The Black Quill
"'R'? Who's 'R'?" Maya wondered aloud.
"I don't know..." Rowan rubbed her chin and began listing off names that came to mind. "Felix Rosier? Rubeus Hagrid? Argus Filch?"
"Hmm." Maya paused. "Wait. Argus Filch?"
"Forget I just said that," said Rowan quickly. "Anyway, I can't imagine any of them writing this. 'Severe punishment'... Whoever wrote this sounds dangerous."
Maya's small grin was wiped off her face. "Dangerous or not, we have to investigate this for Ben's sake." She examined the note, scrutinising each letter. "...Yup, as I thought, this was written with a Self-Writing Quill. Probably to prevent handwriting analysis."
"Clever," Rowan said begrudgingly. "Why was Ben supposed to put the quill back where he found it? You'd think that disposing of it would be safer, not to mention a lot easier."
"Maybe he wasn't the only one getting these instructions," Maya suggested. "At any rate, we'll need to get inside the Gryffindor common room on the 10th of November." She tilted her head. "Why does that date sound familiar...?"
Rowan thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. "Aha! November 10th—it's the first Quidditch match of the season, Slytherin versus Gryffindor! That can't be a coincidence—R must be planning to use the fact that everyone will be at that match. Well, everyone except us."
"Something tells me that you already have a plan," said Maya.
Rowan nodded earnestly, and shared her idea with Maya. Once she was done, she looked at Maya with her dark brown eyes glittering expectantly.
"It's... wow. Just... Wow." Maya took a deep breath and shook her head as if chasing away invisible pixies. She stared at the crumpled piece of parchment bearing the letter that seemingly had something to do with her friend.
"Something the matter?" Rowan asked. "Do you have any doubts about the plan? If you do, I'm sure we can work it out. It's a good plan. Dangerous, complicated, and maybe a bit mad, but good."
"Yeah, I don't doubt that," Maya said honestly. "It's just... you said it yourself, this 'R' person sounds dangerous. I can't help but wonder what Ben's gotten caught up in. Assuming this letter was for him, since when was he getting these messages? Do you reckon he was hiding it from us this entire time?"
"It would explain his constant nervousness," Rowan admitted. "You'll tell me if you have a secret like that, right, Maya?"
Maya nodded. "Of course, Rowan. I promise I'll tell you if I discover something terrible, or feel like I'm in danger."
Somewhat sadly, Rowan said, "Thanks, Maya. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you too."
"Wotcher, Maya! Wotcher, Rowan!" Tonks said brightly.
Penny greeted the Slytherins with a smile. "Good morning, you two!" They'd crossed paths on the way to the Great Hall for breakfast.
Rowan rubbed her eyes before putting her glasses back on. "Good morning," she said sleepily.
"Mornin'," said Maya with a big yawn.
With a giggle, Penny said, "Wow, what happened? Someone put peas under your mattresses?"
Rowan stared at the blonde with her drowsy eyes. "Pardon?"
"Trouble sleeping?" Tonks translated, clearing up Maya and Rowan's confusion.
"Oh. No, I slept like a log," Maya said truthfully. She felt like a log too—she was still sore from grappling with the Whomping Willow the previous night.
Rowan stretched, almost dropping her glasses. "Wish I could say the same. I don't think I got much sleep." She fixed her spectacles and asked, "Any interesting gossip in the castle?"
Penny hummed thoughtfully. "A bit. Professor Sprout came to the common room and told everyone in Hufflepuff that someone ripped up the Whomping Willow last night, and there's a reward for whoever finds the culprit."
"And she's in the foulest of moods," Tonks added. "Told us to start with Slytherin. You two know anything about that?"
Maya tried not to wince. Rowan was sweating profusely despite the cold.
"Well, er, we do know that Merula's had the willow under surveillance lately," said Maya. That was true. "No idea why, though." Only partially true.
