January 25th, 1977
"Remind me again why you and Harry are even joining us right now?" Florence tugged on her arm, forcing her to fall back and remain slightly behind the rest of the Ravenclaws: "You've told me that Harry already knows how to apparate and that he gave you some tips as well over the summer. Didn't you say that you were certain you could alr-"
"Don't be so loud, Flo!" Marlene flicked her wand from her waist and raised a quick privacy ward around them, not trusting her peers not to listen in on them: "Harry already knows how to apparate but there is nothing to gain from boasting about it! It only gives our enemies additional knowledge for free!"
"Our enemies, Mar?" A deep frown married her best friend's pretty features: "What do you mean?"
"There are people outside of these walls who took my brother from me, Florence." Ice crept around her heart and tightened like a fist: "They will try to take even more from us, and the more they know, the easier we make it for them."
She tugged on Florence's hand and urged her to keep up with the group so as not to raise too much suspicion: "And it should be more than obvious that we have enemies and people who want to hurt us within these walls as well. There's no need to wait for a third attack to confirm so."
"You've changed quite a lot you know..." Florence quickly held up her hand when Marlene was about to retort heatedly: "I don't necessarily mean in a bad way, Mar, but I watched you go from grieving for your brother to seeking revenge for him... As your best friend, it is still my duty to tell you that I'm worried about you. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I appreciate the concern, but trust me, I'm fine now, Flo." Marlene squeezed her hand, trying to calm the other girl: "My brother was taken from me, I've grieved for him and mourned his loss for the last two weeks, but my life goes on. The people that murdered him are still out there. Morgana, they even live right among us! I will do everything in my power to ensure that no one else I care about can be taken away from me."
'Especially not my Harry!' She grimaced.
"You can be pretty frightening when you look like that, you know..." Florence glanced at her worryingly: "So Harry does not want to draw too much attention to himself, I get that. Does that mean you guys will both act as if you've never apparated before?"
"Yes, we will." Marlene replied as they walked down the giant staircase: "I have to hold back as well, otherwise any Hufflepuff first year could deduce that it was Harry who taught me. It will all be for nothing then."
"I see." Florence hummed: "That boyfriend of yours should have been sorted in Slytherin instead of with the dorks. This sounds like a plan cunning enough for old Salazar himself."
'Of course Harry should have been sorted there, he's a direct descendant after all...' Marlene allowed a small smile to play on her lips: 'But those with true cunning know to reveal themselves only when the time is right.'
Talking about her boyfriend...
A different group of students, one coming from the seventh floor and presumably Gryffindor tower, joined them on the staircase. Marlene easily spotted the taller of the two heads of unruly black hair. "I'll be with Harry really quick."
"Of course you are." Florence snorted in amusement and rolled her eyes. "Make sure you don't get lost in a broom cupboard on your way to the Great Hall."
"Broom cupboards are way too cramped for our liking, you know," Marlene commented on her best friend's teasing remark with a smirk and darted over to the other group, ignoring whatever her friend might reply.
"Hey, love." Harry scooped her up in his arms and pressed a light kiss to her lips as she approached him and the Marauders. Green eyes sparkled with mischief: "Excited to learn how to apparate?"
"Oh yes! Of course, I am." Marlene giggled and intertwined their fingers: "I can't wait to make your never-ending chase after me even more difficult."
"Yeah, we don't really need to know the kind of kinky shit you two get up to, McKinnon." Black snorted from her left: "Please spare us with the details..."
"Thank Merlin, you mention it, Padfoot." Potter sighed dramatically: "I already soundproofed the entire manor during the summer holidays and I still hea- "
"James!" Lily Evans huffed and brought a sharp elbow to the Gryffindor's ribs: "Don't be ridiculous."
"Sorry, Lils." The boy apologized with a small bow and lopsided grin, making the redhead huff once more, though Marlene could tell she was slightly amused, despite doing her best to hide.
