Scrawlings: Harry Potter and the Grantivitus Orb

Cover painted from scratch on Photoshop. Telemachus © me, mitts off unless you have permission.

Harry’s eyes grew heavy, and soon he became oblivious to the chatter around him. Underneath the warm sunlight, he slipped into sleep. His pleasant dreams were soon interrupted by a dark cloud. It expanded to reveal a scene. A woman with red hair stood on a platform, a single light from above picking out her nervous features.
“We had power, but no knowledge. Now it is reversed.” said someone in the shadows.
“Knowledge is important” agreed another
“But we’re weak now, and power is all”
“We need it back. We shall use it to give the Dark Lord a greater gift.”
“Yes,” agreed the redhead, nervously looking about.
“Take your pet and speak to the one that remained” said a shadow
“Retrieve the Orb”
Something scrabbled in Harry’s hair and he started awake.
“Sorry,” apologized Ron, scooping up Scabbers. Noticing Harry’s startled expression, he added “are you alright?”. Harry dumbly nodded, trying to forget his nightmare.
“Hermione sent me to get you. It’s time for Herbology.”

That night, Harry tossed in his sleep. His dream wasn’t a pleasant one. In a claustrophobic room, a group of heavily robed short figures stood in a tight circle. There was a girl with red hair, a younger version of the woman from Harry’s earlier dream. She looked about conspiratorially before producing a glass ball the size of a snitch from her pocket.
“You actually got one?” asked one of the assembled people, voice familiar to Harry, but try as he might he couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Yes,” said the girl. “Let’s begin.”
The figures produced their wands and began to chant something. The Orb began to glow, dimly at first, but suddenly it flashed so brightly that Harry couldn’t see. He sat up suddenly, rubbing his eyes before fumbling for his glasses. Everything was as it should be. Ron’s quiet snores floated from somewhere in the darkness. Trying to still his beating heart, Harry took his glasses off and lay down again. Two nightmares in one day. He’d have to tell Hermione about both of them on the morrow.

Though he was desperate to tell Hermione about his dream all day, Harry found things constantly getting into his way. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he had been excused from the only classes they had scheduled together that morning owing to Quidditch training. He had tried telling Ron before they left the common room, but the conversation had rapidly become sidetracked
“Woman with read hair? Redhead? Dad brought home a box of sticks called Redheads once. He never did work out what they’re for” Ron had said.

Finally Harry caught up to Hermione in the corridor. It was just before potions, thankfully the last class of the day. Hermione was talking to Alka Gaerwin, a boisterous Ravenclaw girl she had recently befriended. They turned as he approached.
“Here comes a Harry!” sang Alka
“Hi Harry” said Hermione, stepping away from Alka as she did an impromptu dance.
“Hi, can I have a word?” Harry eyed Hermione’s flailing friend.
“I’ll see you later” Hermione said to Alka, who happily danced away singing “Potions!”.
“Utterly bonkers,” Harry said when she had gone. Hermione listened carefully as Harry told her about his dreams.
“It was like they were putting something into it” Harry finished.
“Something definitely isn’t right” she said thoughtfully.
“What were they doing?” Harry asked.
“I have a theory…But I need to get some more information first. I’ll tell you when I’m sure” she said, then abruptly changed the topic “Do you have your feather?”
Harry felt in his pocket and produced one of Hedwig’s recently shed feathers.

“Have you heard the rumors?” asked Fred, appearing at Harry’s shoulder. Hermione walked towards the potions room, studiously ignoring the Weasly brothers.
“Which ones?” Harry answered, noncommittally.
“About the mysterious man, Vleglitch” said George
“Appeared on the shore of the lake, apparently,” continued Fred
“Tattered, his clothes were, filthy!” said George, delightedly
“They say a Ravenclaw found ‘em, told the professors” said Fred
“And they kept it quiet” finished George, biting into a sweet he’d pulled from his pocket. He looked slightly sick for a second, and turned away. Fred skipped around Harry to peer at George’s face.
“Oh dear, I think we may still need to work on it a bit,” said Fred, looking at George objectively.
“What do you think, Harry?” Fred asked, turning George around to face him. George’s face had turned a very bright shade of sky blue.
“Umm, should his face be blue?” asked Harry. The twins nodded emphatically.
“It’s meant to do that,” said George, turning to admire his reflection in a window
“but his hair is meant to go green, too” said Fred, rather disappointedly.
“Come on Harry, we’ll be late for Potions!” Hermione called.
“Bye, good luck with the hair” said Harry, leaving the twins to discuss the problems with their latest product. As they neared the potions classroom, Ron joined them.

“Hi,” he said, sucking on his finger where Scabbers had scratched him.
“You’re almost late” scolded Hermione, just as the doors open and they began to file in.
“You try getting hair from Scabbers. That ruddy rat bit me!” he shoved his finger in Hermione’s face, and was about to say more when Snape entered. A hush fell immediately.
“Today, we are making Emeritmon potions. Does anyone know what they are?” Snape surveyed the students in front of him. When it became clear that only one of them was able to answer, he sighed and nodded at Hermione.
“The Emeritmon potion is a temporary means by which you can monitor a person or animal’s emotional state” she said quickly.
“Correct. I trust you have all brought your samples?” said Snape. The class scrabbled through their bags, producing an assortment of feathers and animal hair. Ron carefully placed his small pile of Scabbers’ hair as far away as possible from Hermione’s Crookshanks fluff.
“The ingredients and process are on the board. Begin” said Snape.

“Mum used this, once” said Ron, “she’d grounded Fred and George, and wanted to make sure they weren’t having too much fun at home.”
“Did it work?” asked Hermione, stirring their cauldron gently.
“Nah, they had so much fun the beaker exploded. You should have seen her face!” answered Ron, grinning at the memory. When the brew was finished, they carefully divided it into three tall containers and added their final ingredients. Harry slid in one of Hedwig’s feathers, watching carefully as it dissolved into the liquid.
“It’s a bit like the Marauder’s map” he said, looking down delightedly at his jar. The liquid sloshing about inside had turned to content green.
“It only lasts about a day,” said Hermione helpfully.
“Note the many different tones the potion is capable of displaying. Put your jars in the middle of your desks, in plain view, and observe the colours of those around you” instructed Snape, gliding between the desks.

Harry looked about him. Ron’s was an anxious blue, Hermione’s a restful purple. Crabbe and Goyle’s were both the same petulant orange colour, presumably having both used one of Draco’s hairs. Almost everybody’s was a bright colour, except for Neville’s, which wasn’t any particular colour as it slowly cycled through the rainbow, and Alka’s, which was almost black. Snape paused in front of her desk.
“Can somebody explain why Miss Gaerwin’s potion has no colour?” he asked. Hermione madly waved her hand in the air.
“Anyone?” asked Snape, ignoring her.
“Because she made a mistake brewing it?” offered Parvati.
“No, no!” cried Hermione, unable to contain herself any longer “Whoever she is watching is in a particularly dark mood.”
Snape glared at her.
“I should subtract points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn. You are, however, correct. You will observe that an incorrectly brewed potion cannot settle on a single colour,” he pointed at Neville’s fluctuating potion. Neville looked embarrassed.

After they had packed up, Harry quickly walked over to Alka’s desk. She was staring rather blankly ahead, chin resting in her hands.
“Alka, I was wondering…” began Harry, startling her. After an alarming moment where she almost fell off her chair, looked up and grinned
“Yes?”
“Have you heard anything about someone from your house finding a man by the lake?” said Harry. Alka paused as Snape walked past, turning to watch him leave the lab. When he’d gone, she looked at Harry again.
“Apparently he’s in the Hospital Wing right now. We’ve no clue where he came from – all the professors have told us is his name and something about a ball.”
“Orb?” asked Harry desperately, ignoring Draco as he passed and threw a ball of paper at him.
“Something like that, yeah” said Alka, standing.
“What was his name?” asked Harry, following her into the corridor.
“Vleglitch, or something. Hello again, Hermione!” Alka smiled as Hermione approached. Ron looked at Harry questioningly. Hastily excusing himself, Harry went to tell Ron what he had learned.

“So who did you use, for the black?” Hermione asked Alka, trying to start a conversation. Alka smiled happily, holding her jar aloft so it caught the light and seemed to almost glow blackness.
“I hold in my hand essence of Snape! I grabbed one of his hairs from his chair when no- one was looking.”
Before Hermione could ask her about her choice of sample, Alka danced madly away down the corridor.
“Strange girl,” she said, turning back to Ron and Harry.
“Mad, but nice” agreed Ron.
“So do you think this Vleglitch bloke has anything to do with the orb you’ve been dreaming about?” he asked Harry.
“Vleglitch? The Vleglitch? Where?” Hermione demanded before Harry could answer.
“Take it easy, Hermione. He’s some bloke a Ravenclaw fished out of the lake. You know him?” answered Ron
“Vleglitch Mallory was a squib. Fifty years ago, he somehow managed to get into Hogwarts. They think it was because of his sister, a rather bossy witch from Slytherin, who was expelled as a result. Anyway, they say he saw something, something to do with the Dark Arts. His memory was wiped, and the incident almost forgotten” she said, as if quoting a textbook.
“How do you know about it, then?” asked Ron
“It was briefly mentioned in Hogwarts, A History, which I’m sure you’ve read too” she said.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” said Ron, ears reddening.
“I think we ought to check this out. Tonight, after dinner?” said Harry.
“I’ve got a transfiguration essay due tomorrow” lamented Ron
“Well go do it now!” said Harry, giving his friend a push.
“See you tonight.”
“I’ve done all my homework, but I need to ask Professor McGonagall something” said Hermione
“What about?” asked Harry as they walked to the Transfiguration classroom.
“That orb in your dream, I’ve read about it somewhere.”
They arrived just as McGonagall had finished packing up. She had been teaching the first years about turning beetles into buttons, and held a box in her hand filled with an assortment of beetles, buttons, buttons with legs and beetles with holes.
“Could we have a moment?” asked Hermione
“Certainly, dear. What did you want?” said McGonagall.
“I was wondering about Grantivis Orbs”
McGonagall frowned.
“Why do you want to know something like that?” she enquired
“Just curious,” said Harry quickly. McGonagall thought for a moment, then sighed.
“Grantivis Orbs are small crystal balls used in the storage of power. A magical battery, if you like. You put in magic, draining yourself, and used the stored magic later as a booster. But it’s a dangerous thing, magic doesn’t like being bottled away, and is want to create all sorts of havoc. You have to seal it with the dead body of an un-magical animal to keep it all in. Foxes and vermin were usually used for this, but they allowed some magic to leak. The only thing that sealed them permanently were non-wizards born of wizard parents”
“You’d kill a squib? That’s horrible!” interjected Hermione
“It certainly was. Grantivis Orbs were outlawed over a hundred years ago, because dark wizards had begun to use them as a system of tribute to their evil lords. They aided powerful, one-shot spells that had terrible ramifications. Thankfully the Ministry of Magic has found and disposed of most of the known Orbs. They’re terrible things to have hanging around” she said.
“Because anyone who came across the Orb use the power?” asked Hermione
“Precisely, Miss Granger.”

Harry looked very worried as they left the classroom.
“I think that’s what I’ve been dreaming about” he said.
“I saw people filling one of those Grantivis Orbs, and now Death Eaters are looking for it.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Hermione warned. “Wait until we’ve finished finding out about Vleglitch”
“How are we going to get into the Hospital Ward?” asked Harry
“I think I have a plan,” said Hermione at length
“But we’ll need Fred and George’s help”
Harry stopped dead
“They’ll make a right mess of things” he said incredulously.
“That’s the point,” replied Hermione craftily “have a bag of green-nose gobstoppers ready”

Harry, Ron and Hermione met after dinner just outside the Common Room, waiting until the corridor was clear before pulling the invisibility cloak over their shoulders.
“Is the plan clear?” asked Harry as they made their way carefully to the Hospital Wing
“I help distract Madam Pomfrey while you and Ron sneak past and get a good look at Vleglitch. You get out, I make my excuses, and we run” said Hermione
“Just making sure you’re clear” said Ron, “we don’t want you to mess up”
“It was my plan to start with, you know” she reminded them grumpily. It was slow progress, the trio had to freeze as the final stragglers passed them on their way to their various Common Rooms.
“Of course, the Hospital wing just has to be a ruddy long walk away” complained Ron.

