The Last Heir of Merlin

Come September 18th, Jake had already known it was Hermione's birthday tomorrow. He hadn't known it was her Birthday last year, so he wanted to get her something this year. He just wasn't sure what she would want. Maybe she didn't want a whole lot, or anything at all, but she was his best friend, and he was going to get her something, even if it was small.

Classes had just ended and it was essentially the weekend for Students, some of them immediately ignoring the homework set out for them by their teachers, but Jake and Hermione weren't like that. They got to work immediately to get it done before the weekend ended.

Jake, however, was not as keen on working swiftly this time, mainly because his thoughts were plagued with getting a gift for Hermione. He knew she loved books, but he wanted to be original with it, instead of just getting her a new book every year, even though she would probably like it anyway.

There was one thing he thought of doing, and that was going to Professor McGonagall and asking to use her fireplace to go to Diagon Alley, but he doubted she would approve of that idea.

He decided on what he was going to do. He stood up and went over to where Harry was sitting, "Harry, can I borrow Hedwig for a flight?" He asked in a whisper.

"Sure, but can I ask why?" Harry was looking up at him from the chessboard where he was losing to Ron.

"Tomorrow is Hermione's Birthday, and I need something overnighted to arrive for her at Breakfast tomorrow. So is it okay?" He asked, really wanting to use Hedwig as she was reliable.

"You can, I'm not sure what kind of mood she will be in, but by all means," Harry smiled before going back to the chessboard, contemplating his next move.

Jake turned back to Hermione and walked over to her, "Hey, I know dinner time is close, but I have to go take care of something real quick."

"Okay," she looked up at him, smiled, and went back to her Charms homework for the last couple of minutes before dinner started.

He ran up to his dorm room, grabbed a slip of paper from his trunk and made it back down the stairs to see everyone packing up to leave for the next hour. He hurried out of the Common Room before anyone else could and he ran, until he got called out by a Prefect and started walking, to the Owlery. He hurried up the stairs and found Hedwig, "Hey, Hedwig, I know it's late, but can I ask you for a favor?" He asked and she was looking at him, seemingly awaiting him to stop talking, "Tomorrow is Hermione's birthday, and I have what I want to get her on this mail-order slip. I was wondering if you could take it and get it here by the time the mail arrives tomorrow morning? I'm only asking you because I trust you to be the most reliable Owl in here." She tilted her head a bit, seeming to ask if there was anything else he could say to flatter her, "When you arrive, you can have whatever is on my plate at Breakfast tomorrow, okay? Better yet, I'll fill a plate just for you, okay?" It seemed to work because Hedwig held out her leg and he attached the paper to her, "Thank you Hedwig, you really are the best Owl in here."

She spread out her wings and took off. Jake hurried down to dinner, hearing his stomach grumble some as he did. No one paid him any mind as they had no reason to when he walked in. He went and sat down next to Hermione, "Hey, what did you have to do?"

"You'll find out," was all he said and went to filling his plate with food.

"What does that mean?" She asked further.

"Not telling," he smirked at her, which caused a glare to appear on her face. He just shrugged and started to eat.

After dinner, everyone returned to their respective House and when they got back to Gryffindor Tower, Hermione and Jake both sat back down to continue working on homework. Ron said that they were the most boring people in Gryffindor, but Hermione just shrugged, "At least we won't be rushing to finish at the last minute," she said matter-of-factly.

It was now late into the night and Jake was able to get done pretty quickly compared to Hermione, who got it done a couple of minutes later. She found it to be sus, so she quickly looked over his work after requesting to do so and she found nothing wrong with it. She set it down gently, looking at it as she did. She said nothing else and turned in for the night, telling him she'd see him in the morning.

He felt like he did something wrong when she did that. He went up to his own bed and hoped that all was better tomorrow.

*******

In the morning, Jake was the first one out of bed, as usual, but he found that he didn't beat Hermione down to the Common Room this time, "Morning," he said cheerfully to her.

"Morning," she glanced at him before returning to her book.

"Hermione?" He called her name and she looked at him, "Did I do something wrong yesterday?"

"No... no of course not... it's my mum and dad... they said they'd mail me... never mind, it's silly..." she looked back down at her book.

"It's not silly. Maybe this will make you feel better... Happy Birthday, Hermione," she looked at him in shock.

"How did you know it was my birthday today?" She asked slowly.

"I asked your parents when we were all at Diagon Alley last month," he shrugged nonchalantly.

She smiled at him, "Well... that's sweet of you." She stood up and walked over to him. She stopped for a moment before just going for it and hugging him, "Thank you."

