Entrance to the Attics

"The curious Entrance to the Attics. When the students explore the Attics very few get any further than this. The doors that you see are but one of thirteen entrances (no, you cannot see the others) into insanity-inducing Attics." ~SS


There is not a student that has attended Hogwarts that has not, at one time or another, for curiosity, or just needing a hideaway, found there way to this inauspicious looking entrance to the labyrinth that are the Attics of Hogwarts.

The entrance has one visible door into the Attics but it is meant to divert the casual explorer from the dedicated explorer. Twelve more doorways exist that lead into various "short" rooms that comprise the False Attics. These are attics that most students tend to find, and although each are furnished (in a sense) with intriguing items, the False Attics are not the real Attics.

To enter properly into the Attics the door that you want will show itself after the hidden entry-way has been unlocked and triggered. To do so one must approach the wall candelabra of three candles with the one in the center unlit. Grasp the candle holder of this unlit candle and pull down sharply. It requires a bit of force so if you do not apply your strength without hesitation the candelabra will remain intact.

You ask, what will happen should I choose the wrong candle holder? What do you think would happen? You would break the wrong candle holder. One would expect, in such an eventuality, that you know a simple Repairing Charm.

The hidden entry-way is the clever design upon the floor. Smoother than ice when you look upon it when the lock is tripped the seams of the design will part as a flower that blossoms to reveal a lazy, spiral staircase that is only ten long steps in length. At the base of the steps are four open doorways in the shape of keyholes. One ought to notice that there is another design on this floor that is a compass rose. Every attic with four keyhole doors has the rose upon its floor. Unless you wish to get inexorably lost pay attention to the rose.

The Entrance to the Attics is not without its immediate charm. The curious will find a bookshelf that holds all the past Student Yearbooks. These are not the quaint, yet flimsy books, available to all seventh year students as they say farewell to the hallowed halls of Hogwarts, and their friends and teachers. Those particular yearbooks are for doodles, notes, signatures, and far too many self-indulgent photographs. No, the Student Yearbooks upon these bookshelves have pages of sturdier vellum with magically painted portraits (that do not move) of every Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor student since Hogwarts opened its doors for the teaching of magic.

Next to be found are the logbooks of the teachers since the original Founders. These books, written in the quill of each teacher, include grades, notes on students, detentions and points given and taken for each student. Further logbooks to be found are from each of the Heads of Hogwarts, the Deputy Heads, and the Heads of Houses.

The more stubborn explorer can dig past that ephemera to where old tests, quizzes, lectures, essays can be found. I, of course, burnt all of my students work and my lectures and tests are kept only where I could find them. Cheaters are ever industrious in looking for ways around the hard work.

If you can find the very narrow door that leads to the hidden spiral staircase to the balcony level you will discover a small treasure trove of what appears as simple children's pop-up books. These are much more than what is seen. These are Charms books that once were used to teach children aged seven to ten simple and fun Charms to instill a beginning of control to their magic. A century ago Hogwarts had a small Primary Magical School in which one of the main teaching tools were these pop-up books. There were other tools used but as to where they are now, no one, yet, knows.

END