Snape's Secret: Chapter 2
Harry, Hermione and Ron were standing in the doorway of a large, brightly lighted room. It had maps of random passageways covering the walls and multiple tables covered with all kinds of drawing utensils from rulers to compasses.
"Where in the world are we?" asked Hermione as they stepped into the room squinting from the change of brightness.
"Good question!" answered Harry as he walked over to one of the maps on the wall.
"What would Snape want with maps of random tunnels and passageways?" pondered Hermione, "It's not like he's ever shown an interest in anything but potions and snagging the defense against the dark arts position!"
"Yeah…" said Harry in a half listening kind of way.
"Jeepers!" Ron exclaimed.
Harry and Hermione drew their wands simultaneously and rushed to where Ron was standing. No sooner then they arrived where he was standing did they lower their wands with a sigh of relief and exasperation.
"Ron!" moaned Hermione, "How can you scare us like that! And over a miniscule spider!"
"I can't help it!"Said Ron panting, "Those things flip the begeebers out of me!"
"Well next time don't scream like that," said Harry.
The three of them kept searching the room in silence, looking for something of which they did not know.
"Hey guys!" yelled Ron, "I think I've found something!"
Harry and Hermione ran to where Ron was standing to see what he had found.
"It's a door!" squealed Hermione in an excited voice, "We should try and open it!"
The door looked heavy. In the very center of it was an old brass knocker with a lion's head on the top. It had a matching knob which looked like an old, ornate, Corinthian column.
"Why do you think there's a knocker?" asked Ron confusedly, "I've always thought it was easier to just use your hand."
"Ron… people weren't as casual as they are these days… especially as casual as you! Besides, this door probably wasn't made to be put here. I'm sure it was taken from somewhere else. The knocker itself is not nearly as intriguing as the lion's head on the top. I wonder why it's there and where the door came from."
"What do think Harry?" asked Ron obviously looking for some backup.
"I think we should open it," said Harry, "who knows what's behind it!"
"Alright," said Hermione, "Here goes!"
Hermione pulled open the door and to her surprise there was yet another passageway.
"Well that's a disappointment!" said Ron, "There at least could have been something interesting!"
"This is interesting!" said Hermione, "What's more interesting than a tunnel, which we have no clue where it goes?"
"Snape wearing bejeweled pants with his name on the tag in the back," said Ron.
Harry began to laugh as Hermione told Ron off.
"Well… what are we waiting for!" asked Harry.
"An invitation!" said Ron, "That tells us to get the heck out of here before we get eaten by giant nine legged hairy spiders that have poison glands which shoot out poison that ties us up and hangs us upside down in mid air and we…"
"Shut it Ron!" yelled Hermione who looked quite shaken from Ron's graphic description, "One: I can guarantee that we aren't going to get an invitation and Two: Spiders only have eight legs."
"C'mon guys!" yelled Harry, "It's not like we can get lost in a straight tunnel!"
"True," mumbled Ron.
The three of them began walking into the tunnel and no sooner then they shouted Lumos, they came upon a fork in the tunnel.
"So much for your "straight" tunnel Harry!" said Hermione.
"Which way are we gonna go?" asked Ron.
"Well…" began Hermione, "Splitting up is out of the question and none of us have any clue as to where either tunnel leads so Harry… you should make the decision!"
Harry stared at her slightly suspiciously and finally spoke, "Well… eany-meany-miney- toe tells me to go right so I guess we'll go that way!"
"I thought it was eany-meany-miney-moe!" said Ron.
"Does it matter, Ron?" said Harry.
"Well… not really… I guess," said Ron.
"Are you two done with your outlandishly childish discussion?" asked Hermione who by this time was quite annoyed.
Harry sighed and said, "The right it is!" and the three continued onward into the dark depths of the musty tunnel.
"I wonder what this place actually is?" asked Hermione.
"And where it's leading us!" added Harry.
"Those maps back in the room were very interesting!" said Hermione, "I don't have any idea what they were a map of or who created them. All they seemed to be were bits of a map of a maze like you get on those kids menus at restaurants and…"
"Hermione, that's it!" exclaimed Harry in a tone of understanding.
The others looked bewildered at being unable to understand.
"This is a maze," began Harry taking a deep breath, "All those maps back in that room were different sections of a maze… this maze.
"Oh my goodness Harry!" started Hermione, "I think you're right! I can't believe that I didn't think about that!
"Why can't I be the one to outsmart Hermione!" moaned Ron in an almost inaudible voice.
"There is only one problem," said Harry, "We don't have the map and we've already taken so many turns subconsciously there's no way we're going to be able to find are way back or out!"
"Good point," said Hermione, "Why didn't I take the maps with me! I thought about it but then I decided against it because I thought we were only walking into tunnel! Ugh! How can I ever forgive myself?"
"Well," said Ron, "There isn't much we can do besides embrace the challenge and plunge ahead!"
"You're right," said Hermione, "We could at least stop and try to make a plan or something,"
"Alright," said Harry, "I think we should all stick together… the last thing we need is us getting separated! I don't know anything about mazes… especially this one… and since we have no knowledge of what this place is or who created it I think we should just keep walking."
"Ok then… If you remember those maps back in the room they were all of almost a grid-like appearance. We at least know that this maze is not a circle," said Hermione.
"But guys!" started Ron, "How will we ever find our way out if we have no clue where we're going?"
"That's the thing Ron… we have no clue what we will encounter or where we are," said Hermione.
"Wait!" said Harry, "I have an idea!"
