Heart of Stone: HPHM Year 6

Missions Impossible

Sarah nearly laughed, but the wicked gleam in Merula's eye was far more frightening than funny. 

"You can't be serious," she said. 

"Rakepick betrayed you, too. You must want revenge," said Merula flatly. 

"I want to beat her to the Cursed Vault. I want her arrested for her crimes. But killing her? That wouldn't be right. Not to mention, probably impossible." 

Merula shrugged and turned back to her training dummies. 

"See what I mean? You'll just be in my way."

Sarah sighed. "Look Merula, I know firsthand how...emotionally draining dealing with the vaults can be. If I didn't have friends to rely on--"

"Shut up! You don't have the slightest idea what it's like to be me! Now get lost, before I confuse you for a training dummy and blow that ugly head right off your shoulders! Bombarda!" 

The last training dummy's head exploded, wood splintering everywhere, and Sarah took her cue to leave. 

She walked off in the direction of the lake, her mind swimming. She'd known everyone had taken Rakepick's betrayal hard, but she hadn't realized it was this bad. She had to find the last vault fast, but how could she when she was so worried about her friends? And how could she help Ben and Merula, when they refused to even speak to her?

"Sarah! Hey, Sarah! Sarah!" 

"What? Oh, hi Penny! Did you find Beatrice?"

Penny slowed to a walk once she'd caught up with Sarah, straightening her braids as she spoke. "Yes. You were right. She'd gone to bed early." 

"Something wrong?" 

Penny had none of her usual glowing cheerfulness. She sighed. 

"Yes. I'm worried about her. She...changed over the summer."

Sarah gulped. After Ben and Merula's summer transformations, she knew better than to suspect Beatrice had changed for the good.

"I'd really hoped she'd be able to put that whole portrait business behind her, but she just sulked all summer. When I tried to talk to her, she refused to speak, unless it was to shout at me to go away. I thought it might be better at Hogwarts, but she's been avoiding me at all costs. It..It feels like I've lost her all over again!" 

Penny wiped a tear from her eye. Sarah put an arm around her. About the only good thing to come from the end of last year was that the students trapped in portraits had been freed, and Penny had finally been reunited with her sister. But now, Penny was as unhappy as ever.

"I'm sorry, Penny."

Her friend sniffed. "I'm sorry to unload all this on you, but I figured if anyone would understand, it would be you." 

Sarah's heart twinged, but she forced herself not think about Jacob, or how he'd immediately run away again after she'd found him at last. 

"Would you like me to try to talk to Beatrice? I know you said she looked up to me."

"Oh, would you? I'd really appreciate it. She's in the courtyard right now. I'd go with you, but if she thinks I sent you, she'll probably throw a fit."

Sarah gave a last glance at the lake before turning back. "No problem. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you! I'll be in the potions room. Come and tell me how it went!" 

Sarah had to make two trips around the courtyard before she recognized Beatrice. The last time Sarah had seen her, she'd been the spitting image of her sister at age 11, with her blonde hair cut in a cute bob. Now, her hair was shaggy, like she'd cut it herself without using a mirror. It hung down over one eye, and the other eye was covered in messy, dark makeup. She wore a beat up leather jacket over her disheveled school uniform, and she was eyeing the rest of the courtyard with apparent disgust. But perhaps the strangest aspect of the new Beatrice was her choice of companionship.