Chapter 25
Her hands were cold as she twisted her fingers together nervously. It was already promising to be another hot day, but excitement and nervousness were twisting her stomach into knots and sending shivers down her spine as she waited at the edge of the lake for the others. She couldn't face breakfast – she'd headed out as soon as it was light and had been pacing ever since, impatient to get going, her Cleansweep over her shoulder. Where were they? How long did it take them to get up, have breakfast and get out of the building?
"Marian!" She turned quickly as someone called her name from the direction of the castle. Squinting against the sun shining in her eyes, she made out… blonde hair. Murphy? He looked relieved as he hurriedly wheeled himself over to her, panting a little. "Thank Merlin! I thought I'd missed you! I was waiting for you in the Great Hall but then Skye said you'd already gone!" He put a hand to his heart as he caught his breath. "Phew!"
She smiled at him, looking a little confused. "Hello! What are you doing here? Not that I'm not pleased to see you." She reached out to straighten his tie, which was, unusually for him, slightly askew.
He reached up to catch her hands in his. "I just didn't want to let you go without seeing you and saying good luck."
"Well, thank you," she replied, leaning down to kiss him lightly. He slipped his arms around her waist, urging her down onto his lap and deepening the kiss. Sighing into his mouth, she allowed herself to relax into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself even closer.
After not nearly long enough, though, he drew back. "There's something else," he murmured, and he let go of her and pulled something out of his shirt pocket. It was his golden snitch badge. "Here – I… I want you to wear it today," he said, swallowing. "My mum gave it to me to bring me good luck, and if anyone needs good luck today, it's you, Cursebreaker."
Marian was incredibly touched. She'd rarely seen Murphy without his snitch badge – she knew it must be very important to him, and for him to lend it to her…
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thanks, Murphy. That means a lot. Will you pin it on for me? I think my hands are shaking too much!"
He frowned in concentration as he carefully pinned the badge onto the front of her t-shirt, his cheeks flushing a little as his fingers brushed against her chest. Marian could feel her heart drumming a slightly faster beat than usual. When he'd finished, he smiled up at her, but she could see the slight anxiety in his eyes that he was doing his best to hide.
"Hey," she said, touching his face gently and watching him close his eyes and lean into her touch. "We'll play chess again this evening, and you'll win, and then tomorrow, we'll spend the day by the lake, revising. Sound good?"
"Very good," he murmured, a smile stretching his face as he turned it to kiss her palm. "Although I think you need to work on your attitude to winning, Marian. There's still a 12.89% chance that you could beat me!"
"Really? Still as high as that?" she teased him, and he chuckled.
Footsteps and voices from around the corner drew their attention to the arrival of the Weasleys and Rakepick, who was looking irritated as she shepherded them along. "Really, Weasley, is your stomach more important than…?" She trailed off as they came in sight of Marian, still sitting on Murphy's lap. She jumped up immediately, feeling a blush spreading across her cheeks. "McNully," Rakepick said heavily. "Don't tell me you've decided to join us on this little expedition."
"No," he replied quickly. "No. Just leaving. Bye, Cursebreaker. Good luck. I'll… I'll be thinking of you." He turned to head back up to the castle, but Marian bent quickly and brushed her lips against his one last time, seeing a pleased smile and a slight flush spreading across his face as he left.
"Teenagers!" Rakepick sighed dramatically. "You're all about bodily impulses… food, sleep, sex! Honestly, I should have just done this all myself."
"Which of us is which?" Marian muttered to Charlie.
He snorted. "I'm pretty sure I'm sleep. I slept in. Bill dragged me downstairs, then he tucked into a full breakfast. She wasn't pleased. So, I guess you're sex. Nice badge." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "You and McNully, hmm? I thought that was a one-off New Year thing."
"Have you quite finished?" Rakepick snapped. "We're not on a school trip here!"
Marian and Charlie looked suitably contrite. "Where's your broom, Madame Rakepick?" Bill asked suddenly.
