Chapter 21: My Teacher Undergo a "Surprise Adoption"

Words: 2,635

Recap: After a deep and enlighting history lesson given by a stinky hat. We are only one (or two) step closer in finding the lost treasure. Lily seemed to have broken the last puzzle we needed so now it's time we'll see where she's leading us.

We all ran in tandem to the only redhead of the group. Her smile contagiously gave us excitement as we headed toward the bridge connecting us to the only town available around the school, Hogsmeade, and gestured toward the clock tower, a marvel architecture that would have made Annabeth gaze at every inch long enough to give her a cricked neck, with a smile stretching out on her face.

But that wasn't what we're looking, instead, she had used facing the rows of statues on the side of the buildings surrounding the entrance like the guard they were made to be. Though being a magic castle, it wouldn't have been out of the ordinary to find them moving if there was ever an attack. Doubtful since this is a school and not a stronghold or anything, but the structure of a castle did leave a lot of room for the imagination.

Lily stood, smiling proudly as she gestured at the wall, "Notice anything?" I glanced at the other boys, but they were as stumped as me, frowning and shaking their heads. Lily had her shoulders slumped, "Am I really the only one seeing this? Percy, you saw the memories, can't you tell?"

From her words, I squinted hard to actually search what she was aiming at. Whether it was the knight armor worn by the statues, the regal frown expression of a battle-hardened warrior, the spears each of them took as a weapon– hang on, why is one of them holding a sword.

My feet took me forward to examine the only sculpture without a spear. Taking a closer look, its face wasn't that identical as its fellow stone guards and was much more defining. In fact, that face was looking awfully familiar the longer I examined the statue. The answer had been on the tip of my tongue until my gaze spotted the sword, which then dawned on me.

"That's Gryffindor, that's the statue of Godric Gryffindor when he was young!"

"What?!"

"No way!"

"It was right on our faces this entire time?!"

"But how did you figured that out?" Sirius threw that question to Lily, and I was just as curious for the answer.

"When we found a painting of his that gave the first clue, he said to "Look upon where I stand." I was unsure at first, but Percy's story of the Sword of Gryffindor and the scenery overlooking the window behind Godric's painting was Hogsmeade, the town the Four Founders built to protect the Wizarding Community. A significant piece of their history, don't you think? So I thought the best place for a former knight to be would be guarding the school and overlooking the home they built together."

There was silence. Not that we're surprised Lily was the one who solved it, we all knew she was smart when she wanted to, but this reasoning was enough to make us marvel her.

"Lily, you're brilliant! I could kiss you right now!" I shivered suddenly when a heavy pair of hostiles eyes were shooting lasers at the back of my head, and I amended quickly. "On second thought, maybe a hug would do."

"Still, we know what Godric's clue, but what now?"

In answer, Sev crouched down on the feet of the statue. Examining, feeling, and dusting the dirt around it, to the point he went behind it. His action made us dubious by the second, but then there was a great cry of "Aha!" and he showed the little keyhole at the upper right corner obscured by the statue's shadow.

"This, then we've found it, we've found the entrance to the Lost Treasure then?"

"We can finally get the Sword!"

"Not yet," Remus calmed the pair of hyper boys, "We haven't completed the key. So we can't turn opened it yet, and who knows what kind of enchantment it has if we messed up how we open it."

"Not to mention now isn't quite the right time with all eyes on us," I jammed a thumb back, pointing at the students that paused and whispering by themselves. We must have looked like an odd group from the outside point of view.

"I thought you said Professor Heckler has the last piece."

Sev huffed irritably, "I said I might have. Might. Being obsessed with the legend isn't proof enough."

"Then let's go raid his office tonight," James concluded as if he wasn't offering a recklessly absurd plan, "No more searching, no more wondering, and no more pushing this back. By the time we collect all the key parts, we're going to see this through to the end."

"Who died and made you in charge?"

"As if you can do any better, Snivellus."

"Children!" the sole witch in the group interrupted before another bout of fighting breaks out, "If you're done showing off your ego. Why not try getting things done for a change without fighting among ourselves, can you do that?"

