Dark, Twisted and Time Turned

Chapter 35: Geometry (Not Really, Just Patterns)

Every source of light- every fucking source of light- made the rock on her finger sparkle until it was blinding. Not that she cared. Not that she wasn't immensely happy. But both she and Abraxas had decided that perhaps the ring should be enchanted invisible for now, to ensure the Prophet doesn't find out. Since people were nosy little bastards lately after being locked in the castle. Such as Perseus.

"Hermioneeeee." He sings, flopping on the chair next to her. "What 'cha doing?" Thanks to the swim season, he wasn't around as often, so when he was around, he was quite possibly the most annoying person on the planet. Like a cat. Clingy, and desperate for attention.

"I'm trying to use my spare efficiently. Trying to catch up on Transfiguration homework." Apparently, Dumbledore had been sick for the past week, and as thus a replacement from the ministry had come in. The replacement simply assigned them the pages Dumbledore left for them, which were numerous. "You should be catching up on your Charms work." She adds, but to no avail as the Lestrange boy sprawls out in the chair, limbs flopping over the arms. 

"But I don't want toooooo." He whines, flopping his hand onto her book.

"Salazar, Perseus, get yourself together. Why are you even here? You could go hang out in your towers.

"The towers aren't fun anymore, though. They put these big magic walls up, so they all seem connected to the castle. And Arlo has been going out with Cynthia again, so he's never around, And Elizabeth has been fighting with Ella, so she's downright miserable to be around. And Bridget doesn't want to see me anymore! Just because she caught me singing the Spinnet Sucks song."

"Was Bridget that Hufflepuff flyer?"

"Yes! Can't appreciate a good song when she hears one, apparently."

"Well, what are there any girls you're interested in? Any others that catch your fancy?"

"No." He grumbles. "Other then Lucretia Black, but she's a pinup. She catches  everyone's fancy. I'm telling you, she's a bad example for all her cousins. Araminta Meliflua has apparently been trying some modelling. Orion is 15, it probably is a little hard to deal with making friends when everyone has seen your cousin naked. And poor Mary and Dorea.  Dorea is still at home but... apparently Mary has been shifted into a girl for all of Christmas break, and was told that if she continues to do so she will be removed from the family and not welcome back home. It is of course concerning. I'm not too sure where she'll go, and if I was able to I'd take her in myself. Hey wait a second, we got way off topic here." He realizes, as Hermione had taken advantage of that to read a few more paragraphs of her Transfiguration book.  Just as he's about to find something else to gripe about, the bells chime loudly and Hermione shoots to her feet.

"I have to go, Perseus. I'm grabbing a quick lunch in the hall and then I'm off to the library. Apparently Cyriss got some copies of ministry reports from his brother, on the attacks that aren't in the papers. Will you be joining us?" Perseus pops something in his mouth that vaguely resembles a lemon drop.

"Yeah, I'll see. Probably, if we have secret Ministry papers. Sounds cool."

~*~

"Hermione, you're going to be castrated if she catches you eating in here." Avery mutters, snatching one of the rolls she had grabbed from the hall. He then proceeds to eat it.

"I have the papers. You have the map?" Mulciber requests, and Tom pulls out the map they had been recording on. "Alright, I'll read off the sites, you make sure they're marked out. Appleby. Corkville. Cokeworth." As Mulciber read out the towns, either Tom or Davante either pointed out where they had marked it, or put another marking on. By the end of the list, there were close to 50 points on the map, twelve of which were added from the Ministry's list.

Chyllie stared at the map intently, before leaning forward to point to a cluster in mainland Europe. "Pass me the blue pins, please." Her brother hands them to her, and she begins replacing a few pins on the map. As she replaces red with blue, she continuously refers back to a Austria. "They say Grindelwald has a base, a castle, here in Austria. Somewhere in the mountains. This is the central point. Here-" She snatches up a quill, drawing lines between each of the blue points. "This is his symbol. His attacks are perfectly placed, so his symbol is visible on the maps. This is a pattern." 

"There's a pattern!" Carnell cries, taking Chyllie's hand and kissing her cheek. Madam Pince comes by to glare and shush at them, but nothing could tamper their elation.

"So, if the mainland attacks have connections, then what about the ones in England and Scotland?" Tom comments, looking at the remaining red pins. "Where's the pattern here?"

"I thought that was clear? Look, here's Hogwarts. All the attacks in England are within a short Apparation distance from Hogwarts or the Ministry. I assumed it was to test how close they could get to either location without being caught. The shorter the distance to Apparate, the lesser chance of there being complications, and the less time it takes and constriction occurs."

"This is what happens when you actually take Apparation and Arithmancy classes." Carnell beams. "You become a genius." Chyllie blushes at his praise, and Theon does his best to ignore the two.

"We ought to submit this to the Ministry." Abraxas remarks. "If they have the patterns, they can predict the attacks."

"But how do we get it to the ministry when owls are delayed? Some are even cancelled right now." Theon questions.

"The Floo." Dolohov answers, looking through his pockets for a quill.

"We can't possibly use the Floo to the ministry! Direct floo mail to the ministry is blocked in all fireplaces except those in contact." The other boy argues.

"Dippet. Or Dumbledore. Or even that replacement from the Ministry, they all have direct contact. Slughorn I bet does, he's put many of them in office." Perseus suggests. "Let's run down and try Slughorn." Soon there were ten Slytherins running down to the dungeons, two holding a flapping map between them, the rest clutching several papers to their chests.

"Professor! Professor Slughorn, sir, sorry to interrupt- oh, good afternoon Professor Dumbledore- sir, we need you to send something to the ministry, it's an absolute emergency!" Slughorn and Dumbledore don't answer for a moment, greatly startled by the intrusion. "Please sir, it's about the Grindelwald attacks."

"May I see? Pardon me for my doubt, but if the Ministry has not made headway, I am doubtful students have solved the issue." The auburn haired man states, and they spread out their map on one of the desks, allowing Dumbledore to see. Slughorn peers at it as well.

"Merlin, they've found a pattern." The potions master mutters, and traces the lines and reads the notes they had drawn up. "This work must be sent to the ministry, this is astonishing."

"I can send it through my fireplace, Horace. It should make it straight to the Auror department then, and I'm sure I have far more Floo reserves that I can spare some. This is excellent work." He adds, to the group of anxious students huddled at the doorway. "I'll go up now and send it off straight away." he folds up their map delicately, and piles their papers atop that. "Thank you." The man exits, parting the group.

Slughorn wipes his forehead with his sleeve. "Well, I think this excellent work deserves some reward. Perhaps I'll fetch you all some drinks- off the record, and just outside school grounds. Or perhaps I can arrange a dinner- oh! thats an excellent idea, I'll arrange a dinner. I know several people who would be impressed to see your work." He bobs his head around. "But you should all hurry off, lunch ends soon and you must all be back to class."