Chapter 38

The next week went by quickly. Magnus Gamp kept up my sparring, but we took a break from Alchemy and Wandlore to cover Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Unfortunately, if I wanted to know about constellations, Magnus Gamp said that I could ask Professor Sinistra about them. That was apparently what she was there for and not what he had to teach me in tutoring. This week, he had me learning the Futhark Runes and would switch to Ogham next week.

Those two sets were the ones the Hogwarts Curriculum used when it came to the Study of Ancient Runes, but they were hardly the only ones. There were dozens of Rune Systems, from Chinese Seal Script to Egyptian Hieroglyphs to even more obscure systems, like the Hurrian Runes used by the Dark Lord in his own rune schemes.

"Most runic systems have different strengths and weaknesses. Generally speaking, the more obscure the system, the more difficult it is to learn, but the more rewarding it is to use." Explained Magnus Gamp.

"How so?" I questioned.

"Just off the top of my head, before Voldemort's War, you could count the number of Wizards in Europe familiar with Hurrian Runes on both hands and still have fingers left. Voldemort ran through most of those before starting his campaign, so that anyone in Europe who could decipher his runes was either dead, on his side, or in hiding. A lot of good Aurors died trying to bypass runic wards on Death Eater Safehouses that they couldn't decipher." Offered Magnus Gamp.

"What about Gringotts? Surely they had Curse-Breakers familiar with Hurrian Runes?" I queried.

"King Bagnark, who was King of the Goblin Nation at that time declared the Goblin Nation, and Gringotts, Neutral in the conflict. At the time, the thinking was that the Ministry would negotiate to get the Goblins on-side, and maybe the Goblins could claw back some of the rights they'd been forced to cede after the last of the Goblin Wars. That never happened though. Even losing the war as badly as they were, the Ministry's sense of Wizarding Superiority never wavered." Informed Magnus Gamp.

"Kind of makes you wonder why King Ragnuk is bothering to try and negotiate now if his predecessor couldn't even bring the Ministry to the table." I mused.

"That it does and I'm sure some of his Chieftains are wondering the same thing. That's why it's important we get you trained up." Intoned Magnus Gamp.

He threw me into a lecture about the various Futhark Runes from there. Their meanings and associations, and how to empower them. From Ansuz, associated with Odin and bringing wisdom and inspiration, all the way to Algiz, associated with Elk and bringing Protection. In Total, there were twenty-six runes in the Futhark Runic Script, each with different meanings and associations. Of course, that wasn't the end of things, as each rune could provide different effects when used differently.

For example, Thurisaz, the Rune of Giants, usually meant danger and would harm you when touched, however, when used in triplicate in an Arithmantic Runic Array, it turned into the Rune of Thor, allowing for Protection instead. There were others like that, for instance, Raidho could be used to add speed or shorten distance depending on how it was used. It all revolved around Arithmancy which was what much of the week was spent learning when we weren't sparring.

Of course, there was also the constant sparring, where I was starting to draw with Magnus Gamp one out of every three rounds. This much improvement in a single year was fantastic, at least according to Magnus Gamp. However, he then ratcheted up the difficulty of our sparring sessions so that by the end of the week I was back to losing all the time. However, he now judged I was capable of winning duels against most of the students in Hogwarts, though there were apparently a few who would still regularly defeat me, largely in the Upper Years.

"Don't allow yourself to get cocky just cause you can beat schoolchildren, Lad. The Death Eaters would still chew you up and spit you out and any competent adult wizard would beat you." Warned Magnus Gamp.

"What about incompetent adult wizards?" I asked.

"That depends. Are you gonna stand around asking them stupid questions?" Questioned Magnus Gamp.

"Point taken." I nodded.

"Good, now get your arse back in position. Our time's not up yet." Huffed Magnus Gamp.

I took up my stance, ready to spar once more. Predictably, I got my arse handed to me that time, and the time after, before Magnus Gamp dismissed me. Still, it was a good enough improvement in my dueling capability that even if I stalled out here until next year, I would consider it a successful year of training. Mind you, I still had classes this week. Of course, these I found fairly easy comparatively, as they were fairly light compared to the last month and a half of classes.

In Herbology, we went over a fairly light topic, caring for a Vegetable Lamb of Tartary. Apparently, these things were real, not just Muggle Folklore. However, instead of being a plant-beast hybrid as I'd thought, they were Magical Plants that simply partially imitated the characteristics of magical beasts. The 'meat' of the Lamb Portion was actually more akin to a fruit, though it still tasted of mutton, while the 'Wool' of the Lamb was more akin to a coconut husk than proper wool, though much like with coconut fiber, you could still make clothing out of it. Apparently, shearing a Vegetable Lamb was a lot more permanent than shearing a proper sheep.

