9. THE FINAL TEST

Fog spilled out past the doors and poured into the corridor, gathering and swirling around everyone's feet. The deep rumble of thunder reverberated through the doorway, and a light breeze, heavy with the scent of rain, brushed past Viridis's cheek. For a few frightening seconds, he feared the final test was to be held outside.

With a swirl of his cape, Feathergill pushed past the rest of the group and strode into the room. Ceridwen and Bythesea followed him a few seconds later. With his heart threatening to leap into his throat, Viridis edged forward until he had a clear view of the through the doors.

It was the same testing room as before, but now a large grey cloud filled the upper third of the chamber, obscuring most of the domed ceiling. It slowly rotated about its center as if stirred by an invisible hand. Tendrils of mist trailed down from the cloud, some of them long enough to reach the uppermost row of seats ringing the room. The cloud caught the light of the torches and reflected it back, bathing the room in an unsettling orange glow. Occasional flashes of light within the cloud preceded peals of thunder.

Viridis tore his eyes away from the cloud and examined the rest of the room. The stands were jammed packed with spectators, their furious whispers combining into a noise not unlike the buzzing of bees. In the center of the room stood a large square platform constructed from stone blocks. It was ten feet high and perhaps thirty feet on each side. Stairs led to the top on all four sides. Steed waited beside the platform, a wooden staff in his left hand. He raised his other hand and the room grew quiet, save for the occasional low rumble from the cloud.

"I wish to welcome the candidates to the final competition for the position of headmaster," he said, his voice solemn. "The four of you have proven yourselves to be exceptional witches and wizards, and we are honored by your participation."

The cloud emitted another series of rumbles and Steed paused until it quieted down. Viridis took the opportunity to search for familiar faces in the stands. He spotted Dawn and Cory almost immediately, thanks in large part to the neon green robe Cory had chosen to wear.

"The selection of the Hogwarts headmaster is a ritual as old as the school itself," Steed continued, sweeping his arm dramatically around the room. "In this chamber, many previous headmasters have been chosen. Tonight, we perform the ritual once more."

He bowed to the four candidates. "Would you please ascend the stairs? One to a side, please."

No one moved at first, each peering at the platform as if deciding whether one of the sides might be more advantageous than the others.

"Come, come," Steed said, his voice tinged with impatience. "All four sides are the same. Please choose one."

Viridis moved first, picking the stairs closest to Dawn. She waved and flashed him an encouraging smile as he walked by. He returned the smile, trying to appear confident, even though his legs wobbled so much he nearly toppled off the stairs.

The top of the platform was empty except for four metal braziers, one on each side. Lumps of charcoal lay within their bowls, cold and dark. A thick layer of black sand covered the entire platform, crunching beneath his feet as he stepped off the stairs.

Bythesea had chosen the stairs to Viridis's right while Ceridwen chose the one on his left. Viridis's heart hammered in his chest as Feathergill appeared on the side directly opposite him. He prayed this competition wasn't going to be some sort of four-on-four wizard's duel.

Steed rapped the staff against the stone floor three times in succession, the dull thuds startlingly loud in the silence. The cloud thundered in response.

"I ask the candidates to signal their readiness by lighting their braziers," Steed said.

Viridis quickly thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled out his wand, only to have it slip out of his sweaty hand and plop onto the sand. A hot flush ran up his face as he bent down and snatched the wand up, wiping it against his robe before pointing it at the brazier with a trembling hand.

"Incendio," he whispered. A jet of orange flame spewed from the tip of his wand and ignited the charcoal.

Breathing a small sigh of relief, he checked the other contestants. Bythesea's brazier was already burning, his flames alternating between beautiful blues and greens. Ceridwen's fire danced as if it were alive, hopping from one lump of charcoal to another. Murmurs of appreciation drifted out from the spectators. Viridis looked back at his quite ordinary fire and flushed again.

Feathergill raised his wand into the air, and with a flourish, waved it with a zigzag pattern. A bolt of lightning shot out from the cloud and struck the charcoal in his brazier. A few pieces were knocked across room, but the remainder ignited in a monstrous flame that billowed into the air. Much of the assembled crowd burst into wild applause. Feathergill bowed as if he'd already won the competition. Viridis saw the scowl on Dawn's face.