Alka was curled up comfortably in the Ravenclaw common room, trying to concentrate on her homework. She knew she should have done the essay much earlier, but seemed to be slipping into the terrible habit of madly doing the homework the night before it was due. She glanced up at the jar from that day’s potions lesson, smiling slightly at the ebony liquid within.

“Sending an Owl, Severus?”
Snape whirled around, dropping the letter he had been tying to the owl’s foot. Standing across the owlery from him was a figure swathed in the traditional cloth of a Death Eater, wisps of bright red hair escaping from the tall pointed hat.
“How did you get in here?” Snape demanded, reaching for his wand.
“Expelliarmus,” drawled the Death Eater, almost lazily. Snape’s wand clattered out the owlery door and down the dim corridor outside.
“Envira Mallory?” he asked, squinting in the waning light.
“The very same,” said Mallory, pushing back her mask and smirking. Snape began to warily edge towards the owlery door when something emerged from the shadows behind Mallory. Upon seeing it, every single owl suddenly began desperately flapping, hooting alarmed. Snape raised his arms to shield his face as hundreds of owls swept past him and out into the night, desperate to escape the room.

Alka looked up, startled, as the black potion suddenly turned a blood red. Hastily shoving her homework off her lap, she grabbed her cloak and ran towards the Syltherin common room. Outside she found a group of Slytherin first years just about to enter the portal.
“We weren’t doing anything!” they cried when they saw her, afraid that she was coming to punish them for getting back to their common room late.
“No, you weren’t. Where is Professor Snape?” she asked breathlessly.
“Hey, you’re that crazy Ravenclaw girl,” one of the students drawled, sneering in the half-light.
“You bet I’m crazy,” said Alka, drawing her wand. The Slytherin students took a startled step backwards “and I’m about to get much crazier, if you don’t tell me where Professor Snape is!”
The Bloody Baron swooped through the wall, laughing madly.
“Oh, I like this, a Ravenclaw threatening Syltherin students!” he crooned. Glad of the distraction, the Slytherin students scuttled into the safety of their Common Room, portal banging noisily behind them. Alka gritted her teeth and pointed her wand at the Bloody Baron.
“I like your style, girl. So I’ll tell you. He’s gone to the Owlery” said the Bloody Baron, almost reasonably. He waited until she’d run off towards the Owlery before flying into the Syltherin common room, loudly proclaiming “Alka Gaerwin has the hots for Snape!” to all who would listen.

They were near the Owlery when Ron suddenly looked up.
“Wait, I can hear something” Ron stopped, almost pulling the cloak off Harry and Hermione.
“Careful!” Hermione hissed, tugging the cloak back.
“I heard something, voices,” he insisted.
“Well, we didn’t” said Harry, impatient to get a peek at Vleglitch.
“I’ll see you back in the Common Room” Ron insisted, slipping out of the cloak and disappearing down the corridor.

Mallory giggled, stroking the creature easily. If it were to stand upright it would be as tall as a man, but it stood hunched. Massive paws stemmed from muscular arms, hanging loosely from broad shoulders. The torso gave way to a thin waist and pelvis, reminiscent of the body shape of a hunting dog. The legs were thick, and like the arms, lead into large taloned feet. A face with the shape of a hunting big cat sprouted two tapered ears, swishing gently in the night air. The entire beast was covered in a thick layer of fur, deep brown with a white splash down the front. It moved gracefully, built for speed and agility rather than brute strength. It currently exuded an air of deadliness.
“Have you met my pet?” Mallory asked.

Ron walked slowly, trying to be as invisible as possible. He could hear distant voices floating down the corridor from the Owlery. As he neared, he recognized Snape’s saturnine tones. He was talking to a woman, but the voice was unfamiliar.

“Surely it isn’t yours” Snape said, indicating the man-sized beast at Mallory’s side.
“His previous owner… Departed.”
“At your hand, no doubt. How do you control him?” Snape was surreptitiously edging out of the door, reaching for his wand, hoping that Mallory would be sufficiently distracted by the conversation.
“Imperious, of course. And don’t even think of touching that wand.” Mallory had noticed Snape’s ploy.
“Now, onto business. Where is it?”
“What?”
“The Grantivis Orb. Tell me.” Mallory advanced threateningly, creature gracefully keeping pace with her.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about”
“Don’t you?” Mallory flicked her wand. Snape almost doubled over, cradling his left forearm, trying desperately reach his wand. Somewhere far away a door slammed open.
“I can’t - ” he muttered
“Oh, tsk tsk Severus, I was expecting your lies to be more convincing” Mallory murmured, enjoying the fear on Snape’s face. He stepped backwards, stumbling over his own feet. He was in the corridor now, Mallory and her creature following him. Ron sank deeper into the shadows, hopelessly witnessing the scene playing out before him. The creature wound about Mallory’s legs lazily made its way towards Snape.
“Tell me and I’ll let Gradham here be gentle with you” Mallory grinned viciously
“I don’t know what you’re here for” Snape said, voice even despite his obvious pain.
“What a pity. Gradham, attack!”

The creature tensed.

Suddenly a small figure leapt from a side passage, screaming “PROTEGO!” in a voice cracked with desperation. A swathe of green light issued from their wand, creating a barrier around Snape. Without pause, the figure spun around and shouted “Locomotor!” The creature, Gradham, was taken by surprise, startled as the spell threw him down the corridor the figure had emerged from. In a flash the figure was gone, pelting after the beast, already shouting “Locomotor!” a second time. After another moment a distant door slammed shut, followed by a far-off shout of “Colloportus!”, then “Incarserous” .

Alka wearily watched Gradham, keeping as far away from him as the cramped storeroom she had sealed them in allowed. Now she had managed to separate the beast from Mallory, she hadn’t a clue what she should do. She hoped Snape would be able to repel the woman attacking him now that her pet was gone. Would her shielding spell buy him enough time to recover himself? The Gradham creature thrashed and broke free from her Incarserous spell, enraged.

“Pertrificus Totalus” Mallory growled, calm veneer dissipated the instant the unknown element had removed her animalistic slave. The hex bounced off the shield the figure had left, freezing a nearby candle’s flame.
“Oh dear, looks like your rabbit has fled” said Snape, who thanks to the rapidly fading Protego shield had ample time to retrieve his wand. He quickly wove a far more powerful shielding spell. Mallory snarled, preparing to cast an unforgivable curse. Without warning Snape suddenly let loose a formidable wave of hexes, ranging from simple lock-leg charms to more painful skin-peeling enchantments. Too long had Mallory depended on her ill-gotten slave for defense in situations such as this. Well and truly outmatched, she turned and fled. Snape stood for a long time, still on his guard, before turning tail and striding to where he heard the terrified, ineffectual curses of his unknown savior.

Mallory didn’t stop running until she was deep in the Forbidden Forest. There she collapsed and began to sob. Not only had she failed to discover the location of the Grantivis Orb, but she had lost a highly valuable servant. She heard the inevitable crunch of her fellow Death Eater’s footsteps, old friends surrounding her in the pale moonlight.
“You’ve failed” said a flat, emotionless voice. Mallory heard the rustle of cloaks as wands were drawn. It may have been better, she thought to herself, if she had stayed and allowed Snape to finish her.

She had reached her wits end. No matter what Alka threw at it, the Gradham beast continued its advance. Just as it was about to reach her, it suddenly stopped. A wave of light washed over it, blindingly bright. When Alka opened her eyes again, an unshaven, haggard man stood before her. His nakedness was covered by the shadows, but scars and deep bruises stood out on his dark skin.
“The Imperious curse is broken.” he said clumsily, unused to having a human mouth. Alka simply stared.
“Mallory is dead!” he said this with glee, face lighting up with pure joy.
“Stay away!” Alka felt cold wall behind her as she kept her wand trained on the man.

Ron snuck quickly around the corridor, trying to find where the figure had flung the beast. He paused, hearing voices emanating from a storeroom. He tried the heavy handle but it seemed welded shut. Pressing his ear against the heavy wood, Ron listened.

“I’m free” Gradham looked down at Alka with wild eyes. Abruptly he reached out and grabbed her arm, scratching her with his broken fingernails
“Take this, I no longer have need of it. Don’t you ever stop looking after him” he said desperately
“never let them get him”
“Give me what?” Alka pulled away, trying to free her arm from Gradham’s grasp.
“The gift. Protect him.” Gradham smiled hideously.

Ron heard rapid footsteps approaching. Casting about, he hurriedly hid behind a thin stone pillar.

“Get away!” Alka pushed Gradham back, snatching her arm back. He stumbled awkwardly, off balance.
“Not used to these legs,” he said conversationally. The door behind him flew open, and an unspoken curse from Snape’s wand turned Gradham into a puff of smoke.

“Bloody hell”
Alka and Snape both turned abruptly to see Ron, looking very pale as he peered around the heavy doorframe.
“Take her to Madame Pomfrey” Snape said, looking Alka up and down before striding back into the corridoor.
“Where did you spring from?” Alka asked weakly.
“I heard something, I came looking. Who was that man? What happened?”
“I don’t know.” Alka was only half paying attention, leaning out the storeroom door to get a final glimpse of Snape’s flapping cloak. With a sigh she turned to look at Ron again. Apart from a slight sting where Gradham had scratched her, she was alright. Lucky to be alive. And Snape was safe. Suddenly she started laughing hysterically.
“Umm, I’d better get you to Madame Pomfrey” muttered Ron, gently steering the uproarious girl down the corridor.

“Madame Pomfrey,” called Hermione, knocking on the Hospital Wing door. There was a scuffling, several locks being undone, and the door opened a little. Madam Pomfrey’s eye appeared in the crack.
“Hello, Hermione dear” she said, making no move to open the door more widely. “what is it you wanted?”
“I was just wondering,” began Hermione, when they were interrupted by a piercing shriek. Right on cue, a breathless Fred scuttled down the corridor.
“Someone, come quick!” he moaned theatrically
“What is it?” asked Hermione, trying not to giggle at Fred’s bugging eyes
“It’s George, he’s…he’s…” he trailed off, exaggeratedly out of breath. Hermione ran around the corridor.
“Come quick, Madam Pomfrey!” she called, crouched over a collapsed George.
“Stop smiling,” she muttered, “your supposed to be in pain”
“Oooh!” said George obligingly, just as Madame Pomfrey scuttled around the corner.
“His face, what happened?” asked Hermione, staring at George’s blue face. Madame Pomfrey leant forward, businesslike.

Unnoticed, Harry slipped through the Hospital Wing door. It seemed Hermione’s plan was working. Once he was inside, it was obvious where Vleglitch was lying. It was the only occupied bed, curtains drawn around it. Carefully, Harry approached.
“Who is there?” called an old voice from behind the curtain. Harry pulled it back and let the invisibility cloak slide off his head.
“They told me students weren’t allowed in,” said Vleglitch grumpily. The man was flat on his back, various bruises and scratches covered in enchanted bandages. His heavily lined face had a cultured look to it, arched eyebrows a startling red against his pale forehead. A thin sheet covered his tubby frame, Harry could see Vleglitch’s stomach shaking as he spoke.
“Mr. Mallory,” said Harry,
“You know me, boy?”
“I’ve, umm, been told about what happened years ago” said Harry. He didn’t say by whom, and was delighted to find Vleglitch assumed he had been sent by a professor.
“Good, then maybe you’ll listen. Tell your principal that Hogwarts is under attack. He might pay more attention to a wizard than a squib like me.”
“What?” Harry was taken aback, both at the news and the matter-of-fact way Vleglitch had told him.
“My sister. She’s looking for something. An Orb. I can’t remember any more, because they wiped my memory,” said Vleglitch “I heard her talking about it to her rabbit. I came to warn you, but did anyone listen? ‘Hogwarts is impregnable, Vleglitch’, they said ‘Don’t you worry’, they said” Vleglitch trailed off, muttering angrily to himself.
“How is she getting in?” Harry asked, glancing nervously at the Hospital Wing door.
“Through the Forbidden Forest, I’d expect. She’d get through safely with that rabbit of hers guarding her.”
This man is nuts, thought Harry. A rabbit? Still…
“Who can tell us more about the Orb?” asked Harry urgently.
“Greasy man. Big nose. I remember him, he was there. Shouted a lot, he did,” said Vleglitch.