She was surprised when he didn't tense up that time. He hugged her back, "You're welcome."

When she pulled back from the hug and released him, she stepped back, "You didn't tense up that time," she pointed out.

"I've come to accept the embraces from you, that's why. I feel comfortable around you, Hermione," he said and she felt her cheeks reddening a little.

"I-I'm glad..." she didn't really know what else to say.

"Shall we go to breakfast?" He offered and she nodded, marking her place in her book and taking it with her. They made it down before most others and Jake had brought down with him his Herbology book to do a bit of reading on the Tentacula. He knew it hated him, but he wanted to know why.

A while later during breakfast, Harry and Ron both made it down and sat across from them, "You both going to be doing more homework today?" Ron asked them.

"No, I had planned to, but I'm going to take the day off," she said without telling them why.

"Hermione, are you feeling okay?" Harry asked her.

"I feel normal, why?" She looked up from her book.

"You never skip doing homework, unless you absolutely have to..." Ron said, stopping the piling of food on his plate to look at her.

"Well, it's just for the one day," she shrugged.

Harry noticed that Jake kept looking up for the Owl Post to arrive. A few minutes later, it did show up and he was all smiles. Harry looked up and saw Hedwig fly in. She was carrying a small package and she hovered for a moment in front of Hermione, dropping the small package where it wouldn't hit anything. She then landed in front of Jake, who pushed a plate towards her that wasn't his, or anyone's that Harry saw.

"What's this?" She looked over at Jake who glanced over at her from watching Hedwig eat.

"Open it and find out," he smiled at her.

She did just that and gasped upon opening the box, "Jake... you... why... this... wh-wha..." anyone nearby was now looking their way

"I think you completely broke her," Ron commented.

"Do you like it?" He asked her, hoping she wasn't wishing he hadn't gotten it for her.

"Jake... you didn't have to get me anything... especially something like this," she said, pulling out a Silver Teardrop Necklace with a thin Silvery thread and a Marquise Cut Emerald Gemstone set in the center.

"I wanted to. I missed your birthday last year, so I hope this is worth two birthdays, Hermione," he said.

She turned to him and embraced him, tears falling down her face. Several students from the other House tables looked on in amusement. She pulled back after a moment and handed it to him, "Could you attach this around my neck, please?"

"Of course," he took the necklace and tied it around her neck.

For the entire day, Hermione was the most blissful Jake had ever seen her.

*******

With October came a hype only a few people ever truly appreciated. Halloween, Skeletons, Scary Creatures, Scary Movies; Muggles got to enjoy a lot of things in the month of October that was as of now looked at as odd and bizarre to be done outside the month of spookiness.

For Wizardkind, the scares were still there, the skeletons, Halloween, but the main thing to look forward to at Hogwarts was the Halloween Feast that came on October Thirty-First, every year. This year, however, a damp chill spread over the grounds and into the Castle. It kept Madam Pomfrey, the school nurse, busy because of a sudden rise in colds among the students and staff. Her Pepperup Potions worked instantly, though it did leave the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterwards.

One Ginger-haired Gryffindor student, Ginny Weasley, was bullied into taking some by her older brother, Percy. She had been looking pale and was told to go to Madam Pomfrey, but Jake had noticed that she was starting to look pale by the end of September, before the Cold Cases rose. It was amusing, though, after she did take the potion, because the steam that came out of her ears and up from under her vivid hair gave everyone the impression that her whole head was on fire.

Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake actually rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's Pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds, which was impressive, for sure.

Jake's broom had ended up arriving a week late, which irked him greatly. He asked Harry if he could borrow his Nimbus for the tryout, since they would have essentially the same Broom, just his was going to be brand new. He had read in the catalogue he bought his Nimbus in, that next year in May, they were coming out with a new model for competitive consumer purchase, the Firebolt. If Jake could've waited, he would've just bought that.

He thankfully did make the team with ease, since he was unopposed, but his skill at chasing after the Snitch once it was released was unparalleled. At least, when it was just him. He would make sure to keep his skills up, but his studies came first, and he made sure Oliver understood that. And to be sure that Oliver did, he went to Professor McGonagall and asked her to make sure Wood understood.

He did join them for a practice session and noticed that Katie Bell was being a bit more friendly towards him than usual. He immediately regretted going to the practice session, but not because of Katie. The training took place out in the rain, and it was storming, to add to the danger. He ducked out a bit early in the cover of darkness as he had homework he needed to get done.

