The fire in the Gryffindor common room flickers for a few more moments until it finally goes out completely. Without it to light up the room, everyone besides Agnes and Ethan produce Lumos with their wands. Agnes is able to easily rip the top of the envelope and pulls out a folded parchment. When she unravels it, the first thing she notices is a very small, turquoise potion taped to the bottom of the note. Dismissing it for now, Agnes starts reading the letter from the top.

"First, I wish to apologize to all of you. I'm sure you know most of the story by now, as I have instructed Professor Dumbledore to explain my side of the events that have transpired this year. I must apologize again, this time because your story isn't over, and there is still one more task you must do. Don't worry, I don't need you to invent another potion. One: Ethan has done his part and it is time for him to go home." Agnes pauses and everyone looks at Ethan. "Two: when you are done reading this, have a steakout by the mirror room. Someone will enter and go through the tunnel. Follow him, and make sure you're unseen. I have strapped a potion to this letter. Give it to Julia, she has good aim. Three: He will lead you to the edge of town. I know you want to attack him, Agnes, but you must be silent. Hide until someone else shows themselves. Four: trust the story - what he says is true. Five: use your strengths and don't be afraid."

Agnes chokes up when she starts reading the last part of the letter, so she takes a minute to compose herself. The girls and Ethan wait patiently until Agnes clears her throat and reads the rest. "I know this hurts you all. I've seen your pain, but I want you all to understand that I did this, I chose to do this, because I love you. Lauren, you're brilliant, humorous, and adorable. You'll make a great prefect someday, I'm sure of it. Ethan, inventing a potion at age nine is no small feat. I am so proud of you. Hannah, you are so kind, brave, and lovable. Never lose sight of those traits. Julia, you are strong and very skilled. Look after this amazing group while I'm gone. Maria, I could never ask for a more cheerful and caring roommate. You'll do great things, just keep being yourself. Agnes, my best friend, it pains me to have to do this, but I'm sure you know it was either you or me. Please don't be sad. I will always be there for you if you just ask. One final thing, the map I made is in the place where this all started in Diagon Alley. Don't ask how I got it there, it was a hassle. I got help from a friend. I love you all. Goodbye from your friend, Alana Carth."

The group of six sit in silence for a few long moments, processing what the letter had said. Julia is able to bring herself to speak first. "We have to go to the mirror room. We don't want to be late or we will miss the man we have to follow."

"We have to do this in order, though. First, Ethan has to go home." Ethan is about to protest Hannah's statement, but she quickly cuts him off. "It's not negotiable. If you stay, you could get hurt. There's a reason you have to leave."

Ethan thinks back to when he first came to Hogwarts. He came here to protect his friends and to warn them. He's done so much more with creating the potion, that even he understands that he has done his part. Ethan leans back in his seat and nods, "You're right. But, how am I going to get out of here? I got in with the train."

"I could get a broomstick from the Quidditch shed for you, but that would take too long. I wonder if there's another way." Agnes tries to think of something, but she is too emotionally wrecked to think of anything logically.

A voice comes from the bottom of the stairwell, making everyone turn to see who it is. "I can get one for him."

"David." Julia lets out a sigh of relief, but still wonders what he's doing up. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough. I couldn't sleep tonight, and I couldn't figure out why until now. I'll help get Ethan home." David assures the group.

"How long did you know it was me?" Ethan is starting to think he didn't fool anyone when he first entered the school. Everyone just played along with it.

David chuckles at the sight of Ethan's confusion and scratches the back of his head. "Since the first Quidditch game. I saw you in the stands. Honestly, I couldn't believe Katie didn't figure it out. Plus, you've been staying in the Gryffindor dorms the entire year. You really think I wouldn't recognize you?"

"Fair enough." Ethan grumbles, a bit upset that people were able to figure out it was him so easily. At least he was able to trick a few teachers like Snape and McGonagall.

"Okay, so we got that settled." Maria wipes her eyes and clears her throat to compose herself enough to complete this final task. "We have to go to the mirror room now."

"Good luck, and stay safe," David says as Ethan walks up next to him.