"There are no points given for style during this competition," Steed said in a disapproving tone. Feathergill roared with laughter, obviously relishing the attention. Any apprehension he'd shown earlier had vanished.

Smoke from the braziers drifted up and mingled with the cloud, which darkened and began spinning faster. A loud clap of thunder echoed across the chamber, and spectators gasped as a hollow glass cube, perhaps ten feet high and wide, descended from the bottom of the cloud. It drifted lazily down toward the center of the platform, eventually landing on the sand with a thud that Viridis felt through his legs.

Rectangular openings the size and shape of doorways were cut into each of the four sides, each facing one of the candidates. In the center of the cube, stood a glass pedestal. A thin chain hung from the pedestal, holding a small key with a glowing red stone set into its handle.

Another series of rumbles drew everyone's eyes back up to the ceiling. Four pairs of metal poles appeared from the cloud, each as thick as a troll's leg, except at the bottom where the pole tapered down to a spear's point. They descended as slowly as the cube had, with each pole positioned on either side of each doorway, less than a hands width away from the walls of the cube. When the poles reached the sand, they began spinning, their sharpened points augering down through the sand. Foot after foot of the poles disappeared into the sand, the downward motion stopping only when the top of the poles were even with the top of the cube. The crowd murmured in anticipation.

With another set of rumbles from the cloud, four thick metal slabs large enough to block the doorways appeared. Two large holes had been bored up through the length of the slabs—holes that lined up perfectly with the poles sticking out of the sand beneath them. The doors, Viridis thought.

The "doors" continued downward, their holes quietly sliding over the poles until they came to rest against the sand, effectively blocking the entrances into the glass cube. Less than a finger's width stood between the metal doors and the cube.

A bluish light appeared on the surface of Viridis's door, rippling and spreading across its surface like cerulean flames. The light pulsated and twisted and swirled in strange patterns, sliding in and out of focus. Viridis's heart raced as he waited for what he was sure would be a clue that would tell him what to do next. The light sharpened, faded to almost nothing, then sharpened again to form a coherent set of shapes.

Viridis's heart sank.

There, in the middle of the door, in a glowing blue script, were wizards' runes.

Viridis staggered backwards, despair wrapping around his heart. Runes? Why now, during the most important test of his life? Was this some sort of punishment for having ignored them all these years?

He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to remain calm. Perhaps the runes weren't clues after all, or if they were, perhaps no one else could read them either. He glanced at the other candidates. Both Bythesea and Ceridwen were staring at their doors with slack-jawed expressions. His view of Feathergill was blocked by the metal doors.

A breeze swept down from the cloud, rustling his hair, and the scent of rain grew stronger. Lightning flashed inside the cloud and an owl flew out from underneath, carrying a scroll in its talons. It swept down and dropped the scroll into Steed's hands, then disappeared into the cloud again. Steed unrolled the scroll and cleared his throat.

"These are the rules. The first of you to possess the Key of Hogwarts will become the new headmaster. You are free to use any spells you wish, but you must not damage the glass enclosure in any way. The metal barriers have been warded against a variety of spells. It is your task to find a way past them and retrieve the key. You may only enter through the opening directly in front of you. Apparation and similar spells are blocked. You are prohibited from damaging your opponents or obstructing them in any way."

Viridis stared at the door in front of him, trying to ignore the pulsating runes that seemed determined to catch his attention. The obvious solution was to lift the slab high enough off the ground to crawl underneath, but he suspected that wouldn't be easy. Even if the doors hadn't been warded against magic, they might still be too heavy for many levitation spells.

"Are there any questions?" Steed asked. Viridis glanced back at Dawn. Her face was a mix of anticipation and worry, her hands clasped in front of her. Cory looked slightly bored. Fulcanelli sat a few seats away, her eyes focused on Viridis, her expression unreadable.

Steed cleared his throat, but none of the candidates spoke. He thumped his staff on the floor. "Very well. I declare the test begun!"

