Bill Weasley
Rowan choked on her treacle fudge. "What?!"
"That's how I reacted," Maya said glumly. After all that effort to keep her cool around Rita, she'd finally popped off after the reporter had dropped her bombshell. "Dumbledore gave me the impression that Jacob wasn't expelled for cursing the school, but something else entirely. It must be Duncan—or rather, his death."
"I don't understand..." Rowan, eyes wide and unfocused, ran a hand through her silky hair. "How did the death of a Hogwarts student not get reported?"
"I bet Duncan was Muggle-born," said Maya glumly. "There were a lot of deaths at the time, and people were more interested in the Aurors killed on the lines of battle. Jacob's circumstances weren't special enough to garner attention, so Duncan flew under the radar as a result."
The two girls munched on their fudge in silence. It made sense, Maya thought. Penny always said that even the most outrageous of rumours had a kernel of truth in them, and that said kernel would snowball into a distorted version of itself. The rumours around Jacob being cursed and/or a Death Eater could have easily come from the kernel of him murdering his best friend.
Maya hated how it made sense.
Because her brother couldn't be a killer, but it was the only explanation she had.
Rowan tried listing off the people who probably knew about Duncan Ashe's demise (and elected not to tell Maya for reasons unknown). Dumbledore, Professor Snape, probably the rest of the faculty, Duncan's family, and maybe the older students. Merlin's beard, did Felix and Yekaterina know?
Why didn't they tell her? Why didn't anyone tell her?
Maya frowned as she re-catalogued her acquaintances, finding her mental list of trustworthy people to be especially barren.
"Mr Fortescue didn't know about Duncan Ashe either, since he suggested meeting him last year."
Maya was surprised that Rowan remembered that. She certainly hadn't, at least not until two seconds ago. She gratefully restored Florean's 'trustworthy' status.
"At any rate, I'm going to keep quiet about Duncan," Maya said. She tried to keep her tone level, but found it betrayed her frustration nonetheless. "The fact that I had to learn this from Rita Skeeter of all people suggests that someone, perhaps Dumbledore, wanted to keep me in the dark. I'd like them to think they've succeeded."
"Good idea," Rowan agreed. "We don't have the full picture here. We should wait until we do."
"I sure hope Olivia can give it to us," Maya muttered. She took a large bite out of her treacle fudge. "Rita's gonna be on her trail, no doubt. I'll let her track down Olivia."
"You're not worried about how Skeeter will make you look?" Rowan asked nervously.
Maya shook her head. "As long as she helps me find Jacob, I don't care. Rita's my best bet at gathering information from outside the castle. And besides, I'll have plenty of information to bribe her with once I find what's inside the Cursed Vault. It's time to focus on getting through that door."
She couldn't afford to waste too much time thinking about Duncan Ashe. Not when the Vault of Ice posed a very real, very immediate threat.
And possible answers to this entire conundrum.
"You know, speaking of the Vault," Rowan began, "I've been... thinking. And I need to tell you something."
Maya raised an eyebrow. Rowan's choice of words would have made it sound like she was about to deliver some really bad news, but her tone gave the opposite impression. Like she was barely containing her excitement.
"You're going to need help if you want to get through the Vault of Ice. Help from someone powerful..."
"I don't think Merula's volunteering," Maya said dryly.
"I'm not talking about Merula," replied Rowan. "I did my research, and there's a powerful student who I think will be willing to help you with the Vaults. I'm talking about someone more powerful than Merula. Maybe even more powerful than you..."
Maya tilted her head. "Just who are you trying to hype up so much?"
Rowan brightened, her eyes glittering. She wasn't containing her excitement anymore, as it escaped her in the form of a gleeful squeal.
"Bill Weasley!"
"...Who?"
"You've never heard of Bill Weasley?!" Rowan exclaimed, aghast. "He's one of the most powerful wizards in his year! Probably even the whole school! He's sure to be Prefect and Head Boy, and everyone says he's one of the bravest students at Hogwarts!" Rowan sighed, staring off into space dreamily.
"Never heard of him," said Maya blankly. She contemplated how exactly Rowan knew so much about a wizard Maya hadn't even heard brought up once in conversation. Though the Weasley name did sound somewhat familiar, she couldn't place it.
Rowan's expression switched back from dreamy to mortified, then to exasperated. "I know you've been focused on Ben and the Cursed Vaults, but wow, Maya... Anyway, I've been spending hours in the hospital wing compiling multiple lists of the most powerful students in Hogwarts. Bill Weasley is your best bet. Not only is he strong and brave, he's also very interested in adventure and Curse-Breaking. And unlike the vast majority of older students, he's never insulted or attacked us in any way."
