Harry opened his eyes and sat up, and all the anxiety of the previous night and day attacked him again. He shoved on his glasses and looked about, spotting Severus, still sitting in his chair . . . feeding Skullduggery some chicken. "Skull!" he cried, a smile blooming on his face. "You're alive!"

The raven squawked at him happily. "The rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated, bran-boy."

Harry, who had tears of joy in his eyes, started to laugh uncontrollably, that being the only way he could express what he was feeling other than crying, and he wasn't minded to do any more of that for a long time. He laughed so hard he got the hiccups, and had to hold his breath for three minutes to get rid of them.

Severus raised both eyebrows. "If you're quite finished with the histrionics, Mr. Potter . . ."

Harry blinked. "Err . . . sorry, but I couldn't help it . . . Aren't you happy he's alive, sir?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Only a Gryffindor would ask such an obvious question. Of course I am relieved that he didn't succumb to the poison, however—"

"Relieved, my ass!" Skull interrupted. "Don't let his cool façade fool you, Harry. You should have seen him thirty minutes ago, he—"

"Enough, Skullduggery!" Severus ordered sharply, in a tone that no student would have dared disobey.

The raven ignored him, saying slyly, "—cried like a baby when he saw me awake."

Harry's mouth hung open. "He . . . did?"

"By my ancestors and Queen Anne's head, I swear 'tis true!"

Severus shot a look at his familiar that promised maiming. "Skullduggery, I have a potion simmering in my lab that calls for fresh raven's tongue. Don't make me get out my shears."

"Be still, my heart!" the raven gasped. "He loves me not!" Then he toppled off Snape's wrist and lay still.

"Skull!" Harry cried.

"Skullduggery, quit the dramatics," his master sighed.

The raven was motionless, his feet up in the air.

Snape poked him. "Stop this! Right now!"

Still Skull didn't move.

"Harry, fetch me a match. Perhaps if I light his tail feathers on fire . . ."

Skullduggery opened his eyes and snapped, "Severus Snape, you wouldn't dare!"

The Potions Master smirked. "That one always works."

Skull flipped to his feet. "You're evil!"

"I know." Snape's hand scratched the raven's back gently. "Next time don't go blabbing about me."

"It's only, Harry, Sev. He's family, you don't have to be afraid to show him that you're human. Even warriors cry." Skullduggery crooned, allowing the long fingers to massage the back of his head.

"Bird, you're pushing my last nerve." His wizard growled warningly.

"Well, someone has to." The raven said impudently. He flew up to Snape's shoulder and nipped him gently on the ear.

Harry snickered. He loved it when the two bantered, it was better than watching live comedy. "Did he tell you about your fan mail yet, Skull?"

"Fan mail? I got mail?"

Severus groaned. "You just had to tell him , didn't you?"

"I got mail? From who?"

"A lot of students," Harry indicated the piles of mail upon the table, there were 100 letters in all. "From all the Houses."

Skull preened proudly. "Wow! I'm a celebrity!" he squawked. "I'm so honored . . ."

"Don't let it go to your head," Severus snorted. "Fame is overrated."

The raven laughed, it sounded remarkably like Harry. Then he turned his head so it was upside down and looked into the Potion Master's face. "Say you love me, Sevvy."

"Will you hush your tongue if I do?"

"Promise. Well?"

Severus exhaled sharply. "I love you, Skullduggery. Satisfied?"

"Harry, you're a witness," the raven cackled. "I love you too."

Severus pinned the Boy-Who-Lived with his obsidian stare. "Mr. Potter, if you ever breathe a word of this to anyone . . . you will have detention with me for eternity."

Harry swallowed. "What was that, sir? I didn't hear anything."

"Smart boy," Severus's lips twitched.

"Spoilsport." Skull blew a raspberry at his wizard.

Harry ducked his head to hide the grin that was plastered across his face. He adored the insolent raven, who seemed to be able to gauge just how far he could push Severus without the man exploding into a temper, and yet whose teasing was never cruel or hurtful. Their playful sparring was almost like that between brothers. When he looked up again, he saw that Severus was reading a few of the notes to Skullduggery, and the raven was looking mighty pleased with himself.

