The Querent Quest

Chapter 24: Bell, Book and Candle

Something not even a Seer can foresee is how quickly exam week always creeps up upon them. One moment, you're trying to finish a few more essays and before you have time to properly study after that, you are sitting down for another final and the professor is turning over an hourglass.

He was trying to scrawl a few last sentences in when Professor McLaggen announced "Time's up." He stood, flicking his wand and the test flew out from underneath his quill, rolling itself up tightly and zooming into the box on his teacher's desk. "Don't run quite yet, I have your essays to hand back still, you can read them while I test you all individually for the practical portion. Alphabetical order now. And if Mr. Potter would pass these out for me?"

Scorpius was rolling his wand through his fingers when Albus dropped his essay on their desk, face-up of course. On it, was a large red E and a comment made with thick, blue ink: excellent report on Morgana's abilities and reputation, but a little lacking on Animagi knowledge. He had underlined a few lines he had liked though.

All in all, the frenzy of the final exams was even worse for Scorpius, who aside from studying his books, kept re-reading the words of his prophecy.

He wished he could talk to someone about his prophecy and what it actually meant. But the centaurs were apparently preparing for the Summer Solstice, which no human was allowed to witness, even if that human was a Seer. Madam Patil, at their last meeting, had talked to him about prophecies in general and offered reassurances like that it had been recorded and placed in the Department of Mysteries for future study, but all she was willing to tell him was to write it down in his journal and turn the page. "Everything happens for a reason and in its own time, Scorpius" Madam Patil had assured him. "Just because you See something as so doesn't mean it's your responsibility to make it occur."

Scorpius couldn't help though, flipping back through the pages of his book and re-reading the words of the prophecy—his prophecy, over and again to himself. They who have already come are becoming…the Order will be given, time taken back and only then will the world remain it's order...they who have already come; the choice is made, then carried through, the balance tempered and seen out…when Merlin returns…are becoming. What did it mean? Who were "they" and what order would be given? How could you take time back? And remain its order…had she misheard him speak "regain" perhaps?

Someone he also hadn't mentioned the prophecy to, was Professor Trelawney. Nor did he plan to…although Scorpius did suspect that prophesying would surely give him a perfect score on his Divination final.

Still, he showed up right in time at the trapdoor leading up to the classroom. This was the one test he hadn't studied for and he was hardly nervous. Just one last exam and then he was free. Sure enough, Rose was still loitering in the way, having had her exam time before his—Trelawney decided to "shake things up" by having them go backwards alphabetically by last name.

"And?" he asked, not ready to pull the ladder down.

Rose shrugged, finishing off a Chocolate Frog. "More tea readings. We didn't even go into palmistry since the old bat has figured out we could share answers about her hands and apparently she's still short a few balls after Lily's cat broke them—crystal balls not marbles, I mean. Those to though."

"What kind of tea?"

"Put in lots of sugar," Rose advised him before the ladder descended. "Luck."

"Thanks," Scorpius nodded before he climbed the ladder up.

Professor Trelawney's cough greeted him before her tones wafted out. "Welcome, Scorpius. Come and sit by me and we'll get started on tasseography. One lump or two?"

"Three and some milk," Scorpius replied quickly.

He was glad for his straight face as he gulped the drink down (cold and still bitter) on his tongue as Professor Trelawney continued to ruminate. "Tasseography is one of the oldest forms of Dinivation. Traditionally, you know, the querent wasn't to read his own cup—"

"The querent." Scorpius said, spilling a bit of his tea. That word again.

"Yes dear." Professor Trelawney answered absently. "But today you'll read your own cup for me, now would you?"

She probably didn't want to drink the tea herself, Scorpius amused himself with the thought of it. His cup empty (nearly), Scorpius turned it on to the saucer, rotated it and turned the cup back over, checking the tea leaves.

"A bell," he said, pointing out the bell-shaped stain, careful not to dislodge it. Or it could be an upside down bouquet, but a bell was good enough for him. Trelawney peered through her glasses at it as Scorpius continued. "Usually, it's a call to attention but since I'm seeing it instead of hearing the bell…it's a symbol for good luck."

"Yes, well…do you see anything else, my dear?"

Scorpius's grey eyes flickered around the edge of his tea cup, trying to make shapes out of tea leaves. "A book." Silence. He went on. "Knowledge, err…I'm going to do well on my exams?"

Professor Trelawney coughed and started to rise out of her chair. "Thank you, Scorpius. I see you worked very hard to understand what the future has in store." But Scorpius took a second look at it. "It's an open book—answers! I'm going to have answers." He spotted one more shape. "And a candle. Light…enlightenment. A light in the dark."

She was thanking and dismissing him, scribbling what looked like an O on her papers but Scorpius was hardly listening.

.

"Scorpius? Are you even listening?"

Scorpius turned his head towards Jocasta, who was patiently waiting a few feet ahead. "Sorry, but what—"

"I said that the door is here." She repeated herself, tapping the wooden door that had come out of the stones. "What's on your mind?"

Scorpius pulled on the door handle. "It can wait."

Inside, the room was set up for a small, intimate sort of gathering, with gold streamers and Rose tending to the cake, hastily squeezing out frosted letters on top.

"Do you think Elora would like some Tourmaline?" Lysander asked as they walked in.

"Termites?" Scorpius asked, sure he had misheard.

"Tourmaline." Lysander corrected, holding up a large brown crystal. "It's ideal for self-acceptance and emotional healing."

"Put a ribbon on it Lysander, they'll be here soon." Rose called out.