"I know," Penny said cheerfully. If she thought there was anything odd about Maya and Rowan's behaviour, she didn't mention it. "Diego already spilled that information. But she's not the prime suspect."
Rowan sighed. "Let me guess. We are."
"Yup." Tonks grinned.
"Bloody hell," Maya muttered. She did not need all of Hufflepuff watching her every move, especially with her plan to raid Gryffindor Tower.
"Want us to get them off your backs, direct suspicion to Merula instead?" Tonks asked. Maya and Rowan froze. "We were already planning to, but figured we should ask you guys first."
Rowan blinked. "That would be great, but didn't Professor Sprout—?"
"Rowan, please," Penny rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "We're your friends. Of course we'll help you. And I'm not one to pass up a chance to throw Merula under the bus."
"You could uproot every tree in the Forbidden Forest for all I care," Tonks added. "I'd still cover for my mates."
"Really?" Rowan breathed. She looked like she was about to tear up. "Thank you so much! Oh, but for the record, I'd never uproot a tree."
Maya beamed. "Remind me to get you all some of our best strudel for Christmas."
Penny and Tonks cheered—Maya had a tendency to wax lyrical about the apple strudel. Furthermore, the packaging did a good job of retaining heat, making homemade delicacies taste like they were fresh out of the oven. There had been an outbreak of ice in the kitchens recently, so warmth was a rather rare and coveted quality. Case in point, the toast that Maya had for breakfast tasted like it had been in the snow for hours.
On another note, Merula was almost just as crass as Professor Sprout. She must have been tipped off about the Whomping Willow by Diego Caplan or Tulip Karasu, because she was snapping at Barnaby nonstop.
"I gave you one job, you big oaf! All you had to do was watch the damn tree!" Merula stabbed her eggs vindictively. "How do you manage to be so useless?!"
Deciding she'd heard enough, Maya hoisted the strap of her bag over her shoulder and got up to leave. Rowan immediately followed suit.
"Sounds like Merula was serious about wanting eyes on the Whomping Willow," said Maya once she was sure the rest of Slytherin was out of earshot. "Maybe she was also getting instructions from R."
Rowan shook her head. "It doesn't seem likely. How would she get into Gryffindor Tower? If R has multiple correspondents, chances are they're all Gryffindors."
Maya hadn't thought of that. "Well, she might not have known about the Black Quill, but she must've known something was up."
"Which begs the question, why give that job to Barnaby?" Rowan rubbed her chin with her gloved hand. "He's about as bright as a troll, and she knows that. Why not do things herself?"
"Maybe she had a more important job, or a more difficult one," Maya suggested. "I mean... Watching the Whomping Willow isn't hard. Getting close to it, yeah, but watching it? The murder tree is still a tree; it's not like it can grow legs and run away."
Rowan nodded. "Agreed. There's no harm in tree-watching, so Barnaby's lack of subtlety wouldn't be as detrimental as in, say, sneaking into the Restricted Section. But that doesn't answer the question of why Barnaby was watching the willow alone."
"Good point," said Maya. "If I were Merula, I'd at least have one more person there to make sure Barnaby's doing his job properly."
"Perhaps they were stretched too thin," Rowan suggested. "The others could have jobs like—"
"Spying on us?" Maya whispered. She'd just seen the unmistakable figure of Ismelda Murk out of the corner of her eye. "Quick, change the subject."
Rowan caught on immediately. "Oh, right. Er, how's your mum doing lately?"
Maya scowled. "Not that. ...What's Penny's wand again? Spruce?"
"Pear. It's one of the prettiest wands I've seen, with that gold colour and elegantly twisted shape! Tonks's wand is spruce."
They continued to discuss wand woods (or rather, Rowan continued to talk while Maya pretended to listen) until they arrived at the Charms classroom, where Professor Flitwick was jinxing large chunks of ice into oblivion.
"Good morning, Miss Shafiq and Miss Khanna! You're rather early today," said the professor in an attempt to sound upbeat. He did a rather convincing job, but Maya could hear the hints of fatigue in his voice. "Ah. There we go," he said as the last of the ice was cleared.