Rakepick groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as if asking for patience. "I'm not flying in with you, Weasley. I'm fighting fires. I'm your cover story."
"What?" Marian asked, exchanging confused glances with Bill. "You're not coming with us?"
"Listen. When you get into the vault, all those students who are currently in a cursed sleep will wake up. Dumbledore will know that you've got into the vault. He'll come straight down here, all ready to expel the three of you. Understand?" Rakepick glared at them all. Bill's face went white. "But not if I'm here. You three are assisting me. I sent you in. It's all on me, get it?"
They frowned, not really understanding.
She sighed again. "I'm here to head off Dumbledore and say it was all my fault and you're following my orders."
"But won't you get in trouble then?" Charlie asked, looking bewildered.
She chuckled darkly. "I'd like to see him try and cause me trouble, Weasley. No. I'll survive, I promise you. He needs me."
"So we're on our own?" Marian asked, feeling another surge of excitement shoot through her. She was pleased Rakepick wasn't coming, somehow. She preferred it like this.
As if she could tell what Marian was thinking and feeling, Rakepick smiled thinly. "Yes. On your own. Remember everything I've taught you. You'll be fine. Now go, or we'll never get this done."
They mounted their brooms, kicked off from the ground and shot off towards the forest, following Charlie, as usual. He grinned at Marian over his shoulder and she returned his smile. It was happening – they were actually doing it! Bill, who was not such a talented flyer as Marian and Charlie, had a look of concentration on his face, and kept close behind Marian as they turned and headed down towards the little lighter patch between the trees that was the forest grove. Soon, all three of them were standing in the gloom of the Forbidden Forest, wands lit, ready and waiting for Torvus.
"You're sure he'll come?" Bill muttered to Charlie, who nodded.
"He won't let us down."
Sure enough, a few minutes later, they heard the distant sound of his hooves, and then there he was, standing a couple of metres away from them amongst the trees. He looked at each of them in turn, his eyes falling on Marian last. "It is time?"
She nodded. "Yes. Please lead us to the vault."
"Very well," he agreed. "But be on your guard. There is an evil that lurks near to the vault. It would be best if we did not disturb it."
He moved off into the trees, Charlie behind him, with Marian and Bill walking silently behind, wands ready, alert for anything that moved. As they drew further away from the grove, the light faded until it was almost completely pitch black, other than the light from their wands. Marian shivered, remembering how hot and sunny it had been outside the forest, by the lake. Bill noticed. "Are you all right?" he whispered.
Marian nodded. "Fine. It's a miserable place, though, isn't it?"
He chuckled quietly. "I wasn't planning on moving here myself."
Suddenly, Marian's arm brushed against something soft and slightly sticky and she jumped sideways into Bill, who cursed, brandishing his wand. "What the… cobwebs?" He gasped. Marian was speechless. These were webs unlike any others she'd ever seen before. They hung in the trees like fairy lights, huge, pale, ethereal and glittering in the wandlight. They would almost have been beautiful if they didn't suggest that the creatures who'd made them were much, much bigger than any spiders Marian had ever seen before either. She felt a thrill of fear run down her spine and she clutched her wand a little harder.
"Come on," she said, gritting her teeth. "Let's keep going. Keep your eyes peeled, everyone."
They carried on, following Torvus, who was moving more slowly now, his movement stealthy, clearly on the lookout for something. "We are nearly there," he muttered as he paused for a moment, glancing around. "Yes. Careful – I sense that there is something awaiting us ahead."
They crept ahead, hardly daring to breathe. The forest seemed even more unnaturally silent than usual. Marian could almost hear the blood pulsing around her body. They had to duck to avoid a large over-hanging tree root, with cobwebs hanging from it in sheets. And then Torvus pointed. "Ahead – there is the door! Do you see it? On the rock face!"
