see anything," James was saying, with a grin plastered on his face. "Where was it?"

"On that lamppost, ahead of us," Wren said, nodding slightly with her head but not looking in that direction. "Is he still there?"

I stole a glance towards the lamppost, and did indeed see a bird perched on top of it. To any passerby, it would've seemed like a normal bird, but I recognized him. Isaac Predatel was watching us. I felt a chill run down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

"He knows I recognized him," Wren said softly.

"Let him know," James said, dropping the act he'd been trying to keep up and stopping beneath the lamppost. "It's not like that brute can do anything right now." He stuck his tongue out at the bird, which cawed angrily in response.

"It's funny that such an awful man would have such a dainty Animagus," I said, peering up at Isaac. "A bit embarrassing, wouldn't you say?"

"Can we go?" Wren asked, shaking a bit, though I couldn't tell if it was because she was scared or in an effort not to freak out again.

James glanced at her. "Of course. Come on." He glared at the bird as they started walking again. If birds could glare, it would have been glaring right back, I was sure of it.

We walked back to the Three Broomsticks. James made sure Wren was settled in a booth before going off to find his dad. I slid in next to my friend, and Albus slowly sat down across. I made a point to ignore him.

"Are you all right now?" I asked quietly.

"I don't know," Wren answered.

"He was probably just trying to scare you," Albus said. "He wouldn't actually try to do anything to you with so many people around."

"What if he tries to get into Hogwarts, though?" Wren whispered. "He's done it before."

"He won't. It's guarded by aurors, anyway," I said, smiling a bit. "He can't hurt you, Wren." She didn't look convinced, but Wren smiled a bit all the same.

As we calmed down, the awkwardness and resentment that had been building up between Albus and me slowly started filtering back. I refused to look at him, except a few sideways glances when he wasn't looking. He'd crossed his arms and was staring out the window.

Mr. Potter came up before the silence could get too tense. "You're sure it was him?" he asked quietly, startling me out of my thoughts.

Wren nodded. "Is he gone?"

"Yeah," James said, moving around his dad to sit next to Albus. "Or he at least flew somewhere else."

"Are you all right?" Mr. Potter asked Wren, pulling himself out of his thoughts.

"I think so." She thought for a minute, then added, "Is it all right if I go back to school now?"

"Of course," Mr. Potter said, nodding. "That might be best."

"I'll go with her," Albus and I said at the same time, then quickly glared at each other.

Mr. Potter noticed the sudden tenseness, apparently. "James can go with her," he suggested. "You two can come with me. We'll go find Macmillan and Corner and get some aurors looking into this, then I think the Three of us should have a little talk."

I crossed my arms, sitting back with an angry huff. Albus muttered something I didn't catch, but Mr. Potter ignored him. "Come on, then. James, Wren, come back immediately if you see anything suspicious, all right?"

"Okay," James agreed, hopping up and waiting for me to scoot out of the bench so he could take Wren's arm.

The two walked out, then Mr. Potter turned to us. Albus was still in the booth, scowling at the table. I probably had the same expression on my face, though I was directing it towards Albus just then. Mr. Potter sighed. "Come on, then. You two have some things to work out."

We followed Mr. Potter around as he located a few aurors who had been tasked with guarding Hogsmeade, alerting them of the threat. Before long, he led us back to the Three Broomsticks, choosing a table removed from the bustle and noise of the other students.

"Now, what's going on?" Mr. Potter asked as we sat down. "You've been acting like this for a while now. Why?"

I glanced at Albus. "Because he's a prat."

"Because she's an idiot," Albus muttered.

Mr. Potter sighed. "That's not helpful. You two need to sort out your differences. I don't know the details of what happened, but it's impacted more than just your friendship."

"Maybe if Albus would just apologize," I said, crossing my arms.

"Maybe I've tried," he said, frowning at me, "and you told me to 'keep my opinions to myself because you don't care.'"

