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The Great Snape-Deveroux Grudge Match - Part II: Watcher and Hunter by Pigwidgeon [Reviews - 2]

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Standard Book of Spells, Level 5, but he kept looking up to stare out the window, to watch the sleet trickle in seemingly endless icy streams down the already ice-covered glass. It was March 13th, and the month had, indeed, come in like a lion and had yet to give up its ferocious roar. The teen knew that by nightfall, yet another layer of ice would form on the mullioned windows and surfaces of the castle. And at the rate this spring was going, it would probably stay there until June.

Quidditch practice was most assuredly out when the weather was like this, Harry knew. Also, a bout of flu had hit the school, and already he had two classes canceled -- Divination last week and Charms this week. Madam Pomfrey was working overtime to keep up with the numerous denizens flooding the medical wing complaining of runny noses, coughs and fevers.

Harry, for his part, felt perfectly healthy -- but bored out of his mind. He was not the only one.

"I can't study anymore," Ron announced as he slammed his Potions textbook shut. "I feel I've done nothing but research edible root, scalding concoctions, vanishing spells and the like non-stop for a week!"

"That's because there's been solid rain and sleet for a week, and we can do little else," Dean Thomas said. "I think for once I am really looking forward to Transfigurations this afternoon, if only for a bit of a break from being cooped up in here or the library for hours on end!"

"I never would have thought you could get cabin fever in a seven-story castle," Seamus observed.

"I wish my brothers weren't still doing detentions," Ron groused. "It was a lot more fun around here when they had time to goof off. Now they're always doing extra homework, canning stuff for Snape, working on that project for Deveroux, cleaning the moat, and stuff like that."

"Well I, for one, think it's about time they learned their lesson," Hermione declared sternly. "Life isn't all fun and games and practical jokes."

"It isn't all books and classes either, Hermione," Ron retaliated waspishly. "I just wish McGonagall hadn't found out about that dartboard. I could go for a few rounds of Snape-darts right about now," he said wistfully, shoving his latest potions essay aside.

"Well, Transfigurations might be canceled as well," Seamus said. "I saw McGonagall after breakfast, and she looked a bit under the weather."

"I don't think McGonagall would cancel class unless she was six feet under," Ron said.

"I’ll admit, I think I need a break, too!" Hermione said as she closed her Potions textbook. "I've read the same sentence three times, and I really couldn't care less about antidotes for Runespoor venom right now." Crookshanks, who was perched on the headrest of Hermione's chair, opened one yellow eye sleepily and closed it again.

"Well, it's official," Ron quipped. "We are all bangers on the account of this bloody weather, if even Hermione can't study."

Hermione glared at Ron, and picked up a huge tome. "I think I'll do some light reading for a change of pace."

"Only you would call Hogwarts, A History 'light reading'," Ron observed with a smirk.

"Only Hermione would take a break from reading... by reading," Harry added while Hermione ignored the both of them and stuck her nose in the history book.

"You know, if we had ice skates, we could go out on the lake. I'll bet the ice is thick enough," Seamus Finnigan mused.

"In this weather? You are totally bangers, do you know that?" Colin said as he sorted and arranged his enormous photo collection in the scrapbook he had made.

"Do you know, I think I fancy something a little lighter than Hogwarts' history today," Hermione remarked as she pulled out the newest Z&J book she had purchased during her last trip to Hogsmeade before the holidays, Zandarelda and Joffletop Explore El Dorado.

"You see? Even Hermione is all studied out," said Seamus. "I hereby declare this the First Annual Official Gryffindor Goof-Off Day. Come on, Ron, let's go find your brothers. Maybe we can talk Deveroux into letting them off detention early."

"Can't," replied Ron. "They're with Snape today."

The boys gave a collective groan.

"I sure don't envy them," piped Neville.

"Mind you, it's probably the first time Snape's ever punished anyone who actually deserved it," said Dean. "Not that I'd trade places with them for a million Galleons!" he added hastily.

"I wish we still had that dart board," Neville said. "It would be a good way to practice the Leviosa-Loctis charm."

"But that's cheating, Neville," Hermione said, one eyebrow raised. "You aren't supposed to use magic to throw darts!"

"Perhaps," grumbled Neville. "But as bad as my aim is, I need something to compete on an equal footing with the rest of you lot."

"I'm a complete troll-brain!" Seamus berated himself as he snapped his fingers. "Dean and I promised to teach you two," and he indicated Harry and Ron, "how to play Dark Cauldron!"

"Hey! That's a great idea!" Ron exclaimed with a grin.

"Oh yeah, I forgot all about that!" said Harry.

"I'll go get my board," Dean said.

"Can I play?" Colin asked. His eyes were alight.

"If Neville agrees to play too. That'll make it three people per team," Seamus said.

"I'll play if I can find my cards," said Neville.

"Have you played before, Colin?" Dean asked.

Colin nodded. "Yes, several times. Usually with Argyle Graytalon and a few other fourth-years."

"Argyle? Oh yeah, you know how to play then," Seamus said, impressed.

"Who's Argyle Graytalon?" Harry asked.

"He's a fourth-year Ravenclaw," Colin replied. "Pretty serious study-addict like Hermione for the most part, but he's an excellent Dark Cauldron player when he's got the time for a game or two. I've seen him play Matty Greggs and Gloria Hyran in a two-on-one and hold his own. He hasn't beat Malfoy yet, though. But then, he hasn't got all the best and most expensive cards like Malfoy."

"But other than that, Graytalon is one of the best players here," Dean said.

"Definitely a chap you want on your team," Colin said as he headed to his dorm.

The boys dashed upstairs to get their cards and figurines and then returned to the Common Room.

"Okay," Seamus said as he arranged his cards. "Since we have four veteran DC’ers and two beginners, I suggest we each team up two vets and a rookie. How about me, Neville and Ron, versus Dean, Colin and Harry?"

"Sounds good," Dean said as he laid out the octagon-shaped board. The board had various pictures of snow falling on rugged mountain peaks; tropical forests where monkeys and birds could be seen moving through the branches; dark swamps where dense fog swirled and dark shadows scurried; deserts with blooming cacti and insects and lizards scuttling through sand dunes; and an underwater reef, where schools of fish, seahorses and mermaids swam through gently waving seaweed forests and brightly-hued coral reefs. In the center of the board was a picture of a black cauldron with a foul green, evil-looking liquid bubbling and foaming inside it.

