Hogsmeade Weekend
The pair of them had wandered as far as they could, but it was starting to become clear that maybe this wasn’t going to be as easy as they thought.
“You know,” her best friend huffed a sigh as he leaned against the tree next to him. “Maybe we should have thought this through.”
“I think you’re right,” she agreed.
Whatever that shining light was, it was clearly farther than they thought. By her estimates, they should have already been there.
“Want to go back?” he questioned.
“We probably should,” she frowned thoughtfully, “but…” It would have been the smart thing to do. She just couldn’t find it in herself to actually abandon this when the answer they both dearly wanted was so close. “Let’s just keep going. Maybe it’s not as far as it wants us to think it is.”
Her friend moved his gaze forward. “As much as I'm starting to second guess the decision to keep going, I also don’t know if we’ll ever get this opportunity again. So. Maybe, in say an hour, if we don’t find anything, we’ll go back. We’ll be able to make it, then.”
That decided, they kept going.
She just couldn’t help wondering if they weren’t being called by this light, because she would have demanded they go back at this point. However, she was unusually reluctant to stop.
Both headed on, completely unaware of their shadow dogging their every move.
* **
“Are you absolutely certain I can’t get you anything?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t need soup or pillows fluffed?”
“No.”
“If I go to the loo, I won’t come back to find you’ve done something else to yourself?”
“What the hell are you doing here, anyway? Nobody told you anything!”
Harry watched from the side as Tony pinched the bridge of his nose.
It was Hogsmeade weekend and the Trio had put off going right away in order to visit Tony in the Hospital Wing. When they got there, however, they found other visitors.
“I take it you don’t know that he’s been tapping Palmer’s line,” Agent ‘Fred’ Stevens grinned, his Mohawk lying flat on his head in sections of brown and gray.
“Really?” Palmer blinked. “I haven’t noticed anything.”
“Well, yeah,” he shrugged. “It’s only when Tony comes up in conversation that he really listens.”
“Yes, and he comes up quite a bit, I’m afraid. Lucky I’m here to keep an eye on the lad, really.”
“Eames…”
Hermione broke into giggles as the older Wizard gave the Italian his best puppy dog eyes.
Palmer, Stevens, Eames and Mac were as close to crowding Tony as he was comfortable with. He only really had his leg to heal, but his arm still pained him slightly, so he wouldn’t be moving just yet.
Harry knew Eames had been worried sick about Tony, because – unlike the American – Eames didn’t look to be taking Sherlock’s death well.
Even now, it seemed like the man was still getting himself together. While he looked a little more alive at this moment, though, he was still pale and his eyes were still shadowed as they rarely strayed from Tony’s form.
No one needed to say that Eames was even more frantic at Tony being on bedrest because of what happened to Sherlock. If Hermione was right, then Tony was the only thing that Eames had left.
Harry understood wanting to keep that kind of person safe; he wanted to do the same with Ron and Hermione. He even felt some sense of possessiveness toward Tony, but Eames had just as much of a claim on the man as the Trio did. Besides, Harry didn’t want to drive Tony mental with fussing the way that Eames and Hermione seemed intent to do.
Both had already been threatened with ‘separate corners’ four times – the latest when they squabbled over the linens – and Mac had finally gotten them to stay at an ‘equal’ distance after Eames protested at Hermione being closer. Good thing, too, since Tony looked like he was going to hurt one (Eames) and tie the other down (Hermione), even if he had to knock himself out doing it.
“So, when are you three heading out?” Mac wanted to know. Ron and Palmer were the ‘buffer zone’ to keep Eames and Hermione at a safe distance and to talk Tony out of attacking. Mac, Harry and Stevens could move wherever they wanted, but Harry noticed Ron eying Tony to make sure he was as okay as he claimed.
“I thought we would go in time for lunch,” Hermione answered.
“Any reason why you three aren’t running out the door?” Stevens wanted to know.
“They’re here, aren’t they?” Palmer frowned at him. “What does that tell you?”
“… they’re taking orders?”
Harry wasn’t sure if Remus and/or Sirius was going to be there, but none of them were in a hurry just yet.
“Where’s Deeks?” Ron finally spoke up.
“On a case,” Mac answered. “Same as Peter.”
“Yeah,” Tony turned to Eames with a frown. “And aren’t you on a job?”
“Well, yes,” he nodded, “but you shouldn’t worry about me. Just make sure to get better, aye?”
“I’m not worried,” Tony huffed. “I just don’t want you here.”
