Anna Grayson and The Order of Merlin
Fidelius Custodis

Boom!

Anna found herself underwateras another huge wave crashed in on top of her. The cold ocean was rushing infrom everywhere.

Thump – boom!

Anna couldn’t breath. She wasdrowning as she struggled to reach the surface.

Thump – thump – boom!Another wave pushed her back down. She felt the water enter her lungs; panicmoved to overwhelm her. Something made of ice grabbed her by the ankle from thedepths below and she looked down. There, staring up at her from a blackened pitwas the white, half-mutilated face of Leola Grayson. Death was scowling at her.

“Don’t tell them how Idied,” she warned. “I want to see you downstairs.”

Thump – thump – thump. Annagasped and then jerked awake.

“Anna… daddy wants to see youdownstairs.” Anna bolted up in her bed and quickly looked around. The bedroomwas dark.

Thump – thump – thump, came therap on her bedroom door again.

“Anna, are you awake?”

“Yes…” she answered gutturally,“come in.” The latch clicked and the door swung open. Anna squinted at thelight pouring into the room. It was much later in the morning than sheexpected. Tencha stepped into the room.

“Up and at’em, doxy-head!” shesaid, jokingly. “Daddy’s looking for you. Geez… it’s darker than a tomb inhere.”

“What time is it?” Anna asked,rubbing her eyes in a broken – still sleepy voice.”

“Almost eleven o’clock. You’vealready missed breakfast.” Her sister crossed the room, tripping over a pile ofclothes between the door and the window. She yanked back the curtains, and thelight jumped through the opening like an explosion. “See? Sunny and bright.Goodness, you look awful. You feelin’ okay?”

Anna looked up at her. “Yeah,I’m all right. Just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night,” she said,truthfully.

“Well, you’d better getdownstairs. Daddy sent me up to get you.”

“Why…? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. We got a visitorearly this morning. Daddy must have been expecting her. He sent Widwick down tothe gates to escort her in before there were any alarms. They’ve been in daddy’soffice with Eric most of the morning. They’re all acting kind of secretiveabout something.”

“And they want to see me? Why?Who is it?”

“No idea,” Tencha saidindifferently, stooping over to pick up some of her clothes. “Dowla said shethought she heard the woman saying something about Apparating all the way from Hogwarts.”She sniffed at Anna’s dirty shirt and wrinkled her nose before tossing it ontothe bed. “Ohhh! That outfit smells like those stables you’re always playingin.”

“Hogwarts? But… who fromHogwarts would be coming to see us?”

“You-got-me…”her sister smiled, turning to primp her hair in Anna’s mirror, “Kind ofexciting, ay? Imagine Apparating all that way? It’s got to be some kind ofrecord. What is that… like… six thousand miles or something?” She grinned backat Anna through the mirror and then shrugged. “Anyway, Dowla and I are goingshopping. The driver’s waiting outside. You’d better get downstairs as fast asyou can. You can fill us in when we get back,” she said, walking toward thedoor. There was a shout from downstairs. “I’m coming!” Tencha yelled back,closing the bedroom door as she left.

Anna was up and dressed in aflash. Somebody from Hogwarts? I wonder who it could be, she thought,running a fast brush through her hair. She yanked back a ponytail, slammed thebedroom door open against its hinges, and bolted down the staircase. Cookie’sface was staring up at her from the surface of the sphere above his newel post.With a faint POP, the scruffy-faced ghost appeared above the railing, hisbattered old hat pulled down menacingly over his crumpled brow.

“Arm yerself, little lady.We’ve got trespassers on the prop-per-tay!”

“Who is it, Cookie?” Anna askedhim, looking around covertly.

“Dunno.Didn’t catch the name. Went to check her for fraowgs, but she didn’t takekindly to me friskin’ her. Said I was bein’ pro-vok-cat-teeve,whatevern’ that means. I got Eric an yer father keepin’ an eye-onner in thedownstairs.

“Thanks Cookie. I’ll check onthem for you,” she said, dashing down the staircase.

“Let out a holler if’n ya needta ra-sile that doggie down.”

As Anna made her way down thehallway toward her father’s office, she stopped to look at the last portraitbefore the door. There, the image of Leola Grayson looked almost timelessstaring down at her. Anna always thought the painting made her feel unwelcome,but now she could feel her opinion of the tragic figure before her changing.The mother of her brothers and sisters was a victim of murder, of MURDER!Somebody had killed her father’s first wife, but why? How could such a thinghave happened?

Anna was awake the entire nightcontemplating what she should do with this information. Leola had made herwishes clear that she did not want her children to know what had happened to her,and some small part of Anna understood why. A mother would want to keep anawful truth secret, especially if she knew it would hurt her children. In fact,Anna wasn’t sure how she could tell her family about this secret. How would herfather react to seeing his dead wife again? How would Eric feel about seeinghis mother as a ghost?

But there was something elsethat troubled Anna about these revelations. She couldn’t help wondering if thishad anything to do with the death of her own mother. If the evil one had killedLeola, and then was overheard threatening Victoria two years later, then itwouldn’t be hard to see how this person might be connected to Victoria’s deathas well. The evil one was forcing Victoria toutilize the Verosapt to replace somebody important to her, and soon after thatnight her mother was dead. Her father always said it was an accident, but thenagain, everybody assumed Leola’s death was an accident too. How could she keepthis from her father? How could she keep this a secret from Eric? Wouldn’t she,Anna, want to know the truth about her mother’s death even if it involvedmurder? And then, shamefully, Anna realized there was another reason shecouldn’t tell anybody, Captain Dunning.

Howcould she tell her family about Leola’s murder without also telling them whohad done it and where they could replace the killer? If she told them the murdererwas in Drogo’s prison, surely her father would track this person down throughhis Ministry contacts. He would spare no expense to locate and gather thisperson in. In doing so, Captain Dunning would assume she had broken her word tohim, and for that, he would surely have her thrown out of Castlewood forattacking him in his office. It was all too complicated. She needed someone shecould trust to help her sort this out and she knew who more than anybody wouldunderstand; she needed Gwen.

Annapeered up at the painting again. The face in the portrait she oncethought haughty now seemed somber, almost sad, as if the subject looking downat her was trying to hide the terrible truth about its own demise. Anna knew it wouldn’t be long before the ghost ofLeola Grayson came to visit her again. They were now linked together by anawful past working to change the future, and only the faint strands of magic’sconsciousness understood how or why. Anna turned to listen at the door. Shecould hear the voices of people talking inside. She took a deep breath andknocked.

“Anna? Is that you?” her fathercalled. Anna opened the door.

“Goodmorning, daddy,” Anna said, lightheartedly. “Tencha said you… wanted to seeme?” Eric was standing next to an older woman Anna had never seen before. Shewas wearing dark green robes, square spectacles, and a pointed witches’ hatwith a large flat rim.

“Yes.Please… come in. There’s somebody here I want you to meet. Close the doorbehind you.” Anna did as she was told and then joined them. “Anna, I’dlike you to meet Professor Minerva McGonagall.” Anna smiled cordially at the woman whosmiled back, but at the same time seemed to be eyeing her rather suspiciously.

“Professor…McGonagall?” Anna said, reaching out to shake the woman’s hand. “My sistertells me you’ve just arrived from Hogwarts?” The awe in Anna’s voice was wellreceived by the woman.

“Yes,Miss Grayson… that is correct,” she replied, in a straightforward Irish draw.

“Didyou Apparate the whole way?” Anna asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

“Heavensno, my dear. I made several stops along the way before arriving in Philadelphia and then to a placed called Denver before arriving here.”

“Veryimpressive, Professor,” Eric added. “I’ve heard of intercontinentalApparating, of course, but I’ve never met anybody who had the ability toactually do it.”

McGonagall straightened, “Itjust takes a bit of concentration and focus,” she said smartly, as if givinganother lesson to one of her classes.

“We watched the first task ofthe Triwizard Tournament from Spellsburg in November,” said Anna. “It was veryimpressive.”

McGonagall smiled. “Yes, we’reall very proud of our champions,” the woman replied stiffly. “We just had awonderful Yule Ball Christmas Day in their honor. Nearly all of ourseventh-year students stayed at the school over the holiday to celebrate,” shesaid, with a note of satisfaction in her voice. There was a pause before MisterGrayson spoke again.

