Three days later:

We still haven't found the Locked Door. Though Anita and her friends have discovered a lot of random, useless odds and ends lying around the place. A few more keys too, which they asked the Sivril about, to which it responded with boring answers like 'there is no longer a lock to match this key', or 'this is the key to a cupboard which is never locked'.

I set off for the Foxhole Chamber. When I got to the hilltop woodland, I found Oliver.

"Could you do me one more favour?"I asked him.

"And what might that be?"Oliver asked.

"Keep a lookout, and let me know if you see the fox Animagus anywhere about,"I requested.

I went down into the chamber.

This time, in the rune book, I was looking for an index of rituals. It was on the 5th page. There weren't many rituals listed in the index. I looked for one that had something to do with midsummer. I found one!

A ritual to summon a power.

The description seemed to say the ritual would summon an extremely powerful dark force; but in order to obtain it, a great price must be paid.

I found the page describing the ritual and copied down the runes. I didn't take the time to read and translate them there, I could do that later. I needed to be in and out of there as quickly as I could. I hadn't heard any warning from Oliver yet...

I honestly wished I could find a way to copy down the entire book, but I hadn't found one, so I'd just have to make do with this.

When I'd copied down every last rune on the page, I got out of there and filled in the hole. Oliver was up a tree, keeping a lookout for me. He crawled into my arms and wrapped himself around my shoulders.

"Didn't see him,"Oliver said.

"That's fine, you did a good job,"I said, pleased,"when I can, I'll get you another newt. They aren't easy to find."

"I know,"Oliver answered,"why do you suppose I get you to get them for me? By myself, I'm lucky if I get one a month!"

"I wish I could bring you home with me in the holidays,"I said,"you could be my pet. I'm sure there are plenty of newts around where I live."

"Would you?"said Oliver.

"Would you like to come home with me in the holidays?"I asked him.

"Yes, I would, very much!"Oliver answered eagerly.

I let Oliver go back to his den, and went to study the runes I'd just copied.

However, I didn't get a chance to study them right away, I ended up being distracted completely - I noticed my wand was flashing red and orange. Anita and Lotty were both trying to summon me at the same time!

I sent them,'I Vocare Te', as I headed back towards the castle, and they found me about fifteen minutes later.

"You took your time,"I said.

"We got a bit scrambled on the Grand Staircase,"Anita said, breathlessly,"just when we were trying to show you something important!"

"You'll never guess what I found!"Lotty said,"try to guess!"

I thought for a moment, then I said,"the Locked Door?"

"No,"Anita answered,"we'd forgotten about that, actually! Guess again!"

"Another special key?"I guessed.

"Let's just tell her,"Anita said.

Lotty drew out, from a pocket in her robes, a silver ball. It was the same size as the golden ball.

"It's another Sivril!"Anita declared,"Lotty found it!"

"Another Sivril?"I said,"are you sure?"

"Yes, the Golden Sivril said it was,"Lotty explained,"this one is the Silver Sivril. You do all the same things as with the other one, but you show it to the light of the full moon at midnight, instead of the noon-sun."

"Do you know what it does?"I asked.

"Nope,"said Lotty,"but we can find out!"

"Where did you find it?"I asked.

"It was at one of the..."Anita began.

"Shhh! This is my story!"Lotty said,"well, we were rolling the ball around outside the castle, and there was this fountain in the grounds near the walls; and the ball started rolling around and around it, like when we found the key. When we put it in the basin with the water, it still went around and around. So we asked the Sivril what it had found, and it said it had found the Silver Sivril. It told us to look for a ball on the fountain statue. There was a round, stone ball that the fountain statue was holding, and it turned out it was a Sivril disguised as a stone ball!"

"Can I see the fountain?"I asked.

Lotty and Anita showed me to the fountain. It seemed ordinary enough. I cast a Revealing Spell. Nothing happened.

"Let's look at all the other fountains in the castle grounds,"I suggested.

"That's what I was thinking,"Anita agreed.

We didn't find anything in any of the other fountains.

"Why don't you ask the Golden Sivril if there are any more Sivrils hidden?"I asked.

"We can't,"Anita said,"not today. We've already asked it five questions."

Lotty said she's going to bring the Silver Sivril home with her in the holidays. She thinks it will be easier for us to sneak out at midnight there, without getting into trouble. We've sort of done it a few times before...

