Henry couldn't very well remember how he had managed to get through his exams when it seemed like Mormobius would come bursting through the door at any moment to finish him off. However, the days slowly dragged on and he could relax a bit knowing without a doubt Smooches was still up in the forbidden corridor guarding the trapdoor.
The coming days were unbearably hot which made it all the worse when the students had to be packed into the massive Mischief Magic classroom to do the written portion of their exams. Silencing charms and quills bewitched not to copy were the testing preparations Harnocks instilled. Not only were their writing exams, but practical ones as well. Professor Flitnit would call them one by one into a little backroom off of the main classroom where you would perform spell after spell. Professor Garspatuon would watch and write notes on her clipboard as well. It was very nerve wracking. This was especially true when Snabes called you to a different little room from off of the lecture hall of Mischief Magic. One cauldron was in there and you had to be in a room all alone with Snabes sweating through your robes trying to remember how to make a Wart Reliever Serum.
All Henry could do was his best and try to focus despite the stabbing pains in his forehead. They had been getting progressively worse since the detention in Calamity Forest. Esmani had chalked it up to exam nerves when Henry would complain about his lack of sleep but the truth was he was being kept awake by his old nightmares. Many of them included a dreadfully scary figure cloaked in black and dripping unicorn plasma.
It could be because Jon and Esmani had not seen the figure in the forest, or because they didn't have a flaming plumbob scar on their foreheads that would burn periodically throughout the day, but his friends didn't seem to be as worried about the Elixir anymore like Henry. The idea of Mormobius terrified him, if he was being honest. But the threat of failing first year at Harnocks weighed more heavily and prevented them from thinking too much more about Snabes and the Elixir.
The last exam of his first year was Normie History and Magical History. One more hour of answering questions on old wizards, Normie political figures, dates, and who invented what and they'd be free! Free for a whole wonderful week in the castle until the exam results came out. And then...Henry didn't want to play what ifs but once the results came in...he'd know if he was coming back next year or...not. When Professor and Professor said time was up and to put down their quills Henry and the rest of the class stood up and cheered!
"You know, it wasn't so bad," Esmani said as they joined a crowd of students on the sunny grounds of the school. "I found it far easier than I had originally thought. I guess I didn't have to cram for that extra bit on the PlantSim Code of 1673 or the uprising of Heritch the Heathen."
The friends wandered down to the Dark Lake and flopped down under a tree. Matt Parsley was sitting at the bank sunning himself while Jack was up to her knees kicking waves and frollicking in the cold shallows.
"I'm just glad for no more studying!" Jon sighed merrily and stretched his tall form out on the grass. When he appraised Henry's pensive face, Jon frowned, "you don't have to look so glum, chum. What's done is done. We find out next week and I'm guessing you did great!"
Henry was rubbing his searing scar.
"I just wish I knew why it hurt so bad!" he burst out suddenly with rage. "My scar keeps hurting, guys. It's happened before, but never as often as it has been. And never as painful to this degree." He used the heel of his hand to scrub it feverishly but it did nothing.
"You could go to the Healing Wing. Ask Madam Caduceus?" Esmani suggested.
"I think this is darker than what Madam Caduceus can handle. I think...I just don't know but to me it feels like...a warning. Like...danger is coming…"
"Okay, okay, mate just relax. The Elixir is safe as long as Simbledore is around. We never even actually got proof Snabes found out how to get past Smooches. I mean, she nearly got her leg ripped clean off once and I doubt she'd try again any time soon. And I'd just go on a bed I'd grow three more heads before Hagish lets a deal made with Simbledore fail."
Henry nodded almost as a reflex because he was certainly not feeling any better. It was almost like Taryn's Forget-Me-Not was embedded into his head. He just felt as if he had forgotten something very important and his scar was trying to warn him, as silly as that sounded. When he brought it up to his friends lazing in the shade, Esmani told him it was just the stress of exams and not to worry about it.
It still left an unsettling feeling in his heart that he was sure had nothing to do with work. Henry looked up to see an owl flutter toward the school across a bright blue sky. Squinting, it surely looked as if it had a note in its mouth. Hagish was the only person who sent letters to Henry since his time here at Harnocks. Hagish was amazing and was trusted by both Henry and Simbledore. Hagish also was the type who'd never tell anyone how to get past his beloved Smooches. Never. Ever. And yet…
In an instant, Henry jumped to his feet startling his two friends.
"What? What! Where are you going? What's wrong?" Jon asked hurriedly.
"Something just struck me!" Jon looked up at the sky like something had physically hit Henry. "I mean! I just had an idea! We have to go and see Hagish and we have to go now!"
Henry was off and Jon looked at Esmani before clamoring up and following.
"W-why, Henry?" Esmani panted as she hurried to keep up with the longer strides of Jon.
"I was just thinking it's a bit strange that Hagish had always wished for a dragon," Henry had to breathe through his speaking to make it up the grassy slope, "and suddenly a random stranger shows up who happens to have an egg. How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it is known to be against the law? A bit coincidental they found Hagish, don't you think? I can't believe I didn't think of this before!"
"I'm...confused," Jon said, but now Henry was sprinting across the grounds toward the forest and he didn't answer the other boy. With a huff, Jon followed anyway followed by Esmani.
In front of his hut, Hagish was outside in a hand carved chair shucking corn. He uncharacteristically was not wearing his feathered cap and had his trousers and shirt sleeves rolled up. When he noticed the kids, he smiled warmly at them.
"Hiya, kiddos," he waved. "Congrats on finishing your exams! You can tell me all about them over a drink if you have the time?"
"Yes please, just water would be…" Jon was cut off by Henry.