"Don't worry, we have Alana protecting us. I'm sure we will be alright." Lauren smiles and the five girls stand up, leaving the common room.

The walk to the mirror room isn't difficult. For some reason, the teachers who were ordered by Dumbledore to secure the hallways aren't roaming around the stairs. This allows the five girls to easily creep up another set of stairs and through a few hallways until they reach their secret potion making room. They know they wouldn't be able to hide inside the room because there's nothing to hide behind, so they find a closet door across from the mirror room and cram inside there instead. Before she forgets, Agnes gives Julia the potion that was strapped inside the letter. The Gryffindor puts it into her pocket, keeping her wand ready just in case someone comes along.

They wait for a good ten minutes, staying silent with the closet door cracked open so they can see. Those ten minutes feel like days until finally someone comes along. He is wearing a black cloak with a hood over his head, so the girls can't see who he is. They all have their suspicions, however, as they notice the bottom of his cloak has a rip in it.

The man pauses at the mirror room door, and looks down the hallway at both sides to make sure no one else is coming. He holds the sides of his hood with both hands and throws it back. Julia puts a hand over Maria's mouth and Lauren covers Hannah's so they don't scream. Professor Knisely slowly takes his wand out of his pocket and opens the door, entering the mirror room.

Agnes carefully opens the closet door and the other girls follow her into the room. They don't see Knisely at first, but then notice the curtain inside the mirror frame swaying more than usual, meaning he's already gone through.

Following Professor Knisely in the tunnel is very tense. Agnes can somehow tell he's there, about a pool length ahead of them, but no one can see him. The tunnel is too dark. They don't even have the light of their wands to guide them, fearing he'd notice and spot them. The girls tiptoe along the tunnel in darkness until they reach the end.

Julia and Agnes push the ceiling up and to the side before hopping up into the closet of the Three Broomsticks. They hoist the other three up onto the floor and push the tile back into place. Lauren peeks out the door and sees Knisely just exiting the pub.

Professor Knisely walks right in the center of the road, so the girls follow him from a distance, clinging to the shadows of the alleyways and buildings. The lamps on the sides of the road are dim, but allow enough brightness for Knisely to continue walking without the need of Lumos. Everyone continues to follow him until he suddenly stops right at the edge of the village. Agnes knows this area all too well. It's where she and Alana were ambushed by the cloaked man.

It's a good thing Alana wrote in her letter to not jump out and attack Knisely because Agnes would have done just that. However, she holds herself back long enough for another black cloaked figure to walk up to Knisely from the treeline. His hood is still over his face, but his voice is exactly like the one Agnes heard that night in Hogsmeade. Now she understands that this is the man who attacked her, not Knisely. "Ah, Lucas! My old friend. Interesting seeing you here at this hour."

"We are not friends. Quite the opposite." Professor Knisely raises his wand in front of him aggressively and yells, "I'll kill you for what you've done!"

"Awww, did Dumbley Wumbley put a little something in the old Professor's drink at dinner?" The mystery man mocks in a whiny voice. He laughs and takes down his hood.

The man's face is dirty and wrinkled. Not because of age, but it looks like it's because of stress. His hair is shoulder length and mangled as if it was made of caramel colored straw. His cold, light blue eyes light up the night with a glimmer of sick, evil intent. The smile on his face twitches constantly as if he wants to say something.

Professor Knisely yells once again in rage and steps forward. "You dare insult the greatest wizard in the world in front of me?!"

The other man frowns and raises his own wand, his chin held high and his eyes staring right back at Knisely. "That title is the Dark Lord's! I'll kill you for that."

"Please, Chase. You've tried once and you'll fail again! This time, you'll be the one to stop moving!" Knisely's arms start shaking as he holds his wand pointed at the man with both hands. "Avada-"

"WAIT! STOP!" Agnes runs to the middle of the scene, holding her arms out so everyone stops what they're doing. The four other girls run after her, not believing that she recklessly ran between the two wizards.