Harry opened his starter pack and booster packs, and then looked at his cards. Each card had a large moving picture, with text beneath the picture that described what the card did. And to his surprise, as he looked, the pictures and text on the cards changed before his very eyes. One yellow-bordered card became a shark, then a griffin, then a cobra, then a lion. Another yellow card showed a tiger, then a re-em, then a winged horse and then a frilled lizard. Other cards -- the majority of them, it seemed -- had purple borders. Some of these cards displayed pictures of fireballs, icicles, dark clouds and lightning bolts. Elemental spells, obviously, Harry thought. Other spells had more abstract symbols like skulls, triangles, interlocking circles, and white, rotating pinwheel shapes. The pictures and text on these cards kept changing as well, becoming "Kiss of Death" one minute, "Frigidus Mons Ventus" the next, "Petrificus Totalus" the next, "Tempesto Quies" the next, and "Reducto" the next.

Ten of the cards had dark green borders, and each had a small red dot in the lower right hand corner. These cards had various pictures similar to the ones he saw on Dean's board, and to Harry's surprise, they were the only cards that did not keep changing. They and one other: a red and gold-bordered card with a brilliant red and gold phoenix that reminded Harry of Fawkes. The phoenix was perched comfortably in an evergreen tree. It turned its head in Harry's direction and gave a soft chirp in greeting.

Below the picture of the phoenix Harry read the following:

Summon Magical Creature
Phoenix


(May become Familiar. May only be played by Good character of
magical ability 7 or greater. May be played on opening turn.
Phoenix may not be played by any team with an Evil member. If your
character or any teammate’s alignment becomes Evil, discard Phoenix
immediately, unless you are currently engaged in battle with
Dark Forces or are inside Caliban’s fortress.)


Base Ratings: Magic Level-15, Intelligence-15, Strength-5(15*), Stamina-5,
Resourcefulness-9, Combat Skill-7(15 versus Serpents) Loyalty-15** (Ultraloyal),
Health-500***

* Phoenix may lift and carry any object irrespective of size and weight. However, Phoenix may carry players no more than twenty leagues per turn. **Phoenix cannot be charmed or enchanted to abandon or attack its master, nor any character on owner's team. Phoenix accepts all orders given by its master, so long as they do not contradict any of above text. Phoenix may only fight on owner's command, and may sacrifice itself to defend owner. *** If mortally wounded or slain, Phoenix will immediately burst into flame and regenerate. Phoenix immolation counts as Level 3 Flame Strike to any player or foe within one octagon of Phoenix at time of burning.
Special Abilities: Flying, Regenerating, Healing: Phoenix tears may instantly heal any amount of damage, and restore injured character to full health. Phoenix chooses whether or not to shed tears and may not be ordered to do so by any player.

Harry noticed a few cards had blue borders. These had a small picture of a silver caduceus, the winged staff with two serpents entwined around it, in the upper left hand corner. Pictured were two hands holding either a goblet or a vial filled with a shimmering blue or clear liquid. Healing cards, Harry deduced.

Five of his cards had bright red borders, with swirling fire in the picture box, and several other cards had black borders. The black-bordered cards had various pictures of tools and magical items. One card showed a rack of vials, another an ancient tome, one pictured a slender mahogany wand with a silver handgrip, and another a long black staff with a bronze eagle head. Still others had more mundane things such as coils of magical rope, lanterns, mirrors, broomsticks, candles…and to Harry’s delight, there was even a pair of Omnioculars!

Finally, he noticed about a dozen cards with a white border and a swirling vortex in the center. He showed these to Dean and Colin as Seamus and Neville were organizing their decks and helping Ron build his.

"Oh, those are your wild cards," Dean said. "Throughout the game, depending on your location, a random creature, spell or event will pop up. They may be useful, or they may not. Depends on the situation and your luck."

Dean continued to explain about the various cards. "Those purple ones are your spell cards; they will change depending on your character and location. These green border cards allow you to travel to different lands to search for keys or other useful items. You see, you have to travel through various lands -- swamp, mountains, lake, desert and forest -- to get the keys that will allow you to get into Caliban's castle. These cards with the yellow borders are your creature cards. These, too, change ... Merlin's beard!"

"What? What is it?" Seamus asked as he looked up from his cards.

"Oh ... nothing," Dean said with a wicked grin. "Harry has a really nice permanent card, but I'm not telling you guys what it is. You'll see soon enough." He held up the phoenix card with envy written all over his face. "This is a nice card Harry. Tell you what. Since you're just starting out, I'll trade you a permanent Norwegian Ridgeback, Teal-winged Hippogriff, and a Ring of Skulls for it."

"Whatever it is, don't trade him, Harry!" Seamus cut in quickly, looking up from Ron's cards which he was busy examining and organizing. "Dean will steal your Firebolt and give you a Shooting Star in return if you give him half a chance. He took all my best cards when I was first learning to play and didn't know what I was doing."

"Oh, that's dragon dung and you know it, Seamus! I trade fair!" Dean protested, but something about his voice made the protest ring hollow.

"So what did you get, Harry?" Neville asked. "Is it a creature, spell or item?"

"Oh, youuuu'll seeeeee," Dean said in a taunting voice. "So how about it Harry? Want to trade? I'll even throw in a Fire Wand... come on, you can't pass up this offer!"

"No thanks," Harry stated with finality. "I'd rather play the game first before I decide to trade anything away."

"Very wise, Harry," Hermione pontificated from her chair. "Better to make an informed decision."

"Hey, you stay out of this!" Dean ordered with a frown while Seamus snickered and Ron, Neville and Colin laughed.

"Okay Harry, you can have seven cards in your opening hand, and you're Bangers if you don't put this one in it," said Dean.

"Okay, but what makes it permanent?" Harry asked.

"Oh, the red dot there, in the right hand corner," Dean replied. The phoenix helpfully pointed a scarlet wing towards the mark and nodded its head. "That means that this card won't change. Most do, from game to game. Of course, most permanents can still be destroyed, but this particular card will always regenerate. It's almost impossible to destroy."

"Oh, Harry! That is so cool!" Colin said as he peeked over Harry's shoulder and looked at the card.

"What is it, Harry? Come on, tell us!" Neville pleaded.

"I'll bet it's a phoenix," Seamus guessed, studying the expression on Colin's face, "since Dean will give up a Norwegian Ridgeback for it, and Colin is practically drooling over it. Is it a phoenix, Harry?"

"I'm not telling," Harry responded, nudging Colin away and looking over the rest of his cards to decide what to put in his opening hand with the phoenix.

"Some people have all the luck," Ron griped as he looked at his mediocre hand.