"That is a big plus," Maya admitted. "He does sound like the perfect person to help with the Vault of Ice" She trusted Rowan's judgement—if her best friend thought this Bill Weasley was more likely to be of help than, say, Felix or Yekaterina, then Maya assumed that must be the case.
"The question is how are you going to ask a fourth-year Gryffindor that you've never even met to help with a Cursed Vault?" Rowan wondered aloud.
Maya pondered for a moment. She thought of all the different methods her mom employed to raise sales; discounts, package deals, free samples...
"You said he's interested in Curse-Breaking, right?"
Although the snowstorms outside showed no signs of stopping, the holidays were over. Students who had gone home for Christmas were returning to Hogwarts. And for the first time in her life, Maya was glad to be surrounded by people. She appreciated the warmth they provided even if it meant catching a few hexes in the hallways. She had even managed to deflect one back at the sender, a fifth-year Ravenclaw, so that had put her in a rather good mood.
But even so, Maya wasn't exactly filled with confidence. She had written a letter in advance and had Mr Barn Owl deliver it, asking Bill Weasley to meet her in one of Ben's hiding spots—a rather secluded area on the castle grounds. She had Wiggenweld Potion, the Emergency Perfume, and even the enchanted knife (which Rowan had officially passed ownership to her) in case something went wrong. But seeing the wizard practising his spells made her feel even smaller than usual.
Maybe it was just because he was tall.
Maya tugged on her hat, even though it was firmly secured to her head as always.
"Hello?"
The wizard's wand let out a loud bang, making Maya flinch.
"Did you get my owl?"
Bill Weasley tucked his wand in his cloak with a little flourish. He faltered for a split second when he saw Maya, but grinned good-naturedly. He was even taller up close, had flaming red hair, a face full of freckles, and conventionally good looks. Despite his worn and battered robes, he carried himself with a confidence that made her jealous. He also looked strangely familiar for someone Maya was certain she'd never met before.
"Hullo, Maya Shafiq. I'm Bill Weasley. Nice to finally meet you."
Okay. He's friendly. Good to know...
"You know who I am?" Maya asked, since she didn't sign her letter (in case it was a deal-breaker). She hadn't heard the words "nice to meet you" in a while, so that took her by surprise as well.
Bill placed his hands on his hips. "Of course I do." Despite his easy-going demeanour, he was quite stiff. "Your brother was the talk of the Weasley household back when the Daily Prophet printed his search for the Cursed Vaults. Not to mention all the rumours about—"
"Right. Anyway," said Maya, eager to change the subject, "I brought you a gift."
She pulled out her copy of Chronicles of a Curse-Breaker , wiping the cover once more with her sleeve. She'd already read it front to back with Rowan several times, but it wasn't too worn out. She just wished she could have properly packaged it.
"It's about a witch named Patricia Rakepick. Rowan says she's one of the best Curse-Breakers in the world." Let's hope that butters him up.
Bill's eyes widened. He received the crimson book and held it as if it were made of glass. Something told Maya that she'd just derailed a painstakingly rehearsed conversation.
"I, er... Wow. This looks, um, expensive."
There was quite a bit of emphasis on that last word.
"Just thirteen Sickles," Maya said honestly, noting how Bill was suddenly stumbling over his words. Maybe she should have let Bill go on about those rumours...
"Just thirteen—?!" Bill choked out in disbelief. "I mean—yeah, that's not too—oh, who am I kidding," he blurted out, suddenly sporting a much more pronounced West Country accent. Whatever appearances he had been trying to keep up were now thrown out the metaphorical window. "Mind if we start over?"
Bill tucked the book under his arm, cleared his throat, and extended his free hand.
"Ahem. Hi. I'm Bill Weasley from Ottery St Catchpole. And to be honest with you, I just had my expectations defied thrice in the last two and a half minutes. So I'm kind of panicking right now."
Maya blinked. Then she giggled.
"Nice to meet you, Bill. I'm Maya Shafiq, from Diagon Alley. I promise I won't bite."
They shook hands, and Bill grinned much more awkwardly. It was nervous, but genuine. Maya much preferred this Bill Weasley. Sure, he had the subtlety of a clown car and the finesse of a sledgehammer, but at least he was direct.
"Do you want me to re-give you the book, or...?"