"Because I assumed you just wanted to act like a prat, like you'd been acting!" I exclaimed.

"All this about me apologizing; perhaps you ought to try!"

"I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Quiet!" Mr. Potter exclaimed. I glanced at him; his eyes were wide with shock. "This is ridiculous," he said, shaking his head. "You two both need to apologize, it sounds like, and you both ought to try to fix this. You need each other."

"I haven't done anything wrong," I repeated.

"Perhaps not. I don't know. But I would have thought your friendship is more important than who takes the blame. Are you really going to give up your best friend over this?"

Albus glanced at me, like he was trying to gauge my reaction to that. I rolled my eyes, and he quickly looked away. "It'll be her fault if I have to," he said.

"You need to apologize," Mr. Potter said firmly.

I wavered. On one hand, I desperately wanted my best friend back. The more time went on, the worse it got. I needed Albus. On the other hand, he obviously didn't need me, or he would've apologized long ago. He was in the wrong here, right? Maybe it was just time that I moved on. Maybe Albus wasn't the sort of friend I needed.

"You can't force me to," I said.

Mr. Potter's eyes looked sorrowful. "No. I can't. But I can tell you that you're going to regret it so much if you don't make up."

I stared at him for a minute, then shook my head. Without saying anything, I got up and left. I expected Mr. Potter to call me back, but he didn't. He didn't come after me. I started back towards the castle, pretending I didn't regret not saying anything. Pretending I wasn't simply scared that Albus would refuse to accept an apology. Pretending I was perfectly fine. I almost convinced myself.

Almost.

~~~~

Just before dinner that night, I saw Marcus for the first time since we'd split up in Hogsmeade. He stopped me in the entrance hall, eyes wide. "Astra, really, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." I shrugged. "I probably should have told you. I just... I don't want it to be awkward or anything..."

Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. "Me neither. I was worried you would just want to be through, actually..."

"Of course not," I said, smiling. "I just want to take it slower."

"That sounds great," Marcus said, grinning. "Thank goodness. I was really worried."

"Well, that was a bit dumb of you," I teased. "I'm not going to get that worked up over something that small."

Marcus grinned again, and offered me his arm. We walked into the Great Hall together, and even though my worries of the past few weeks were still very much in play, it felt better knowing I had Marcus at my side.

~~~~

Two weeks passed, bringing me ever closer to the task and ever farther from reconciliation with Albus. Or, at least, that's how it seemed. Albus tried to catch my eye during class sometimes, but I staunchly ignored him. For one thing, I wasn't sure if he simply wanted to glare at me or if he'd had a change of heart. If it was the second, though, he could actually come talk to me, not mouth something across a classroom.

A few times, I almost went and apologized myself. Normally this mood came over me when Marcus was doing his homework, and Wren had gone off somewhere with Rose, and I had no one to talk to. Those were the times I most missed my best friend. However, I almost always got distracted, or talked myself out of it. It had been so long; he probably didn't even want to be friends anymore, based on what happened in Hogsmeade. I didn't want to go to all that trouble just to have him tell me that.

It's funny how you never really realize what a person means to you until they decide they want nothing to do with you. I found myself wondering what Albus would say about our assignments, or about my clue, or about any number of small, insignificant things. I normally could picture exactly what he'd say, but it wasn't the same as Albus being there, and actually saying it.

Haverna's class was an absolute nightmare. I'd never realized how much I needed Albus there with me until he wasn't, and I had no one by my side when Haverna decided to start accusing me of self-centeredness and a taste for fame much too large for a normal person and all the other things she accredited to me. Albus simply sat slumped in his chair, staring at the floor, and it felt like a little part of me had died.

