You know your life ain't normal when you think it's a good idea to wander down a recently revealed secret corridor in the middle of the night.
I was a fool. A fucking fool. What kind of person thought it was a good idea to enter a newly discovered dark hole behind a bookshelf in the library?
It was me. I was that person.
I'd always wondered why I'd been Sorted into Gryffindor. I didn't consider myself to be particularly brave, and I was certainly not foolhardy. No, over the years, I'd come to think of myself perhaps best suited to Ravenclaw, with maybe a little Slytherin thrown in there, just to keep things interesting.
Well, now I had the answer to that question. The Sorting Hat had seen in me this moment. This very moment, where I chose to be both very brave, and very stupid. Gryffindor, thy name is Ellie.
I held my wand above my head, trying to illuminate as much of the path as I could. So far, all I could see was a flat corridor of stone, not dissimilar to the hundreds across the castle. This shouldn't surprise me, but it did. If someone went to all this trouble to hide a corridor, it should at least look special.
I'd been walking maybe thirty seconds, when I reached a wooden door. Again, it wasn't unlike all the doors across Hogwarts. I was beginning to feel rather disappointed in the architect of this secret little section of Hogwarts. Would a little glow-in-the-dark moss or psychedelic mushrooms have been too much to ask? Or maybe even using limestone as the building material, just to mix things up?
On second thought, considering that one of the Founders had thought it was a good idea to house a big-ass snake – a snake that lived over a thousand years – in the castle, I was kind of glad that whoever had designed this place had kept things relatively tame. Although, almost anything was tame in comparison to a pet Basilisk.
I considered the door in front of me. Did I want to turn and go back at this point? That would be the sensible thing to do, that was for sure. I could always come back later, in the bright light of day, or with a lantern at the very least. Maybe some snacks, just in case this turned out to be a longer adventure than expected.
Oh, what the hell. The spirit of Gryffindor was with me tonight – but like, figuratively speaking, of course. My ghost senses were saying that I was very alone, not a single Founders spirit in sight.
I pushed open the door.
And stepped into a storeroom. I didn't really know how to react to this. Should I laugh? Should I cry? Should I just call it a night and go back to bed?
I didn't know quite what to expect at the end of this secret corridor, but a secret room full of crates, and armour, and odd statues sure wasn't it. Lara Croft and Indiana Jones were never met with such mundanity.
I sighed and looked around the place. Everything looked dull and a little grey, thanks to the layers of dust over everything. Wandering farther into the room, I swung my wand around, trying to see if there was something of even remote interest in here. I'd be pretty happy to get a crateful of books that hadn't seen circulation for a hundred years, or whatever. It would be something to share of this night with Rose and Scorpius, at the very least. Without bounty, this was a rather boring adventure.
I approached the back wall, and stopped, wondering what to do next. My week had finally started to catch up with me, and I was feeling quite tired. I still had to make the trek back to Gryffindor Tower, unnoticed, before I could crawl into bed and fall into the blissful arms of sleep. Could searching this storeroom properly wait until tomorrow? Probably.
Just as I was about to turn around, I noticed what I'd been staring at, unseeing, as I fantasised about the little nest of blankets that awaited me.
It was another bloody Hogwarts crest. They were just everywhere tonight, weren't they?
Credit where credit's due, though – this one was way better than the one carved into the bookshelf. This was a proper, larger-than-necessary, detailed, well-chiselled Hogwarts crest.
I took a step back, trying to take it in all at once. It was an odd decorative choice for a storeroom, but a rather impressive one. Almost as tall as the wall itself, it was quite beautiful to look at. I'd seen the Hogwarts crest so many times that I barely noticed it now. But this one made you stop and stare. The craftsmanship was exquisite. Even in the dim light of my wand, I could make out the hairs on the lion's mane, the scales of the snake's belly, the feathers in the eagle's wings, and the fur on the badger's back.
Coming closer once more, I reached my hand out to touch it. There was just something about art, especially stuff like carvings, that made me want to reach out and feel it for myself. Looking wasn't enough.
I ran my fingers lightly over the frame, before reaching over, and softly stroking the lion's mane. The grooves were distinct under the pads of my fingers. Of course, I'd pick the lion to touch first, especially given the events of tonight. I was feeling quite a lot of House spirit.
I jumped back with a screech when the lion shook its mane.
It didn't stop there. My heart raced as I watched it stretch out its front legs, before reaching over the frame that separated its quadrant from the snake's. He nudged the snake with his nose.