"Oh, I see." The mystery man is clearly baffled at seeing Agnes and four other girls popping out of nowhere, but he laughs it off and slacks his stance. "I remember you! That night, right here, you were there with that Hufflepuff rat!"

"Don't insult Alana!" Agnes grips her wand so hard that she fears she will almost break it. She wants to curse this man and be done with it, but she knows she needs answers. She sucks in her anger, keeping her wand pointed at the man. "She was a great witch, always ten steps ahead of your plan, but now I want an explanation. From both of you!" Agnes turns and points her wand at Knisely. "I still don't believe you're fully innocent. Now, tell us everything!"

"You seriously think I will explain this to children?!" The man laughs, making Agnes turn back toward him.

"IMPEDIMENTA!" The man tenses up and freezes in his place. After a few moments he takes a huge breath and falls to his knees. Agnes glares down at him. "Alana beat you. She gave me the map, and I want to know why it's so important! You can start with who you even are."

The man's laugh starts out small, but then he completely loses control and he laughs right up at the sky. Slowly, he stands up and puts a hand on his chest. "My name, sweetheart, is Chase Volek, and that map is my birthright."

"Still with the lies as always, Chase!" Everyone turns to Professor Knisely who still hasn't lowered his wand.

Chase spreads his arms out to his sides, an amused expression on his face. "Then by all means, Lucas, why don't you tell them the story."

Knisely takes one glance at the girls' angered, confused, and broken faces, and relaxes his stance. "I know you don't trust me, but you must believe this story. Do you remember how Alana came from Ilvermorny?"

"Yeah, it was the first thing she explained on the train," Maria says as she huddles by Julia. Both of them have their wands out, but Julia is the one pointing hers at Knisely.

"Why is that important?" Lauren's tone is more of a demanding statement than a question.

"The entire reason she came over here was to document the dark artifacts and keep their locations a secret." Professor Knisely starts explaining. "She decided to enroll at Hogwarts because she knew she'd be safe there... for a time. I never wanted to kill her. I was appointed a professor there because I protected her."

The girls all blink, not believing what Knisely is saying. Hannah looks between Chase and Knisely, and says, "What?"

"In Diagon Alley with the explosion at the bookstore-" Knisely is cut off by Chase giving a loud and exaggerated groan, but is able to continue. "Alana was at Gringotts to locate the last artifact. He," Knisely points at Chase with his wand, "was there to kill her, but I intervened. During the fight, my cloak got trapped in a door and I had no other choice but to apparate away."

"That's why the Persequi Potion led us to you." Julia realizes one of the biggest question's answers was right here all along. "It was your robe that was ripped from the door. Agnes found it and we used it in the potion!"

"And without the potion, we never would have suspected you. We never would have followed you in hallways or learned to be cautious around you," Lauren points out.

"I would have killed you and Alana that day! You're the only one who was able to dodge my curses." Chase practically spits out his words. "And then old Lucius tried to single Alana out at the Quidditch game, but all of you were there! Couldn't kill her then, he said. If it was my call, I'd have killed every one of you!"

Knisely tenses up again, pointing his wand harder at Chase. He continues with the story, "Over time, I suspected Dumbledore and Alana weren't telling me everything. They were secretive, and it was as if they knew something bad was going to happen soon. I decided to trail Alana and watch her more closely that week. I even paid Dumbledore daily visits to try and make him tell me what was going on. He kept saying Agnes would watch over her, but I knew it wouldn't matter. He was trying to get me to keep my distance. Dumbledore knew I would be watching Alana tonight, so he had Severus Snape slip a simple Sleeping Draught into my goblet at dinner so I would be sleeping during the... event. I woke up to ghosts entering my room, and I sprinted down the hallway to find you there, and Alana dead."

"But, there was one day where you were limping in the hallway." Agnes can't believe Knisely is actually Alana's protector. "It was after Alana and I first came here to Hogsmeade."

"You were so angry that night, Lucas." Chase laughs, gripping his stomach with his free arm. "He came straight through the tunnel to pay me a little visit. He was beyond reasoning, and told me to never attack one of his students again. He put up quite a fight, but I managed to get a few good curses in."