“Anna, Professor McGonagall ishere to investigate your new found abilities to transfigure into another form.”Anna’s eyes suddenly widened in startled horror. She glared at Eric accusinglyand then wearily toward McGonagall. Her father immediately recognized herunease. “The professor is highly regarded throughout the Wizarding world forher skills in this area, Anna. We’re very lucky to have her sharing some of hertime with us, especially over the Christmas holiday. Chancellor Thordarsonspoke personally to the Headmaster of Hogwarts to make these arrangements onyour behalf.” He could see Anna didn’t think much of the idea at all. “PleaseAnna, we need to understand what’s going on here, and Professor McGonagall is oneof the foremost experts on Animagi. I’m sure she can…”

“Daddy… I appreciate everybodyis trying to help, but this is very… ah… I don’t know… personal for me.” Annalooked at McGonagall. “I’m sorry Professor, but I had no idea so many peoplewere at work on my behalf. Had I known…”

“But I do understand, MissGrayson,” McGonagall interrupted, “however… you should know if it is true youhave indeed become an Animagus, then it is not an entirely personal matterto just yourself. By wizard law, all Animagi must be registered with theImproper Use of Magic Office within the Ministry, and I believe the same lawsapply here in the United States?” She looked at Mister Grayson whonodded.

Anna looked put-upon. “So…you’re saying that I’ll have to tell everybody about… about my problem?”

McGonagall frowned. “Well…that is a very strange way to put it, but essentially… yes, that is correct. Iam interested in understanding why you would describe such a gift as a problem.Most Animagi have to work and study for many years under the watchful eye ofthe Ministry before attempting this level of magic. When the task is firstdone, there is usually great joy in the accomplishment,” she explained.

“But Anna didn’t study tobecome an Animagus, Professor. It just happened,” Eric explained, lookingsupportively at his sister. Anna nodded in agreement.

“So I’ve been told,”McGonagall replied, skeptically, “and that’s why Professor Thordarson contactedme. What you describe sounds like your sister has become an Animagus, but we needto be sure before putting her through the Ministry’s registry process where shewill undoubtedly have to surrender some of her privacy.” She looked at Anna.“So… Miss Grayson, as you can see, we are in fact trying to preserve yourconfidentiality as much as we possibly can.”

“Forgive me, Professor,”Anna said, folding her arms stubbornly, “not to be rude, but… what makes yousuch an expert on the Animagi?”

“Anna!” scolded her father.“Professor McGonagall is here at my personal request and invitation. You willshow the proper level of respect to a guest in our home.”

Anna looked despondentbefore peering up again at McGonagall. “I’m… sorry,” she said, reluctantly.

The professor cupped herhands at her waist and stiffened. For a moment Anna thought she saw theslightest flash of a smile. “I suppose it is a fair question,” McGonagallreplied. “Put another way, one might ask why a stranger would be invited intoyour home to make the determination as to whether or not a piece of yourprivate life should be made known to the public. I expect you would wonder whatmakes me so different that both the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Chancellorat Castlewood Academy would rely on my opinion in thismatter.” The professor’s eyes bore into Anna determinedly before abruptlyturning. She walked to the corner of her father’s desk where she removed herhat and then turned to face them again. “Fair enough… observe!” she said,flatly.

In the wink of an eye, ithappened. Professor McGonagall’s form suddenly shrank with a rushing blur untilshe sat upon all fours on the carpet looking up at them. She had turned into acat.

“Astounding!” Eric said, ina tone of uncontrolled wonder.

Anna smiled gleefully. Therewas a small, childlike voice clapping inside that wanted to yell out, Ooooowww…do it again! The cat suddenly jumped up on the corner of the desk and thenturned. It sprang and, with a soft POP, transformed back into the now standingProfessor McGonagall.

“Absolutely amazing,Professor,” said Mister Grayson, admiringly.

“Thank you. I do so enjoy mystudent’s expression when they see this magic done for the first time.”

“You did it so fast,” Annaobserved. “One to the other and then back again, just like that! When I change…it takes me…” She stopped, looking somewhat embarrassed up at her father andbrother. McGonagall stepped forward.

“The speed of thetransformation is the same for all Animagi unless, of course, something goeswrong.” McGonagall stared at Anna appraisingly before turning to her father.“Mister Grayson, could I have a word alone with Anna, please? I’d like aprivate moment, if you don’t mind.” Mister Grayson looked at Anna, who seemeduncommitted about the idea.

“Of course, I think that wouldbe best. Eric and I will be in the family room upstairs. If you need anything,please summon Greechins from the next room.” They headed for the office doorwith the Professor following close behind, whispering to Mister Grayson as theywent. After they were gone, McGonagall closed the door and then returned to Anna.

“Now then, Miss Grayson, I’dlike you to tell me everything about the circumstances leading to your firsttransfiguration. I want to know every detail you can recall, and then I wouldlike you to give me an explanation of each and every experience you’ve hadsince the first.” She walked around her father’s desk and sat in the chairbelow her mother’s portrait. She motioned to an open chair for Anna to sitopposite the desk and then slid her chair forward to sit straight. Although shehadn’t known this woman for very long, Anna got the impression she must be avery strict teacher at Hogwarts.

“From the beginning, MissGrayson, if you please.”

So Anna reluctantly began.She told McGonagall about the first night she attacked Damon after hernightmare, and then about the time she turned into the creature at Castlewoodafter her fight with Debbie Dunning. She relived her change after the attack onHobbs, and thenagain during the Vollucross race. Anna described for McGonagall the feelingsshe shared with the creature, the starving hunger that lead her to attack thesleeping deer in the woods. When she was finished, McGonagall leaned forward inher chair to survey her.

“And you say… it is astruggle to return to your human form once you become this creature?”

“If it’s really dark and coldaround me –– yes. The creature seems to prefer the dark and does whatever itcan to avoid bright lights. It’s more willing to withdraw if I concentrate on awarm place –– like the beaches here in the summertime.”

“You speak as though thecreature had a will of its own. As if it were something separate within you.Would you say this is an accurate description of what you’re feeling?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Anna replied. Finally,she thought, somebody who understands.

The professor placed the endsof her fingers together, surveying Anna with an unmistakable look of concern.“Now, Miss Grayson, I’d like your permission to watch you go through thetransformation.” Anna could see the woman was asking, not demanding, to makethis observation and she appreciated the implied respect McGonagall wasoffering her.

“I… guess that’ll be allright,” Anna said, resignedly. And then, thinking she might actually learnsomething in the process, she made a request. “It might be better if it was abit darker in here… and could we lower the temperature a little?”

Without another word,McGonagall raised her wand and made a quick flick to her right. Immediately theroom’s globes darkened to a quarter of their original brightness and thetemperature dipped ten degrees.

“Cold enough?” she asked, stillholding her wand out to the side.

“A little more, please,” Annareplied, closing her eyes. Soon, she could feel her breath fogging the air infront of her face.

“Tell me what you’re doing now,Anna. Walk me through your thoughts.”

“I’m concentrating on thetemperature… and transferring the feeling of cold to the inside. I’m callingthe Lethifold to me,” she explained, keeping her eyes closed and feeling herway through the folds of her consciousness, probing for the creature throughthe dark recesses of her soul. She was beckoning it forward.

And then, quite suddenly, itcame in a desperate rush. With Anna’s barriers completely down, the darkinkiness seemed to leap forward. McGonagall watched in amazed wonder as Anna’seyes filled with black, which then began to ooze from her sockets. Anna openedher mouth and began to retch the thing out of her body.

“Good… heavens,” McGonagallwhispered, rising slowly to her feet. She watched, as Anna’s body appeared tomelt into the carpet and then spread itself across the floorboards in front ofher. The professor stepped around the desk and bent low to examine the inkypool. Thick appendages bloomed forward to snatch at her, stopping short of herface before slowly falling into itself again. The professor followed thecreature as it began to creep across the floor and up the wall of the office,and then into a high corner where the wall met the ceiling. It shimmered as itskulked, following the lines of shadows across the ceiling above her.

TWO

Thirty minutes later, MisterGrayson and Eric were still waiting in the family room. Mister Grayson wassitting in his winged-back chair and staring into the fire under the mantel.Eric had given up sitting, and was now pacing nervously about the room.

“So… here we are again, eh?”Eric said with a smirk, thinking about the time when the family waited forDoctor Pearl to complete Anna’s sorcerer’s examination. His father didn’t lookup. “Do you think she’s all right in there?” Eric said, prodding his father tospeak.

“You mean Anna or ProfessorMcGonagall?” his father replied, still looking into the fire.

“I’m serious, father…”

“So am I.” Mister Grayson said,turning to look at his son. “The Lethifold is a highly dangerous, magicalcreature.”