For a split second, nothing happened. But then, a little carved tongue flicked out of the snake – the carved snake. I let out a breath that I hadn't realised I was holding in a soft gasp. The tongue flicked around, as if it were waking up. Then the snake coiled and uncoiled a few parts of itself, as if it were stretching, too, just like the lion. In this process, the tip of its tail whacked the eagle in the head.
I slapped my hand over my mouth to muffle my squawk, as the bird continued this very unexpected animation. Flapping its wings a few times, it rose a little in its quadrant, before settling back on its invisible perch.
I thought it was all over for a moment, and even had time to feel a brief pang of regret for the badger. So shitty, how Hufflepuff was always getting the short end of the stick. It was the only animal that hadn't done a little song and dance.
My pitying thoughts for Hufflepuff came a little too soon, as the eagle, without any warning, folded its wings out of the way, and snapped its head forward, towards the badger, giving it a peck with its wickedly sharp beak.
I winced in sympathy as the badger jumped. I could imagine its yowl of indignation, even though I had no idea what sounds badgers made. It reared up on its back paws, front claws swiping out towards the eagle, in understandable outrage. I'd be pissed off as well if a pretentious stone bird pecked me awake. Don't know what the eagle was so pleased with itself about, either – most people mistook it for a raven, anyway – including those smartass Ravenclaws.
I stared as the Hogwarts crest, unsure what to do next. This unexpected, come-to-life art installation didn't seem dangerous. In fact, it was almost… delightful. I had never expected to experience the Hogwarts crest as a work of art. This whimsical display was fast becoming the highlight of tonight. True, it wasn't every day that you discovered a secret corridor in the library, but when all you found at the end of it was a secret storeroom, four stone-carved animals waking up from an inanimate slumber definitely took the cake.
I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face. It grew bigger as I watched the badger reach up and sniff curiously at the lion. The lion, meanwhile, leant down and across its frame to swipe a playful paw at the eagle. Honestly, the eagle deserved it.
Unable to resist, I walked back to the crest, and reached out to touch it, this time feeling the snake's scales. I'd once got to hold a real-life snake at the zoo when I was maybe six or seven. The stone snake's body reminded me of what it had felt like holding the real thing; a coolness and smoothness that had been almost alien, compared to the slime I'd been expecting.
The animals' eyes began to glow a bright, yellow-white light.
I jumped back again; breath caught in my throat. I knew I wasn't made for adventure, because I couldn't help but think: would all these surprises please just stop?
As I watched, wand at the ready once more, the eight points of light got brighter and brighter, until I had to scrunch my eyes closed to protect them. Even through my eyelids, I could tell that the light was getting brighter still.
And then suddenly, everything went dark.
I opened my eyes slowly, blinking away the little flashes still playing across my retinas. The crest had split in half and swung inwards, a door revealing another corridor.
I sighed and squared my shoulders. Well, I'd come this far tonight. I wouldn't let a second secret corridor stop me now.
My wish had come true: this corridor was different to the last one. It was still made of the dark grey stone – basalt, maybe? Or perhaps granite. But for the first time tonight, I didn't need my wand to light the way. As I walked down this new corridor, a small section lit up just before I reached it, thanks to these wonderfully enchanted torches. The cheery yellow flames burst forth from their iron homes, placed at even intervals along the gently curving path. They painted the corridor in a warm, buttery glow that made me relax. The rest of Hogwarts could really learn something from this sensor torch set-up here. Such an economical solution to lighting this dingy castle.
I was too busy admiring the torches that I didn't realise when I walked through an arch that led me into a chamber, until I was a few steps in. I stopped in my tracks when I noticed that the light had changed.
The room was large and square, those fantastic torches still lining the walls. All of them had lit up as I'd entered, helpfully illuminating the scene before me. This was magic at its finest, really.
The golden light revealed what I was guessing was the main purpose of this space: to house what looked to be a set piece right out of the life of Merlin.
Four statues stood in the middle of the room, all of them facing inwards. From where I was standing, two of them partly had their backs to me with their profiles partially visible. The other two's faces I could see clearly, their bodies arranged at an angle. From what I could discern, their gazes were trained towards the centre of the circle they formed, where an urn-type thing was sitting on a pedestal.
I waited a moment to see if these statues would also come alive, like the Hogwarts crest that hid them. I looked around nervously, my eyes darting from figure to figure. When nothing happened for a good minute, I thought it was safe enough to get a little closer.