"These cards, Harry, are your destruction cards," Dean continued as he pointed out the red bordered-cards. "Once you use them, they may or may not disintegrate on you. They are very powerful, but are usually limited to two or three uses per card at best, so use them sparingly. These blue-bordered cards are your healing cards. Again, these are generally limited to a few uses, so be careful how you use them. You can use them to heal your creatures, yourself or fellow teammates. It's best to conserve them as much as possible for the final battle with Caliban. Of course, if you have something like this," and he pointed at the phoenix, "then you won't need to worry too much about healing cards. I can't believe how lucky you are, Harry."

"It's a phoenix," Seamus exclaimed triumphantly. "I knew it! Harry you are so bloody lucky I can't stand it!"

"A phoenix!" exclaimed Neville. "Wow, there's only one in 200 boxes of starters. There are only a couple of cards that are rarer!"

"So, what's the object of this game?" Harry asked, eager to change the subject.

"Well, that depends," Dean said. "There are actually three objectives: one, is to kill the evil wizard Caliban and destroy the dark cauldron. The second objective is to kill Caliban and keep the cauldron for yourself. The third objective is to join with Caliban and help him use the cauldron."

"Why would anyone want to help Caliban?" Harry wondered.

"Ask Malfoy," Seamus replied with a glower. "I suppose because it's the easiest way to win. And trust me, he almost always wins."

"But that's selling out to the Dark Side," Ron complained.

"Well, it is only a game, isn't it?" Seamus observed. "But as much as I like to win, even I wouldn't go that far."

"Yeah, well this is Malfoy we're talking about," said Harry. "Evil little git."

"Anyway, in a tournament game, or a serious game where you're playing for blood..." Seamus began.

"Playing against the Slytherins, he means," Neville chimed in.

Seamus grinned. "Then you don't reveal your motivations," he said. "You want to keep the other team guessing as to what you're up to. This is easiest if you are playing individually. Team games are a little tougher. Generally the team members have to put their heads together and decide on a common objective and strategy. And believe me, I've seen games where teams lost when they should have won because they couldn't agree on an objective, or because they kept changing their minds about what their objective was."

"You can choose between three alignments," Neville said. "You can be Good, Evil or Neutral. You want to pick an alignment that goes best with your objective and whatever type of character you like to play, what cards you have and what kinds of spells you like to use, stuff like that. If you have a phoenix, then you want to choose Good so you can use it."

"There are 20 different character types now, but they are adding some new ones some time this spring," Colin added. "Your occupation, or character type, is randomly selected when you put your figurines on the squares here."

Harry looked at the game board to where Colin was pointing. He noticed small, black elevated squares bordered by gold in each of the eight corners of the game board.

"If you want a chance to play an Auror or White Wizard, you have to be Good," Colin said. "Dark wizards and Vampires can only be Evil, and Werewolves and Gray Wizards can either be Neutral or Evil. Paladins must be Good or Neutral. The other character types can be any of the three. The twenty occupations or character types are: Knight, Auror, Paladin, White Wizard, Gray Wizard, Black Wizard, Alchemist, Scholar, Healer, Watcher, Dragon-Trainer, Beastmaster, Vampire Hunter, Guardian of the Forest, Treasure Hunter, Cave Delver, Barbarian, Wayfarer, or Fortune Teller. The races you can choose from are Human, Vampire, Werewolf, Centaur, Dwarf, High Elf, Goblin, Mountain Troll, and Giant."

"I heard they are adding new races in a couple months," Colin said. "Let's see, they are going to add River Troll, Half-Giant, Half-Dwarf, Half-Elf, Half-Troll, Veela, Dhampire, Ogre, Merfolk ... oh, and what were the other two?"

"High Faerie and Minotaur," Dean said. "And there was talk for a while about Nosferatu, but I think they dropped it, because they couldn't make it work. It was too powerful. They are also going to add new character types, as Colin said. Let's see, I think: Snake-Charmer, Mesmerizer, Chimaera Hunter, Silver Circle Agent, Spymaster, Assassin, Herbologist, Diplomat, Charms Specialist, and Poacher are the new ones. There's a list in the November edition of Warlock Games Monthly. They are also coming out with permanent character figurines that will always turn into the same race and character instead of choosing randomly."

"I'll bet you Dervish and Banges will sell out of Aurors and Paladins the day they hit the shelves," Seamus said. "Everyone wants to be the Auror or the Paladin, but they don't come up very often. Until the permanents come out, you can only choose whether you want to be Good, Evil or Neutral and what race you want to be. The character type is completely random. Or you can let the token choose your race at random too, if you want. And if you want to be an Auror or Paladin, you must play a human. The thing is, humans are the most unpredictable--you can random just about any occupation if you're human. Giants usually come out Beastmasters, Dragon-tamers, Barbarians, or Cave Delvers and they're very strong, but they tend to be poor magic users. Elves are good Watchers, Healers, Guardians of the Forest, and Wizards, but they're physically weaker than most of the other races. Trolls are very hardy and good with weapons, but stupid. However, they do tend to be very loyal.”

"Yeah," said Harry, "Crabbe and Goyle, 'nuff said?" The others laughed. Hermione snorted from her chair, but said nothing.

Seamus continued. "Goblins are very sneaky, resourceful, and good at finding treasure. Elves and Centaurs are very wise and good at healing, divination, and Light magic."

"How do you keep all of this straight?" Harry wondered. "This is more complicated than Snape's exams!"

"We've played a lot of games," Seamus said.

"And read the various strategy guides and rulebooks they have out there," Dean added. "I think there are about a dozen strategy guides and tournament rule books, covering everything from beginner's basics to International Tournament Play. We have almost all of the books between us, don't we, Seamus?"

Seamus nodded. "I just got the Card Trader's Guide for DC Pros for Christmas. I think we're only missing the latest book they put out a week ago on the latest expansion pack, and Stirring the Dark Cauldron at the Internationals. And don't forget all of the magazines out there. Warlock Games is the best known and most comprehensive--they even list all of the chocolate frogs cards. There are a couple of other new magazines that just came out this fall. And there's a Dark Cauldron copy-cat game coming out this summer called Journey to Erebor. They've been advertising it since Christmas."

"Out of curiosity, why would you want to be a vampire or werewolf?" Ron asked dubiously.

"Well, they are tricky to play," Dean said. "More advanced players like Matty Greggs, Argyle Graytalon, Roger Davies or Gloria Hyran will try playing them as a challenge. The best thing about a vampire is that you can't beat them for the intimidation factor, beguiling spells, or night travel. Vampires are also almost always Animagi. Most vampires transform into either wolves or bats. Of course, the problem with vampires is that travel by day, at best, is tough. The other problem, well ...."

