"I am so bored." Sirius sighed as they scrubbed yet another shield in the trophy room.
"Sirius, we've only been here for…ten minutes. You have only cleaned two things, how can you possibly be bored already? I mean, this isn't interesting, but give it at least fifteen minutes before you complain." James shook his head.
Sirius took out his wand and made the dirty polishing rag fly and hit James in the face.
"Hey!" James exclaimed as Sirius burst out laughing.
James pointed his wand at the bucket of polish and it turned to toss its contents at Sirius, who ducked, causing the soapy polish to splash all over Remus.
Several minutes later, McGonnegal came in to see polish and rags flying through the air, and the three boys with their wands out, laughing hysterically.
"Boys!" She exclaimed, ducking a rag and sidestepping to avoid a bucket.
Immediately, the projectiles fell back in their proper place.
"What on earth is going on here?" McGonnegal demanded, noting quickly that the trophies and shields were all well polished and clean.
"He started it!" All three boys exclaimed while pointing at each other.
"I am sure all of you were equally guilty. Go now and clean up, but tomorrow night you will have separate detentions." She sighed.
"But Professor, we already have Detention tomorrow night." Sirius explained. "Why do teachers try and double up on the detentions?"
"I will speak with Professor Brown. If I were you, I would watch myself around him. A Ministry Official, even a former one, is not someone to trifle with." McGonnegal warned. "You're excused."
Sirius, Remus and James ran out of the room laughing hysterically. They weren't paying attention, so Sirius accidentally ran into a suit of armor.
"Ouch." Sirius groaned, rubbing his head.
The armor shook a little from Sirius's impact, and the wall next to it swung open.
"Cool. Your clumsiness actually did something good" James grinned, walking in and pulling out his wand. "Lumos."
The hallway was dark and dank and led up a pathway of stairs. The stairs emptied into a room with a book and two mirrors.
"What's this?" Sirius picked up the book and read the title. "Good god, this is the longest title I've ever seen. The Inclusion of Non-Magical (A.K.A Muggle) Science in a Society Totally Dependent on Magic and Its Perceived Consequences and Possible Acceptance Thereof: A Comprehensive Ten-Year Long Study By Louisa Erwin Doo. Wow, that sounds fantastically boring."
"Look at these." James handed Sirius a mirror. "Who hides boring book and two mirrors in a secret chamber? Well, this is bound to be useful anyway. Let's go."
Both boys headed down the stairs, but Sirius didn't follow.
"Sirius!" James called, causing Sirius's mirror to activate. "Whoa! I can see you reading!"
Sirius picked the mirror up to see James looking back at him. "Whoa. Wicked."
Sirius grabbed the book and flipped it open. The title inside read The Stupidest Hexes You Never Knew Existed and How To Use Them.
"James, Remus, get back up here." Sirius said into the mirror. "This book is bloody brilliant!"
"This whole room is brilliant." James replied, coming back upstairs. "You know a fire spell?"
"Why?" Sirius asked.
"Because there are torches I would like to light, ding-dong, so we can see better." James rolled his eyes, pocketing his mirror.
"Incendio." Remus pointed his wand at a torch, lighting the room.
James did the same with the other two torches and discovered a crack in the seemingly prefect stone. "Sir, look at this, mate."
"Hang on." Sirius held up a hand, completely absorbed in the book.
James noticed a draft coming from the hole. He started tapping stones, then reached over a pulled the nearest torch, causing the door to swing open.
"There's a bloody door in the wall." Remus pointed out.
"Fascinating." Sirius said, not paying attention still.
"Fine, we'll be right back." James shook his head and walked through the door, followed closely by Remus.
He descended a long, spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever. Finally, James reached the landing and another door. There was no handle, but one particular stone looked out of place. James pressed it gently and the door opened, revealing yet another room. In the center was a small staff head, sitting on a velvet pillow.
"James? Remus?" Sirius called. "How do you get in? There's no handle and it won't push. Where are you?"
"In here. Press the stone!" James sighed, approaching the staff.
"What stone?" Sirius asked.
"Sirius, look at them. One of them looks weird. It's on your right." Remus sighed, shaking his head.
"This is kind of cool." Sirius grinned, walking in. "What's that?"
"Don't know." James shrugged. "Glad you finally decided to pull your nose out of that book for a second."
"Trust me mate, this book is going to be our best friend." Sirius raised his eyebrows suggestively. "It's got more jokes than we could ever think of."
"Back to this thing." James crept closer to the pedestal. "Why would something like this be kept under such close guard? I mean, this room hasn't been occupied in probably fifty years."
"Actually, it's been a good eight hundred years." A voice said from their left.
All three boys jumped, and turned, wands ready to face the portrait of an old knight.
"Hello boys, I'm Sir Gawain." The portrait smiled gently.
"Like the knight of the round table?" Sirius asked, curiously.
"Yes. The very same." Gawain nodded. "You can call me G. I haven't spoken to anyone in a very long time."
"How'd you know it's been 800 years?" James asked. 'I mean, if you haven't spoken to anybody."
"I have spoken and visited other paintings around the castle, but I am not allowed to speak with any mortals outside the ones who come down here." Gawain explained. "But you boys have found one piece of the staff of Merlin."
"Wow. Can we take it?" Sirius asked, excitedly. "I mean, it's really cool, it would be great to put in our dorm."
"I don't see why not. Finder's keepers. It's no real magical use anymore. It's just nice to look at." Gawain shrugged. "The only thing it's good for now is curing the Blood Curse."
"That sounds cool. What is it? I mean, what's the blood curse and how come no one gets it anymore?" James asked.
"Why don't you boys sit and I'll tell you a story?" Gawain smiled. "About 800 years ago, a pureblood wizard, no one knows quite who, released a plague on Hogwarts. Now, at that time, the school housed few muggle-born students simply because magic was widely unaccepted. The plague came to be known as the Blood Curse because of what it did to its victims. Anyway, about four months after the plague was released, muggle-borns and half bloods started getting ill."
"Did anyone die?" Sirius asked.
"Well, yes. Not at the school, but there were two deaths in Hogsmeade and an entire town nearby was wiped out. Depending on how much muggle blood they had in them, the sick ones started getting sicker and sicker, their sweat, tears, everything turning to blood until the were bled out and died."
"Can it be cured?" Remus asked.
"I'll tell you if you stop interrupting me. The founders found both pieces of Merlin's staff, half of which had been used to release the plague initially, and reunited them. After they cured everyone, the founders broke the staff into four pieces and hid them on the grounds. Clues are hidden behind one of the portraits of Merlin in the castle as to where the pieces are and on how to cure the blood curse."
"Now that is cool. Could we reunite the staff?" James asked.
"I wouldn't advise it." Gawain shrugged.
"Can the plague be released again?" Sirius asked.
"Yes, without the staff, too. That's why the founders broke the staff and hid it. To cause wide-spread plagues, you need the staff." Gawain explained.
"But someone could bring the Blood Curse back?" James asked.
"Yes. It would take some muggle science to implement it however." Gawain nodded.
"Were you around when it happened?" Sirius asked.
"No. I was commissioned specifically to guard Helga Hufflepuff's portion of the staff. As to the upper room there, several students used use it as a sort of hideout. They probably left a few things for future students," G smiled. "But they never came down here."
"We'll visit you, but it's getting late." Remus looked at his watch.
"Go on, you're going to get into more trouble if you don't head back to your common room." Gawain nodded at the boys.
"Thanks. We'll be back." Sirius grinned as he, Remus, and James ran out, their new discoveries tucked in their arms.