Chapter 86: Partners in Crime (3)

"So, bottom line, we need to find a way to obtain some Thestral hair before Slughorn gets his hands on it." – Sirius summarised the situation.

The Hogwarts Library was an imposing place where students spent many hours, most of them rather unwillingly. Under the unwavering gaze of Madame Pince, there was little room for rule-breaking. Despite this, the numerous tables and secluded reading nooks provided a degree of privacy not easily found elsewhere in the castle, where the constant risk of eavesdropping or unexpected interruptions loomed.

In one such secluded corner, adjacent to a section dedicated to the history of ancient magic and wizarding civilizations, the familiar group of Gryffindors had found sanctuary, and Catherine had managed to brief them fully on the latest development regarding their hunt for ingredients.

"I don't think Hagrid's going to allow Slughorn to take anything. He seemed adamant about that." – Catherine replied contemplatively – "The problem is that it would have been easiest if I were to grab some Thestral hair since I'm there often enough. However, given that I can't see Thestrals, it's simply not possible."

"Can't you use magic to get it?" – Peter chimed in.

"Not really. It's generally not recommendable to use magic on potion ingredients. It compromises their properties. That's why we cut, grind, crush them by hand instead of using spells." – Catherine explained.

"Better not risk it then." – agreed Sirius – "It's best if we manage to get Moony inside Hagrid's hut so he could take some Thestral hair. We don't need that much, do we?"

"The recipe says a handful should suffice." – said the black-haired girl.

"Wait a minute! I'm not stealing anything from Hagrid!" – Remus finally managed to express his dissatisfaction with the role his friends volunteered him for. 

"It's not really stealing it from Hagrid. The Thestrals belong to the school, right? So, we're just using school supplies in a way." – Sirius attempted to smooth the situation.

"That's the most Slytherin-like thing you've ever said!" – Remus retorted angrily – "I agreed to help you with your crazy plan, but that does not involve me stealing! I've already betrayed Dumbledore's trust more than enough. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be here!"

Uncomfortable silence settled over the group of students. Catherine understood Moony's point, however, if he was reluctant to assist them, the only option left was to approach Hagrid directly, and she doubted their friendship would justify such a major breach of the school rules.

"I'll do it." – declared James, breaking the sudden silence, prompting the rest of the Gryffindors to stare at him in surprise – "After last week I should be able to see Thestrals as well."

"Are you sure you're up for this, mate?" – Sirius asked with genuine concern.

"Yes, I am! We can't let Flame take all the risks, and it wouldn't be fair to involve Moony either. It's up to us to find a solution!" – the black-haired boy stated decisively.

"In that case, we need to find the right moment and provide you with an opportunity to get the hair we need." – Catherine smiled encouragingly – "Maybe you can come with me during one of our upcoming baking lessons. Then, we can try and create a situation where you would be alone in the hut."

"Sounds like a plan!" – Sirius said as James nodded curtly – "Now that we've got this sorted, where do we stand with our research on the Homonculous Charm?"

"We are making progress… sort of…" – James replied with a frown, casting a disgruntled glance at the stack of books before him – "It's more complicated than we anticipated, and we don't have that much time to practice."

 "What matters is that we're already working on it." – Sirius reassured the group, spreading the blank parchment on top of their table and drawing out his wand – "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"

Black lines spawned in every direction, forming the articulated plan of the castle and its surroundings. The five teenagers huddled closer together, shielding the map from any potential onlookers.

"If we're not ready for the major enchantment, then how about we try this protective spell I found called Aureum Aegis Augmentum?" – suggested the map's creator with a playful grin.

"I haven't heard of it." – shrugged Catherine – "What exactly does it do?"

"It adds and extra layer of protection against anyone who insists on reading our ingenious masterpiece without knowing the password!" – the grey-eyed wizard chuckled – "Allow me to demonstrate! Aegis Secrecus!"

The map briefly glowed before returning to its normal state. Sirius touched it again with the tip of his wand.

"Mischief Managed!"

The lines vanished, leaving the parchment blank once more. The young wizard paused for a second then tapped the concealed map.

"Revelio!"