"Let's put it this way," Seamus said. "If they don't have a good supply of garlic on hand, your teammates will probably all become vampires by the end of the game. This is not necessarily a disadvantage, however. If your team can stay out of the sunlight and get to Caliban's castle intact, then you stand an excellent chance of beating him in the final battle. Vampires are very hard to kill."

"Werewolves are harder to win with, but they have some nice advantages," Dean said. "Even in human form, they tend to be a bit stronger than the average human, though their strength fluctuates with the phases of the moon. They are very good at hunting, tracking, and fighting, and they can use a few spells that even Dark Wizards can't. But if someone plays a 'Full Moon Rising' or 'Blood Frenzy', then your whole party could be in big trouble. Unless the Werewolf player plays 'Wolfsbane', then his character will transform and attack any other human in the same location as him, even teammates. And if there are no humans available, then the Werewolf will attack any other character of opposite alignment, unless that character transforms or escapes. And by the way, if you are a Werewolf and you transform, you had better hope no one plays a Silver Bullet or you are history."

"Do you remember that one game where Matty, Roger Davies and Gloria all played vampires, and they managed to infect all the members of the other team?" Dean asked.

"Oh yeah, I remember that!" Neville said with a laugh. "Ernie, Hannah, and Justin were sore about that one for days!"

"You see, Harry, if you get bitten by a werewolf or a vampire in this game, you turn into a lesser werewolf or vampire under the control of whoever delivered the bite. And if the werewolf or vampire is one of the random enemies the game Summons for you to fight, or if it works for Caliban, then you end up under Caliban's control," Seamus explained. "That very rarely happens, though. More often you'll see people like Graytalon trying to wolf or vamp the other team. It's tough to pull off, but it's a great strategy when it works. You can win quite easily and thoroughly humiliate the other team, plus hardly anyone ever puts anti-vampire and werewolf permanent cards in their hands."

"Oh, and generally, when we play, we play real time," Dean continued. "When you want to make a move, you just make it -- there are no formal turns. You just need to remember that your character can't perform two actions simultaneously, unless you have a wild card allowing you to do that. But since you and Ron are just starting out, we will take turns by teams, and we'll tell you guys what to do when it's your turn. That sound good?"

"That's fair enough," Seamus said with an impish grin. "We don't want to scare off the new players."

"Hrmph," Hermione snorted derisively from her chair. She continued reading her book. "I'll never understand the appeal of that game. It's stupid, it's brutal and it’s horribly racist."

"Oh come on, Hermione," Ron said as he rolled his eyes. "It's just a game."

Hermione sniffed derisively. "You'll never see me playing it."

"Right, and Zandarelda and Joffletops' adventures are much more realistic and educational," Ron retorted as everyone took a silvery blue figurine and placed it on a starting pedestal.

"Well, we usually don't announce to the other team what we will be doing," Dean said dryly to Seamus, "but am I right in assuming that you are going to be evil? It would be changing a long-standing tradition if you weren't."

Seamus grinned. "Oh, but of course! I like playing the conniving, self-serving wizard."

"And you do it so well," Dean said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I have a question," Harry said. "Say there are two teams, and both wind up having the same objective. Then what? And could you cooperate with the other team?"

Dean and Seamus both thought for a while.

"I don't know if I ever played a game where both teams had the same objective," Dean finally replied. "You see, Seamus and I, we usually play against each other. Perhaps a more veteran player would know, or maybe there's a scenario in The Essential Dark Cauldron. Seamus?"

Seamus shook his head. "I can't recall either. When we play, I usually play an Evil character, Dean plays a Good character. I know Neville likes Neutral. And by the way, you can switch alignments permanently or temporarily during the game if you have a ‘Change of Heart’ or ‘Vow of Vengeance’ wildcard, ‘Forever Fallen’ potion, or ‘Betrayal.’ And if you get cursed or taken over by Caliban or an opponent, then your alignment will change as well.”

"I like Neutral best," Colin said. "You can cast a greater variety of spells, and you can use almost any item. Trouble is, it's very hard to stay neutral in this game. Good characters keep trying to Bless you, and Evil characters keep trying to Curse you. And Caliban seems to like picking on Neutrals."

"Oh yeah," Seamus added. "Blessed By The Light, that's another one that can sometimes change your alignment, but it generally only works on Neutrals or players that have been cursed. And how could I forget the Counter Curse Potion?"

"So can our two teams work together?" Harry wondered.

"Yeah, that happens sometimes," Seamus continued. "Especially at the end when you have to face Caliban, and he's too strong for your team to take on alone. Say for example that both teams want Caliban dead, but for differing reasons. Maybe they're both after the Cauldron for themselves, or one wants to destroy the Cauldron and the other wants to use it. The two teams may band together to defeat Caliban, and then someone will play Betrayal and there'll be a battle for possession of the Dark Cauldron. I've seen it happen many times, and believe me, it can get ugly."

"Oh yeah, it's a cut-throat game. You have to watch your back at all times," Dean said. "I remember one game where Matty and I were this close ... THIS close to winning, when we were both hit with a couple Vanishing spells that sent us right out of the castle -- compliments of one Dark Wizard, Seamus!"

Seamus grinned, and feigned a small bow. "My finest Dark Cauldron moment. The look on your face was priceless when I stole the Cauldron right out from under your nose!"

"Least you're not as bad as Malfoy, though. He's notorious for backstabbing and switching sides," Neville said. "He'll even kill members of his own team."

"And that Staff of Destruction of his," Seamus said with a shudder. "Another rare permanent. It can destroy cards in your hand, even before you can play them. I've learned the hard way that it's best not to put your rare permanents in your deck if you're playing against him."

"There are only a handful of cards that the Staff of Destruction can't burn," Dean said. "Your card, Harry, is one of them. Another is Blazing Aura, which is extremely rare."

"The rarest card in Dark Cauldron," Seamus said reverently. "I've never even seen one, save for a picture in the 'Essential' book. There was an article in 'Warlock Games' a while back that mentioned a Holy Aura card being a bargain at fifty Galleons!"

"Fifty Galleons! For one card???" Ron said, wide-eyed with amazement.

"But it's a great card," Seamus protested. "It shields your character from the majority of unfriendly spells, and you can cast it on any character of any alignment that you want to help--even if they're not on your team. And it can protect your cards from spells of destruction..."

"And Malfoy’s staff, I take it?" Harry queried.