George’s face was returning to normal, but his hair was turning green.
“So near, but yet so far” muttered Fred disappointedly. Hermione glared at him.
“It seems to be fading, whatever it is,” said Madame Pomfrey, helping George to his feet.
“You’re a miracle worker,” said George gratefully. Madame Pomfrey looked at him suspiciously.
“You keep an eye on these two,” she said to Hermione before retreating back into the Hospital wing.
“Great job!” said Fred and George at the same time, swatting the air in an elaborate high five dance.
“Hmm, you’re a little too good at this,” said Hermione, handing them their payment, “this should help you with the green hair problem.”
They took the bag of green-nose gobstoppers happily.
“Thanks mate!” they cried, and lankily loped away. Hermione stepped into the shadows to wait for Harry.

“Wait,” Alka called to Ron, stopping. She looked down in horror at the increasingly painful scratch on her arm. It seemed to be wriggling, more like a deep red worm than the graze it should be. It took her a moment to realize that it wasn’t wriggling, but sprouting, sending maroon tendrils snaking across her skin, a sudden erratically frenzied pattern appearing. Even as she reeled against the wall, the gash had radiated so many hairline scars her entire arm looked like a piece of chewed leather. Dully she wondered why it didn’t hurt, blinking to clear her rapidly clouding vision.
“Alka! Are you alright?” From somewhere far away, Ron’s voice floated to her ears. She tried to seek out the source of the noise, but everything was so blurred, she couldn’t even see her own shaking hands.

Ron looked on in helpless horror as Alka lent more heavily on the wall, staring lazily at her horribly raw hands. He called her name again, and she sluggishly looked up at him with unfocused eyes. The bizarre scarring climbed up her left cheek, pooling around her eye before moving upwards to disappear past her hairline. She began to sag down the wall, feet sliding out from underneath her. Forcing himself into action Ron swallowed his revulsion, hastily shoved his wand in his pocket and caught her before she toppled over.
“Oof, you’re like a sack of potatoes” he complained, desperately trying not to look at Alka’s now completely scarred face. The attempt at levity died as it hit the shadows. Her eyes were closed now, her marred face oddly serene in the dim light.
“Hey, wake up,” Ron could barely hear his own voice, muffled as it was by a throat tight with fear.

With movement that startled him, Alka’s eyes suddenly snapped open and locked onto his. The pupils grew to an inhumanly large size, brow furrowing to an impossibly deep frown. It was all Ron could do not to drop her as her face continued to twist, gashes seething with something. She seemed to change somehow, getting heavier and heavier, until he simply couldn’t support her weight. He held onto her shoulders as tightly as he could but she fell from his petrified grasp, collapsing against the wall with a thud. Backing away, Ron fumbled in his pocket, feeling for the reassuring shape of his wand. Alka twitched violently, limbs wildly flailing for a second, then was still.

Continuing his steady backwards pace, Ron could see that all of her exposed skin was seething with what appeared to be thousands of tiny spiders. This was more than enough for the terrified boy, who gave a small whimper and fled, running full pelt down the corridor towards the safety of the Gryffindor common room. A gust of air toyed with the naked flames of the lamps along the dim passage, distorting the shadows around Ron’s rapidly departing back. He didn’t see the hair suddenly shooting from the ravaged skin, didn’t hear the sickening twisting of bone and sinew as Alka’s form distorted, shredding school robes to rags. Just as what was once the slight frame of Alka leant tentatively leant from the wall, the lamps simultaneously guttered and died.

With a quiet creak, the Hospital Wing door swung open.
“What did you see?” Hermione asked the darkness.
“I’ll tell you when we get back the common room” said Harry, appearing at her side. They walked in silence for a minute when they heard footsteps ahead. Quickly Harry threw the cloak over them both, but the footsteps slowly receded. Just to be sure, they kept the cloak over them as they walked.
“I wonder how Ron’s getting on” said Harry.
“He probably heard a ghost or something. He’ll already be back in the Common Room, eating sweets and waiting for us” Hermione said assuredly.
“I hope so, I could do with a chocolate frog” said Harry. They were walking down the corridor near Snape’s office when Harry motioned them to stop.
“What was that?” Harry unexpectedly muttered.
“What?”
“I heard something. Over there.” Harry and Hermione turned, and found themselves very glad of the invisibility cloak covering them.
“What is that!?” Harry whispered, gaping as the thing advanced on them.
“Haven’t you read the Transfiguration textbook?” Hermione scolded, momentarily forgetting their peril.
“Yes I have. But I haven’t read the advanced issue, the advanced advanced issue and the advanced advanced advanced issue like you have” replied Harry.
“Honestly” grumbled Hermione
“Just tell me” Harry’s wand was in his hand, pointing squarely at the thing’s head.
“Note the posture, the distinctive ears. It’s definitely a Telemachus” she proudly stated, as if she were merely answering a question in a class.
“A Telewhatcha?” Harry asked, slowly shepherding his scholarly companion away from the beast whilst carefully ensuring they were both entirely covered by the cloak.
“It’s a Telemarchus, a lesser cousin of the werewolf.”
“It doesn’t look very lesser to me”
They paused, holding their breath as the Telemarchus lumbered past them. Thankfully it paid them no heed, swiping a clawed paw at the lock on Snape’s office door. With a quiet growl it was gone, plunging into the Potions Master’s dank domain.
“Phew,” said Harry when it was clear the beast had departed.
“That’s not good” Hermione still looked anxious as they scampered back towards the Gryffindor common room.
“What’s not good, it’s gone, isn’t it?” said Harry
“Highly-legged toad” he added to the Fat Lady, who stared disapprovingly at the two emerging from the invisibility cloak before swinging the door open.
“Up to no good, I’ll be sure” she muttered, just loudly for them to hear. They waited until she’d closed the door again and was out of earshot until they continued.
“What about Snape? He might still be in his office” said Hermione.
“At this hour?” Harry was doubtful.
“You don’t have to worry about him,” said Ron, hurriedly scrabbling through the portal behind them.
“Where have you been?” Harry ran to his friend, disturbed by his paler than usual face.
“Long story. I’ll tell you in a minute, got to get McGonagall.”
Harry and Hermione followed their out of breath friend up to McGonagall’s quarters, wincing as he battered her door.

In Snape’s office, the Telemarchus sniffed the air and stamped its foot in irritation. Turning, it padded back down the corridor. Snape rounded a corner and almost bumped square into it. Reeling back, he pointed his wand at the creature. It took a few steps backwards and regarded him grimly.

“Whatever is it, Mr. Weasly?” McGonagall appeared in the doorway with the trademark bedraggled appearance of one who has just been woken and wishes to go back to sleep.
“A thing!” Ron cried, waving his arms about, trying to approximate the shape of the creature he had seen.
“What kind of thing?” said McGonagall, blinking sleepily.
“I got separated from Hermione and Harry, and I saw this woman and a thing, they were talking to professor Snape, but Alka suddenly appeared and attacked them, I ran, followed her, the thing was a man, Snape turned the man to smoke, told me to take her to the Hospital Wing, but she fell over, I tried to catch her but she got heavier and her skin was so horrible like something was scratching it and there were spiders and I had to run and get you because I think something’s happened to her.” Ron stopped only due to lack of breath. Before he could draw more air and resume his fearful vocalizations, Hermione suddenly chipped in
“A Telemarchus. Like a werewolf. That’s what you saw, Ron, you saw her changing.”
“How do you know?” Ron turned, looking paler than ever.
“We saw one going into Snape’s office.”
McGonagall, now thoroughly alert, had pulled on a dressing gown and daintily placed a soft pointed hat to cover her mussed up hair.
“Follow me,” she said urgently, striding down the passageway. Glancing at each other nervously, the trio followed.
“I’ll ask you what you were doing sneaking around Hogwarts at night later”
“We weren’t sneaking,” Harry began
“You’re holding an invisibility cloak. Those usually mean sneaking has occurred” pointed out McGonagall, quickening her pace. It was difficult to keep McGonagall’s rapidly moving back in sight as they scuttled through the dim corridors of Hogwarts, she moved with a speed uncommon for a woman of her age. Harry clutched onto the invisibility cloak as if its mere presence would hide them from any marauding Telemarchus. Eventually the unmistakable entrance to Dumbledoore’s office came into sight.
“Frilly Whirlsnaps” McGonagall proclaimed. By the time Ron, Harry and Hermione had caught up with her she’d dashed halfway up the staircase.
“Albus!” she called as they circled around and around.
“Yes, Minerva?” his voice was remarkably alert for the late hour.
“We’ve got a Telemarchus wandering…” she trailed off, absorbing the sight in front of her. Professor Snape stood rather uncomfortably, a large furry creature happily nibbling at his sleeve.

“That’s the thing!” Harry pointed at the Telemarchus. It reacted to the movement, growling and leaning menacingly in his direction. Snape hastily grabbed its massive shoulder, sharply muttering “No. Friends”. It stopped growling, tilting its head towards his hand and purring softly.
“Grief, it’s tame” said Ron, sure the thing should be tearing their throats out.
“Ronald Weasly, tell Dumbledore what you told me” McGonagall seriously motioned Ron towards Dumbledore’s desk. Thankful the Telemarchus’s full attention seemed to be on an obviously uncomfortable Snape, Ron once again told what he had seen. When he had finished, Dumbledore kindly offered him a bowl filled with seething chocolate frogs.
“What you have witnessed, Ron, is the initial transmogrification from human to Telemarchus” said Dumbledore before offering the bowl to Hermione, Harry, McGonagall and Snape, who took a whole handful and began to viciously bite the frog’s heads off.
“Alka?” Hermione left Harry’s side to inspect the Telemarchus more closely. It completely ignored her, looking up at Snape’s unreadable face as he savaged the frogs.
“So you’re saying that she was bitten - ” began Harry
“Or scratched” chipped in Hermione
“ – or scratched by a Telemarchus, and now she’s protecting Snape?” Harry joined Hermione slightly closer to the creature, incredulously looking at what had once been a perfectly humanoid and relatively hairless student.
“So that man was one too?” Ron asked, clutching at Hermione’s arm. She glared at him, he withered in her gaze apologetically let go.
“Miss Gaerwin. I hadn’t thought you such a stupid girl” Snape said, glaring down into the Telemarchus’s eyes before biting harshly into another frog. It merely shifted from foot to mighty foot, blinking straight back at him. Tentatively Harry reached out to touch the fur of the creature. It felt impossibly soft, wrong for a beast boasting such deadly claws and speed.
“Don’t do that” warned Ron, remembering the terrifying velocity of the Telemarchus he’d seen earlier
“She’s perfectly safe” Dumbledore assured him, reaching for a chocolate frog. The frog didn’t look particularly pleased with the concept of being eaten and tried to jump to freedom. Harry rapidly pulled his arm back - Alka had suddenly jerked into action. She leapt halfway across the room in a single bound and swatted something out of the air, missing a startled McGonagall’s face by inches. She jumped again, turned mid-air, and bounded back to Snape, proudly offering him the chocolate frog she had skewered on one of her claws.
“Well, mostly safe” Dumbledore appended, walking around his desk and patting the shaken McGonagall consolingly on the shoulder. Snape glowered and snatched the frog from his devoted Telemarchus.
“I believe it would be appropriate for Potter and his friends to return to their dormitory” he said, disdainfully holding the frog between thumb and forefinger as though it were a terminally overripe banana.
“But sir, what about the – the… Alka?” Harry protested
“Alka will be perfectly safe. But you wish to know more about the Telemarchus?” Dumbledore smiled kindly.
“You bet I do,” said Ron firmly.
“The Telemarchus is one of the most recent additions to the werewolf family. The story of their creation is assuredly not entirely factual, but no detailed study has been done on these creatures due to their rarity.” Dumbledore reached across the bookshelf, searching across the leather bound spines.
“Ah, here we are” he pulled down a deep red book with the title “Assorted Tales of the Animagus” scrawled across its cover in harsh blue ink, and handed it to Hermione.
“Now, if you would be so kind as to return to your dormitories, I have matters to discuss with professors Snape and McGonagall. Oh, and I think it best that you do not discuss any aspect of this incident with your fellow students. You know nothing.”
Grudgingly the trio shuffled to the staircase
“And you three, come to my office tomorrow before dinner. We still have to discuss why exactly you were prowling the corridors at such an unusual hour” McGonagall called after them. When she was sure they were gone, she turned back to her colleagues. Dumbledore was looking interestedly at Alka, who was looking interestedly at Snape, who was looking like he’d just bitten into a lemon.
“Before you ask, no, I had no idea about her… feelings…” Snape said the last word quickly, as if it might smother him if he took too long saying it.
“I think you did,” said Dumbledore, running a finger along Alka’s ear
“But you simply did not want to acknowledge them.”
Snape gritted his teeth, which still bore the remnants of the chocolate frogs he had demolished earlier. McGonagall found a smile tugging irresistibly at the corners of her mouth. She’d never seen Snape embarrassed before.