"It's like peeling an orange, Dearies. The poor thing dies after shearing, but fear not, because you can simply plant the bones and a new Vegetable Lamb will grow in that spot the next night." Taught Professor Sprout. That was interesting and I raised my hand to ask a question, being called on moments later.

"What's the difference between the fiber of a Vegetable Lamb and a Proper Sheep?" I queried.

"An excellent question. Vegetable Wool is naturally water and weatherproof, unlike real wool, owing to the harsh climate of Siberia, where the Vegetable Lamb is naturally found. It also takes enchantments more readily than normal wool, with no need for runic anchoring, though you would get the same effect from most magical beast hides." Answered Professor Sprout.

That was good to know, and I would definitely look into getting some Vegetable Lambs for the Manor Grounds. My mother had planted a garden full of potions ingredients, but I was already thinking bigger than a simple garden. After all, I had acres of property that were sitting there unused attached to the Pallazzo Zabini, all unplottable. My mother had never really found a use for them, since she had her garden and that was all we needed, but she didn't know what I did about Voldemort coming back in a few years. It might be a decent idea to use the property for an expanded reagent farm, just in case.

Regardless, I partnered with Susan once again to plant a vegetable lamb. The small plant-creature was curious, snuffling into Susan's Red Hair, causing her to let out a giggle at the thing. I was glad she was having fun with this since I knew she'd been stressed lately. It was the Goblins again, her aunt was running herself ragged trying to find out who had broken into Gringotts to fulfill King Ragnuk's chief demand, that the Wizard who broke into Sovereign Goblin Territory be handed over to the Goblin Nation to face Goblin Justice. Apparently, the Wizengamot was still debating about what terms they would offer for Extradition. Whatever terms they came up with were bound to be insulting, but the DMLE still had to find the culprit first to even get to that stage.

Unfortunately, I couldn't simply tell Susan that the Culprit was Professor Quirrel, who was possessed by the Spirit of Voldemort. My Meta Lock drawback wouldn't allow me to do that. I could, however, drag out the planting so she had as much time to unwind with this particular Vegetable Lamb as possible. When no one was looking, I stashed my trowel in my Mokeskin Pouch, pretending I had lost it just so Susan had a bit of extra time. When Professor Sprout was told that, she deducted five points from Slytherin, but it was worth it. Besides, the house cup was bullshite anyway, and even with that deduction, Slytherin was still so far ahead of anyone else in House Points that it wasn't fair.

We managed to get our vegetable lamb replanted just before the end of class. I discreetly pulled my trowel out of my Mokeskin Pouch to replace it on the rack with the other at the end of class, but apparently wasn't as discreet as I'd thought.

"I knew it!" Smirked Susan.

"Knew it?" I asked.

"You're not the kind of Doylem to go losing his trowel like that. You did that so's I could have more time with the Lamb!" Accused Susan.

"Yeah, well, you've been having a rough go of things lately with your Aunt and all. You needed a bit of a pick-me-up." I nodded.

"Are you daft, Man? You lost house points for that!" Insisted Susan.

"Worth it." I shrugged.

"Thanks, Blaise. I mean it. Yer geet canny as oot." Beamed Susan, which I inferred was Geordie Slang for you're a nice guy.

"What are Mates for?" I grinned.

That earned me a hug which I had mixed feelings about, given the difference in our mental ages. Still hugged her back. Susan was a Mate, after all, and you don't leave a Mate hanging. Fortunately, it was just a friendly hug between friends right now. Puberty hadn't kicked into high gear for either of us just yet, after all.

Regardless, next up was Transfiguration, where we were learning the Epoximise Spell to adhere two objects together. Once again I got the spell quickly, though not before Parvati and Tracey both managed it. I moved to help others and swiftly found myself paired up with Tracey to help Neville, earning us the five points I lost Slytherin back. Neville managed to get it after a few minutes of trying, his confidence needed work, but he could do a lot more now that he had a proper wand. Tracey spoke up on the subject first.

"You know, you could be doing a lot worse, Neville. You have the skill." Remarked Tracey.

"You think so?" Questioned Neville.

"Yeah, Nev. You just need the confidence to back it up." I agreed.

"Oh." Muttered Neville.

"What's the matter?" Queried Tracey.

"It's just. . .I don't know. You and Blaise have so many friends, I'm not really sure you'd get it." Sighed Neville.

"You have doubts, is that it?" I asked.

"Yeah, constantly." Nodded Neville.