Albus wasn't the only frustrating thing in my life. My clue was impossible and useless, and there were times I seriously considered chucking it in the lake. It had gotten to the point that every time I saw the little box sitting on my nightstand, I wanted to scream. There was absolutely nothing on it, and it didn't say anything. Colette had looked up the designs on the box in every sort of rune dictionary she could find, but they were meaningless. I'd done absolutely everything I could think of to the paper inside, save burning it, but it remained as blank as ever. I stayed up late into the night in our dormitory, staring at the blank sheet in the light of the moon filtering through the window. It was impossible.

I hadn't ever written home about my argument with Albus. I didn't really know how (or want) to explain it. However, around the end of February, I got a letter from Teddy and Victoire. Mr. Potter had obviously filled them in.

Dear Astra,

I've heard a lot of things from Mr. Potter and Albus, about how you and Albus have decided to stop being friends or something. As your cousin, I have to say that 1) I'm a bit offended you never told me anything about it, and 2) I didn't think you were an idiot but apparently I was wrong. You're both like my little brother and sister and you can't just stop being friends with Albus because of some stupid teenager argument. Trust me. I used to be a teenager. It was bad. But you grow out of it, and if you don't grow out of it with Albus you'll never be able to make it up. Toire says that being a girl is harder than a boy and bla bla bla, but honestly you should just get over yourself I think. I mean I'm not a girl so maybe she's right, and it's harder, but... Well... Isn't it worth it? To not have Christmases and family reunions and all that be a nightmare for the rest of your life? You know you're just as much a part of the Potter family as I am, Astra.

I sighed, not sure if I even wanted to continue reading. I considered accidentally dropping it into my cereal. However, curiosity won over, and I kept reading.

Anyway, that probably didn't work on you (because you're a brat, even if it's a lovable brat), so I'll get on to the bigger news. Toire's pregnant! I'm so excited, really. And scared. Don't tell Toire that. But can you believe it! There's going to be a baby Lupin! Haven't decided names yet (obviously) but I'm leaning towards Ginny Nymphadora, after both my Mums, if is a girl. Remus something or other if it's a boy. Toire wants William. What do you think?

I was so glad I hadn't dropped the letter into my cereal. Teddy and Victoire with pregnant! A baby! I couldn't keep a grin off my face as my mind whirled through possibilities for names and gifts and everything else. I hadn't been around a baby since Blaise and Cameron Lewis had been born, about eleven years ago now. This was the best news ever! I had to force myself to calm down and read the rest of the letter.

Owl back, dammit, or I won't send you this awesome Quidditch book I picked up (after I finish it). You haven't sent an owl since New Year's. How's this Marcus bloke, by the way? James says he's got a big head, but that's coming from James, who has the biggest of heads, so I can't completely trust it. If he's broken up with you already (or ever does, though he'd have to be barking to do that), you can definitely feel free to owl me. Make sure to let him know your favorite cousin is training to be an auror. That should keep him in line.

Grandmum sends her love, and also her disappointment that you're being so petty with Albus and hopes that you come to your senses. We're all rooting for you in the next task!

Lots of love,
Teddy

There was a second sheet of paper in the envelope, from Victoire. I pulled it out with a smile.

Dearest Astra,

Assuming you've read Teddy's letter first (or even if you haven't), let me apologize for his insensitivity. I mean, you're still acting like an idiot, but he's not the most qualified to tell you that.

Please don't give up Albus. It's tearing him up, Teddy says. You've been best friends for years now. I know you might feel like he's being a prat, but please don't let this ruin your friendship. It's so hard, I know. No one understands, I know. But Albus needs you, and I'm willing to bet that you need him. Don't give up on him. He won't come back if you don't give him a reason to.

You've got a boyfriend now, too, I've heard? Congratulations! That's really so exciting! I'm just wondering if maybe that's got something to do with this fight? Albus never said, so I'm left to wonder. Whatever happens, don't let Marcus get in the way of your friendship. It might not feel like it now, but a lot of relationships in school don't last forever. I had three boyfriends before Teddy, and I thought each of them was the one. Trust me, though. When you actually do fall in love with "the one," you'll know. It's different. Perhaps it's Marcus, but perhaps it's not. Don't stake your future on a fifteen-year-old boy. Put more stock in your friendships. It's worth it.

