ELIXIR: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

Thirty. Another Full Moon.

A week before the next full moon, Caiti had read through the book of Quidditch trials cover to cover. With each new story, her stomach twisted at the thought of how difficult it would be to get a place for Marlowe on any team, let alone one who had already refused him. The last few cases were fairly recent and there were more precedents for denying people positions than for awarding them. The book's author, however, had explored the places where laws had been twisted and she thought, with enough information, she could make a strong argument. She was not a Ravenclaw for nothing. She knew how to do her research.

This time, when she went to the library, it was with specific intentions in mind. Inside the door, she turned left and headed straight for the librarian's desk. Madame Page's skin was so pale and sallow it seemed to Caiti that she had never actually left the shadowy library. She'd always made Caiti feel a little nervous, but she also knew that if anyone could find the book she was looking for, it was Madame Page.

"Excuse me," she whispered. The old woman looked up from the desk. "I was wondering," Caiti continued, careful to keep her voice low, "If you could help me find a book."

Madame Page continued to stare at her in perfect silence. She had mastered the art of breathing, walking, and moving about her desk without a single sound.

"I'm interested in the laws recently put into place to protect werewolves in the workplace, and also any laws regarding hiring in professional quidditch."

The librarian regarded her for another few seconds and then she picked up her wand and headed out from around the desk and towards the stacks. Caiti followed her, feeling self-conscious about the sound of her shoes and the way her clothes rustled against each other when she walked.

She felt much better, however, when they stopped near the section Caiti had found the first book. Madame Page raised her wand and flicked it. Two volumes fluttered down from the top row. They looked just alike except that one seemed much newer than the other, and they came from a collection of several dozen other identical books. Madame Page handed Caiti the books, with slate blue covers and gold embossed roman numerals on the spine. The first read XVI and the second XXIV.

Caiti set one down as quietly as possible on the table nearest them and opened to the title page as nothing but the number was written on the outside. The older looking book read Magical Laws and Doctrines of the United Kingdom: Volume XVI – Sport and Recreation and the second, a similar title except for the specific subject matter, Volume XXIV – Part Human Rights and Restrictions.

Caiti did not like the wording on the second title, but she knew it would hold what she was looking for. "Thank you," she whispered. Madame Page nodded and made her way back to her desk. Caiti waited until she was gone before she sat down to read.

---

Sean, Evelyn, and Marlowe sat at dinner on Wednesday night, just one day before the full moon, when Caiti suddenly arrived. Marlowe sat up very straight. Feverish and exhausted as he had come to expect as the days neared his transformation, this was the most alert he had felt the whole day. He even smoothed his hand through his sloppy hair in a lame attempt to make himself look presentable.

But Caiti wasn't looking at him.

"Ev," she said. "I need your help with something."

"Oh," she said. "Alright. Now?"

Caiti hesitated, glancing at Sean. "If you don't mind," she said.

"No, of course." Evelyn stood up. She glanced at Marlowe.

He tried desperately to think of something good to say to her while he had the chance, but his mind had gone blank. Then he and Caiti made eye contact for the shortest second and his heart stopped. Was she going to say something? Even hello would have been like Christmas morning at this point. Caiti looked away and then back up at him, this time with the smallest smile on her lips, barely enough to even register, but still, he was so surprised, he didn't have time to even smile back before the girls walked away.