In the Gryffindor common room Hermione sat down in front of the fire, carefully opening the book Dumbledore had given her. Harry and Ron slumped onto chairs nearby, sinking gratefully into the overstuffed cushions.
“Snape’s definitely involved,” concluded Ron when Harry had finished telling him about Vleglitch. They thought for a moment, but before they could say more, Hermione began to read aloud

“The Legendary Telemarchus By E. I. Hartlock

A town was beset by Death Eaters, intent on destroying every living occupant. Only one villager managed to escape, a young man names Dulsturt. Dulsturt was a simple lad, eloquence and intelligence were not virtues he possessed. But he was an animagus. He turned into a rabbit and fled into the wilderness, slipping past the Death Eaters who were enjoying hunting down the people.

He ran blindly for days, until he stumbled upon a cottage. There lived a young woman and her brother. Dulsturt asked them for asylum and the woman granted it, provided he work for them. It did not take long for Dulsturt to fall in love with the woman, but he dared not say anything lest she reject him and have her brother cast him out.

One evening Dulsturt was chopping wood with the brother when they were attacked by a werewolf. Petrified, Dulsturt tried to turn into a rabbit to escape, but the werewolf saw and bit him mid transformation. Leaving him for a later meal, the werewolf chased after the brother. Minutes later Dulsturt stirred and found himself not dead, but changed. Standing, he found he had been transformed into a creature that was not human, werewolf, or rabbit, but a mixture of all three. His mind was dimmed, thought once available far away, but he was filled with thoughts of the woman he loved.

With the speed of the werewolf he ran to the cottage. There he saw the werewolf preparing to attack the woman. With the clarity of a human, he wished to protect her from the terrible creature. With the leap of a rabbit, he placed himself between the woman and the werewolf. He fought the creature with all his might, and finally was victorious. For many days and nights he remained a rabbit-were-man, until one morn a wandering wizard came across the hut asking for shelter. He saw Dulsturt, and the woman told him of how dearly she wished he could be a man again. The wizard concocted a potion.
“Give this to him. If you truly need the shape of a man, and appreciate it fully, he shall turn from beast to man” said the wise wizard. The woman did as he said, and lo Dulsturt once again became a man.

He stayed with the woman and her brother for many years, joyously keeping her safe and happy in both Telemarchus and human form. After a time they went to be married in a nearby town, and there he met a young girl with sadness in her eyes.
“What troubles you?” asked Dulsturt, for he loathed sadness in all of its forms.
“I have fallen in love,” she sobbed
“What is the problem, sad one? Love is a thing to cause joy” said Dulsturt.
“Aye, but it causes pain too. I fear to tell the man I love of my feelings, for he and others would surely reject me. And he is to journey afar on the morrow, to distant and dangerous lands. I dread he shall never return”
Dulsturt thought for a minute and, reaching for her arm, gently scratched her.
“I give you a gift you shalt cherish. Follow your love, ensure his safety, and he shall not cast you away.”

A year later, the traveling man returned with the girl and amazing tales of how she had shifted form and saved his life on many occasions. In their later years, when the girl was a woman, she passed on her gift as Dulsturt had. And thus the legacy of the Telemarchus began and continued.”

“So it’s like being an Animagus” said Harry
“But your bound to someone,” finished Hermione.
“Bloody hell, I always knew that Alka was a nutter, but falling for a git like Snape?” Harry was indignant.
“The signs were there,” said Hermione, remembering Alka’s black Emeritmon potion and general preoccupation during Potions lessons.

“The woman I saw was asking Snape about the Grantivis Orb” Ron suddenly said.
“Why didn’t you tell us this before!?” Hermione demanded
“What, in front of McGonagall or Dumbledore? They’re not supposed to know we know, about the Orbs, you know?” said Ron defensively.
“That’s right,” said Harry, anxious to stave off any arguments, but utterly confused by Ron’s sentiment “The woman must have been Vleglitch’s sister, he was trying to warn us about her”
“Did Snape say anything?” asked Hermione
“He certainly wasn’t telling the Death Eater anything. You’ve got to give it to him, he has guts” Ron said, then yawned widely.
“It’s too late to think properly.”
“Oh my, it’s already 4:00, and we’ve got classes tomorrow!” Hermione cried in horror.
“We’ll talk more later.” Harry said, and they all trudged up the stairs to their beds.

The next day, the trio sat glumly outside McGonagall’s office.
“I think we should tell McGonagall,” said Hermione. Ron and Harry stared at her “Look, we’re getting nowhere. Snape knows something. McGonagall might too, and I’d rather ask her than Snape any day.”
“I suppose you’re right,” said Harry grudgingly. Ron snorted.
“Come in, you three,” McGonagal’s voice floated around her office door. Glancing nervously at each other, they entered.
“I’m disappointed in the three of you, wandering about at night,” McGonagall regarded them in turn, frowning “and I would very much like to know why you were out of your dormitories at such a late hour.”
There was an uncomfortable pause.
“What are you doing about Alka?” asked Ron, hoping to change the subject.
“We have researched the correct potion for her restoration to human form, and Professor Sprout is growing the more unusual ingredients. Rest assured, the matter is in hand. Now, about your nighttime exploits…” she trailed off, crossing her arms sternly.
“We were going to see Vleglitch,” Hermione burst out, Ron and Harry looking fixedly at the floor.
“Why?”
“We were curious to see if the rumors were true,” said Ron. Harry nudged him.
“the ones about the Orb, that is,” Ron muttered, wishing the floor would swallow him up.
“I thought as much,” said McGonagall, surprising them all.
“Did you learn anything, prey tell?”
“Snape knows stuff” said Harry lamely. Nodding to herself, McGonagall picked up a quill. She scribbled a note and folded it.
“Take this to Dumbledore” she handed it to Harry. They stood for a moment.
“You may go,” she added. Utterly confused, they practically ran from her office.

“What does it say?” asked Ron, peering over Harry’s shoulder.
“We shouldn’t read it” protested Hermione
“Did she say not to?” Ron challenged.
“Well, no…” Hermione admitted. Harry unfolded it and quickly read the short message.

Chocolate Frogs,
The Orb nears it’s end

“What the heck does that mean?” said Ron.
“The first line is probably the password to Dumbledore’s office” surmised Hermione.
“And the second?” asked Ron
“We should ask Dumbledore.” said Harry. They quickly made their way to his office.

Dumbledore read the note slowly. He sighed, leaning back into his chair.

“Read this,” he said, handing Hermione a battered notebook. On the first page, in blotchy handwriting, a poem was written:

With this not-muggle not-wizard flesh we bind ourselves
With this not-true orb we find ourselves
In the not-dark we wait
For the dark hand of fate

There was a space, and then another passage in fresher, neater writing.

Knowing nothing, four of virtue will be drawn
Mind dulled senses the trail’s beginning, bringing one the tryst to betray the bond
Mysteries unravel like the cloth of a desperate man
Answers from the hated, Hatred from the answered
Bright lights fading, end focus end, and the end will near
One shall pass the impassible, and the impossible will be possible
This Orb of Grantivis will shatter

“Many years ago, this book was found in the Slytherin Common Room, left by a squib, Vleglitch Mallory. None of the students would say how he had got there. We found him hiding in the owlery, terrified that someone was after him.

After we calmed him down, he said that his sister had said he was allowed to visit. He had come, only to find himself locked into the Slytherin common room. He overheard a group of students talking about an orb, and had scrawled down what they had said.”
“The first poem?” asked Hermione.
“Yes” replied Dumbledore.
“We questioned his sister, but she refused to tell us how she had smuggled him in. We still don’t know how she did it. Vleglitch told us that he had seen his sister and a few others talking to in a circle, and they were going to do something to him. Something about his father. We expelled his sister, but couldn’t identify any of the other students involved. Vleglich didn’t know any more, and so for his own protection we wiped his memory.”
“What has this got to do with us?” asked Harry.
“The second passage was added later, written by an unknown wizard. Professor McGonagall and I believe that circumstance points to its reference to you three. I have been forced to come to the conclusion that only you will be capable of finding this Orb.”
“It says four,” said Hermione, re-checking the line.
“I haven’t quite worked that out yet, but I’m sure it will become clear to you. I want you to see if you can destroy this Orb. Ask for aid from a Professor only if absolutely necessary.”

“Find the Orb, easier said than done” Hermione muttered. She had spent all of her spare time that day going through her textbooks, looking for a clue. Not a proverbial sausage. Ron and Harry had had equally less success, and looked just as gloomy as they shuffled into the potions classroom. They sat, and Harry was about to ask Hermione if she was sure she hadn’t missed something when Ron nudged Harry painfully in the ribs.
“Oi, look who’s here!” They turned to see Snape striding down the isle between the desks with a large creature lithely in tow.
“This,” Snape said, sharply pointing at the Telemarchus dogging his footsteps
“Is a Rabbiitnon. It will not harm you if you do not annoy it. Unfortunately, until professor Sprout is able to cultivate some suitable figglywort crops, it will be present during your lessons.”
Ron nudged Harry again
“Rabbiitnon my bum, its Alka” he said under his breath.
“We are unsure as to its origin,” Snape glared at Ron pointedly
“But I would thank you to ignore it.”
As he sat at his desk, he glared at the Telemarchus meaningfully. It meekly curled up at his feet, and for the next ten minutes of the lesson looked as innocuous as possible. Unfortunately, a human-sized rabbit/werewolf creature with large claws that purrs every time Snape walks past is not the easiest thing to ignore.

“Look at that poor thing,” said Pansy.
“What’s poor about it?” asked Ron, ‘apart from having to follow Snape around’ he didn’t add
“It should be out in the wild, not cooped up in a dingy potions Lab”
“You don’t even know what it is,” Parvati said, not unkindly.
“It should be in a zoo,” said Draco loudly, “but I don’t suppose it’d do anything interesting” Crabbe and Goyle laughed appreciatively.
“Is there a problem?” Snape paused at Draco’s desk, peering at his cauldron.
“No, sir” said Draco snarkily
“Then I advise you continue to add batwing clippings before your potion boils over.” Snape swooped off just as there was a bang from Neville’s cauldron.

A cloud of purple smoke snaked to the ceiling, filling the room with the stench of bats droppings. The potion overflowed and began to pool on Neville’s desk. Neville made the mistake of trying to clean it up with his hands, and found himself stuck fast.
“Someone open a window,” cried Ron, holding his nose and flapping his potions book in a vain attempt to clear the air. A loose sheet of paper flew from the book and landed square in Draco’s cauldron.
“You’ve ruined it!” Draco cried angrily, staring at his potion. He looked up, hoping to see Snape glaring at Ron. Unfortunately, the Potions Master was well and truly occupied with separating Neville from his desk, bent over the student and muttering unsticking charms. Draco grabbed a piece of spare parchment from his bag, scrunched it up and took aim at Ron’s cauldron. Just as he let it fly, Neville’s hands came free with a squelchy ‘Pop!’ and Snape stood up. The paper missile bounced off Snape’s head harmlessly, but the damage had been done.