"See, your students do care about you, Sev. This one here, it read, Dear Professor Snape, I know you are probably feeling awful right now about Skull, I know because I lost my familiar two months ago, poor Nibbler got run over by a lorry while she was crossing the street after being chased by my neighbor's dog. She was a lovely cat and I still miss her. I hope Skull will make it, because you need him so much, sir. I will be praying to Circe for you to save your raven.

Hannah Abbot," Skullduggery recited.

"Some of them are very kind sentiments," Snape allowed. He had been truly surprised . . . and touched . . . by the letters. He had not thought any of the students, except perhaps his Slytherins and Harry, would care about him losing his familiar. He had even got a letter from Minerva, and from Filius and Hagrid too. He had been too tired and fearful last night to really read the correspondences, but now he took the time to do so, and found that the students were more compassionate than he would have thought. It caused him to feel a strange warmth in his chest. Of course, not all the students had written letters, and he knew that he still had the reputation as a hardass snarky git, but that was all right.

The clock struck eight, and harry glanced at it, and said softly, "Uncle Severus, I was wondering something. That . . .umm . . . Plague Envelope I got? If I didn't open it, would it have still exploded?"

"Yes. Like a Howler, it is timed to go off whether or not the envelope has been opened. You have about twenty-five seconds before it does so, I believe. That was why I was trying to get to you, but unfortunately I could not reach you in time. The only way to have a chance at disarming one would be to use a Blasting or Shredding Curse, as I did with my Howler. But even then, you still might run the risk of getting caught with some dust or liquid upon you, those who sent Plague Envelopes were very clever in making sure their victim got sprayed with whatever nasty virus was inside." Severus' mouth tightened. "That is why, from now on, I shall be inspecting your mail for any hexes, jinxes or curses."

"You're going to open my mail?" Harry cried in dismay. Not that he ever got that much mail, in fact yesterday was the most mail he'd ever gotten, but even so, his mail was . . . it was private!

"No. Not open it, inspect it with magic, to make sure there are no hidden surprises in it. I would never invade your privacy like that, Harry," reassured his professor.

"Oh. Thanks," Harry said, feeling a bit foolish for jumping to conclusions like that. His stomach rumbled loudly and he blushed.

"It would seem we should head to the hall and eat," Severus remarked. "Afterwards, I suggest you brew the potion you missed for my class and then perhaps we could see if Lena or Madam Pince needs our assistance in the library."

"All right, sir," Harry agreed. He would have preferred to spend his Wednesday morning practicing his flying, but he knew Severus' assignment was important, and he loved the library and never really minded being in there.

"What, no arguments about brewing potions when you could be playing Quidditch?"

"I like to fly, and I wouldn't mind the practice, but I know where my priorities lie." Harry said.

"You truly are Lily's son," declared the Potions Master, pleased. He knew quite well that James Potter would rather have been skewered than give up his precious broom for any kind of academics. He pulled on his coat and then his robes, then beckoned to Harry.

Harry led the way out of the dungeons, trying not to run, though he dearly wanted to burst into the hall and shout, "Skull lives!" But he restrained himself, knowing that if he ever did something like that, his guardian would use him for an experimental potion tester. So he contented himself by being the first into the hall and trotting over to the Gryffindor table, where he was bombarded with questions.

"Are you all right, Harry?" asked Hermione, concern in her brown eyes. "That jinx was so nasty."

"I'm fine now." Harry reassured her.

"What about good old Skull?" asked the twins in unison.

"He's not dead, is he?" asked Neville softly.

At that precise moment, Professor Snape entered the hall, Skullduggery gliding overhead to his usual spot on the back of Snape's chair.

"He's back!"

"Skull's back!"

The students whispered, and not a few of them were grinning and some of them cheered as the raven flew by.

All of the staff was smiling, for even though the raven could be a terrible annoyance, they still loved him and never wished him harm. "Skullduggery, my lad! Glad to see you back on your feet," Dumbledore smiled. Then he reached into a pocket and held out a sherbet lemon. "Lemon drop?"

Skull fluttered down and landed neatly in front of Albus on the table. "Don't mind if I do." He gently took the sweet and gulped it down. Then he snitched some bacon off the Headmaster's plate. The Headmaster smiled tolerantly, and further down the table, Severus sighed and shook his head. He never could teach the raven not to steal bits of food. "Incorrigible bird!" he muttered.

