ааааааааJames looked intently at Rowena Ravenclaw's earnest, pale face. Even here, a thousand years away from the events she was describing, she was clearly terrified. Slowly, James nodded.
аааааааа"How dare you?!" a voice shrieked suddenly, furiously, making them all jump. "My chambers! Mycache!"
ааааааааHufflepuff and Ravenclaw both spun in the confined space of the hidden chamber. They pointed their wands as a dark figure tore the decimated portrait away. The voice screamed, and it was chillingly inhuman. James suddenly remembered the slightly open doors of Slytherin's laboratory,remembered thinking he should warn Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw to check there. Slytherin had fooled them with a shadow, and then hidden there, probably in his bat form. And now, enraged that they had discovered his greatest secret, he seemed trapped halfway between his forms, half bat and half man. His voice buzzed hideously. Great, leathery wings flapped from his hunched back.
аааааааа"Go James!" Hufflepuff cried, pointing her wand at Slytherin's grotesque shape. In his blind rage, he beat his enormous batwings, flailing them against the wall, preventing him from entering. He slavered monstrously, lunging and snapping his fanged mouth at the women.
аааааааа"No!" James yelled. "I mean, I don't know how! I can't think!"
ааааааааA bolt of red seared the air, striking Slytherin's wing. He screamed and the wing flailed limply.
аааааааа"Get away from that Mirror!" he screamed, the words sounding alien in that strange, half-bat mouth. "Touch it and die!"
аааааааа"Just go!" Ravenclaw urged desperately. "Just as you did before!"
ааааааааSlytherin lunged again, finally forcing his way through the decimated portrait hole. Both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw shot him with Stunning Spells, but in his mutated form, they only slightly weakened him. He snapped and roared at them.
ааааааааJames turned away and flung himself against the Mirror. The moment he touched it, the reflection sank away, revealing the familiar silvery smoke. It swirled dizzyingly before James' face.
аааааааа"Go, James!" Hufflepuff cried. There was a whoosh and a horrid slashing sound. One of the witches screamed, but James couldn't tell which.
аааааааа"I wish I was anywhere else!" James said aloud, then, panicked, he amended that. "I wish I was home! I wish I was in my own time! Right now!"
ааааааааDirectly behind him, Slytherin roared, his voice both human and beastly. James felt the air of Slytherin's beating wings and sensed the coming slash of the bat-like talons.
ааааааааAnd then all of it was gone. The hidden chamber winked away, sucked into the swirling silvery mists. James felt the same odd sensation of flipping, as if he was being reversed through the Mirror. There was a rush of noise and speed, and then he was falling. He tumbled forward, catching himself on his hands and knees, and his wand clattered to the ground in front of him.
ааааааааJames looked up. He was in a small dim room. It seemed to be full of dusty trunks and stacked crates. He scrambled around, looking back in the direction from which he'd stumbled.
ааааааааThere, looking exactly the same but for a thick coating of dust, was Slytherin's Magic Mirror. The first word of the now-ancient inscription was still plainly visible: 'Erised'.
аааааааа"James?" a girl's voice asked, startling him. "Is it you? It is! Wake up, you two! It happened!"
аааааааа"Rose?" James asked, completely perplexed. She appeared from the shadows near the door, disheveled and covered with cobwebs. James blinked at her. "What are you doing here? Where am I?"
ааааааааRalph was climbing sleepily to his feet. "It's the middle of the bloody night. What else matters?"
аааааааа"He knew!" Rose said, almost hopping with excitement. "He said you'd turn back up here if we made the Mirror ready, and you did! The three of us have been waiting here ever since dinner! We've been worried sick! James, what happened? Where have you been!?"
аааааааа"Wait a minute," James said, climbing to his feet. "How'd Ralph know I would be showing up here?Nobody could possibly have known that."
аааааааа"Not me," Ralph said sleepily, clapping James on the shoulder, "although I'd love to take credit for it. No, this was all his idea."