The up until now docile Telemarchus suddenly leapt at Draco, clearing three rows of desks in a single bound. It landed with a thump, upending his potion. With one leg it pinned his wand arm down, and pulled a paw back, readying itself to sever his head.
“Stop!” Snape roared, striding forward and grabbing it by the ears. It released Draco and allowed Snape to push it bodily off the desk, landing on the floor with a sickening crunch. Once he was satisfied that Draco was unharmed, he scooped up the paper ball and rounded on the creature
“You stupid animal! It’s paper!” He threw the ball of paper into the Telemarchus’s face.
“Back to the desk,” he ordered. It whimpered and struggled to its feet. Snape looked around at the class, and everybody tried very hard to look busy with their potion making.

“How cruel” Harry muttered, watching the Telemarchus limping back to Snape’s desk.
“It almost killed me!” Draco was hysterical, eyes bugging alarmingly. Crabbe and Goyle got up from their desk, advancing on the creature.
“It was only doing what it thought was right,” said Harry, rushing to block their path.
“Crabbe, Goyle, Harry, sit down” said Snape
“I almost died! Ooooh! It’s scratched me!” Draco was shaking, pointing frantically at the Telemarchus
“Draco, there is nothing wrong with you” said Snape firmly.
“Now clean up this mess,” he indicated Draco’s spilled potion.
“My father will be hearing about this,” muttered the boy, before kicking Crabbe in the leg “Clean that mess up” he ordered.

Harry tentatively bent over the Telemarchus, which had curled up as best it could. Its leg was obviously injured.
“Are you O.K.?” he said softly. It looked up at him with baleful eyes.
“The welfare of the creature is no concern of yours. Go back to your desk.” Snape was standing behind Harry. He turned and glared up at the potions master, bright red in the face
“You know she’s more than just a creature” he hissed
“Currently it is no more than a potentially aggressive, stupid creature. Go back to your desk, Harry. Ten points from Gryffindor.” He left the reason unspoken.
Furious, Harry stormed back to his seat.
“This isn’t right” he said to Hermione and Ron.
“There is no way I’m asking for his help with the Orb.”
They spent the rest of the lesson glaring at Snape.

“Hey ho,” Fred and George accosted Harry, Hermione and Ron the moment they left the potions classroom.
“We’ve got another Ravenclaw rumor” said Fred happily.
“Are you following me?” asked Harry.
“Not in the slightest, Harry. Do you want to know, or not?” said George.
“Just listen to them, Harry” sighed Ron.
“There’s a girl missing, she’s in your year” said Fred
“Yes, we know. Her name is Alka” said Harry
“Spot on! They say she ran from the common room and never came back. The prefects are saying that she’s visiting her sick uncle, but no-one believes it.”
They stopped, looking expectantly at Hermione.
“What?” she demanded.
“Well, aren’t you going to come up with another devious plan?” asked Fred
“We need more green-nose gobstoppers” added George.
“Not a chance” said Hermione. Disappointed, Fred and George ambled away.
“Visiting a sick uncle? Rabbiitnon? Is that the best they could think of?” said Ron once his brothers were gone. “Why don’t they just tell the truth about her?”
“I don’t think a student’s love for Snape is something you want made public” pointed out Harry, wrinkling his nose at the thought of it.
“Good point” said Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes.
“You both have the romantic spirit of a wet piece of parchment” she said.
“Ah, parchment, the most romantic of writing surfaces” said Dumbledore, stepping easily in line with them.
“Are you going to the library today?” he asked with a wink.
“Definitely,” said Hermione, drowning out Ron’s incredulous “Where’d he come from?”.
“Straight after classes finish” agreed Harry hurriedly
“Splendid. Now if you’d excuse me, I have another matter to attend to.”
“I heard Professor Sprouts’ figglywort crop has been harvested,” said Harry quickly
“Yes, I heard it was too. I have also heard that a Telemarchus is going to receive a potion very soon, so do excuse me.” Dumbledore smiled before walking away. Ron looked confused.
“They’re fixing Alka, silly” said Hermione. Ron brightened.
“Hurry up, I don’t want to be late for Care of Magical Creatures. You know how Hagrid sulks when we’re late” said Harry.

Snape had spent three hours brewing the transmogrification potion. Professor Sprout’s figglywort was perfect, the resultant potion was a satisfyingly deep green and foul-smelling brew. Work had been slowed somewhat by the Telemarchus’s distracting purring, which no manner of simple commands or threats seemed to be able to still. After poring the potion carefully into a vial, Snape made for the hospital wing where Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey would be waiting.

Following an exhausting Care of Magical Creatures lesson, Ron, Harry and Hermione sat at a table in the corner of the library. They were looking through any book that had even the slightest reference to magical power storage, orbs, and hiding enchantments.
“If I read one more word about divination Orbs I’ll explode” said Harry.
“If the Orb is so dangerous, why didn’t Dumbledore do anything about it before?” asked Ron, trying to get comfortable on the unforgiving wooden library chair.
“You heard him, they had to wait until the prophecy was ready” said Hermione, completely invisible behind an enormous pile of books.
“And Mallory accidentally set things in motion,” said Harry “if she hadn’t come looking, her brother wouldn’t have come to warn Dumbledore, and we’d still not know anything about it.”
“Oh” said Ron.
“Now start reading!” said Hermione, pushing a book towards him. Sighing, Ron resigned himself to the uncomfortable chair and began to skim through the dull paragraphs before him.

The Telemarchus was comfortably, if confusedly, seated on one of the hospital wing beds. Snape pulled up a chair next to the bed. He looked up at Dumbledore.
“I’ll leave you to it,” said Dumbledore as he diplomatically ducked back around the curtain. Snape looked down at the Telemarchus, which gazed uncomprehendingly the vial in his hand.
“Drink this,” he said, waving the vial in front of its face. Obligingly, it opened its mouth wide. He easily poured the dark liquid down her gullet, soon the vial was empty. Setting the vial down, he was disappointed to see no change. Had he made a mistake when brewing the concoction? Impossible, he had taken such care. It should work. Yet irrefutably, the Telemarchus remained a Telemarchus, blinking at him stupidly. He waited for an eternity, but the only detectable movement was the occasional blink. Eventually the curtain twitched and Dumbledore peeked through a gap.
“No change,” sighed Snape.
“Oh dear,” Dumbledore muttered.
“I’m afraid we must find another course of action.”

Much to Snape’s discomfort, another course of action wasn’t forthcoming. He had been cursed with the Telemarchus dogging his every footsteps for a week. This had thrown him into a particularly foul mood, which wasn’t at all alleviated when Potter and his irritating entourage approached him at the end of a potions lesson.
“Umm, Professor,” Harry began, glad of Hermione and Ron’s reassuring presence.
“What is it, Potter?” Snape snapped, reaching for a quill.
“Well, its just that Dumbledore told us that Alka would have had the potion by now, but she’s still… Well, not human.”
“I am well aware of that fact, Potter,” growled Snape, glancing down at the Telemarchus curled mutely around his feet.
“Something went wrong, didn’t it” said Hermione.
“It is neither your business nor within your capacity to do any good, I suggest you leave this room immediately and pool your efforts into something more useful, such as the three feet essay about the magical properties of rainwater that is due tomorrow.” Snape attacking some marking to signal the definite end of the conversation. The trio retreated, lest Snape decide to remove points from Gryffindor.

“Back again?” asked Madame Pince as they entered the library.
“I’m glad to see Hermione’s love of books is catching”. Ron and Harry looked particularly unhappy with the compliment as they sat. Every day for a week now they had visited the library, trawling through book after book without learning anything useful.
“Can’t we just ask Snape?” begged Ron, staring at part two of Orbs of the East as though it were a particularly nasty slug.
“Certainly not” Harry grumped, resolutely throwing his copy of Disposal Of Orbs – Recycle or Removal open. He was about to say more when he registered what was in front of him.
“YES!” he cried, leaning back and almost toppling off his chair. Ron and Hermione stared at him, Madame Pince frowned at him, and a nearby table of Hufflepuffs shushed at him. Blushing slightly, Harry lowered his voice and read:
“There are two ways a Grantivis Orb may be disposed of. The first is a complete discharge of its power followed by shattering the Orb itself. This is a dangerous process, only to be attempted with a large group of powerful wizards present. The second is to hide it at the end of an Unfathomable Trail, whereupon its discovery will facilitate the destruction of the object”
“At last! Fantastic work, Harry” Hermione enthused “and if Dumbledore wants us to destroy it without the aid of a large group of powerful wizards, it must be at the end of an Unfathomable trail. It’s so simple!”
“Just one problem,” said Ron, clearing his throat. Harry and Hermione looked at him expectantly.
“What is an Unfathomable Trail?”
“Bugger” said Harry.
“Back to the books” sighed Hermione.

The next morning they excitedly waited outside Dumbledore’s office. He soon emerged, smiling pleasantly. They smiled cheerfully back.
“How have your enquiries about the Grantivis Orb progressed?” Dumbledore asked.
“We’ve got to follow something called an Unfathomable Trail” said Ron proudly, before reddening slightly and adding “not that we know what that means”
Dumbledore’s smile grew.
“The fact you do not know what an Unfathomable Trail is proves you are currently following one” he said.
“Oh,” said Ron “right.”
“So we’re on the right track?” asked Harry.
“Ineffably so. I become more convinced by the hour that this particular Unfathomable Trail was laid out for you. Have you any more questions?”
“There is something else, sir” said Harry.
“Yes?”
“It’s about Alka.”
“Ah, alas our potion did not cure her. We simply cannot work out why…” Dumbledore sadly tugged at his beard.
“I think I can,” said Hermione. Everyone looked at her expectantly as she rifled through her bag. She produced the book Dumbledore had given her, and located the relevant passage.
“It’s this line here. The wizard says “If you truly need the shape of a man, and appreciate it fully, he shall turn from beast to man”.”
“So Snape has to appreciate the shape of a man?” asked Ron doubtfully, trying not to form a mental image of Snape scrutinizing a lineup of buff young men.
“No, I think she means that Snape has to appreciate Alka in her current form, and then want her to be human again” said Hermione in her I’m-trying-not-to-hit-you-Ron voice.
“Well, he certainly doesn’t appreciate her right now” said Harry. Seeing Dumbledore’s eyebrows raise, he quickly related the recent disastrous potions lesson. Dumbledore scratched his chin thoughtfully.
“Thankyou Harry, I believe I have more to attend to than I had previously thought.”

That evening McGonagall was surprised to see Snape had finally decided to return to the staff dinner table, Telemarchus and all. He sat down gruffly, ate silently for a few minutes and then surreptitiously plucked five carrots from his plate and dropped them beneath his chair. The Telmarchus leapt on them at once, rump comically waggling in the air as it ate. When it had finished it nudged Snape’s elbow for more, but his plate contained no more vegetables.
“May I?” Snape asked, looking at a large carrot on McGonagall’s plate.
“It’s good to see you’re being nicer to her,” said McGonagall approvingly, handing it to him. The Telemarchus didn’t bother to wait for him to drop it this time, snatching it from his hand. Snape glared down at the animal.
“Albus has told me to be kinder to it,” he said haltingly, reluctantly giving it a hasty pat on the head. The Telemarchus purred alarmingly loudly and almost knocked him off his chair.

Hermione was having a difficult time eating, primarily because of the large book balanced on her lap. Ron, like many of the students around him, was looking towards the teachers table, giggling as the Telemarchus almost sent Snape’s goblet flying.
“Got it!” said Hermione.
“What?” asked Harry through a mouthful of roast potato.
“Say it, don’t spray it” Hermione chided “are you listening, Ron?”
Ron wasn’t, leaning into the isle to get a better view of the mealtime entertainment. Snape was trying to wrestle his serviette from the claws of the Telemarchus.
“An Unfathomable Trail,” began Hermione, kicking Ron sharply in the leg “is a trail leading to an object. Usually, this is a dangerous object that needs to be destroyed. By following the trail to its end, no matter how powerful the object, a wizard may easily destroy it. Unfathomable Trails are often created to dispose of particularly dangerous objects.”
“So that’s how we’ll destroy the Orb? Well, that’s nice and simple. How do you follow an Unfathomable Trail?” asked Harry, sure to swallow before speaking.
“That’s the problem,” answered Hermione as she snapped the book shut “you can only follow it if you don’t know where it leads, and don’t know how to use whatever is at the end of it. If you know too much, the object at the end will be invisible and intangible to you.”
Ron, finally listening, frowned confusedly.
“And Dumbledore says we’re already on one” mused Harry.
“So that means we don’t have to do anything?” said Ron hopefully.
“Circumstance should lead us to the next step along the trail” Hermione confirmed.
“Great” said Ron, leaning back into the isle to enjoy the Telemarchs’ exploits. Much to his disappointment, it was sitting meekly beside Snape’s chair, no longer even slightly disruptive. Unfortunately, it seemed that Snape had got the animal under control.