"Oh definitely. That's what makes it such a great card! Alas, no one at Hogwarts has one, but we'd love to see the look on Malfoy’s face if one of us did!"

"Then he couldn't burn our cards with his staff," Colin said, beaming.

"But fifty Galleons!" Ron exclaimed.

"And that's if you can find someone willing to sell it at book price," Dean added.

"Yeah, the price would be a bit of a drawback," Harry said. "Malfoy’s probably got two or three."

"Well, that's the other drawback," Dean pointed out. "Only Good characters of sufficient magical ability can play that card."

"So even if Malfoy has it, then it's only for show. He'll never actually use it," Neville said. "He always plays an Evil character. Always. He especially likes the Dark Arts Apprentice and the Dark Wizard."

"Looks up to his dad, doesn't he?" Harry said nastily. Dean, Seamus, Ron, Colin and Neville snickered.

"So what are the advantages and disadvantages of being Good, Evil or Neutral?" Harry asked.

"Neutral characters tend to be the weakest magic casters of the three," Dean responded. "However, they can also use a greater variety of magical spells and items, and can use most basic Light and Dark spells. Good characters tend to be best at healing, charming, disenchanting, uncursing, defending, and banishing, but the types of attacking spells they can cast is limited. Evil characters generally have more power and are better at attacking, but their specialties are varied. What an Evil character is best at will depend primarily on character type. Some, like the Dark Wizard or Dark Arts Apprentice, are powerful spell casters and potions experts. Some, like the Barbarian, Cave Delver, and Treasure Hunter are good at using swords and daggers and sneak-attacks. Others, like the Dragon-tamer, Beastmaster or the Vampire, may not be as powerful with a wand or weapons, but the Dark creatures they can summon and train to serve them more than make up for a weak wand. Both Good and Evil characters, especially the strong magic users, have unique spells or items only they can control, and they can go to places that a character of the opposite alignment cannot approach. Neutral characters give up power for flexibility. All of the best Good and Evil creatures, weapons, and spells are going to be beyond their ability to use, even if their character grows and develops during the game. No matter what alignment you are, there are advantages and drawbacks."

"All right then, let's choose race and alignment," Seamus said as he placed his figurine firmly on the square closest to him. "Evil ... of course ... and I'll try high elf."

"High elf?" Ron asked quizzically. "I would think high elves would only be Good or Neutral."

Hermione sighed theatrically from her chair. "Oh, come on, Ron, don't you recall Professor Binns telling us about Ragnarok? He was one of the most evil wizards that ever lived, and he was a high elf before he turned to the Dark Side. It was his hand behind the conquest of all the land west of the Ob River in Russia in the late 10th century."

"Oh gee, Hermione, that must have been the one I missed on the test last year."

"Well, he was killed by Salazar Slytherin in 992, you must remember that much! It was the first joint effort between the high elves and wizards since the 400s, when the two races united against Mephistopheles. It was this war and its aftermath that led to the Founders starting Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Hermione, that was absolutely fascinating," Ron as he rolled his eyes. "I'm certain I'll remember that very useful bit of information for a long time. Perhaps as long as tomorrow's breakfast."

"Why do I even bother?" Hermione grumped as she put a bookmark illustrated with fluttering butterflies in her book and reached for "The Drummer" newspaper. It was much thicker than the first issue, and Harry noticed there were more and better pictures.

"I'll be Neutral," Ron said. "Neutral human." He placed his figurine on a square.

"I'm going to be a goblin, Good," Neville said.

"What? Good?" Seamus exclaimed, as he looked at the round-faced teen.

Neville flashed a rare smile at his two teammates. "Trust me on this."

"Can you do that? Have a Good character and Evil character on the same team?" Harry asked.

Seamus looked hard at Neville, who continued to grin. "I hope you know what you are doing, Neville. Yeah, you can, but you have to really watch that your characters don't start fighting with each other. As a general rule, you're bangers to try it."

Harry chose Good, Human, while Colin chose Neutral, Giant and Dean chose Good, High Elf.

"Elf versus elf--that should make for an interesting contrast," Dean said with a wicked grin at Seamus.

Suddenly, hissing sounds emanated from the cauldron in the middle of the game board, and a tall, dark wizard with straight black hair streaked with white rose ghost-like from the center of the board.

Hermione looked up from the newspaper and glanced at the illusion of the dark wizard, who glared at each player in turn. "That's not a bad likeness," she said.

"Not a bad likeness? To whom?" Seamus asked.

"To Caliban," Hermione replied, exasperated. "The real Caliban, that is. Who else?"

"You mean there really was a Caliban?" Neville asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh honestly! Don't any of you ever pay attention in Professor Binns' class? Yes, there was a real Caliban. He was an African wizard, a beastmaster and Parselmouth. He took over much of eastern Africa from Tanzania to Malawi to Ethiopia. He and 14 of his followers were killed in 345 A.D., though, when he tried to capture and tame a Nundu. Apparently he overestimated his talents."

"Yes, Hermione," Ron said sarcastically. "Thank you, Hermione, for the wonderful history lesson. But we want to play a nice, amusing, escapist game -- not learn the history about a crackpot egotist who lived about twenty lifetimes before we were born!"

Hermione turned back to her paper in a huff.

"Hey, look!" Harry exclaimed, and he pointed to his figurine.

Each player's figurine started to shimmer and change shape. Harry's figurine soon resembled a tall wizard with dragon-scale armor and a flaming sword. His figurine had messy, black hair, green eyes, and wore glasses. Around the sable base of the token, Harry saw the word "Auror" burn itself into the dark surface in golden flaming script, and underneath the word Auror, it read: Base Ratings: Magic Ability-8, Intelligence-7, Strength-6, Charisma-7, Stamina-9, Resourcefulness-9, Combat Skill-10 Courage-15*, Current Health-300, Special Abilities: Broomsticking, Leadership, Swordplay, Defensive Magic, Curse Resistant: 40% *Stout-hearted: All ratings +2 if character is attacked by Dark magics/creatures. Weaknesses: Cannot use Potions, Easily Lured into danger, Weak vs. Beguiling Charms: +35%, Hot-Tempered: Intelligence, Charisma and Resourcefulness -50% in combat unless negated.

"Oh wow, Harry!" Colin exclaimed. "That is so cool! It's very rare to get an Auror. Maybe only one in hundred times you get lucky enough to be one, even if you always play a human."

"You are so lucky, Harry," Neville summarized enviously.

"Some people have all the luck," Ron said, although not with quite the same bile as before, when he learned that Harry had a permanent phoenix. "But I can't complain -- I get to be a Paladin!"