"Good morning, Professor Flitwick. Are we practising the Shrinking and Engorgement Charms today, too?" Maya eyed the unfamiliar contraptions on the desks—they looked like small birds, but covered in glittering jewels instead of feathers. Whenever they hopped or flapped their wings, weird clicking and whirring sounds could be heard.
The professor scooped one up in his gloved hand. "Yes, we are. I thought it was time for us to move onto more complex targets, so I borrowed some of Professor Quirrell's, er, 'attempts' at mimicking Muggle technology."
One of the birds fell over. Instead of finding a way to get back up, it started singing an eerie, broken song.
"Silencio." Professor Flitwick poked it with his wand, cutting off the bird's chirping. Maya almost found that creepier, but Professor Flitwick seemed content. "You see, the Shrinking and Engorgement Charms' difficulty rises exponentially with the complexity of the target. We would normally practise on live birds, but it seems that someone has released ours. Luckily, Professor Quirrell had plenty of his 'automatons' lying around."
Maya and Rowan gave each other nervous looks. They both knew that one of their housemates, Liz Tuttle, had released the birds out of concern that they would freeze in their cage, but neglected to mention this to Professor Flitwick. They didn't want to lose their house any points, especially now that their shadow had entered the room with Merula and Barnaby in tow.
Instead, Maya said, "Professor, I have some questions about the Shrinking and Engorgement Charms."
"Very well." Professor Flitwick waved his wand, levitating the large book he was standing on to the centre of his 'throne of tomes', as Rowan liked to call it. "What do you wish to know?"
"Is there a point where a target gets too complex for the charms to work? For example, the Levitation Charm doesn't work on people, and only their clothes. Does the same apply to the Shrinking and Engorgement Charms?"
Professor Flitwick chuckled. "If there is such a limit, it has yet to be found. In fact, both the Shrinking Charm and the Engorgement Charm have been used on human beings for cosmetic purposes. None of you should attempt this, though. Madam Pomfrey has seen more than her fair share of accidents regarding those spells." Professor Flitwick shuddered. "Poor children, thinking they're ugly ducklings..."
Maya decided not to ask for more details about that. "So, in theory, someone could shrink themselves as much as they liked... But then how does one avoid getting stepped on?"
Rowan discreetly jabbed Maya with her elbow, but it was too late. Professor Flitwick's gaze hardened, and his tone became stern.
"Using the Shrinking Charm to shrink oneself would be complicated, dangerous, and extremely foolish."
"I don't disagree," Rowan said quickly. Maya nodded so fast that the brim of her hat flapped up and down like one of the mechanical birds' wings. For such a small wizard with a high-pitched voice, Professor Flitwick could be very intimidating when he wanted to.
"I am going to ask you a question, Miss Shafiq, and I strongly suggest you tell the truth if you wish to avoid further punishment. Are you planning to break school rules yet again, Miss Shafiq?"
Maya was painfully aware of the fact that Ismelda was eavesdropping. Normally, she would be snickering darkly at Maya's predicament. But Ismelda was quiet, and all Maya could hear was a low hiss in her ear, one word that she knew was aimed at her.
Liar...
"Yes, but only because it might help me find Ben."
Professor Flitwick seemed startled that she'd actually said yes. Although Maya couldn't see it, she could easily imagine Merula and Ismelda's confused expressions.
After clearing his throat, Professor Flitwick said, "I'm concerned about Mr Copper myself, but we are doing everything we can to find him."
"Even Professor Dumbledore?" Maya asked, perhaps a little too sharply.
"The headmaster is well aware of the situation," replied Professor Flitwick curtly. "You should stay out of it, and you certainly should not use the Shrinking Charm on yourself, or anyone else for that matter. Please take your seats. Class is starting."