He was right. Marian could make out a rock face rising up above them ahead, in the weak light from the torches. In front of them, only a few feet away, was the unmistakeable shape of a door, cut into the rock. Her heart leapt. They all started to race towards it, but Torvus threw out an arm, stopping them in their tracks – and just in time, too. They couldn't have taken more than a couple of steps forward when they heard a crashing, tearing noise from their right. Turning rapidly, Marian's eyes bulged in horror as a spider, bigger than a car, pincers clicking, eyes darting horribly over them, emerged from the trees.
"Get back," Bill breathed in Marian's ear and she shuffled back a little. "Remember the spell."
She nodded, lifting her wand.
And then the spider spoke. Marian had almost forgotten that acromantula could speak – she remembered Charlie saying they were highly intelligent. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? Three little humans and a horse-man from the forest. Why do you disturb my rest?"
Marian swallowed her fear and stepped forward. "We're from the castle. We – er - we just want to enter the vault. We don't mean you any harm."
"'Just'?" The spider clicked in what Marian assumed was a laugh. "You want a lot, little human. Why should I let you pass?"
Marian wracked her brain. "We want to break the curse! Stop the sleepwalking epidemic!"
She knew at once it was the wrong thing to say. The spider clicked frantically now. "And why would I want that? I would have had several tasty feasts on human flesh by now if Hagrid hadn't intervened."
Marian turned to Bill for help, but Charlie was the one who stepped forward next to her. "Let us pass and we'll help you," he said quickly. "We'll find you something else to eat. Not humans," he added quickly. "But something even better."
"There is nothing better than human flesh," the spider replied. "And why pass up on three such tasty specimens when they cross my path?" He suddenly reared up and shot something white at Charlie. Marian leapt back, out of the way, as the spider shot something else at Torvus. Marian and Bill backed away rapidly.
"It's a web!" Bill cried. "He's trying to wrap us up to eat us later! Protego!" His shield appeared just in time, the spider's web falling harmlessly off it. Marian did the same.
"Arania exumai!" Bill shouted, but his spell missed as the spider scuttled to one side.
"Arania exumai!" Marian repeated, but the spider was too quick for them.
"We need to do it together," Marian muttered. "After three."
"One…" Bill said.
"Two…" Marian replied.
"Three! Arania Exumai!" They shouted together, and their twin jets of light hit the spider simultaneously, blasting him backwards. They edged nearer. The spider's legs twitched a little, but he didn't move otherwise.
"It's not dead, is it?" Marian asked, cringing at the idea of having killed anything.
Bill shook his head. "Don't think so. I don't think he'll try it on again with us though." He turned, slicing through the webs on Torvus and Charlie with his wand.
"Bleurgh!" Charlie spat bits of cobweb out of his mouth. "Disgusting! I can see why Ron hates spiders. I'm all sticky!"
Torvus nodded his thanks. "This is it. The entrance to the vault."
Marian took a deep breath as she approached the door. "Everyone ready?" she asked, glancing around at the others. They all nodded. "Let's do this then." And she pushed the door. Surprisingly, it gave way easily. The inside of the vault was glowing faintly with a green light, as the previous ones had too. Slowly, cautiously, Marian entered, her eyes darting around the room as she approached the central pillar. Suits of armour lined the walls, but they were unmoving. It looked like the previous faults, Marian thought. Moving right up to the pillar, she extended one hand to touch it, steeling herself for something – what, she didn't know. But nothing happened.
"Oh!" she said in surprise.
"Wait," Torvus came over to her. "You will need this. I lend it to you, Cursebreaker, in honour of our friendship and the service you performed for myself and my clan." He held out the jewelled arrow.
Marian gazed from it to him. "Thank you," she breathed, and she took it slowly, holding it up to the pillar. Immediately, there was a clanking sound, and the pillar creaked open, just as the others had. Marian held her breath. A golden light emanated from inside. Something was sitting in the middle – no, two things. She leaned forward, and…
Mist. She was suddenly surrounded by mist. She couldn't see. Where were Bill and Charlie? Where was Torvus? Was she still in the vault? What…
"Marian! Marian! Pip?"
