Heart of Stone: HPHM Year 6

Intercepting Notes

"So...you're not gonna tell Penny about this, right?" asked Beatrice. 

She was sitting beside Sarah's bed in the hospital wing. The new nurse, a trainee from St. Mungo's, had been beside himself at their bedraggled state and fabricated explanations. Thankfully, Chiara had been able to take over. She healed up their cuts and bruises, gave Rowan a potion for seasickness, and cleaned up their robes without asking too many questions, though Sarah promised to fill her in later. 

Sarah sighed. "No, I won't. It would only upset her. I don't suppose you're going to tell us why you'd snuck off to the lake of all places?"

She shrugged. "To see if I could. I tried to convince Ismelda to come with me, but she was too chicken." She rolled her eyes. 

As satisfied as she was to hear Ismelda called a chicken by a twelve-year-old, Sarah knew she had to press the matter. 

"Beatrice, you know that was incredibly reckless. You could've been killed." 

"Hark who's talking! You don't think that just because you're Sarah Spellman the Cursebreaker the rules don't apply to you?"

"That's exactly what she thinks," Rowan grumbled. 

"I had good reason," said Sarah. "I'm trying to end this curse. I'm trying to stop people from getting hurt. You were being pointlessly reckless." 

Beatrice groaned. "Ugh! You sound just like Penny." 

"She's just trying to look out for you, you know. You could be more grateful."

The girl's face went red. "There's a difference between looking out for somebody and smothering them. I figured you of all people would understand."

"What do you mean?"

"Penny's told me about your brother. He's out there chasing down the bad guys right now, isn't he? You're not getting in his way, or trying to stop him from being who he is. You're letting him find his own path." 

Sarah didn't reply. Beatrice couldn't have been much more wrong. Since he'd left, Sarah had spent many waking hours wondering where Jacob was and how she could stop him from fighting R without her. She'd been angry that he'd left her alone, but was she in the wrong? If she really trusted him, perhaps she should let him find his own path to R, while she found hers. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by Chiara's return, her brow knitted with concern. 

"Can we go?" Barnaby asked her. 

"Yes, but I'm afraid you have to go straight to Dumbledore's office. You too, Beatrice."

Rowan gasped. "We'll be expelled!"

"How'd he find out so fast?" asked Barnaby. "Can he see through cloaks too?"

"I'm sure it has less to do with that and more with the giant cyclone that erupted in the middle of the lake," said Sarah. She swung her legs out of the bed. "Well, nothing we can do but receive our punishment, I guess." 

"Good luck," Chiara called to them as they made their exit. 

Once they'd climbed the stairs to Dumbledore's office, Sarah knocked on the door. 

"Enter." 

The door swung open to admit them. Dumbledore stood beside Fawkes's perch, his hands pressed together as he regarded them over his half-moon spectacles. 

"Ah, how are you all feeling?"

"Terrified," murmured Rowan. 

"Alright," said Barnaby.