Maya and Rowan sat down in front of a pair of jewelled automaton birds as Professor Flitwick started the class. Meanwhile, Ismelda forcefully took Gregoire Murton's seat so that she sat behind them, perfectly positioned to overhear their conversations and spy on their notes.
"Welcome, class." Professor Flitwick was noticeably colder than usual. "Today we will be practising Engorgio and Reducio on these birds kindly provided to us by Professor Quirrell. I expect all of you to demonstrate maturity and restraint while casting these spells. And they should never, ever, be used on one's self."
In her seat, Maya winced. She didn't want to disappoint Professor Flitwick, but what choice did she have?
Maya stashed a bunch of notes in her bag and tried leaving it behind in the Potions classroom. Sure enough, Ismelda immediately attempted to open it when she thought no one was watching. Of course, seeing how Maya's bag was made of mokeskin, Ismelda's efforts were in vain and she had to leave upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps. But it was undeniable that she was a diligent spy—it became near impossible for Maya and Rowan to have a proper discussion of their plans. Their shadow was never far behind, watching them like a hawk.
Barnaby was apparently delegated to the role of Merula's personal muscle, as Maya only ever saw them together. Barnaby was perpetually clueless, but he followed Merula's orders to the letter. Or at least he tried, but he was prone to getting distracted by the passing merpeople in the common room. They humoured his efforts to strike up a conversation despite the proverbial language barrier, and the literal one made of thick glass.
Meanwhile, Herbology class revealed that Diego Caplan's job was to keep tabs on Penny and Tonks. At first, Maya had thought it was a coincidence that he was standing behind them. He had his back turned, seemingly studying the Alihotsy leaves with a passion to rival Rowan's. But wherever they went, he went, and there was no way it was a coincidence.
The only ones that Maya couldn't get a grasp on were Tulip Karasu and Merula herself. Both the self-proclaimed Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts and her Ravenclaw friend were rarely seen outside of class, and while Merula had the occasional snap at her unfortunate targets, Tulip was usually snickering with a wicked grin in the back.
Maya could barely even get any information on Tulip. Rowan identified her wand as cherry (which wasn't very helpful), Penny said she usually got in detention for setting off dungbombs that had been smuggled into the castle (even less helpful), and Tonks said that she hadn't budged even when the Metamorphmagus approached her under the guise of Merula ("I even used her surname and everything!").
With Professor McGonagall distraught from her husband's recent passing, Maya could spend entire periods glowering at the back of Tulip's head, as if those bright red locks would give her an answer.
"You're not going to get anything out of her, so focus on the lecture for now," Rowan whispered.
Maya did her best to follow her friend's suggestion, but it was difficult. She ended up staring at Tulip during lunch as well, the food on her plate long forgotten. She would have stayed there even longer if Rowan hadn't dragged her to the North Tower.
"Hello, dears." Professor Trelawney greeted them with cups of tea at the ready. "I can see that something troubles your hearts... Could it be that you fancy someone from another house? Oh," she gasped dramatically, "a Gryffindor? That would be awful, with the upcoming match!"
Maya snorted while Rowan coughed on her tea.
The dropping temperature hadn't stopped tensions from heating up between the two houses. The Gryffindors often made obnoxious and borderline rude chants in the corridors. Orion Amari, the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, remained calm despite the various taunts and pranks, but the rest of the team was having trouble following in his example.
Their robes had been torn up, their brooms had been covered with glue, and Skye Parkin had already gotten into trouble on various occasions for getting into fights in the corridors. The Slytherins, of course, did not let this slide—Gryffindors were suddenly prone to mysteriously tripping over their feet, their common room received an alarming number of owls with rubbish in the envelopes instead of letters, and someone had even trapped Angelica Cole's shoes with a Dancing Feet Jinx.
"No crushes here, Professor. Just... worried," said Maya. She brought her teacup to her lips and recoiled. "Ack! It's cold as ice!"
"Don't be ridiculous. It may not be hot, but it's not that cold either," Rowan deadpanned.