The blazing hatred to another spoke volumes from their gazes, but they didn't say anything against her, so she spun that to a win.

I had not much to say since all around it was a simple and solid plan, not much to criticize as long as we don't get caught sneaking out to find a hidden treasure that a bunch of meddling Mystery-Inc-wannabes had a hard time keeping their nose out. But it was surprisingly fun (and unsurprisingly dangerous), and seeing these kids working together for a single goal just kind of light a small warmth in me, so there was never a choice of not going and making sure they don't get too much in trouble.

Maybe because Circe had barely been seen both in clues and dreams that I had been lax in my guard, perhaps it was the lack of danger actively chasing our tails and waiting for the roof to collapse on our heads, but there was little to worry for the upcoming hurdle up ahead.

Which is why it was such a shock for us by lunchtime the next day, Sirius and James had pulled me, Lily, and even Sev from our seats to a vacant hallway.

Sev was the first to break out of the grip of his shock and their hold to draw his wand, "Levicorpus."

He uttered an unfamiliar spell which resulted in the both of them dangling upside their head. "I knew it," Severus hissed, "I knew they were going to backstabbed us! Can't stand sharing the credit, so you planned to steal our part of the key, didn't you?!"

Before either of them could defend themselves, Peter appeared, hand shootout in surrendered as he told us to hold our wands. "Wait! We come in peace! Something horrible happened and these two panicked when they tried asking your help, okay?!"

Past enmity didn't quell the distrust among us, but we put our wand down. Lily was fierce in her tone as she demanded them to talk.

Instead of answering, Peter quiveringly gave a note for us to read, and the message made us pale and washed away our doubts.

I have your little wolf.

If you want him safe, meet me at Godric's Statue tonight

Tell no one or else his life in Hogwarts will come to an end.

. . .

The courtyard was lit thanks to the moon, shining awfully brightly than usual for tonight. James, Sirius, Peter, Lily, Severus, and I were waiting at the promised spot with wands on hands. My free left hand was even fiddling with Riptide inside my pocket and kept myself from the urge to click it multiple times.

"I wonder who was the one who wrote the letter." Peter fiddled his fingers and looking more restless than me, and that's saying something.

"Who cares? Whoever it is better prepared anti-curse spells because that's what we're giving."

"Don't pray for it, he doesn't deserve getting out of here unscathed."

Our wondering came to an end when the first set of footsteps were heard, and we raised our wands simultaneously. Yet there was no chance for us to utter any spells. Not only because the person came with a wand aimed at Remus' head, but because we found the one who ransomed us was–

"Professor Heckler?!" Most of us had our jaws drop, but the revelation barely moved me as I kept a wary eye on him. Figures that the weirdo was also the crazy one.

"I sheee you came assh inshstructed, very good of you." His tone amiable and would have smiled pleasantly if not for his crooked yellow teeth. It was an absurd attitude coming from someone who threatened a bunch of 12-year-olds, even going so far as to kidnap his own students!

"Let him go, Heckler!"

"And lose my leverage from opening the Vault to the Lossht Treasshure? I don't think ssho." We weren't capable of hiding our surprise, and Heckler seemed to preen at our amazement. "That'ssh right. I've been watching all of you sincesh you shtole my notebook. I thought of forcing you to give it back during your detention, but then you ended up finding the key parts faster than my own search."

"So you decided letting us find the treasure would be a better way to use us and wait for the right time to strike where you'll take all the treasure for yourself," I finished his thought for him. I feel like a fool for never noticing when I should have the moment he had his mood swings after finding the first part of the key in the Forbidden Forest.

"Exactly. Now that we're finished with the chit-chat." He pointed his wand toward Peter. "You. Bring me the ressht of the parts. You'll be opening the Vault for ussh!"

"Don't give it to him!" Remus cried but shut up quickly when the wand pressed harder to his temple. It was hard not to catch the slight whimper of his voice, and it took a lot of my willpower not to pull out Riptide and cut that hand of Bronze wouldn't work on wizards, but it would surely make me feel better.

"You think we're going to just hand you over the key parts?!" Severus outbursts, "Fat chance. Anything happened to Lupin and all of us can testify that it was your doing, and no way for you to get your precious treasure." My best friend tried to bring pressure to the guy, pointing out a flaw to his plan to give us leverage, but the smile on the ugly face barely twitch.

