In the Shadow of Seventh year

Chapter 37: A Meaningful Message

*I took some creative liberty with the Protean charm experiment, the way I make it work in my story aside from the canon is my own imagination.
TW: Another visit to the mental ward of St. Mungo's ahead! Read with caution please.

When the others returned, you informed them of what Gornuk had told you and that you've been trying to come up with a way to alert the teachers if needed.
To everyone's surprise, Garreth and Natty had been working on that idea during the entirety of the break and had come up with a solution.

"I've enchanted these fake Galleons with the Protean charm." Natty explained, handing one to each of the group. You looked at yours, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
"That is a very difficult spell. I'm impressed you managed to pull it off." Ominis said, letting his fingers close around the coin.
"Natty is excellent at charms! The best of our year." Garreth bragged, slinging an arm around his blushing girlfriend.

"I'm glad to know you didn't put the charm over it." Sebastian smirked at the redhead.
Garreth shot him a glare. "Ha ha. Actually, I did contribute in experimenting with it."
Immediately everyone held their Galleon at arms-length, making the Gryffindor pout. "Oh come on guys! You know I haven't exploded anything in the last year." He let go of Natty in favor of crossing his arms. "Besides, Natty wouldn't have let me experiment on it if she wouldn't be behind the idea."

All of you relaxed at those words, knowing it to be true.
"But I did experiment with it." Garreth sheepishly grinned. "I promise it's all good though! Natty helped me and she did all the spell work."
Nerida sighed, crossing her arms. "Alright, please enlighten us what these actually do. How will they help us alert the teachers?"

It was Natty who answered her. "The Protean charm ensures all the Galleons -in this case- that are linked, to get very warm when you tap it with your wand. You'll be able to send a small message which will appear on the rim where normally Goblin numbers are etched in."
"Yes, I've read about that." Sebastian said while nodding his head. "So what did Weasley make you add? Why is the Protean charm not enough?"
You had not known about that, but it was very interesting and it honestly seemed like a very good way to alert someone quickly and efficiently.

"While the Protean charm does its work fine, we remembered how you, " Natty shot a look your way, "didn't have your wand with you when MacMillan had lured you to the Map Chamber."
"It occurred to us that having a wand is not guaranteed in any fight." Garreth continued. "Expelliarmus could easily disarm us or our wands might fly out of our hands if we get knocked down." You grimaced at the idea of any of them hurting again, but you could see the point they were making.
"The Protean charm requires a wand to activate it, but with some experimental charms -think of the Capacious charm and the Avenseguim charm- we managed to enchant the fake Galleons in a way that allows you to use them without a wand."
The redhead seemed pretty pleased and Natty was looking proud too. They had every reason to be, as they had indeed invented a great way of communication.

"So, how will it work exactly?" Anne asked, turning her Galleon over in her hand. "I've only heard of those charms, but never have I seen them in use."
Natty held up her coin so that everyone could see. Then she tapped it with her pointer finger two times. As soon as she was done tapping, the coin in your hand warmed up. Not hot, but definitely warm enough to make you aware of it.
Looking at the rim, you could see four letters spell out the word HELP.
"Tap it once with your wand or twice with your finger and it will send the message that you're in need of help to the others, it will also give you the location." Natty gestured for them to turn their coin. In place of the pressed image of a mythical creature, there was a tiny picture of what obviously was the entrance of the Undercroft where they were residing currently.