“But, alas,” Eames didn’t seem to be listening. “I will have to depart soon enough. Darling should be finishing the set up for yours truly and I never miss a cue.”
“From him, you mean,” Tony rolled his eyes. “I’ve been giving you a lot.”
“Yes, but you’re delirious and I’m not to take what you say seriously.”
“Did anyone find out what happened?” Ron frowned. “No one’s said.”
“I know that they’re rebuilding my office,” Tony huffed, “and the classroom.”
Nearly Headless Nick had told them that it had been severely damaged – something that was completely unheard of. At least to Hermione, anyway, who kept insisting that the entire thing just shouldn’t have happened after all the precautions in place.
Palmer glanced at Eames and saw his rapidly paling face before the ME Assistant jumped right in. “Surely, it wasn’t that horrible!”
“It felt bad,” Hermione shrugged. “Harry and Ron even felt it in Divin- I mean, I was closer, after all,” she hastily amended after following his gaze to Eames.
“Maybe we should get moving,” Harry stood, not wanting to make the situation worse. It didn’t look like Eames could take much more – and Harry couldn’t, either, now that he thought of it.
Tony didn’t look like he could take much more mothering, either.
“Oh, no,” Stevens told him, amused at the whole thing. “Please, give us all the details. Don’t hold back.”
“You only say that,” Tony scowled at him, “because you’ve never had a sprained wrist around him!”
“It could have been broken,” Eames protested, fingers twitching as if about to take action.
“I majored in that kind of stuff. I think I would know if it was something more than a sprain.”
“Yes, but I didn’t know that –”
“Yeah, right! You had everything about me within five hours of our meeting and don’t say otherwise, because I gave it to you!”
“It sounds like our friend is doing well,” everyone turned to see the Headmaster at the door with a broad smile on his face. McGonagall was next to him and Harry could see Snape lurking behind them.
“Professor!” Eames beamed back. “It’s been ages!”
“It has,” he agreed. “How are you, my boy?”
Eames chattered on about something, but Harry didn’t listen. He moved closer to Tony as Ron and Hermione did the same.
“Is your Godfather going to be there?” Tony wanted to know.
“I don’t know. I hope him or Moony’s going to be available to consult,” Harry shrugged.
When they had visited Tony last night, they told him that they had some reason to suspect that something was going on with the Map. They just didn’t explain everything.
“Ah, Tony,” Dumbledore turned to him. “We just came by to inform you that our three young friends, here, did indeed find out just the bit of information we needed. As it so happens, Professor Snape’s missing ingredients were the cause of the explosion.”
“I knew it,” Hermione beamed.
Harry and Ron had believed her from the start.
“And,” McGonagall slanted a glance at Snape, “I believe our Potions Master has something to add.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Stevens leaning close to Palmer. “This oughta be good.”
Snape, looking like he just had lemon for a snack, forced himself to look each of the Trio in the eye. “I may have been… somewhat hasty in locating the thief. For that, you have my sincerest apologies.”
The Trio reluctantly agreed.
“I accept your apologies, too,” Tony smiled widely, though there was an edge to his smile. “However indirectly they were made.”
“Really?” Ron frowned at him. “What did he accuse you of, then?”
“Being a liar. And not believing me when I said that there was no way that you could’ve stolen anything, only to use them to blow up my office.”
“Of course, they wouldn’t,” Palmer frowned. “They’re like four peas in a pod. And there was the wedding stuff this past summer.”
“It’s probably when the office blew up that he realized there was no way the kids could’ve done it,” Tony scowled.
Harry agreed. It sounded about right.
“Now that we’ve made amends,” Dumbledore beamed at the group, “I think our youngest three were on their way to enjoy their weekend.”
Harry was about to move away when Tony caught his eye.
‘Taking the Cloak with you?’ he mouthed.
Harry shook his head, blinking at his friend’s grin. He thought about asking, but decided he didn’t want to know.
He and his two friends said their goodbyes before heading out of the Hospital Wing, then out of the school.
September clouds swam above them as they made their journey away from school. While it wasn’t horribly chilly just yet, they still had jumpers on.
“You know,” Hermione happily broke the silence, “we are in our last year. I still can’t believe it.”
Harry tilted his head. “I honestly wasn’t sure I’d make it,” he admitted.
“’course you would have,” Ron bumped their shoulders together. “We would’ve made you.”
“And Tony would have helped,” Hermione added.
Harry couldn’t help wondering where they would be without the Italian. Would Sherlock dying have pushed him over the edge in a world without them?
He didn’t like thinking of that scenario, so he pushed his thoughts somewhere else.
