Walls

Rated Pg-13 for adult themes

Hogwarts is known for its vibrant teachers, its magical paintings and large quidditch pitch. But many of our students fail to see the simple pleasures in our life here" Albus said while looking out at the pale moon. "It's beautiful, is it not? Ah, I forget Professor; she must not be as beautiful to you as she is to me"

A large wolf howled back at the old man, then looked at him. The wolf's yellow eyes looked strangely human.

" I like to walk the hallways at night. The halls in the dungeons, where no light can surface, and all you go by is what you feel and smell. Smell of rotting flesh that still lingers in the air. It gets stronger as you twist and turn down the maze-like vestibules. You could lose your way down there, could fall off and die…" Albus sighed and smiled, eyes twinkling in the moonlight.  "They tower above you, ten, maybe fifteen, feet above the highest point your hand can reach. Cracks up and down the irregular barricades that separate you from the former cages of the Basilisks that Salazar breed." Albus sipped his tea. "They never found all of them you know." He said with a gleam and a half smile. The wolf barked. "Ah yes, I suppose that one was the last of them eh?" Albus answered the docile creature. "And the feel of those walls, icy, damp, uneven objects that guide you through the dungeons. Screams of pain and fresh blood are forever imbedded. In all my years I've never seen the ceilings of those cursed hallways. I've seen many a ghosts who did not want to be found as well. Sadly, none over the age of 12…" Albus' gleam slowly faded away.

"They had there own way of dealing with muggle-born Slytherins back then. The sorting hat learned quickly, with all the bodies turning up…" Albus paused, "Yes, the children walk sadly to there classes tomorrow, dreading potions. They will complain of the horrid smell of a rotting something they just can't place. Little do they know that what the walk next to is dangerous. For after the sun goes down and no light is left, the walls would come alive. Hands of stone grabbing to reach for young children, smelling them to see if they were unclean, and then…nothing. The problem was dealt with many years ago. But we never got them all…" The wolf was about to bark, but stopped. There was no gleam in his eye, only sadness and worry. "…Never all, there are some still watching, and waiting…"