Marlene raised a curious eyebrow at her boyfriend.
"I think they've been exchanging letters and even small gifts over the holidays." Harry leaned over to whisper in her ear: "And last night I caught them sitting in the common room almost snuggled up in one of the armchairs after talking for almost an hour. Of course, James denied that anything happened..."
"It's so cute to watch you playing Cupid." Marlene chuckled: "Perhaps I should transfigure your uniform into some small white wings and your wand into a bow and arrow."
"As for the flying, I'd have to use my broom. Although that might be a bit uncomfortable... Wasn't Cupid naked as well?" Harry scratched his jaw, acting as if he pondered over her suggestion: "Are you sure you wouldn't have a problem with the entire castle seeing my privates?"
"Now that you mention it, I definitely would." She wrinkled her nose in distaste and tightened her grip around his fingers: "I don't share."
"And neither do I" Harry pulled her closer to himself as they turned around the last corner.
When Harry and Marlene arrived in the Great Hall, they found that the tables had disappeared. Rain lashed against the high windows and the enchanted ceiling swirled darkly above them as they assembled in front of Professors McGonagall, Slughorn, Flitwick, and Sprout — the Heads of Houses — and a small wizard whom Marlene took to be the Apparition instructor from the Ministry. He was oddly colorless, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair, and an insubstantial air, as though a single gust of wind might blow him away.
"Remember the plan?" Harry whispered in her ear, his eyes darting over the heads of their peers.
"Of course." Marlene squeezed his hand in reassurance.
"Good morning," said the Ministry wizard, when all the students had arrived and the Heads of Houses had called for quiet. "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition Tests in April by which time, many of you may be ready to take your tests,"
'I could probably take it right now.'
"As you may know, it is usually impossible to apparate or disapparate within Hogwarts. The Headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice. May I emphasize that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try."
'Technically true... But then again, there were a few loopholes.'
Marlene shot a Harry a small smirk and received a wink in return
"I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you."
There was a great scrambling and jostling as people separated, banged into each other, and ordered others out of their space. The Heads of Houses moved among the students, marshaling them into position and breaking up arguments.
Harry shot her a quick nod as he went to stand the furthest from his group of friends, but close enough not to raise too much suspicion. Marlene did the same but towards the other side of the Great Hall where Professor Flitwick was making squeaky attempts to position a few of her House Mates, all of whom wanted to be near the front. Now she was close to Professor Slughorn, who was chivvying the Slytherins into line.
'A good spot to keep an eye on the majority of the Snakes, who might be more suspicious around Harry but not around me...'
She started counting the Slytherins and checked if anyone was missing from her own House as well. At the other side of the Hall, she caught Harry's eyes drifting over the Hufflepuffs, doing the same.
'Everyone seemed to be here.'
'Moving on to part two then.'
Twycross waited patiently until everyone secured a spot. "Now then . . ." He waved his wand. Wooden hoops instantly appeared on the floor in front of every student. "The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D's!" said Twycross.
'So they still taught this method...' Marlene sighed.
"Destination, Determination, Deliberation! "Step one: Fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination," said Twycross. "In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now."
Everybody looked around furtively to check that everyone else was staring into their hoop, then hastily did as they were told. Marlene glanced at the circular patch of dusty floor enclosed by her hoop.
'I suppose this method is easier for those who lack the ability to channel their intent.'
"Step two," said Twycross, "focus your determination to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!"
Marlene glanced around in amusement, trying to stifle a chuckle when she caught Harry doing the same. A little way to her left, Peter Pettigrew was contemplating his hoop so hard that his face had turned pink; it looked as though he was straining to lay a Quaffle-sized egg.
"Step three," called Twycross, "and only when I give the command… Turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation! On my command, now… one —"
Marlene did not bother thinking about the three Ds. Instead, she leaned forwards and allocated her long curls so she could glance around unnoticed. Lots of people were looking positively alarmed at being asked to Apparate so quickly.