I moved an inch further into the room, and stopped, holding my breath. Still, nothing. Whilst the wall sconces were still burning brightly, their placement created pockets of shadow. The life-size height of the four figures didn't help matters. Was that a twitch of a rocky cloak? Was that a flinty glimmer of life in that eye?
I had a strange, growing sense of… not quite dread, but foreboding, as I walked closer and closer to the circle. I gripped my wand tight, ready to blast these hunks of rock into smithereens if they turned out to be at all threatening, the damage to possibly priceless art and the cost to humanity's collective consciousness be damned.
I reached the centre of the circle and stood next to the urn-thing. Turning slowly, I took in the four faces that looked back at me. All four wore cloaks, hoods down to reveal four different faces. There were two women and two men, at even distances from each other. Each was standing on a short pedestal, which made them tower over me. Without those pedestals, I reckoned that the statues were accurate reflections of the people they represented.
Lighting my wand tip once more, I inspected each statue in turn. What struck me was just how real they all seemed to look. I wondered if they had been created by the same hands and wand as the person who'd done the giant Hogwarts crest on the other end of this corridor.
I walked closer to a lady first. Her partially open cloak revealed a long dress, with a belt around her waist that kind of resembled a curtain cord, tassel included. Her features were so clean and elegant. The circlet that rested over her forehead didn't seem extra at all – it added to her regal presence.
Moving to the right, I came to a thin man. His hair curled a little over his ears, in sharp contrast to the sharp point at which his short beard ended. His brow cast his eye sockets into deep shadow, giving him a forbidding vibe that made me take a wary step back. It was probably just a trick of the light, but I couldn't help the nervous shiver that ran down my spine. His plain robes completely covered the clothes he wore underneath, his hands clasped in front. The detail of these statues blew me away when I noticed that the dude was wearing a ring on the little finger of his left hand. The stone in the centre of it had even been chiselled to recreate the way gems were cut.
Shaking my head in wonder, I moved on, again to the right, coming across the second chap. He was taller and broader than his friend beside him. If he'd been born today, instead of several centuries before, I reckon he would've been described as a lumbersexual. That burly build. That wild hair tamed back in a queue. That bushy beard barbered and styled to artful perfection. His robes were partly open like the lady's. I almost expected them to reveal a flannel shirt and well-worn jeans, but my eyes caught on the hilt of a sword, peeking out at a jaunty angle from the fold of his robe. The scabbard was hidden, but I imagine it was attached to the thick belt that was visible crossing the lumbersexual's broad waist.
I moved onto the last figure. She was the shortest of the four, and the only one who was smiling, her round cheeks practically glowing in the torchlight. I liked her best instantly. There was this warmth that was emanating from her, in sharp contrast to the regal lady on her other side, and the man with the pointy beard directly across from her. Her cloak hung loosely on her shoulders, revealing a floor-length gown, also bisected by a belt. I didn't really know that much about historical fashion trends, but in whatever era these guys were from, it seemed like belts were the accessory to have. Functional and stylish. Her belt was the fanciest, an intricate clasp with a series of chains hanging from it, holding it closed. A key, a pair of scissors, and what looked like a miniature trophy were suspended from the chains. It seemed quite heavy, having all that shit hanging off your hip, but I guess it was more practical than a bag for quick access. Her wand – the only indication that any of these folks were magical beings – was tucked into the belt right next to this odd collection of household items. This lady seemed like she had her shit together, ready for any catastrophe.
Backing up, I returned to the centre, to investigate the large urn-thing. On closer inspection, it was more like a bowl than an urn. Standing on its pedestal, its lip came up to my shoulder. I stood up on tiptoes and peered in, curious to see what it held.
Black. Pitch black. I couldn't see anything.
Frowning in thought at this discovery, I went to put my hand into the bowl, to see if I could feel anything. Just before my fingers dipped over the edge, I stopped, thankfully returning to my senses. What if there was something in there, and it ate my fingers? That would be a pretty fucking ordinary end to this adventure.
I brought up my wand instead, hoping to illuminate what might be inside. I wobbled a little on my toes, as the tip of my wand came closer and closer to the bowl's edge. The light from my wand reflected off a black, almost reflective surface. Was the stuff in the bowl solid, or liquid? Its surface wasn't giving much away. It just refracted the light in an odd way, appearing soft and almost pearlescent. With my other hand, I gave the bowl a little shove.
It didn't topple over, seemingly quite strongly adhered to the pedestal, as I'd suspected. The light shining on the stuff in the bowl rippled, confirming that it was a liquid – and a likely viscous one.
I wondered what it was. I'd have to come back with a vial next time, to take a sample.