"I think I get it. It's hard to be confident when everyone around you and even your own brain are telling you that you shouldn't be." I offered.

"Yeah. How do you know that?" Questioned Neville.

"You think that just because we have friends we don't have doubts?" Queried Tracey.

"You're always just so confident. You two, Daphne, Harry, Hermione, all of you." Muttered Neville.

"Nev, everyone has doubts. It might be a bit cringy to say this, but those are just a normal part of life. You need to just square your shoulders, look your doubts in the eye, and tell them that you're gonna try regardless." I advised.

"Just like that?" Demanded Neville.

"Just like that." Agreed Tracey.

"What if I fail? That happens to me a lot, after all." Asked Neville.

"Then you've got your friends here to help you try again, Nev. We're not gonna let you keep failing." I insisted.

"Really?" Questioned Neville.

"Really." Confirmed Tracey.

"Yeah." I agreed.

"Thanks, Guys. That helps. I think." Smiled Neville.

And just like that, Neville managed the Epoximise on his very next casting, all by himself. I beamed at that and gave him a nod and a thumbs up. Tracey's nod was a bit more reserved, likely a byproduct of having Daphne as her best friend for her entire life. Honestly, Daphne was a good friend, but she could be a little bit of an ice queen at times. Regardless, Tracey and I moved on to helping others, and by the time class ended, everyone had gotten Epoximise down, even Crabbe and Goyle, though I hadn't helped them out, nor had Daphne. Parvati had, but then she'd returned to her seat with an angry look on her face. I'd find out later that Draco had made a not-so-sensitive comment about her being Indian even after she'd helped out his two retainers.

My last actual class of the week that wasn't a blowoff class was Astronomy. Normally, I helped Padma out as her partner here, but she had paired up with Parvati in a somewhat uncharacteristic display of sisterly solidarity in the face of Draco being a git. Fortunately, since Ron was in the Hospital Wing after getting caught in the backlash of a Peeves Prank at dinner and would be for the night, that left Hermione without a partner, a slot I slid into fairly easily.

Tonight we were learning how to navigate using the constellations as a guide, even when Ursa Major wasn't visible to find North. That was good, because that time I'd had a prophetic dream about the various Challenges in the Undercroft that had been set up to reach the Philosopher's Stone had basically shown me that doing so would be one of the challenges. Apparently, there was a way to find South using Orion, as well as one to find South using the Crescent Moon. For the former, the point where the line made by the sword hits the horizon will point you South, while for the former connecting the two points of the crescent and then extending that line to the horizon will point you South.

As we found our bearings, literally, Hermione and I spoke about various things. She and I hadn't really had much of a chance to talk since before the Christmas Holidays, after all, and I was glad for the chance to catch up.

"So, 'Mione. You've been pretty busy, even at Study Group." I began.

"I've been working on a project. And before you ask, no, I can't tell you what it is." Answered Hermione.

"All right, can you at least tell me what it's for?" I queried.

"Spell Creation." Responded Hermione, matter-of-factly.

"Spell creation? Isn't that supposed to be extremely dangerous?" I asked.

"Professor Flitwick has been helping me. I can't say what it is just yet, it's meant to be a surprise." Insisted Hermione.

"All right. Consider me surprised, then. Still, it's been hard to catch up with you working on your project." I mused.

"I know. I'm sorry, but trust me. It will be worth it." Apologized Hermione.

"I trust you, 'Mione. You're smart, probably smarter than me, even. If anyone can figure out spell creation in our year, it's you." I offered.

"Thanks. That actually means a lot, you know." Beamed Hermione.

"Really? I would have thought you'd be used to people saying that by now." I chuckled.

"Not in Ravenclaw. Everyone's smart in Ravenclaw. You don't stand out in my house just by being smart." Sighed Hermione.

"Hence spell creation." I nodded.

"Exactly." Agreed Hermione.

"Well, don't work too hard. There's such a thing as burnout, you know." I opined.

"I'm not going to take that advice from you, of all people." Huffed Hermione.

"Hey, I relax." I protested.

"Barely. You're constantly training or studying, Daphne told me she had to force you to take a break the other week." Scoffed Hermione.

"I was fine, 'Mione." I defended.

"Well, so am I." Insisted Hermione.

"Fair enough." I sighed.

Honestly, it was a pretty difficult prospect for me to relax. Not when I knew what was coming down the pike with Voldemort. Hermione, though, she didn't have my metaknowledge. If she was pushing herself to the brink with spell creation, it wasn't for the same reasons I was pushing myself in training. With spell creation, exhaustion was deadly. Failures with that were just as, if not more, dangerous than failures with Potions, after all. A potions Failure had a chance of being relatively harmless, such as that time I'd heard about Ernie MacMillan in Hufflepuff causing a potions failure that just turned his hair and robes pink for a week. I'd never heard of a Spell Creation Failure that wasn't harmful, though.