"— two —"
"— THREE!"
Next to her, Florence spun on the spot, lost balance, and nearly fell over. She was not the only one. The whole Hall was suddenly full of staggering people; some lying flat on their back, others tumbling and falling to their knees, however, none of them seemed to manage anything of significance.
She caught Harry's gaze and shook her head ever so slightly. Her boyfriend grimaced but inclined his head, nevertheless.
'Part two then.'
"Never mind, never mind," said Twycross dryly, who did not seem to have expected anything better. "Adjust your hoops, please, and back to your original positions…"
This time Marlene did not bother to look for any attempts that were out of the ordinary, but for people who looked like they were holding back, just as she and Harry did.
'After all, it was likely that whoever possessed the diary did not want to draw attention to themselves either.'
Unfortunately, no one around her ticked those boxes... They were either incredibly good actors or actually tried to concentrate on completing the task asked of them.
'Still, I have a few more tries.'
The third attempt went just like the previous two with nothing suspicious. On the fourth attempt, a girl from Hufflepuff suddenly screamed in pain and Marlene grimaced when she spotted that both her legs had been left standing a few feet away.
The Heads of House quickly converged on her; there was a great bang and a puff of purple smoke and the girl was reunited with her leg, still looking horrified.
Splinching was quite a nasty business that could luckily be avoided if your intent was strong enough. 'Pretty much like anything else that involves magic.'
"Perhaps a quick demonstration to motivate you for the next lesson." Twycross stepped forward, turned gracefully on the spot with his arms outstretched, and vanished in a swirl of robes. A soft snap echoed through the Great Hall as he reappeared at the back.
'Harry manages to do it a lot more silently.' Marlene smirked and searched her boyfriend's eyes once more only to give him a disappointed shake of the head.
"Until next Saturday, everybody, and do not forget: Destination. Determination. Deliberation." Twycross dismissed them, allowing Marlene to quickly head back to the group and join Harry.
"Nothing on your part either then?" Harry whispered while they headed out of the Great Hall with the Marauders, accompanied by wild speculation on the apparition and excited chatter.
"No." She sighed in frustration: "House Ravenclaw and Slytherin were all present and none of them looked like they were holding back either."
"It's not 100% safe yet but we should rule out our year for now then." Harry nodded, seemingly deep in thought: "It will be more difficult but let's try to work our way through the seventh year."
"I can try to take a closer look at the Prefects." Marlene suggested: "It might make sense for Voldemort to trust it to someone who has a bit of authority and is free to move around in the castle at night without raising too much suspicion."
"Good idea." Harry agreed though shadows of worry flickered in his green orbs. "Just be careful, love. I don't like the idea of you getting assigned on a patrol with any of them."
"I will be careful." Marlene placed a kiss on his jaw: "What do we do now?"
Harry thought for a few seconds: "It's been some time since you tested your progress on me. Want to head up to the seventh floor?"
"Oh, I see, Harry..." She quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement: "Do you actually want to have a duel or simply get me into a room that bends to your every wish, my love?"
"Both." Harry smirked at her, his hand wandering around her waist to pull her close to him: "Both sound good to me right now..."
January 29th
Dozens upon dozens of crumbling sheets of parchment littered his desk, forcing him to remove the entirety of his magical instruments collection to the floor of the office. After hours of searching, Albus had finally found a few of the oldest floor plans of the castle, yet to his disappointment, the layout must have changed multiple times since the school's creation a millennia ago already.
'Magic had a strange sense of humor.'
Nothing seemed to remain in one place for longer than a century. The entire foundation of towers, corridors, Merlin, and even the position of the Great Hall had changed at least twice already. Only three distinct parts of the castle never changed their position while generations of students had passed through them.
The Headmaster's office on the seventh floorThe corridor and position of the girl's bathroom on the second floor.The very hallway where he caught Harry Peverell and Marlene McKinnon in a rather precarious position a few months ago.