“But that’s Anna in there.She’s not really that creature… even if it is true she can change…”

“That’s why McGonagall is here,Eric. We need to know what kind of control Anna has after the transformationtakes place.”

“Control? I… don’t understand…”

Mister Grayson sighed. “Eric,when you first wrote to me about the things Anna admitted to you, I was veryconcerned. Not just because of her ability to change, but because of what Istarted to believe was a lack of restraint.” Eric still looked confused. Hisfather continued. “Do you remember that night when you found Anna unconsciousin the chapel?”

“Yes…”

“Do you remember the discussionwe had with Mr. Hobbs of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creaturesand then Lieutenant Doyle of the Ministry Authority about the Lethifold?”

“Ah… vaguely.”

“You said something then thatcame back to me after I received your letter. You said Anna was found lying ontop of a dead deer. Do you remember that?”

“Yes… at the time I thought theLethifold might have killed the deer either immediately before or just after ithad taken Anna, and…” Eric suddenly froze, staring at his father in stunnedcomprehension.

“I think you see where I’mgoing,” his father replied. “You and I both know Anna would never hurt anotheranimal on purpose, never mind try and kill it. Yet, while she was theLethifold… that’s exactly what she did. We also know that while she’s had herbattles with Damon and the twins on many occasions, she would never in herright mind try to seriously hurt them. But, again, that’s exactly what shetried to do that night in her brother’s bedroom.” He paused again, looking atEric worriedly. “I’m concerned about her ability to control this thing,whatever it is. And more…” he paused again, staring back into the fire, “I’mconcerned about it being a magical creature.” Eric frowned. The fact that hisfather was concerned about the type of creature Anna had become more than herability to control it didn’t make any sense to him.

“I… still don’t understand.What are you thinking, father?”

Mister Grayson drew in a deepbreath. “I’m terrified, Eric, more than at any time in my entire life.”

Eric almost gasped aloud fromshock. He had never heard his father string such words together before in hisentire life. They flew into Eric’s head and ricocheted through his brain like abullet fired in some vacant cave. His father wasn’t looking at him as he spoke,which made his words even more troubling. It was as if his father was afraid tolook at him while admitting his fears out loud. Eric found his composure andthen walked over. He knelt at his father’s feet next to the hearth.

“What is it, father? What areyou afraid of? Please… you can tell me.”

Mister Grayson looked down. Hecould see the concern in his son’s deep, brown eyes, reflecting the soft glowof the fire next to them. He could see his confessions of fear had not breechedEric’s total and unwavering faith in his ability to handle the problems thatmight arise against him and the family.

He reached out to grasp the boy’sneck and firmly brought his son to him. He lowered his face level with Eric’sand then kissed him gently on the forehead. “Do you know in your entire lifeyou have never disappointed me?” Eric flushed, watching his father smile back.“You make me proud to be a Grayson, son. Truly… proud.”

Eric smiled, and then took hisfather’s hand in his. “You are the head of this family. There isn’t a day thatgoes by that I don’t pray my thanks to God for your strength. What’s wrong,father? What’s troubling you?”

Mister Grayson leaned back togaze down at his son. The moment had finally come; a moment he would neverforget for the rest of his life. As a father, it was his job to insure hischildren were kept safe from harm, properly instructed in the ways of honor,tradition, and faith, to make sure they understood their place in eternity. Butthere comes a time when a man’s children grow and begin to reach out into thegreater world around them. In doing so, they call upon their parents to helpthem change their relationship from that of just being a father and a son tosomething much more important. It was time; time to share everything with Ericand allow him to begin the process of taking on his father’s mantel. This wasthe first step: To share with his first born son his deepest fears and BorisGrayson was enormously proud of Eric’s willingness to listen without losingconfidence and trust.

“My suspicions and fears do notcome without much deliberation. I believe everything that’s happened has comewith a purpose. Although we don’t have all the answers yet, I have a good ideaof what’s in our future. Anna’s ability to change into a magical creature isunheard of in all of Wizarding history, and thefact that she doesn’t seem to have total control over its actions confirms mybelief that Anna is not an Animagi as we first might have presumed. That’s why I’ve asked forMcGonagall’s help. The professor is a true Animagus. She has complete controlof her actions and nature regardless of the form she takes. It doesn’t look asif Anna’s ability fits the same definition as we know it.”

“So… what then?” Ericasked, still kneeling at his father’s feet.

“I don’t know yet, but Ifear what we’re seeing in Anna is just the beginning. I believe she’s more,much more, than what we’ve witnessed so far. If she were to become, asChancellor Thordarson suggests, the next Sithmaith, then it would imply ourdarkest days are but a moonlit shadow of what is to come. Thousands died thelast time the elements of magic sought to bring something like this forth. Buteven more important to me are the words I read to you at Castlewood, the wordsof Merlin himself.”

Eric frowned, not wantingto bring into his mind the horrifying thoughts of the greatest wizard everknown, but they came anyway despite his efforts to keep them out. Whatpunishment the soul who perverts the nature of a man’s being to protect his ownawaits?

Merlin was contemplating hisown immortal fate with these words, because of his deeds as the last Sithmaith.And then, suddenly, like a blast of cold wind entering his soul, Ericcompletely understood his father’s fears. If Anna were the next Sithmaith, shewould guide many in a fight to protect the innocence of magic just as Merlinhad described. Her fate would be the same as his, the troubled thoughts ofGod’s judgment shared, and the worry of leading so many others to the gates ofoblivion for both their actions and absence in the greatest time of need.

An enormous weight beganto crush Eric’s heart for his sister’s sake, and when he looked up into hisfather’s eyes he found them, like his own, welled with tears. They reached outand held each other in an all-consuming embrace. So much was at risk.

“Uh-hem…”

Mister Grayson and Ericturned to replace Professor McGonagall standing in the family room entranceway.

“Where’s Anna?” asked Eric,standing to look around for her.

“She’ll be along momentarily,” McGonagallanswered somberly. She entered the room and walked over to the fireplace. “Ithink I’m satisfied with my conclusions in this matter.” She began to warm herhands near the flames. Slowly rubbing them together, she pushed them forward,spreading her fingers wide against the heat. Mister Grayson sat in his chairwatching her, not looking especially interested in prying any immediate answersuntil the woman was ready to speak.

“And…?” Eric said impatiently.

McGonagall turned to face them.“It is my opinion that Miss Grayson… Anna… is not what we immediately thoughther to be.”

“I don’t understand,” Ericreplied. “Did she change for you? Was she able to transform into the creature?”

“Oh… yes…” said the professor,turning to the fire again. “An astounding ability for one so young and withouttraining, but I believe we should wait before submitting her name to theMinistry for the purposes of registration.” She turned to look at MisterGrayson. “I don’t believe Anna is an Animagus.”

“What?” Eric blurted out. “But…what else would explain her ability to change?”

McGonagall looked calculatinglyat Mister Grayson again. “I am sure there are a few remote possibilities, noneof which I am currently able to explain,” she said, furtively. Mister Graysonnodded, and Eric could see there was much more being exchanged between themthan what was said.

“Where is she?” asked Eric.“Are you sure she’s all right? I’m going downstairs to check on her.”

“That won’t be necessary,”McGonagall replied, raising a hand to stop him. “Your sister isn’t downstairsanyway.” Eric turned to her and frowned.

“Well then… where is she?”

He saw the woman’s eyes moveslightly over her square-rimmed glasses to a place somewhere above his head.Eric immediately spun around and looked up into the ceiling. At first, he wouldhave sworn nothing was there but the hardwood beams radiating up the vaultedceiling to an octagonal embellishment over their heads. Then, he saw one of thebeams begin to move. Something was traveling along its angled edge, a darknessslowly flowing down one of the timbers toward the wall. Mister Grayson got tohis feet and stepped into the center of the room watching the thing’s progress.When it reached the wall, the creature spread itself like some massive andinky-stain, flowing onto the floor in a shimmering pool of black. It left notrace of itself behind as it went.

“Good… Lord…” Mister Graysonwhispered.

“Anna,” called McGonagall,stepping forward. “Remember what I said about your concentration. Come into thelight and warm yourself,” she said, motioning the creature toward the fire.Slowly, and very cautiously, the Lethifold hovered across the floor like ablack, satin sheet, its edges rippled as if in a breeze as it went along. Thecreature stopped and then began to round over on top of itself, taking the formof a girl hunched over on her knees, a blackened copy of Anna Grayson. She lookedup and stared at her father.

