¤ ¤ ¤

With November came colder whether, more dried leaves in the courtyard and in the Great Hall where students brought them in. Ochre, almandine and tangerine hued leaves mottled the whole school, Filch had tried to make a pile of leaves to sort out later but James and his friends decided to jump into the leaves causing Filch to chase after them like a madman with his rake.

The boys had syphoned ideas of where the Cite could be hidden to Janna, who had told them after coming back from the Hospital wing to sort out her wounds about the Marauder's Map—she did feel like she was letting Potter and McGonagall down but she trusted the boys—they figured they would have to check every secret area, Janna assured them the Room of Requirements didn't have the Cite or else they would be another step ahead.

Nearby in a portrait by the Hufflepuff table sat Snuffles his face resting on the frame, listening to Janna and her friends, making sure they were doing everything correctly. Dumbledore had sent that Patronus from his real wand by letting himself touch it and think of a happy memory, triggering the Patonus to take form to keep Janna in during the full moon at the end of October.

Sirius felt awful, sick, in fact, for allowing Dumbledore to shepherd Janna into specific places to help them find the Cite, McGonagall might have hidden it too well from the spirits when she found it in Dumbledore's office a few months ago.

The four students snuck nearby the Ravenclaw tower to look for a portrait of a woman called Virenia Myiaridd, "you know this woman actually might help us, Myiaridd is well known for attempting to bring back a loved one, although the spell she was working on killed her instead"

Janna shivered remembering what McGonagall had warmed her about if she tried to resurrect anyone.

Myiaridd sat in her portrait, she was reading a book, around her were towers of books, a few glass bottles were strewn on the floor behind her, her thick flaming red hair had a fringe which curved down and up over her face to her nose, she had full plump lips and a button nose that was a rosy pink like her cheeks. Orion and Jake stared at her with wide eyes, she was so enchanting, although she must have been at least two hundred years older than the boys.

    "Frankenstein killed by his monster, more like it" Juno muttered, Janna turned to Orion who had not heard what Juno had said, nor did Jake, so this reference must have been from a classical muggle book.

The round faced woman stared at the three boys eagerly, vaguely startled she looked through her doe eyes, they seemed to be drooping as though she was about to cry, she pushed her book to the lap of her purple velvet dress.

   "My, my, aren't you three dashing" Myiaridd flaunted her soft voice, she flashed her eyes letting her eyelashes flutter at the boys.

Orion looked at Juno "I wouldn't say all three of us" Juno rolled his eyes, still staring at Myiaridd as though she was a book he craved to read. Janna only felt the urge to question what this woman was when she saw her.

   "Miss Myiaridd," coughed Janna, the woman glared at her a viper quick reaction "the tunnel and room behind you, does it have anything in it?"

Myiaridd's face squinted "Why would I tell you, frumpy?". Janna smirked "Because I know the boys would want to see what is inside" the woman's eyes squinted at Janna "You're like that boy... He was so charming, he always hung with a proud boy..." Myiaridd put her short, slender finger to her cherry red  lip corner "Sirius Black, that was his name, I enjoyed him, beautiful thing... something I would want to carry in a jar in my pocket" The boys watched Myiaridd stupidly, they gawked at her as she turned her attention to them "I'll let you in, but not you" Myiaridd pointed her finger, that she pressed to her lip, at Janna.

A door behind the portrait creaked open, the boys watched Janna as Myiaridd disappeared from view "go inside, look for anything that looks like it's life giving or something" the boys nodded lethargically before going into the room like puppets with no emotion, Janna noted the way the walked was different "what did you do to them?"

The door swung shut, Myiaridd had changed, her eyes were still doey but now they were blackened by dripping black residue on her face, as though she had applied thick makeup, she had grotesque horns on her shoulders now, her lips were a pale lavender colour and her teeth were like jagged pieces of grimy porcelain, they were bared as her lips separated slightly. Her hair was straggly and wet, dirty with twigs, the fringe was now a curtain over her check, her skin seemed to be transparent from her neck down, through the blue opaque glasslike walls her arteries, veins and vessels showed like specimens.

   "You wanted—to know what–I was..." Myiaridd slowly said in a raspy voice, she seemed to talk like she needed to catch a breathe "I am—a banshee..."

Janna saw the veins in the woman's checks turn black "what happened to you?"

Myiaridd snorted but looked at Janna who stared at her right in the eyes "I thought I—could use my... unique powers—to use the resurrection—stone to call—my love back—to me... Alas I failed... instead I reanimated—myself from the dead—twice... I was caught—in a loop—of dying and—living again... I lost my beauty—and my voice—since I screamed—for too long... I know you are—looking for the Cite—and the Resurrection stone. Do not join them, a prophecy has—been warning—of this happening... You will undo—years of mending—of the frays—in this world"

Janna stared at the girl "What frays? What prophecy? What did you just tell me?" She questioned, the banshee pursed her lips "there will be—consequences—to your actions... I see you—have something inside you, something deep, finite—but something that—will go on forever... On the latter—I warned you—of what might happen to—whoever you are—attempting to resurrect...The Dark dwellings—are too far in to—get back out of—once you are alive, you lose something—on the way—so does the dead..."

   "Prophecy?" Janna aksed again, then banshee shook her head, her wet hair swaying on his neck.

    "Forgotten..." Myiaridd breathed in sharply, letting in a shivering breath "centaurs predicted—this centuries ago... most of them passing—the prophecy as—an old wives—tale..."

The door creaked open again, the boys came back out, empty handed, the door swung shut and Myiaridd was as beautiful as ever "I told you it wasn't in my tunnel, now go away" she swished her hair to turn around, with that she shrank into a thrush and flew away, the boys' blank expressions disappeared.

   "We better get to class... This was a bit creepy" said Juno as he tugged his book bag's strap onto his shoulder, the other three followed without question.