"No, it's literally cold as ice," said Maya, flipping her cup over her saucer. The tea fell out with a clink, and Maya impaled it with a fork. She took a bite. "Eh. Crunchy."
Professor Trelawney chuckled. "Not to worry, dear. I'll pour you a new one." She waved her wand, and the frozen chunk of tea vanished.
Maya shook her head. "I'll do it, Professor." She poured herself a cup of tea and returned the kettle to the hearth. She took a sip, but it was lukewarm and only getting colder by the second. "Professor Trelawney, the Curse of Ice—it's happened before, hasn't it?"
Professor Trelawney answered surprisingly quickly—Maya had expected her to take a long moment to set down her cup and saucer first. "Yes, it has. Dumbledore managed to take care of the problem after," she paused, "after your brother was expelled."
By sealing the curse in the trophy room, Maya thought. Dumbledore had told her that. He'd also told her that Felix and Yekaterina were the ones who had discovered that the Curse of Ice could be combated with the Knockback Jinx, but she decided not to bring that up. The prefects didn't go about flaunting that information, so Maya assumed they had their reasons.
"Those were hard times, just like the present," Professor Trelawney continued, "but I can see that everything will work out in the end. We have survived this before. We will survive it again."
"What was it like?" Rowan asked. "Back then, I mean."
Professor Trelawney started tugging on her shawls absent-mindedly. She seemed to sway a little as she spoke. "Though I only experienced the last months of it myself, I did see quite a bit with my Inner Eye... The faculty struggling to break the ice without injuring those trapped by it... Creatures flocking to what little warmth they could find... Children huddling around a matchstick, relighting the fire every time it went out..."
Maya could imagine it—a group of small students gathered in a circle, trying to warm themselves with whatever flame they had available.
"Sounds depressing," Rowan muttered.
But the Divination professor smiled mysteriously. "That is true, Miss Khanna, but another might say that the darkness made every moment of light that much more special. Nobody missed a rehearsal from the choir, despite the lack of frogs. Quidditch friendlies were just as important as matches, because the joy they brought was what mattered most. Miss Dolohov's duelling club stands even now, continuing to train the defenceless, just as Miss Court's smuggling ring supplies those who cannot provide for themselves."
It was Maya's turn to cough on her tea.
"When one is All-Knowing, one must also know when to turn a blind eye," said Professor Trelawney. "There are matters best left alone, Miss Shafiq."
"But what about Ben?" Maya asked. "I can't afford to leave him alone." Or my brother.
Professor Trelawney sighed. "Ah, yes. The matter of Mr Copper's fate continues to elude me... I oftentimes hope that I have misinterpreted the signs, but in his case, there is nothing to interpret at all..."
"Nothing?" Rowan repeated. "Professor Trelawney, you can't see anything about Ben's future?"
"Not even the smallest of signs," said Professor Trelawney. "It baffles me! Never before has my Inner Eye been so clouded!"
Professor Trelawney entered a rant about how she needed to prove Professor McGonagall wrong, and how insulted she was by the rest of the faculty's scepticism, all the while giving off the faint scent of alcohol. Something clicked in Maya's head—she had seen this sort of behaviour from her mother before, and she knew nothing good would come from staying any longer.
"Thank you for the tea, Professor," said Maya as she slid down the silver ladder. "I'm sorry we couldn't stay any longer, but we really have to finish our Potions homework."
"Very well, very well," said Professor Trelawney tipsily. "Don't forget, you're always welcome here, dears!"
"Goodbye, Professor Trelawney!" Rowan called. Once the trapdoor was shut, she dropped the act and looked at Maya. "Is it just me, or was Professor Trelawney was acting strange?"
Maya grimaced. "Strange? More like drunk," she said bitterly. "It might be unreasonable, but I really can't stand drunk talk. Anyway, we should really do our Potions homework."
"Homework" was code for "preparing for the infiltration", just in case Ismelda was lurking around. Specifically, "Potions homework" meant "brewing potions that might come in handy". They did actually have Potions homework, but they had finished it a few days before.