Mister Grayson recognized thefrightened look on his daughter’s face even through the creature’s dark mask;she didn’t know what to expect from him now. What would he say about the thingshe had become? He stooped down next to her and looked into her blackened eyes.He reached out, took his daughter’s cold face in his hands, and kissed hergently on the cheek. As he pulled back, he could see tiny lines of black, thinas a spider’s web, reaching out at him from the surface of her face.

“Still and always… a Grayson,”he said, lovingly. Ebony tears fell from Anna’s eyes and disappeared like waterto a sponge into her chin as her father moved in to hug her. His loving warmthwas against her, and soon the coldness of the creature withdrew, absorbed intothe pores of Anna’s body until only she herself remained.

“Unbelievable!” Eric said, instunned wonder. While he had never doubted his sister’s description of hertransfigurations, seeing it first hand was nothing short of terrifying to him.

“Well done, Anna,” saidProfessor McGonagall. “Your control is getting better each time you try. Howdid it feel to you this time?” Eric and her father helped Anna to her feet.

She mumbled somethingindistinguishable at first, and then, “The same as before, professor. Thefeelings of hunger and fear are still there.”

“But manageable?”

“I… I think so.”

“Excellent. I’m very impressedwith your growing ability to control your emotions so well. You should sit andrest.”

THREE

The next day was cold and rainy. Ominous cloudsgathered over the ocean below the Grayson estate, signaling an approachingstorm. The rain-soaked sand lay barren apart from the small rivers of watercutting their paths to the sea. Anna slept on the couch in the family room formost of the night before being awakened by her father and sent upstairs to bed.Professor McGonagall had already returned to England after leaving instructionswith her father to have Anna contact her after she returned to Castlewood. Theywould continue to correspond on a monthly basis and immediately following anyoccasion where Anna transfigured into the Lethifold.

Annaliked Professor McGonagall. She was very stern and forthright in her manner,but deep inside, Anna got the sense of an enormously caring heart. It wasdecided that Anna would not have to register with the ImproperUse of Magic Office as an Animagus, or at least not yet. Both McGonagall and her father felt it prudent towait until her abilities could be fully understood. Although Anna couldn’tremember when McGonagallhad left the Grayson estate, she thought she overheard something very strangein her parting conversation with her father.

“Weshould wait until we know if she will change into something else,” McGonagallhad said when they thought Anna was asleep. Atthe time, Anna was too tired to give the comment much thought, but in the dawnof the next morning, McGonagall’s words seemed to stick in her mind almost likea warning.

Whatdid she mean, change into something else?Everybody knew an Animagus could only turn into one animal. But, then again,they said an Animagus could only turn into non-magical creatures. Eventually,Anna decided she must have heard McGonagall incorrectly, and put the commentout of her head as nothing more than a weary mind grasping for sleep.

Onthe last day of the holiday break, most of the rooms in the manor were quiet.Eric and Damon were upstairs packing their trunks, and Tencha and Dowla wereoff on what they called their last-chance shopping spree. Gabby and Widwickwere working in the kitchen on the family’s last evening meal, which promisedto be extravagant.

Annaslowly made her way downstairs, looking for her father. She entered his officeto replace his writing quills lying beside several rolls of parchment stacked highupon his desk. The flicking glow of a tiny lamp sat in the corner giving offsporadic spits of green. She could see her father had been at work for severalhours already that morning, and could hear his voice resonating through the conferenceroom wall next door. The busy click-clack of Meredith’s shoes meant there wereseveral others in the room as well. He must be in a meeting, Annathought, sitting down in her father’s chair.

Sheslowly spun around to peer up at her mother’s portrait and then noticed thecross of gold around the image’s open neck. Anna smiled, tracing the very samechain around her own neck. She marveled at how beautiful the adornment lookedon Victoria and, without looking down,wondered if one day it might look as good on her.

Glancingaround the office, Anna was unexpectedly impressed with her father’s level ofresponsibility at the Ministry. Maybe it was her exposure to the world outsideover the last several months, or seeing the impression her father left on othersaway from home, but for the first time in her life she started to understandwhat the Grayson name meant beyond her narrow view of the world she saw livinghere at the estate. Her father’s purpose and talents were impressive, and shewas suddenly feeling very proud of him.

Thedoor of the conference room flew open and Meredith came bustling in. She wascarrying a number of scrolls, which she placed on the couch before turning toexit into the hallway. She hadn’t noticed Anna sitting there. There were anumber of swooshing sounds emanating from the fireplaces within the conferenceroom, signaling the end of her father’s meeting. Anna could hear him inagreeable conversation with several individuals before wishing them all apleasant journey home. Anna stood and quietly crept over to the open door to peek in. Her father was nowseated alone at the head of the large conference table writing on a number ofscrolls. The air was singed with the smell of spent Floo Power emanating fromthe many fireplaces surrounding him. She moved to join him.

“Greechins!” her fatherbellowed and Anna froze. She could hear the thumping footfalls of her father’semployee entering the room from another door.

“Yes, sir?” Mister Graysondidn’t look up.

“I want a clear evening with myfamily tonight. No meetings or signatures after two o’clock, understand?”

“Of course, sir. I told Mrs.McConnell earlier about the message you received from England’sMinister of Magic. Did she give it to you?”

Mister Grayson dropped hisquill and rubbed his eyes. “Yes, she did. I don’t want to talk with Corneliustoday. Please… make my apologies to the Minister, and tell him I’ll fit myselfinto his schedule anytime he likes tomorrow, all right?” The Goblin bowed inreply. “So what’s left?”

“I believe, sir, Mrs. McConnellhas collected all your signatures for the day… oh… except for the letter yourequested for Drogo.” Anna’s heart took an unexpected leap and shequietly fell back to listen outside the door.

“Oh yes,” Mister Graysonreplied, “I had forgotten. I should have taken care of that while I was atSpellsburg… but my mind was on other matters at the time.”

“Totally understandable, sir,”said Greechins, sympathetically. “We were all very concerned about Miss Anna’sinjuries at the time. It’s such a relief to see she’s recovered so well. Mrs.McConnell gave me the outline of the letter you wanted, and I have a finaldraft ready for your review.” The goblin handed Mister Grayson a piece ofparchment, which he quickly scanned.

“Very good. I’d like you tomake one change here regarding their progress. Say something to the effect thatI’m pleased with the recent improvements I saw on the prison grounds, and theenhanced forewarning charms in Spellsburg.”

“Not a problem, sir,” said thegoblin, in a gravelly voice. He took the letter back.

“Put the final draft in theoffice vault when you’re finished and I’ll sign it after the children go tobed.”

Vault? What vault? Annathought, quickly looking back around in the office behind her. I’ve neverseen a vault in here.

“Of course, Mister Grayson.Would an owl tomorrow morning be appropriate?”

“That’ll do. Oh… and could youtell Widwick to clean the fireplaces again. The Ambassador from Sweden arrivedthis morning with a smudge of soot on his robes. I won’t have that happening tomy guests. Please ask him to take care of it.” There was the sound of a slidingchair. “Am I free, then?” Mister Grayson asked pleadingly.

“Yes, sir, until yourconference at noon, that is.”

“Very well. I’ll be upstairswith the children.”

Anna turned and ran back to theopposite door at the sound of her father’s approaching steps. She dashed downthe hallway, up the stairs, through the kitchen, and out the back door in aflash. When the house was well out of sight, she finally stopped.

“What in the world is goingon?” Anna yelled, stomping around in frustration. “He knows where Drogo prisonis?” It was such a shock, she could barely think of it as true. Why was herfather sending owls there? She heard him speaking of the improvements to thegrounds as if he had recently been a visitor there. What was he doing atDrogo?

She soon found herself standingby the cliff’s edge where she had seen the ghost of Leola Grayson. She floppeddown frustratingly upon a boulder overlooking the sea. The ocean matched hermood. It looked angry as the wind raked across its dark surface. Anna wrappedher arms around her knees at the biting cold; in her anxious escape from thehouse, she had forgotten to take a cloak. What was happening? shethought angrily. Who was her father writing to at Drogo?

She began to think about allthat had happened over the last few months. First — I replace out this evil onehad threatened my mother, and then for some unknown reason had altered mybirth. Sarah said this person was being kept in Drogo prison near Spellsburg,and now I discover this person killed Leola Grayson.

She tried to remember exactly what the Mirrorof Enlightenment had told her. The beast that altered you is a terribly evilthing that looks to escape from a prison of its own making. “What did thevoices mean when they said a prison of its own making? If the thing wasin Drogo prison, why didn’t the mirror just say that? It killed Leola, and itmight have killed my mother too.” Why?