"But you love him anyhow," remarked Lena, having observed enough of her colleague's personality by now to know that for the truth.

Severus snorted. He wouldn't bother to comment on that, even though the assistant librarian was dead on target. He busied himself eating his whole grain toast, a piece of ham, and scrambled eggs. Today the coffee was particularly strong, just how he preferred it. Skull returned to eat from his plate, the bird seemed like a bottomless pit today, probably due to the fact that he had not eaten in a day.

"So how is the library coming along, Lena?" asked Minerva.

Lena smiled then. "It's nearly renovated, Minerva. Thanks to all the donations from the students and staff and some of the parents and alumni. Aunt Irma was very excited to hear that the Ministry was going to donate the funds that somehow became . . . misappropriated . . . as the Minister's secretary put it."

Severus frowned. "Misappropriated? Stolen, do they mean?"

"They didn't say that, but . . ."

"It's obvious that is what they meant, only would not admit to," Snape said. "That's very odd, when you think about it. A great deal of money like that, suddenly going missing, and they haven't made any attempt to track it? One would think . . . that someone high up in the Ministry ranks doesn't care to have the library restored."

"Nonsense, Severus!" Minerva said. "Now you're being paranoid, seeing conspiracies everywhere. Why wouldn't the Ministry want the library back? It's their children who will suffer if Hogwarts has no library."

"That might well be true," Severus conceded, but he sensed that he was not mistaken with his theory. Someone wanted the library to remain in a shambles and to Severus that meant one thing—they were hiding something, or trying to prevent information from being available to someone in the school. And he was determined to figure out just what the library had housed that someone was willing to break the law to keep hidden. Severus suspected it must be something either forbidden, like a spellbook of dark magic, or very rare and powerful, like an ancient text. He wondered if Irma might know, as she had been at the library for so long, she had memorized every book in the place. But then, if there was such a book, why was it not in the Restricted section? Unless it had been, and in the destruction, it had been removed from there? For his instincts were telling him the troll might have been sent not only to cause mayhem and hopefully kill Harry, but cause mayhem specifically in that area of the castle.

While Snape pondered possibilities, Harry slowly ate his breakfast. He was trying to recall what potion Snape had the class brewing yesterday, but he had been so terrified about losing Skull that nothing about the potion had registered. He turned to Hermione. "Hermione, what draft did we brew yesterday?"

Hermione paused in eating her cereal. "A Pepperup Potion. Why?"

"Oh. Because I have to brew it right after breakfast."

"But . . . it's Wednesday!" Ron sputtered. "Why would you . . .?"

"Make up work," Harry answered. "Since I missed yesterday's class."

Ron gaped. "Make up work! Snape's gone off the deep end!"

"Actually that's very thoughtful of him," disagreed Hermione.

"Very thoughtful! How can you say that?"

"Because he could've just given Harry a zero."

Harry nodded. "That's true." A month or two before the troll and that's what would have happened.

"It still sucks. I was going to go flying today with Fred and George." Ron lamented.

"Fly while I'm brewing," suggested Harry. "I can fly this afternoon, once I'm done with potions and helping in the library."

Ron gave him an incredulous look. "I don't believe it. The greasy git has corrupted you."

"Don't call him that. I don't mind working in the library. The more I help, the sooner it gets finished. Matter of fact, you could help too, Ron."

"Me too!" Hermione said.

Ron looked pained. "Me, spend a perfectly sunny morning in the library?"

"They have a whole section of Quidditch books," Harry persuaded.

Ron caved. "Oh, all right." Then he returned to eating his crispy potatoes.

Harry quickly finished his eggs and then the small amount of potatoes on his plate before drinking his Nutrient Draft. He knew that somehow Snape was monitoring what he ate as well as how much. It was annoying, but Harry supposed that was what a good parent did . . . except for the Dursleys, who allowed Dudley to eat whatever he wanted.

It took Harry half-an-hour to brew the Pepperup Potion, then once he had cleaned up his workstation and handed in his potion, he and the Potions Master headed up to the library to see what needed doing that morning. To Harry's shock, he saw Malfoy was there as well. "What's he doing here?"

"Malfoy is here because he also wishes to help. I expect you to be civil to one another, am I clear?"

