The Snake in the Shadows

Albus had always loved to run. Every morning he'd get up, slip on his trainers, and then proceed to do just that. This particular morning he'd decided to run down by the Black Lake. He began to hear a loud, almost pulsating sound calling to him from the waters. Al pulled his ear buds from his ears, paused his music player, and cautiously stepped toward the bank. There in the gravels was a rock, so corroded with mud and clay he almost mistook it for a clump of dirt. With every step the sound began to beat louder and louder in his ears. It grew faster till it was like a flat line of the noise as he enclosed the rock in his hand.

Then the noise silenced. It was like something was calling to Al, wanting him to pick up that rock. He heard people coming so he quickly picked it up and shoved it into the pocket of his jumper.

It didn't take him long to get back to school and to the nearest bathroom. He pulled the rock out and ran it under the water. The rock was now surrounded by a thin layer of clay, a dark piece barely peaking out under it. Albus had gotten a Swiss army knife from his mum for his birthday last year and he usually kept it with him so he pulled it out as well.

He slowly chipped away at the clay, being careful not damage what was underneath it. Eventually he got it clean. "Hey, mate what's that?"

Albus enclosed his hand around the stone, covering it from view. "Just a rock. I think I'm going to skip with it later at the black lake."

"Cool, you we need to be off to lessons, you missed breakfast." he said. Al wasn't entirely sure why he hid the stone from Scorpius, just the whisper in the back of his mind made it sound like a good idea.

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Any student that is a fourth year and up was called to their house head's classrooms for a special lesson. Agatha Frigspy was a young spirited Animagus who could turn into a owl on will. After Professor McGonagall became headmaster, Frigspy took over as the Transfiguration teacher, as well as head of Slytherin house.

"Alright, alright. Gather in." Said the strawberry blond professor as she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "Boys on one side, gals on the other you lot." Albus sat in the middle of Scorpius and a unknown, terrified looking fourth year. Professor Frigspy smiled then carelessly sauntered over to the large record player on the other side of the room. "Does anyone know how to waltz? You see the great Yule Ball is approaching, and it is my job as head of house to teach you how. So does anyone?" The room was silent, no one dared to make a sound. "How about you, Mr. Potter?"

Albus coughed uncomfortably, "A bit yeah."

"Then you must demonstrate!" Frigspy clapped happily, then pulling Albus to the middle of the room. "Pick a girl, any girl. They are all quiet lovely."

Albus had never seen so many women blatantly throwing themselves at him. He silently held out a hand for River to take, which she did smugly. Professor started the godly music, and Albus bowed respectfully as River curtsied.

The began to dance in the most elegant way most in that room had ever seen. It looked as if they were just floating across the floor. "Beautiful!" Frigspy called after a while. "Now, everyone else, partner up! I have a feeling this won't be as easy for the rest of you!"

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"Master, the boy had found it. He found the Resurrection stone." The groveling servant said kneeling to the ground.

"Good, I am pleased. Everything is going according to plan. Poor little Potter will not know what hit him."