James Potter and the Curse of the Gatekeeper

When they were done, he took the letter back and reread it. Then, thoughtfully, he added:

        P.S. If you get bored, you could do me a little favor. Look up anything you can find about something called the Gatekeeper or the Sentinel of Worlds. It might be a bit hard to dig up, but I know you like figuring stuff out, and it'd be a great help to me. But don't say anything to anyone else about it. I promised to keep it a secret. Thanks.

         James finished writing, then quickly sealed both letters and stuffed them into his satchel. That afternoon, after their last classes, Rose and Ralph accompanied James to the Owlery. There, James attached the letters to Nobby's leg whilst Rose and Ralph stood near the door.

        'I'm glad I brought a cat,' Rose said, wrinkling her nose. 'This place is right rancid.'

        'Cats can't deliver post,' James replied.

        'Well, an owl can't snuggle up on your lap by the fireplace.'

        Ralph nodded. 'Or cough a hairball on your shoe.'

        Rose elbowed him. James finished attaching the letters to Nobby and stood back.

        'Take Mum and Dad's letter first, Nobby. Lucy might send some stuff back.'

        Nobby screeched agreement. He spread his wings, balanced on the perch for a moment, and then launched. James craned his head as Nobby thrust upward, past the ranks of his fellow owls, and disappeared through a window at the top of the Owlery.

        As the three students made their way back through the castle to dinner, James asked Rose pointedly, 'So how was your first Defence Against the Dark Arts class?'

        Rose pressed her lips together and hefted her satchel. 'He wouldn't let me run the Gauntlet.'

        Ralph glanced at her. 'Well, that's a good thing, right?'

        'No, Ralph, it isn't. The boys all had to run it. Debellows says girls are 'too delicate' for it. He set us up doing one-on-one drills with each other. None of the other girls take it seriously, either. It was a complete waste of time.'

        'I hadn't really noticed it,' James said, 'but now that you mention it, he doesn't have any girls run the Gauntlet in our class either.'

        'Or face the clockwork ogre,' Ralph added. 'That club may be padded, but it packs a wallop.'

        'You should be glad you're a girl, then, Rose,' James said fervently. 'It's your free pass out of that bruise factory.'

        Rose shook her head, annoyed. 'You're both completely missing the point! Girls aren't any less capable than boys. I bet I could beat most of you through the Gauntlet if I had a chance.'

        James stared incredulously at her. 'You want to go through that thing?'

        'Well,' she replied, hedging a bit, 'not really. I mean, it does look pretty brutal. But it's the principle of the matter.'

        Ralph shook his head. 'This is the first time in my life I wish I'd been born a girl.'

        'I'm going to write Mum and Dad about it,' Rose declared firmly. 'When Mum hears that…'

        Rose's voice trailed away as a cold push of air suddenly rippled her robes. James and Ralph felt it as well. The three stopped in the corridor, glancing around.

        James frowned. 'What was that?'

        Neither of the others responded. There didn't appear to be any obvious source of the breeze. There were no windows in this section of the castle. Closed doors lined the walls, lit by a series of lanterns hung on chains. As James looked, the lantern at the end of the corridor winked out. James nudged Ralph and pointed.

        Ralph's voice wavered. 'Was that already burnt out, or did it just—'

        The lantern next to it flickered and died, as if someone had blown the flame out.

        'Maybe it's just the wind,' Rose said uncertainly. 'Come on, let's—'

        Two more lanterns blinked out in quick succession. James glanced at Rose, then Ralph, his eyes wide. Suddenly, much stronger than before, a cold wind tore down the corridor, streaming through their robes and whipping their hair. It blew the rest of the lanterns out, throwing the corridor into murky darkness.

        'Look!' Rose cried breathlessly, her voice unnaturally high. James and Ralph followed her shaking, pointing hand. There was a figure moving down the corridor. It floated above the floor, its head lowered, obscuring the face. It drifted toward them swiftly and silently. James grabbed Ralph and Rose's sleeves, pulling them as he attempted to back away, but his legs felt frozen. The figure was moving too quickly. It was nearly upon them. Suddenly, just as it heaved directly in front of them, it raised its head.

        Ralph gasped. Rose uttered a little scream. James blinked.

        'Cedric?' he exclaimed, his heart pounding. 'What are you doing?!'

        The ghost of Cedric Diggory straightened and grinned at them. 'I've been practicing,' he said in his distant, ghostly voice.

        'Y-you know him?' Rose stammered, recovering a little.

        'Yeah, we know him,' Ralph replied. 'That wasn't right, Ced. What was that all about anyway?'

        Cedric looked taken aback. 'I'm the 'Specter of Silence'. I've been practicing over the summer, trying to create a little mystique. What, was it too much?'

        James nodded, his eyes wide. 'Yeah, I'd say it was a bit much! Can you, you know, fix the lights?'

        The ghost glanced back at the snuffed lanterns. 'Actually, they're a lot easier to put out than to relight. Hold on.'

        Cedric closed his eyes and screwed up his face. After a moment, two of the lanterns flickered back alight.

        'That's a bit better,' Rose sighed. 'But still. Don't do that again, all right? At least not to me.'

        Cedric smiled. 'You must be Hermione's daughter. You have her hair, although it's a bit redder.'

        'I prefer the term 'auburn',' Rose said. 'Anyway, yes. Nice to meet you, er, Cedric. I remember hearing about you. Care to accompany us to dinner?'

        Cedric looked thoughtful. 'I don't think so. It's not good for the mystique, hanging about in the Great Hall with everyone there.'

        'All the other ghosts do it,' Ralph commented. 'The Bloody Baron's down there nearly every meal, waving his sword around and teaching the first-years bad words.'

        'Yeah…,' Cedric agreed doubtfully. 'That's fine for him. He's been around since forever…'

        James narrowed his eyes. 'How many people have seen you, Cedric? I mean, not counting us?'

        The ghost floated nervously. 'Besides you? Er… does the portrait of Snape count?'

        James shook his head.

        'What about the Muggle intruder?'

        'No.'

        'Well,' Cedric admitted, 'that's pretty much it, then.'

        'Wait a minute,' Rose said, raising her hand. 'You're a shy ghost?'

        Cedric grimaced. 'Not 'shy'. I was never shy. I've just been… busy.'

        'Busy learning how to blow out lanterns and practicing being the 'Specter of Silence'?' James clarified,