The days trickled by, and the trio were becoming increasingly impatient.
“Feel like we’re following an Unfathomable Trail yet?” asked Ron, picking up a trowel.
“Nope” replied Harry, holding the Lillywead steady as Ron filled in soil around it. Today’s Herbology lesson was simple – take a Lillywead plant, put it in a pot, wrap it up with a scarf, plant some Gringlestem around its base and put it on the desk. Since the Mandrakes, Professor Sprout has seemed to simply stop providing interesting lessons. When Harry had complained about this, Hermione pointed out that the Lillywead flowers were all muttering various quotations from Shakespeare’s works. She was highly unimpressed when Ron and Harry agreed that Shakespeare was very boring indeed. The Gringlestem, the Lillywead’s companion plant, continued to meekly translate the Lillywead’s exaltations into Spanish.

“I wish it’d hurry up,” said Ron “I hate waiting like this.”
“O, how full of briers is this working-day world!” said the Lillywead.
“Good for you,” said Harry, winding a pink scarf around its stem.
“¡O, cómo de briers está por completo este mundo del trabajar-di'a!” translated the Gringlestem.
“Shut up,” said Ron, pushing it roughly into the soil around the Lillywead.
“The Trail will come to us in time,” said Hermione, having finished wrapping her plant.
“When?” Ron demanded, “It’s been three weeks. I’ve felt a distinct lack of trails, Unfathomable, Fathomable, or otherwise”
“We did walk down that path to Hagrid’s hut yesterday” pointed out Hermione.
“That was a path, not a trail” sulkily replied Ron, poking the Gringlestem.
“Ron’s right - I’m fed up with waiting” said Harry. Carefully he carried the Lillywead pot to Professor Sprout’s desk, wincing at the sudden barrage of multi-lingual Shakespere quotes.
“How hard it is to hide the sparks of nature!” cried the Lillyweads as Professor Sprout levitated them into a nearby cupboard.
“¡Cómo debe difícilmente ocultar las chispas de la naturaleza!” agreed the Gringlestem. Harry returned to his desk, trying hard to listen to Professor Sprout’s explanation as to why the plants quoted Shakespeare and not Tolkein. It made even less sense to him than the Gringlestem’s Spanish. Hermione was paying close attention, scribbling notes like ‘Gollum’s bad grammar isn’t easily translated to Spanish’ into her book.
“Feel like we’re following an Unfathomable Trail yet?” asked Ron.
“Nope” replied Harry.

Two days later they reached the end of their tether. Straight after breakfast, they made for Dumbledore’s office. After a quick detour to ask McGonagall what Dumbledore’s latest password, they arrived in a flurry of purposeful cloak straightening and knowing glances.
“Uncurled Curlywands” said Harry, and the door slid open. They clambered up the stairs.
“We need to talk” said Hermione
“What is the problem?” asked Dumbledore, stroking Fawks.
“We’re experiencing a complete lack of Trails,” said Ron “couldn’t you give things a bit of a push?”
“I’m not sure that would be wise” said Dumbledore, thoughtfully.
“It’s been five weeks since you told us to destroy this Orb. Maybe if we knew more about it, not where it is or what you could use it for, but what it was made for” suggested Hermione. Dumbledore was about to answer when Snape knocked.
“Yes, Severus, what is it?” called Dumbledore.
“I’m not sure,” said Snape, stumbling through the doorway quite suddenly. The Telemarchus was gently prodding him forward “one minute I was preparing the ingredients for a First Year class, the next the Telemarchus was pushing me down the corridor.”
Dumbledore was pleased to note Snape’s lack of malice towards the creature, despite its impertinence.
“It seems it wishes you to be here,” he said.
“Mind dulled senses the trail’s beginning, bringing one the tryst to betray the bond” quoted Hermione softly.
“Ask Snape about the Orb” she told Harry.
“I’m not asking him for anything” muttered Harry resolutely.
Hermione frowned at him. “This might be the push we were waiting for,”
“Literally,” said Ron as the Telemarchus leant heavily against Snape’s back, pushing him closer to Dumbledore’s desk.
“Couldn’t we talk to Vleglitch again?” asked Harry.
“He’s already told you all he knows,” Hermione reminded him. They jumped as Dumbledore lent conspiratorially over their shoulders. He’d heard all of their whispered exchange
“I’m afraid Vleglitch was convinced he was being attacked again last night. We found him hiding in a cupboard. Thankfully the Ministry of Magic are taking him away as we speak.”
“Oh,” said Harry.
“Why do you believe that the Telemarchus has brought Severus here?” Dumbledore asked. Harry noticed he looked slightly tired, brow drawn.
“Vleglitch told me to ask Snape about the Orb,” said Harry quietly
“And that Mallory woman seemed pretty sure that Snape knew where the Orb was” added Ron.
“You were one of the students involved, weren’t you” Hermione turned, looking at Snape. He looked squarely back at her. She uncomfortably lowered her eyes.
“Severus?” Dumbledore asked quietly.
“Yes, I was” admitted Snape. The room seemed to get smaller and colder as he continued.
“We were attempting to bind some of our magic into a Grantivitus Orb. Mallory said her father was a Death Eater who had displeased the Dark Lord. She was going to use the Orb of power to redeem her father’s standing. She… She convinced me, and others, that she needed our help. We didn’t fully understand, but Mallory was a very persuasive girl. We were going to use her brother to seal the spell, but one of our number let him escape. The orb was left unsealed, but we had to find Vleglitch before he told everyone about our little plan. I was charged with hiding the evidence whilst everyone else ran. I didn’t quite know what to do with it.

“Mallory was expelled, and we never spoke of the business again. I was left with an unsealed Orb, not a particularly nice thing to have rolling about underneath your bed. When the year was over, I took it to Diagon Alley and used my years’ savings to pay a wizard to hide it. I had asked him to destroy it, showed him the notebook Vleglitch had written in. But he refused to obliterate it, saying he wasn’t powerful enough. He put it at the end of an Unfathomable trail, but made the mistake of telling me where it was. I couldn’t tell anyone where its location, or even to search for it. They had to find it themselves, or it wouldn’t be there. The wizard wrote a prophecy to point someone to the correct trail” Snape stopped. The Telemarchus leant gently against him, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore staring at his face.
“Why didn’t you tell me of this?” asked Dumbledore softly. His eyes looked impossibly sad.
“I couldn’t. I didn’t think you were - ” began Snape
“I’ll say you didn’t think!” bellowed Harry, beet red. “We’ve read all about those, those things. Dark magic. You were a student, but you should have known better” he advanced on the Potions Master “You go on and on about what a terrible person my Father was, yet look at what you did! You would have fed the Dark Lord just because someone had a sob story about their Daddy. And we have no idea what else you got up to! You could have been a Death Eater even then, and we wouldn’t know!” Harry was practically screaming.
Snape looked down at Harry, eyes filled with thinly disguised remorse.
“What else could I have done?” he said hoarsely.
“I think you ought to go, Severus” said Dumbledore. Snape nodded and stiffly left the office. The Telemarchus paused a moment, looking at them, before following.
“Calm yourself, Harry, Professor Snape did only as he thought best” said Dumbledore, a hint of doubt in his voice. Ron put a hand on Harry’s shoulder.
“I think we all need some sleep” said Hermione.
“I shall seek you out to discuss this further,” promised Dumbledore.

Snape slammed the door to his office, barely allowing the Telemarchus through. He leant heavily against the thick wood, shaking. Sinking to his feet, he curled into a small ball. It was so cold, but he didn’t move. The stone’s chill bit through his clothes, he paid it no heed. The flicker of doubt in Dumbledore’s eyes, the unabashed accusatory taunts of Potter rang in his ears, chilling his mind and heart more cruelly than natural temperature could. They didn’t trust him. Who in their right mind would?

He vaguely registered something warm, and slowly surfaced from his stricken thoughts to find that Alka had sat squarely in his lap, tail curling around his left calf. The warmth and weight was reassuring, but he the icy grip of despair around his innards did not dissipate. Her forehead was against his, fur slowly being soaked by his cold sweat.
“Stupid animal,” he scolded,
“All this talk of Telemarchus protection. You can’t even comprehend ...” he trailed off shutting his eyes.
The Telemarchus’s arms slid behind him, claws scraping noisily against the wall. He was about to say more when he realized that the weight on his lap was reducing.
“I can try,” Alka said, holding him tightly. Wordlessly he pulled his cloak to cover her naked back. She was human now, intelligent, no longer bound by the mindless loyalty of the Telemarchus animal form. She should just walk away.

An hour later she finally leant back and looked him in the eye.
“I trust you,” she said simply, “with every inch of my being.”
She paused to let this sink in.
“Now, what’s all this I hear about an upcoming Quidditch match?”

“Now, the Ravenclaw seeker has a cold, so Harry, you should have no trouble”
“There’s a slight breeze, remember to compensate for that”
Harry paid little attention to the customary pre-match briefing. He was too busy trying to push thoughts of the Orb and Snape’s foul deed out of his head. The Ravenclaw team strode onto the pitch, he could hear the cheers from where he stood. The Gryffindor team collectively heard their cue, breathed deeply, and marched into the light. The roar of applause from the Gryffindor box was deafening, stirring the familiar feelings of exhilaration and nervousness in Harry’s stomach, finally banishing all thoughts but those about the game. He mounted his broom and swooped into the air, waving down to Ron and Hermione. They waved madly back, so enthusiastically that Ron almost smacked Neville in the face. The snitch was released and they were off, dodging bludgers and chasing quaffles. Amongst the turmoil, he spotted the glint of the snitch. Holding tightly to his broom, he dove after it.

“Hey, look, Alka’s back” said Neville, peering over the field.
“Can’t be…” Ron gaped. Stepping calmly over people’s feet was Snape and Alka, human at last. Inexplicably, where there should have been only one seat for Snape, there were two, and the pair sat.
“She looks well for someone who’s been a giant rabbit for weeks” Hermione said, peering through her binoculars. Alka was wearing student robes several sizes to large for her, presumably so that if she were to unexpectedly transform she’d no tare her clothes to pieces. She was grinning insanely widely, eyes following the darting of the Quidditch players. Snape stared rigidly ahead, apparently ignoring her presence utterly. They certainly did not look like a couple who had just proven their undying love for each other. Only on closer inspection did Hermione notice Alka’s hand wrapped around his elbow.

The game was over very quickly. The Ravenclaw seeker had found it very hard to blow their nose whilst steering their broom, and had accidentally plowed straight into the crowd. Moments later Harry caught the snitch, and the game was finished.
“Brilliant, Harry!” enthused Fred and George afterwards, lifting him onto their shoulders and dancing towards the Gryffindor common room. Flushed with success, Harry didn’t notice Ron and Hermione anxiously trying to tell him something. They had to wait until dinner to get a word in amongst all of the “Well done, Harry!”s and “Brilliant!”s. He almost spat out his chicken soup when they told him that Alka was back.
“Snape doesn’t deserve that,” he said savagely. Ron and Hermione were surprised by the severity of his statement, and hoped none of their fellow diners had heard him.
“How can you say that! Poor Alka was stuck like a giant rabbit!” hissed Ron, poking sharply at the potato on his plate. Harry just glared past him, eyes emanating sheer hatred towards Snape’s empty seat at the teacher’s table.

For the first time in days, Snape found Alka wasn’t by his side or crouched around his feet. Enjoying the solitude, he set about some marking, writing negative comments with a flourish.