Harry groaned. "Yes, sir."

He spotted Hermione dusting a shelf and Ron wielding a normal broom like it was a Beater's bat.

Lena was at the circulation desk, stamping and tagging various volumes. She looked up as they approached. "Hello, Harry, Severus! Harry, would you like to shelve or dust?"

"I'll shelve," Harry said. He took an almost full cart and began to file.

Severus came and began helping the librarian tag books with a special charm that would make filing the books a whole lot easier. Most of the debris from the cracked stone and floor and furniture had been cleared away, and the library looked almost back to its old self, a thing which Severus and his students were profoundly grateful for. "You have repaired the damage very well, Lena. You are to be commended."

The librarian blushed. "It's not hard to do when you have the money to buy the raw materials and then can use magic to replace what's been broken with them. Aunt Irma and I are so very grateful for all of your help and the donations." Lena said, stamping book with the Hogwarts crest. Because the damage to the library had been so vast, a simple Repairing Charm was not enough to fix it, the two librarians and Flitwick had needed to perform several Switching Charms, among other spells, to mend everything. Then too, with the amount of shelves, study carrols and chairs the troll had smashed, it simply wasn't practical to try and fix all of them with magic, so some of the money had gone into replacing them le

"I think . . . it looks better now than before," she said with a hint of pride.

"It does indeed. After all, the furnishings had previously been here for centuries. Now, nearly everything is new," Severus said.

"Including most of the books," Lena said happily. Then she glanced over to the far right corner of the library, where the battle with the troll had been fought. "I suppose we'll have to recarpet that section, since we can't seem to get the bloodstains out of the floor."

"Have you tried a combination of hydrogen peroxide and Magical Mess Remover?"

"Why, no. I never thought about mixing magical and Muggle cleaning agents," said the assistant librarian. "Will it work, do you think?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise," Snape replied, somewhat snarkily.

"Pardon me, professor, for questioning your expertise on floor cleaners," Lena shot back tartly.

Severus sighed. "Forgive me, Miss Rosario. I was out of line."

Both eyebrows went up then. "You actually apologized to me? I'm told that is a rare occurrence."

"I apologize only when I feel someone is deserving of it; if someone is acting like an idiot, I feel no qualms about telling them so, and I'm not the least bit sorry for it." Severus said honestly.

Lena smirked. "Well, at least you're honest. Apology accepted." She went back to stamping volumes. After a moment or two, she asked, "I know this is a rather personal question, so please forgive my curiosity, but . . .were you frightened when you saw the troll in the library? Why did you not go and fetch help?"

"There wasn't time. The troll was attacking Potter and it would have killed him if I hadn't distracted it. I was frightened, but not for myself. I was afraid I would be too late and the troll would have stomped Harry into the floor. I knew I was the only hope he had of remaining alive, and so I did what any responsible adult would have done and fought the troll."

"Most wizards would have saved their own necks first. I thought Slytherins were all about self-preservation."

"Some are, and some aren't. I am not one to rush in foolishly and risk my life recklessly. But when necessary, I can and will fight to defend my students, to the death if need be. You may call it courage if you like. I call it duty. I have been many things, Lena, some of them I am not proud of, but I do strive to keep my principles. I am not what you would call a typical Slytherin, or what most people assume is a typical Slytherin. I am not arrogant, or power-hungry, or out to get whatever I can by whatever means necessary. I am ambitious about my craft, but there are lines I will not cross, and the safety of my students comes first."

"You don't need to tell me that, Severus. I can see with my own two eyes just how protective you are of your ward and your Slytherins, even the troublesome ones, like Malfoy there."

"Malfoy can be an arrogant brat, but that is in part due to his father's influence. However, I am trying to change that attitude. Time will tell if I am successful. It is the same with Harry, who has a habit of rushing where angels fear to tread. If I can tame that impulsive streak, and keep him safe, I will count myself a decent guardian."

And you care for him more than you will ever admit, she thought. Her mind magics had made her more intuitive, and so she could sense what he refused to say—that he cared very much for both boys, perhaps even loved them, but was unused to expressing those emotions freely. She wondered what had happened to make him so guarded, so careful about revealing his heart. Perhaps he had suffered a great loss? Or even been rejected by one he loved? He was an enigma she wished desperately to solve, though she sensed that would take time. He was not one to give up his secrets easily. So instead she changed the topic to one that had been at the back of her mind for quite some time now.

