pbutthinkofmalfoy’ssuggestiontheweekbeforeduringhisdebrief.heouldn’tfetthemomentmalfoyhadpulledahandkerhieffromhispoketandsliditarossthetable.“i’vesavedsomeoftheinquollisaniorpusleaves.”he’daddedratherominously,“shouldtheministryeverfindthemselvesinasimirlydiresituation.”

iarushadbeenshokedtofindoutthatmalfoyknewaboutoneofthedepartment’sbiggestandarguablybestkeptserets.onlysevenotherpeopleknewofit,andiarusstillhadn’tdisernedifmalfoyhadfigureditoutonhisownorifhe’dbeentoldforsomespeifireason.whenhe’dfinishedwithmalfoyandpotter,iarushadwalkedthecharm-sealedleavesofthepntinquestiontoaspeifishelfintheroomofthingsthatarefotten,misped,unused,andcertainlydon’texist.

he’dhadtopassseveraldozenrowsandquiteafewreognizableobjetsthatstoodoutamongthepilesofthegerous,theunwanted,andthebroken.heaughtsightofthemirroroferised,thecloakofdramatibillowing,thepensieveofbrokenmemories,butdeidedtoputwhatwasleftofthesoul-cathernearsomebitoffleshinajarhe’dlongsuspetedtobevoldemort’snose.

epilogue

“aswe’veseen,theursesareradiallydifferentfromeahotherbutretedinthattheyeahpertaintoaspeifigreekmythos.”hermionestaredatherwallofnotes.aftertwoweeksofwork,thousandsofpagesofagreektexts,hundredsofsrollsdepitingdifferentmyths,andfourveryhaughty,flirtatiousmembersofthegreianghostsoiety,hermionehadfiguredoutabsolutelynothingabouttheursesontainedwithinpandora’sbox.“merlin,”shesighedandolpsedintoanearbyarmhair.theroomwasbarrensaveforthergetablethatstoodlutteredwithbooks,parhments,takeawayboxes,andtheverymysteriousiteminquestion.

shestaredattheintriatesilverboxontheonferable.every