Then something terrible drifted forward out ofher memory. The mirror also said, “It will surely kill you for its master’ssake if given a chance and learns of your existence. The Dark Lord is gatheringstrength, and so are his minions in hiding everywhere.”

“Voldemort?” Anna said out loud. His supportershad tried to assassinate her father many times before he was destroyed in hisattempt to kill the Potter family. Could it be Voldemort had sent this murdererto kill Leola to get to her father? Did she then kill Victoriafor the same reason? But she was already in the house before her mother’sdeath. Why didn’t this assassin attack my father while she was here? And whywould it want to kill me? Why not Eric, or one of the other Grayson children?”

The thought of her fathersending messages to some unknown person at Drogo was frustrating. Anna poundedher forehead with her fists. “I don’t understand!” she yelled out at the sea.Why would Captain Dunning be so adamant about her not saying anything to herfather about the prison when he already knew about the place? She had alwaysassumed Dunning was trying to save his own neck by keeping Drogo’s location asecret. Now Anna wasn’t sure what Dunning’s intentions were at all. A deepfeeling of frustration and anger began to pour forth. Something important wasbeing kept from her.

Her father had told Greechinsto put the letter in the vault. What vault was he talking about? There’s novault in his office… or…was there? And then it occurred to her what shewanted to do. She stood and, rubbing her cold arms, she turned and headed backup the hill. She was going to replace this vault, and see if she could get herhands on the letter. She wanted to know what it said, to whom it was beingsent, and what her father’s interests were in Drogo. Something important wasmissing in her understanding of the things around her, and Anna decided tonightshe would take a more aggressive role in replaceing the answers she so desperatelyneeded.

FOUR

Thatevening the Graysons were in the dining room for their last family dinner.There was laughing and many toasts, but Anna was unusually quiet. Her sombermood did not go unnoticed.

“Anna, you’re awfully quiettonight,” Eric said, sitting next to her. She was watching Damon, who wasgiving a perfect and disparaging imitation of Captain Dunning as the twinshowled with laughter. She gave Eric a rye smile.

“It’s strange. After praying Imight be allowed to go to Castlewood for so many years, I’m still a little sadabout leaving home again,” she replied earnestly.

Eric grinned. “I know what youmean. I love studying back East, but the older I get the more I miss not beinghere with our father.” He looked over at Mister Grayson who was lookingsomewhat surprised by Damon’s impersonation of Castlewood’s Captain of theGuard.

“He said that?” Mister Graysonsaid of Dunning in surprise.

“Yeah,” answered Tencha. “TheGraysons are a menace to this school,” she said, in a mocking voice,repeating Dunning words during Michael Wendell’s hearing.

“That’s right…” Dowla added,“and then he said, ‘The Graysons are known troublemakers. Every one of youshould be as far away from this place as possible,’” she complained, in herown inaccurate imitation of Dunning.

Their father glowered at them.“Now I’m sorry I didn’t insist on that meeting before my departure,” he heaved,concernedly. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin as if contemplatinga chess move. “Troublemakers, huh?” he whispered to himself. His eyes suddenlydarted up at them. “It would seem the Captain and I have unfinished business.”

“Cheers!” said Damon, raisinghis glass of wine toward their father. Mister Grayson leaned in.

“Now listen closely to me, allof you,” he said, very seriously. “You are all to be on your best behaviorwhile at school until I can settle this properly. Do you understand?” Hescanned each of them individually to ensure he had their attention.

“Yes, sir,” they repliedtogether.

“I mean it! I’ll do my part toend this harassment, but I don’t want to hear you’ve given Dunning a validreason to overreact.” He stared at the twins especially, and they nodded. “Andthat goes for you too, Anna,” he added. Anna looked up in surprise. She glaredat Eric, wondering if he had told their father about her arrest. Her brotherseemed to know what she was thinking.

“Yes, sir,” she replied,worriedly.

When the conversation finallychanged its course, Eric turned to her. “No… I didn’t tell him,” he said,reticently. “And I specifically warned Damon and the twins not to say anythingeither.” Anna bore through his stare searching for the truth, and then noddedwhen she was convinced of his loyalty.

In time, the dinner turnedhappy once again, and after a number of Christmas cheers and farewell toasts,the family headed upstairs for bed. Anna lay awake in the dark for hours untilshe heard her father coming up the staircase. When she was sure he was in hisroom, she immediately leapt up. She put on her robe and slippers, and jammedher wand into her pocket. She cracked her door to look out and then quietlystepped into the hallway. Tiptoeing down the staircase, she paused slightly tolisten for the familiar sounds of Cookie snoring inside his newel post. Shecrept down to the entryway and around the railing leading to the basement.

A minute later, Anna wasclosing the door inside her father’s office. The globes on the walls began tobrighten, filling the room in its familiar amber hue. She crossed the space tothe conference room door and cracked it open to peek into the large emptinessbeyond. The room was dark and cold; she was alone. Anna closed the door andthen turned to look carefully, much more deliberately, into her father’s officearound her. Several books were missing from their place on the shelves, whichshe found neatly stacked on his desk among several old scrolls. The portrait ofVictoria Grayson was bathed in an eerie, shadowed-filled blue from the lampabove its frame.

Returning to the center of theroom, Anna slowly inspected everything. The vault could be anywhere: In thefloor, in the walls, behind one of the glass cabinets. Where should I begin? Sheclasped her hands together almost prayerfully and then stepped forward to placeher palms flat to the walls. She closed her eyes in concentration as she movedacross its surface, paying close attention to the textured material under hertouch as her hands carefully glided across the wall, stopping only when shecould feel the slight warmth of one of the globes beneath her fingertips. Andthen, there was a familiar whisper in the back of her mind; it echoed throughthe sound her hands made across the plaster and wood.

“Sithmaith…” a voicecooed softly and Anna froze. “Welcome home… Guardian.” Anna immediatelyjerked her hands away. She had heard a voice similar to this once before atCastlewood. On that first day at the front gate before her hand was sucked intothe stone of the archway. Listening carefully, Anna placed her hand on the wallagain.

“The protector hasreturned,” said the voice in her mind.

“Who… are you?” Anna whisperedback.

“We are but a thread of themagic you serve. Do not fear…we are as one. What is it you seek, little one?”Anna’s heart was pounding; she could hear the blood pulsing in her ears.

“I… I’m looking for somethingin this room,” she said, uncertainly. “I’m looking for a safe or a vault Ibelieve my father has hidden here.” More whispers poured from the walls; theyvibrated through her fingertips and into her head.

“Nothing under magic’s veil…can be hidden from you, Sithmaith. You are part of the whole… are you not?”

“I… guess so…” Anna answered,unsurely.

“Stand away, Guardian, anddirect your sight on that which was meant to be hidden. Focus on what is notseen.” Anna stepped back to the middle of the room and then turned to scanthe office once more. Nothing unexpected was there. She closed her eyes andrepeated the instructions the voice had given to her.

“Show me what was meant to behidden,” she whispered, and then opened her eyes again… still nothing. She tookanother deep-cleansing breath, closed her eyes, and tried to clear her mind.“What can’t I see?” Her eyes slowly peeked out. From the corner of the room shebegan to see a soft glow. She turned to face the wall between her mother’sportrait and the couch and saw an arched door appearing within a bluish haze.Anna recognized the blanket of color immediately. She had seen it before whenshe first saw Drogo castle while riding over the mountains of Spellsburg. Theblack castle had the same eerie haze to it, an envelope of blue mist. Gwen hadsaid Drogo was protected by the Fidelius Charm, which was suppose tokeep its location a secret to all but its secret keeper, but Anna was somehowable to see the castle anyway. She looked at the massive black door and thenrealized, “The vault must be protected by the Fidelius Charm.”

She stepped up to the door andplaced her hand on its surface. Immediately, the bluish haze disappeared toreveal a massive, steel door as the voice returned.

“Very good, Guardian. Youare now the keeper of this secret with one other, with your father, BorisGrayson.”

“But how? How is it that I canbe this vault’s secret keeper?”

“We are united, are we not,against the impending storm? We desire your protection, and you may need to tapthe fiber of what we are to accomplish your tasks.”

“Maat,” “vriendin,”“comitis,” “компаньон”

Anna smiled warily and then,looking up at the door once more, she gathered her resolve. “How can I openthis?” she said, pushing at the door’s front and then pulling on its ironhandles. There was a rusty placard welded upon its surface that said:

Hand-forgedand Protected by Hooksbarb

The best in Gremlin ConjuredEnchantments

Anna stood back. “I want to getinside…” she said, angrily. The voices in her head were silent. She placed ahand on the door again.

