Odin-Vann cocked his head at Ralph’s question, as if surprised and bemused by it. “Well. You didn’t give me much of a chance, did you? You three chased me down and proved you were as quick and observant and bold as Petra said. I hadn’t yet made up my mind, but I suppose I have now. Whether I like it or not.”
“I lied to my dad today,” James said. There was both guilt and defiance in his voice. The words cost him something to say. He sank onto the arm of the sofa, his eyes still on Odin-Vann. “I’ve done loads of things for Petra. Faced demons from another world. Battled Salazar Slytherin in another time. Been cursed and frozen and threatened. But lying to my dad…” He shook his head and finally dropped his eyes.
“That was the hardest thing of all.”
“Your dad,” Odin-Vann mused, half to himself. “Harry Potter, yes? The man of myth and legend, of course. But most importantly, the current head of the Auror Department, chief of wizarding law enforcement.” He nodded at James soberly. “That must have been very difficult for you. But let me assure you, you did the right thing. The necessary thing. And I can promise you, were he in your shoes, knowing what you know, he would have done the same thing.”
“You know that, do you?” James said wearily, glancing up again.
Odin-Vann shrugged and gave a tiny smile. “I do. I’ve read Revalvier’s books. At least a dozen times, in fact.”
Rose spoke again, this time in a hushed voice. “You helped Petra make a Horcrux.”
Odin-Vann startled and turned to Rose, his eyes blinking rapidly. A flash of something like anger reddened his cheeks, and then he reconsidered and slumped to the bed, producing a loud squeak from its old springs.
“She didn’t really need my help. Not with the spellcasting. All she needed was my encouragement. And in that respect, I did indeed help. And why not? She’d already committed the murder. Justified and right as it may have been, it was still a murder. The blood has stained her ever since. There was no point in her not using it. You were there when she summoned the power, James, converting her dagger into a talisman of immortality. You saw and heard. Or am I mistaken?”
James shook his head. “She had to do it to protect herself. She has to live, no matter how many people want to kill her. She has to survive so she can replace the Crimson Thread and set everything right again.”
“Yes!” Odin-Vann hissed, pointing at James with enthusiasm.
“Nothing must stop her! The Horcrux isn’t to prolong her life for her own sake! It’s for the good of the world!”
James was taken slightly aback by the strength of the man’s words. He was nearly spitting with the force of them. For the first time, James wondered if there was something more than civic duty motivating the young professor. Was he, perhaps, secretly in love with Petra? He was several years older than her, and yet James knew very well that differences in age were of little consequence to the blind compulsion of love. A worm of jealousy moved deep inside him.
“But it doesn’t end there,” Ralph said, his eyes still narrowed at Odin-Vann, calculating, measuring him with something that almost looked like cautious suspicion. “It doesn’t end with the Horcrux. Does it?”
Odin-Vann shook his head, growing somber again. “No. I’m afraid it does not. And that’s why I was watching you.” He chewed his lips and drew a deep sigh through his nose. Finally, almost reluctantly, he went on, now speaking in a near whisper. “Petra won’t be able to accomplish her task on her own. She will need help. There are very few people she can call on. She’s already reached out to me, and there are two others she has mentioned. But she will need you as well. If you choose to help. She did not wish me to ask. But I’m asking anyway.”
A mixture of worry and anticipation brewed in James at Odin-Vann’s words. The reality of Petra’s plan took hold of him firmly. She would assume her role as the Crimson Thread from that other dimension, vanishing forever from her native destiny. He would never see or hear from her again. And against every passion and desire of his heart, he had to help her accomplish this task. He nodded slowly at Odin-Vann.
“We’ll help. We’ll do whatever we have to.”
“Good,” Odin-Vann said, restraining his excitement with some effort. “Because it won’t be easy. For some of us, it may be the hardest thing we ever do.” He eyed James as he said this, and James wondered if the professor knew. Probably he did. Petra may have told him, or she may not have. According to Rose, Albus, Scorpius, and even Zane, James’ love for Petra was as plain as the nose on his face.
Odin-Vann nodded again, quickly and resolutely. As he spoke, he climbed back to his feet. “So be it. I will summon you when the time comes. It won’t be easy, but I am trusting your cunning and resolve.”
“Who else did she reach out to?” It was Ralph who asked. He was still sitting on the couch, his head cocked, his eyes intent.
“I don’t think I am quite at liberty to say—”
“Zane,” Ralph interrupted. “It has to be. I’m right, aren’t I?”
Odin-Vann slumped impatiently. “If so, only in the past day.
She had considered it when last we spoke, but had not acted on it. The other person, she has been in correspondence with for several weeks.”
James wondered for a moment if the other person was him.
That couldn’t be it, though. He could connect to her via their shared thread, but it could hardly be said that she had corresponded with him.
The worm of jealousy in his heart fanned out and became a hooded snake. Who could it be? Why was it not him?
“So you see Petra regularly, then, eh?” Ralph asked, lifting his chin. “That’s a pretty keen interest for a bloke who knew her for exactly one year, and nearly a decade ago at that.”
“Ralph,” Rose asked from the corner of her mouth, leaning to nudge the boy as he glared at Odin-Vann. “Enough with the questions.
What’s wrong with you?”
“I’ve a keen interest,” Odin-Vann answered, standing straight and cooling his voice. “Because the fate of the magical world—indeed, all worlds—hangs in the balance. I would think that was obvious.”
“Ralph,” James muttered, reaching for the door latch and tugging it open behind him. “Let’s go, eh?”
“You say you didn’t know if we could be trusted,” Ralph said, standing now, but not moving toward the door. “And for good reason.
You’re right. There’s a whole world at stake. But what about you?
Petra may trust you, Professor. But that doesn’t mean we have to. Not yet, at least.”
James didn’t know whether he felt more proud of Ralph’s stubborn suspicion or mortified by it. Odin-Vann, for his part, merely met Ralph’s eyes, unflinching, but neither offering any defence or argument.
Rose tugged Ralph’s sleeve, pulling him toward the door. At first, James didn’t think Ralph was going to come. Then, finally, the big boy submitted, turning and following Rose and James from the room, offering no word in departure. As they filed into the hall, the wooden door clunked shut behind them.
“Way to go, Ralph,” James breathed, shaking his head as they strode back the way they’d come. “Insult the one grown-up who seems to be on Petra’s side.”