Rowan nodded. "I should've known you'd say that. Shall we head for the common room, then?"
While they carefully mixed the ingredients following the instructions that Penny had written on an advertisement for invisible robes, Professor Trelawney's words kept coming back to Maya.
"In his case, there is nothing to interpret at all..."
Thinking back, Maya rarely heard any voices in Ben's presence. Even when Professor Trelawney tried to read his tea leaves last year, his cup hadn't been drained properly. She had an inkling about what that could mean, and she didn't like it.
Maya's understanding was that the future was in constant flux, that the possible outcomes were decided by the past and present. The signs identified by Seers were indicators of the most likely futures, just like the vision of a demiguise. That was why prophecies, predictions of the highest order, didn't always come true.
But if there were no signs, no visions, no voices, Maya could only assume that meant there was no likely future.
"I think you're right," Rowan replied when Maya shared her thoughts. She poured their potion into a bottle and screwed the lid on tight. "The critical moment hasn't yet come to pass."
"But I reckon we know when it will," Maya muttered.
When the day of the first Quidditch match of the season finally rolled around, not even the bone-chilling cold could subdue the excitement. The Slytherin section of the stands was brimming with students covered in green face paint, like the Irish spectators at a Quidditch World Cup. They couldn't go three seconds without saying something along the lines of "Who has the Confundus Charm prepared? We're going to crush those Gryffindors goons."
Yekaterina laughed, also covered in face paint. "Alright, alright. No one's Confunding anyone—the only spell we are casting is Verdimillious, got it? No one's been taken by the Snow Queen? Excellent! Let's get going now!"
Felix was decidedly less amused. "And remember, don't run straight back to the common room! I'm sure those Gryffindors are going to set up another one of their idiotic pranks on the entrance, so wait till I confirm that the coast is clear." No one seemed to hear him. "Merlin's pants... You know what? I'm just going to head back early this time, try to catch them in the act."
"Sure, sure," said Yekaterina. She was still laughing as everyone stampeded into the stands of the Quidditch pitch.
The Gryffindors were just as, if not more energetic.
"Let the lion ROAR! We're gonna stomp those Slytherins!"
"Knock 'em flat!"
The last of the red-clad students filled the stands, and Murphy McNully took up his megaphone.
"Welcome to the first match of the season, GRYFFINDOR VERSUS SLYTHERIN!" A deafening cheer came up from the crowd, roused by McNully's booming voice. The fourth-year was quite popular, and he always promised unbiased commentary. Even the Gryffindors appreciated how he could talk up a good game, despite the fact that he was a Slytherin himself.
Rowan was watching through a pair of binoculars from the library. She saw the two Quidditch Captains shaking hands, the Bludgers and Golden Snitch being released into the air, Madam Hooch blowing on her whistle—
"Alright, Maya..."
Meanwhile, the Gryffindor common room was devoid of students, only occupied by red furniture and a blazing fireplace. McNully's commentary could be heard through an open window where a large barn owl perched with a letter in its beak. "Both teams are coming in now, Cole and Amari have both added second-years to their lineups..."
And when Madam Hooch's whistle trilled, the barn owl dropped its delivery to the floor. From the envelope emerged Maya, barely two inches tall.
"Yes!" she exclaimed. Rowan's plan of shrinking herself down and mailing herself into the Gryffindor common room had actually worked. Sure, they'd sent all sorts of rubbish just to confirm that the owl would be able to pull it off, but flying to Gryffindor Tower in an envelope was something else. "Thank you, Mr Barn Owl!"
Mr Barn Owl hooted and gave his wings a flap.
Maya adjusted her goggles and gave her hat a tug. "So, I made it into the Gryffindor common room." It was a round, cosy place with lots of armchairs that reminded her of the North Tower. "I have to admit, that is some very impressive wallpaper..."