Bill chuckled. "Oh, I reckon we can skip that part. So, how can I help you? I assume you're not looking for a tutor, since I hear you're quite good."
"It's about the Cursed Vaults."
The Gryffindor paused. He clearly expected it to some degree, but was still caught off-guard. "Carry on..."
"I found one, the Vault of Ice. It's on the fifth floor, and I can get in and out easily enough. Problem is, there were some obstacles that were a bit out of my league."
Bill's jaw dropped. "You found a Cursed Vault? And you went inside?"
"Yes, and it turns out that Jacob did too." Maya bit her lip as she was reminded of the trio of friends, one of whom was dead and the other two missing. "My brother was obsessed with the vaults, but then he disappeared without a trace. I know I'm close to finding a clue as to what happened, but I'm not strong enough to do this on my own."
"...So you want my help," Bill finished.
Maya nodded in affirmation. "I've heard lots about you, Bill. All good things, of course. And now that I've actually met you, yes, I want your help."
"Don't get me wrong, Maya, I really do want to help you and break the curse on the school. It's just..." Bill's ears had gone bright red. "There are a lot of detriments."
Maya dusted some snow off her cloak. Detriments?
"I crave adventure as much as any Gryffindor worth their salt, but this is something else entirely." Bill shifted uncomfortably under Maya's soul-piercing stare as if he'd been caught looting a cookie jar at midnight. "A real Cursed Vault is going to be dangerous."
But that wasn't what was bothering him, was it?
"Are you sure it's the vault you're worried about, Bill? Or is it the stories about me and my brother being off our rockers? Or cursed? Or just the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor that has a ridiculously long history?"
Bill threw up his hands in exasperation. "Well, there's that too. Come on, Maya, everyone knows you broke into the Gryffindor common room back in November."
"You shouldn't believe everything you hear, Bill." Maya placed her hands on her hips with a scowl. "And besides, I broke into your common room to find Ben."
"And he was found soon after, which was either an extremely lucky coincidence for you or not a coincidence at all."
"It wasn't. Bill, please, get to the point."
Bill nodded. "Right. Yes, the point. Trust me, I'm getting there. I just don't know what to believe. First Ben Copper starts singing your praises, then my brother joins the spiel, and now there's Skeeter's latest article about you and your brother being Seers. Which, by the way, changes everything. So, er, the point is that I want to get to know you. The real you, instead of piecing together an image based on wildly conflicting stories."
Bill's honesty was refreshing, but Maya was too confused to fully appreciate it at the moment. So he wanted proof that she wasn't mad, lying, evil, or all of the above? What did he want her to do, drink Veritaserum?
"Duel me. Right here, right now."
Maya blinked. Okay, that was not what she expected. Three questions left her lips rapid-fire. "What? Why? Aren't you worried about being seen?"
Bill gestured to the walls around them. "From here? You know as well as I do that those windows are frosted over. The only way we could be seen is from straight above, and," he pointed up at the stormy skies, "no one's going to be flying in this weather. As for why, I'm of the belief that the best way of getting to know someone is to duel them."
Up till that moment, Maya had been under the impression that Bill was quite similar to Felix. She made a mental note that he was probably closer to Yekaterina. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt," she said, loosening her cloak so it wouldn't impede her movement. "Metaphorically, that is. Physically it could hurt a lot."
"Aw, are you nervous?" Bill teased, putting his bag away. "Want me to go easy on you?"
The butterflies in Maya's stomach vanished. The Gryffindor's tone had struck a memory, hitting a little too close to home. She shook her head, reminding herself that she wasn't in Diagon Alley, the wand in her hand was made of hornbeam instead of liquorice, and the wizard in front of her was armed with very real spells.
"Not in the slightest." She forced a grin and gave her hat one final tug. "I wanna see how good you are."
Bill twirled his wand in his long fingers. "Well, you just signed up for defeat— Depulso!"
"Rictusempra!"
The spells streaked past each other—Maya took advantage of her height and ducked. Bill wasn't laughing, which meant her Tickling Charm hadn't met its mark either. With a flick of her wrist, she cast a Levitation Charm in hopes of immobilising him, but all she did was make the snow rise several feet above the ground.
"You missed!"
He just HAD to point it out.
Bill had the advantage of two years worth of learning, as Maya found herself on the receiving end of another unfamiliar bit of magic. It must have been the aptly-named Wind-Making Spell, which was kicking up the snow around Maya and roaring in her freezing ears. She slashed her wand through the air and shouted, "Finite Incantatem!" The wind died, solving Maya's visibility problem and giving her a clear shot.
