A Whole Different World

Chapter 22 - Not just pretty jewellery

Ella carefully scooped up the necklace from the side of the lake, its shine had attracted her to it - she felt as though it was calling her. It had a black chain and the dark green stone at the bottom of it was stunning.

"What is it?" Anna asked, her and Taylor stood on either side of Ella looking at the necklace.

"Well, I think it's a necklace, Anna, but the obvious may not be right." Taylor smirked as she said this.

"I didn't get a good enough look at it when I asked!" Anna exclaimed.

"It's beautiful." Ella mumbled, oblivious to her friends' conversation. She couldn't stop staring at it - she felt like her eyes would burn if she looked away from it, and she felt as though her hands would melt if she wasn't holding it - despite the stones freezing exterior.

"Ella..." Taylor said slowly; Ella could hear her voice, she felt her presence beside her, but she didn't want to look away from the necklace - not yet - she needed time to stare at it and soak in every detail about it.

"My god, Ella!" Taylor yanked the necklace out of her grip,

"Why did you do that?" Ella snapped at her, when Taylor took it away Ella's body was relieved, her hands cooled down but in her head all she could think about was holding the necklace again.

"It was like you were in a trance. What's so special about that necklace anyway?" Taylor asked bitterly,

"Nothing - I don't know. I think it's alluring." Ella sighed from its beauty. Taylor and Anna exchanged worried glances.

"Let's show it to a professor." Anna suggested.

"Or better yet let's show her to a professor, maybe they can figure out what's going on in that mind of hers." Taylor replied, Anna giggled, and Ella rolled her eyes.

Taylor led the way to Professor McGonagall's office; they heard voices inside so they waited out in the hall. Ella could see the necklace in Taylor's left hand, she wanted so desperately to grab it back from her, and an overwhelming desire for the necklace was in her. She snaked her hand slowly to Taylor - keeping it down-low so she wouldn't catch it in the corner of her eye. Ella was mere millimetres away from it when Taylor turned around as Professor McGonagall's door opened, the necklace swinging in her hand, and Professor Lupin came walking out. Ella groaned in defeat.

"Evening Professor!" Anna kindly said to him, he appeared worn out, with such pale skin he looked ill. He smiled warmly at Anna.

"Good evening Anna, I wouldn't have expected to see you waiting outside a teachers office with such a solemn look on your face. Nor would I have expected to see you Ella. Are you all in trouble?" He spoke the last part with concern,

"No, sir! We came to show Professor McGonagall something strange that we found." Anna replied. Professor Lupin raised his eyebrows at them,

"What did you find?" he asked with concern and curiosity over his face,

"This, sir. Come to think of it, you may be the person we should have gone to." Taylor replied, she lifted the necklace up to show him. He opened his mouth slightly and gazed at the object.

"Come with me, it appears you have found something that would be better suited to show to another professor, specifically the headmaster. I can't believe you found that, how on earth did you find that? This is awfully brilliant. Where did you find it?" Lupin asked in a stream of words.

"I found it by the lake, sir; it drew me in once I saw it. If you don't mind telling us but why is this so brilliant?" Ella asked, Professor Lupin led them around the castle until they arrived outside Professor Dumbledore's office.

"I will leave it up to someone else to explain," Professor Lupin motioned to the gargoyle, "Anna could you please run along and fetch Professor Snape."

Anna looked at him reluctantly, "But-"

"He is important in the explanation," Lupin cut her off, Anna still seemed unsure, "He doesn't bite! Believe me; out of all the Professors his bite is minuscule." He chuckled to himself after saying this, Ella and Taylor exchanged confused glances, and Anna sighed and ran long to fetch the bat-like teacher.

Professor Lupin said the password and they went up the winding staircase. He knocked on the door and they instantly heard a voice call "Come in!" Professor Lupin pushed the door open and they entered the headmasters' office.

"Ah, Remus, what may I do for you and these bright young children?" Professor Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his bright eyes,

"An object - a necklace to be precise - has been found by these students. I had a hunch on what it was but I needed another opinion and a closer check. I have also asked another student to grab Severus." Lupin explained. Dumbledore gestured his hand out and Taylor stepped forward and placed the necklace in it. At once Professor Dumbledore tensed up and examined the jewellery up close.

"Who found this?" He asked softly.

"I did sir." Ella answered. He glanced up at her and smiled warmly,

"Here, put it on." He handed her the necklace and Taylor reluctantly helped her to put it on. Once it was on Ella could feel the cool stone on her chest, the weight of it somehow seemed to become less with the more time it sat there.

"Isn't it a...well..." Professor Lupin gestured to the necklace and raised his eyebrows at Professor Dumbledore.

"Yes, it is. But I think we should wait for Professor Snape to discuss that part. You see yourself and Severus know how to cover this field. All I wish to say is, when the time comes you will know what to do." Professor Dumbledore let a dreamy look cloud his face and he sat down in his chair silently. Ella gulped, what did he mean by when the time comes? Taylor, Professor Lupin and Ella stood in silence as they waited for Anna to return with Professor Snape. Professor Dumbledore just sat in his chair grinning. There was a knock on the door and Anna entered with Professor Snape trailing closely behind her. He took a stride into the room.

"Where is it?" He asked, Anna glanced around and pointed to Ella's neck and Professor Snape strode over and held out his hand. Ella took the necklace off and handed it over to Professor Snape. Both Professor Snape and Professor Lupin crossed over to Dumbledore's desk. Professor Snape set it down and extracted his wand from his robe.

"Incendio." he spoke clearly with his wand pointed at the jewel. Panic rose in Ella.

"Don't!" Ella exclaimed as he again used another spell on the necklace, this time reducto.

"It really is!" Lupin exclaimed, he picked the necklace up, walked back to Ella and placed it around her neck again, "No harm has been done to it." Ella examined it; it really did look as it did when she first found it.

"How?" Ella asked in a low voice.

"Miss Tarcuno, you have found something so rare, so extraordinary, that I am surprised it was found on Hogwarts grounds. You have found what is called a Mors illi ultra, or its English term - death no more. It is what could be referred to as a reverse of death. It can only be used once, and yours has never been used. You must put the necklace on the deceased person you wish to save. You have two hours after their death to revive them; otherwise the necklace will not work. I believe this one in particular is an heirloom passed down through generations of pureblood families, so I don't know how you are so attracted to it." Snape explained. Ella stood in shock. Had she really found something so brilliant? She could save someone's life.

"We trust you with this necklace, Ella, you are a responsible student and we know you will do something great with it. Don't let it go to the hands of others; people may get envious if they find out." Professor Lupin said to her, she nodded her head at him.

"You are dismissed." Professor Dumbledore said to Taylor, Anna, and Ella. Ella walked back to the Ravenclaw Common room with weight on her shoulders and a feeling in her heart that she never knew existed.