Snap

Snap *

A flash of light illuminated the dark, grass field for a fraction of a second as a tall, brown haired girl took a picture of the fading sunset, which cast a dim screen of orange and red across the sky. Soon it would be gone and blindness would take over her eyes until they settle to the change of scene. The "Keep Out" sign didn't intrigue her, nor did the moldering ruins. The girl, named Crimson Throne, could not tell that such a magical place lay just before her light brown eyes, even though she was looking straight at it, all she could see was the slowly sinking sun behind the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

She sat down on the dry, yellow part of the grass and looked at her feet blankly as she thought, I would do anything to go back home, but I can't just leave now. I have to find grandpa if it's the last thing I do. What did he mean when he left when I was just a kid? BJ changed her position so that her slender arms were hugging her knees. He told me to find the key. I can't figure it out, it doesn't make sense. Key to what? I wish I knew where he was so I could ask him. Psh, that'd be stupid. If I knew where he was then I wouldn't be looking for him.

She looked up and the sun was peeking back at her from under the horizon. She sat, thinking for a while, until finally the last strip of sun vanished. The wispy clouds, however, kept the dark red glow, which would soon fade away also. The water reflected the underside of the clouds and gave an unusual site. Seizing the opportunity, BJ hoisted up her camera, dangling loosely around her neck, and held it up to her eye. Snap*. Another picture was taken. Satisfied, she pulled herself to her feet and started to walk towards the ruins. But as soon as she reached the "Keep Out" sign, she suddenly remembered an important thing she had to do. Obviously she wasn't sure what it was, being there wasn't really anything she had to do, but hurried off nonetheless in the opposite direction. Hogwarts was surrounded by tons of different spells to keep away muggles.

Crimson hurriedly made her way across the field and almost tripped on a mossy stone. It was so dark now that she could hardly see what was in front of her. She looked behind herself and saw the clouds disappearing into the sky. There wasn't a single sound that she could hear except the soft thumping of her feet and the occasional rustle of a tree.

Now passing the invisible Hagrid, the gamekeeper's hut, she found her way from which she came. Noticing the familiar path, she slowed her steady jog to a walk. Keeping a watchful eye, she put her hands behind her head and looked at her surroundings. The tall trees passed by, standing proud and gallantly, their shadows looking down on her as if asking for a challenge. The sky started to fill with bright, shiny stars one by one as the dim moon gleamed gaily upon them, welcoming their arrival. The stars winked at Crimson like they were granting her hope and joy during her journey that was awaiting her in the near, blurry future.

Crimson looked at the ground and tried to remember exactly where she was going and what the urgent thing she had to do was. Her feet moved in and out of her eyesight as she walked on. Do I have to go to a meeting? No, what kind of a meeting would I go to anyways. Maybe I forgot something. She stopped and knelt down on one knee, taking her backpack off of her right shoulder. After opening it, she took out random items such as film, clothes, and crackers. She laid them on the ground beside her and examined them. Satisfied, she stuffed them messily into the backpack once more. Nope, everything's there. Pulling it back onto her shoulder, she started her walk again. Oh well, whatever it is can wait.

Her camera, which she put inside her backpack when she checked it, was now bumping against her film, making a clinking noise. Oook, that could get annoying. For the second time, Crimson knelt down on her knee and started to unzip the backpack to rearrange her camera so that it wouldn't be so noisy, but before she was even halfway through unzipping it, she noticed a vinaceous, oval stone much resembling a golf ball. She re-zipped her backpack and started to reach for the unusual rock. Huh, that's interesting. As soon as her finger touched the stone, the forest disappeared and an overwhelming feeling overcame her. She felt as though something was jerking her forward. Her feet left the ground, finger still attached to the stone. Blazing wind and a mix of soft, swirling colors surrounded her, as if going through a tornado. Her backpack nearly slid off her shoulder. She twisted and turned in all sorts of directions, but her finger wouldn't leave the stone. Then suddenly it was all gone, and the next thing she knew she was lying on a cold, stone floor in the middle of a big room with doors and stairs. The oval stone fell next to her with a loud crack that echoed throughout the giant room and bounced off the wall back to her.

She looked around, panicking, trying to figure out where she was exactly. She stood, grabbing the backpack, which was also lying on the floor, by the shoulder strap. There were footsteps coming from one of the halls ahead of her and a soft meow/growl was joining along with them. Unfortunately, Mrs. Norris, Argus Filch's cat, heard the sound that came from the stone when it hit the floor. The dreadful cat was tempting Filch to see what "hooligan" was still roaming around the halls of Hogwarts. Crimson and them were a ways apart still. Realizing this, she jolted towards the back of the stairs, being careful not to make much sound with her feet. Remembering the stone, still lying in the same spot on the floor, she turned back and grabbed it so that it wouldn't be found. Running back to the stairs, she crouched down low inside the shadows. She wasn't going to take the chance of being caught in a place that she probably wasn't supposed to be.

Filch and Mrs. Norris, who was bouncing along side her master's feet keeping a watchful eye, was mere feet away from her. As they got closer, she scrunched herself up even tighter. Sweat started to build up in her rolled up hands. But the close footsteps stopped dead in their tracks. Filch was looking around himself, examining the shadows closely.

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard the footsteps go back the way they came from. Raspy mumblings came from Filch's mouth. A door closed. That was Crimson's sign that they were gone. She got out from underneath the stairs and looked up the long railing. She put her hand gently then tightly on it and slowly put one foot on a step, gripping the rail for dear life (who knows why) and made her way up the tall steps, looking at her feet almost the whole way.

When she reached the top, she looked back behind her and examined the room for herself from a higher viewpoint. She turned her head back, with kind of a shocked and confused expression on her face.

Looking to her left, she saw the door in which Filch and his sneaky companion were loathing around. Then, looking to her right, she saw a much wider door, giving it a look of importance. Using her good sense of direction, she tiptoed towards the door, her heart racing, but she was much calmer then before. She gripped the cold handle, not sure whether do turn it and reveal what lay behind, or to leave before she got herself in a tight spot. The handle cooled the sweat off her hands. Live young, take chances, and make stupid decisions. Reminding herself of this, she turned the handle slowly and creaked the door open. Surprisingly, it didn't make much noise at all.