Patting his pocket where the Map was folded in, Harry frowned.
He’d sent a message with Fawkes to either Remus or Sirius about the Map and he was fairly sure the Phoenix had given it to them. It had been kind of odd, though.
The Trio had found Tony trying to shoo the firebird off last night. It had evidently decided that he made a comfortable perch and had been sat on his stomach when they came in, not bothered by the dark look or threats of barbeque – whatever that meant – issuing from the American. They’d left with the note sent and Tony still trying to make Fawkes go away.
“Why d’you think Fawkes was with Tony last night?” he mused as they moved along.
“You can’t quite tell with Phoenixes, Harry,” Hermione told him. “But I will admit that I’ve always seen it – him? – with the Headmaster.”
“Can you blame it?” Ron grinned. “I would think Tony a lot more interesting, too.”
They caught up with Ginny, Vince and a few others to wander around the village before deciding about lunch. Of course, the Trio sent them on ahead while they took a side trip to the Shrieking Shack.
“We never specifically told them were to meet, did we?” Hermione frowned.
“They’re either here, the cave or the Three Broomsticks,” Ron pointed out. “They could probably even be in the Tower when we get back.”
Harry shrugged. They did say that they would be around before lunch, so…
They were just climbing back up the hill to return to the Village proper when a flash of movement caught Harry’s eye. He followed it to the right and frowned as it disappeared further into the trees.
“I think someone’s here,” he told the other two, deciding to follow.
“We should be careful,” Hermione and Ron drew their wands a second after he did.
They scanned the trees and Harry moved toward where he thought there was movement.
Harry led them deeper into the woods as the movement caught his attention again.
Left, right, he followed it with Ron and Hermione on his heels, all of them alert to their surroundings the farther they were led around.
“It’s like whatever Harry’s seeing is playing with us,” Hermione whispered as Harry suddenly lost what they were following. “And, for that matter, why can’t we see it, too?”
“I don’t think it’s a trap,” Harry frowned, looking around almost absently. His scar hadn’t given him any trouble recently and told them as much. “Plus, I don’t think anyone would keep us going – only to lead us back to where we started,” he pointed at the Shack just visible through the trees.
“You’re right,” Ron blinked. “But,” he twisted one way and then another with a puzzled frown. “Well, what was the point in leading us in circles, then?”
They looked at each other, Harry shaking his head.
“Maybe the past few days have been getting to me more than I thought?” he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s stress from worrying about Tony, right?... and maybe I’m hungry…?”
“That’s it,” Ron nodded, jumping on the answer that made the most sense. “Time for lunch, then.”
Harry worried his lip. All throughout their chase, he kept seeing flashes of white. There was something about it that kept poking at him, but he couldn’t catch it. There was no use telling his friends about it, because he didn’t even know if it was supposed to mean anything.
“Hopefully, Sirius or Professor Lupin are here already,” Hermione said quietly.
“Yeah,” Harry loosed a sigh and they turned to head back to the Shrieking Shack, where they started from –
- only to jump back with startled yelps as they came face to face with a figure just as startled to see them.
“I’m sorry!” the blond almost shouted, jumping back and tripping over something to land on his rear. “I was exploring again and I just saw you and I wasn’t sure if it really was you, because I’ve been told –”
“Phil!” Hermione grinned, interrupting him as Harry recognized the blond Squib and leaned against the nearest tree to try to calm his racing heart.
“What in bloody Merlin’s name do you think you’re doing!” Ron yelled at the Squib as Hermione hauled him up and into a giant hug. “You don’t just sneak around in the woods with armed Wizards and Death Eaters on the loose!”
“What’re those?” he blinked at Ron, awkwardly patting Hermione on the shoulder as she hugged tighter. “I mean, I wasn’t sneaking! And what about you? The three of you are sneaking around here, too!”
“Not on purpose!”
The blond Squib had come into their lives around Easter, last term year. Harry and Hermione had met him when they stayed with Vince Muldoon and his Mum. AJ and Tony – in his Agent form, whom they’d mistook for Sirius as Padfoot – had also been along to meet him, all of them finding out that the blond had been and still was terrified of dogs. They tried to cure him of some of that fear, but met with minimal success.
Ron had only met him the once, after Easter, but the redhead obviously remembered him.
“ – and next time, say something instead of following us so we know where to aim the next spell,” he pointed at the bemused blond with a scowl.
“I’ll try to remember that,” he smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “So, what’re you guys doing here this time around? Another illicit adventure?”