A shiver ran through her. She'd know that voice anywhere. "Jacob?" she gasped. "Jacob? Where are you? Are you in here?"
"Close. I'm close." His voice was faint, as though it was drifting towards her through a thick curtain. "The next vault. I'm in the next vault. Only you can help me, Marian. I need your help."
"I'll find you! I'm coming!" she cried, blindly, reaching out, trying to get to him. "Jacob, I'm going to help you! Hold on!"
And then, suddenly, she was back in the vault, panting, Bill's arm around her, holding her up. Her legs felt like jelly.
"Marian?" Charlie looked scared, his face pale and concerned. "Are you all right?"
She didn't answer, her head spinning.
"You heard him again, didn't you?" Bill asked, his voice low. "Jacob?"
Slowly, head pounding, she nodded. "He's so close." Her voice was only a whisper.
"Come on," Bill said, arm still around her. "Let's take these things and get out of here. I don't want to hang around any longer than we have to."
Charlie nodded. "This place gives me the creeps. Here, Torvus." He took the arrow from Marian and handed it back to the centaur. "Thank you."
Torvus looked gravely at Marian. "You are well, Cursebreaker?"
"Yes," she said, forcing her legs to obey her, although she was glad of Bill's arm supporting her. "Yes. Let's go."
They left the vault behind them, heading back through the stone doorway and into the darkness of the forest. There was no sign of the acromantula – Marian assumed it had scuttled back to its lair. Nevertheless, none of them were keen to hang about in case it came back, so they followed Torvus as he led them back through the forest towards the grove. Marian's legs were still a little shaky, but she felt stronger, the further they got from the vault. The darkness began to lessen around them as they left the depths of the forest behind them and soon, they could see without the help of their lit wands.
Marian stopped. "What was in the vault? I didn't see," she said.
Bill reached into his robes. "Just these – look!"
In his hands were a small (very small) knitted jumper and a portrait of a dragon.
"A dragon?" Marian cried in surprise, and with some alarm. "Is there going to be a dragon in the next vault?"
"Oh, I hope so!" Charlie breathed in excitement. "Please let me come in with you! That sounds much more exciting than an oversized spider!"
"What's the jumper about?" Bill pondered, turning it over in his hands. "It's tiny! D'you think it belongs to a house elf?"
"Who knows?" Marian shrugged. "Come on, let's get out of here. Maybe Rakepick will have some ideas?"
"Weird how she let us come in here by ourselves," Charlie said as they trudged along. "I'd have thought she'd be desperate to get into the vault."
"Me too," Marian replied, frowning. "Seeing as how she's the one who's actually paid to be a cursebreaker."
Bill chuckled. "This must be child's play to her. Think about it – all we had to deal with was one measly acromantula! She's had to fight off hordes of mummies and zombies and all sorts!"
"This vault was easier than the others," Marian mused. "I kind of expected they would get harder as we went along, but you're right. I was half-expecting an army of acromantula!"
"One was quite enough for me," Charlie replied with feeling. "I think I'm with Ron on the whole 'hating spiders' thing."
By this time, they'd reached the forest grove. Torvus turned to them. "This is where I leave you," he said gravely.
Marian held out her hand and this time he took it, shaking it firmly. "Thank you, Torvus. So much. We couldn't have done this without you. If you ever need anything… just ask."
He smiled at them slowly. "Until we meet again, my friends." Then he bowed his head and wandered off into the forest.
Bill, Charlie and Marian looked at each other. "I guess we'd better get back too," Charlie said. "See what Rakepick's been up to! Do you think Dumbledore really is after us now?"
Marian shuddered. "He was quite angry with me last year. He warned me that I'd be expelled if I did anything else."
"That didn't stop you though!" Bill chuckled, ruffling her hair. "And he won't expel you. He likes you, I can tell. It might've scuppered my chances for Head Boy though."