In hindsight, it was a rather stupid thing, what I did next.
Giddy with excitement at my discovery of this chamber, I foolishly lowered the tip of my wand, letting it touch the surface of the strange, black liquid.
A beam of light shot into the air, bright and strong. I screeched with shock, stumbling backwards. So caught up in what might be a beacon for aliens to come abduct me, I tripped over my own feet, and landed with a thud on my butt.
I stayed there, sprawled on the floor in a very undignified position, too stunned to move. The light was a bluish white, like someone had cast a very strong Lumos Maxima. It extended right up to the roof of the chamber, but I had no way of knowing if it extended beyond that. Was it shooting out into the night right now, like a searchlight? Would the entire castle descend on me in a few moments, in a state of panic about an imminent attack? Would I be spending the rest of the year in detention?
Panic started to climb up my throat – or possibly dinner – it was difficult to tell them apart. Breath coming in short, sharp gasps, I tried to collect myself enough to come to a standing position.
I'd almost succeeded, too, when the four statues' eyes began to glow with the same, eerie, blue-white light.
Right. It was definitely time to get a move on. I bounced to my feet with a speed I didn't know I could achieve and made a beeline for the entrance to the chamber, and the corridor beyond.
I didn't look back as I sprinted down the torch-lined corridor, their merry glow jarring compared to the scene I'd just left.
I had a fleeting feeling of being glad that the Hogwarts crest opening was still there, and I wasn't going to be trapped with what was possibly an alert signal for something and four statues with glowing eyes that may or may not come to life. At the back of my mind, I was curious to learn if they were animate, like the animals of the crest, but now was not the time to find out, I figured. This adventure had gone on for long enough, in my opinion.
I stopped to catch my breath in the storeroom, as far as I could get from the gaping hole in the back wall as I could be, whilst still being in the same room. Bracing my hands on my knees, I panted, trying to get my breath back. Fuck me, I was not made for panicked sprinting. My half-assed jogging regimen had not prepared me well.
"I think I'm going to have a heart attack," I muttered, still leaning on my knees.
Several moments passed before my breathing and heartrate returned to anything resembling normal. With one more fortifying pant, I straightened, and turned to face the hole in the wall.
Putting my hands on my hips, I wondered what to do about it. I could just leave it, I supposed. This room was hidden, after all. Going through the boring corridor again and closing the swinging bookshelf should be enough to seal this place off from the rest of the school. Hopefully, no one would be the wiser that I had ever been here.
Looking around at the floor, where my footsteps were clearly visible in the dust, I knew that was just wishful thinking. If someone came into this room after me, they'd figure out very quickly that someone else had been here in the recent past.
But what if those statues decided to come in here? Maybe, they wouldn't be able to get out into the library, but I bet they could still wreak havoc in this storeroom. It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that those glowing eyes were a prelude to shooting lasers.
Pew, pew! There goes that priceless crate of rare medieval manuscripts!
Pew, pew! Hope no one wanted that rusty suit of armour!
I approached the opening with caution, once more ready to blast those four creepy-ass figures. I'd be a little sad to do that to the lady with the utility belt, but she'd looked the scariest, her smile taking on a deranged quality when coupled with the glowing eyes.
I pointed my wand at the dark space, no longer illuminated by the torches. At least they still seemed to be doing their economical job.
"Um, close sesame!" I squeaked, unable to remember what Ali Baba said to shut the entrance to the cave in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. I vaguely remembered that he'd trapped them in there to starve to death, but I couldn't remember how. Not that I really expected a device from One Thousand and One Arabian Nights to work here, but it was worth a shot, considering I had very few ideas.
"Please, close?" I decided to ask. The entrance remained obstinately open.
"Oh, come on!" I cried, throwing my hands in the air in frustration. "I asked nicely!"
I wracked my brain for more ideas. What about that pulling charm I'd used on the wood panel? That might work again!
I brandished my wand triumphantly. When nothing happened at my non-verbal spell, I even tried saying it out loud, like a plebe. Still nothing.
"Fuck," I muttered. My brain remained stuck on One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. Aladdin had to rub the lamp to make it work…
I thought back to how the crest had opened in the first place. I'd touched the lion, unable to resist its fabulous mane, and the animals had come to life. I'd touched the snake, and its eyes had glowed… After which, the crest had split in two, and swung inwards.
Maybe… I had to touch the animals again, to make it close.