"No thank you, we are in a hurry! Hagish, I've got to ask you something and it's extremely important." Henry had to pant a bit to regain his speaking voice. "You know that night you won Gertrude?" Hagish nodded. "What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"
"I...don't remember," Hagish said casually but with an air of wonderment. "They...wouldn't take their cloak off. Don't even know if it was a lass or a bloke, to tell you the truth." As Hagish appraised the three faces of his company, he noticed that they all looked stunned with raised eyebrows. "But that's...that's not unusual around these parts. Funny folk from all sorts of Realms come to Noble Noshery pub for a pint or a mug and some socialization. Maybe a black market dragon dealer, maybe? Like I said...never saw a face. Kept the hood up."
Henry sank down dramatically next to the discarded corn husks.
"Did you talk to him about anything, Hagish? Harnocks?"
"It...is a possibility," Hagish looked thoughtful but frowned a bit as he tried to genuinely remember. "Yeah...now that you mention it. He...or she...it had the strangest voice. Like two voices were talking, honestly. But that can't be possible… but they asked what I did at the school and I told them I was basically the jack o' all trades sort. I told him my love for plants, creatures, and people...and places and...things, really!" Hagish laughed in spite of himself and then continued the tale. "They asked what sort of creatures I look after. So I told...and then I mentioned dragons...and I said I really wanted one, just talk mind you. Like a kid wishfully thinking of Winterfest, you know. And...let's see...they kept buying me drinks and that warbled my mind a bit but...they said they had a dragon egg and I was very excited. They asked if I wanted to play cards for it. I thought he was bluffing but...he wanted the egg to go to a good home which made me a bit prideful, not going to lie on you there and...I guess I let slip that if I could handle Smooches I could handle a dragon and…"
"Did he seem...interested in Smooches?" Henry interrupted. He tried his best to keep his voice calm. His theory was coming together at an alarming speed.
"Well...yeah now that you mention it...he started praising me and complementing me and...oh nelly, you know how I get with all that sort so...I puffed out my chest and told him it's easy to care for a three headed dog like ol' Smooches. She just likes a bit of soft, tinkling music and...she'll go right off to sleep…" at once it clicked for Hagish.
He looked absolutely horrified.
"I SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID THAT!" He blurted. "Forget it! Don't you dare! Henry? HENRY!" He shouted.
But Henry was already dashing towards the school with Jon and Esmani in hot pursuit.
They didn't stop until they were at the front entrance and Henry almost was sure Hagish was going to follow them. He was thinking wildly.
"We've got to go to Simbledore," said Henry. "Hagish just accidentally told a stranger how to get past Smooches and...it was either Snabes under that cloak or Mormobius. Getting Hagish drunk was the plan all along! Simbledore has got to believe us! Ferno could even back us up if Nell doesn't punish him or banish him to silence. Say, where is Simbledore's office?"
Wildly, they all turned their heads as if a Harnocks directory would suddenly pop out of thin air. Maybe a sign pointing them in the right direction? They had never been told were Simbledore's office was or even where the Headmaster lived in the school. They also didn't know a single person who has ever been sent to see her. Not even Matt or Jack.
Hagish seemed to be calling after them and his voice was getting closer.
"We have to hurry…" Henry was going to say more but a voice suddenly rang across the hall like a booming megaphone.
"What are you three doing inside on such a splendid day?"
It was Professor Garspatuon carrying a large pile of books. Probably all of his grading.
"We need to see Headmaster Simbledore," Esmani said quite boldly and Jon and Henry looked at each other in wordless agreement on how brave their friend had become.
"See the Headmaster?" Garspatuon repeated slowly as if he was getting suspicious. "Why…?" He shifted the books in his grasp and stared down at the kids with an arched eyebrow. Henry gulped. What could they say now?
"It's...private matters…?" Henry wished his voice hadn't cracked so pitifully and if he could have snatched the words out of the air and placed them back into his mouth he would. For Garspatuon's nose wrinkled in irritation.
"The Headmaster left ten minutes ago," he said rather coolly. "She received an urgent owl from the Council of Casters and flew off to Bridgeport in haste."
"Now?" Henry said frantically. "She's gone?" He realized how dumb he sounded.
"Yes that's just what…" Garspatuon's face hardened further. "She has other obligations than just merely running the school, Mr. Puffer. Please remember that. A very great wizard such as Simbledore has many great responsibilities."
"But...this is important," Henry looked down at his shoes. He sounded five years old.
"Whatever you have to say is more important than the wellbeing of magical beings being handled by the council, Mr. Puffer?" Garspatuon challenged and Henry felt as if his stomach was bottoming out again.
"You know what?" Henry threw caution to the wind. "It is Professor Garspatuon. This is about the Elixir of Life."
Whatever Professor Garspatuon had expected, it wasn't that. The grading tomes he had been carrying tumbled out of his arms and paper flittered and spilled everywhere. He made no move to pick or gather anything up. He just stared completely shocked at the young boy in front of him.
"How in the Watcher's good graces do you know…?"
"Professor! I think...no, I know that Sna...someone's going to try and steal the Elixir. I've got to talk to Headmaster Simbledore about it right away!"
Garspatuon's expression was hard to read. Somewhere between shock, respect, and suspicion. Slowly, he began to blink again and exhaled through his nose.
"Headmaster Simbledore will...be back tomorrow, Mr. Puffer," he said with finality. "I do not know how you found out about the Elixir but rest easy knowing no one can possibly steal it. It's too well protected."
"But Professor!"
"Puffer, I know what I said!" He said shortly. Gracefully he bent down to gather the fallen books and papers. "Now, children...go and enjoy the sunshine outside and leave adult matters to the adults."
"HENRY! There you are you...oy...Garspatuon," Hagish said with respect and nodded to the professor. He nodded back and made his way to a different part of the castle. Hagish turned back to the children. "I'm warning you kiddies...no meddling in adult matters that are for only adults!"
"We've heard that enough times…" Jon rolled his eyes.
But they in no way shape or form followed that advice.
And Henry broke his resolution not to meddle.