“Not this time,” Hermione smiled slightly. “It’s Hogsmeade Weekend, a time when Hogwarts students from Third Year and up can visit as long as they’ve got their permission slips turned in.”
“Is this a monthly thing? Well, yeah, I guess it is what with the Village and School being neighbors and all. Did your undercover friend come back?”
“Uh, yeah,” Harry answered, deciding the blond didn’t need to know that Agent was the friend. “He’s actually teaching until Christmas this year.”
“And what are you doing back in Hogsmeade?” Hermione turned the question on him. “Didn’t you say something about your family having property here?”
“Yeah, my brother. And since I’m kind of locked down as of now, I’ll be in and out of here indefinitely until further notice.”
“Locked down? Why? Did something happen?” concern flooded her features as she asked.
“Yeah… You could say that,” he shrugged. “Something happened and we thought it best if I stay here for the foreseeable future.”
“Well, you’ll know who to call if you need any help,” Hermione smiled widely. “We’re just an Owl away.”
“Plus, our friend’s here, too,” Harry reminded him.
“Can’t say I’ve met your Professor friend, but if you can trust him, then I don’t see why I can’t,” he shrugged. The blond wore a forest green coat with a lot of buttons, a light brown scarf and a necklace that caught Harry’s eye.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you wearing that necklace before,” he absently mused.
Phil followed his gaze. “Oh, I’ve always worn it,” he shrugged again. “It’s actually how I can stay in the Village. I can probably stay without it, but I don’t know how safe that would be.”
“Actually,” Ron tilted his head consideringly. “It might be better if you kept hiding it.”
“Maybe,” Phil conceded, “but no one else is going to know I’m a Squib. For all people think they know everything, I’m pretty sure no one’s going to think it’s something more than a pretty pendant that my boyfriend gave me.”
“Oh. Yeah, that would do the trick. About no one knowing you’re a Squib, I mean,” Ron’s odd tone had Harry and Hermione exchanging looks.
“Uhm, I have a question,” Phil uncertainly raised a hand, his blue eyes watching Ron. “Is being… you know, gay, um… bad in the Magic World? I mean, I’ve always thought it was okay.”
“Well,” he squinted, worrying his bottom lip under their scrutiny, “I mean, it’s not much like the Muggles, right? It’s not – not forbidden to like other boys or other girls. Mum sat me and Ginny down and said that if we did like them or were attracted to them, there’s nothing wrong with that. Not that I am,” he hastily assured Harry. “It’s just… if I was. ‘cept, I dunno about other countries, but there’s this story about Helga Hufflepuff and no one knows if it’s really true, but it’s – it’s there.”
He fell silent and Phil blinked.
“You’re not… going to tell us the story?”
“Well, we can look that up for ourselves,” Hermione pointed out.
“But I wanna hear it,” he scowled. “It could be important.”
“Not sure about that,” Ron gave a shrug. “I dunno if she was into girls or not, but Hufflepuff once dated this witch for… maybe a year or two? Rowena Ravenclaw asked her if it had been worth it and Hufflepuff said that it was. ‘Perhaps falling in love – even for such a short time – will make our hearts become stronger for it,’ Hufflepuff told her. ‘It is our hearts, you see, that absorbs like hearts no matter where or who they come from.’ All the Founders were in agreement that being … ‘gay’ wasn’t a problem – even Gryffindor and Slytherin when they were at each other’s throats. I mean, it’s not … I heard stories about gay Muggles in their own world, but there’s lots of things gay Magicals can do. Just never thought about looking that up. Bet Mac could tell you if you asked her. But, there are Magicals out there who don’t … agree with being gay, so Phil should probably keep mum about his necklace and where it came from. Just in case.”
“I guess there’s hatred everywhere in the world, no matter where you go,” Phil sighed in resignation.
“But that’s just horrible,” Hermione scowled. “The heart loves who it loves. I don’t care who they are. You might think you want one person, but someone also may end up putting their mark on you instead!”
It was only luck that Harry glanced over to see Ron stiffen at that, Phil shrugging at Hermione as both remained oblivious. “Our lot in life, I suppose,” he smiled wryly.
“Don’t talk like that,” Hermione frowned up at him. “There’s nothing wrong with you.”
Harry checked the time and frowned. “We should be going,” he told them somewhat apologetically.
“Oh,” Phil seemed surprised, then disappointed. “I… I see.”
“Don’t feel bad,” Hermione reached out to squeeze his arm. “We’ve been planning this for the last week.”