"And Cole takes possession of the Quaffle!" McNully boomed. "She dodges a Bludger, passes to Stewart, Stewart narrowly avoids Parkin..."
Better hurry up and find that Black Quill, Maya thought. She looked up at a rounded desk with a drawer, just like the one where Slytherins kept their spare quills.
"You hide a tree in a forest," she muttered, pulling out her wand. She was about to cast Engorgio on herself when she heard the unmistakable sound of a cat bell.
Maya froze. What were the odds of Mrs Norris or Professor McGonagall being present in cat form? And even if it wasn't either of them, how did she know that this cat wouldn't go off and tell its owner about her? Was it possible for Cat Animagi to speak with other cats?
"Change of plans," Maya mumbled, sticking her wand back in her sleeve. "Not risking the Engorgement Charm."
Mr Barn Owl hooted as if to say, That's going to slow you down.
"I know, Mr Barn Owl." Maya looked back up at the desk. She grit her teeth, opened her bag, and started rummaging through the different potions. A lime green phial of Wiggenweld, a pink perfume bottle tagged for emergencies, and...
Aha! A blue flask Rowan had labelled for climbing. Or, as Maya liked to call it, the Froggy Potion.
It tasted horrible and was more like a slimy glob than a potion, but Maya downed it anyway. She took off her boots and socks, stuffing them in her bag. Maya's toes and fingertips had turned round like a frog's. She stuck her palms and feet to the polished, wooden surface, listening to McNully's commentary as she climbed.
"What's this?! Stewart's been sandwiched by the Amari and Sanchez—looks like Parkin was actually setting up a Parkin's Pincer!" A massive cheer made Mr Barn Owl ruffle his feathers in surprise. "They pinched him like my Grandma pinches my cheek; painfully, and likely to leave a mark!"
Skye pulled off a Parkin's Pincer? Maya wished she could have seen that. She might not be close with her Scottish classmate, but it must have been impressive. She also felt a twinge of jealousy—it must be nice having a family name like that.
Maya reached the top of the desk just as Skye scored. She was feeling quite proud of herself until Mr Barn Owl flew over and landed right next to her.
"Couldn't you have just carried me up?"
Mr Barn Owl hooted, and Maya got the vague impression that he was making fun of her. She ignored the bird and looked around.
A Gryffindor must have nicked a mechanical bird from Charms, because one had been stripped bare to reveal the mechanisms inside. The jewels were nowhere to be seen, but there were a couple of brassy plates lying around. Maya dragged one over and used it to pry open the drawer. She peered over the edge of the desk, and her heart sank.
"No shortage of quills, but all of them are the wrong colour. Maybe—"
Jingle jingle jingle...
"—Mr Barn Owl, hide!"
Mr Barn Owl flew up to the light fixture while Maya flattened herself on the desk. The cat was looking in her general direction. It was a cute little calico, but she still wasn't going to risk the odds of it being able to report her to Mrs Norris or Professor McGonagall.
Maya looked at her hands and saw that the Froggy Potion's effects had worn off. She opened her bag—
"Gryffindor still in possession of the Quaffle, Cole's too good to be knocked off by a single Bludger, she's nearing the goal—Campbell's saved it!" exclaimed McNully. "Gryffindor is still leading twenty to ten, but now Amari has the Quaffle—The Seekers are diving!"
Maya jolted. She looked down at the thick rug on the floor, the Wiggenweld Potion in her bag, and back at the rug. It was certainly the quickest way of getting down...
She took a few steps back, steeled her nerves, and did a running jump off the desk.
Flump.
"Blocked by not one but two Bludgers! Good thing the Seekers managed to pull out of that dive at the last second, or someone might've gotten hurt!"
Face-down on the rug, Maya grumbled, "Well, bully for the Seekers." She gulped down her phial of Wiggenweld Potion, feeling her body magically fix itself. Mr Barn Owl watched her curiously with his round black eyes.