There had to be a connection between these three locations. Perhaps some powerful magic ensured that no matter what happened around them, they remained fixed for eternity. He rubbed his temples, gaze fixed on the earliest floor plan he managed to find.
'There had to be something that will help him.'
"Albus, you do know that you still have a school to run, don't you?"
With a heavy sigh the Headmaster peeked up from his work: "I appreciate your concern, Phineas, but rest assured that I am well ahead of my duties as the acting headmaster."
"I don't see why you bother will all that rubbish then." Hogwarts's least favorite headmaster pointed at the accumulation of parchment on his desk: "This office is getting messier by the day because of your obsession with this Peverell kid! You should be trying to find the culprit behind these attacks instead of figuring out where exactly he sneaks off to"
"Harry Peverell is the central figure in all of this. He knows more about these attacks and the rationale behind them than anyone else, Phineas. I assure you, it's not an obsession." Albus repeated patiently: "It is for the safety of the school and all its students that I took up this quest in the first place."
"I still don't understand why you're so worried about the boy." Phineas rolled his eyes, wrinkling his nose: "The lad is way too smitten with his blonde Ravenclaw to be following the path of a Dark Lord. I couldn't count on both hands how often I ran into them during my occasional strolls through the frames and caught the two doing very inappropriate things in hallways and corridors they thought abandoned. Back in my time young wizards and witches of noble standing would've never dared to defile themselves before marriage like that..."
"Yes... as always, I appreciate your valuable input, Phineas." Albus thanked the man absently, returning to the task at hand.
"If you wanted to know more about the castle's everchanging architecture you should simply ask someone who witnessed the changes long enough to observe whatever parts remained the same..." Phineas commented while flattening some wrinkles in his robes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
'Yes, of course!' Albus paused flicking over a page in mid-air, staring at the frame in wonder. Who would have thought that out of all the Portraits, whose duty it was to consult the current headmaster Phineas Niggelus Black might be the one to suggest something valuable?
'Now who did roam the halls of these castles the longest?'
Some portraits have been here for several hundred years, but despite their ability to visit other frames, they were rather restricted in witnessing the changes all around them. The house-elves knew the castle better than most teachers and students, yet their shorter life span left them somewhat limited as well...
'Who else then?' Albus rubbed his temples deep in concentration.
"Of course! The ghost!" He cheered when his mind finally supplied a suitable solution, ignoring the questioning looks the former headmasters shot him.
Yet, the idea was solid. One of the spectral imprints of former witches and wizards had helped him before on his quest to unravel the mysteries around the boy and perhaps they could do so again!
'But what ghost to ask?'
"Brian!" Albus darted over to the portrait of Professor Brian Gagwilde, the second Headmaster of Hogwarts and the oldest portrait in the room. The man looked up from playing a game of chess in his frame, raising an eyebrow in curiosity: "Yes, Albus? How may I help you?"
"I was wondering if you could point me to the oldest ghost in the castle." Albus struggled to keep the excitement out of his voice: "One that might've been here ever since your days as the acting headmaster?"
The man scratches his short goatee in concentration: "Is Randolf the Robber still around? He must have led to dozens of students ending their education prematurely as they were so afraid of him..."
"The name does not ring a bell, I'm afraid." Albus shook his head in disappointment: "Anyone else?"
"Well, also remember Jacobus the Jester? He always tormented me with his childish pranks back in my day."
'No luck.'
"Neither seems to be around anymore, but thank you for your help nevertheless, Brian..." The headmaster sighed and was about to retrieve back to his desk when Brian spoke up once more.
"Oh, wait, Albus! I remember two more ghosts now that I think about it. They appeared towards the end of my term shortly after each other, however, we did not have any names for them and they refused to tell us about their previous lives."
"What did they look like?" Albus asked curiously.