ааааааааRalph hooked a thumb over his shoulder. James looked and saw the boy getting slowly to his feet, a tired, crooked smile on his face.
аааааааа"About time, Potter," Scorpius drawled. "Have a nice little trip?"
12.QUESTIONS OFTRUST
James insisted that, curious as everyone was, he was too exhausted for lengthy explanations. He told them merely that he'd travelled back to the time of the founders, and that he'd discovered far more than he intended about Merlin. He promised to explain everything in detail the next morning, which was Saturday. Reluctantly, the others agreed, and the four students crept out of the storage room. James allowed Ralph and Scorpius to lead the way through the dark corridors, returning to the main hall.
аааааааа"You actually met the founders?" Rose demanded in a hoarse whisper, refusing to wait for details.
ааааааааJames nodded wearily. "I did. They were a lot moreЕ realЕ than I ever imagined."
ааааааааRose shook her head wonderingly. "What was Helga Hufflepuff like? She's the one we hear the least about."
аааааааа"She was tough," James said, "but nice. She wanted to talk things out with Slytherin even after he'd tried to kill the lot of us. But she wasn't a pushover. None of them were. They were hardcore. I'll tell you more tomorrow. How'd you all know I'd gone missing?"
аааааааа"Well, it's been a whole day, hasn't it?" Ralph said in a whisper. "Besides, Cedric woke me up in the middle of the night last night. He told me exactly what happened. He thinks Merlin had bewitched the gargoyle to alert him, somehow, anytime somebody used the password to go up to the Headmaster's office. Merlin's been stalking all over the school, obviously mad as a hornet, but he hasn't said anything. Rose thinks he's been looking for something."
аааааааа"I think he was looking for the Mirror of Erised!" Rose interjected. "I bet he sensed it was here, hidden away somewhere but couldn't find it. It's protected from discovery somehow. I bet it's got him in a total lather!"
аааааааа"So how did you all find it?" James asked as they reached the stairs.
ааааааааRalph looked at Scorpius, who shrugged.
аааааааа"I knew where to look," the pale boy said. "And when. More or less."
ааааааааThe four stopped at the base of the dark staircases. On the closest landing, the Heracles window had once again changed, Heracles' face reverting back to the caricature of Scorpius. Filch would be fuming.
ааааааааJames shook his head. "I just can't work it out, Scorpius. How could you possibly know?"
ааааааааScorpius drew a deep sigh. "I was told. My father knew all about it. He's been studying the writings of the founders for years. It's a sort of hobby of his. He wanted to learn about Salazar Slytherin, mainly, to see what he was really like, but then he got interested in the journalsof Rowena Ravenclaw. She wrote down absolutely everything. Father worked out some of the clues and codes of Ravenclaw's diaries. Apparently, sheintended for them to be discovered. She describes a boy who visited her and the other founders, a boy supposedly from the distant future. She discovered that if he was to succeed in returning through the right Mirror, someone would have to prepare it on this side, inthis time. She'd determined it was her duty to make sure that happened, so she developed the codex and left clues for the right person to figure it all out. My father was apparently that person. The clues gave a timeframe and instructions."
ааааааааJames' head was spinning. "But how could she work that out? How could she know an exact timeframe?"
ааааааааScorpius shrugged. "That's a question for my father. I can't imagine why it'd matter. The fact is that she did work it out."
аааааааа"It's obvious," Rose whispered. "You must have told her the time you came from. You must have given clues."
аааааааа"I didn't tell them anything like that!" James said, but then a thought occurred to him. "I did tell them about Merlin's reappearance though. I told them it happened a year ago, on the night of the alignment of the planets."
аааааааа"That's almost all she'd need," Rose replied. "They knew how to track those kinds of events. She probably factored out the exact date of the alignment, then added in loads of other clues you'd mentioned, like the day of the week or the month, the time during the school term, even the phase of the moon. She was dead smart, you know!"
