Chapter 3 – Staircase Issues

"GODRIC!" Salazar's voice boomed out with the help of the sonorus spell.

"Give us a warning next time, would you?" Helga scolded as she removed her hands from her ears.

"He's not answering," Rowena said, the first hint of worry starting to creep into her voice.

"Where was he last seen?" asked Helga, concern evident in her tone as well.

"He was at the base of the tower," Rowena called back; she was already part way there.

Godric was nowhere in sight. They called out repeatedly for him but there was no answering reply.

"He'll be all right," Salazar assured them, though Rowena privately thought he didn't sound so sure himself. Godric was his best friend and they had known each other as long as she and Helga had. They'd always been there for each other and were as close as any brothers. If he could hear Salazar he would surely have answered him by now.

"Let's look back inside," Helga suggested.

"You don't think he could have got lost in the tunnels?" Rowena asked. "You know his sense of direction."

"Even Godric can't get lost in a virtually straight tunnel," Helga pointed out.

"Erm…"

"There are a fair few tunnels down in my quarters," Salazar admitted. "We got a bit carried away. Might even have to fill a few of them in, now I think about it."

Rowena went to the entrance of the Slytherin tunnel and, following Salazar's example, used the sonorus spell to project her voice into the tunnel. The sound echoed and re-echoed around them but there was still no answering response.

"I don't think he'd have followed you down there anyway," Helga commented as they headed up the staircase leading to what would one day be called Gryffindor Tower.

"He might have done," Rowena replied. "He could be injured down there. We should search."

"If we can't find him anywhere else then okay," Helga answered. "But he won't have wanted to walk in on you down there."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rowena asked. "I'm quite capable of performing perfectly acceptable spell work even when distracted by interruptions."

"That wasn't what she meant," Salazar whispered in her ear.

"What do you…you mean…they think…Helga?" Rowena stammered in embarrassment. "You don't think that we were…er…um…"

"Well we've all been under each other's feet for the last two months," Helga pointed out rather apologetically. "We…er…that's Godric and I…well, we figured you two would find an excuse to disappear alone together at some point today."

"We weren't…we didn't…we…" Rowena's voice trailed off and she felt her face flushing.

Helga smirked but remained silent.

"Tell her!" she demanded as she rounded on Salazar. "Tell her we didn't…"

Salazar nodded dutifully in confirmation. "We worked hard all morning and behaved ourselves entirely."

"Well of course you'd say that," Helga laughed.

"Oh for goodness sake," Rowena muttered, thankful that they'd reached the base of the tower at last.

Unfortunately there was no sign of Godric there either. They did however find his wand.

"Maybe he's been kidnapped?" Helga suggested.

"Who'd want to kidnap him?" Salazar asked impatiently as he picked up the wand. "He's probably just dropped it. You know what he's like."

"Then where is he?" Rowena asked.

"Well I've spotted the mistake with this picture," Salazar replied with a grin. "Any more takers?"

Rowena and Helga looked around them, both realising at the same time what it was that Salazar had already spotted.

"There's no staircase," Helga said.

"He's trapped himself in his own tower," Rowena said with a giggle, sure that it was true. "Why hasn't he just apparated back down?"

"We put up all sorts of protective charms and spells last night whilst you ladies slept. No one can apparate anywhere inside the grounds…including us."

"Are you sure?" Rowena asked.

"Try it."

She closed her eyes and concentrated but when she opened them she hadn't moved from her spot.

"We wanted to make sure that no one stumbles across us so there are all sorts of spells around the place, some to stop wizards getting in and some to stop muggles getting too close."

"So how did Godric get up there?" Helga asked.

"Let's find out, shall we?" Salazar said as he passed Godric's wand to Rowena and used his own to create a staircase up to the floor above them.

They walked up the stairs and sure enough there they found Godric. He was sitting in the middle of the floor looking extremely bored.

"It's about time," he said by way of greeting. "Did you pick up my wand?"

Rowena passed it to him as he filled them in on what had happened. He'd decided to create the staircases last but whilst hovering on his broom he'd dropped his wand. It had disappeared to the ground below but he hadn't been quick enough to reach it before the floor he'd just conjured had appeared. Nor had Rowena put in the windows as yet and so he had found himself trapped in the room by his own spells.

"At least we know the security spells are working," he pointed out as they descended the stairs once more. "So have the rest of you been having as much fun as I have this morning?"

"Well Rowena and Salazar have been having lots of fun," Helga piped up.

"No we haven't," said Rowena. "We've been working all morning."

Godric smirked; Helga smirked right back at him. Neither of them believed her.

"Never mind, Rowena," Salazar said. "We can always slip away this afternoon and then their assumptions will be correct."

"You will not!" Godric declared. "You've had all morning to make up for the last two months. This afternoon you can get some work done by helping out with the towers."

"For the last time, we haven't been…you know…down in the dungeons!" Rowena stood with her hands on her hips daring anyone to contradict her.

Godric looked at her a moment before a mischievous grin spread across his face. "If you really haven't been at it like rabbits all morning down in the dungeons then either you're both too blind to see a good opportunity when you stumble across one, or Sal's losing his touch. Either way, it's rather beside the point; we're behind schedule now so this afternoon it's all hands to the deck."

Rowena swore succinctly and rolled her eyes. She risked a glance at Salazar and suspected he was either counting to ten or praying for patience.

"That staircase is just getting in the way," Godric complained as he disappeared the offending staircase for the second time.

"But we need to be able to get to the classrooms in the corridor over there," Helga pointed out as she made the staircase reappear yet again.

"But they're not even allocated to classes yet," Godric replied as he vanished the staircase once more.

"You're the one who put them in the plans," Helga retorted as she brought it back again.

"That's not the point, they were just rough plans anyway and the staircase is in the way."

"But we need it here."

"No we don't."

"Yes we do."

"Don't!"

"Do!"

Salazar and Rowena watched their friends from the balcony above with some amusement.

"Another two minutes and they'll resort to jinxing each other," Salazar whispered.

"I give it less than one before Helga jinxes him," Rowena whispered back. "Her hand's already twitching towards her wand."

"Maybe we should step in?" Salazar suggested without moving from where he was leaning against the railings.

"Nah, leave them to it," Rowena replied. "It's about time they provided the entertainment for us. After all, they've had more than enough amusement at our expense today."

"Good point," Salazar agreed.

"When they've worn themselves out, I do have an idea about the staircase problem though." Rowena leaned over the railings slightly.

"Hmm?" Helga's wand was now in her hand and aimed at Godric's nose and Salazar's attention was not on Rowena's words.

"Yes, I think I can solve the immediate problem and give us a lot more space all around the castle too." She leaned further over the railings, straining to see the entrance to the corridors directly beneath them.

"Don't lean over so far," Salazar warned as he pulled her back from her increasingly precarious position.

She took no notice and immediately hopped up onto the railing and leaned backwards to get a better look at what was beneath them

"Don't do that!" Salazar ordered as he reached to pull her back once more. Unfortunately this time he was not so successful and she slipped from his grasp as she tumbled over the edge.

The sound of Salazar's scream drew the attention of Helga and Godric to the level above.