"At the last meeting of the Society, we were discussing the possibility that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named might have tried to make himself immortal in some way. Perhaps by necromancy? Or a powerful magical item, such as the one Nicholas Flamel the alchemist developed? The Headmaster had quite a bit to do with finding it and it is said that he benefited from making and drinking an elixir from it." Lena said in a very soft voice.

"It is always possible. His name, as you ought to know, means "one who fears death". That has always been his fatal flaw, along with his belief that purebloods are better than anyone else. With him, it is always best to expect the unexpected."

"Then you too believe that he may not be truly dead?"

"Yes. But it is not an opinion shared by many."

"The Society believes."

"I know. Because our members study the old magics, and know that it is possible to preserve a portion of one's mind and soul. That is what—" Severus broke off abruptly. "Mr. Potter, why are you lurking over there in the corner? I warn you, eavesdropping is not tolerated by me. Come here!"

A blushing Harry emerged from the corner behind Severus. "Sorry, sir. I was coming to ask you what I should do next and I didn't want to interrupt."

"What exactly did you hear?" Severus snapped, angry at both Harry and himself.

"Uh . . . something about an object that could make you immortal, a guy name Nicholas Flamel. Oh, and that V—"

"Don't say his name!" cried Severus.

"You-Know-Who might not be dead," Harry finished. "And you and some Society believe it. That's all, sir."

Severus' mouth tightened. "That is more than you should have heard. I want you to promise you won't repeat this to anyone."

"I promise, sir. But . . . what's the Society? Is it like a secret organization to kick the old bastard's arse?"

"Mr. Potter, language!" Severus scowled.

"Sorry. But he is."

Lena put a hand over her mouth. Harry reminded her of her brother on occasion. "It won't do them harm to know," she said, half to herself. "My mother told me about it when I was his age."

Severus still didn't look too happy about it, but before he could protest further, a large brown owl winged its way into the library and delivered a letter to him. Upon opening it, he found it was from Dumbledore. "Please excuse me, Lena. But the Headmaster has something important he wishes to speak with me about. We shall have to continue our discussion at another time."

"That's all right, Severus. One should strive to stay on the Headmaster's good side. If you want to talk some more, you know where to find me." Lena said, sounding a bit wistful. She had not had much time to get to know the staff since her arrival, having been busy trying to get the library back up to par, and she had never made friends easily, being by nature shy and withdrawn because of her mind magic. Severus, because he had spent the most time with her and was a member of the Society, she had begun to trust, and was sorry to see him go.

Severus rose and departed the library, looking quite put out.

Harry immediately took the seat next to the librarian, and said eagerly, "So, will you tell me about this Society now? Please, Lena?"

"Your guardian seems to prefer I not share any information with you, but just between you and me, I find him a tad, shall we say, overprotective." Mischief sparkled in her aqua eyes. "I see no reason why you and your friends here should not know about the Society of Ravens."

"The Society of Ravens?" Hermione had come to see what was being discussed, and was immediately intrigued. "I've never heard of them before. Are they some kind of new organization?"

"Great Ceridwen, no!" Lena laughed. "The Society has been around a very long time, since before this castle was ever built. Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the Founders, was a member. "

"A member of what?" Ron asked, wandering over. He sensed a story in the wind, and placed his broom against the wall and pulled up a chair.

"The Society of Ravens." Hermione replied.

"I've heard of them. My father says they're nothing but a bunch of batty old wizards and witches who study old outdated spellbooks and think they're so smart." Draco said dismissively.

Lena looked over at the blond boy, her eyes flashing, and said, "Your father would be Lucius Malfoy, correct?"

Draco nodded proudly. "He's the Minister's right hand. He's a very important man."

"In politics, no doubt. But his boss, Cornelius Fudge, has never been one to appreciate the Old Ways, he clings to the mediocre like a child to a mother's hand. And thus I'm not surprised that he gathers all the narrowminded purebloods to him. We of the Society believe that there is no one true way to use magic's gift, and we study branches of magic that were abandoned by conventional wizards because they were too difficult or time consuming to master, or the results were not . . . flashy enough for them."