"It's going to be tonight," said Henry once the three friends ditched the idea of going outside and instead went up to talk in the common room. Since most kids were out and enjoying the day, the three would be alone and have privacy. "Snabes is going to go through the trapdoor tonight. She's found everything she needs and now that Simbledore is out of the building it gives her the perfect opportunity! I can bet on my Debugging Hat he sent that note. I bet the Council of Casters didn't really need to see Simledore." Henry couldn't wait to get that off of his chest as they rounded the corner with the portrait of Princess Cordelia just a few yards away.
"But what…" Esmani began but gasped. Henry and Jon turned on their heels.
Snabes was standing right there behind them.
"Afternoon," she said smoothly.
What else was there to do but stare at her?
"You shouldn't be inside on a day like today." It was very eerie to watch Snabes try and smile. It just didn't look natural on her pale, narrow face.
"We were…" Henry began without a clue as to what story he was going to make up.
"You really should be more cautious," said Snabes seemingly randomly. "Hanging around in a little, private gaggle will make others question if you're up to know good. They'll think you're up to something. And last time I checked...I don't think Alpaggard can afford to lose any more credits, hm?"
Henry flared his nostrils but had no rebuttal.
"Believe you me, Puffer...if I catch you in any more nighttime wanderings I will personally draft and sign the parchment citing your expulsion from Harnocks. You've been warned." With a beat she punctuated by saing, "Good day to you," and swished her black skirts dramatically as she slinked away in the direction of the staffroom.
Henry counted to exactly ten before he began speaking again.
"Okay...that was too close but...here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us has to keep an eye on Snabes. You know, wait outside the staffroom and follow her if she leaves it. Esmani, I think you'd be best at that."
"Why's that?"
"Pretty obvious to me," said Jon shrugging. "You can pretend to be waiting outside for oh...I don't know...Professor Flitnit! You know," he changed his voice to a high pitched one to symbolize Esmani, "Ohhh dearest me, Professor...Professor...I am ever so worried about my exams! I think I got question twenty seven wrong and…"
"Oh knock it off, Jon I get it," Esmani rolled her eyes. "You made me sound like a stupid southern belle, yeesh!" There was a hint of a smile there and in the end she agreed to go and watch out for Snabes.
"As for us," Henry said to Jon, "We need to stay outside the third-floor corridor right after I grab something. Stay here." Jon did as he was told and Henry ran off to the portrait of Cordelia. Into the portrait hole he went and Jon waited for about five minutes when Henry came racing back. He wouldn't tell Jon what he had gotten. "Come on!"
In a terrible turn of events, the plan was foiled once Jon and Henry got near the door that separated Smooches from the rest of Harnocks. Professor Garspatuon turned up again and when he saw Henry and Jon, he completely lost his temper.
"You must think you are invincible and this is madness!" He began to raise his voice. "Enough of this! If I even hear your footsteps near this door I will take another one hundred credits from Alpaggard. My own House!" With heads hanging, they went to the common room and sunk down on the couch. Luckily, students still were not inside from the beautiful day.
"At least Esmani is acing her end of the plan," Jon sighed as the portrait of Princess Cordelia opened and Esmani came rushing in.
"Oh, Henry!" She wailed. "Snabes came out and asked me what I was doing so I said I was waiting for Flitnit like we rehearsed...she believed it and went to get him and I...I panicked so I just ran and...I don't know where Snabes went now." She put her hands on her eyes and shook her head, "I'm so sorry!"
"We didn't do any better, Esmani," Jon slumped further in his spot on the couch.
"Well...it's settled," Henry said, very spookily flat.
Jon and Esmani stared at him. His blue eyes looked fiery and wild.
"I'm going out tonight and I'm going to try and get the Elixir before Snabes."
"You're crazy!" Exclaimed Jon.
"You can't, Henry!" Esmani said. "You. Will. Be. EXPELLED!"
"AND WHAT ABOUT IT?" Henry shouted. "Don't you even get it, Esmani? Have you even got a clue? If Snabes gets one finger on that Elixir, she'll deliver it right to Mormobius and he'll be back! Have you not heard what it was like when he was taking over and in power? You've read it! I know you! There won't be a Harnocks left to be expelled from! He'll destroy it and crush it and probably turn it into some prison or his own personal shrine! Losing credits won't matter much then, will they?" Henry was on his feet and looked completely unhinged.
"Do you think someone like Mormobius will leave your family alone now that you are associated with me? Heck, if I go back to the Dooflys and just wait...it'll just be like waiting for Mormobius to find me there and off me. Hey! It's only dying a bit later than I would have liked but...all and all I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and there is nothing you two can say that is going to change my mind! Remember...Mormobius killed my parents and...and...he wants to KILL me too!"
Henry glared daggers at his two friends who were utterly speechless.
"You're...right, Henry," Esmani said in the smallest voice when she could speak again.
"It's fate that I got my Debugging Hat back," said Henry. "I will use it tonight."
"Does the magic extend if both of us keep ahold of you?" Jon asked, pointing to him and Esmani. Henry blinked a bunch of times in confusion.
"Both...both of us…?"
"Don't be stupid, mate, you know we're coming with you! You're not doing this alone!"
"I will look through my books right away! We can help, Henry! You need us!"
Henry looked with utter pride at his two friends.
"But...if we get caught...you two will be expelled, too."
"I'm not going down easily," Esmani said hotly with a bit of her old showboaty ways bubbling up. "Flitnit told me after my exam in secret that I got one hundred and fourteen percent! It's the highest he has seen in twenty five years! They can't throw me out after that!"
After dinner in the Grand Hall (he hoped it wouldn't be his last) the three of them sat in a secluded group in the common room. People were still ignoring them after the credit losing incident which really played in their favor. Esmani was skimming through all of her notes as she had promised. Her goal was to try and come across anything that could help break enchantment and counterspells. Henry and Jon just sat in silence. Better to just leave Esmani to it and privately think about what they were about to do and make peace with the risks.
Like a receding tide, people began drifting off to bed.