This was one time he was thankful to know a Fourth Year spell. He'd overheard some older Gryffindor talking about it and how useful they found it to be. He hadn't cast it yet, but he remembered the incantation. He aimed his wand at his muddy shoes and said, " Scourgify ," and to his satisfaction, it worked on his first try. He half expected it to work and half not; because of his natural magical talent, it wasn't a surprise, but because of the advanced level it was considered, he was rather surprised. He then quickly Scourgified his clothes.

With a smile on his face, he walked up to Gryffindor Tower, walking at a faster pace than usual. When he arrived in the Common Room, Hermione was there, working on a paper, probably their Potions paper Snape assigned them. He walked up to her, "Busy as ever?"

"Yeah, did practice end already?" She asked him, noticing how tired he looked. He smiled when he saw the necklace around her neck.

"No, I cut it short, it should end in about an hour. I'm gonna go shower, then I'll be back down to get my homework done too," he said, disappearing up the Boy's staircase.

Hermione watched him leave. She sighed and turned back to her homework. She needed to give it a rest; her yearning for her best friend was proving unhealthy and she needed to stop and focus on what was important. That being her studies and helping her friends where she can, when she can.

He came back down a little later, in warm lounge clothing because of how cold it was, even with a fire going in the Common Room. He sat down across from her and got his own Potions stuff out to start his paper.

They worked in comfortable silence for a couple of hours when Harry finally showed back up, looking completely exhausted. He bypassed them entirely and went straight to shower and then sleep. It was an hour after he showed up when Hermione and Jake finally went to bed.

*******

The next morning, Harry had mentioned something that sounded intriguing, "A Death Day party?" Hermione asked Harry keenly as they sat alone at the Breakfast table with Jake and Ron. This was their last day of no classes before the new week started, and the rain was still pounding the windows and the morning was bleak from it being darker than usual from the storm clouds overhead. "I bet not many living people can say they've been to one of those... I'm sure it will be fascinating!"

"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" Ron asked. He was grumpy because Hermione was making him do homework while he ate, and he wasn't pleased, "It sounds dead depressing to me..."

"I'm more concerned with when it falls. We'll be missing the Halloween Feast. Is that really worth sacrificing just to say you've been to a Death Day party?" Jake asked.

"That's another thing, why are we going there instead of the Feast?" Ron expanded on Jake's point.

"Because I promised Nick we'd go," Harry said.

"I'm pretty sure you promised him you would go, I don't have to go," Jake said in defiance.

"Oh, come on, Jake, it'll be fun!" Hermione said, practically begging him.

"No," he was still defiant, but when he looked at her face, his defiant nature crumbled, "Oh for the love of... fine, fine I'll go..."

"I'll go too, if I can work on this later tonight," Ron said, motioning to his homework.

Hermione frowned, but relented, "Fine... but you better get it done later, Ronald!"

A little ways down the table, Fred and George had been doing something, but it wasn't easy to tell what. Jake looked and squinted to try and figure it out. They had a Filibuster and some kind of Salamander, and they stuck the firework inside it. When the smoke was seen rising from the Salamander, people began to crowd around them to get a closer look.

Harry looked like he was about to say something, but when the Salamander suddenly whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly around the Great Hall.

The spectacular display of chaos brought Professor McGonagall over and reprimanding them with Twenty Points being taken from Gryffindor. Dumbledore could be seen having a laugh, and Jake completely forgot about Harry, and likewise, Harry forgot to say whatever he planned to.

*******

By the time Halloween arrived, Harry had voiced his regret at agreeing to go to the Death Day party, "A promise is a promise," Hermione reminded him bossily, "you said you would go, so you have to go."

The rest of the school was happily anticipating the Halloween feast; the Great Hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast pumpkins were carved into lanterns with enough room to have three men sit inside, and there were rumors that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for entertainment this year.

Jake more than anything wanted to see the dancing skeletons, but he was stuck going to a Death Day party. He voiced his discontent several times, but he had promised Hermione he'd go, which she reminded him of several times.

Once Seven o'clock neared, the four of them walked straight past the entrance to the Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and they directed their steps instead towards the dungeons. The Passageway that led to Nearly Headless Nick's party had been lined with candles, just like the Great Hall. These candles, however, were far from giving off a cheerful vibe. They were long, thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light, even over their own living faces. If it weren't so cold down in the dungeons, Jake would think they were actually pretty sweet. It didn't take long for a sound to enter their ears; it was like nails on a chalkboard, a thousand nails, but with the rhythm it seemed to have, it gave off an eerie feeling of someone thinking it to be music.

"Is that supposed to be music ?" Ron asked in a whisper. They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes.