"My father isn't narrowminded!" Draco snapped, glaring at the librarian.

Lena shot him a frown. "Declaring an organization dedicated to wisdom and knowledge a group of batty old wizards and witches simply because he does not follow the Old Ways is being narrowminded. I would also say he holds a grudge because he was never invited to join."

"Why would he want to join your stupid club anyhow?" sneered Draco.

"Why don't you ask him? For now, Mr. Malfoy, I ask that you be silent and listen, otherwise you may leave." Lena said coldly.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Draco began, his tone just shy of pure insolence. "You're not even on the faculty here."

"Shut it, Malfoy!" Ron cried angrily. "She's a librarian here and an adult, and if she wants she can kick your arse right out of the library!"

"Oh, yeah? Says who? Your mum?"

"Mr. Malfoy," said a sharp voice. "If you cannot remember to be quiet in the library, you are going to serve detention with me tonight and I shall see if your memory returns after writing a four foot essay for me about respecting my niece and the rules of the library." They all spun about to see Madam Pince standing there, eyeing Malfoy with a frown. "For your information, boy, I intend to make Lena my permanent assistant, which means she shall draw pay like any other staff member and be able to take points and give detention as well to smug little brats like you. Now, what shall it be? An essay or an apology for behaving like a rude beast?"

Draco scowled, his face heating. At that moment he hated both librarians as well as all the Gryffindors for witnessing his humiliation. But he was not stupid, and so he opted for the apology, which he offered in a rather whiny tone. Then he sat down in a plush armchair he dragged over, his lower lip sticking out in a pout. He was sure whatever Lena had to say would be so boring it would put him to sleep.

"Carry on then, Lena." Irma said, returning to organizing the books upon the cart and then shelving them with a spell.

Lena gave Irma a nod and a grateful look before clearing her throat. "Now then, as I was saying the Society of Ravens has its roots back when the Celts first settled here and claimed this island for their own. Long before Hogwarts and even before Merlin and Arthur Pendragon, the Society was founded by learned men and women in Wales, or Cymru. Some of these were not witches or wizards, but came from families who had the gift, but one of the greatest wizards of that age joined them, and his name was Gwydion of Don. He was apprentice to another great Welsh wizard, Mathonwy, or Math, who taught him one of the Great Words of Power. Back in those days, wizards and witches, or enchantresses as they were often called, were respected and feared by the local Muggles. Muggles often sought out our services when gravely ill or in need of help for personal problems, like disputes over land and inheritance. It was believed that a true wizard or enchantress could not lie, and so our judgments were trusted to be fair. Unless you were of the Dark. Gwydion especially was known for his impartial judgment, and his legend grew in proportion. A few Welsh bards began to make up stories about him and some of these have been passed down and collected in a volume of Welsh mythology called The Mabinogian."

Here, Lena waved her wand and a book popped up on her lap. "This is one of the original handwritten copies of The Mabinogian, it has been preserved with magic, and you may read it in your free time. There are many tales of Gwydion and Math in here, some are true, some are mere fancy, or half-true, since it is the mark of a true bard to embroider the story somewhat and make it their own. It's a fascinating work. The Welsh are great lovers of stories, poetry, and music, and the magical arts flourished there for centuries before the invasion of the Saxons and Vikings and Normans. They do to this very day. I myself have connections on my mother's side to Welsh enchantresses. The Old Ways are very much alive there, and that is where the Society was first founded.

"Part of the reason for this was to preserve certain magical traditions, like elemental magic and divination and the magics of the mind, which were in danger of being forgotten. It was also to collect certain items of Power and preserve knowledge that would have been lost. We are scholars and historians as well as spellcasters. We took as our symbol the Raven, because out of all animals, the Raven is associated with wisdom, knowledge, prophecy and magic."

She flipped over a fold of her robe to reveal a stylized pin made of ebony and gold. It was of a raven in flight, clutching a scroll in its claws. "This pin means that I am a member of the Society, and if you ever see one like it upon another wizard or witch, it means they are dedicated to the highest level of learning and scholarship and can be trusted to have accurate information about esoteric magics and objects. The pin cannot be counterfeited by magic and cannot be worn by one who is of the dark. We are also one of the foremost groups against wielders of the Shadow, and swear an oath to fight them wherever we shall find them."

