Over the course of the next few weeks, Jade's emotions were like a mixed up ice cream sundae, one of West's favorite metaphors (in her perspective, anything was improved if ice cream was involved). Most of her feelings were happy and proud- she had swum to the bottom of a lake and saved her friend, and life was pretty sweet. But there was a thin ribbon of anxiety running through, and terror about the next challenge peppering it throughout.

She, Alana, and West occupied their time by making trips to Hogsmeade, going to the library, consuming cake, and exploring the halls. The weather (it was April now) was thawing the world around them. All of the trees were budding in soft, beautiful colors. The lake was warm enough to touch now, and Alana spent long times swimming in it, even though it still made the others shiver. The sky was blue, and there was no longer a need for monstrously thick cloaks. Instead, during free periods, Alana, West, and Jade ran outside in the sunshine and warmth, playing tag in the dewy grass.

On this particular day, the whole house of Hufflepuff was playing a raucous game of magical Freeze Tag, which involved actual freezing for ten seconds. Everyone was shouting with laughter, even those who were currently in states of drippy, melting ice. Jade leaped over a beam of wand-light, but Alana landed on top of her trying to do a flip. The two giggled as they were frozen into a blob.

"Alana, you're crushing me!" Jade lifted her head and snickered as her friend accidentally squished her.

"Sorry," Alana said, not sounding sorry at all. "Can you move your bladder an inch or so to the right? That would be great, thanks."

The ice magically melted off of them, and Alana immediately ran away, leaving Jade to peel herself off the grass and get to her feet alone.

"Jade," West said, panting. She had just appeared next to the other girl's shoulder. "I have to tell you something really, really important."

"Yeah?" Jade's face automatically turned to concern.

West whipped out her wand. "I'm it!"

Jade shrieked and ran with her hands over her face, weaving around trees and jumping to avoid other people. West followed her, yelping as she tripped when her sneaker landed in a hole. Jade went to stick out her tongue- and landed in the lake when someone slammed into her with full force.

She was only underwater for a moment, but she opened her eyes. Deep beneath the murky water, sunbeams penetrated and revealed something rusty that shimmered in the light. Impulsively, she snatched it up before pushing herself up and out of the depths.

A few people were gathered around her, and for show, Jade spat a thin stream of water into the air and laughed. She slid the rusty object into her pocket, promising herself that she would investigate it later.

Draco leaned over and took her hand to pull her out. With a grin, Jade tugged on his hand and pulled him into the water. There was a loud splash and he landed beside her, his face red and his clothing soaked.

"What did you do that for?"

"I don't know. It was kind of funny," Jade said. She closed her eyes for a moment- and got hit in the face with cold water. When she opened her eyes, Draco was grinning at her, his hand still raised from splashing her.

"CANNONBALL!" West screamed before plunging into the water with a splash. She soaked everyone in the vicinity, who yelled and then splashed into the icy-cold water anyway. One thing to be said about these British magic students- they knew how to have a good time.

****************

That night in bed, Jade lit a candle and pulled the rusty object out from her drawer, where she had clandestinely stashed it before dinner. Her wand was on the dresser as well, and she moved it over the object.

"Tergeo," she whispered, and most of the rust and dirt was siphoned off. The object was a compass, she could clearly see. When she popped it open, it initially resisted, but the old mechanism eventually gave with a loud clicking noise.

The compass was shimmering inside, with all manner of strange rune symbols. When Jade looked at it out of the corner of her eye, she could see the symbols rearranging.

It wasn't too late at night, so Jade slipped on her favorite boots and raced out of the dormitory, trying to make it to the library in time. She crashed into the bushy-haired girl, Hermione Granger.

"Sorry," Jade panted, helping Hermione pick up her books.

"It's alright," Hermione said in her friendliest voice. "I understand a rush to the library. What are you looking for?"

Jade sat down on the library rug. "I found an object, and I need to figure out how to translate the runes on it."

Hermione gave her a funny look. "Don't you have Ancient Runes in America?"

"We do," Jade assured her. "I took it for all of two months before the headmaster switched me over to something else. Do you think you can help me?"

Hermione snorted. "Of course I can help. May I see the object, please?"

Jade handed her the compass. Hermione's eyes widened, but she quickly concealed her astonishment. "This is a Compass of Right. It will always lead you in the direction that is right. Not always the right direction, but the direction that is right."

Seeing Jade's confused expression, she continued. "Say you're in a maze of sorts. There are two paths ahead of you. One has a danger at the corner of it, but will lead directly to the center of the maze. The other path is safer, but will take much longer. The compass will lead you down the safer path if it thinks that you are not strong enough to pass the danger. Before its use, the compass must be imbued with an act of right, a hope of right, and a feeling of right, all of them unintentional. Otherwise, it will be unreadable."

"How do you know so much about this stuff?" Jade was awestruck, she wanted to hug Hermione.

"I read," Hermione laughed, and then gave Jade a smile before disappearing around the corner.