Anyway, I'm sure you're tired of my advice (though just remember, I'm always here for you, and I love having someone who will actually listen to my advice, because Dom won't), so on to the most exciting news ever!! I'm pregnant! The baby is due in November. Oh, Astra, you don't even know how exciting this is! Okay, so throwing up almost every morning isn't so fun, but I'm going to be a mother! I'm so happy! Teddy's a bit scared, I can tell, though I'm pretending I don't know because he's embarrassed. It's all right, though. I'm scared, too, but we won't be alone. Heaven knows there's enough mothers in my family to help me out!

We both think, if it's a girl, the middle name should be Nymphadora, but it's a toss between Fleur and Ginny for the first name, for now. Remus would be the first name if it's a boy. I like William for a second name, but we're not sure. We have enough time to decide, luckily!

I hope school is going well, Astra! You've got the next task coming soon (as you of course already know). Just know we're with you in spirit, even if we can't come. And perhaps we can, Uncle Harry said he may be able to pull some strings!

With love, and hoping to see you soon,
Victoire

I put the letter down, smiling. Victoire really was starting to feel like an older sister as time went on. Her advice definitely struck more of a chord with me than Teddy's, though I hadn't thought much about the future with Marcus. I decided to try not to set all my hopes on him, though I couldn't see us breaking up. Her advice about Albus, of course, I knew deep down was probably right. But I rolled my eyes about that and decided that Victoire didn't know what she talking about; she didn't know the details. She had no clue what this was. Anyway, it was much easier to focus on the far more exciting news of a new baby.

As I went through the day, I found myself daydreaming about the baby, and wondering how strange that little kid would turn out. A Metamorphmagus, possibly, from Teddy, and part Veela, from Victoire. Teddy's dad had been a werewolf, I knew. And Victoire's was a Weasley, which was something different all together. This baby could potentially turn out to be the strangest child of all time. But strange in a good way, like Hogwarts was when I first started.

I was daydreaming once again in the common room after classes when Colette plopped down next to me, snapping me out of it. "Figured out your clue yet?"

I blinked, then gasped. "There's just a week left..."

"Merlin's beard! Astra, you still haven't got it?"

"I told you, it's impossible!" I glared at her, wishing everyone would leave me alone, as if anyone had been taking notice of me before she sat down.

Colette stared at me. I couldn't tell if she was annoyed or angry or shocked or perhaps even scared, but it took her a second to gather her thoughts. "Are you mad? The task is in a week! You could die! And you haven't figured out this bloody clue?"

"Because I don't know how! It's just a blank sheet of paper! Figure it out yourself!"

"I spent three weeks going through every time dictionary in this school to try and find those marking on the box!"

I crossed my arms and looked away. "Maybe I don't care."

"That's pretty stupid of you," Colette said, standing up. "Good luck, then."

Colette's words had brought back the unsettling reality that I was very close to dying once again. Try as I might, I couldn't set my mind on anything else. All thoughts of the baby or Albus flew away.

