I push open the door to the Room of Requirement for the second time. The first time I opened it, Ace and I had our little secret rendezvous, the one where we kissed for the first time. With the enchanted book in hand, we all slip in the room. In the middle of the room, a big round table is already set up for us. I walk towards the table and plop it down, turning its pages to the amulet's section. “So, what's the big plan that you've got?” Traci hops onto the table and crosses her legs, turning towards the book to read it. Ace stands next to me and hunches over the table, turning his head towards me and Traci while he speaks, “I'll write an owl and send it to my mother. In the letter, I'll tell her some fake crap like I changed my mind and I want back in on her plan. Since she's in Hogsmeade, I'll ask her to meet me in the Shrieking Shack tonight. You two wait and hide outside behind a bush. When it's time, Traci casts the Full Body-Bind Curse on Cordelia and runs for help. Anastasia, you then grab the amulet and I'll cast the spell on the amulet, restoring your magic and anyone else's magic she stole from.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Traci nods her head in agreement, while I stay silent. Ace looks at me, “Anastasia, I know it might be a lame plan, but it's the only plan we've got.” I can't believe this is happening, but what else could we do? I say the only thing I can muster, “Alright, let's do this.” This is going to be a disaster! But what if we succeed? Thoughts go around and around my head. Suddenly, Traci snaps me back to reality, “What about the book? We can't exactly go back to the library and beg for forgiveness for entering the Restricted Section.” I look at Ace who quickly responds to her question. “It's probably best to leave it in this room. No one who is looking for this exact book will ever think to come here.” Traci jumps off of the table and straightens up her pants. “Alright then. I'm going to go and get ready for tonight. I've got to change into a cute outfit because this one's so last Quidditch match worthy.” I roll my eyes as she walks off.

Ace closes the book, picks me up, and hops me onto the table. His hands are on either side of me leaning on the table, supporting his weight as he comes closer to me. “You remember the first night we kissed?” He leans in closer, his lips close to mine. He's doing this now? At a time like this? Although my head is screaming to prepare for tonight, my heart says otherwise. “Oh yes, I remember. The place's name starts with an R and ends with an T, three words.” He chuckles slightly and kisses me. I kiss back with my heart racing fast and my mind going blank. “Keep your eyes closed.” I nod my head as I close my eyes, still kissing him. I hear his hand pick up the book behind me and throw it in the air. The ruffles of the pages flutters slightly past my ear and then silence. I should have heard a thump, indicating the book is on the floor. Ace breaks the kiss and whispers in my ear, “It's okay Anastasia, the book will never be found now. Not even us know where it is.” I nod my head, agreeing with him. Ace kisses my forehead and slips me off of the table. He grabs my hand as my feet touch the floor and he takes a few steps backwards. He smiles at me as he leads me towards the door. “Let's go write that letter.”

I lean against the wall near the Slytherin Common Room hallway. Ace needed to go grab some parchment and a quill for the letter, and because I'm not in Slytherin, I can't go in. Some third years with their friends go in and out of the Common Room, passing me by as they go. Ace comes into view and flicks his head to follow him to the Owlery, so I do. Luckily, there's no one in the Owlery today, so we get to be here alone. I sit down on a step leading upwards to more owls, while Ace leans against an open window sill. As he writes, a few owls fly down to greet me and I pet each of them gently on their heads. I love owls. Being a Muggle-Born, I only knew that they are creatures that are believed to be a symbol of wisdom. Until I received my Hogwarts letter when I was eleven, then everything I knew about the world changed. The owls give my arm one last cuddle and I watch them as they fly gently and silently upwards back to their nests.

“It's done. You read it.” Ace hands me the handwritten letter and sits down next to me. In black cursive, it reads:

Mother,

I get why you did what you did now. You're right. I shouldn't have let my feelings for her get in the way of the plan. I was wrong to turn on you when I should have stayed with you. I know you have her magic and the amulet, but I'm hoping it's not too late to let me be by your side. Father would have wanted me to be your protector, so will you let me fulfill his dying wish? Meet me in the Shrieking Shack. Tonight. No body guards necessary, I will be your right hand man going forward. It's time to leave Hogwarts and return to Durmstrang, where I belong.

– Ace

The letter hurt, even though I know it's fake. “If it hurts so much, it must be good enough to convince Cordelia. I hope she falls for it.” Ace wraps his arms around me, pulling me into him. “It will work, it has to. I told you I will protect you every step of the way. She will not harm you again. I won't let her.” That soothed my nerves. Ace rolls up the letter and his owl flies over to us. He ties the letter to the owl's foot and looks at it. “Take this to my mother please. Don't let her intimidate you, come straight back before she can reply with a letter of her own.” Ace and I watch the owl fly out of the open window as he leans me close to him, positioning me into a bear bug. I hope the letter will be enough to trick Cordelia to show up tonight. If she figures out that he tricked her before tonight, she may be coming for Ace's magic next. There's nothing I can do now but wait.