The Lost Heir of Ilvermony

The Second Challenge

The first day of class we’re back in the empty classroom with all my friends around. Tracey and Sara are close holding hands. “I know what vision is now. Old William he...He’s the original william from the stories about Isolt he told me about a promise. That he swore to serve the Sewart bloodline until it ended.

“That line died out with Rionach Stewart.” Holly says knowingly.

“No Martha had children, none of them had magic so her line was lost to history. Until now.” Elloits mouth hangs open in shock. Holly crosses her arms. “No one will believe that you're gonna need to prove it.”

I nod. “He’s gonna love this.” Closing my eyes I hope he’s in a good mood. “Old William.”

There is small pop and there is Old William holding an axe. “Whatca summon’ me fore?”

“I told them.” 

He lets out a distatified grunt. “You're not ta be summon’ me for nigh reason ya got that.”

“Loud and clear.” I say my hands up as he looks to Holly, her mouth is hanging open. 

He points the axe at her. “Your friend danna be lynin’ and close mouth girl you look dim.

With that he pops out of the room. I look down as a bug scuttles away under the door. “So there’s one more thing but we can talk about that at the tables.”

As we start eating I tell them about the Rouge Army and the unknown witch with the red patrounce. We all agree there is nothing we can do about that. I have the carved Waira on the table. “Lastly, any ideas about this?”

“Sleeping potion.” Holly says opening her potions book. I see her neat sharp handwriting.

I shake my head. “Can’t take anything with me. My best spell will last about two minutes. I have no idea what the rest of the challenge is two minutes doesn’t sound like much of a start.”

“What about a decoy, give it something else to cast while you sneak around your quiet enough.” Sara says. 

I look in my notebook where I transcribed the verse. “See but hear. That’s good it would smell me.”

Elliot adds. “And how do you get a decoy in.”

Daniel who is reading a no-maj magazine “Make yourself smell dead I saw it on a TV show they covered themselves in blood to get away from a horde of nastys.”

Tracey goes over the plan. “Hex yourself then set a decoy then just walk right past it.”

“It's a good plan, I can conjure decoys from the earth.” I see it clearly in my mind as a row of earthen protectors around me. 

“We’ll do a practice run before the challenge.” I say taking my books. “We have Dark Arts Defence on the Quidditch field today so we better get moving.” Sara and Tracey collect their books leaving the table they are holding hands. 

On the way we leave our books in the locker room while most students will have their stuff on snowy ground. This however puts us in place to hear McCain talking to the Headmistress. 

“She was asking about it.” McCain says her voice is ripe with fear.

“How could she even know about it? I've seen her grades. Sited she is not.”

A heavy sigh. “I told you the first time that girl set foot on her she was powerful. All those years alone hiding, there is more in her then magic if she-”

Picquery cuts her off. “She brought new life to this school you felt it Foina just as I did. This place was dying.”

Holly leans in, “Dying?”