The Other Witches

20. Crown Jewels

The hourglass is magnificent. Standing about seven feet tall and bolted to a marble pedestal, the two curved glass chambers are supported by golden versions of the four house animals. The gems that make up the sand swirl lazily - scarlet, sunflower yellow, forest green, and royal blue - each one a little smaller than my pinky fingernail. Every so often, a jewel floats down to rest on the pile in the second chamber, light as a feather.

The problem is, I estimate that there are only about fifty jewels left in the upper chamber, and every minute or so, another falls. We've got less than an hour.

As Lucy, Ella and Lauren begin examining the hourglass for the instructions, Von and the Potter brothers pound into view, huffing with the effort. Von leans against the glass as she catches her breath.

A glimmer of light catches my attention, and I notice that the eyes of the lion and the badger on the hourglass are glowing. A few steps around the pedestal reveals that the snake's eyes are also shining with green light. But the eagle on the remaining corner doesn't seem to be lit up at all. As I examine my friends standing around the pedestal, it hits me.

"Guys, don't move for a sec."

Each one of them has at least one hand on the hourglass. I reach the pedestal in a few strides, placing my right hand on the eagle's wing. The eyes begin to glow, the ground shakes a bit, and a few of us, myself included, cry out as a blinding flash of light beams from the hourglass.

I'm still recovering my eyesight when Ella shouts, "Well, these look like instructions to me!"

A parchment scroll has appeared in the eagle's talons. It looks like the same deal for everyone else, too. There are scrolls in the snake's coil, the lion's mouth, and both of the badger's front paws. 

As soon as Lucy eases her parchment from the figure, the golden lion begins to move, and to speak.

"You are brave, children of the Mystical Arts," a booming male voice issues from the lion's mouth. The voice of Gryffindor himself, I think as we all stare, frozen. "To take on this great task is not the decision of the fainthearted. You have seen the turmoil beginning to spread within the walls of this castle. You must be ready, for wicked forces are gathering, even now, outside of these walls. What you have learned about the defeat of the followers of the notorious Dark Lord Voldemort is not all true. They still kindle the flame of rebellion, for they still walk free in the wizarding world. Your task is not simple, for their success in their cause spells the end of the peaceful world as we know it. They harbor an uncontrollable intolerance for those of non-magic blood, and should they prevail and seize power, the lives lost would be immeasurable. But," the lion paused briefly, "there is still a chance for victory and peace."

The eagle spoke next, with a low, smooth woman's voice. "That chance lies with Hogwarts, my brave heirs, for the young are the future of the wizarding world. For this reason, our school is a target for those who desire to change the way the world and its people exist. Instill your beliefs in children, and they are your strongest ally when they are grown. We cannot allow our fragile world to be corrupted in this way, so Hogwarts must fight. Yet, alone, each house would fall to the enemy. This school must be united in its battle, and only then will it be strong enough to defeat its true enemies. And that is your test, as the heirs of the Mystical Arts. The ancient magic that chose you must be carried on and expressed by each of you to preserve our centuries-old bond."

"You will be tested," came the deep, solemn voice of the snake, "to display your own gifts, in addition to upholding the root values of your respective houses. Each of your parts in this task is different, but your part must be achieved by you and you alone. These assignments will not only test the true power of your own magical abilities, but they will also test the strength of your friendship, which is a crucial component of our great jinx. Be warned, children. You may have to turn your back on your friends if the task requires that you do so. You may have to betray or go against them. You may even have to harm them or yourself. But keep in mind: Great sacrifices were made to create this special form of protection, and great sacrifices must be made to preserve it."

I glance at my four friends, and we silently come to an understanding. Slytherin was right. Sacrifices were inevitable.

"But this magic chose you for a reason," the voice of the badger assures, clear and hopeful. "You have the loyalty, the bravery, the intelligence, and the motivation to make the greatest sacrifices, for each other and for your school. You have brought others, new friends, that will help you in your quest, even if they cannot assist you in the tasks themselves. You have your fellow heirs. You possess a stronger magic than you know within you, and that magic can be used for good." The badger turns its head to face the falling jewels. "Your time has begun, young heirs." The gems are still falling, but it looks more like time has slowed down inside the hourglass and the crystals are falling in slow motion.

"Be strong, children."

The glow vanishes from the four animals' eyes, and another blinding burst of light envelops everyone in the room.

Looking down at myself, I realize that whatever magic just whooshed through the room did perform a small act of kindness; my long, rather weighty skirt from my ball gown has been shortened to just above my knees, and the heels I was struggling with are now flats. Much easier to run around in. The same thing seems to have happened with the rest of my girlfriends, even Patricia. 

"Okay, guys, chop, chop!" Lucy says, trying to lighten the mood. "Time's ticking."

"Yeah, let's take a look at these instructions," I agree, pulling open the blue ribbon around my scroll. 

Unfortunately, that's as far as I get.

"You children aren't quite as foolish as I thought, I see. I was hoping you wouldn't get this far, but oh, well."

I turn to see the same man in the purple cloak leaning nonchalantly against a rickety bookshelf, and instinctively, I grip my wand tighter at my side. No. Not when we're so close.

He starts walking down the narrow alley of abandoned furniture, slowly getting nearer and nearer. "I don't even really have to kill you, you know. Even now, as we speak, Dark Soldiers are breaking into Hogwarts. All I have to do is delay you, oh, an hour or so, and that will be enough," he chuckles to himself, "to finish what the Dark Lord started." He stops to think. "On second thought, killing you doesn't seem like such a bad idea. It would be an easy way into the history books, being the men that vanquished the last Heirs of the Mystical Arts, now wouldn't it?"

He stops, a bit confused. "And what are the rest of you doing here?" Examining PJ, Patricia, Scorpius, Henry, and the Potters, he just shrugs. "I guess you children didn't know what you were in for when you fell in with their lot. No matter, you'll meet their fate anyway."

He looks back and forth from each one of us, his amber gaze challenging us, laughing at our determined, but desperate, faces. "Oh, this will be fun. Brothers, are you up for a quick game of cat-and-mouse?"

Two other figures appear behind him, seemingly from thin air. "Gladly. Anything to pass the time while Hogwarts falls."

Hey guys, it's really been forever since I've updated, but I've finally gotten some work done.  -RedV