In almost perfect unison, all four candidates aimed their wands at their doors and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa." Except for a slight shudder, Viridis's door remained where it was, which was what he'd expected. That would have been too easy. He checked the other candidates' doors and was relieved to find none of them had risen either.

Viridis spent the next several minutes trying every spell he could think of. Locomotor spells. Flying charms for flying or lifting. Destructive spells such as Confringo or Reducto. Transfiguration spells to change the door into something either lighter in weight, like feathers, or easily broken, like glass. But none of the spells had any effect. The door had apparently been well warded.

Fresh out of ideas, he checked the other candidates again. Bythesea's strategy appeared to be casting random spells at the door in the hopes one would do the trick. Viridis watched as the wizard conjured up a bolt of lightning and threw it against the door. The bolt bounced off the metal and sped sizzling back to crash into the stands behind him. Spectators screamed and dived for safety.

"Be mindful of the audience," Steed warned.

Bythesea turned and bowed to the audience, apologizing profusely, then turned back to cast more spells at his door. The people seated behind him moved off to find safer seats.

Based on the Ceridwen's wand movements, Viridis thought she might also be trying some sort of transfiguration spell, but her door appeared unchanged.

Viridis stepped to his left far enough to check on Feathergill's progress and was shocked to discover a sliver of light visible between the door and the sand. Feathergill was aiming his wand at the door and concentrating, the strain contorting his face. Viridis held his breath as the wizard managed to lift the door a few inches. For a moment, Viridis feared the competition was about to end, but Feathergill suddenly staggered backwards and the door slammed back onto the sand.

Viridis breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure what spell Feathergill had used, but there was no question the man was a powerful wizard. For his part, Feathergill did not seem upset with this setback. With a flick of his wand, he conjured up a brick and tossed it onto the sand in front of the door. Puzzled by this, Viridis watched as Feathergill attempted to raise the door again. As before, the door only lifted a couple of inches, but that was enough for Feathergill to shove the brick underneath the door with his foot. He released the spell and the door dropped, pushing the brick partway into the sand, but a one inch gap now existed between the door and the sand.

Feathergill conjured up a larger brick and tossed it next to the first one. Viridis's heart skipped a beat. It might take some time, but if Feathergill could keep inching the door up brick by brick, he'd eventually be able to crawl beneath it.

Viridis focused on his own door, his mind working furiously. Perhaps he'd been concentrating on the wrong thing. The doors were warded, but perhaps the poles holding them in place weren't. He tried the same series of spells on the poles, but with no noticeable effect. They too had apparently been warded.

Viridis checked his opponents again. Bythesea's door was engulfed in fire, the flames high enough Viridis could feel the heat. The door appeared unharmed, although the wizard's robes had caught on fire and he was frantically working to put them out.

Ceridwen had disappeared. In her place was a fox that was busy burrowing under the door. An Animagus, no doubt. Fortunately for Viridis, the sand flowed back into the hole as quickly as she dug and she was making little progress. But there were spells to solve that kind of problem and Viridis knew it wouldn't be long before she'd find her way past her door. Feathergill, meanwhile, had managed to build a four inch gap beneath his door.

Viridis closed his eyes and concentrated. He'd always had a knack for figuring out trick questions on a test, and this was just another kind of test. His intuition told him he was missing something important. He just had to figure out what that something was.

He opened his eyes and stared at the door again. The pulsating runes had continued growing in brightness until they were nearly searing his eyes. He was positive they held some sort of clue, but one beyond his comprehension. He cursed himself for having neglected runes in school. Would it really have been that bad if he had spent a little more time on them? Two days ago, he'd told himself that becoming headmaster wasn't worth learning runes. Now he'd study them every day for the rest of his life if meant winning the job of headmaster.

He squinted at the runes, struggling to recall anything he'd learned about them, but his mind came up blank. He couldn't even remember the name of his old runes instructor. And yet he couldn't shake the feeling these glowing runes were somehow familiar, that he'd seen them before. But that didn't make any sense. He hadn't seen a rune since…

The realization hit him like Knockback jinx. These were some of the same runes he'd seen written on the description of the hourglass back in Ravenclaw tower.