They mounted their broomsticks and kicked off, soaring out of the dark, gloomy woods, suddenly emerging into blinding sunshine and clear blue skies. Marian felt her heart lift and the enormity of what they'd achieved suddenly hit her. They'd done it – they'd been into the third cursed vault! They'd broken the curse! They were only a step away from finding her brother! As they soared around the head of the lake, heading back towards where they'd left Rakepick, however, Marian could make out the long white hair and beard of Albus Dumbledore standing beside her and her stomach plummeted faster than her broomstick. His expression was chilly as they landed in front of him. Marian could see that for all of his brave words earlier, Bill looked alarmed, and Charlie looked frankly terrified to see their headmaster standing in front of them. Rakepick was standing at ease, however, one hand on her hip, her face inscrutable as she watched them dismount.
For a moment, nobody said anything at all. Then Dumbledore spoke, and his voice was mild as ever. "You will be pleased to hear that all of the students have awoken from their cursed slumber and are quite well, with no recollection of what has taken place."
Marian glanced at the others. "Er – that's good," she said uncertainly.
"Indeed, I would go further – it is very good news," he replied, his eyes twinkling. "Your efforts to protect the students of this school have borne fruit, Miss Baker, Mr and Mr. Weasley. For that alone, I will award you each 100 points."
Marian's eyes widened. He was rewarding them?
His face hardened suddenly, though. "However, you have explicitly disobeyed my direct command not to investigate or enter the vault, not to mention your entry on numerous occasions into the Forbidden Forest. I recall a conversation with you, Miss Baker, on this particular subject only a few months ago. I believe I warned you that if you went against my wishes again, I would have no choice but to expel you."
Marian felt like an ice-cold fist had closed around her heart. This was it. It was over. He was going to expel her, just like he'd expelled Jacob.
"But sir," Bill cried, looking panicked. "It wasn't Marian's fault. It…"
"Silence, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore sternly.
"It was my idea to…" Charlie joined in desperately.
Dumbledore held up a hand and Charlie fell silent too. "You understand, Miss Baker, that my concern is only for you and the students of this school. I would hate to see you follow in the footsteps of your brother. His obsession with these vaults led him down a dark and dangerous path which put the lives of many students here in grave peril."
"I just want to find him!" Marian burst out. "I don't care about the vaults – I only care about him! But I would never put anyone else in danger on purpose, sir! All we've done is try and stop the curses… the boggarts, the cursed ice, the cursed sleep. If it wasn't for us, many more students would have been hurt!"
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I am aware of that. Your heart is pure, Miss Baker. For that reason, I commend you for your service to the school. Be careful that it stays that way. You have had a difficult year, but I was impressed by your kindness and warmth towards Mr Copper, despite his part in your attack. Keep your friends close, Miss Baker. You will need them in the years ahead." He turned suddenly to Rakepick. "And now, Madame Rakepick, I believe we ought to return to my office to discuss a few matters."
Rakepick winked at them. "You can fill me in later," she said, smiling wickedly. "I look forward to a full account of your heroic adventures – you can exaggerate and embroider as much as you like. I always do."
Bill, Charlie and Marian stared after them as Dumbledore and Rakepick slowly wandered off along the lake path. "He's mental," Charlie muttered in an awed voice. "What was he on about?"
Bill nudged Marian playfully. "Told you he liked you. 'Your heart is pure' and all that!"
"Shut up!" Marian laughed, pushing him back. "Come on, let's get back! I skipped breakfast – I'm starving!" And she leaped onto her broom and took off across the lake, skimming her hand into the cool, dark water as she went, then flicking the water over at Bill and Charlie. By the time they arrived back outside the Entrance Hall, they were all soaked. Little gaggles of curious students were lying around on the grass, watching them and pointing.
"Baker! Is it true you opened another vault?" someone yelled.
