I truly wish you all a Merry Christmas. I hope you are spending it, or have spent it, happily and just as it should be. I genuinely appreciate you for being part of the readers and supporters of my novels; that honestly made my Christmas much brighter. So I wish the same happiness to all of you.
...
Where the Paths Cross
"Who is that man who looks so dangerous?" Ron asked with a slight tremor in his voice.
"He is basically Mom's boss. He is a good man and we don't know how strong he really is; but according to the stories Adrien or Dorian told, he is actually a monster." Percy said with excitement, as if he were talking about his hero. Because, deep down, those stories awakened in him a mix of admiration and childish curiosity.
Ron was skeptical about what a group of muggles with swords could really accomplish. Yes, that fight he had seen before had been cool; but, in his understanding, it had been nothing extraordinary. A powerful wizard would easily disarm them with an "Expelliarmus" and that would end the battle. Obviously he thought that foolishly, without considering anything else.
"They work with the government, right?" Hermione asked now, realizing something important. She had indeed noticed the truth behind that place.
"Yes, but if we told you more we would have to kill you." Percy said with a dark tone as he slid his hand across his neck in a dramatic gesture that Hermione did not find amusing at all.
Harry hit him so he would stop saying nonsense. "That's not true. But we cannot say much. What matters is that they protect muggles from evil wizards. Malfoy's dad was arrested by them in the past." Harry added simply.
"So they are those knights?" Ron said with wide eyes, finally realizing something Hermione had deduced from the beginning. It was easy to know, considering Harry and Percy had long been associated with the Knights. That was also one of the reasons why, although both were really friendly and fun, they did not have many friends; most people watched them from afar. It seemed that Draco himself had taken care of feeding those rumors.
Luckily, they had met their true friends: Ron, Neville, Grover and Hermione; who did not look at them with fear despite knowing they had connections with the Knights. After all, wizards seemed to both hate and fear that group at the same time.
"My father almost got into trouble once when he went to the house of a crazy wizard who had enchanted a muggle lamp so it would run away. As the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, he ran into a Knight who was there investigating the same thing." Ron said with a sigh. "Mom was really scared when Dad told the story, thinking he might have been attacked. Although Dad said the person was quite kind." he added quickly to his friends.
"Obviously." Hermione said in her serious tone. She, of course, had done a bit of research some time ago; after all, as a muggle-born, knowing that there were people who protected muggles from wizards was something that truly comforted her. Even more so when discovering such a dangerous world hidden right under everyone's noses. "The Knights from ancient times were protectors and warriors who fought for the people and their kingdom. If they follow the customs of the past, technically they are protecting the people, aren't they?" she asked, looking at the brothers.
"Of course. And they have been doing it for a long time. Only recently they started getting involved in the wizarding world because it seems things are really getting out of control. There are many cases of attacks on muggles because of dark wizards. Especially after… that guy, I don't remember his name." Percy said, stumbling at the end.
Harry rolled his eyes at his brother, since he had forgotten the name of the man who gave him the scar on his forehead and the reason why everyone now looked at him as if he were an animal in a zoo wherever he went.
"Is it alright that they now know that the Philosopher's Stone might be here?" Hermione asked. After all, according to what Vincent said, Nicolas Flamel was watched because of that very object, since it was truly dangerous and could even put the muggle world at risk just by being here. Surely the Knights would be keeping an eye on it.
"I don't think it's something we need to worry about." Harry said seriously, feeling that they were really getting too involved. And that could worry his mother; or worse, it could make the old man who was so kind to them angry. Percy, upon hearing his brother's words, seemed to share the same idea and nodded.
"It's better if we go to sleep; tomorrow we have a long trip." Percy added in a calm tone, letting out a tired sigh.
All four nodded. He was right; the next day they would have that long train ride back home, and they really needed some energy to endure it.
…
"Harry."
A murmur suddenly sounded, calling his attention. Harry opened his eyes slowly, realizing he was not lying in his bed. He seemed to be lying on what looked like black grass. With his hand, he pushed himself up a bit while looking around, confused.
The place looked like a meadow, with grass and flowers all over the ground. Although there was a clear difference: the environment was dark; the grass was a deep black, and only the flowers glowed intensely with colors so vibrant they seemed magical.
It looked beautiful and peaceful, and a fresh wind ran across Harry's body. But there was something else. Around him he could see a special mist that seemed to slide gently across the field where he was standing. It did not trap him; instead it moved as if it wanted the place to be perfectly comfortable for him, avoiding blocking his view.
Even without his special hat, Harry could see small bright particles moving around him like fireflies of all colors, making the landscape even more magical.
"Hello!" Harry shouted into the nothingness. After all, he had heard someone call him.
And as if responding, the softly swirling mist stopped.
Then, suddenly, as if taking form on its own, it compressed in one corner, and a silhouette began to form there. Although it seemed to remain hidden within the mist, it was clear that it was a woman.
"Hello, Harry."
The voice sounded as if it came from all the mist at the same time, although it was surprisingly pleasant to hear. It was a feminine voice, sweet and soft; so warm that it felt like a lullaby spoken in just two words.
