Willow

P.15

Willow smiles as she runs down the stairs, hugging Remus when she reaches the bottom "Miss me?" Remus jokes. "Don't know what you're talking about." Willow responds with a smile as she pulls away. Remus smiles and puts an arm round her shoulders "You help me take my bags up?" he asks. "Yeah." Willow smiles, picking up one of Remus' bags. The two of them head up to Remus' room and put the bags down by his bed "You enjoying school?" Remus asks as they start heading back down the stairs. "Yeah, been really enjoying it. Me and the boys are together in Slytherin and we've added to our group. She's called Hermione Granger. You're going to meet her tomorrow, she and her parents are coming to the ball and staying till the 27th. The Quidditch team are also coming to the ball." Willow smiles. "Sounds like you've been having a good time." Remus smiles. "Remus!" Draco, Blaise and Theo smile, running over. "Hello boys, Willow was just telling me about your first term." Remus tells them. "It's been so good!" Blaise grins. "Willow is top of every class with Hermione." Draco adds making Willow blush slightly. "That's great." Remus smiles, ruffling the boys hair.

That evening, Willow laughs as Remus tells her and the boys stories of when he was at Hogwarts "I can't believe you dyed Dumbledore's beard pink!" Willow giggles. "We also turned Professor McGonagall's hair purple." Remus smiles making the four friends burst into hysterics again. "Okay, who wants hot chocolate?" Davina asks, walking in with mugs of hot chocolate. "Me!" the four friends grin, jumping up. Davina chuckles and passes them each a mug, passing Remus one as she sits next to him "Where's dad and everyone else?" Willow asks. "Your dad is sorting out the projector screen for tomorrow, Uncle Finn, Uncle Elijah, Uncle Klaus and Uncle Marcel are out doing some last minute Christmas shopping, Aunt Rebekah and Aunt Caroline are making sure they have all the decorations ready to go up, Aunt Sage is in the library, and Aunt Hayley has taken Hope out for the evening." Davina responds. Willow nods and sits on the rug by the fire with the boys, the four of them joking around as they drink their hot chocolates "What time is Hermione coming tomorrow?" Theo asks. "About ten, her parents are dropping her off before they go to do some lat minute shopping." Davina responds. The four friends nod and start talking about what they want to do tomorrow, Davina turns to Remus "Any luck finding him?" she asks. Remus shakes his head "it's like he dropped off the face of the Earth." he responds. "We'll find him Remus." Davina tells him. "I just wish Sirius didn't have to suffer for so long." Remus tells her. "We all do but we'll find the rat and get Sirius home." Davina reassures him with a smile.

The next morning Willow and the boys run downstairs and practically jump on Hermione, the five of them laughing happily "I can't wait to show you around Mione! You're gonna love it here, we have a library with any book you can imagine." Willow smiles. "Uncle Kol also set up the projector screen last night so we can watch movies tonight." Draco adds. "Can't wait!" Hermione grins. "We'll see you tomorrow Hermione." her parents tell her. "Bye Mum, Bye Dad." Hermione smiles, hugging them before they leave. "Why don't you give Hermione a tour while I make lunch with the twins?" Davina smiles. "Okay Mum." Willow smiles, linking arms with Hermione and leading her off with the boys following. "Don't forget to introduce her to Remus when he gets back." Davina tells them. "We will Aunt Davina." Theo smiles. "Where first?" Draco asks. "Library?" Willow suggests. "Let's go!" Blaise grins, leading them towards the library. The five of them laugh as they run down the corridors "I'm getting there first!" Theo shouts. "No your not!" Willow grins, using her vampire speed to reach the end of the corridor first. "Hey! That's cheating!" Blaise complains.

Willow smiles and winks before using her vampire speed to get to the library, leaning against the doorframe as she waits for the others. The other four run over out of breath "That... was cheating..." Draco tells her. "Don't know what you mean." Willow smiles, opening the door. Hermione smiles as she looks round the library "What you think?" Theo asks. "It's bigger than the one at Hogwarts!" she exclaims, looking round. "Yeah. Uncle Elijah and Uncle Klaus have collected books from every century, Aunt Freya, Uncle Finn and Dad have loads of grimoires from over the years. They're all in here." Willow smiles, picking up a book from the table. "You think there'll be something on Nicholas Flamel in here?" Hermione asks. "Probably." the other four respond simultaneously. Hermione smiles "Could we look?" she asks. "Sure." Willow shrugs, putting the book she's holding down before beginning to look with her friends.

"What you looking for?" Kol asks from the doorway of the library, finding the five friends neck deep in books. Willow pokes her head out from behind a pile "Dad! You ever heard of Nicholas Flamel?" Willow asks. "The name rings a bell, why?" he asks, walking in. "Dumbledore is hiding something in the school and it has something to do with Nicholas Flamel." Hermione explains. "Where've you looked so far?" Kol asks. "'Famous Witches and Wizards of the last Century', 'Hogwarts: a History' and a 'Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry'." Blaise responds. "What if he's older than the last century?" Willow suddenly pipes up. "It explain why I recognise the name." Kol nods, going over to a book shelf and pulling off a large leather bound book. Willow sits on the table as Kol puts the book down on it and starts flicking through it "What book is this?" Theo asks, not recognising the language. "Elijah keeps records of people we've met over the years." Kol explains. "In what language?" Draco asks. "Scottish Gaelic." Willow tells him, looking at the book. "Why Scottish Gaelic?" Draco asks. "Using other languages edifies the mind." Elijah says, walking in. "Plus he uses it to teach me how to speak different languages." Willow adds. "You speak Scottish Gaelic?" Hermione asks. "I speak a lot of languages." she smiles.

"Here we go." Kol says. "Is e Nicolas Flamel an aon neach-dèanaidh ainmeil de Chlach an Urrais! Tha an seann sgrùdadh air alchemy co-cheangailte ri bhith a' dèanamh Clach an Fhraoich, stuth uirsgeulach le cumhachdan iongantach. Tionndaidhidh a' chlach meatailt sam bith gu òr fìor-ghlan. Bidh e cuideachd a 'toirt a-mach Elixir na Beatha, a bheir air an deoch neo-bhàsmhor. Tha mòran aithrisean air a bhith ann mu Chlach an Fhraoich thar nan linntean, ach is ann le Mgr Nicolas Flamel, an alchemist ainmeil agus a leannan opera, a tha an aon chlach a th' ann an-dràsta. Tha Mgr Flamel, a chomharraich an sia ceud trì fichead sa còigeamh co-latha-breith aige an-uiridh, a' faighinn tlachd à beatha shàmhach ann an Devon còmhla ri a bhean, Perenelle (sia ceud leth-cheud 's a h-ochd)." Willow reads out. "And in English?" Hermione asks. "Nicolas Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone! The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.    There have been many reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera lover. Mr. Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)." Willow reads out again.

"The dog must be guarding Flamel's Sorcerer's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it, that's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!" Hermione realises. "Dumbledore is a complete idiot! Who keeps something that powerful, that people are obviously want to steal, in a school?!" Kol asks. "We'll have to keep an eye on what's happening." Elijah tells his brother. "Why don't you five go have lunch? I'll put the books away." Kol tells the five friends. "Okay Dad." Willow smiles, hugging him and Elijah before leading her friends out. Kol and Elijah look at each other "I have a feeling something is going to happen with the Stone there." Kol tells his older brother. "So do I but Willow will keep us updated on what happens." Elijah nods in agreement. "Life is never simple, is it?" Kol sighs. "With our family?" Elijah asks, raising a brow. "Fair point." Kol chuckles, beginning to put the books away.