"Oh, I find my chances are quite high actually. I'm sure they would understand once I explained it involves the child's darker side," I didn't think Remus could get pale any further from the threat. "Poor Remus Lupin, lost to himself and went berserk, so his friends are desperate to protect him from his own pitiful self to the point of lying and blaming an unfortunate teacher who handled the case."

His words barely make any sense to me, and a brief glance to my side showed both Sev and Lily's confusion, but the same cannot be said to the other three. They exchanged glances between themselves and at Sev, and I fear they were considering to force one of the key parts out of his hand.

"Severus, give him the key!"

"What?!" Sev wasn't the only one surprise, three of the four musketeers were looking at me like I've gone bonkers. "Percy, this guy is bluffing. You can't let him get away with this!"

"And he might be not," I gritted my teeth and tried whispering, "He won't let us off just from opening the lock. Better to wait for an opening rather than risking Remus."

Sev didn't at all feel assured by the deeper than usual frown he had. Then, Lily grabbed his hands and silently plead him to go and help her fellow Gryffindor. He still grumbled even as he pulled one of the key parts and shoved it harshly at Peter.

The mousey looking guy quickly went to the Professor's side to accept the last piece of the puzzle. The Mad Teacher offered his free hand, where his charm bracelet was. I should have figured that was where he hid the last part of the key. Safer to keep it in his person all the time. Wordlessly, the small Gryffindor put it together and then searched for the keyhole with the now-whole-key. He was fumbling the whole time, glancing between the key and his friends, unsure if he should go all the way and taking cue from us.

In the end, he turned the key and unlocked it. The statue's back shone on its silhouette. The walls caused the statue to move backward and reveal a hidden set of stairs heading down.

"Affter you." Heckler motioned us to go down ahead, I silently cursed for missing the chance to hit him from the back.

None of us were stoke in being threatened to go down when we usually would have been excited in finding a secret passageway. In the end, we have no choice but to listen as we made our way down. I thought it would be simple downward stairs, but then I berated myself because this is a magic castle, nothing is simple.

The stairs that had been normal at first began to twist and turn. First, it had gone spiral. Next, we made a turn only to climbed up instead. Then we somehow were climbing sideways(?), only to make a turn which had us appeared on the other side of the stairs we just climbed down on. Basically, it was a headache-induced but less-deathly version of the Maze.

No one dared to speak out of nerve, even when we were walking deeper inside a vast hallway that you couldn't believe exist under the castle. The size would rival that with the chamber but unlike the cold white stone and creepy snake fetish decor, the hallway had pillars stretching out high that makes you wonder how deep you've gone to build an arched form. The whole architecture reminded me of that one time, I visited St. Patrick's Cathedral once with my friends from church school (Which I currently found it ironic in so many ways now). The brick and stones haven't lost its golden sheen and at the end of the tunnel was a door with only a golden plate placed on it and a wooden log as a lock that anyone who works out can open.

Heckler began to giggle at first before he burst out into full-blown laughter, "Yes, yes, YES!" he yelled out and pushing Remus away in favor of personally ripping out the block of wood halting the door open. It was unexpected to see a gangly teacher like him managed to pry open the door with just sheer strength. I guess the miracle of adrenaline wasn't exclusive to wizards. "Finally, finally! After 40 years of searching, I found it, the Lost Treasure of Hogwarts and they're all mine, mine, mine!" Drunk with the idea of money and power hidden behind that door. His jaw looked unhinged as he kept on cackling and cackling, even I wasn't daring enough to attack him. The others were just slowly inching away from the total loony.

Yet we didn't leave the vicinity at all. Not when Heckler finally managed to dislodge the lock and pushed the door open. I don't know about the rest, but my heart began to roar in waves at every second the door creaked open. Despite the danger we were in, the seeded excitement in finding a long lost treasure we've worked hard in searching was still planted firmly in our hearts, so there was no way to squash the anticipation of what was on the other side.

Finally, the door fully cracked open.

And we found…

.

.

.

...nothing.