ааааааааJames nodded. "No doubt about that. But still, how did you find the Mirror if Merlin can't even find it?"
ааааааааRose interrupted Scorpius, "Ravenclaw gave a sort of magical map! She embedded an enchanted signal in the Mirror of Erised, and listed the spell required to locate the signal. All we had to do then was follow it. When we found it, we were simply to touch the Mirror and wish for lostitems to be returned to us. That's what we did, and then we just waited. Finally, bang! Here you are again!"
аааааааа"Pretty neat, eh?" Ralph whispered, grinning. "And all because of Scorpius here. Or his dad, actually."
ааааааааScorpius rolled his eyes. "If we're done congratulating ourselves, I've got plans in the morning. You three can stay here and get cornered by Filch's ancient Kneazle-cat if you wish, but I'm off to bed." He turned and began to creep up the stairs.
ааааааааJames said goodnight to Ralph, then followed Scorpius up the stairs, Rose at his side.
ааааааааAs the three passed through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, Rose smiled tiredly at James.
аааааааа"I'm glad you made it back, James. We didn't know where you'd really gone, or if Scorpius' information was correct. I was really scared. I thought maybe Merlin had gotten you somehow."
ааааааааJames furrowed his brow, thinking of the words Rowena Ravenclaw had said to him, urging James not to be taken in by Merlin, warning him he might have to confront the sorcerer if the moment was right. He tried to smile gamely at Rose.
аааааааа"I'm fine," he said. "But it was close. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. I'll tell you everything, if you really want to know. For now, let's sleep. I'm nearly dead on my feet."
ааааааааThey said goodnight and climbed their respective staircases. When James got to the darkened dormitory, Scorpius was already in his bed, his back to James.
ааааааааJames' pilfered cleric robe had not come through the Mirror with him, so he was still dressed in his stripy pyjamas. Wearily, he put his glasses and his wand back in his bag and climbed into bed. He lay there a moment, and then sat up.
аааааааа"Scorpius," he whispered. The boy didn't move, but James knew he was listening. "I don't know why you helped me, but thanks."
ааааааааJames lay back down. A minute went by and James was nearly asleep when he heard Scorpius move. Out of the darkness, the boy replied in a whisper, "Don't thank me yet, Potter. The time may come when you'll wish you'd never made it back. The time may come when you'll curse me for helping you."
ааааааааJames slept very late the next morning and awoke to a bright glare of snow and frost on the dormitory window. He washed, dressed, and clumped downstairs, looking for his friends. Eventually, he found Rose and Ralph in the library, arguing quietly over one of Professor Revalvier's homework questions.
аааааааа"You two are pathetic," James said. "Doing homework on a Saturday morning."
аааааааа"Technically, it's hardly morning anymore," Rose replied. "We've been waiting for you. We're dying to know what happened yesterday."
ааааааааRalph closed his book with a thump. "Besides, it's dead cold outside. Even the lake's freezing over. All the older years are mooning around trying to figure out who to go to the Yule Ball with. There's nothing else to do. By the way, did you get Zane's duck?"
ааааааааJames blinked. "When? The other night?"
аааааааа"No, early this morning. Er, last night, by his time. He wants to hear about what happened to you, too. He said we should duck him back when you're ready to talk about it and tell him where to meet us."
ааааааааJames shook his head and smiled. "That's crazy!"
аааааааа"That's Zane," Ralph shrugged.
аааааааа"What about Scorpius?" James asked reluctantly. "Should we include him?"
ааааааааRose looked uncomfortable. "He says he knows everything he needs to know about it already."
аааааааа"Whatever that means," Ralph added. "Oh yeah, that reminds me. You got something called a 'Howler' yesterday morning."
аааааааа"What?" James said, frowning. "A Howler? From who?"
аааааааа"Your mum," Rose answered. "It was delivered during breakfast, but you weren't there to open it. We tried to get it out of the Great Hall, but it went off before we could. I'm afraid everybody heard it. You really could've told us, James."