“You must become one with usto enter…”

“I don’t understand…” Annastarted to say, and then, unexpectedly, she felt her hand fall into the metalof the door. Anna let out a yelp of surprise and tried to yank back. It wasstuck fast. No… not again… she thought, remembering her experience withthe stones at the Castlewood entranceway. The voices in her head were gettinglouder now.

“Fear not, Guardian, we willbecome one, and you will pass through this barrier.”

“Pass through?” Anna tried tocalm herself. She could feel a tingling sensation touching her hand within themetal of the door. It felt like many tiny fingers touching and stroking herskin, as if coaxing her forward, drawing her onward. She stopped struggling andthen inched her hand forward. It slid effortlessly into the door still furtherand an uncontrollable recklessness began to fill her.

“All right…” she whispered,determinedly. She took deep breath, closed her eyes, and then pushed forward.There was a warm rush of wind passing over her body as Anna stepped through thedoor and into the vault; only darkness was there to greet her. Anna fumbleddesperately in the pockets of her robe for her wand.

“Lumos!” she squeaked inamazement, and the light from her wand tip burst forth inside the massivechamber. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. She had walked straightthrough a solid metal door; and not just any door, but one undoubtedlyprotected by an array of magical spells and goblin enchantments. How wasthat possible? She looked at the back of the door and the many gears, boltsand levers holding it together. There were blue sparkles of magic, likefireflies winking and popping on the surface of the metal outlining the spotwhere she had passed through. Charms, no doubt, to protect the door from themost determined intruders. But not, it would seem, from magic’s Guardian.

The space inside the vault wascavernous, and looked as if it had been honed from a series of caves extendingin several infinite directions in front of her. The walls were coated with thesame blue shimmer of magic that winked and glittered like diamonds. Stalactitesand stalagmites glistened wet from the floor and ceiling, and there was theechoing sound of dripping water all around her. Several stalagmites had been sheared off at the waist to create tables,and stacks of gold coins were piled upon them everywhere. Precious gems andobjects of priceless silver and gold were stacked neatly inside holesmeticulously hollowed out of the rock walls. Anna knew the Grayson family waswell off, but what she saw here made her gape in awe. Several centuries ofancestral treasure were within these walls, the accumulation of wealth, nodoubt, from both the Grayson and Jenningsfamilies. Smiling, Anna could only imagine what a thief would say upon seeingsuch riches.

Then,an obvious problem suddenly dawned on her. There was so much here; how wouldshe replace what she was looking for? Reaching back, Anna placed her hand on thedoor once more.

“Areyou there?” she whispered, looking into the shadowed corners of the cave for aresponse.

“Always…Sithmaith.”

“I’mtrying to locate a letter that was placed in here earlier today.” A lightsuddenly illuminated, showing a small pedestal to her left.

“Thiswould be the newest arrival,” saidthe voice in her head. A tied sack sat upon a piece of parchment. Anna pickedup the heavy sack and looked inside. Hundreds of shiny gold galleons glitteredin the light above her. She picked up the paper and moved her wand over toread.

To: The Confederation ofMinistries,

Secret Keeper of Saint Drogo’s Hospital for Incurable Lost Causes.

Dear Sir,

I’m sendingyou my annual contribution toward the continued care, upkeep and maintenance ofSaint Drogo hospital. I was pleased with the improvements in the condition ofthe cells during my last visit and to the prison grounds in general. I was alsovery impressed with the newly conjured incantations and enchantments put inplace for Spellsburg’s greater protection. Thank you again for your continuedcommitment to improving this facility, and the lives of those unfortunate soulsliving within its walls. In response to your persistent eagerness to advancethe quality of life of the hospital’s residents, I am increasing my yearlydonation and await with fervent anticipation the many improvements it maycollect.

With warmest regards, Boris Edmond AllisterGrayson,

MinistryDirector/Wizard and Muggle Banking Cooperation

So,her father not only knew where Drogo prison was located, but he was alsosending gold there and visiting the prison on a regular basis. Apparently, hehad been doing this for quite a while. The letter had been written to theprison’s secret keeper who was not specifically named. It had to beCaptain Dunning, Anna thought angrily. She was still convinced that Dunningwas up to something sinister in all of this. Maybe this was it; maybe he wasstealing the gold her father was sending to him; but… no. Her father seemed genuinely pleased with howthe gold was being spent for improvements to the prison. So what was it then?

Annareread the letter twice more before placing it down on the pedestal again andturning to the door. Placing her hand on its metal surface, she said, “Thankyou… for helping me.”

“Theprotector is most welcome. A trivial matter compared to your devotion to ourcontinued existence.”

Annalaid her forehead resignedly against the cold steel, “I still don’t know whatyou expect from me.” There was a long silence before the voice returned.

“Thestrands of magic speaking to you cannot say what will be the outcome of ourfuture together, but be assured, Sithmaith, we are most pleased with yourprogress.”

Annagave a tired smile, suddenly feeling very weary. She slowly turned and fellback against the door, her wand light dipping to her feet. Looking again intothe darkness of the caverns in front of her, unanticipated words of frustrationseemed to release themselves from her mind. She said them almost rhetorically,without a thought of hearing any response.

“Howdid my mother die?” she moaned, despairingly. A sudden coldness settled overher body upon hearing her own words, and the long silence that followed seemedto snap her attention forward again. She frowned, almost interpreting thesilence as an unwillingness to answer her.

“Polleo – fortis,” saida different voice, deep inside her mind. “You are so… very brave.”

“Lejárónyílás…” said another.

“Our champion…”

There was another pause before the first voice came forward again. “Thethread that touches you now has not the knowledge of what you seek. For weexist here and nowhere else. But there are many threads that make up thevaporous mysteries you call magic, numerous levels of understanding stretchingout into the world that may know more than those speaking to you here. We feelthe danger coming, and we recognize our champion, but we are as islandsscattered across the deepest waters, all connected, and yet… isolated. Anotherisland, absent but by the morning’s tide, may hold your answers… or they may beas dreams in a distant land across the sea.

It was getting difficult for Anna to bringforth the concentration necessary to understand what the voices were tellingher. She immediately thought of the verosapt. “Another island in thesea,” she said to herself, heaving aweary breath. “I’m so tired,” she moaned again, turning longingly in thedirection of her bed on the other side of the door. She placed her hands on itssurface. “Please, let me pass.” Immediately, one of her hands moved forward andwas swallowed by the door. There was another rush of wind through her body asshe closed her eyes and stepped forward. In an instant, she was standing in herfather’s office once more. She turned and watched the door behind her begin tofade into a bluish haze; it rippled distortedly and then it was gone. Annaheaded upstairs and quietly closed the door to her bedroom. She didn’t want tothink about anything anymore. She let her robe slide over her shoulders to thefloor, and then crawled back into bed. Anna laid her head on her pillow andlistened to the sound of the ocean rolling across the beaches outside herwindow. She imagined herself standing on the beach and reaching out towardthose distant islands across the sea. She felt her body being lifted and pulledin their direction, but it was exhaustion and finally sleep that were sweepingher away.

FIVE

“Anna, what are the most important strengths our familypossesses?”

It was the next morning, andthe Grayson children were once again standing in line waiting to receive theirfather’s blessing before journeying back to school. Their trunks were packedand loaded, and the cars were warming their engines outside. Mister Grayson hadalready given his council and advice for the remaining year and was nowstanding in front of Anna, waiting for an answer to his question. She barelyheard him.

“Anna? Are you all right?” hesaid, frowning at her. She looked up at him and into his brown, absorbing eyes.Deep down, she felt something different she had never felt while in herfather’s presence. She realized it was a hole, as if something that was oncethere was suddenly absent. She knew immediately what was missing.

“Trust,” she said,unwaveringly. She stared up at her father, looking for his reaction. He frownedat her.

“What?” he said in surprise.Anna didn’t flinch. She could feel her brothers and sisters turning to look ather from their place in the line. Gabby, who was standing to her right, jerkedup to stare at her.

“Faith, love… and trust,” Annareplied coldly. Her father paused, unsure in what why to respond.

“Okay…” he said, in a longdrawing voice. “And tell me, do these strengths depend on our power orabilities?”

“No, they are gifts from God toall of us.” Anna’s father forced a smile. He reached out and hugged her.Suddenly, his warm embrace seemed to fill all that might have been missing inher heart. She hugged him back not wanting to release him again.