"Why are you guys so envious?" Harry complained testily. "Look at these handicaps!"

"Ah, don't worry, Harry," Dean encouraged, "I've seen worse, and at least your handicaps can be dealt with. Beguiling Charms can be countered by certain items, potions and spells--well I guess in your case you can forget potions. Hot-Tempered can be an advantage as well as a handicap in some situations. As for Easily Lured, you'll have to make sure you keep a close eye on your character at all times and tell him not to wander off without backup."

Ron's character was covered head to toe in shiny silver full-plate armor, carrying a large triangular steel shield with a phoenix emblazoned on it, and a long golden lance with a red and gold banner attached to the tip of it. There was also a sheathed short sword belted around the paladin's waist, and a long-handled broadsword strapped to its back. The token smiled at Ron, waved, and pulled off its helmet. Ron laughed as the paladin ran a gauntleted hand through its mop of ginger hair. "Wow, it's got red hair, just like me!" he observed. "And look, I have some nice special abilities!"

Ron's token read: Paladin. Base Ratings: Magic Level-8, Intelligence-6, Strength-7, Charisma-6, Stamina-8, Resourcefulness-6, Combat Skill-9 Courage-14*, Current Health-400 Special Abilities: Master Strategist: Intelligence & Resourcefulness +50% in combat, and all allied characters in same location gain +50% to combat skill, Weapons Repair & Enchantment, Swordplay, Defensive Magic, Curse Resistant: 40%, All healing spells apply +25% *Stout-hearted: All ratings +1 if character is attacked by Dark magic/creatures. Weaknesses: Mortal Fear of Spiders: will flee if able, Weak vs. Beguiling Charms: +30%, Easily Provoked: will attempt to fight with any Opposing Player or Dark Creature in same location unless negated. Other: Obsessively loyal: will attempt to follow teammates into mortal danger; this effect cannot be negated by player.

"What's that last bit mean? Obsessively loyal?" asked Harry.

"It means that if either Neville or Seamus get into trouble, then I have no choice but to come bail them out --oh, like that will ever happen," Ron said sarcastically, rolling his eyes between Neville and the ceiling.

Neville, who was busy fumbling with his hand of seven cards, was blissfully unaware that he had just been insulted. Dean hid a snicker behind his hand, and Harry, Seamus and Colin exchanged looks.

"Wait a minute! 'Fear of Spiders?!'" Ron exclaimed, "Hey, I thought Dark Cauldron was supposed to be fantasy!"

"It is!" said Colin, nodding his head enthusiastically and accidentally dropping his cards. "Oh dragon droppings!" he cried as he scrambled around retrieving them.

"Then why does my paladin have to be afraid of spiders, huh? And why does he have to look just like me? With the red hair and freckles and all? And Harry's Auror looks just like him," Ron observed.

"Oh, that often happens to first-time players," Dean remarked. "It says so in the instruction booklet in your starter pack, you know."

"Like we would ever be bothered reading the instructions," Harry remarked with a smirk.

Ron snickered and said, "We should have given them to Hermione over Christmas break and had her translate for us."

"I wouldn't have done it," Hermione responded from her chair. "I have more important things to read."

"What's it say in the instruction booklet?" Neville asked, his face screwed up with concentration as he fiddled with his cards, occasionally adding or removing one from the deck he was building face-down on the table.

"Oh, come on Neville, I know I've mentioned this before," Dean scolded with a sigh.

"Yeah, but I forgot," Neville replied humbly.

"Well the tokens are all enchanted like the Sorting Hat, you see. When you put them on the game board, they can think and act for themselves, when you're playing the game in real-time, that is. Of course, you can also override their decisions and actions by giving them orders and playing cards. Anyway, the neat thing about this game, is that the very first time you play it, you are supposed to get a character that reflects what type of person you are in real life. It's eerie how dead on some of the character types have been."

"Yeah, I was a treasure hunter," said Seamus, "and my character was especially good at fighting boggarts and banshees. And I remember that Colin was a Wayfarer, and his weakness was never watching where he was going," Seamus said. "Quite a serious liability for a Wayfarer, wouldn't you say? I remember he didn't last long that game. About ten turns in, he walked right into a Welsh Green's lair and never came out again. I didn't do too well that game either, though. Caliban zapped me at the entrance to his castle with one of his magical traps. I couldn't disarm it in time. But my shining moment that game was when I silenced a couple of banshees with a magic locket I stole...er borrowed from Dean."

"I remember that game," Dean said with a frown. "I decided to play a Centaur for a challenge. I was a Scholar, and my special ability was that I was a crack shot with a bow. And I found that fabulous locket in an enchanted forest...got me through several tight spots, but then a certain treasure hunter snuck up on me and stole it while I was shooting at a flock of vampire bats. Little sneak-thief Disapparated before I could lay into him with my bow and arrows."

"Ah yes," mused Seamus with a huge smirk, "it is always nice to keep a Disapparate in your hand for times like that."

"What were you, your first game, Neville?" Harry asked, half afraid to hear the answer.

"I was a healer," the round-faced teen replied. "And a good one too! We beat Caliban and won the game because I kept healing everyone faster than he could do damage! And I think, Seamus, wasn't that the time we played Matis and Roger?"

"No, that was the time we played Argyle and Mitch," Seamus corrected. "And it wasn't one of our more exciting games. They both had unusually bad luck."

"Hey, that was Argyle's first game too, wasn't it?" asked Dean.

"Yeah," Seamus agreed, nodding. "He was a human Scholar and his character even had his half-Cherokee, half-English features. He was very good at logic puzzles and Potions, and he would have developed into an excellent spell-caster if Mitch hadn't randomed such a bum character."

"What was Mitch?" asked Neville. "I've forgotten."

"He was a human Watcher. But that wasn't the problem. His weakness was that he was also a werewolf. And Argyle, unfortunately, wasn't an Animagus. I don't think I need to tell you what happened to poor Argyle two turns into the game when I drew a Full Moon Rising," said Seamus.

Harry and Ron simultaneously flinched.

"Oh, you are a conniving, self-serving wizard, aren't you?" Harry remarked, with a grimace.

"Well, as they say, 'All's fair in love and war...and Dark Cauldron,'" Seamus stated.

"I'm sure glad I'm on your side," Ron decided. "Even if Harry does have a luck rating of about ten trillion."

"All right, let's get the rest of our tokens on the board," Seamus said. "Ready?"

Dean, Seamus, Colin and Neville placed their tokens the game board's starting places.

