Gideon Drake and the Fire Within (Harry Potter Sequel/Spinoff)

Chapter Forty-Five: High and Low

'Ruby?' Gideon mouthed silently. He had to clear his throat to ask, 'What's wrong with her?'

'Why are her eyes misted over like that?' Talia added.

'We believe she's been cursed but not by any curse known to us. She's breathing normally but is unresponsive. Her cloudy eyes are the only other thing symptomatic of a problem. We hoped you two might have some answers,' Professor Dandridge answered.

'Is it possible that she is somehow involved with the fires? Perhaps someone coerced her?' Madam Longbottom asked.

'No!' Gideon asserted strongly. 'Ruby has nothing to do with the fires.'

'Then, do you have any idea what she may have been doing out of bed in the middle of the night?' Professor Long questioned.

Gideon and Talia both shook their heads. Why would Ruby have done that?

'Will she be alright?' Talia asked.

'Ruby will be transferred to St Mungo's soon. I'm meeting her parents there today and I'll be visiting regularly to check on her treatment,' Professor Dandridge explained. 'I assure you that she will get the best care possible.

'However, any information you can offer will be useful. On the wall of the Astronomy Tower near where she was discovered, we found a message. I would like you both to see it and tell me whether it means anything to you.'

Gideon and Talia agreed, and then with a last look at Ruby, the group were led from the room by the headmistress. They soon reached the foot of the Astronomy Tower and began to climb the winding stairs. About halfway up, they came to a halt and Professor Dandridge indicated to the message on the wall.

'As you can see, Ruby wrote the message with her wand. It appears t have been left in a hurry. Does it mean anything to either of you?'

Gideon knew Ruby's handwriting to be extremely neat, but the message was untidy and had been written at an angle. He imagined that she must have written it in a panic. It read, "P 4 6 4 G 7".

Talia looked as confused as Gideon. He racked his brains, but the message was nonsensical. They had never discussed codes of any sort unless you counted runes. These letters and numbers could hardly be mistaken for runes, though, and Ruby knew first-hand of Gideon's inaptitude for them.

'I don't know what it means,' Gideon begrudgingly admitted. He screwed up his fists in frustration. Ruby had left a final, desperate message, and he had absolutely no clue what it meant. What kind of friend was he?

Talia looked equally frustrated as she wiped a make-up smudged tear from her eye. 'I don't know either,' she finally conceded.

'I would like you both to think about the message and Miss Williams's recent actions. If anything comes to mind, please inform Professor Voronov or Professor Long. You can see her again before she's moved, then I would like you to take the rest of the day off.'

'I'm sure you understand that for security reasons, we have not told the rest of the student body that there was another fire. Miss Williams' absence will be explained due to illness. Her parents will be informed of the truth, of course, but the culprit may reveal themselves accidentally if they mention knowledge of the Astronomy Tower fire or her presence there.'

Gideon and Talia nodded in understanding. They got to see Ruby again, along with her siblings, who were accompanied by Professor Keane, Ruby's Head of House. Gideon was apprehensive about facing them. He worried that they would blame him for her condition.

'You're Ruby's mates?' asked Esmeralda, the tallest among them in an accusatory sort of way.

'This is Natalia Dinescu,' Saphira, the next tallest told her elder sister. 'She's in our house.'