Hermione was waving her hand in the air. Lena gestured for her to speak. "So did the Society fight in the First Wizard War against You-Know-Who?"

"We did indeed. Many fought and died before the Dark Deceiver met his end. I believe that your mother, Harry, was a student of the old magic, which could be why you survived the Killing Curse. Either that or you possess a great aptitude for the old magic, and that is what enabled you to survive."

Harry hesitated a moment before saying, "Skull calls me bran-boy sometimes."

"Does he? How very interesting," the librarian murmured, eyeing him keenly.

"Huh? He calls you cereal?" Ron frowned.

"Weasley, you're an idiot!" Draco sneered.

Lena shot him a look. "Mocking another for their ignorance, Mr. Malfoy, makes you twice the fool. There is no shame in admitting you don't know something, only shame if you allow yourself to wallow in ignorance." She turned to Ron. "Ron, the word bran in Welsh means raven. Skullduggery was calling Harry raven-boy, a rare thing. Ravens are choosy about whom they associate with. Consider yourself honored."

"Lena, can anyone join the Society?"

"Yes, we make no distinctions of class or race. However, an initiate must be sponsored by a full member, and pass a series of tests as well. There are tests of knowledge, honor, fortitude, wisdom, and magical prowess. A Society member is required to do a great deal of research and study various Muggle myths and legends as well as wizarding ones."

"Why even bother studying Muggle myths?" Draco asked condescendingly. "What good can come of that?"

"Much good, Draco. Muggles are not the ignorant barbarians many purebloods paint them. There is much to respect about their culture and the myths and legends they invented helped a great deal to fostering acceptance and tolerance of magic."

"But Muggles are inferior to wizards!" objected the Slytherin.

Lena shook her head. "No. They are not. They may not have magic's gift, but they are as worthy of respect as any human being. Their knowledge is of a different kind, but different is not inferior. Learning to accept others and celebrate their differences is one of the tenets of the Society. Back before books and writing was invented, stories were the only way Muggles and wizards had of communicating important information. Myths were used as a teaching tool, often to explain the unexplainable, like why the sun rose and set, or how an animal became the way that it is. In Greek mythology, for instance, it is said that the raven was not black, but white in its first incarnation. It was used as a messenger by Apollo, and he sent it to keep an eye upon a certain woman he fancied. When the raven reported back and told the god that the woman no longer desired him and had run off with a mortal, Apollo cursed the raven for being the bearer of bad news and from that day, the raven has been black."

"That's just dumb," Draco sneered.

"In your opinion. In mine, it shows that the Greeks were associating the raven with being a messenger and the bearer of ill omens, two things which a raven is generally known for today. Ravens are respected as being intelligent and wise, by Muggle and wizard alike. There is an old Gaelic saying "there is wisdom in a raven's head", and that is true. Ravens have a rich mythological history, which all initiates are required to study. Ravens are sacred in both wizarding and Muggle culture, it is bad luck to hurt and especially kill one. I know several stories about Raven. How would you like to hear some?"

"That would be lovely!" Hermione grinned.

"Sure!" said Ron.

"Yes, please, Lena." Added Harry.

Draco shrugged. "It's not like I have something better to do."

"So we begin—thus." Lena said, her voice taking on a more formal cant. "In Welsh mythology the raven is the messenger, the sacred bird of Bran the Blessed, the wise counselor, who warns of enemies and accompanies the Morrigan, the Celtic Goddess of War, upon the battlefield. A raven is the most magical of birds, being able to cross between worlds. It can bear a soul to the Underworld upon its wings, and knows many secrets, which it will only reveal to the right person at the right time. In Norse lore, Odin AllFather keeps two ravens as informants, gathering information everywhere as his eyes and ears. Their names are Hugin and Munin, or Thought and Memory.

In the myths of Native America, Raven is revered as deity and it is from there that I shall tell my first tale. This is the story of how Raven Created Man and Woman, it comes from the Tlinglit and Haida tribes. Raven was bored in the realm of the spirits, and so decided to travel to earth to see what he could see that would amuse him. Raven had always had an insatiable appetite, and soon paused over the ocean to find food. He dove into the ocean and found some clam beds which were huge, and poked his beak into them. One of them held some odd-looking creatures that walked on two legs instead of four and Raven drew them from the sea and began to talk to them. The men imitated the raven's sounds and in no time were talking amongst themselves. Raven taught them how to fish and to live off the land and for awhile was content, until he decided that men needed something else. So he flew over the land until he discovered some women trapped in a chiton. He carried them to the men and spent many months teaching them many skills including that of magic. Once he was satisfied they had learned enough, he flew away, but he always returns with a new trick or skill to share with human beings."