Dean became an Elvin White Wizard, skilled in Healing and Defense Against Dark Arts, and he was an Animagus who possessed the ability to turn into a Granian whenever he played a Transformation card. Colin's giant was a Beastmaster who carried a whip and a large net, and possessed the ability to tame just about any wild creature he encountered, save that it was not a Dark creature summoned by Caliban or an opponent. Neville's goblin was a Treasure Hunter, armed with a silver dagger and a crossbow and a Niffler's knack for finding gold and gems. Seamus' elf became a Dark Wizard, whose specialties included Delusion Charms, The Beguilier's Gaze, and Spells of Destruction.

"Wow!" Ron exclaimed, gazing at his teammates abilities, "looks like you guys are going to have your work cut out for you. You're going to have to watch out for Seamus' special abilities, Harry!"

"Yes, but we're going to have problems too," Seamus pointed out worriedly. "Your character and mine aren't going to work well together. We'll have to keep an eye on them constantly to make sure they don't start fighting with each other."

"But my character is also obsessively loyal to teammates. So after we get into a dust-up, then I have to turn around and save your hide. And since you're a Dark Wizard... I won't even get any gratitude!"

"I won't blast you with any of my Spells of Destruction. That should be gratitude enough for you," Seamus said archly.

"Seamus likes to take on the role of the characters he plays," Dean pointed out with a grin.

"Blast away," Harry crowed with a confident smirk, "we've got a phoenix on our side!"

"Careful what you wish for, Harry," Seamus said with an evil grin. "The phoenix is nice, but one card won't win you the game. It takes teamwork and skill too."

"And luck," Ron groused, frowning enviously at Harry's cards.

"OK, now what?" Harry asked as he looked over the seven cards in his hand.

"Well, we can play the standard game or the fast game," Dean said. "Since none of us have anything going on and we have time to kill, I suggest the standard game."

Seamus nodded. "That involves going through various lands to find four different keys -- Ventil, Solum, Ignis and Aqua. Each key unlocks a different level of Caliban's fortress. Now there's only one copy of each key in the game. If the other party finds it, you either do without and try to find another way past Caliban's defenses, or you try to steal it, or you hope the other side leaves the door unlocked behind them. And by the way, if the other party does leave the door open for you, then you had better watch out for an ambush. That's how Dean, Neville and I utterly destroyed Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle one time. Malfoy never even got a chance to use his Staff of Destruction that game--ha!"

"It's pretty rare for one party to find all four keys," Colin said. "So if you have a sneak-thief in your party..."

"...which Treasure Hunters excel at," Seamus threw in.

"Your best bet is to either let the other side get all four and then steal them, or else go for some of the keys yourself and steal the rest," Colin continued.

"Or you can go straight to Caliban's castle and check out the defenses first to see what you'll be facing if you don't have the keys," Dean added. "It's a risky venture, as your characters are weaker at the beginning of the game, but if Caliban's using logic puzzles, and you have a Scholar in your party, you might be able to think your way past his defenses and skip the keys altogether."

"Yeah, but you still can't fight him until all four keys have been found by one party or the other," Colin pointed out. "Unless, that is, you've agreed to play the short game."

"True," replied Seamus. "But that's when you set up a nice ambush for the other team."

"Did I mention that Seamus never fights fair if he can avoid it?" Dean remarked as the others snickered.

Seamus shrugged. "Hey, I like to win," he declared. "And at least I trade fair."

"Anyway, in the standard game you have to find the keys. In the shorter version of the game, there aren't any keys. You go through a maze instead to get to Caliban's fortress in the center," Dean added. "Then you have to fight your way through Caliban's creatures and disarm his traps in order to get to the Dark Cauldron."

"But while that route is shorter, it's a lot harder to win," Neville added. "There are more difficult creatures and enemy wizards to fight throughout the game, and Caliban is tougher to beat at the end. The passageways the keys open up are much safer. Plus, in the standard game you don't have to worry about Caliban sneaking up on you and attacking your party before you get to the Cauldron."

"And don't forget, no matter which version you play, you still have to disable or take over the Coramentiahl, which is the last thing you have to do before facing Caliban in the final battle. And it's next to impossible, unless you have an Evil character in your party," Colin said. "Even then it's not easy."

"Coramentiahl?" Harry asked, puzzled. “What is that?”

"It's a sort of control center, the focal point of the castle's magical power," Seamus explained.

"It's, well, it's sort of like the heart and soul of a building," Dean added. "Didn't you ever wonder why Hogwarts is Unplottable? Or what makes the staircases and the suits of armor move?"

"I thought they were enchanted," Harry stated thoughtfully.

"Well, they are," said Seamus, "but without the Coramentiahl, their enchantments would wear off in time, wouldn't they?"

"Oh, I get it," said Harry. "It would be like...unplugging them."

"Exactly!" the half-Muggle Seamus agreed, nodding.

"Blimey, I never knew you didn't know about Coramentiahlen, Harry!" Ron exclaimed. "Most strongholds and high places have one," Ron said. "That's what powers their defensive wards and Muggle-repelling charms and other enchantments...like moving staircases. Bill says that the one in Gringotts is very impressive, but he isn't allowed to tell me what it looks like for security reasons. And no wonder! All those vaults to safeguard--Gringotts is heavily enchanted. And your guess is as good as mine as to where Hogwarts' is. Mum says that each Coramentiahl is unique and determines the character of the building it empowers...whatever that means."

"I disagree with your mum," Hermione said, butting into the conversation. "Because whatever happens inside the building, and whoever is in control of it, can also influence the Coramentiahl. It goes both ways. Didn't you know that Hogwarts is supposed to have two Coramentiahlen?"

"Professor Binns is finally retiring and Professor Granger will be taking his place starting Monday," Ron announced amid snickers from Dean and Seamus.

"Hang on," Harry requested, "I want to hear more about this."

"Well it's all there in 'Hogwarts, a History,' Chapters 4 through 6," Hermione replied in a scathing tone. "Why don't you guys try reading it sometime?"

"We did," said Dean. "When we were first years. But Binns is on the 1600's now and we've been studying werewolf codes and goblin rebellions instead. We left the Four Founders behind about 900 pages ago."

"And there's no point in reading it, is there, because you quote passages from it every bloomin' day," Ron added.

"We don't feel like reading boring old history books, Hermione," Harry cut in quickly, "So why don't you just cut to the Chapter Summary and tell us why Hogwarts has two Coramentiahls?"