"Well, the first one that appeared was a tall young lady, barely an adult yet." Brian explained: "Duty to her beauty and intelligence most of us assumed she was of very noble standing. From the moment she arrived, she seemed very taken by my former House, Ravenclaw."
"The Gray Lady." Albus hummed thoughtfully. It was the only explanation that made sense: "What about the other ghost?"
"He was a scary bloke, despite his equally noble ancestry, let me tell you." Brian chuckled drily: "Blood was splattered all over his robes. In addition, he burdened himself with those ridiculous chains every day!"
'The Bloody Baron!'
Was it a coincidence that two of Hogwarts oldest ghosts appeared so soon after one another and chose to remain at this Castle century after century?
'Only one way to find out...'
"Search the entire castle for either of them and let them know that I wish to speak to them." Albus ordered the other portraits: "Make sure they're found as quickly as possible. Incorporate the house elves and suits of armor in your search if you have to! This is of utmost importance!"
The former headmasters and headmistresses, most of whom had been listening in for the last few minutes, nodded their understanding and quickly departed their frames.
"There might still be a chance." Albus hummed absently to Fawkes: "But we have to be more careful than during our last questioning of a ghost. They seem to be of a rather sensitive nature."
A few minutes passed in which the headmaster contemplated how to best approach the issue. Finally, Armando Dippet returned to his frame with his report: "We found the Bloody Baron down in the dungeons, but he refused to come all the way up to your office, stating that the night has progressed too far already."
The headmaster groaned in frustration: 'Why did the ghosts of this castle have to be so moody all the time?'
"However, the Gray Lady was on her way back from the Astronomy tower when we met her and she agreed to follow your call shortly." Albus' predecessor added.
"Very well." Albus nodded eagerly, he darted back to his desk and with a wide wave of his wand stored the different pieces of parchment neatly in a corner of his office. It was only a few seconds later that the wards on his Gargoyle notified him something was talking outside the room.
Suddenly a ghostly white head, framed by long dark curls, peaked right through the door of his office: "I apologize for the rash intrusion headmaster, yet I lack the physical means to knock."
"No worries, my Lady, it was I who called you in the first place." Albus chuckled good-naturedly: "Please, come in."
He studied the girl with interest as she floated a few inches above the floor over to his desk, all the while taking in her surroundings with curious glances. Despite being perhaps only a few years older than the Moaning Myrtle, the Gray Lady had an aristocratic graze and elegance to her, that the former was lacking.
'Definitely of noble standing.'
She gave a small curtsey and bowed her head ever so slightly, coming to halt in front of his desk and looking at him expectantly: "Headmaster?"
"I was hoping you'd be able to help me with a small problem I ran into, my Lady." Albus began carefully: "As far as I know, you have been a resident of this very castle longer than anyone else and witnessed its change over the millennia as you watched generations of students roam through the school's halls and corridors."
"You are correct, Headmaster." A more alert expression married her beautiful features, and her body language became slightly defensive: "What is the nature of your trouble?"
"The prestigious Founders of our school nourished the castle with their unique magic for as long as they lived. Such a diverse and extraordinary accumulation of sorcery gave the castle something one might almost call a consciousness or even a free will. To a certain degree, the school becomes sentient, and as all sentient beings, it transforms and develops over time."
"I agree with your assessment, headmaster." The ghost Lady replied cautiously: "Many things are different from the time when I first arrived at Hogwarts."
'Has she been a student here once? If so, she must have been one of the very first.'
Albus barely stopped himself from going in that direction. Everyone knew that the Gray Lady disliked people swooping around in her past. He needed to avoid the conversation taking a similar turn as the one with the Moaning Myrtle.
"I found myself curious at the things that have remained the same, even over all those years." Albus continued carefully: "Did you by chance know, my Lady, that the office of the headmaster has never changed position even once and always remained in the northwestern tower of the seventh floor?"