"I need to get the Hat," Henry said once the last Alpaggard climbed the stairs to the dorms. Just like he had done this afternoon, he also got the one thing that they needed-the flute that Hagish had whittled him for Winterfest. Henry stuck it in his trousers and grabbed the Debugging Hat as well.
"Put on the Hat here, Henry," Esmani advised. "We can make sure its powers are strong enough to extend to three of us. If Feltch spots us…"
"You're right, you're right," Henry interrupted her. He didn't feel like hearing more about the risks they were taking. "I'll wear it and Jon grabs ahold of me and then Esmani grabs ahold of Jon. Okay? Let's go!" The portrait swung open and the three climbed out.
"Wait! Wait! Jon I'm not on...hold my hand…" Esmani said but Jon looked too frazzled.
"What are you doing?" A voice said from down the hall. Taryn was in a blue nightgown that almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. She was in front of the girl's restroom on this floor. Her toad Trenton was clasped in both of her hands.
"Taryn...wh...why are you not using Owlenmoon's bathroom in the dorms?" Was all Henry could think to say. Jon had let go of Henry at this point and Henry knew if he tried to follow any of the Hat's suggestions, it'd leave Jon and Esmani behind which he could not let happen.
Taryn stared right into the three, guilty faces in front of her.
"You're going out again," she said so sadly it made Henry's heart hurt.
"No, no...no…" Esmani almost cooed like a mother to a child. "We're not, Taryn, no. Why don't you use the restroom and head back to bed?" Henry watched Esmani's eyes drift to the grandfather clock at the end of the corridor and he wordlessly agreed with her. They couldn't afford to waste any more time. Snabes may very well be down there playing a tune to put Smooches to sleep as they spoke!
"You can't do this guys…" said Taryn, "I know I'm not in your House but," she paused as if she was about to admit something big. "You guys are my friends and...I could be wrong but I think I'm your friend too and...I just don't want you to be caught again. I don't want you to get expelled."
"Taryn you…" Henry was touched but didn't waver. "You don't understand. This is really important this time. It's not a prank, it's not a joke, it's not even to get back at Kimmi Slymer for tripping you in Calamity Forest…" Henry trailed off and noticed Taryn looked as if she was about to do something really desperate.
"I can't let you," she said and hurried to walk in front of the stairs at the front of the corridor that was the only exit. "I can...I can fight you...I will!"
"Taryn," Jon couldn't contain himself anymore. "Get out of our way! Don't be stupid!"
"STOP calling me stupid!" Cried Taryn. "I'm sick of being called stupid! You guys told me to stick up for myself and I'm doing that! You can't be breaking any more rules!"
"I'm glad you're sticking up for yourself but…" Jon softened his voice. "But...Taryn this is different. You don't know what you're doing!" Jon took a step forward and Taryn dropped Trenton in fright or in defiance. Henry wasn't sure which.
"Go on then! Try and hit me!" She raised her fists and Henry realized it was the latter. "I'm ready!" In all honesty, Taryn looked about as threatening as a chocolate bunny.
In desperation, Henry turned to Esmani.
"Do something!" He cried.
"Taryn!" She said hotly, "We are your friends...and as your friend," she raised her wand and furrowed her eyebrows in pity, "I'm really sorry about this."
Taryn was caught off guard by being called Esmani's friend.
"Rigitus Corpus!" She hissed in a whisper and pointed the curse at Taryn.
Her arms snapped to her sides and her legs sprang together. Taryn's whole body went rigid and she swayed from left to right with the surprised look frozen on her puffy face. Where she stood, she wobbled a bit more and then fell to the side like a plank of wood.
With care, Esmani ran over to turn her onto her back. Taryn's jaws were clamped shut by the curse. Only her eyes were moving and they looked completely betrayed and horrified.
"What...what did you do?" Henry asked, feeling a bit scared himself.
"It's the…" she began in misery, "Full Body Stiffifying curse. "Oh, Taryn I'm so sorry it had to come to that," she moaned and looked down at her friend. "I'm sorry," she whispered again.
"We had to Taryn, and we promise we will explain everything to you real soon," said Henry. The three had to step over her and Jon called behind his back.
"You'll understand later, Taryn," he said in confirmation.
As the three held hands and zipped about as the multitasking powers from the Hat aided them, the thought of what they had done to their friend weighed on them heavily like a bad omen. In a state of nerves, every shadow looked like Feltch. Every bust looked like Mayor Whiskers. Every moan of the wind on the window panes sounded like Sceeves. When they reached the foot of the stairs, they actually saw the real Mayor Whispers and stopped.
A ghostly Esmani was scratching a wall behind them, a ghostly Jon was holding a door to dampen the sound, and a ghostly Henry was walking other versions of Esmani and Jon through that open door. They did just that and were on the third floor in an instant.
Unfortunately, Sceeves was floating aimlessly, wrinkling the carpets so students would trip. Lowly, he was chucking to himself and humming a nasty tune as he worked.
"What's that?" He said suddenly as Henry, Esmani, and Jon followed ghostly versions of themselves pulling on the carpet, knocking over a plant, opening a window, and holding another door open for the multitasking trio to succeed in evading this poltergeist. As the actual group climbed the stairs, Henry heard one of his multitaskers whispering ghoulishly to Sceeves.
"I am the Revengeful Regal...and I have business here, Sceeves…"
"Oh dear! So very sorry, sir! I...oh geez!" Sceeves was sputtering and the open window made just the right amount of drafty air and ghostly moans to punctuate the other version of Henry pretending to be a ghost.
"Leave this floor not to return for three weeks…"
"Yes sir! I won't sir!"
The actual friends were too far away to hear any more of the exchange.
The door to the forbidden corridor was already cracked open.
"So that's really it?" Henry sighed. "Snabes already got past Smooches."
None of the friends made a move. The moment was strikingly poignant.