аааааааа"What are you talking about?" James exclaimed. "What did the Howler say?"
ааааааааRose studied James' face. "You really don't know?"
аааааааа"Bloody hell, Rose, you're killing me here! What did it say?"
аааааааа"It was your mum's voice," Ralph said. "She was really mad, and loud as a trumpet. She said she couldn't really blame you for taking them last year because you were just being your father's son, but she'd hoped you'd learned your lesson. She said that they were dangerous, and what'smore, that they belong to your father, and he was also pretty disappointed in you for nicking them again. Then she said that she hoped everyone was hearing it, including the teachers, so they'd all know that you were sneaking around with the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map, and that they should put a stop to it."
ааааааааJames spluttered, speechless. "ButЧbut I didn't take them! They're still at home in Dad's trunk! I haven't touched them since last year!"
аааааааа"Well," Rose said, pointing out the obvious, "they aren't at home in your dad's trunk even if you didn't take them. They've gone missing and your mum seemed pretty certain that you were the one who'd done it."
ааааааааJames felt both angry and hurt. How could she just accuse him like that? Sure, he'd borrowed the Cloak and the map last year, but he'd had very good reasons for it. He'd accepted his punishment, hadn't he? He didn't have any plans of borrowing the Cloak and map at all this year. Butwho could have taken them, then? And then, with a start, James remembered the morning they'd left for the train when Albus had been mysteriously late about packing his trunk.
аааааааа"That little Skrewt!" James breathed, furious.
аааааааа"What?" Rose asked. "Who?"
аааааааа"Albus! The little Slytherin imp! He stole them! It had to have been him! The morning we left for the train, he was moping around, half-packed. Then, all of a sudden he left the room for a few minutes. Mum and Dad were downstairs getting the car around. He must have sneaked into their room and stolen the Cloak and the map out of Dad's trunk. He knew they'd blame me!"
аааааааа"You can't know that," Rose admonished.
аааааааа"I can't," James agreed, nodding. "But I do. Just wait until I get my hands on him. I'll make him send an owl to Mum and Dad confessing the whole thing. See if I don't."
аааааааа"In the meantime," Ralph interjected, "we're still dying to hear about your wild adventure yesterday. Can we put this little detail behind us for the moment?"
ааааааааJames was still seething, but he agreed. He'd just have to see if he could track Albus down later that afternoon. Maybe he'd take Ralph up on his offer to escort him down to the Slytherin common room.
ааааааааRalph went on, "We've been thinking about it and we've come up with a great place to meet Zane and hear your story. Go grab your cloak and meet us by the rotunda entrance. And bring your wand."
ааааааааA few minutes later, James once again met Ralph and Rose by the broken remains of the founders' statues. The huge rotunda gates had been closed against the wintry day, but a small door set into the left gate remained unlocked. Rose led them to it.
ааааааааAs James crossed the marble floor, he felt very strange. He remembered the statues as he'd last seen them, intact and new. He looked up as he passed through the main arch. The engraved name of the school was worn, almost lost in the dim recesses of the vaulted ceiling. James imagined that if he went over to the statue plinth, he might still find bits of the broken silver-framed mirror in the cracks of the floor. He shivered.
ааааааааAs they went through the tiny doorway, the three students squinted in the blinding, snowy brightness of the day. The lake was indeed half-frozen, with white edge-ice fading to black near the center where waves lapped onto the brittle surface. The wind was bitter and harsh, carrying flecks of snow like sand. None of the three spoke as they worked their way around the castle, huddled against the cold, and James was amused to see that they were walking toward the ancient stone barn in which Hagrid housed his menagerie.
аааааааа"It'll be warm in here," Ralph called, yanking the main door open. "And we can be pretty sure nobody else will come out here today. Too bitter!"