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Later:

It wasn't until I went to bed that I remembered the ritual research I was supposed to have done. I wasn't sure I wanted to find out now, when I was supposed to be going to sleep. What if the details of the ritual were so disturbing, I would feel like I had to do something to stop it at once? I wouldn't be able to sleep all night.

After a while, I started to realise I wouldn't be able to sleep all night, just from wondering about it, and working out when to find time to research it tomorrow. So I got the notebook I had copied the runes into, and carefully translated it.

The more I translated, the more horrified I became. The ritual involved a particular cave in the Forbidden Forest. It would begin at sunset on Midsummer's night, and end at the sunrise of the next day. Then I read the most horrifying part. The ritual required the sacrifice of a witch or wizard of pure-blood. Sacrifice? Did that mean human sacrifice? As I continued to read, I realised it was describing a human sacrifice. It was a horrible, cruel ritual too, requiring the victim to suffer a slow death. I won't write any more of the details of it in here, I believe all knowledge on such a thing, instruction on such a thing, ought to be destroyed.

Then I realised something. Silas had told Antonius he would need him to help with the ritual, and then he would be 'free'. The ritual requires a pureblood sacrifice...

What if Silas was planning on sacrificing Antonius in the ritual?

I had to warn him! But I couldn't warn him now, in the middle of the night - or could I? I crept down to the common room and summoned him.

I waited for around ten minutes. I was half expecting him not to notice, but he did. He joined me in the common room, just as I was starting to think about giving up and warning him in the morning instead.

"Catherine,"Antonius whispered,"it's the middle of the night! I might have been asleep. What do you want at this hour of night?"

I wondered how to begin.

"I found out something extremely important,"I said.

"What?"Antonius asked.

"I discovered Silas has a plan,"I explained,"for a Dark Magic ritual."

Antonius' eyes widened,"how do you know about that?"he asked.

"I just know,"I said,"but, Antonius, the ritual involves a human sacrifice."

"Human sacrifice,"Antonius said, his voice now barely even a whisper.

"Also the sacrifice has to be someone of pure-blood,"I finished.

Antonius looked at me,"you know this for certain?"he asked.

"Absolutely,"I said.

"Then you have to be careful, Catherine,"Antonius replied.

I almost gave away the fact I knew he and Silas were in league with each other, by telling him he was in more danger than I was, but I managed to stop myself just in time.

"You could be in danger too,"I said.

"I hope this isn't true,"Antonius said.

"Promise me you will be careful, Antonius, especially tomorrow and the next day,"I said.

"I promise I will be careful,"Antonius responded,"and I expect the same from you."

The next day:

I made sure to warn all of my siblings of the imminent danger before classes started.

In-between classes, I found Max. I explained to him what I had discovered. He listened, horrified.

"Do you really think he would sacrifice Antonius?"Max asked me.

"I think he would,"I answered,"though it might not even be Antonius, it could be someone else. I know the person has to be pureblood. Antonius seems the most likely person."

"Did you warn him?"Max asked.

"Yes,"I answered.

"What did he say?"Max went on.

"He didn't like it,"I said,"he seems worried that Silas might try to sacrifice me!"

"Cathy!"Max said,"that's a very real possibility. You should be careful."

"I know,"I responded,"he told me that too. But really, all the Purebloods here could be in danger! Not just me and Antonius. We have no way of protecting everyone! Midsummer is tomorrow, Max! What can we do?"

"We'll have to keep an eye on Silas,"Max said.

"Something tells me that won't help much,"I said, then I had an idea,"if we told a teacher, they would have to believe us if we used Veritaserum!"

"You already know what will happen if we tell a teacher,"Max said,"Silas will just obliviate them."

"Max, we need to warn evey pureblood in this school!"I said,"Professor Longbottom is pureblood, we need to warn him too. We can tell him about Silas. If we let him know Silas has been obliviating teachers after we report him to them, he'll know to act in secret. Also he's friends with the Minister of Magic! They fought Voldemort together!"

"You know, that might actually be a good idea,"Max said,"let's do that!"

"Do you have any more of the Veritaserum?"I asked.

"I do indeed,"Max said.