"If you want to turn around, I won't blame you," Henry said. "You can take the Hat and I will not fault you for it. I don't need it where I'm going."
"Don't be stupid," Jon grumbled.
"We're going, Henry," Esmani said very strictly.
Snabes was most definitely not far ahead. As they went through the door there was a beautifully ornate harp in the room squeezed in with Smooches. It must have only been enchanted to play for a short while because it was quiet and Smooches' heads were moving restlessly as she began to wake up. Her noses were sniffing wildly upon catching the scent of the three friends. Three heavy lidded eyes slowly began to open.
"Well...here goes nothing," Henry wasn't much of a musician but he put the flute up to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune...at first he tried to play Hot Crossed Buns like he had learned last year in school on the recorder but by the end but...it was just a string of random notes. It didn't go unnoticed Esmani cringed a bit at some high parts.
Just as fast as they began to open, their eyes began to droop and close again. The low growls and sniffing noise began to ebb as the massive creature hunkered and slumped down. She was fast asleep.
"Whatever you do, keep playing," Jon hissed and Henry nodded as he played. The three moved towards the trapdoor. Hot, thick dog breath could be felt all over their small bodies. "This door looks light enough for me to pull it up," Jon got over it and began to try. It lifted immediately. "Ladies first?" He nervously asked Esmani. Henry wrinkled his nose as he kept blowing, feeling sillier and sillier by the minute.
"I don't know where you got the impression that I'm a lady."
"F-fine," Jon gritted his teeth and had to step over an enormous, black paw. He peered down the hole. It looked like a very long drop into inky darkness. Jon looked at Esmani and Henry began to point to himself. The notes that could be played with only one hand were ghastly and made Esmani cover her ears. Smooches' ears twitched a bit but she did not wake.
"You want to go first, Henry?" Esmani asked and Henry nodded continuing to play with both hands again. "Are you sure?" Henry nodded.
"I don't know how far it goes down, mate," Jon shrugged but conceded. You'll have to germ it up but, Henry, give the flute to Esmani so she can continue to play."
Henry handed the flute over and in that short amount of time, Smooches growled and twitched. The moment Esmani began to play, it fell back asleep. Jon looked at Henry in shock when she began to play a perfect rendition of Ostinato for Clarinet. It sounded light and twinkling on the flute and she even got the trills right. Huh. You learn something new about Esmani every day.
Henry climbed over the paw of Smooches and looked down through the trapdoor. There really was no sight of the bottom. Slowly, he lowered himself through the hole anyway until he was hanging on by just his fingertips. He briefly wondered what it would feel like to break a leg. He looked up to meet Jon's face.
"If anything happens to me, don't you or Esmani dare follow me. Go right to the Familairy and send Magus to Simbledore, okay?" Jon looked pensive. "Okay?"
"Okay! Right, right...okay."
"See you soon...I hope…"
And then Henry let go.
Stale, cold air rushed past him as he fell down further and further.
SLUMPH
With a strange, muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up a bit relieved and felt around. In the distance, he still heard Esmani's pretty melody. He was not used to this amount of light and blinked frantically to adjust. Ew. Squishy. It felt like he was on some sort of plant.
"It's okay down here!" Henry called up to the light above him the size of a playing card. "It's a nice, soft landing. Just jump down!" With a muffled cry, he felt a thump next to him which was Jon. When he landed in a heap next to Henry, he gasped and looked around.
"Yuck! What is this stuff? Were his very first words.
"Some sort of plant...I don't recognize it from Plantology, though. It's probably just here to break the fall. Come on down, Esmani!" Henry raised his voice to shout up to the flute player.
The distance twinkling melody stopped. Jon and Henry stiffened when a loud bark was heard but Esmani had already jumped. She landed perfectly on Henry's other side.
"I feel like we're miles below the school," she said.
"Lucky we've got this plant here to break the fall," Jon grinned.
"Are you crazy?" Shrieked Esmani! "Look at you!"
The moment Esmani made a move, the plant had started to twist and turn in snakelike tendrils around her ankles and calves. As for Henry and Jon, their legs were already bound tightly in long creeping vines without them even noticing. In horror, the kids began to rut and struggle but the more they pulled the faster the plant wound around them.
"Stop straining!" Esmani ordered them. "I do know what this is, it's…" she squeezed her eyes to go through the trillions of archives in her brain.
"Any day now," Jon wheezed.
"Lunar Lakes Lucifer Trap!"
"Oh gee! What great fun it is now that we know its proper name. Great help," Jon spat sarcastically. He began to nod and shake his head so it didn't curl around his neck.
"Shut up, shut up...I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" Esmani was rubbing her temples feverishly.
"Hurry up...I can't breathe!" Henry gasped and began to wrestle bwith a tendril curling around his own neck.
"Lucifer Trap...Lucifer Trap...what did Professor Hoppcraft say? It grows in dark, damp places...no light...it's scared of light…" she was mumbling as a vine wrapped around her waist.
"Light a fire!" Henry choked.
"There's no wood!" Esmani cried.
"YOU'RE A WITCH YOU CRAZY GIRL!" Jon screamed.
"Oh! OH! YES!" Exclaimed Esmani and she whipped out her wand, swished and flicked it perfectly, muttered a string of words, and sent a jet of the same blue fire she used on Snabes at the plant. In a matter of seconds, Henry and Jon felt it loosening its grip as it twisted and withered away from the light and warmth the fire gave off. As Esmani made the flame get bigger, it wriggled and flailed completely off of the three kids down in the mysterious trapdoor. They were able to pull free.
"I guess...that's why you pay attention in Plantology," Esmani stood there shocked.
"And luckily Henry doesn't lose his marbles under pressure…'no wood,' for real, girl?" Jon just shook his head as Esmani flushed and narrowed her eyebrows.