ааааааааIt was indeed quite warm in the barn, thanks to Norberta's occasional flamings. Wall-mounted lanterns lit the dirt floor gaily, contrasting against the cold, white light which streamed through the barn's small windows. The beasts in their cages snuffled and barked as the students passed.
аааааааа"There're benches over by the larger pens," Rose pointed out. "Let's have a seat. I've packed a flask of hot chocolate and some Cockroach Clusters."
аааааааа"Blimey, Rose," Ralph said appreciatively. "You think of everything!"
ааааааааRose unpacked her bag, setting out the flask and some cups. "Too bad for Zane," she commented. "He can't have any, not really being here."
аааааааа"I brought my own," Zane said happily, appearing in midair between them. The three students jumped back, and then looked up at the suspended shape. Zane floated two feet off the ground, apparently seated on nothing and happily munching a chunk of sausage on a fork. "It's barely breakfast here, you know, and I'm not normally a morning person. But I wouldn't miss this for anything. Good to see you made it back, James."
аааааааа"Er, thanks," James replied. "But this is a little weird. You're, er, off a bit."
ааааааааZane glanced around, munching the sausage. "Ah, yeah. Hey, Raphael, what do we do when the Doppelganger insists on levitating?"
ааааааааThere was a pause as Zane listened. He nodded. "Sorry, guys. It's apparently part of the Doppelganger's basic intuition. It wants to make the apparition float. It's supposed to be creepier that way. Maybe it'll calm down in a little while if it gets bored."
аааааааа"You've harnessed a Doppelganger of yourself and are using it to project messages?" Rose said incredulously.
аааааааа"You didn't explain it to her?" Zane asked, looking at James. "She's pretty quick though, isn't she?"
аааааааа"But that's patently and completely impossible!" Rose spluttered. "Doppelgangers are just myths! This is worse than the bit about the Chaos Butterfly!"
аааааааа"It's a little late to be claiming it won't work, Rosie," Ralph said, munching a Cockroach Cluster.
аааааааа"We can maintain this as long as we need to," Zane said, putting his fork down. It seemed to float alongside him, unsupported. "Just so long as you occasionally shoot me with a Stinging Hex or something, just to boost the magic a little. Truth is: Franklyn's glad for the testing time. So go to it, James. Tell us all about your adventures in the Stone Age."
ааааааааJames plunged into his tale, trying to remember everything. He explained his trip through the Mirror, and where he'd ended up, becoming, against all probability, the mysterious 'ghost in the plinth' as Ashley Doone had joked. This required a little further explanation as Zane had never seen the photo of the founders nor heard of the conspiracies about the shadowy face hidden in the background. James then went on to explain his capture at the hands of Salazar Slytherin, and the subsequent overheard conversation between Slytherin and the Merlin of that time. He described the duel on top of the Sylvven Tower, and the adventure of finding Slytherin's twin of Merlin's Amsera Certh. Finally, he relayed the words of Rowena Ravenclaw, warning what Merlin's return meant and how he was the Ambassador of the Gatekeeper. To cement her words, James produced the tabloid clipping Lucy had sent, obviously alluding to the work of the horrible entity.
ааааааааBy the time James had finished, the hot chocolate and Cockroach Clusters were long gone, and the three had had to shoot Stinging Hexes at Zane nearly a dozen times.
аааааааа"Sounds like there was something going on with that Mirror back in the founders' day," Zane commented, "based on the way Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw responded when you found it."
аааааааа"It does," Rose agreed. "It sounds like they'd known about it but believed it had been destroyed somehow. Obviously, Slytherin staged that so he could hoard the Mirror for himself. In the end though, the other founders got it back, but without the Focusing Book, apparently, which Slytherin had probably hidden elsewhere. James, you affected history!"
аааааааа"He couldn't have," Ralph said, frowning. "Obviously they'd captured the Mirror of Erised back from Slytherin even before James went back in time. It figures pretty importantly in your dad's story, doesn't it, James?"