Maya climbed up the nearest armchair, keeping a watchful eye on the calico cat that was now lounging in front of the fireplace. Fortunately, she didn't need the Froggy Potion to climb up the fabric. She wriggled in between the cushions, discovering an army of dust bunnies, a Knut, and someone's stash of sweets, but no quills.
"And there it is!" Even McNully's voice could barely be heard over the deafening cheers. "Orion Amari's INSPIRED BROOM SURFING!"
Maya really wished she could've seen that, but she pushed those feelings aside for now. There was no telling when either Seeker would suddenly catch the Snitch. She stood on the red armrest, scanning the room for potential hiding places when Mr Barn Owl started hooting frantically.
"What is it, Mr Barn—ah."
The calico was staring at Maya, poised to pounce. Rowan had said something about cats learning how to move without sounding their bells, but it hadn't occurred to Maya until then. There was a tense moment where witch and cat looked into each other's eyes... until the calico lunged forward.
Maya shrieked and scrambled up the backrest much faster than she had believed to be possible. But the feline was still a much faster climber than she was—Maya had only just reached the top of the backrest when the yowling beast's claws were back in sight. It reared its ugly maw—
—and got spritzed in the face with Maya's Emergency Perfume.
The cat seemed frozen for a moment. Then, slowly, it fell back onto the armchair, curled up, and started snoring.
Maya exhaled—she'd held her breath as to not inhale any of the potion. It was a combination of Sleeping Draught and Forgetfulness Potion, a mixture that Penny was very proud of. Tonks had volunteered for testing three times, but she only remembered two of them.
"Thank you, Mr Barn Owl!" Mr Barn Owl descended from his perch near the ceiling and landed next to Maya with a proud hoot. "And sorry, Mr Kitty," Maya said to the sleeping cat. "Or is it Miss Kitty? ...Whatever."
Mr Barn Owl hooted in agreement.
Just then, McNully's amplified voice blasted through the window so loud Maya thought it was going to wake up Mr or Miss Kitty. "And the Seekers are neck-to-neck! This is no false alarm, they're chasing the Snitch!"
"Oh no," whispered Maya. If the cheers were any indicator, someone would catch the Snitch soon. She looked around the common room from the top of the armchair.
Where's the Black Quill... Where's the Black Quill... Where's the—There's the Black Quill!
"Oh no." A black feather was sitting in the hearth, partially hidden behind the fire. Maya jumped off the chair, landing on a cushion that had fallen aside. She raced towards the fireplace, holding her wand out—
"The Slytherin Seeker is pulling ahead—she's almost got it! But the newcomer isn't about to give up—"
"Aguamenti!" Maya yelled, dousing the flames with a cascade of clear water. She ran over the dying cinders, her heart skipping a beat when she saw that less than half of the Black Quill remained, balancing precariously on the edge of the ash pit. She reached for it—
"—does a barrel roll through the hoops—I can't believe it! He's caught the Snitch! Gryffindor wins, one hundred and ninety points to seventy! What a catch from the Gryffindor Seeker!"
—but the quill tipped over and fell into the ash pit.
The game was over. Maya was running out of time. Mr Barn Owl hooted nervously as she cast another Water-Making Spell on her scarf, wrapped it around the lower half of her face, and dove into the ash pit.
It turned out that Gryffindor had at least one thing in common with Slytherin—the tendency to use the fireplace as a pseudo-rubbish bin. Maya saw blackened sweet wrappers, a piece of molten tin, the remains of an exam that had been graded 'T', and of course, the Black Quill buried in the ashes. Feeling very glad that she had decided to wear goggles, Maya grabbed the quill, tucked the shaft in the back of her cloak, and climbed out of the ash pit.
"Let's get out of here, Mr Barn Owl!" Maya could hear the sounds of overexcited Gryffindors approaching from the common room entrance. She ran across the carpet to grab onto Mr Barn Owl's back feathers. "To the Owlery!"
And just like that, Maya was flying away, the rambunctious Gryffindor Tower behind her.