Star Crossed Witch: Book Three

Patronus

The holidays were soon over and students flooded back to the castle for the start of term. I was in the girls' dorm room still working on my project when I had finally decided a set of spells I believed would help. "Et opus castelli causa replicare. Homonculous magistris. Aulam abscondam." With each spell I paused for a few minutes as they took effect on paper.

The first was for constructing an exact blueprint if the castle. The second shows the exact location of each teacher, while the last one hid certain passageways that I did not believe students should know about. Satisfied with my map, I ran down to the common room to show it to my friends. "Hermione tell me what you think of this."

I handed it over to her, and Harry leaned over to look "why do you have the Marauder's map?" He whispered so no one heard him.

"It's not that map and that's the beauty of it. I still get lost from time to time, and I remember our first year when we were all getting lost. I don’t know why no one else has ever thought of creating a map for first years but this would be great."

"But this doesn't function like the other map does it? I only see teachers not students. And you can't give this to students, you would have half the school sneaking out to Hogsmead all the time." Ron said studying the map.

"Nope I took care of that. I hid the passageways out of the castle except for in dire circumstances, they will not appear on the map. I choose only to show the teachers because I thought knowing where other students are at all times is a bit creepy."

"True. You really should show this to Professor McGonagall. She could decide if you should show Dumbledore." Hermione handed it back to me.

"Come with me? Help me explain the need for it?" I begged her. I didn't want to go alone and fail because I couldn't express the need for such an item.

"Sure, where is she?"

I looked down at the map, "this is kind of perfect. She is in Dumbledore's office."

"Ask one of the paintings to speak with him first. I don't want to interrupt them, nor do I know the password to get into his office." Hermione said as she put her book in her bag. "Do you guys want to come along?"

"No we will stay here." Ron said looking uneasy at the idea of going to the headmaster's office. Harry agreed to stay as well.

I asked the knight outside of Gryffindor tower to ask permission to speak with the professors while Hermione and I went on our way. Waiting in a painting next of the gargoyle that gives access to Dumbledore's office, Sir Caddagen was ready with the password for us to go on up.

A voice from the other side of the door called to us as we made it to the door, "come in girls."

"Hello professors. We hope we are not interrupting." Hermione said sounding a bit nervous as we stepped inside.

"No it's fine. Genius idea to make use of the castle paintings, I don't think any student has done that before." Dumbledore remarked as he waved us into chairs next to McGonagall and across from him. "Now what can we help you with?"

I started to explain about how much the first years get lost, or wander around not sure of their destination. Then about how even an older student can get lost, and then showed them the map I created. "How did you do this? This is incredible work, Miss Saint and Miss Granger."

"Actually this was all Loretta's idea I didn't even know she was working on it until a few minutes ago."

"I spent my Christmas break researching the castle and spells to use in order to create it. I had to get inventive with the spells to make sure they did what I needed them to, but I am happy with the way it turned out." I explained my process to them.