I can't figure out the clue on my own, I admitted. But perhaps one of the other champions had. And perhaps I would be able to find out from them... of its own volition, a new plan of action entered my head.

~~~~

After dinner, I hung around later than I normally did, loitering by the doors. Perhaps I'd be able to catch Faith or Étienne or Kirsten alone. I didn't exactly know how I would bring up the subject or convince them to tell me. This was cheating at its worst, and I knew it, but I was desperate. Surely that made it okay.

Unfortunately, Étienne walked out with a group from Beauxbatons, including the twins, who surrounded me before I could get to their brother and started gushing about the baby, who they'd heard about from Albus. Madam Maxime had to clear her threat several times before they got the idea that they needed to go. Unfortunately, Faith had left by then as well, leaving me just one option left.

Kirsten approached the door in the midst of a large group of Durmstrang students, unfortunately. I was about to turn and leave when I heard exactly what she was discussing with a fellow student.

"The clue? It vas easy. If I had not known it was mwesi karatasi, though..." They walked on, and I couldn't catch the rest of their conversation. However, I'd heard enough. Mwesi karatasi... It didn't sound familiar at all. Perhaps it was some sort of spell, in which case Colette would know. I rushed upstairs to try and find her.

As per usual, my friend was behind a wall of books in a secluded corner of the common room, reading up on the makings of some spell. I shoved a few books aside so I could sit across from her and see her face. "Colette? Have you heard of mwesi karatasi?" I asked, smiling sweetly.

Colette gave me a weird look. "It sounds like Swahili..."

"You speak Swahili?"

"Of course I don't speak Swahili," she answered sharply, rolling her eyes. "But a lot of spells created by African wizards use Swahili as the base language instead of Latin."

"Is it a spell, then?"

"Not one I've heard of." Colette shrugged. "Just look it up. Why do you want to know, anyway?"

I glanced around to be sure no one was listening, then leaned in and whispered, "I overheard Kirsten say that that was what the clue was."

Colette's eyes widened. "Good job!"

"Most people would tell me not to cheat," I pointed out, grinning. Wren and Albus would have, anyway. I wasn't in the mood for a lecture, though. Colette's reaction was perfect in my book.

Colette shrugged. "Who cares about cheating? If it helps you, I don't."

"Spoken like a true Slytherin," I teased.

"I was this close to being put there," Colette said. "I wanted it, to. But somehow that Hat said it didn't fit me as well."

"Well, I'm glad you're not." I would have died in the Chamber of Secrets if Colette had been sorted into Slytherin. She never would have created a spell to forge out a basilisk's eyes, and Albus and I would have both made eye contact with the giant serpent eventually. I might've even died the year before then, when Colette finally proved she wasn't all bad and helped Scorpius and me save the Potters and Rose. All that rode on such a small thing. I smiled at my friend, and, for once, felt like I got a genuine smile back.

~~~~

The next morning, I headed off to the library to research this mysterious mwesi karatasi. Colette's thought that it sounded like Swahili was the only thing I had to go on, so I headed over to the History of International Magic section, hoping it would be referenced in one of the books on Africa.

It was a Saturday, and the library was bustling with fifth and seventh years, as well as other students who were working on their assignments and gossiping. As I pulled a book, The Comprehensive History of African Wizards, off the shelf, I heard a voice that made me pause.

Wren was speaking. I ducked down so I could see through the shelf where I'd pulled the book out, and saw her and Albus sitting at a table on the other side. Albus's back was to me.

"Albus," Wren said, frowning, "if you just went and talked to her-"

"And what? Have her laugh at me? Have her blow up again? Honestly, it's been so long, she's probably just done with me." His words, taken by themselves, sounded angry, but his tone was dejected, and he slumped down in the chair as he finished speaking.

Wren paused, seeming to collect her thoughts. "You know, this hurts her as much as it hurts you. I can tell. She's trying to hide it, but she's miserable, as well."

"Maybe you're right," Albus sighed. "But... I can't tell her why I got mad... It really would ruin our friendship. For good. Everything would just be so awkward..." His voice caught, as if he was struggling not to cry. "All I want is my friend back. I don't even care about liking anyone anymore."

"Good," Wren said quietly, making her way to Albus's side and hugging him. "Tell her that. Please."

I stood up, shocked. Did he mean... Surely not... Quickly, my brain assured me that he meant "liking as a friend." Or, at least, having a crush on someone other than me. That was ridiculous. Insane. Completely barking mad. I shoved down the small, persistent nagging voice that told me I was wrong and focused on the task at hand.