"This way, guys," Henry said and he pointed down a stone passageway. It was the only way forward. The silence was somehow deafening as they trudged along. Gentle drips of water and their footsteps seemed to be muffled and subdued in the eerie corridor. The group almost lost their footing as they realized a beat too late that the floor sloped downward and Henry was reminded of Bingpott's. A pang of intrusive thought led Henry hoping there was no dragon down here below the school too.
"Can you hear something?" Jon whispered and perked up.
Henry listened. Truthfully, it sounded like suction. Random intervals of suction.
"Maybe a ghost?" Esmani suggested.
"It...sounds like a T-shirt gun to me," Henry said softly. Esmani nodded.
"What's a T-shirt gun?" Jon asked.
"There's light up ahead," Henry ignored Jon's question. "Something's moving."
The group moved onward and reached the end of the corridor. They had to look up in awe. It was a brilliant chamber lit with twinkling chandeliers made of what looked like hundreds of candles. The ceiling arched high and proud above them and the walls were filled with tiny holes. Some sort of shiny gophers kept popping out and back in the holes. That was what was making the sound. Henry noticed the heavy-looking door on the other side of the chamber.
"Will they attack if we cross the room?" Jon wondered.
"I'd imagine so," replied Henry. "They don't...look vicious. They don't even look like an animal. But I suppose if they all jumped out of their holes and ambushed us...well...there's no other thing to do except run, right?" He took a deep breath and put his hands up to protect his face. In a sprint, he crossed the room. He expected to feel something like sharp teeth or claws tearing away at his skin but nothing happened. He reached the door unscathed and chortled in one short burst. When he reached and pulled the handle, it was locked.
Esmani and Jon followed close behind and frowned. They tugged and heaved at the door but it was useless. Not even Esmani's unlocking charms would open it.
"So what now?" Jon asked.
"Those gopher looking things...they can't be just decoration…" puzzled Esmani.
They watched the hundreds of holes. Some glittering heads poked out. Some went back in. They changed holes and they changed directions with each THWUMP to enter the hole and then THWUCK to stick the head out. Henry squinted when he noticed out of all the silvery glittering ones, a huge gold one made a pattern starting by peeking out of a very high hole, going back in, peaking out in a lower section of the wall, going back in...Henry followed it for a few more passes. It was a lot faster than the silver glittery ones.
"They're not gophers!" Henry blurted out suddenly. "They're keys and that one," he pointed hoping Jon and Esmani caught sight of the larger, faster, golden key, "is the one I bet gets us out of here." Henry looked all around the chamber at eye level and spotted some brooms propped up against the far wall. "That must mean that...GUYS…" Henry walked over and selected his broom.. "We've got to catch the big, fast, golden key!"
"It's super fast, mate," Jon said.
"And it's moving around in sporadic patterns!" Esmani pointed out.
Henry was already mounting his broom and looking up, following it with his eyes. As the youngest Flipper in Grilled Cheese Duelling history, Henry had to put his good reaction time to good use. He kicked off and hovered in the air so he was in the middle of the chamber. He noticed that the golden key made zig zagging patterns downward. He dove down and stabbed his hands through one of the holes he thought the key was heading towards.
"OUCH!" Henry cried and Jon and Esmani exclaimed their concerns from below. "No, no I'm fine it's just...punching a stone wall doesn't feel good, ya know?" He shook his hand to ease the pain and hovered back to his position. He watched the golden key move.
Out of a hole.
Back in.
Out a different hole.
Back in.
It was the most infuriating game of whack-a-mole Henry had ever seen. "Jon! Esmani! Grab a broom and circle low. Maybe we can scare it to now go down further than my height!" Henry planned. Jon and Esmani nodded and mounted their brooms.
Jon and Esmani had gotten a lot better at flying since September. Jon circled low with his long legs almost skimming the chamber floor. Esmani flew in circles right above his head. Jon flew clockwise and Esmani flew counterclockwise. Henry's plan worked! He noticed that the golden key would no longer choose holes near Jon or Esmani's areas. Once again, he dove for a hole.
"DANG IT!" Henry cried as his hand met stone again.
He was getting angry and feverish.
What did Switch always say?
An angry player makes a stupid player.
Henry breathed and really studied the key's movements.
In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In…
Henry exhaled.
He zoomed over…
His hand was all the way into a hole up to his elbow but he felt something struggling in his grasp. He pulled and tugged and the large key was in his grasp. Esmani and Jon gave a cheer as they looked above them at Henry holding it proud! Together, they lowered and dismounted their brooms giggling and laughing at the accomplishment.
"You ready?" Henry asked not really knowing what would be next. When his friends nodded, he put the key into the lock and turned. The door pulled open.
The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. When they each took a step, light flooded the room to reveal a structure that made Jon's jaw drop.
On the smooth floor, stood a gigantic Don't Wake the Llama tower on a raised platform. The sticks composing the towers were as big as fallen tree trunks and it was about twelve feet high. The llama on top was not as big as a Sim's palm like normal, but the size of an actual llama. The wood was sleek and shown from the lights that adorned the perimeter of the floor. On the platform, shown a small circle light directly facing the llama. Esmani peeked around the tower but when she moved, the whole tower trembled and it shook the entire room. Nobody wanted to move a muscle.
"You can't go around it...the door is on the other side but if you go around it I think," she sighed, "I think it will topple and crush you."
"Now what do we do?" Henry whispered.
"It's pretty obvious to me," said Jon. "We've got to play! Get the towers shorter and shorter. Get past the llama that is probably alive and just...make a break for it."
He sounded super casual which was a bit out of place in all honesty.
"I think...I think I'm going to have to use that spell you taught me."
Esmani blushed at his words and knew he was referring to Throughify za Airify.