Alka finally spotted Dumbledore, and caught up with him before he disappeared around a corner.
“Miss Gaerwin, might I say it is a delight to see you human once again” Dumbledore smiled at the girl, who smiled weakly in return.
“I need to know,” she said, “what you intend to do about the Orb. Surely you understand that Severus did the only thing he could in keeping it from you”
Dumbledore sighed.
“It is not his actions after the creation of the orb that concern me,” he said
“but the fact that he knew precisely what he was doing in aiding it’s creation.”
Alka shook her head
“It happened ages ago. It doesn’t matter. The Orb is here. The matter can be put to rest. If you think Harry, Hermione and Ron can destroy it, let them.”
“You realize that in doing so, I will be exposing them to considerable danger” said Dumbledore, watching Alka’s face carefully.
“Knowing nothing, four of virtue will be drawn, One of the tryst shall betray the bond” she quoted. Dumbledore almost laughed with delight.
“I do believe you have found the answer, Miss Gaerwin. Please tell Professor Snape I would very much like to see him.”

Severus Snape looked up from his marking to see Alka skipping through his door.
“Knocking isn’t too difficult for you, is it?” he said, expertly hiding the fact he was glad to see her. She merely grinned, leaning across the desk and grabbing his hand.
“Dumbledore wants to see you,” she said gleefully. Sighing exaggeratedly, Snape allowed her to pull him from the chair and bundle him towards Dumbledore’s office. He left half an hour later, a great weight lifted from his heart and a blissfully happy Alka wrapped around his arm. Harry, Ron and Hermione would not travel Unfathomable Trail completely alone.

“So the point of an Unfathomable Trail is you have to not fully understand the trail that you’re on” said Ron for the billionth time. They were sitting near the lake, enjoying the warm sun.
“You’ve already said that” said Hermione, evidently not as engrossed in her homework as she appeared to be.
“I don’t like any of this. I feel like I’m clearing up after Snape’s dirty work” said Harry, throwing a stone into the lake’s flat surface.
“Be that as it may,” came Dumbledore’s voice, “clean it up you must.”
They turned to look at their headmaster as he approached. He held their three brooms in his arms, constantly fumbling but never quite dropping them.
“Have any of you got classes this afternoon?” he asked. They all shook their heads.
“Perfect!” he enthusiastically thrust their brooms into their hands.
“I think it finally time you actively followed the Unfathomable Trail, and put this whole unfortunate matter to rest” said Dumbledore. He handed Ron a long bar of chocolate in a thick wrapper.
“This is an edible portkey. If you get into any trouble, take a bite it will transport you straight back here. Walk where your feet take you. Best of luck!” With that, Dumbledore strolled back towards the school.
“That was sudden” mused Hermione.
“I don’t like these Unfathomable Trails,” said Ron as he pocketed the lolly Dumbledore had given them “they’re far too unfathomable”.
“Well, let’s get started then” said Harry, sitting on his broom. They swooped into the air, keeping close. Much to Harry’s surprise, his broom started to head towards the lake without his instruction.
“Follow me!” he called to Ron and Hermione, but by the looks of it their broomsticks were also flying unbidden.

They flew for what felt like hours, skimming the lake, over the forest, speeding through the barmy afternoon air towards the distant mountains. When they finally landed, Ron dismounted and promptly fell over onto the hard dusty ground.
“Argh, numb bum” he complained. Hermione too looked very unsteady as she got off her broom and took a few steps. Her hair had been transformed into a particularly interesting knot by the flight.
“Your head looks like a tumbleweed, Hermione” chuckled Ron. Hermione glared down at him, and he stopped giggling.
“’spose I’m not exactly the picture of dashing either” he admitted, unsteadily getting to his feet. Hermione sighed and began to clap some of the dust off his back when Harry called to them “Hey, come look at his”

They were standing in a clearing of sorts. Surrounding them were tall pillars of rock, the only things visible above the ground. They were randomly spaced, stretching to the sky, reminding Harry of branchless trees. He was standing in front of one, unremarkable save for a definite circular indentation at about eye level.
“What do we do now?” asked Ron, massaging his deadened rump back to life. Harry shrugged. Hermione leant to examine the indentation, gently feeling around its edges with her fingers. She stepped back with a frown.
“Well?” asked Harry. She shrugged her shoulders. There was a soft creak.
“Do that again,” said Harry. Hermione shrugged again. The creak sounded again, louder this time. She turned to look again at the indentation, but it had gone.
“Where -” she began, looking the pillar up and down. The indentation had moved a good two feet downwards.
“It’s getting shorter” said Harry incredulously. Hermione shrugged again. Now that they were watching, the trio could clearly see the stone slowly sliding into the ground.
“Come on, help a bit” Hermione commanded. For the next few minutes, they shrugged continually. It looked as if they were attempting an exotic dance and failing miserably.
“I’m very glad no-one else is here,” muttered Ron, “we look like a right bunch of loonies.”
For a moment Harry could swear her heard a muffled snicker, but their only observers seemed to be the featureless rocks pillars.

The pillar finally disappeared into the ground, revealing a second pillar with another circular indentation behind it.
“Oh no,” lamented Ron, unable to decide whether he should massaging his tired shoulders or sore bottom, “not more shrugging!”
There was a hollow creak. Harry and Hermione looked at each other.
“Did you…?” they asked simultaneously.
“Shrug” said Ron. The pillar moved slightly downwards.
“This is ridiculous” said Hermione. “Why on earth would you set something this ludicrous?”
“It’s Unfathomable” said Ron, happily realizing he had understood something Hermione hadn’t.
“Shrug!” shouted Harry. Again, he had the distinct impression they were being watched. Whilst they began to shout the innocuous word, he looked carefully about the clearing. No one was in sight.

When the pillar’s tip began to disappear beneath the ground, a hole started to develop. Small at first, it rapidly expanded until it was large enough to drive a car through. They stopped shouting, walking cautiously towards the hole. Just as Harry was within a meter of the edge, a slight breeze ruffled his hair. Hermione and Ron joined him, and together they peered into the hole. The breeze became a gale, lifting them clean off their feet, sending them flying into the air. Ron shouted something very rude, but his words were lost in the tempest. Harry tried to sit on his broomstick, but found the wind tugging his arms to his sides. To his horror, he felt the broomstick plucked from his grip. He helplessly watched it spiral away. He turned his head and saw Ron and Hermione too were suspended powerlessly mid-air by the unexpected updraft.

As suddenly as it had started, the wind died, dropping them straight into the recently created hole. After a dizzying moment of darkness, something bright flashed past Harry’s vision. The flashes became more and more frequent as he fell, until his vision was filled with shining colours. His descent inexplicably slowing, he landed heavily on a large, bright red stone.

Ron was standing nearby on a separate stone, a blue one, looking about himself interestedly. He saw Harry and called to him.
“What took you so long? Where’s Hermione?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” said Harry, puzzled. Ron and Hermione were right beside him a moment ago, there was no reason for Ron’s impatience.
“I’ve been waiting for ages” said Ron.

Harry slowly turned in a circle, examining his surroundings. They were definitely underground, he could see distant cavern walls curving into darkness. The large space around them seemed spherical, and was filled with multicoloured stones not unlike the one upon which he and Ron stood. They floated serenely, some still, others moving slowly, lazily bouncing off each other. Each glowed gently. As he watched, a purple stone drifted towards him, collided gently against the red stone’s edge, and continued on its way. Where it had touched the red stone, a cerise tone flared on its side.

“I think we need to get to the other side,” said Ron, pointing towards the opposite side of the cavern. There was an innocuous door right set into the wall, complete with brass handle and thick oak frame. Harry looked down at his stone. It was about three meters in diameter, roughly round, and smooth. There was no sign of a way by which it may be propelled or steered. The other floating rocks were either moving or too far to jump to. He was beginning to worry that he’d be stuck on the gently glowing surface when Hermione landed and wailed “I think I’m going to be sick”

Harry and Ron looked towards the voice. Hermione had landed on a close by yellow stone. She looked distinctly airsick.
“Any clue where we are?” asked Ron. Hermione opened her mouth and shut it quickly, eyes bugging. Hurredly she ran to the edge of her stone, closing her eyes before retching over the edge.
“Gross!” said Ron, turning away. Harry was about to follow suit when he noticed that Hermione’s stone was starting to move in the direction she was crouching. When she had finished, Hermione sat up again, wiping her mouth on the back of her sleeve.
“Sorry” she said.

“I’ve got it!” said Harry. Ron and Hermione looked at him.
“Got what?” asked Ron “the mumps?”
In answer, Harry crouched near the edge of his stone, looking at the ground beneath. To his surprise, the stones below quickly formed an arrow pointing him towards the distant door.
“Hey, he’s moving” said Ron, watching Harry’s stone carefully. Harry looked up and his stone instantly halted. Curiously, Ron squatted at the edge of his stone.
“Ruddy heck, that’s handy” he commented. The trio crouched at the edges of their separate stones, slowly gliding towards the door.

“This is going to take ages,” complained Hermione. Harry had an idea. He turned his stone, heading straight for her. She looked up just as his stone bumped against hers. Quickly, Harry jumped across and joined her on her stone. He squatted beside her, and they began to follow the helpful arrow again. They moved twice as quickly.
“Hey, wait for me!” called Ron. Hermione and Harry stood in the center of the stone until Ron caught up, jumping the gap. Though slightly cramped, progress was far quicker on the single yellow stone.

“This makes no sense at all,” said Hermione as they rapidly neared the doorway, “the more people weighing the stone down, the more slowly it should go!”
“More Unfathomableness,” replied Ron, grinning proudly.
“So is the door going to open, or something?” Harry wondered out loud. Ron and Hermione almost shrugged, but thought better of it. All they could do was wait. When they arrived at the door, they bounced straight off it. The stone reeled back a few meters, and began to drift towards it again. They lent back and the stone stopped moving.

“Ok, so we got here. Now what?” asked Harry. The stones forming the helpful arrow below suddenly shifted, swarming upwards and bumping into each other seemingly at random.
“That’s pretty,” commented Ron, turning to appreciatively watch the glowing rocks as they gathered at the other side of the cavern. They resolved into a square shape, and with a sharp “Pop!” suddenly shattered into thousands of little pieces. The trio watched in fascination as the fragments began to stop glowing, one by one. Soon all that remained was a single red speck in the lower left corner of the square. The words “Panda Brand” faded into visibility, some fragments glowing a gentle grey.

“It can’t be,” gaped Harry.
“What? What is it, Harry?” asked Hermione, concerned. The rock fragments had turned themselves into a very close approximation of the Dursley’s television set, screen blank.
“It’s a TV” said Harry. Hermione blinked, “You’re right,” she said, amazed.
“A Muggle box?” asked Ron. A remote control fell out of nowhere, almost knocking Harry’s glasses off before clattering onto the stone near his feet.
“This is getting ridiculous,” he muttered, stooping to pick up the remote.
“I think we’re meant to turn it on” said Hermione. Harry looked carefully at the remote. There were two buttons and one knobs. Each had a label. He pressed the button labeled “ON/OFF”, frowning at the one labeled “REED OOH PONT”.

The rock screen popped into life, revealing the unmistakable image of Hogwarts. A caption popped up at the bottom, gold words edged in black so they stood out.

SAG WORTH

“Sag Worth?” repeated Ron, utterly lost. Hermione stared at the letters.
“Shall I change the channel?” asked Harry. Hermione nodded. Harry twisted the knob that read “CHANNEL”. The Rocks blinked out, blazed to life in a myriad of colours and then settled down to display a picture of several people on broomsticks chasing after a red ball. The caption read

DETACH QUID MIG

“What on earth…” said Harry.
“It’s a game of quidditch”, said Ron helpfully. Hermione looked at him as if he’d just sprouted ears for the first time.
“I understand,” she said, smiling widely.
“I don’t, what’s a Mig?” said Ron.
“It’s an anagram,” she said, “Sag Worth is an anagram of Hogwarts. Detach Quid Mig is an anagram of Quidditch Game.”
Ron rolled his eyes. “Great, a quest with anagrams. That’s all I need. Gimme a look, Harry”
“How does this help us open the door?” asked Harry, handing Ron the remote. Ron turned it over in his hands interestedly.
“Dad brought one of these home once,” he said, “He wondered why the on/off button didn’t work. ‘Course, he didn’t have a TV set to work it on, and none of us could decide if he’d turned the spatula Mum was using on or off. What’s Reed Ooh Pont do?”
“Nothing, I’ve never seen it on a remote before” answered Harry. Hermione snatched the remote from Ron, looking at it carefully.
“I like that word,” he said.
“Which one?” asked Harry, still marveling at the clear picture the rock TV gave
“Pont. Makes me think of Fred and George” replied Ron.
“Open the door” said Hermione.
“We can’t” protested Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes. “Reed Ooh Pont. Open the door. Another anagram.”
They crouched at the side of the stone, standing just before it bounced off the door.
“How do we open the door?” Harry asked the rock TV. He got no response.
“Umm,” said Ron, looking carefully at the doorknob “how about we use the doorknob.”
He gave the knob a twist and the door slid open easily, revealing a cavern passage with plush red carpet on the floor. Hermione looked shocked.
“That made sense” she said, amazed. They filed into the passage, wondering why on earth it was carpeted. The walls glowed gently, just as the floating rocks had done, intermittently changing colour with a soft pinging sound. The plush carpet was at odds with the rest of the passage, especially the ceiling. Random, jagged stalactites hung above their heads.