"ENOUGH!" Professor Knisely pushes all the girls behind him, his wand raised, and his arms tensed. "You killed Alana for a silly map that no one else but her was able to find! I'll make sure you're locked up for this!"

Agnes asks one more question, now fully believing that Professor Knisely was on her side all along. "What is the map?"

"Why, a map of the Dark Lord, of course!" Chase raises his wand, pointing it at the Professor. "I will be rewarded and praised among death eaters! Everyone will know me as the man who returned the Dark Lord to power. I just have to kill each of you, except her." Chase makes eye contact with Agnes, making her shiver on the inside. "I know a few friends who are itching to use their specialized Cruciatus Curse. I wonder how long it will take until a little Gryffindor is broken enough to spill the beans. It will be quite the sight to behold, and I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Expelliarmus!" Knisely yells, but Chase blocks the spell.

"You know that little trick doesn't work on me anymore." Chase smiles widely and looks over the group of friends, his eyes rest on Maria. "Let's start with the other Hufflepuff, shall we? Ava-"

Julia slips the potion out of her pocket and throws it right into Chase's mouth with the cap off. Thank goodness for her Quidditch Chaser skills. Chase's lips become sealed once the potion falls down his throat, and Maria is able to find her voice in time to say, "The Jawbind Potion. The one we made near the beginning of the year!"

"Everyone, do what you can!" Agnes yells and points her wand at Chase. "Impedimenta!"

"Stupefy!" Julia's spell stuns Chase.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Chase is lifted up into the air by Lauren and Maria's spell. They both drop him to the ground when he gets high enough.

"Finestra!" Hannah makes the glass from the surrounding lamps break and fly at Chase on the ground.

"Depulso!" Professor Knisely knocks back Chase for good measure, making everyone stare at him in shock. "Remember, Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Woah, that spell was bloody amazing!" Maria smiles, wishing Knisely had taught her that spell during class.

Professor Knisely smiles, glad that one of his students is eager to learn something. "Next year, Ms. Brown."

Knisely's expression turns painfilled, and he falls to the ground, clutching his side. The handle of a knife sticks out, and all the girls turn to where Chase is. He's on the ground, supported by his knees and palms, and he laughs through his sealed lips. Agnes kneels down next to her professor, her breaths becoming rapid. "No, Professor Knisely! Please don't... I can't lose you too..."

"Aguamenti." A voice from behind the group catches everyone's attention. Professor Dumbledore stands there, wand raised and spraying water out at Chase. "I should use that spell more often, shouldn't I, Ms. Higgins?"

"Professor, how-" Agnes is cut off by Dumbledore.

"I slightly figured that a group like you wouldn't follow my rules and take my sleeping potion, so I gathered a group of my own and we ended up here. Thankfully, I ordered some others to go before me and they arrived just in time to hear the death eater's confession." Dumbledore steps to the side to reveal Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Snape, and Flitwick.

"Are we in trouble?" Hannah asks with a bit of humor behind her tone.

"Not tonight, Ms. Miller. Incarcerous." McGonagall points her wand at Chase and many ropes fly out of it, wrapping around his body.

"Here." Professor Sprout helps support Professor Knisely and starts tending to the stab wound. She rolls up her sleeves and green vines grow out from under her robes, traveling down her arm and onto Knisely. They spin tightly around his torso to temporarily bandage him up so they can get him to the hospital wing in time.

"Now I think we are going to be able to sleep." Agnes jokes, making everyone smile and a few of her friends chuckle.

Professors Snape and Flitwick stay behind with Chase to call the Aurors and explain the story. They aren't going to mention the five second year students at all, thinking it's wiser to say it was all Knisely's doing. All that matters to the girls is that Chase will face Ministry justice and be locked up in Azkaban where he belongs. They know Alana is smiling down at them, having been both avenged and her quest completed. When they get back to the common room, the five friends don't need a potion to help them fall asleep. As they stare into the long extinguished fireplace, they still miss their friend, but for now, for tonight, they are content with putting her killer behind bars. They finally understand the mystery of Alana Carth.