Chapter Two

    Miles away from the forest, a girl named Helga Huffelpuff stood in a candlelit attic, atop a great pile of pillows. In her hand she cradled a very round cat. "For my next trick," she announced, "I shall turn this cat into a toad." Across from Helga, sat her opposite; a dark thin girl with long black hair and green eyes. Though candles were the only source of illumination in the room, their differences were striking. Helga produced a sturdy looking wand and aimed it at the cat's head.
    "You're bluffing," said Rowena finally. "Most witches your age fail at turning a teacup into a mouse. Yet, you attempt to transform Mr. Snuffles from a furry creature to a slimy one?" A look of hesitation shown upon Helga's face as she looked down at the purring lump of fur. Finally she set Mr. Snuffles down and looked at Rowena with a sigh.
    "Last week I managed to make his tail disappear," she admitted. "It came back though. My mum fixed it."
    Rowena studied Helga's expression. "You're worried about her. I can tell."
    Helga brushed her eyes with her hand, glancing nervously at Rowena. "Just a little," she admitted. "She's had five children but I always worry. I suppose I shouldn't. What could be more natural?" Rowena aimed her own cherry colored wand in the air and out of it's tip emerged a handkerchief, complete with Helga's initials on it.
    "You shouldn't worry," she said curtly. "My mother's the best midwife in the known world. I swear, no harm will come to either your mother or the baby." Helga stared at the handkerchief in amazement, before plucking it from the air and blowing her nose.
    Suddenly the door burst open and a very thin woman, wrapped in a shawl poked her vulture like neck through the doorway. Rowena quickly slid her wand up her sleeve. "Helga, darling, the woman squawked, "are you quite all right? No funny business I assume? I was just on my way to the linen closet and I thought I heard a noise."
    Helga bowed momentarily. "Yes auntie," she said, rather loudly. "I just had a bit of a sneeze. Nothing to worry about."
    Helga's aunt squinted through the darkness, as if she could see the smirks on the girl's faces. "Well no magic missy" she announced. "Your parents left me in charge and it is my first priority to keep you safe. However, I cannot be held responsible for what you do on your own. I am well aware that your parents approve of all sorts of nonsense but I won't have any of it in this house. Especially not these days. Why, if the council found out"
    "We'd defend ourselves," Rowena interrupted quietly. Helga gasped and waived at Rowena to stifle her thoughts. "You're a muggle. You wouldn't understand." Helga's face turned bright red, but her aunt could neither see nor sense the sincerity with which Rowena spoke.
    Squinting further into the room Helga's aunt shook her head. "I'm sorry, bad ear. Did you say something about bubbles?"
    Helga sighed with relief. "We're fine auntie. We won't do any magic here. I promise." With that, Helga's aunt left the room, muttering to herself about the irresponsibility of youth.
    Rowena was still laughing but Helga managed a stern look. "Rowena, how could you? It was so good of her to let us a room to ourselves. She's only trying to help. Honestly, sometimes I think you weren't raised within a thousand miles of civilization."
    Instantly Rowena was on her feet, a green flame welling in her eyes. Mr. Snuffles noticed and took refuge behind an abandoned chair. "What is that supposed to mean Helga?"
Helga picked up a pillow and held it to her. "It just means that you don't give people enough credit."
"She insulted me and my family," insisted Rowena. "The Ravenclaws have been a warrior tribe for nearly six centuries. Everybody who's anybody knows it.
"Not her," pleaded Helga. "My auntie is lucky if she knows what day it is or what year. You know she's screwy in the head." Rowena smiled at this and in relief Helga smiled too. "But still, you are just a child. How could you personally defend yourself if you had to?"
Rowena's smile became subtly more sinister as she twirled her wand in through her fingers. Finally she nodded. "All right," she said, "I'll sow you something. But you have to swear never to tell anyone, and if you keep your promise, I'll teach you."
Helga bit her lip. "I swear, I won't tell anyone. Not a sole. Teach me something, you saw how horrible my spell went with Mr. Snuffles. Then only spells I know involve baking and housekeeping and sometimes sewing. I've no idea how to immobilize people, or give your enemies boils."
Rowena removed a piece of parchment from her robe and placed it in the air in front of her. Helga gasped. "That's not the trick," Rowena frowned, as Helga regained her composure. Presently words appeared on the parchment. At first Helga thought they were just shadows being cast by the now dancing candle light, but after too many of these coincidences she realized that tiny words were scrolling and disappearing across the page. Rowena was whispering these words when out of nowhere a wind filled the attic. Helga held her robes to her and looked for a reaction from Rowena, but in the place where Rowena had stood, there was only the empty parchment.
Helga jumped several times, clapping. "A vanishing trick," she exclaimed, "I swear, I'll never tell anyone. Please, you must teach me." But as no answer came to her and as Mr. Snuffles slinked further under his chair, it occurred to Helga that the spell may have been too complicated for Rowena. After all, even the best witches and wizards, she had heard, could make mistakes. If even one of those scrolling words was pronounced incorrectly, Helga knew her friend may very well have caused utter chaos. Perhaps she was shrunk, or even transported back in time. Helga's eyes welled with tears, which she tried to fight. "Rowena," she finally cried, "I'm sorry I made you do it. Please come back."
"You worry too much," came a voice from the window. Helga spun around and rushed to her friend, but Rowena did not return the gaze. Instead, she was focused on a black dot in the sky. She had become very still and Helga shivered for it was as if the cold that should have been coming from the night window was falling off of Rowena's robes. "The time will come for worrying," she said. "I can feel it."
Suddenly Helga recognized the shape on the horizon and she threw open the window, just as the great black raven landed on the sill. Hands trembling, she watched Rowena pull a treat from her robe and offer it to the bird. "Featherton," Rowena soothed, "you look startled. What is the matter?"
It was then Rowena noticed Helga pointing to the roll of parchment tied to Feartherton's leg. It was secured with what appeared to be the blood-soaked hem of a dress.