Rescuing Dragons

Complicated Collaborations

 Every day, staff and Aurors were seen talking in serious tones while peeking in every corner and crevice of the castle. Dilly told Raven the house-elves were looking for the music box during their nightly cleaning of the castle. For the most part, Peeves left the staff alone, but he did everything possible to exasperate the Aurors. Finally, after numerous pieces of chalk were thrown like bullets at bums of bent over searchers, the Headmistress took action. She sucked the cackling Peeves into a pipe in the girls second floor bathroom and created a complicated sticking charm so he couldn't escape. After spending a day with Moaning Myrtle and Hogwarts sewage, Peeves promised to leave the searchers alone.

While the search was going on in the castle, Raven told Charlie he should discuss the plan with the merpeople. After giving him a couple days to refresh his Mermish, she decided to check on him. There was a book that needed to go back to the library she decided to drop off on her way. Raven walked to the back of the library and could feel Madam Pince's eyes on her. She was careful to place the book gently into the 'Returns' bin. On her way back out, she noticed someone in the Restricted Section. Was that Hardwin Hitchcock? Raven walked cautiously back to the Restricted Section. Hardwin was barely visible through a gap in a bookshelf. "This could change everything for me!" she heard him say.

"But wouldn't you rather go to my quarters?" Raven recognized that voice. Gizem suddenly appeared next to Hardwin.

Raven couldn't see what she was doing but Hardwin said, "Yeah, maybe we should leave." She quickly did a Disillusionment Charm seconds before Hardwin and Gizem walked past. Chit made a quiet hiss. That confirmed it. When they had tea, Chit seemed fine around Gizem. She obviously didn't trust Hardwin.

As soon as Raven got outside, she saw Charlie standing by the Black Lake with his back to her. What in the world? Why was he wearing bright pink earmuffs? It was a grey day, threatening to rain, but it wasn't cold. Raven called out to him but he couldn't hear her. When she tapped him on the shoulder, he whirled around, snatched the earmuffs off his head, and turned beet red. She couldn't help laughing. "Why are you wearing pink earmuffs?"

"Worried about someone comin' up behind me with that music box. If they made me tell 'em about your father's notes... I couldn't forgive myself."

Her eyes softened. "That's very thoughtful of you, Charlie, but...um...why pink? I mean it kind of clashes with your hair," she said with a smile.

"That's what Professor Sprout handed me." He hesitated, thinking about their conversation. "Was in a bad mood. Mumblin' somethin' about Aconite. Decided not to ask for a different color."

"Aconite? Did she say anything else?"

"No, just said, ...why someone would steal Aconite, I have no idea."

Raven frowned, then remembered why she came to see him. "So, were you thinking about speaking to the merpeople?"

"Thought I might introduce myself. Didn't want to embarrass myself in front of you. Too late for that," he said ruefully, fingering the pink earmuffs.

"You really think pink earmuffs and botched Mermish would change how I feel about you?" Raven whispered in his ear, "Tu es mon amour." Charlie started to give her a kiss, but she stepped back. "No snogging in public. Too many eyes around here," Raven said with a laugh.

Charlie sighed, then looked at the lake. "I'll invite them to the surface." After making a spiraling motion with his wand, a circle of water appeared on the surface. The ripples flowed towards the center like a whirlpool, making a small depression in the water. Seconds later, small bubbles appeared. Two merpeople, one male and the other female, broke the surface, their wild green hair streaming down their backs. The merman had a long beard and was wearing a choker of fangs. The mermaid had several strands of pebbles around her neck. She was holding a leash made of seaweed and at the end was a Grindylow, its sharp little horns barely breaking the surface. Chit began moving from side to side in an agitated way.