“Can I trust you to honor yourfaith while you’re away and out of my reach? Can I trust you in this line?” hewhispered into her ear in a heart-felt moan, his voice already filled withlonging.

“Yes, daddy, you can trust me,”she replied earnestly. Her father released her and walked back to fill hisspace in the line next to Widwick and Mrs. McConnell, both of which wereweeping. Their father’s voice boomed over their sobs.

“You must remember that magicis not allowed outside the estate grounds until you’re aboard the AlleghenyPride.” He paused again. “I grant you permission to leave our family home andventure out. Good luck — work hard — and return safe. You’re dismissed!”

The family stepped forward andhugged their father as one. “The thought of letting you go again is… unbearableto me,” he groaned. Then, releasing them, he turned to the side and motionedthem toward the door. “Stay the course,” he said with a sniff, “and give Angusmy regards on your journey out.” He handed Eric a brown paper bag containingCaptain Reye’s gift. “You’d better get going.”

One by one, the children kissedtheir father, and Anna and Eric hugged Mrs. McConnell before walking out thedoor and down the stone steps. Stooping low, they threw themselves into theback seat of one of the cars.

Gabby swatted Widwick on theback of his baldhead. “And don’t you’s forget’ta water mys Razormallard in thegreenhouse, you worthless pile o’ thorse dung!”

Widwick screeched in surprise,rubbing his throbbing head. He looked back at Gabby with tears of sorrowwelling in his eyes. “Iz gonna miss you’s too… you’s old bat!” he replied,shoving Gabby through the car door and onto Anna lap.

“Goodbye, Widwick. I love you!”Anna yelled out with a grabbing wave. There was a series of thumps as the doorswere closed and the drivers dropped the cars into gear. With a final wave fromtheir rear windows, the children slowly rolled out of sight. Mister Grayson turnedto look at Mrs. McConnell and Widwick who were still wiping their eyes.

“I’ll never get use to seeingthem leave,” he said wearily. He turned to reenter the house. “I do … hate itso.”

SIX

Several hours later, Anna was leaning against the railing of theAllegheny Pride, telling Gwen and Sarah Bell everything that had happened overthe holiday. When she got to the part where she saw the ghost of Leola Grayson,Sarah cupped her mouth and screamed in frightened amazement.

“And you say, the ghost couldn’t remember who the person was thatmurdered her?” Gwen asked skeptically.

Anna shook her head. “No… she seemed genuinely surprised when I told herwhat the Mirror of Enlightenment had said.”

“Weird. And she attacked your father because she actually thought thathe was having some kind of an affair with your mother?” Anna shrugged. “My God…how bizarre is that?”

She told them about Professor McGonagall traveling all the way fromHogwarts. The girls stared in amazement when she repeated what McGonagall had saidabout her not being an Animagus.

“Well, if not an Animagus… what then?” Gwen asked, incredulously.

“I don’t know,” Anna replied, gazing out into the greenmist of Neptune’s Veil. She started to thinkagain about the strange comment she thought she heard McGonagall saying to herfather. We should wait until we knowif Anna will transform into something else.Anna looked at Gwen and Sarah. “You know… I’ve had dreams about becoming othercreatures too.” They stared at her in surprise. “They’re just dreams, you know,but I do remember them vividly. They were so real to me at the time. I rememberturning into something large with claws during a fight with Damon once, andthen flying through the woods at night and attacking Debbie Dunning.”

“Oh,I’ve had that dream too,” said Gwen, her eyes smiling with delight. Anna andSarah looked stunned as Gwen continued. “My whole arm turned into this bigtroll’s club,” she said, turning a stiff elbow in her other hand, “and I waschasing Debbie through the corridors, swinging it like a maniac. Oh… it was sosweet!”

Annasnorted. Once again, Gwen’s sense of humor seemed to be the remedy to all herworries. “Well… did you ever catch her?”

Gwen’sface fell disappointedly. “Nah… I got her pinned next to that statue of Leopoldthe Lippy, you know –– the one with all that moss growing on his face in the North Tower?Anyway…” Gwen turned to make sure nobody around them could hear, “I got thelittle fatso cringing like the coward she is in a corner…” she growled,suddenly transported to the very moment of unexpected delight, “but when I wentto raise my arm to bash her in the head, the club was like… twelve feet longand I couldn’t lift it off the stupid floor. And then my whole shoulder startedto turn into wood,” she said, rubbing the side of her neck with a frown. “Thenthat gorgeous Albert Teneby came running down the hallway to save me.” Sarahstarted to snicker. “Yeah… he comes over and helps me lift my arm, and thenasks if I’d like to go with him to get some ice cream. So, of course, I ask himif my club bothered him, and he says, no… I like girls with a troll’s clubsfor arms.”

Annawas laughing. “So… what then? Did Albert Teneby help you carry your club out toMrs. Smile’s for a cone?” She looked at Sarah who had her knucklesburied in her mouth. Gwen’s face looked like itwas filled with pain.

“No…can you believe it? This brainless troll walks up and yanks me up by the wrist,says he wants his club back and then starts to carry me off. I’m screaming atthe top of my lungs for Albert to help me and he’s standing there on thedrawbridge, waving like an idiot, saying we can get ice cream some other time.And then he goes running off after that pretty little Karen Scott.” Gwen foldedher arms in obvious frustration. Then… looking up at Anna, she frowned. “So…what were you saying again?” Anna and Sarah were leaning on each other andlaughing hysterically.

SEVEN

Soon the Allegheny Pride was docked along the river’s edge in Pennsylvania, and itsstudents were cramming themselves into several waiting cable cars. They enteredSpellsburg once again to the cheering applause of the townspeople wishing themall a Happy New Year. Soon, the three friends were sitting by a warm fire inthe Tower Room, and Anna was finishing her account of how she had found herfather’s vault and the letter to St. Drogo’s castle. Gwen and Sarah satmesmerized by the news.

“You were able to pass through a solid metal door? Wow,” Gwen said inamazement. “I wonder if all the Guardians can do that — or just you?” Annahesitated. She never told her friends about Eric’s belief that she was supposedto be some kind of Guardian leader; what the mirror had called the Sithmaith.She didn’t know if these strange powers were extended to all of the Guardiansor not. She looked at Gwen appraisingly.

“I don’t know. Have you ever heard voices speaking to you whenever youtouch a magical object?”

Gwen looked disappointed. “No…” she muttered, disparagingly. Then shebrightened. “But I did hear singing once when I kissed Joshua Polanowski.”

Anna smiled. “I think that’s probably something different.” She lookedat Sarah. “So… how was your Christmas, Sarah? Any problems with talking in yoursleep?” Sarah Bell’s face brightened.

“Professor Thordarson was kind enough to take me aside before I left togo home, and he showed me a spell that we usually wouldn’t see until our fifthyear. He’s a very nice man.” She began to fumble for something in the pocketsof her robes and then pulled out her wand. Pointing it at her own throat, shewhispered, “Silencio!” Shelowered her wand and then tried to speak. There were no words as she proceededto carry on with their conversation. Gwen suddenly whipped out her wand andpointed it at her.

“Pump up the volume, girl. Sonorus!” she chanted, looking toincrease Sarah’s failed voice. Sarah laughed and continued to move her lipswithout a sound. She began to toss her head left and right, seeminglyblabbering contentedly without a care. She finally stopped and then closed hereyes as if to intensify her concentration. She raised her wand to her throatand moved her lips to the words of the counter spell. She opened her eyes.

“YOU SEE? IT WORKS GREAT!!!!!” Her words boomed into the room like anexplosion, and Sarah slapped her hands over her mouth in shock. Anna and Gwengrabbed their ears from the pain of Sarah’s blasting voice reverberating aroundthem in the Tower Room. Several other students seated close by screamed insurprise.

“Hey — keep it down!” yelled a seventh-year across the room.

“Sorry, Sarah. All my fault,” Gwen said, pointing her wand at the girlagain. “Quietus!” Sarah’s eyes darted appallingly over the room beforeslowly lowering her hands again.

“Okay?” she whispered softly.

Gwen shoved her wand back into her robes. “Yeah, you’re fine now,” shegiggled.

Sarah smiled. “So now I can do the spell before I go to sleep and nothave to worry about what I might say in the night.”

“That’s great,” Anna said, feeling relieved for her friend. “No moreworries, then?”

“Nope. Although it did take me the entire day the first morning to getthe counter spell to work. It’s so much harder to do a spell without yourvoice,” Sarah explained. “But now you don’t have to worry about me talking inmy sleep.”