"Who are you?" Harry asked, seeing that the woman did not seem willing to come close enough to show her face. Harry did not approach either, respecting that distance.
"It is still too early for you to know. And it is really very risky to do this. But I wanted to give you a gift." the voice said, filled with a sweetness that seemed to wrap around the boy's heart.
"A gift?" he asked.
"Yes. It is the only chance you will have to find it. There will be no other. You must go there; it took us a lot of effort to convince him, so you must find him tonight. Where the paths cross; in his reflection." the voice said, almost curt, rushing to pass on the information. It seemed that the more she spoke with Harry, the more urgency slipped into her tone; as if something were pushing her to withdraw.
"Wait!" Harry said, trying to stop her as he took a couple of steps toward the mist.
"It is still too soon, Harry. If you know me now… it will begin." the voice said before disappearing, and the figure dissolved back into mist. Even so, the haze gave one last vibration, and the voice spoke one final time: "Find it."
"What will begin?!" Harry asked reflexively, but he could not get an answer. He felt a pull through his body.
Then Harry opened his eyes sharply, this time actually in his bed. Just another one of those strange dreams. Seeing Percy's face on the bunk beside him, it looked like his brother had had one of those too.
Harry was about to wake him to ask him to come along, but something inside told him this was something he needed to do alone. Besides, according to the voice, this would be the only possible night.
He did not change; he left wearing his pajamas with his wand in hand. However, before leaving the room, he turned for a moment toward his trunk and took his special hat. The bright-colored one he normally avoided wearing to not draw attention. With it he could see what his aunt Mor had explained to him once: Ancient Magic.
Harry put it on. At Hogwarts it was not mandatory to wear it all the time, but most people did anyway. Although, of course; wearing one over pajamas definitely looked strange.
But tell that to Dumbledore. Harry still did not know if the headmaster's robe was actually his pajamas, but it certainly looked like it.
He left the common room. Since he had nothing to hide himself with, he preferred to use an illusion to become invisible. The problem: illusions fooled the senses… but not everyone's.
"Where are you going, little one? It is not the hour to be wandering around the castle; you are supposed to be going home tomorrow." the Fat Lady said when she saw him. It was obvious a portrait would detect him; portraits and ghosts did not have senses that could be deceived.
"I just… forgot something. I will go get it." Harry said, searching for a decent excuse.
"Why not look for it tomorrow?" the Fat Lady asked suspiciously. After all, a Gryffindor out at night… yes, of course. Totally typical. Even just a moment ago the twins had already gone out on their daily escape.
"I would rather look for it now." Harry said.
The Fat Lady looked at him for a moment and then smiled, amused. "Very well, good luck." she said simply, shrugging. It was not her problem if students went out; as long as they had the password to return, she fulfilled her job.
Harry let out a sigh and began walking through the corridors.
Many portraits turned to look at him as he passed, murmuring things like "Another Gryffindor out at night… again." As if seeing a student from that house at such hours was something routine. But somehow, that helped Harry stay calm.
"Run, Fred! Hurry!"
A shout made him freeze. From around a corner, Fred and George suddenly appeared running at full speed, and behind them furious footsteps could be heard.
At one point, Fred took out what looked like an old piece of parchment. He looked at it quickly while running. "We have to go by… huh?" he stopped abruptly. His eyes fixed directly in Harry's direction, with a very confused expression.
"By where?" George asked, snapping him out of his trance.
"Ah… there's no one there." Fred said, pointing elsewhere before continuing to run. Even so, he turned for a second and looked again toward where Harry was. And he gave him a smile and a thumbs-up.
Harry was sure he could not see him; Fred's gaze had been slightly off. But it seemed the twin had sensed his presence. That surprised him quite a lot.
Another roar was then heard. Filch appeared running from the same direction as the twins. For someone so thin and bony, and who always looked sickly, he actually ran fast. He held up his trousers while the keys on his belt made a metallic clatter. His face was that of a man who finally felt he would catch the twins. Too bad he took the wrong path.
And of course, he did not see Harry either.
The portraits woke up at the commotion and looked at Harry in confusion. They knew Filch would not miss the chance to catch him… yet there was Harry, still as a statue. This puzzled them.
Harry did not give them the chance to keep observing him. He began walking quickly.
He crossed almost the entire castle. Until, finally, he found it.
In a corridor that ended in a T-shape, there was a door placed right in the center; as if, between the two possible paths, there existed a third one that continued straight through that door. It was strange. Very strange.
Harry looked to the right: nothing, just an empty corridor. He looked to the left: the same. Which made that centrally placed door stand out even more.
He thought for a moment before opening it slowly. Inside it looked like one of those old, unused classrooms where all kinds of objects were stored: desks, small chairs, tables, a piano… a lot of things covered in dust and neglect.
But what truly caught his attention was the object placed in the center of the room.
A huge mirror.
With the hat on, Harry could see how the particles of magic surrounded it like a whirlwind, dancing around it. And it was as if the mirror… was calling to him.