"Herbology is my last class of the day today, you could meet us both in the Greenhouses, as soon as classes are over,"I suggested.

"Right, let's do that then,"Max agreed.

We parted ways.

Later:

I remained in the Greenhouse after class.

"What is it that you want, Miss Carrow?"Professor Longbottom asked me, as he was tending his plants.

"Something really important that I have to tell you,"I said,"but I have to wait for someone to get here first."

"And who might that be?"Professor Longbottom asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"Max Castellanos,"I answered.

"I do apologise, Miss Carrow, but I'm not the best at remembering names,"Professor Longbottom said,"who is he? Slytherin Quidditch Captain?"

I looked at him, shocked,"no he's a Gryffindor! He doesn't even play Quidditch. Regulus Flint is our Slytherin Quidditch Captain."

"Like I said, I'm not good with remembering names, Miss Carrow,"Professor Longbottom said,"now where did I put my watering can?"

"It's floating over there, by the potted mandrakes,"I pointed out.

"Ah, yes, of course, thankyou,"Professor Longbottom said.

I hoped Max would get here soon. I watched as Professor Longbottom carefully watered the plants around him.

"You were one of the people that helped defeat Voldemort,"I said.

"Yes, of course,"Professor Longbottom responded, looking surprised,"what's this about?"

"It must have been very difficult,"I said.

"It was - that it certainly was,"Professor Longbottom replied.

"It was mainly Harry Potter that did it,"I said,"but he couldn't really have done it without you, without help from his friends."

"Yes, and?"Professor Longbottom said, looking confused, and starting to look slightly uneasy.

"Professor?"I began.

"What?"he asked.

"Do you think if someone wanted to get into Gryffindor for the wrong reasons, they could do it?"I asked.

"I'm not sure about that,"Professor Longbottom answered.

"Aren't you?"I said,"haven't you seen the way people in Gryffindor behave these days?"

"I have noticed that,"Professor Longbottom said,"but not everyone is perfect, you know, not even Gryffindors."

"What if someone - someone a bit like Voldemort, at least, someone that had the same sort of ideas about things,"I said,"what if someone like that chose Gryffindor instead of Slytherin on purpose, so they wouldn't be suspected?"

"Now, I think that would be very far-fetched, Miss Carrow,"Professor Longbottom responded,"and why are you asking me all this? Is there someone in particular that you're thinking about?"

"There sort of is,"I said,"what do you think of Silas Warren?"

"You're not seriously comparing one of your classmates to Voldemort, are you?"Professor Longbottom said, laughing,"Warren isn't exactly an ideal representative of Gryffindor House, but he's hardly as bad as all that!"

"If you knew the sort of things he does, the sort of things he's capable of, I'm sure you'd think differently,"I said.

One of the doors opened, and Max walked in.

"You're here!"I said.

"I am!"Max said, then he went to Professor Longbottom and handed him the vial of Veritaserum,"do you know what this is, Sir?"

"I'm not sure about that,"Professor Longbottom said, looking at it closely.

"I had been hoping you'd be able to identify it,"Max said,"it's Veritaserum."

"Is it?"said Professor Longbottom,"well, there's a way to confirm that."

He began to search through his plants. He plucked a leaf from one, sprinkled something on it, then poured a drop of Veritaserum on it. The leaf changed a strange colour, then withered away into dust.

"That is Veritaserum alright,"Professor Longbottom remarked.

Max took it back from him and handed it to me. I drank it.

"What? Did she just drink that?"Professor Longbottom said, looking surprised.

"Yes, because we have something important to tell you, and it's important you believe us,"Max said.

"Well,"said Professor Longbottom, putting down his tools,"I'm listening now!"

I told Professor Longbottom everything I knew about Silas and what he was planning. The more he heard, the more horrified he got.

"I can hardly believe this!"he said,"all this happening right under my nose! I need to inform Hermione, I mean, the Minister immediately! Why didn't you tell me any of this before? Why haven't you reported him?"

"We tried to report him,"I explained,"every time we did, he found a way to stop us. He obliviated three professors all at the same time. You can't let him know about any of this. You have to keep it secret somehow. Until there's a way to catch him."

"I'll certainly try that!"Professor Longbottom said,"in the meantime, I need to send an owl."

Professor Longbottom left the Greenhouses. We left them too.