"Perhaps the Galena…" Lysander continued to muse.

"How will we know to yell surprise?" Lorcan asked.

"Oh, was this a surprise party?"

Scorpius and Jocasta turned to see Elora, looking amused behind them.

"Surprise!" Rose said loudly a few seconds late as Albus came running up behind her, looking rather put out at what Elora had discovered. "Happy Birthday Elora. Cake?"

Since the Leaving Feast fell on Elora's birthday, they decided that they'd all rather just celebrate together than watch Gryffindor triumph. Elora didn't seem too fussed to be missing out anyways. They had a birthday cake from the House Elves, a wireless playing, a few gifts to be opened—and friends. Beside him Jocasta smiled and shuffled over to talk to Albus, who was laughing at something Lysander had said and there was Rose, who offered him a slice of the cake, helpfully scooping more frosting on top.

"Hey," Scorpius called out over the music. Elora looked up from the box she was unwrapping, the rest of their friends turned to him too. "I've just got something to say, just something I'd like to tell you, all of you." Scorpius could feel their eyes on him, and for once, it was a nice feeling to have. "I made a prophecy."

.

Needless to say, the last place he wanted to spend any time (departure day time) was in the library, especially since Jocasta was waiting for him to take a carriage down to the station. Yet, Albus was marching him past bookshelves, insistent.

"Why are we here?"

"This is worth it." Albus said. "I found something."

"Dead or alive?" Scorpius said, a bit sulky. Albus grabbed a book off a passing shelf and cuffed his shoulder with it, tossing it back on to another shelf, still intent.

"Don't be a gorm. I did all this research for you. Don't worry, I told Dubvessa it was for her class."

"Researching what?" Scorpius asked, but Albus declined to answer, instead choosing to scale a bookshelf, grab a thick tome, hop down and hand it to him, beaming all the while.

Albus Potter is more mad than his brother, Scorpius reminded himself, taking the book. Absolutely barmy these days. "A book?"

Albus helpfully took the book back, opened it, flipped about three hundred pages in and handed it back to him, using his finger to point out a line. Scorpius read it about four times to himself.

"Albus, why—"

"The prophecy!" Albus blurted out. "You said it yourself, that Merlin was coming back. So I did some thinking and a lot of reading last night and then I thought about the reading I did for you. Rose helped me find the books and Elora took notes, so you better thank them too. If Merlin is coming back, then the muggles were probably wrong about him being from the future, but what if he really was trapped by Nimue? If he's coming back, then someone is going to get him out sooner or later."

"Who?"

"Well…I don't know that part. Hasn't happened yet, has it?"

Scorpius closed the book and handed it back to Albus. "Al, some prophecies never come true. And if they do, it's sometimes not for years and years!"

But if Merlin is coming someday, then we have time to get ready for him. Or figure out if we even want him back at all, I guess."

Scorpius was not quite so ready to give in to Albus's excitement. "What about the rest of the prophecy? Any ideas?"

Albus grinned sheepishly, pushing his hands into his pockets. "We've got a few theories."

.

Scorpius wandered through the forest, holding the Hand of Glory out in front of him. The light led him along the path, through brambles and the underbush until he suddenly stumbled into a clearing.

He set the Hand down, the moon and stars were bright enough here that he didn't the light right now. He circled the clearing, walking along the outskirts as he toyed with his chain.

He frowned; why was he here, in a forest? He…hadn't he…that was at Hogwarts. Scorpius managed to look down at what he was playing with and the pentacle pendant, instead of bronze, it was a bright blue.

"Scorpius Hyperion," a faint voice suddenly whispered, her words echoing. He stood up quickly, turning in place to look for the voice and then he saw her, again.

Long, straggly blonde hair and wide pale eyes: even if he hadn't known who she was before, she was very much so the image of her daughter, Mrs. Scamander.

This is a dream, he reminded himself, focusing on the pentacle, trying to stay lucid like he was supposed to. In the real world, Scorpius Malfoy was asleep in his bed at Malfoy Manor again (don't think about that, you'll wake up); this is your chance to take control!

"Soleil Graves," he replied, his voice sounding louder than he expected. She smiled.

"Sunny will do."

Happy New Year! My present to you is to finally have Year 3 finished.

How about a year in review? I actually started publishing The Querent Quest way back in September 2010; my initial goal was to finish Year 3 by the end of spring. Well...I finished it before 2012, I can say that. This year has been sort of a mixed bag for me: while I was accomplishing some amazing things, I had a lot of problems in other areas of my life, areas that probably affected this particular area, writing. On the upside as far as writing goes, I've started on my Creative Writing minor (which means better writing and better yet, original writing) but it leaves less time to work on this series. College in general, while I'm happy with everything brought into my life, it does leave me less time (and with my next big project coming up in real life, I definitely won't have time for writing much until the semester is over)

As far as the future holds...I planned from the start that this would be a seven part series, much like the original. I know where I am going exactly, you wouldn't believe some of the details I have worked out! You do already know that Year 4 is to feature Elora Longbottom and it titled The Secret of the Study. I have a basic plot already outlined but I have no plans to start writing (or publishing) until late spring at least. Mainly, because my fanfiction focus at the moment, is to re-work Years 1 and 2. I haven't been happy with how they came out for a long while now and while my future stories are still canon with what I've got, I'd rather make this series the best it can possibly be than settling for what I have.

I will let you know, via my page when I have fixed and finish Years 1 and 2 to my satisfaction, as well as any updates as far as Year 4 is coming along. Until I'm publishing more again, I wish all my readers a prospering new year!