Everyone clapped when she was through.

"There is also a tale of how Raven Steals the Sun and brings many useful things to mankind." Lena continued. "Long ago, near the beginning of the world, Gray Eagle was the guardian of the Sun, Moon and Stars, of fresh water, and of fire. Gray Eagle hated people so much that he kept these things hidden. People lived in darkness, without fire and without fresh water.

Gray Eagle had a beautiful daughter, and Raven fell in love with her. In the beginning, Raven was a snow-white bird, and as such, he pleased Gray Eagle's daughter. She invited him to her father's longhouse.

When Raven saw the Sun, Moon and Stars, and fresh water hanging on the sides of Eagle's lodge, he knew what he should do. He watched for his chance to seize them when no one was looking. He stole all of them, and a brand of fire also, and flew out of the longhouse through the smoke hole. As soon as Raven got outside he hung the Sun up in the sky. It made so much light that he was able to fly far out to an island in the middle of the ocean. When the Sun set, he fastened the Moon up in the sky and hung the stars around in different places. By this new light he kept on flying, carrying with him the fresh water and the brand of fire he had stolen.

He flew back over the land. When he had reached the right place, he dropped all the water he had stolen. It fell to the ground and there became the source of all the fresh-water streams and lakes in the world. Then Raven flew on, holding the brand of fire in his bill. The smoke from the fire blew back over his white feathers and made them black. When his bill began to burn, he had to drop the firebrand. It struck rocks and hid itself within them. That is why, if you strike two stones together, sparks of fire will drop out.

Raven's feathers never became white again after they were blackened by the smoke from the firebrand. That is why Raven is now a black bird.

As you can see, Raven is both Creator and Trickster, and helps more than harms. There is no bird cleverer than a raven, or as mysterious. He can be both sarcastic and amusing, or annoying as hell.

"You all know Skullduggery, Professor Snape's familiar, and know both of his penchant for pranks and mimicry. But like every raven born, especially the Greater Tower Raven, he is also the Keeper of Mysteries and Secrets, and a Guide to the Underworld. He is a wise old bird, and if you ask respectfully, he may share his wisdom and knowledge of the old magic with you."

"Has he shared anything with you yet?" asked Harry.

"No, for I have not had time to ask," Lena admitted. "Perhaps when the library is fully functional, I shall. I am sure that he has plenty to share."

Draco snorted, for he still bore no love for the raven after being the butt of tricks.

"If any of you would like to read more about ravens in myths and legends, here is a book for you to borrow called Ravens in World Mythology." Lena Summoned a second book. "If you would like to borrow The Mabinogian as well, you may do so, but please treat this volume with utmost care, as it is very old and rare. You may also like Edgar Allen Poe, a famous American author, he was fascinated by ravens and wrote a famous poem entitled "The Raven". "

"Oh! I've read that one! It was very inspiring . . . and creepy. Thank you for sharing your stories with us, Lena." Hermione said, prompting the rest of her classmates, even sulky Draco, to do the same.

"You are most welcome. Perhaps you may come here every Wednesday and I can share some more stories with you, there are loads about Raven in both Muggle and wizarding tales, and other tales of magical cloaks and items you may be interested in."

All of them agreed to return next Wednesday, for all of them had a love of a well told tale in common.

Harry borrowed The Mabinogian, he had always enjoyed reading mythology, and to his everlasting shock, Malfoy borrowed the book on raven myths.

As they filed out of the library for lunch, Madam Pince hurried over to her niece wearing a knowing smirk and asked, "Lena, dear, are you fishing for potential initiates again? I'll admit, some of those children, especially Granger and Potter would do well as initiates. Even Weasley and Malfoy show potential. Though young Malfoy needs a major attitude adjustment."

"Perhaps, Aunt Irma." Lena said with an enigmatic smile. "Perhaps."