Nothing changed, but Sirius seemed undeterred. On the contrary, he confidently swirled his wand above the parchment.

"Aparecium! Clarus Delineo!"

"Now we can be certain that the map is well protected from anyone who tries to use Revealing Charms of any sort to break the Concealment spell!" – he declared with a satisfied smirk.

"That's reassuring, especially once we cast the Homonculous Charm." – James agreed – "I'm certain that McGonagall is going to confiscate the map instantly if she finds it. It has way too many mischievous applications, so to speak."

"I believe it's well protected for now." – Catherine remarked, flipping through one of the books on the table – "We could perhaps enhance the protection further, but for the time being, it's quite sufficient. Plus, I've been thinking about improving the Homonculous Charm to detect ghosts, people who are invisible or those under transfiguration."

"Absolutely!!" – Sirius exclaimed with enthusiasm – "We need to be sure the map would never lie!"

"You focus on the planning, and I'll take care of the task at hand." – James frowned, trying to cram as many books as possible into his schoolbag – "Let's go! I need to drop this off at the Gryffindor Tower before we head to Quidditch practice."

"I'll come with you!" – declared Peter eagerly – "Moony, are you joining us?"

"No, thank you. I need to send some letters." – Remus replied immediately, prompting Catherine to suspect it was more of an excuse to avoid spending two hours in the cold next to the overexcited and overwhelming Peter on the stands.

"What about you, Flame?" – Peter asked, undeterred.

"I need to finish my Ancient Runes translation. It will take a while." – the girl answered, not bothering to conceal her satisfaction, which earned her an amused grin by Sirius.

As the boys departed from the Library, the young witch retrieved her almost finished translation, already occupying a good half of a roll of parchment. She then made her way to the Ancient Runes section to gather additional references. While debating whether to select the Practical Directions towards Ancient Runes Transcription, the Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Runes Interpretation, or both, she heard footsteps approaching from behind. Turning around, she spotted Gwendolyn Lockhart, balancing an impressive pile of thick volumes whose titles seemed obscure to Catherine.

"How nice to see you here, Catherine Plantier." – the Ravenclaw sixth-year smiled, revealing a picture-perfect set of white teeth.

"Just call me Catherine." – the third-year remarked – "Do you need help with the books?"

"Not really." – the blond girl answered, and the books flew from her hands, finding their places on the shelves.

"Your wandless magic is truly remarkable!" – Catherine complemented her sincerely.

"Thank you. I do have a certain talent with wandless magic, if you don't mind me bragging a bit." – Gwendolyn chuckled.

"Since when did Ravenclaws consider telling the truth about someone's abilities as bragging?" – asked the other witch with a smirk.

"Indeed, we do not. However, we try to adapt to speaking with other people who may not necessarily share the same philosophy as our House." – the sixth-year explained with unmistakable air of dignity.

"How very considerate of you." – said Catherine with an almost imperceptible hint of sarcasm – "You know, I thought I would be sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Really? That would have been my last guess." – Gwendolyn commented, mimicking the younger girl's sarcasm – "You definitely strike me as more of a blend between Slytherin and Gryffindor – constantly torn between two diametral opposites."

"Touché!" – the Gryffindor grinned, as she suddenly had an idea – "Say, Gwendolyn, I remember reading that Rowena Ravenclaw spent her last years searching every nook and cranny of Hogwarts looking for something that was stolen from her. Do you know if she had found some secret places like new passages or hidden rooms?"

The blond witch paused for a moment, her bright blue eyes gazing into the distance.

"It's better if you go to the source and ask this question."

"What do you mean?" – Catherine asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Talk to the Grey Lady." – the sixth-year suggested with a mysterious smile, building up another pile of books – "You should show me your wandless magic one of these days."

"How do you know I can do wandless magic?" – the third-year inquired, surprised.

"Your friend James Potter told half the school." – Gwendolyn chuckled, settling nearby behind an impressive tower of dictionaries.

"Well, at least he only told half of it." – the black-haired girl retorted, gathering her reference books and preparing to leave the Library.

"Indeed, Sirius Black told the rest." – the Ravenclaw smirked, waving the annoyed Gryffindor goodbye.