"I did not know that." The ghost admitted with a single eyebrow raised in curiosity: "However you still failed to share your problem with me, Headmaster..."
"You're right of course, my Lady." Albus nodded: "I believe there might be a second room that shares the same characteristics and also hasn't changed its position over all those centuries... In fact, I consider it to be placed on the seventh floor as well..."
"What makes you think so?" Her jaw clenched momentarily and Albus noticed how her pale knuckles flexed around the hem of her long sleeve: "And why have you called me here if you already know that there should be a special room, to begin with?"
"I was hoping you could tell me a few things about that room." Albus leaned forward slightly, concentrating on the ghost's face, making sure he would not miss even the tiniest slip in her reaction: "Did you perhaps ever come across it during your time in this castle? Have you been inside it?"
"Why are you so interested in this room, headmaster?" Irritation flickered over the Gray Lady's face: "And what makes you think I even knew of it before?"
Albus sighed and decided to take a small step back: "It is a matter of utmost importance to the school's security. I firmly believe that the room is deeply connected to the two horrible attacks on the students before the yule break."
"What led you to believe so?" The young woman's eyes narrowed: "How could a room be used to hurt the children?!"
'She won't reveal anything unless I'm open with her.'
Albus contemplated briefly how much he could share with the ghost, but at this point, he was desperate for help: "There is a person in this castle, who might not be the attacker, but he is nevertheless knowledgeable on the attacks. I figured out that he hid the Room, via very advanced magic, so I was led to believe that there might be some crucial evidence inside it. Do you understand the severity of the situation, my Lady?"
"Oh, I understand perfectly well, headmaster." She shook her head in mock laughter: "Yet you are completely wrong in your assessment."
"Please help me by elaborating then, my Lady?" Albus enquired, surprised by her unusual brashness.
"I will not deny that the room exists and that this person found it soon after his arrival. However, you are wrong in assuming that it is used to hide evidence of the attack... quite the opposite is true actually." A small pearl of laughter escaped her pale lips: "The room is actively utilized as it has always been envisioned right as we speak. The student using it has done the wizarding world, this school, and especially me a tremendous favor already. I shall not hinder him and interfere with fate..."
"I'm afraid I don't understand..." Albus attempted to speak.
"I have made many mistakes in my life, Headmaster." The ghost interrupted him: "One graver than any other. The shame and guilt have burdened me so heavily that I was unable to move on to what you call the next great adventure. I still am."
"However, many years ago I thought that someone might be able to correct my mistakes. Alas, I was fooled, brought shame to my name and great harm to our world." Anger burned in her gray eyes as she hissed: "He tainted her treasure and mocked her by hiding it in the very room of its creator. How dare he!"
"Please, my Lady..." Albus tried to speak up: "Could you simply start from the beginning?"
"My mother's treasures have been sought after for many centuries, headmaster." She floated over to the side of the office where a painting of the four Founders, one that unfortunately lacked the magic to bring it to life, hung on the wall: "Countless wizards and witches only sought them for selfish reasons. However, finally, someone came with noble intentions. Someone different!"
'But how was Peverell different?'
"What good is knowledge if it's used to hurt the innocent? What good is wisdom when it's twisted to make others suffer? Some pieces of magic are better left destroyed forever, for mankind is too tempted by their allure and their innate greed for glory."
Albus tried to make sense of what she was talking about, some things are already starting to make sense: "You talk about your mother's treasures, which are sought after by many. Wisdom and knowledge are their attributes…"
His blue orbs darted over to the painting, which the ghost still glanced at with a look of longing: "Ravenclaw..." He whispered in disbelief and stared at the pearly figure in front of him with wide eyes: "Rowena Ravenclaw? But why?"
"The Peverell child will redeem me." A single tear trickled down pale cheeks: "I can feel my grasp on this world loosening after he's been successful already. Soon I can finally pass on. Soon I can finally express my regret and ask for her forgiveness..."