They walked for a long time, following the passage’s gentle curve to the right. Hermione paused, putting the remote carefully on the floor before following Harry and Ron. Ten minutes later, she grabbed their shirts and pulled them to a halt.
“We’ve been here before,” she said.
“Impossible,” argued Ron, “we’ve not turned back”. Hermione reached down and picked up the remote control she had discarded “I thought I had recognized the stalactites. We’ve been going around in circles.”
Harry sat down on the comfortable carpet.
“This makes no sense whatsoever” he said.
“You’re right. It’s exactly what we should expect from an Unfathomable Trail” lamented Ron, sitting down across the passage from him “We’re confused to think half the time.”
Hermoine looked at him sharply.
“Would you call those rocks bright lights?” she asked.
“I ‘spose,” said Ron “why?”
“And they’ve faded?” Hermione said excitedly.
“You could think of it like that,” Ron conceded “have you thought of something?”
Harry’s eyes lit up “Bright lights fading, end focus end, and the end will near” he said.
Ron scratched his head “I see, so we’ve had the bright lights fading. What does the next bit mean?”
Hermione smiled,
“’Focus End’ is an anagram for ‘Confused’” she said. Another doorway appeared right behind her. Ron stared at it
“Where’d that spring from?” he said.
“We weren’t confused anymore, so we neared the passages’ end” said Harry.
“After you,” Hermione said.

They stepped carefully out the door and onto a stone platform. They looked about themselves and gawped. The view was simply stunning. A blood-red sunset painted the entire mountainous panorama a foreboding colour, snow covered tops glinting almost evilly in the fading light. As far as the eye could see in all directions were sharp mountains, jagged peaks giving way to dense forest. To the left was a steel doorway, straight lines out of place in the rough mountainside. There was no discernable passage leading to the ledge outside it, just widely spaced, randomly placed stones jutting from the near vertical mountainside, embedded in weak sandstone. Harry carefully peered over the edge of their platform. It was a very long way down.
“How do we get there?” Ron asked, “ ’cos there’s no way I’m climbing.”
Hermione sighed and pulled out her wand.
“Passaje!” she said, pointing confidently at the cave opening. Her wand made a slight sputtering sound, gave off a half-hearted spark and then made a very rude noise. Ron giggled.
“Passaje!” Hermione tried again, with the same effect.
“You must be casting it wrong,” said Ron.
“Impossible,” Hermione muttered, not at all egotistically. It was a statement of fact.
“Harry, try casting a simple spell” she said.
“Which one?” asked Harry
“Anything!” said Hermione. Shrugging his shoulders, Harry cried “Lumos!”. His wand blew a veritable raspberry at him and flopped to one side as if it were made of rubber.
“Just as I thought, this place has been magic-proofed” said Hermione.
“Brilliant, so how do we get over there?” asked Ron, trying not to sicker at Harry’s floppy wand. They stood to think for quite a time, but no ideas came.

“Stuck, are we?”
Harry whirled around, wand raised. The effect was slightly diminished as the tip limply pointed towards the ground.
“Snape! What are you doing here?” he demanded
“Keeping an eye on you,” said Snape, slowly emerging through the doorway.
“You’ve been following us?” asked Hermione
“On Dumbledore’s request, yes I have” said Snape
“And you didn’t think to help us at any pont – I mean point!?” Ron was almost as angry as Harry, gripping his wand so tightly his knuckles were turning white.
“What do you think I’m doing right now, boy!” Snape scolded, inspecting the way ahead.
“Do you believe you could make it?” he asked over his shoulder. Alka stepped out from behind him and looked at the cave entrance.
“Probably,” she said. The trio watched in fascination as she twisted, sprouted ears, and took on the form of a Telemarchus. Snape smirked slightly, scratching her behind the ears before muttering
“off you go then”
“Wait a minute,” said Harry, stepping to blocking Alka’s path. The Telemarchus kept on walking, knocking him off his feet as it passed. It paused near the left edge of the ledge, examining the mountainside.
“What if we don’t trust you? You could just take the Orb for yourself!” Harry continued, getting to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster. Snape sighed long-sufferingly.
“I know where the Unfathomable Trail ends. I couldn’t see the orb if it were right in front of me.”
“Well, you could try to stop us from getting it” rebuked Harry.
“I’d hardly have allowed you and your friends to progress this far if I had wanted to stop you. I could have simply told you what lies ahead, and the Orb would be lost to you. I was surprised you got this far. You’ve been slow and inefficient – your progress has almost been painful to watch - ”
“Hey! That’s not fair!” protested Ron, but Hermione thumped him in the ribs before he could say more. He glared at her as Snape evenly continued
“ - but it has been your own. You yourselves had to complete most of the journey, find the way, or you would have strayed from the Unfathomable Trail. However, there is no harm in assisting you pass this final hurdle. I believe our assistance is actually part of the prophecy.”
Harry glared at him, but could think of no valid argument. As loathed as he was to admit it, they did need help.

Snape looked up, just as the Telemarchus took a few steps back from the side. Harry, Ron and Hermione also turned to watch as it took a two more steps and leaped into the air. It landed on one foot, precariously balanced on a foothold that seemed impossibly small. The Telemarchus hopped off just as the foothold came loose and tumbled down the mountainside. As this process was repeated, Ron covered his eyes, then peeked between his fingers. Just as it looked like the Telemarchus had run out of footholds, it twisted mid-jump and unexpectedly embedded both its paws in a patch of sandstone. It hung on for a moment, turning its head towards its destination, judging the distance. Somehow, it managed to twist its body on an impossible angle, beginning to swing back and forth. It waited until it had enough momentum and released its grip in the rock, catapulting towards the cave entrance in a shower of dust and grit. Harry glanced over at Snape and was surprised to see a flicker of concern play across his brow.

With a heavy “thunk!” the Telemarchus landed on the ledge outside the cave entrance. As Alka returned to human form, the sickening sound of bone and sinew twisting was amplified by the mountainside acoustics. Hermione looked mildly ill. Snape looked relieved. Harry looked at his floppy wand.
“Bloody heck, that was brilliant!” Ron called over to Alka, who grinned and bowed theatrically, shedding more sandstone dust.
“How do we get across?” asked Harry.
“Just wait,” answered Snape and Hermione almost at once.
“Wait for what?” Harry asked, still gawping at the completely unharmed Alka
“Think of the prophecy - One shall pass the impassible, and the impossible will be possible” said Hermione. Nothing happened.
“This is dull,” called Alka.
“Yes,” agreed Ron. “But I learnt a new silly word today. I think you’d like it”
“Oh?” Alka looked interested. Hermione looked pained.
“Pont” Ron said. Alka giggled.
“Pont!” she proclaimed.

The entire mountainside began to vibrate, scattering loose rocks. Everyone had to look away, covering their eyes from the torrent of grit. When the dust had cleared, a neat staircase had formed, linking their platform to the cave’s ledge.
“Well done, Weasly” said Snape, not sounding vaguely pleased.
“Ok, what happened there?” asked Ron, staring at the newly formed staircase
“Pont is French for bridge” answered Hermione
“I didn’t know you spoke French” said Ron, stunned.
“She doesn’t,” said Harry, looking at Hermione questioningly.
“Sur la pont, d’Avignon, under the bridge of Avingon, it’s a song” she said.
“Have you finished patting yourselves on the back, or do you intend to stop and have tea?” said Snape pointedly. Harry looked disapprovingly at him, and was about to reply when Alka waved her arms at them.
“Shift your backsides!” she called, beckoning them across. They didn’t move. With a snort Snape strode boldly onto the staircase, stopping halfway up.
“It’s perfectly safe. Now do hurry up,” he called. Holding onto each other’s arms tightly, Harry, Ron and Hermione carefully made their way across, painfully aware that should they stumble they would plummet to their deaths. By the time they made it to the platform, Snape was brusquely brushing the last traces of dust from Alka’s overly large robes.

“There’s not going to be any more crazy psychedelic TV stones, right?” asked Ron wearily.
“Your journey would be rather nullified if I told you, wouldn’t it” said Snape, gritting his teeth. Alka smiled at him “Ah, that’s what I like to see, Severus, back in your natural state.” She wrapped her arm cheerfully around his waist.
“I’m going vomit,” predicted Ron. Hermione frowned at him.
“Well, nothing ventured…” said Harry, turning to the steel door. This time he knew simply to twist the doorknob. He entered carefully, followed closely by Ron and Hermione. Snape and Alka paused in the doorway, unable to see anything beyond.

The trio stood in a rather dingy small room that smelt of old wood. The walls were bare bar a single lamp in the corner that threw flickering shadows across the cobblestone floor. In the center of the room there was a table, and on it lay the Grantivitus Orb. Harry, Ron and Hermione gawped in utter disbelief.
“It can’t be” said Hermione.
“No way” said Harry.
They took a step closer to the table.
“What a letdown” finally said Ron, gazing at the rather dingy Orb. It looked a lot like a tennis ball that has been gnawed on for many years by the family dog. Next to it lay a hammer “this is the all-hailed Grantivitus Orb?” he picked it up.
“Doesn’t look very magical at all,” said Harry, inspecting the hammer.
“What do you see?” asked Snape from the doorway.
“Not much,” admitted Hermione.
“Hey, it bounces” said Ron, delightedly bouncing the Orb against the floor.
“It’s not a toy” scolded Hermione, snatching it from him.
“No,” agreed Ron as he snatched it back, “but it bounces really well.”
Snape, listening helplessly, looked very faint. Alka squeezed his waist reassuringly.
“Well, let’s get on with it” said Harry. Reluctantly, Ron stopped playing with the Orb and set it down on the table.

Harry pulled back the hammer and struck the Orb. A crack appeared across its surface, rapidly spreading. Light spilled from the crack, painfully white. With a deafening crash, the Orb shattered, releasing a shockwave that almost knocked everyone off their feet. As the glow subsided, Snape and Alka tentatively entered the cramped room.
“Finally,” said Snape, relief plain on his face. Alka grinned at Harry, Hermione and Ron, who was feeling about in his pocket. He finally found what he was looking for, and set it down on the table.

The edible portkey was an amorphous lump, with one end poking out of the wrapper and liberally covered in fluff. It began to slowly flatten, melting in the wrapper. Ron looked at it embarrassedly.
“I think I fell on it back at those pillars,” he said.
“I’m sure it’s perfectly fine” said Hermione unsurely. Harry sighed, reached down and tried to break a piece off. It stuck to his fingers, separating slowly from the main block.
“Lovely,” said Ron, regarding the goo stuck to Harry’s fingers as it slowly dribbled down his palm.
“Cryonis” said Snape, poking the lump on the table with his wand. It froze instantly. Smartly, he snapped off two pieces.
“Do not imagine that I shall be giving you an extension on your Dreaming Draught assignment as a result of this, Mr. Weasly. It is already late enough” he said, handing Alka one of the pieces. Simultaneously they popped the sweet in their mouths and disappeared.
“So our wands are working again,” observed Ron. Harry looked mournfully at the goo on his hand. Hermione carefully broke the remaining chocolate into three pieces and handed them to Ron and Harry.
“We did very well, I think” she said.
“To us!” said Harry, raising his piece in a mock toast.
“Bottoms up,” said Ron.
They bit down and felt the irresistible vortex of magic sweep them back to Hogwarts.

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