Jon stepped up onto the raised platform. When the other's tried to follow, the tower shook menacingly. "Stop, stop! I think only one of us can play. Don't be offended guys but...you two aren't the best at it and…"
"We're not offended," Henry said quickly. "Just do your thing! We'll be your…" he thought. "Your second if need be!" Jon nodded and stuck his tongue out to think. His dark eyes surveyed the huge tower. As if he had summoned it himself, the angry llama on top moved its wooden head and peered down to him for the tower. When it exhaled in anger, saw dust billowed in a cloud from its nostrils. It stamped and preened the top of the tower and slowly...a ten foot long piece slowly hovered out from the middle of the tower. Once it was out, it evaporated. Gone.
"Pssh...not only you get to go first but then you choose the easiest move…" Jon rolled his eyes. "Typical beginner's move I tell ya," he began to mumble to himself as he slowly paced around the tower, looking for a move. Henry wondered how long they had.
"Jon…?" He whined.
"Henry! Don't rush me! This game takes time." He looked up at the angry llama. "I have the regulated time, right? Infinite to think but only a minute to pull?" The llama, amazingly, nodded silently. Jon grinned, clapped his hands together, and rubbed them. "Okay then! Let's get to it!" He pulled out his wand, tapping the tip of his chin with it before finding the one he wanted.
"Throughify za Airfy!" Jon exclaimed.
Nothing happened.
Looking back at Esmani she nodded to confirm he did the spell correctly. It took him a second but Jon quickly caught on. Stepping into the circle of light, Jon relaxed and repeated the spell. This time as he shouted, the brick he chose slowly slid out of it's socket within the tower. When it was out, it evaporated.
"What can we do?" Esmani wanted to know as the llama removed a brick slowly. Jon was watching intently but turned to her and shrugged.
"I don't know!" He truthfully told her.
And so they watched. In all honestly Jon kept the game going at quite a good speed. The better he did, the angrier the llama seemed. Jon was running all around the platform to get better angles and murmuring things like "Push don't pull...that's the ticket." and "Middle ones yeah...gotta recenter the sideones now…"
In about ten minutes the llama was teetering precariously on a very unstable tower about five rows up. Henry knew from his practice with Jon that at four rows the llama will "feel safe and fall asleep, knowing he can jump down in the morning." So Jon really only had to clear one more row…
Henry's face turned white just as Jon's face fell.
"What? What? What's going on?" Esmani hated being left out of things she wasn't good at. Henry sadly pointed to a middle brick on the second row from the bottom. It was the most stable, would clear a row, and win the game but…
"What! NO! It's at Jon's height! Jon! Why do you have to be so tall! If you pull that thing out! It's going to crash right into you!"
"It's...it's the only way! I've got to take it!" Jon said softly.
"NO!" Henry and Esmani shouted.
"That's the only way I'm not gonna wake this bloody llama, guys!" Jon snapped.
"But…" Henry sputtered.
"Do you want to stop Snabes or not?"
"Jon…"
"If we don't hurry this along, she'll already be delivering the Elixir to the Unmentionable One and this will have been for nothing!"
There really was no alternative.
"Ready?" Jon called and his face was drained of all color but he looked focused and determined. "Here I go...now, when the row collapses, just hop over it and get to the door. Don't hang around for me once we've won." Henry and Esmani could only nod.
Jon stepped forward and closed his eyes as he exhaled. His stance was wide and he held his wand in two hands with one eye squinted to hone in on the brick he needed.
"THROUGHIFY ZA AIRIFY!" He screamed.
The brick wobbled and shook as Jon pulled, his feet rooted in place. When it popped out, it flew forward fast and knocked him square in the chest and stomach. Esmani screamed but stayed off of the platform. Jon's body flew back about four feet and flat on his back he lay still as the brick evaporated above him. He was knocked out cold.
Henry and Esmani watched as the tower trembled and shook. The row where the brick was removed collapsed and the wooden llama looked very angry, then relaxed, then tranquil. Where it stood, it circled a couple of times, bent low, and shut its eyes.
All was still.
With one last, desperate look at their friend, Henry boosted Esmani up and over the tower where she reached down and helped him. Quietly, they walked around and over the sleeping llama statue and lowered themselves down on the other side. The door was already opening for them.
"What if he's…"
"He's all right," Henry said, trying to convince both himself and Esmani. "What could be next do you think?" Henry hoped it wouldn't be as bad as the Don't Wake the Llama game.
"Hoppcraft's trap was the Lucifer plant, Flitwit must have put a Mischief charm on the keys, Garspatuon used Practical Magic to transfigure the Don't Wake the Llama bricks that leaves...Querkle's spell and...Snabes'."
They had reached another door.
"Okay?"
"Yes, go on," Esmani whispered.
Henry pushed it open.
A disgusting smell filled their nostrils and they both had the reaction to pull their robes up over their noses like little vampires. With watering eyes, they saw, flat on the floor in front of them, a zombie cursified to be even larger than the one they had to tackle in the bathroom. It was out cold with a huge dent in it's soft, decaying head.
"Just be lucky we didn't have to fight that," Henry pointed out in a whisper as they stepped carefully over one of its massive forearms. "I can barely breathe from it's nasty stench, let's go!" Esmani agreed and they moved towards the door.
When it opened, they both were on pins and needles to see what could possibly be next. What they saw...was not actually very scary. Just a small room with a table. On the table were seven bottles standing on it in a line.
"These are potion ingredients," Henry said. "Snabes," he narrowed his eyes and gazed at the bottles. "What do we do?" The two shrugged and when they took a step, vapid black fire emitted from the door that they entered and the door on the other side of the room sprang ablaze into the same inky flame. They were trapped in here unless they could figure this out!
"Look at this!" Esmani grabbed a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Over her shoulder, Henry read:
If you drink the black; that's that. But worry not I've cut you slack.
Don't mix it with the Garplasen War or else a death will be in store.
Leetlefloof is poison unless it's mixed with beautifully painted lips.
Skindle berries will kill you dead, so tuck them into Owlenmoon's bed.
September has come at last and now the Alpaggard's have class.
Remember our friend dressed in black? Give it a home on a Gastrobury soldier's back.