"Coramentiahlen. Don't look at me when it comes time for the OWLS," Hermione said, frowning severely at the boys for a moment and relishing the shudder that ran through them at the mere mention of the coming exams. Then finally, she gave in to her captive audience and explained, "Hogwarts was built with two Coramentiahlen, because in the beginning, Hogwarts was not only a school, but a fortress. It seemed a good idea to Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin to have a second Coramentiahl to empower the castle's defenses, in case the first should fall. In those days Gryffindor and Slytherin were great friends, and no one ever dreamed that strife would develop between them as later happened. And never did the two friends dream that their great strategy for defense would become a liability when, after the war with Ragnarok, the Four Founders began to fight over control of the school."

"She's quoting verbatim," Ron hissed to the others. "I think she's got the book open on her lap."

"No I don't!" Hermione snapped. The boys laughed, and Ron turned bright red up to the tops of his ears.

"I wish I could memorize things like that," Neville sighed.

"Go on, Hermione," Harry prodded.

"Whenever a quarrel would erupt between Gryffindor and Slytherin, it seemed that Slytherin always lost, and that Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff would always side with Gryffindor against him. So he endeavored by force of argument to win them over to his way of thinking, but his efforts were mostly in vain. He had grown arrogant, impatient, and ill-tempered, and would not listen to anyone's counsel but his own. It was then that he began to fall into darkness, first using his powers to influence the others through subtle means, then exerting ever greater control until at last his treachery was revealed."

"But what's that got to do with the Coramentiahl?" Harry inquired impatiently.

"I'm getting there," Hermione said crossly. "It is said that when Salazar Slytherin went over to the Dark Side, he destroyed the unity of the Founders, and darkened their counsel, and the heart and soul of Hogwarts became divided. As it has been divided ever since. When Slytherin's many betrayals came to light, he was brought to trial before the Wizard's Council and condemned, and his wand was shattered, and he would have been sentenced to death, had not Helga Hufflepuff pleaded with the others for mercy on account of the good he had done before the Ancient Darkness seduced him. And so the Council was swayed by good Hufflepuff's words and tears, and Slytherin was chained up in the castle dungeons and left alone in the darkness to ponder his actions. And there he was held under heavy guard until such time as he would repent of his evil deeds. And there he would have died, alone and embittered, for his heart was hardened against his former friends and his pride too great for repentance. And he was bolstered by thoughts of revenge. Then Lady Mortgona intervened."

"We could have read the book by now," Ron grumbled.

"You memorized all this, Hermione?" Neville asked in amazement.

"Well, not quite, but I've read it so many times that I can almost quote it. This is my favorite part of the History -- the part about Mortgona rescuing Slytherin, and Gryffindor's famous duel with her later on."

"So what's all this got to do with the Coramentiahl?" Harry wondered.

"Well when the Lady Mortgona came to rescue Slytherin, no one knows for sure, but it is believed that she came in through the Chamber of Secrets which Slytherin had built. And they think that the Second Coramentiahl may still be slumbering somewhere in the Chamber of Secrets, since Slytherin never showed the others where he had hidden it. And no one has ever found it, even to this day. Of all Slytherin's treacheries, this was the only one that did not come to light at the trial, for Slytherin, foreseeing his downfall, had sealed the Chamber and all within it, and he cast the memory of it from his mind."

"So the second Coramentiahl, the one Salazar Slytherin controlled, has never been awakened, and is somewhere in the Chamber of Secrets?" asked Harry.

"No wonder the teachers were so scared when the Chamber of Secrets was opened!" Seamus remarked. "And we all thought it was because of the basilisk!"

"Well it was because of the basilisk, wasn't it?" wondered Neville.

"Not entirely," Hermione replied. "Think about it, Neville. If Hogwarts has two Coramentiahlen, one good and one evil..."

"Then Hogwarts is divided, vulnerable," Harry realized. "But you said the Second Coramentiahl was never awakened."

"Was," Hermione said grimly. "But if it is in the Chamber of Secrets, and the Chamber of Secrets has been opened twice now..."

"Ohhhhh..." murmured the boys, catching on.

"But how do we know," Ron wondered, "that the second Coramentiahl was never awakened in the first place?"

"Good point. We don't," said Hermione. "But there is someone who might."

"Dumbledore," Harry declared automatically.

"Well, yes, he would know," Hermione agreed, "but do you think he would ever tell us?"

"Well who else did you have in mind?" Harry asked. "Not me, I hope, because I didn't see anything down there except You-Know-Who as a teenager and a sixty-foot basilisk. And frankly, that was enough to keep me way too busy to look around."

"I wasn't thinking of you. I was thinking of Moaning Myrtle, of course. I'm going to pay her a visit sometime and ask her."

Harry slapped his forehead at his oversight while Ron laughed.

"So how did Mortgona know about the Chamber of Secrets if Slytherin erased his own memory of it?" wondered Seamus.

"Well, Salazar shared a lot of his secrets with the Lady Mortgona, because he trusted her completely. It is believed that he had told her about the Chamber some time before his downfall. At any rate, however Mortgona was able to sneak into the dungeons of Hogwarts, it is well-known that this is how they escaped. Slytherin sealed the Chamber behind him and taunted Gryffindor as he and Mortgona fled from their pursuers, saying that in a thousand years his great plan would be completed and Hogwarts would be his at last. And then all whom he deemed unworthy would be devoured by the monster inside the Chamber. That's how the legend about the Chamber of Secrets began."

"And the Coramentiahl?" Seamus prodded.

Hermione shrugged. "If there is another one, it has never been found. But it would go a long way toward explaining why some hallways have such a creepy feeling to them late at night, and why Slytherin House keeps turning out Dark wizards, and why You-Know-Who went to school here."

"And why Dumbledore said something about Hogwarts no longer being safe," Harry mused, thinking back. "Maybe... maybe that was when he started to realize that the stories about the Four Founders had a lot more truth to them than anyone thought."

"Ah, if there are two Coramentiahlen, it's the adults' problem, not ours," Colin interrupted. "Let's get on with the game!"

But Harry was thinking about the Chamber of Secrets and wondering what else still lurked in the shadows there. And the idea occurred to him that maybe Snape had come to Hogwarts not merely to spy on Dumbledore's secret meetings, but to take over Hogwarts itself. Could it be that, even now, he knew of and controlled Slytherin's Coramentiahl? He made a mental note to discuss his suspicions with Ron and Hermione after the game.

End of Chapter 32

The Great Snape-Deveroux Grudge Match - Part II: Watcher and Hunter by Pigwidgeon [Reviews - 2]

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