He closed his eyes, trying to recall what the translation had been. Something about "eating sand." No, that wasn't it. It was "Time like sand, swallows all things." Were those the runes for time? Was he supposed to manipulate time in some way? He cast about for some ideas, but came up empty. Time manipulation spells were notoriously difficult and he didn't know any.

He checked the other contestants again. Bythesea was throwing spells at the door in rapid succession now, with no apparent success. As Viridis had feared, Ceridwen had done something to thicken the sand in front of her door and was slowly burrowing her way underneath. The gap under Feathergill's door had grown to six inches, almost high enough to crawl under.

Viridis considered the runes again. Perhaps they didn't have anything to do with time. Maybe they stood for "swallow." He racked his brain, trying to think of anything that might swallow a metal door, but other than a few rare creatures, he came up blank.

He wiped beads of sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his robe. What else could the runes stand for? Sand? He shook his head. That didn't make any sense either. What would sand have to do with…. He stared down at the sand in front of him, then up to the door, and then back to the sand.

Click.

The solution that popped into his head was so ridiculously simple he almost dismissed it at once. But he'd learned to depend on his intuition over the years, and what did he have to lose? He cast about his memory, searching for the proper spell, then pointed his wand at the sand under the door.

"Liquidium."

The sand glistened as it transformed into quicksand. For a few seconds, nothing else happened, but then, to his utter astonishment, the metal door began sinking. Viridis stepped back, his mind whirling. Of course. He should have seen it before. The whole point of having the metal poles drill down into the sand was to demonstrate how deep the sand went.

Viridis heard shouts from behind him and turned to find most of the crowd staring at him. Fingers pointed in his direction. Dawn was standing, one hand over her mouth, the other gripping Craig's shoulder so hard he was wincing. The other three candidates noticed the commotion and turned their attention to Viridis's door. Three Liquidium spells later, all four slabs were sinking into the sand.

But it didn't matter. Viridis had too much of a head start.

Unless…

His throat tightened. What if spells cast by more powerful wizards caused their doors to sink more quickly? He cast Liquidium on the sand a few more times, but worry continued to nag at him. What if one of the other wizards could change themselves into something small, like a bird, and slip through the small opening forming above the door? He couldn't afford to stand around and wait until his door disappeared into the sand. He needed to get into the cube now.

He leaped and caught the top edge of the sinking door, pulling himself up. This proved more difficult than expected, since the surface of the metal was slippery smooth, giving his feet little purchase. Huffing with exertion, he scrambled upwards until his eyes were level with the top of the door, then his chin, and finally his chest. The door had sunk far enough that over six inches of the opening were now exposed. Not big enough to crawl through yet, but close.

He hung precariously, his elbows and forearms braced against the top of the door, his fingers gripping the opposite edge. The door was only a foot thick, so there wasn't room for Viridis to climb any farther until the opening became large enough for him to stick his head through. It occurred to him that a levitation spell might have been a better option than climbing, but it was too late now. He twisted his head, trying to see what the other three candidates were up to, but his view was blocked under his current condition, and he was afraid shifting his body to give him a better view would cause him to fall.

Ten agonizing seconds later, the opening was large enough to squeeze his head through, and ten seconds after that, his shoulders. He pushed forward into the cube until his body was halfway through, balanced precariously on top of the door. As his weight shifted forward, he suddenly realized he was about to fall through the opening head first. He tried to stop his momentum, but it was too late, his body continued to slide forward. He grabbed at the door and cube in desperation, anything to slow his fall. He somehow managed to flip his body around enough to keep from landing on his head, but his knee cracked against the edge of the cube and he landed on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Gasping for breath, he scrambled to his feet, thankful the sand had cushioned his fall somewhat. He limped toward the pedestal, practically falling the last couple of feet. The key hung inches from his face, the sparkling ruby in its handle seeming to wink at him.

Only then did he allow himself a glance at the other candidates. All three stared at him through the glass walls. Shocked disbelief was plastered across Feathergill's face. None of them had even attempted to climb their doors. Viridis grinned. Perhaps there were some advantages to being young after all.

Viridis reached up and grabbed the key.