"My dear friends," he said mournfully, "Welcome... welcome... so pleased you could come..." He said, sweeping off his plumed hat and bowing them inside, his head flinging about as he did.

Jake had to admit that it was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent ghosts, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering and maddening sound of thirty musical saws, played by an orchestra on a raised, black-draped platform, "The color black must be popular among dead people," Jake whispered and Hermione smacked his shoulder lightly. A chandelier overhead blazed midnight-blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist before them; it was like stepping into a freezer.

"Shall we have a look around?" Harry suggested, shifting his feet back and forth slightly.

"Just be careful not to walk through anyone... it's a spine-chilling feeling," Ron said as a warning, and they nervously set off around the edge of the dance floor. They passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains and silently saying that 'it wasn't him' on repeat. They also passed the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead.

"Do you ever just want to ask a ghost with an obvious cause of death just exactly how it happened? Would that be considered rude?" Jake asked them.

"I don't know, but don't go around asking these ghosts how they died, or we may be driven out of here," Hermione informed him and he sighed.

Jake caught sight of the Slytherin House ghost, the Bloody Baron, and saw that he was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts. If anything, Jake could say with confidence that the Bloody Baron was the coolest looking Ghost he'd seen so far.

"Oh, no," Hermione said, stopping abruptly and causing Jake to run into her, "Turn back, turn back!" She said in a hurried whisper, "I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle-"

"Who?" Harry asked as they all backtracked quickly and quietly.

"She haunts one of the toilets in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," Hermione informed them.

"She haunts a toilet ?" Ron asked in near shock.

"Yes, it's been out-of-order all year because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place. I never went in there anyway if I could avoid it; it's awful trying to use the loo with her wailing at you-"

"Look, food!" Ron yelled, cutting Hermione off.

On the other side of the dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. As they approached it, eager to get some food in their bellies, they stopped in their tracks, utterly horrified at what they saw. The smell was also quite disgusting, but the sight of the food made them all turn away, even Jake who could usually stomach something like this. Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters; cakes, burned charcoal-black, were heaped on salvers; there was a great maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in fuzzy green mold and, in pride of place, an enormous gray cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar-like icing forming the words,

Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington

Died 31st October, 1492

Jake was amused when they saw a portly ghost approach the table, crouched low, and walked through all of the food, his mouth held wide so that it passed through as much food as he could reach.

"Are you able to taste it if you walk through it?" Harry had asked him.

"Almost," the ghost said with a depressing sigh, drifting away slowly.

"I expect they've let it rot to give it a stronger flavor," Hermione said knowledgeably, pinching her nose and leaning closer to look at the putrid haggis.

Jake was actually brave enough to try and get a whiff of it again, and to his complete shock, it only smelled mildly vomit-inducing. Hermione, Harry, and Ron were all looking at him like he'd just willingly let himself get bifurcated, "What?"

"Can we move?" Ron asked, holding fingers up to his mouth, "I feel sick..."

They had barely turned to move away from the table when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and came to a halt in midair before them. "Hello, Peeves," Harry said cautiously.

Unlike the other ghosts, Peeves the Poltergeist was their polar opposite in terms of color. He was wearing a bright orange party hat, a revolving bow-tie, and a broad grin on his wide, wicked face. "Nibbles?" He asked sweetly, offering them fungus covered peanuts.

"No thanks, Peeves, I think I had my fill with the haggis back there," Jake said in a droll tone.

"Heard you talking about poor Myrtle," he said, his eyes dancing dangerously, " Rude you was about poor Myrtle." His grin widened even further as he took a deep breath and bellowed, "OH MYRTLE! MYRTLE!"

"Oh, no, Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset," Hermione whispered frantically, but the Poltergeist didn't seem to hear her, "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her - er, hello, Myrtle."

The squat ghost of a girl had glided over. She had the gloomiest, saddest face Jake had ever seen. Half of it was hidden behind lank hair and thick, pearly spectacles, "What?" She asked sulkily.

"How are you, Myrtle?" Hermione said in a falsely bright voice, "It's nice to see you out of the toilet."

All Myrtle did was sniffle, "Miss Granger here was just talking about you..." Peeves said slyly in her ear.

"Just saying - saying - how nice you look tonight," Hermione said, glaring over at Peeves.

"You're making fun of me," Myrtle said, silver tears welling rapidly in her small, see-through eyes.

"Of course not," Jake said, surprising all four of them. Myrtle was surprised, though, to hear him speaking in an American accent. "I was honestly just thinking to myself how lovely you look this evening, and I mean everything I say," he said in an effort to cheer her up.