“No, no. I understand,” the blond smiled sadly, blue eyes dropping to the side. “You have other people to hang out with.”
“We try to spend time with all of the people we like to hang out with,” she smiled reassuringly.
“Some more than others,” Harry had to concede, “but only because we end up with them more.”
Phil nodded. “I know,” he smiled warmly at Hermione. “None of you strike me as the type of person to just up and leave people. Though, to be honest,” the smile slipped away as his blue eyes darkened, “I kind of feel like that type of person more. Except, there wasn’t any other way and I feel like the worst person in the world. I don’t want to stay here forever.”
“I could,” Harry shrugged with a slight smile.
“Why don’t you, then?” Ron blinked at him.
“I’m sure you’re not a horrible person, Phil,” Hermione gave Ron a look before smiling back up at Phil. “I don’t know what happened – and I don’t want to push if you don’t feel comfortable talking to us right now -, but I do know it wasn’t your fault. Well, if it was, then it wasn’t your fault in the way that you feel was entirely your fault. Things always seem blown out of proportion to the ones involved.”
“If you say so,” Phil eyed her slightly uncertainly. “Where are you three off to, anyway?”
“The Three Broomsticks. Oh,” she perked up. “Why don’t you come with us?”
“Huh? Oh, oh, no. Really. I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“No, it’s fine,” she hugged his arm. “Maybe you can meet some of the others. Vince might even be there, too.”
“If you’re sure that no one’ll mind,” he let her pull him along. “Oh, what about that other girl? AJ?”
“She’s not old enough, yet, I’m afraid,” she explained, the pair leading the way and leaving Ron and Harry to follow. “Hogsmeade Weekend is for Third Years and up, remember? AJ’s still in Second Year.”
Harry shrugged at their backs and glanced over to see Ron frowning. “Something wrong?”
“Remember what AJ said on the train?” he asked instead, the boys ambling after the other two. “About the Founders?”
Harry frowned, not quite able to forget that anytime soon. “Yeah, why?”
“There was something about a ‘secret mark’, right? Well,” he looked around before moving closer and lowering his voice. “I remembered something. There’s always been this story about the Founders having this secret symbol.”
That got his attention.
“The mark AJ was talking about?” he whispered back.
“I don’t know,” Ron shook his head. “I think I can find it in the library,” both glanced ahead at Hermione as she gestured wildly with a free hand, Phil grinning down at her. “I don’t think we should let Hermione know what we’re doing.”
Harry agreed.
Their third didn’t believe in prophecies, so there was a possibility that she could sabotage them somehow. Harry had been curious about AJ’s… ‘prophecy’, for lack of another word, but hadn’t been sure what to do about it, so Hermione would have to be kept in the dark.
“But how are we going to find it without her?” he had to ask. “And how do we keep her from finding out?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged helplessly. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
There was also something else.
“AJ said something about balance, didn’t she? What would that mean?”
Ron frowned. “Don’t know. But maybe,” he perked up, “maybe when we find the Founders’ Mark, something else’ll happen to give us the next step. You have to admit that kind of thing happens to us a lot…”
Harry sheepishly couldn’t argue. “Why would AJ have called them Headmasters instead of Founders?”
“Well, do we know they weren’t Headmasters?” Ron pointed out. “Remember, we’ve never seen their portraits. That’s assuming they’re in the school somewhere, but I’ve heard that they can be called the Four Headmasters. Everyone just calls them the Founders.”
Harry looked up to see Phil and Hermione waiting for them. “Maybe the first thing we should do is not get her suspicious.”
Ron grinned back. “Probably.”
* **
The four finally made it to the Three Broomsticks and met Ginny, Neville, Hannah and Vince.
“Phil!” Vince grinned widely, whacking the Squib’s arm in greeting. “Been ages.”
“Yeah!” Phil beamed back.
Vince and the Trio introduced Phil to the others and they all settled at a corner table.
Harry kept an eye out for anyone familiar as they ordered Butterbeers.
“Looking for something, Harry?” Phil wanted to know, nibbling on a pretzel.
“Oh, yeah. Lupin’s going to either meet us or send someone we know,” he shrugged. “To keep an eye on me while we’re here.”
Phil was the only one who stared blankly. “Who?”
“He taught in Third Year,” Neville explained, “but he got sacked when it got out he was a Werewolf.”
“… those exist?”
“Among other things,” Harry grimaced. He still shivered as he remembered the Dementors.
“How’d you find out he was a Werewolf?”
“Malfoy,” Ginny scowled. “The git constantly looks for ways to make trouble.”