Bill replied for Marian, replying, "Yep! We've just got back actually. Defeated two dragons and five acromantula. Marian fought off a horde of red caps single-handed and…"
"Stop it, Weasley!" Marian hit him with the end of her broom. "You're just encouraging them! The rumours will be going wild as it is!"
"Marian!" Another voice called out to her, and she turned, her heart leaping as she saw Skye and Orion sitting under a tree, waving at them – but there was no sign of Murphy. She glanced around. No, he definitely wasn't with them. She hurried over to them nonetheless. "How did it go?" Skye asked, her eyes wide with excitement. "You did it?"
Marian nodded eagerly. "We did it! It wasn't too bad actually! Only one acromantula guarding the entrance – that was it!"
"Only one?" Orion pulled a face. "Listen to you! So brave and fearless now!"
"Well done!" Skye threw her arms round Marian. "I'm so proud!"
Marian laughed joyfully. "It was a team effort!" She pulled away. "But where is…?"
"McNully?" Orion winked at her. "I don't think he could take the strain of waiting. He wanted to be alone. I think you will probably find him the Commentary Box. Don't keep him in suspense too long, please. He was quite unbearable this morning."
Marian was already leaping back onto her broom, taking off before he'd finished speaking. "See you later!" she cried. "Thanks!"
A minute later and she was hovering outside the Commentary Box. Murphy was, as usual, scribbling something on a piece of parchment, occasionally pausing to nibble on the end of his quill before continuing. He hadn't noticed Marian yet. She couldn't stop the grin that stretched itself across her face as she watched him. "Calculating the chance of us all returning in one piece?" she asked, and he jumped violently, dropping his quill on the ground.
"Marian!" he cried. Then he laughed, sounding incredibly relieved. "You're back! Merlin, you gave me a fright! Get over here!"
Chuckling, she landed next to him and he grabbed her, crushing her to him, covering her face with kisses. "Murphy!" she protested, trying to wriggle away so that she could breathe.
He just laughed and squeezed her tighter. "You're all right! You're safe! Oh, Cursebreaker, I…"
She stopped him with a deep, lingering kiss. After a minute, he pulled away enough so that he could brush the hair back from her face, his eyes moving over her. "Not that I'm complaining at the moment, but why are you soaking wet?"
"Oh, sorry!" She realised she'd completely soaked him. "We got a bit carried away on the way back across the lake! But Murphy, it's done! It's finished! We did it!" And she threw her arms around him again and hugged him tightly.
He laughed fully, that laugh that Marian knew and loved so much, hugging her back.
There was an impromptu party that evening in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Tulip had somehow managed to source ice-cold butterbeer from somewhere. Word had spread like wildfire around the castle that Marian, Bill and Charlie had entered another cursed vault, breaking the sleepwalking curse. Everyone wanted to know what had happened and Marian's name was on everyone's lips. She felt quite embarrassed by the whole thing, trying to slink out of the common room.
"Oh no you don't!" Tulip cried, dragging her back in and forcing her up onto a table. "Three cheers for our Cursebreaker! Hip hip hooray!"
Marian felt like her face must resemble a tomato more than anything else, and she was incredibly grateful when Rowan and Skye helped her down and pushed her into a chair in the corner of the room, in a little group with them, Andre, Talbott, Orion and Murphy. She immediately snuggled up against Murphy, who smiled and wrapped his arm around her.
"How does it feel, McNully?" Andre asked mischievously.
"How does what feel?" Murphy replied, looking confused.
"How does it feel to be dating the most famous person in the school?" Andre said. "Your girlfriend is a celebrity!"
Marian rolled her eyes, but Murphy just shrugged and grinned. "Well, she's dating the most amazing quidditch genius in the school, and future commentating legend, so we're probably about even, actually."
"So full of it," Marian muttered, elbowing him affectionately in the ribs. He tickled her in retaliation, making her screech and nearly knock Rowan's butterbeer over.