I couldn't force Hermione to be careful, though. She was stubborn like that, especially when she seemed to be this invested in a project. That stubbornness would cause her to be partially turned into a cat if she didn't learn better, as she had been the first time around. I'd rather she fail like that than in spell creation, where she could blow her hand off or worse, though. Still, it wasn't my place to push, and if Professor Flitwick was helping her out, then I suppose that meant the chances of Spell Creation Failure were at least mitigated.

"Just promise me you're being careful." I demanded.

"I'm being careful, Blaise." Promised Hermione.

And that was that. The rest of our conversation was basically just small talk about how things had been, catching each other up with what was going on in our respective lives, what our Summer Plans were, and so on. Hermione had been attacked by a Jaculus Serpent while hiking through the Tuscan Countryside during the Christmas Holidays but had defeated it using some of the spells she'd picked up in the Study Group. The Jaculus was endemic in the countryside of Mainland Italy, though it was more prevalent in the North of Italy compared to the South. A winged, two-legged, serpent that hid in trees and launched itself at unsuspecting travelers and hikers. They were considered Class XXX Beasts by the British Ministry, Moderately Troublesome, but Ultimately able to be handled by a competent adult Wizard.

"Anyway, I heard the hissing before it launched itself at me and managed to get a Scutum Charm up and in the way before it struck. It rebounded off the Scutum Charm and I managed to catch it with an Arrow Shooting Spell between the wings." Informed Hermione.

"Well done, 'Mione! I hope you kept the corpse, Jaculus Wing Feathers are a key ingredient used in potions of Far-Leaping." I beamed.

"No, sorry. I wasn't thinking of that." Admitted Hermione, sheepishly.

"It's all right. Seriously, though, you did good. That Jaculus would have just ambushed another person if you hadn't taken care of it. The Royal Game Wardens usually trim their numbers back away from the Muggle Areas, but I guess whoever was in charge in Tuscany was slacking that day." I shrugged.

"What about you?" Questioned Hermione.

"My break was largely quiet. Nothing like what you did, though Saturnalia is always fun." I answered.

That led into a discussion of Saturnalia and how it differed from Christmas which took up the remaining class period. By the time that we were done with Astronomy Class for the week, I felt that I had caught up with Hermione fairly well. Mind you, I still had no clue what this secret Spell Creation Project she was working on was. It couldn't be the Bluebell Flames, because she hadn't needed to spend so much time on those the first time around. Hermione remained tight-lipped, however, though she promised me she'd teach me all about it when it was done. That gave me a sneaking suspicion that this new spell was going to be a birthday present for me. My birthday was coming up next month, after all.

As far as Clubs went this week, I skipped both of them, instead dedicating extra time to training. After all, we would be going for the Stone after the Cross-House Study group this weekend, and if I knew anything about this particular universe, it was that something was bound to go wrong with the attempt. My money was on Quirrelmort showing up at the last second to try and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Accordingly, I worked on several things. The Mind Arts, yes, but also my more combative magic, trying to get various spells down and ready to go. I also brewed up a whole swathe of potions. Not just Gytrash Speed, Strength, and Girding Potions, but also Alchemical Spark Solutions and Effect Preservers, the latter of which were added to my other potions. I also did a bit of crafting using the schematics in the Craftsman's Tradition and some of my remaining Troll Blood, brewing up Potions of Regeneration, just in case we were all wounded. They may taste foul, but they would help if we took wounds.

My final piece of business before the Cross-House Study Group was a trip to Hogsmeade to purchase a self-playing Violin from Dervish and Banges. That was easily done using my Metaknowledge of the Twins' Secret Passage, plus Sona Inferior on my shoes and my Family Concealment Cloak. The Self-Playing Violin itself wasn't too expensive, roughly a hundred Galleons, about sixty less than I'd thought it would be due to it having been sitting in the shop unsold since October.

I had more trouble just getting to Hogsmeade, as I had to dodge Filch, though thankfully, my Family Concealment Cloak and Sona Inferior allowed me to walk right by him. Thankfully, his cat wasn't in the hall with him, because I didn't yet have a way to eliminate my scent. That was on the list of things to learn, though, especially if I was going to keep doing this and sneaking out. There may be a charm or potion for it, I just had to look for it when I had the time. If all else failed, I supposed I could use peppermint oil to spike the Cat's sense of smell, though that would give away that someone didn't want Filch knowing they were there.