“Him more than the other Snakes,” Ron agreed with his own scowl.
Their Butterbeers arrived before they really got going about their troubles with Malfoy and his cronies and the group drank almost half the round when they got a few stories in.
“Unbelievable,” Phil’s mug was emptier than the others as he held it aloft, blue eyes wide as they related the times Malfoy made trouble in Third Year.
“It would’ve been,” Ginny shrugged, “if everyone hadn’t seen them try on the Pitch.”
“A lot of us still talk about it, really,” Hannah mused, munching on a crisp. “It’s become something of a legend.”
“That’s not something I particularly wanted to hear,” Harry groused.
He didn’t need more legends and rumors surrounding his person, thanks.
“It’s true,” Neville confirmed. “Some of the Third Years were talking about it just this morning and – hey, Professor Lupin!”
Harry and the others turned to the door and waved the former teacher over. Another round of introductions later, Phil had had enough drinks – “After one and a half mugs?” “Hey, they’re bigger than they look.” – and had to leave.
Vince went with him at least as far as his own house to keep an eye on him, Phil not the steadiest walker even sober, and the others waved after them.
“We’ll see you next month, Phil,” Hermione assured.
“Okay. See you then,” Phil waved back and Vince hurriedly steadied him before he crashed into someone.
Once they were sure Phil was going to survive the trip back to his place – wherever that was -, everyone turned back to Lupin.
The Werewolf was doing well, Tony having managed to land him a tutoring job with a young pair of American Witches who were already learning Second Year material.
“That’s wonderful,” Hannah beamed. “They sound very bright.”
“They would probably be Ravenclaws, if I’m any judge,” he agreed, draining his mug. “Now,” he turned to the Trio. “What’s this about the Map acting up?”
Hannah joined in some parts of it as the story was explained. “…. and we thought there’d been someone near the greenhouses, but Professor Sprout never found anything.”
“There wasn’t anything that showed up on the Map?” Lupin turned questioning brown eyes on Harry, who shook his head.
“I was concentrating on Ron and he was alone in the Great Hall. There was no way I couldn’t have seen someone – never mind a kid.”
It took long moments before Lupin shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s possible that one of the charms may be fading, but I thought we’d made sure it was solid. I can make sure, but that would probably take a week or more on top of … other things,” Ginny, Neville and the Trio didn’t miss his small smile at Hannah, who sent a slightly confused smile back.
“It’s fine,” Harry smiled slightly, taking the Map from his pocket and giving it to the Marauder. “Better safe than sorry.”
Hannah had to meet with a study group, so Hermione waited until the redhead left before leaning forward expectantly. “Can you tell us anything?”
Lupin had to chuckle as Harry, Ron, Ginny and Neville did the same. “Not much, you understand.”
He nodded and sighed, humor gone. “As much as I love tutoring Tony’s young friends, I do have my other job. From what I’ve understood, evidently – and I don’t know what you know -, there is something that everyone is looking for. Harry, I’m sure you don’t need to be reminded of your First Year…”
“It is not like First Year!” Ron balked, Harry and Hermione exchanging alarmed looks.
“No, no,” he reassured. “It’s not the Stone – that’s long gone. There’s more than one thing similar to it, but this is something else. We don’t think it makes anyone immortal, but there isn’t much information about it to be completely sure. Now, no one knows where the rumors really came from or if the story attached to it is true, but it is a stone called the Star Drop and it is said to be very powerful. The problem is, none of it can be proven sources of information. No one knows for sure that it exists – or what it even does -, but even Dumbledore is looking for it. It’s something whole and can only be destroyed if shattered and there’s no other information except some random clues that may not even lead anywhere.”
“Well, that can’t be too unusual,” Ginny mused.
“No, it’s not. And all of this is assuming the thing exists at all. Everyone has identical information and there’s nothing new about what little we’ve managed to dig up.”
Harry stared into his mug.
So, there was something else out there that could bring Riddle power. The way his luck’s been going, he was probably going to end up finding the bloody thing. Then what?
“Are we certain that no one knows what it does?” Hermione furrowed her brow.
“Riddle’s trying to find more information about it before anyone is officially sent out.”
From Voldemort to Riddle, Tony, Mac and Palmer had gotten them all on the habit over the summer and Harry was never actually sure if it was an American thing or an Agency thing or even if there was a difference between the two.
As far as this ‘Star Drop’ went, nothing could truly be done about it until someone actually came up with enough information to confirm its existence to begin with.
Harry would have to keep an eye out, then.
* **