Assuming that mwesi started with an M, I flipped through the index of the book to the M's and slid my finger down the column. I wasn't sure exactly how to spell it, but the book was written in English, so I let my eyes simply jump to the words that were obviously not English. Within minutes, I'd found what I was looking for. I flipped back through the book to the indicated page, and read the section.

Mwesi Karatasi, roughly translated as "moon paper," is a very rare substance. Legends attribute the creation of this paper to an African wizard in the early fifth century, named Zuberi, who was practicing magic in secret, as the village already had a "witch doctor," who was a fraud but wouldn't hesitate to turn the villagers on anyone who showed signs of powerful magic. Legends state that he created mwesi karatasi to keep his secrets from the muggles and frauds around him.

Mwesi karatasi is a type of paper that can be written on normally, but will only show what has been written on it under light of a moon at precisely midnight. The light cannot be obstructed by glass, water, or any other substance beyond air, or the writing will not be visible. Wizards today still use this type of paper when necessary, though it is very rare and there are now several other ways of disguising written words. In the early twentieth century, for example, a scandal came out when the headmaster of Uagadou School of Magic, located in the Mountains of the Moon, Uganda, tried to use this paper to smuggle secrets about the school's location to sympathizers of Gellert Grindelwald.

The paragraph went on to talk about many other historical uses of the paper, including Jewish witches and wizards using it to exchange messages into and out of concentration camps, and Americans using it on some sort of Underground Railroad they had in the nineteenth century to save the slaves. I didn't need to read more, though. I'd learned more than enough, and I didn't know how I was going to stand it until nightfall, when I could sneak up to the Astronomy Tower and finally read my clue.

The day dragged on and on, it seemed. I couldn't find anything to occupy my attention. Elcie convinced me to play a few games of Exploding Snap with her, but she beat me every time. I simply wasn't paying enough attention, which isn't a good thing when playing that game because more often than not my cards blew up in my face. I tried to read, but to no avail. I tried to take a nap, but end up simply lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, wishing it was dark. I tried to do my Potions assignment, but that would have been boring enough to put me to sleep anyway, and this time I could only stare at the parchment for a few minutes before shoving it back in my bag with a sigh.

Finally, after what let like millennia, the sun set. I caught up with James and convinced him to let me borrow his Invisibility Cloak. Far earlier than I needed to leave, I crept out of the common room, and quietly walked up to the Astronomy Tower, dodging Peeves and Mrs. Norris along the way.

My watch read eleven thirty when I settled myself on the floor of the Astronomy Tower. I hadn't even thought about it, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky, much to my relief. I pulled the Cloak off of me, and stared at my box, bathed in moonlight. It was very peaceful on top of the Astronomy Tower. The moonlight gave everything a calm, eerie hue, but it was actually nice. It felt almost supernatural, and if I'd been thinking about it, I might've been able to imagine my mum sitting beside me. However, all my thoughts were centered on the parchment in the open box on my lap. I glanced at my watch ever few seconds. And finally, finally, midnight arrived.

I watched, practically giddy, as letters slowly started to form on the paper. After all this time, months of searching, I was finally discovering what my clue meant. I watched with bated breath as the words appeared on the page, in the form of a poem.

In the heat of the day it grows hotter still. Water, life, is more precious, more spilled.
Recover your treasures and get out alive,
Or blackened remains is all they will find.

~~~~

Two super important things!! One, please send in questions for the Question of the Day! I'm kind of running out of ideas, if you haven't noticed. Two, I'm going to have a Q&A at the end of this book, just like all the others, and I'd love it if you sent in some questions for that as well! Send anything you want-there are no bad questions! Thanks!

Question of the Day: What do you think the clue means?

Vote and comment! Did you know that a few days ago was my two year anniversary on Wattpad? How cool is that?

Thank you so much to -catheriney for this great cover you made for Star of Gryffindor! I love it! I'm going to keep my old one (because it literally took me hours to make it; it was a bit hard to figure out) but I love this and thought I'd show it off!

~Ellie