"Rictusempra!"
"Locomotor!"
A snowball punched through the charm and splattered against her goggles, much to Maya's surprise.
"Not bad!" Bill had surrounded himself with a large collection of snowballs, which were now circling him protectively like an asteroid belt. "It's clear you're no stranger to duelling, not after your incident with Merula Snyde."
Maya wiped the snow off her face. "You were there?"
"No, but my brother Charlie was. He was really impressed, told me all about it."
Charlie Weasley...? The image of a short, stocky, freckled boy with pale skin and flaming red hair popped into Maya's mind.
Oh. Him.
He was one of Ben's Gryffindor friends, the one that always avoided her like she had dragon pox. Maya made a mental note that he was 'in-between' rather than 'hostile' or 'friendly'.
"Duro."
Bill's incantation brought Maya back to reality. She scolded herself for getting distracted like that, though it was nice to put the mystery of why Bill was so familiar behind her.
"Expelliarmus!"
Another snowball intercepted the spell, but it didn't break. Bill's last enchantment must have hardened it. Maya gulped. Not good.
Bill flashed a wide grin that made it clear he'd noticed her uneasiness. "Let's see how you deal with this! Oppugno!"
A light flashed from Bill's wand as the snowballs (were they even snowballs anymore?) flew in circles around Maya like a school of angry fish. If the impact of the Disarming Charm wasn't enough to stop them...
"Flipendo!"
CRACK!
The Knockback Jinx shattered the first snowball, or perhaps snow-Bludger was a more appropriate name. Maya shot them down one after another, dodging what she could while using her cloak to soften the glancing blows she did take.
"Blimey, you're quick!" Bill applauded smugly. "Certainly makes up for your aim."
Maya ignored him. There were still plenty of snow-Bludgers flying around, and she couldn't afford to get distracted again. And just when she was running out of breath, it happened.
Here it comes...
Maya aimed her wand over her back and shouted, "Flipendo!" Cold pieces bounced off her robes harmlessly. She breathed heavily, feeling a surge of pride as she took in Bill's shocked expression.
"Wow. First time someone managed to stop that," he said, casually sidestepping Maya's next jinx.
"Got lucky," Maya admitted. "I Saw it coming, like, with my Inner Eye."
"Lucky or not, you still managed to stay calm under pressure. Not a lot of wizards can say that. But I have to ask, why not just use Incendio?"
"Don't know that one yet."
Bill smirked. "Oh? Perhaps I should give you a demonstration! Incendio!"
"Aguamenti!"
Cold water spouted from the tip of Maya's wand, colliding with the orange flames. It was like opening one of the ovens back home—steam rose with a loud hiss as the searing heat turned the surrounding snow into slush.
"I don't think advertising your next move is very wise," Maya said pointedly.
"You just proved that you can foresee my next move anyway. Besides, this is more fun."
"That's not my point, Bill." Maya took a slow step forward, realising that it was much easier to move now that she wasn't ankle-deep in snow. "Also, I'm just a novice at duelling, but I'm pretty sure there's not supposed to be this much talking."
Bill shrugged. "What can I say? I'm chatty and I like to keep things entertaining."
Maya fired another spell, eyeing Bill's remaining snow-Bludgers warily. She reached into her cloak with her free hand. "Maybe the reason you learn so much about people through duelling is because you're holding full conversations with them."
Bill watched the colourful sparks miss him by about two feet. "You could probably use some target practi—" His eyes widened as Maya charged, wand in one hand and knife in the other. "— Expelliarmus!"
But Bill's use of the snow had given Maya an idea of her own. "Engorgio!" The crystals in the air were enlarged to the size of hubcaps, shattering with flashes of red light but granting enough cover for the small girl to close in. The corners of Maya's mouth twisted into an adrenaline-fueled grin as her knife cut through Bill's enchantments, sending the snowballs plummeting down. The last of the Disarming Charms knocked the blade out of her hand, but it had fulfilled its role. She readied her wand at Bill's face, getting ready for a point-blank—
Fear.
It was almost overwhelming, enough to make the young witch break into a cold sweat. Her heart pounded against her chest as she struggled not to drown in the dizzying sense of terror. Maya inhaled sharply, not even sure what she was suddenly so afraid of. Nevertheless, she stowed her dread and looked back at Bill, who seemed just as confused as she was.
His wand was trained on her. Hers wasn't.