ааааааааJames nodded. "Yeah, I've heard him talk about it lots of times. He saw his dead parents in that Mirror. It really meant a lot to him. Almost too much, according to Dumbledore."
аааааааа"This is why Time-Turners have been outlawed," Rose sniffed. "Time travel is just too complicated and weird. If James travelled back in time, then I guess it stands to reason that he'd existed in the past all along. Hewas the reason the Mirror was captured back from Slytherin on the night he was found out. That's why his face appeared in the shadows of the founders' photograph even before he went back."
ааааааааRalph screwed his face up in concentration. "That doesn't make any sense at all."
аааааааа"No, using Doppelgangers to relay personal messages doesn't make any sense," Rose replied, glancing aside at the floating figure of Zane. "This is just improbable and complicated."
аааааааа"But we did learn what we needed to know about Merlin," James said sadly. "We can't trust him. He's the Ambassador of this Gatekeeper creature. We might even have to fight him if we hope to send it back."
аааааааа"Not me," Ralph said vigorously. "I've got part of his staff as my wand. It'd probably turn on me!"
ааааааааRose shook her head. "It doesn't work that way, Ralph. It's yours now. It obeys the wizard that wins it."
аааааааа"It may not come to fighting Merlin," Zane said, his expression thoughtful. "It sounded like Merlin wasn't really excited about the descent of the Gatekeeper, but he knew it was possible. He took the Beacon stone from Slytherin so he could control it if it followed him back. Maybe he means to send it back. After all, like I said before, the fact that you three are still breathing means he can't be all evil. He knows you know. Especially now."
аааааааа"He only has half of the Beacon stone," Rose replied. "Slytherin had the other half. He meant to pass it on, so that whoever was still alive when the Curse descended would be able to control it. The fact is that neither Merlin nor this other person can control the Gatekeeper completely. Somebody would have to put both rings together to banish the Gatekeeper back to the Void."
аааааааа"Or to unleash it fully on the world," Ralph shuddered. "This thing's out there even now? That's what we saw that day in the Magic Mirror talking to Voldemort's grave statue, isn't it? It's already happening!"
аааааааа"So maybe Merlin's trying to find the other half of the stone," Zane mused. "I just can't buy that he's gone over to the dark side."
аааааааа"He wouldn't need to 'go over'," James said suddenly. "Ravenclaw said he was dead dangerous! Rose was right; Merlin was just a magical mercenary. He only stopped killing and cursing for hire when he fell in love with the Lady of the Lake. Thenthat turned out completely horrible and Merlin went mad with revenge. He ended up killing her without even knowing it! After that, he hated the whole world, magic and Muggle alike, so he took Slytherin's Beacon Stone and allowed the descent of the one creature who could end it all! We're fooling ourselves if we don't believe that."
ааааааааZane shook his head gravely. "I hope you're wrong, James, but if you aren't, you three better be very careful."
аааааааа"The whole world better be careful," James answered morosely. "Not that it'll matter much. There's only one thing we can do to help now."
аааааааа"What's that?" Rose asked.
аа а а а"Watch Merlin," James answered meaningfully. "And try to find the two halves of the Beacon Stone."
ааааааааWith the Christmas holiday fast approaching, James found time slipping by in a blur. He had been determined to ask Ralph to take him down to the Slytherin common room so James could confront Albus about the missing Invisibility Cloak and Marauder's Map, but each evening seemed to magically fill up with homework and studying, preparations for the week's Defence Club meeting, play rehearsals, and costume fittings.
ааааааааBy the evening of the last Quidditch match of the year, James had still not spoken to Albus. He determined he would do it that night after the match. As an early winter dusk descended over the grounds, dark, ominous clouds were pushing in from the east. By the time James and Rose were sidling into their seats in the Gryffindor grandstand, fat snowflakes had begun to fall. The snow made a thick, white curtain, transforming the pitch into a ghostly shadow play. Across the pitch, the Slytherin grandstand was nothing but a tall grey monolith.
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