Anna’s face fell. “I never said it bothered me. In fact, if you don’tmind, I think I’d rather you didn’t stop yourself from seeing myfuture.”

Sarah looked stunned. “But… I… thought…”

“Listen,” Anna interrupted, “when you sent me that message before, itwas really helpful. Frankly, I’ve been hoping to hear you speak in your sleepagain. I kind of like having an early warning system sleeping right next tome.” Sarah smiled appreciatively. She had never considered her ability asanything but dangerous.

“So if you don’t mind,” Anna continued, “I’d just as soon keep the soundturned up.” Sarah’s eyes began to well with tears.

“Are… you sure about this, Anna?”

“Quite sure.”

“Schedules!” bellowed an Artisan Knight who had joined their group bythe fire. She handed Gwen a piece of parchment. “Next term’s schedule, Gwen…and I have… Sarah Bell,” she handed Sarah her schedule, “and… Anna Grayson.There you go… enjoy.”

Anna and Sarah leaned into one another to compare their schedules forthe upcoming term. “Pretty much the same again, Sarah,” Anna said, smilingtriumphantly. “Look, we have Professor Bots this time for Muggle Studies.” Gwen looked over at their schedules tocheck.

“Professor Bots? Oh you’re so lucky! He’s one of the nicest teachershere at the school. I’ve got her royal-hagness, the infamous Professor Wence.”Anna and Sarah winced in reply. “Yeah… and she’s every bit as bad as shesounds. Gave me lines last year for talking to Donald Riggins in class. ‘I WILLSTOP ACTING STUPID AROUND BOYS,’” she recalled, insulted. Sarah started to giggle.

“Oh my…” Anna said, still looking down at her schedule. She glanced overSarah’s shoulder and then pointed to the last line on the list. “Look… we’vegot flying lessons starting in February.”

EIGHT

“Thirty-six…thirty-seven… thirty-eight… thirty-nine… forty. Forty-one…”

Therecame a long, lamented scream and then the rattling of bars. Cups and plates offood, just delivered, were slammed against the wall by some, and ravaged by therest. A crimson-cloaked guard patrolled the gap between the barred cellscontaining those prisoners considered safe enough to see each other.

“Comeover here, laddie,” said a bearded man in molded rags. He had an armoutstretched through the bars. “Let me have a look at your pretty littlestick.”

Theyoung guard, who the violent ones liked to call pretty-boy, ignored theman, gripping his wand tight in the pocket of his robes as he walked past.

“Comeon, boy, just a peek, ay?”

Theguard said nothing. His mind was as far away from this dark place as it couldbe, strolling the imaginary tree-lined pathway of his parent’s home. Thestraight, slate path to their front door marked the way back to happiness andlove, and all of the things that were missing in this retched place. Heimagined his parent’s front door embedded in the rock wall in front of him.

“One-hundredtwenty-five… one-hundred twenty-six.”

Hisslow monotonous steps finally brought his feet to the door’s threshold; hestopped. The guard reached out to touch the invisible latch only his mind's-eyecould see; he jiggled it to confirm the door was still locked. Mom and Dadare safe inside, he thought, renewing his resolve. He lifted his right footand, placing his toe behind the heel opposite, he turned with a snap to facethe other way. For the briefest moment, he saw the cells to his left and rightand the faces of those watching his every move, staring out at him like a mobof hungry vampires. His gaze dropped to the thin yellow line down the center ofthe stone floor ending at a steel gate on the other side. He paused, and thenclosed his eyes. When he opened them again, the horrible place around him hadmelted away and had turned into the blissful pathway of his home again. Thesteel gate had transformed itself into the white picket fence to the streetwhere he grew up; he smiled. He stepped forward as one of the prisoners in thecell next to him counted his steps.

“One…two… three… four… five… six… seven…”

Asthe guard passed the first cell, the prisoner in the next took up the count.

“Eight…nine… ten… eleven… twelve… thirteen… fourteen…”

Hecouldn’t hear them. Once again, his mind had escaped. While his body remained…the part of him that protected his sanity was guarding his parent’s home fromthese sick and brutal men. He concentrated solely on the white fence at the endof the pathway and nothing else.

“Sixty-two…sixty-three… sixty-four… sixty-five…”

Fora brief moment, his mind suddenly slipped, and in that instant he found himselfasking the same old questions. How did I get here? How did I go from myparent’s home to this place? I worked so hard. I was a model student atCastlewood, a Knight. I was well liked and one of the top students in my classat the Law Enforcement Institute. My Captain told me I would go far… but first…he said I had to pay my dues.

“Ninety-eight…ninety-nine… one-hundred. One-hundred and one… one-hundred and two…”

Twomore days and it’ll be over until next month. By Saturday, I’ll be enjoying the‘good duty’ upstairs, walking the ramparts outside in the sunshine. I hope it’swarmer than it was last month.

“One-hundredtwenty-three… one-hundred twenty-four… one-hundred twenty-five… one-hundredtwenty-six.”

Theguard stopped at the metal gate. He reached out and rattled the latch. Stilllocked — still safe –– all is well. His parents didn’t have to worryabout this ugly and murderous throng so long as he was here. He turned againwith a snap.

“Hundredtwenty-six again!” yelled a toothless old man in the last cell, and the rest ofthe villains cheered and banged on the bars with their cups. A prisoner on theother side abruptly stuck his hand out to the guard.

“Congratulations,my boy, you just broke your old record! That’s seventeen times in a row at onehundred and twenty-six steps. Ruddy brilliant! Let me be the first tocongratulate you.” The guard, in a rare moment of consciousness, turned hishead to look at the prisoner. The man jerked his hand still further out toshake. The guard looked down at the hand just a few feet away. It lookedbruised and filthy, the nails black. It was the hand of death, attached to theReaper himself –– easily proven if he was foolish enough to touch it. The guardsmiled and then turned his gaze back to the yellow line and the far off wall.He focused his mind once more on the fragrant smells of his home, and watchedthe cells to his left and right dissolve away. The tree-lined path appearedonce more and the front door of his parent’s house was there.

“One…two… three… four… five… six… seven…”

Theman in the first cell laughed. “The boy’s a machine,” he yelled, pressing hisface hard into the bars. “A bloody head of gears!”

“Comeon, Laddie,” said the bearded man again, “let me see your pretty little stick.Oh… if I just had a pretty wand like that, I would be as free as a bird in notime. Please, boy, just give us a peek… ay?”

“Forty-two…forty-three… forty-four… forty-five… forty-six…”

Twofloors down, shrieks of self-induced terror were mixed with the sounds ofpatients throwing themselves against their padded rooms.

“Look,I’m a dragon!” yelled a man in chains. “I’m gonna huff and puff, and tear youhead off –– ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ahhhhh-heh-heh-heh…”

Fourfloors down, the guards were rushing into a cell to control a patient intent onstrangling himself with the tentacles whipping about from his own head.

Fivefloors down, there is only howling despair and complete blackness.

Ninefloors down, in the deepest dungeons of Drogo prison, a hideous and cacklingvoice could be heard resonating through the gloom-filled hallways.

“TheDark Lord is coming… I can feel his touch growing stronger. We who are hisfaithful servants will soon be rewarded.” The woman let out an ugly, revoltinglaugh that reverberated through the walls outside her door.

“Shutup –– you old hag!” yelled another voice from the adjoining room next to her.

“Mymaster… is coming. His power is immeasurable!” the woman screeched.

“Isaid, shut up!”

Anotherman’s voice, as gentile as the gentleman he thought himself to be, spoke out.“Leave the poor woman be, Reggie. All she has are her delusions.”

“Ican’t stand it anymore! Night after night, month after month, she’s screamingthe same thing. When’s she gonna get it through her thick head that You-Know-Whois dead. That fiend is never coming back!”

Theother man in the room across from him laughed. Through his locked and bolteddoor, he gushed with his own brand of high speech. “Ahhh… but is the Dark Lordtruly gone, Reggie? If he is… then why don’t you call him by his real name? Letme hear you say it. Let me hear you say… Voldemort.” The other man gasped atthe sound of the name, and the man across the hall laughed in amusement underhis breath. Suddenly, the woman’s voice rang out again.

“Howdare you say my master’s name! You are not his disciple. You are not worthy tothink upon him with your maggot-eaten, pathetic mind!” the woman shrieked,angrily. The man across the hall laughed through his door again.

“Mydear… sweet… lady, are we not all disciples of evil in this place? For you see…evil comes in many different forms, all of which… I replace to be… delicious.”