A beat.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Depuls—!" Bill's incantation was cut off by the partially-melted snow rising up like an overzealous broomstick. Maya kept her eyes on his wand as she leapt, reaching with her now free hand to wrestle it away from him as she pressed her hornbeam wand against his back.
"Rictusempra."
Bill doubled over in throes of laughter, and the duel was over.
Bill shared his feedback while they dried their robes with Hot Air Charms. "Your aim could use some work, but you're quick and not afraid to get your hands dirty. Closing in the way you did is... effective, but also dangerous. Probably going to need a stronger defensive measure than giant snowflakes..."
Maya wasn't paying much attention. She lifted her goggles to rub her eyes, then shifted the pressure to her temples. The goggles snapped back in place as she exhaled slowly.
"Maya?" Bill was staring at her, concern evident on his face.
She forced a smile. "I'm good. Bit dizzy is all. Back there, I think my Inner Eye acted up again. Suddenly felt scared out of my skin..." Maya shivered, remembering the pale visage from her vision atop the Vanished Stairs.
"That's, er, ominous," said Bill plainly. "I honestly thought you were going to gut me like a fish for a second, so it was mighty weird when you suddenly freaked out. So your Inner Eye can throw you off, eh? Better keep that in mind."
"Can we go back to the part where you thought I was going to gut you like a fish?" Maya crossed her arms, feeling somewhat offended.
Bill raised his hands in exasperation. "I'm not saying you're the type to stab someone! It's just... When someone charges you with a knife while grinning like a maniac..." He faltered, monitoring the shifts in Maya's expression. "Poor word choice there."
"This knife is for opening doors, Bill. It's not a people-opener." Maya tucked said blade back under her cloak. "It's needed to get inside the Vault."
"Okay." Bill paused before continuing. "Anything else I need to bring?"
"Warm clothes, Fire Protection Potion, probably some Burn Healing Paste—" Maya caught herself. "Wait. You're coming?"
"Did I forget to say that? Bloody hell, I forgot to say that, didn't I?" Bill slapped his forehead, leaving a red mark. "Yes, I'm going to help you. This mission of yours has 'danger' written all over it, I'd never forgive myself if I didn't at least watch your back."
Maya giggled. Bill reminded her of Jacob, even though Jacob wasn't nearly as chatty or prone to shooting himself in the foot. Then again, maybe she didn't know Jacob half as well as she thought she did...
"You mentioned warm clothes, right? I've got loads of jumpers, we could shrink a couple for you..."
Definitely the same type of mother hen, though.
"So, what was she like?"
Bill looked up from his new book. Charlie's curious face peered back at him. They were in the Gryffindor common room, Bill lounging in an armchair with a clawed-up backrest.
"Who are you talking about?" asked Bill, feigning ignorance. It was taking an immense amount of self-control for him not to tell his brother everything, but Charlie needed this. Getting to mess with his brother was just a bonus for Bill.
Charlie scowled. "You know who I'm talking about."
He was dodging the subject again. Bill wasn't going to let that slide.
"Nope, I have no idea. Scoot over, you're getting between me and the fire."
The second Weasley brother crossed his arms, refusing to budge. He'd already put on some muscle since becoming the new Seeker. Even so, his short stature meant he was far from intimidating. Especially not to Bill, who met his stare head-on.
Between the two of them, Bill was usually the one who did the talking. Charlie was perfectly content with just listening, letting his big brother choose the topic. But being a good listener wasn't enough. With Ben growing closer to his other friends and Jae constantly getting detention, Charlie had been put in an awkward position.
So yes, Bill worried about his brother's aversion to talking.
"Ugh, fine." Charlie glanced around nervously and leaned in, lowering his voice. "I'm talking about Maya Shafiq. Happy?"
Bill shrugged. It was better than nothing.
"Okay, now what was she like?"
Bill closed Chronicles of a Curse-Breaker. As fascinating as Patricia Rakepick was, he could read more about her later.
"You were right. She's nothing like the rumours said. Clever, friendly, driven... Definitely not mad or twisted. She doesn't deserve all this... cruelty."
The calculated response had the intended effect, as Charlie huffed in frustration. He ran his fingers through his red hair before glaring at Bill again.
"I know that, I told you that! You actually met her, I wanna hear something, er..." Charlie pursed his lips, looking at his brother expectantly.
"Deeper?" Bill suggested.
"Yeah!"
"You're awfully curious about Maya. Why don't you just see her yourself?"
Charlie jolted. "Shut up," he hissed. "You know I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Get back to your book, Bill."
Bill sighed as he watched Charlie take the stairs. Oh well. At least it was progress.