Now there are two; what to do? One goes behind, the other goes back through.
What sends you back twenty seven splits to two hundred forty plus three.
What goes through twenty seven splits to two twenty four minus sixty two.
Woe is you, what to do? Stay down here trapped…?
Or drink the correct brew!
Henry could recognize Snabes' handwriting anywhere.
He was furious! How would they solve this?
Esmani let out a huge sigh and he figured she felt the same, but when he looked up and her he was amazed and quite frankly shocked that she was smiling. That was the last thing he felt like doing at a time like this.
"Incredible," she whispered. "This is...a Potions recipe but...in riddle form. Using...clues and tricks from things we have learned in other classes." Henry moaned. He just did his exams. Esmani laughed, "a lot of the greatest wizards don't pay as good of attention in all their classes as they should, or they'd be stuck down here forever," she nudged Henry playfully with her elbow.
"So how do we solve it?"
"Everything we need is right here on this paper and…" she pointed to a portable chalkboard on wheels," that chalkboard probably for the last bit. Not a problem. Let's see…" Henry watched as Esmani surveyed the bottles. They all looked the same except for the color of the liquid inside. The first was green, the second was black, third was yellow, pink was next, then blue, and finally red.
"Let's just drink the black...black to go through the black fire, right?"
Esmani's face hardened.
"Hen-ry," she sighed. "If you drink the black...that is that…"
"Oh," Henry blushed. He clamped his mouth shut and let her read and reread.
"Got it," she said and strode over to the bottles.
"Wait! Are...are you sure…?"
"Positive! Watch!" She reached and picked up the yellow bottle. "The black is poison on it's own and also if you mix it with the Garplasen War...that was the third war in the Seven Wars of Snordwich. The third color is yellow." Henry was trying to keep up. "But...Leetlefloof is poison unless it's mixed with beautifully painted lips. That proves my theory. Pink lipstick is casual but beautifully painted lips are...red," Henry jumped but watched as she dumped the yellow liquid into the red vial. Nothing exploded so…?
"Skindle berries are poisonous. Remember Plantology?" Henry didn't. "But not if you tuck them into Owlenmoon's bed...hm...skindle berries are pink and Owlenmoon beds are…"
"Blue!" Henry shouted.
"Great job, Henry!" Esmani beamed and Henry felt like they were back in a study session as she poured the pink vial into the blue vial. When mixed, the color materialized and mixed to form a milky, pearly white. "That's okay...that's okay let's keep going…"
She looked around and picked up the red vial.
"September is the first month of the year at Harnocks. Alpaggards are red. The green vial is the first vial so…" Esmani poured the red vial into the green vial.
"Remember our friend dressed in black? Give it a home on...what kind of soldier?" Henry read over Esmani's shoulder and she scowled at him.
"Do you stare at just your desk in history class?" She snapped and Henry blushed again. Gastrobury soldiers wear all white when they go into battle. It was our third unit Henry!" She mixed the scary, black vial with the pearly white vial that was made by mixing the pink and blue.
There were now two bottles. The red and green mixture made a brilliant turquoise color and the pearly white mixed the black made a vibrant purple mixture.
"Ah HA!" Esmani chuckled. "Math class!" She whipped around and wheeled the chalkboard over closer to her. "Okay...two hundred forty plus three is...easy! That's two hundred and forty three. Same for the next line...two hundred twenty four minus sixty two is...one hundred and sixty two," as she talked she wrote. "Splits from...splits from…" she repeated that part of the riddle over and over again and then her eyes went wide.
"What, what…!"
"Long division," she simply said as she erased and drew out the correct way.
"243 divided by 27," Henry read. "162 divided by 27."
In amazement, Henry watched her work. She made long division look easy.
What she had left was nine and six.
"What does that mean…?" Henry moaned.
"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!" She said rubbing her temples. "WAIT!"
In a sloppy, quick script Esmani wrote out T-U-R-Q-U-O-I-S-E and P-U-R-P-L-E.
"Henry I got it, look!" Henry looked but still was clueless. "What sends you back gives you the answer of number nine! Turquoise has nine letters!" She pointed to the turquoise bottle. "What sends you through got us the answer to number six! Purple has six letters!" She began to jump up and down. Henry understood and began to match her excitement but realized what this meant.
"I have to go alone, then! You drink the turquoise, go back and get Jon. Get to Magus and send for Simbledore at once. I think I can handle Snabes until then." Esmani opened her mouth but he interrupted. "Take the brooms from the first chamber, fly through the trapdoor. You still have my flute to get by Smooches."
"What if...the Unmentionable one is with him?"
"I got lucky once, I can do it again," Henry said pointing to his scar with one hand and taking the purple vial in the other. Esmani's bottom lip shook and she suddenly careened into Henry at full speed. "Esmani! Watch the vial!" He laughed as he realized she was giving him a great, big hug. "Esmani!"
"Henry...you're a great caster just so you know."
"Oh...stop...Esmani," Henry was completely embarrassed. "Not as great as you!"
"ME! Books and cleverness only get you halfway. More important things take you all the way. Friendships and bravery...and a bit of creativity and a whole lot of tenacity...please Henry be careful."
"You drink first," Henry said. "You sure about this?"
"One hundred percent," she said. She took a long pull from her turquoise vial and shuddered violently. Henry began to panic. Was it poison?"
"No...but it's as cold as ice."
"Quickly! Before it wears off!"
"GO!"
Esmani wheeled around and walked right through the black fire unharmed.
Henry faced the fire at the other end of the room. He put the purple vial to his lips.
"Here I come, Snabes," he said and downed the entire thing in one gulp.
It felt like ice water overtook the plasma in his veins. He tossed the vial behind him with a shatter and began to walk. He tensed, ready for pain but he watched the black flames lick his body even though he couldn't feel them. He passed through into the last chamber.
Someone was already there...it wasn't Snabes…
It wasn't even Mormobius.