Regardless of any scent eliminator, when the Cross-House Study Group came around, I spent my time there teaching various things, including the Roman Spells of Soma Inferior and Vox Inferior. Of course, the Weasley Twins were interested in those, but so were Harry, Daphne, and Ron, as we would be casting them on our shoes before heading out for the Third Floor Corridor. Surprisingly, Neville asked for instruction as well, though he wanted tips for Potions instead. I gave him what I could in the time I had, before Harry, Ron, Daphne, and I had to head out.

We cut out of the Study Group an hour early, feigning tiredness. In actuality, Harry, Ron, Daphne, and I headed for the nearby Muggle Studies Showroom where Harry had stashed his Invisibility Cloak beforehand. I had my Family Concealment Cloak hidden in my Mokeskin Pouch, which I had on me at all times, throwing it on over my Tebo Leather Duster. Harry and Ron hid under his Invisibility Cloak, while Daphne slipped on her Tebo-Bone Disillusionment Ring. With all of us rendered unseeable at that point, I just had to trust that they were doing the same thing I was, as I cast Sona Inferior on my shoes, rendering my footsteps inaudible.

"Right, if you're there, sound off." I intoned.

"Here." Remarked Daphne, sounding unimpressed.

"I'm here." Added Harry, sounding excited.

"Me too, Mate." Grunted Ron, sounding anxious.

I focused on them using the Mind Arts and after a few moments, was able to pinpoint my friends based on their emotions. Unfortunately, I was not yet good enough with the Mind Arts to even try Telepathy, let alone link all of us up with Telepathic Communication, though that was something you could do with a more advanced grasp of Leglimancy, according to Zorian's Notes. Instead, I just had to trust in my friends.

"Right, let's head out." I insisted.

Then, placing my trust in my friends, I headed out of the Muggle Studies Showroom for the Grand Staircase and the Forbidden Third Floor Corridor beyond. A Whispered Alohomora unlocked the door to Fluffy's room. Immediately, Fluffy's left head perked up and began sniffing around. Fortunately, to do so, he had to move from the Trapdoor. I cautiously walked to the opposite side of the room, leading him further away from the trap door with my scent, before pulling the self-playing violin out of my Mokeskin Pouch, setting it on the floor, and activating it.

As I stepped away from the violin, it sprang to life, playing the strains of a song I recognized as the Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens. Now I understood why the Violin had been discounted. It had probably been specifically enchanted as part of a Halloween Sale and hadn't sold. Even still, the music seemed to soothe Fluffy, as he settled down on this side of the room seemingly despite the spooky music being played. Soon enough he was snoozing away and I made my way over to the trap door, another whispered Alohomora opened it and showed the darkness below.

Immediately, I stripped off my Family Concealment Cloak, stowing it back in my Mokeskin Pouch and pulling out a broom. Harry and Ron doffed Harry's Invisibility Cloak and gave me a look, while Daphne pulled off her Tebo-Bone Disillusionment Ring and fixed me with a wry grin before pulling a broom out of her pocket and tapping it with her wand to cancel the Shrinking Charm.

"Great minds think alike, it seems." She smirked.

"Seriously, you two. You didn't think to take along a broom or anything?" I queried.

"Why would we have?" Asked Harry.

"You're the one who said there was a trap door here." I reminded.

"That could've meant there was a ladder or something." Insisted Ron.

"You two are lucky I still have this." I grumbled, pulling the Indian Climbing Rope I'd used on Quirrelmort at the Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch Game out of my Mokeskin Pouch.

Soon enough, it had straightened itself out and led down into the darkness. Harry wasn't entirely sure about using it to climb, but Ron assured him it was perfectly safe. Apparently, the Twins had used Indian Climbing Ropes to pull pranks before. As I mounted my broom, and Daphne did the same, Ron offered to climb down first just to assuage Harry's concerns. Soon enough, we had everything sorted out.

Then, we began to descend into the trap door, down into the darkness, ready to start the Endgame of this year. . .

XXXX

AN: All right, so here we have the next chapter. A lot of it is just more time-skippy stuff, but there's a decent chunk of character interaction in here, along with the start of the run for the stone. While Quirrelmort clearly hasn't gone after the Stone yet, judging from how Fluffy was acting, you can bet that won't stay the case for the rest of the Endgame. Murphy just loves to take a dump all over Harry and his Friends, after all.

At any rate, the next chapter will be at least the first few Challenges. It depends on how long of a chapter it winds up being. I may break the endgame up into multiple other chapters.

Stay tuned. . .