It worked, maybe too well, as Myrtle suddenly glided up in front of him, "You don't sound like everyone else," Myrtle said in a normal voice, "where are you from?"

"I'm from the United States. Is it rude to ask where you were from before you died?"

"I was born in... in..." she seemed to be having a hard time remembering, "I believe it was Wessex? That sounds right." She seemed oddly bashful all of a sudden.

"Well it was very nice talking with you, Myrtle, but we have to go and acquaint ourselves with the other ghosts, okay?" Jake said with a smile.

"Okay," she said and because her back was to the others, only he saw her wink. She floated away, seemingly to be in a blissful mood.

Hermione noticed his pink tinged cheeks, even in the dim light from the candles, "What did she do?"

"She just winked at me... I was just trying to be nice..." he said, looking at Hermione like he just messed up.

"It doesn't always pay to be nice..."

"Enjoying yourselves?" Nick asked as he drifted toward them through the crowd.

"Of course!" They all lied.

"Not a bad turnout," he said proudly, "The Wailing Widow came all the way up from Kent... It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go warn the orchestra..."

Before he could make his way over there, the orchestra stopped playing at that very moment. Jake was whispering 'thank you' several times because of this. The orchestra, and everyone else in the dungeon fell silent, looking around in excitement as a hunting horn sounded off, getting closer and closer.

"Oh... here we go..." Nick said bitterly.

Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen or so ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly clapped wildly. Jake was clapping modestly at the display. He looked over and saw Nick's face, it was an unpleasant look.

The Horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging. At the front of the pack was a large ghost who held his bearded head under his arm, from which position he was blowing the horn. The ghost leapt down, lifted his head high into the air so he could see over the crowd, which caused everyone to laugh, and he strode over to Nearly Headless Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck, "Nick!" He roared jovially, "How are you? Head still hanging in there?" He gave a hearty guffaw and clapped Nick on the shoulder. Jake had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing audibly enough where Nick could hear him.

"Welcome, Patrick," Nick said stiffly.

"Live 'uns!" Sir Patrick said, spotting Harry, Ron, Jake, and Hermione and giving a huge, fake jump of astonishment, so that his head fell off again, causing the crowd to howl with laughter.

"Very amusing," Nick said darkly.

"Don't mind Nick!" Shouted Sir Patrick's head from the floor, "He's still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say - look at the fellow!"

"I think," Harry said abruptly, causing Jake to look at him, "Nick's very - frightening and - er-"

"Ha!" Sir Patrick yelled, "Bet he asked you to say that, didn't he?"

"If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" Nick yelled, striding towards the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight.

"Let's go," Jake said, "my stomach is grumbling something awful. If we hurry, we can get some dessert before it's all gone!"

"My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow-" but no one heard much more after that. Sir Patrick and the rest of the Headless Hunt had just started a game of Head Hockey and the crowd was turning to watch that instead.

Nick tried in vain to get the crowd back to him, but gave up and floated off, "Yeah, I agree with Jake, let's just go," Hermione said and they quickly hurried out of there.

"Pudding might not be finished yet..." Ron said, his hope waning with every step they took. He was leading the way when Harry stopped suddenly, like he was straining to listen to something. He clutched the stone wall, "Harry, what're you-"

"It's that voice again - shut up a minute..." Harry said to them.

"What voice?" Jake whispered to Hermione, but she just shrugged.

"Listen!" Harry said urgently to them. Jake strained to see if he could hear what Harry was hearing, but try as he might, no such luck. What he did hear was the faintest sound of what sounded like pipes rattling. He didn't bring this up to his friends, though, as Harry yelled again, "This way!" And he began to run up the stairs and into the Entrance Hall. He then sprinted up the marble staircase to the First Floor, with the other three clattering behind him, thinking he'd gone completely bonkers.

"Harry, what're we-" Hermione started to ask.

"SHH!" Harry shushed her. "It's going to kill someone!" He shouted, ignoring the bewildered faces of his three friends. Jake, Hermione, and Ron all chased after him up the next flight of stairs, making great strides, Jake might point out if asked.

It was a little while of running, with Ron and Hermione being out of shape and panting when they came to a stopped Harry. Jake was breathing a little raggedly, but he was in more shape than his three friends, "Harry, what was that all about?" Ron asked, wiping sweat off his face, "I couldn't hear anything..."

Hermione suddenly gasped, pointing down the corridor, " Look !"

Something was shining on the wall ahead of them. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Words that were three feet off the ground had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flame torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.