Well, I'd come this far. I reluctantly approached the darkness. Sticking close to the edge of the doorway, I slid my arm across the stone. I felt as I reached the crest, crossed over the outer frame, and came in contact with one of the animals. Unsure of which one I was touching – the lion, or the badger – I caressed it, nonetheless.
When I heard the stone groan, and the wall my arm was resting against begin to move towards me, I quickly jumped out of the way, and let go of a breath I didn't realise I had been holding. All it had taken was rubbing the lamp – or stone animal, in this case! Aladdin, you motherfucking genius.
One problem solved, only a couple more to go. Buoyed by this success, I jogged across the storeroom to the bookshelf, which was thankfully, also still open. It would've been terrible if someone had decided to patrol this far back into the Restricted Section, but my luck was holding tonight. Universe, I owed you one.
Surprisingly, the bookshelf didn't take all that much to shut behind me. I grabbed the edge of a shelf and pulled. It was really fucking heavy, but I managed to drag it closed, wincing at the sound it made. It was like a screeching banshee. As soon as the bookshelf locked into place, I reached down for the back panel of wood, moving as quickly as possible. That horrible screeching sounded loud enough to wake the entire castle. Getting caught out of bed after curfew was one thing – getting caught out of bed in the Restricted Section, with a block of wood in your hand, piles of books around you with no good explanation as to why was completely another.
I laid down on my front, propping my wand up for light, and tried to fit the piece of wood back into place. It took several long, tense moments, filled with muttered swearing, but I managed to wedge it back against the stone. Giving a little fist bump of victory, I got up on my hands and knees, and jumped into a crouch-squat. I stacked the books I'd removed back into place, hoping that I was re-shelving them in the correct order. I wasn't sure how often this area of the library was checked, but maybe Madam Kaur wouldn't notice anything. She was pretty cool, and I'd never really seen her mad. Then again, I made sure to return any book I used within the library exactly where I found it. And if I couldn't quite remember where that was, I would put it in the 'returns' basket, where they'd be shelved correctly later. I shuddered to think what a librarian's wrath would mean. There were rumours about the previous librarian, Madam Pince, that made me scared. Really scared. Professor Longbottom talked about her in hushed tones, and it was said that even Albus Dumbledore had been terrified of her. You knew that was one mean lady when Albus Dumbledore, who may or may not have been in love with an evil wizard hellbent on world domination at one point, thought it prudent not to wrong her.
The last book slid into place, and I jumped up, ignoring my sore knees from all the crouching, and kneeling, and lying on the floor I'd been doing all night. I still had one more challenge to go tonight.
I jogged to the entrance of the row, taking only one quick glance over my shoulder to make sure I'd left everything as I'd found it. Hurdling over the rope, I continued jogging for the main door of the library.
I didn't stop jogging all the way back to Gryffindor Tower, too scared to let up my brisk pace, in case there was a time limit to the good fortune I'd had tonight of not being caught. Surely, I was running out, considering the racket I'd made opening and closing all those secret doors. And let's not forget that beam of light that I'd accidentally activated in the chamber with the statues. That could've been some sort of distress signal, sending an alert straight to the Headmistress' and/or the caretaker's office. I knew I would be toast by now if that were the case, but maybe that was only because neither the Headmistress nor the caretaker were stupid enough to be in their offices in the early hours of the morning. No, I'd probably escaped eternal detention because they were normal human beings who kept normal bedtimes and knew the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance, especially when home was in the same building as work.
Or maybe the distress signal was for something far more dangerous than faculty members. I was ninety percent sure that those statues would've blasted me with their laser eyes, had I stuck around.
I only slowed down after climbing the last few stairs up to the portrait hole, only a few short feet between me and safety. I heaved a sigh of relief as I approached the Fat Lady.
"Psst!" I hissed, trying to wake her up.
She continued to snore softly, her head resting against the frame.
"Psst!" I hissed louder, as I shuffled from foot to foot in my impatience. So close, and yet so far.
"Wasgoinon?" she mumbled as she woke up with a little snort.
"Devil's snare," I said. Since Professor Longbottom was our Head of House, all the passwords were floral themed. One might think this would make it rather easy to guess the password to get in, but there were just so many plants. In all my years at Hogwarts, I couldn't remember a single time the password had been repeated – and it was changed monthly.
"You should be in bed," the Fat Lady scolded, a sleepy frown on her face. Some of the sting was removed by the large yawn that almost cracked her jaw immediately after that sentence. Her portrait swung open, and I muttered a relieved "Thank you!" before hopping in.
I was just pulling my other leg through the portrait hole, when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle.
I whipped my head around, looking behind me, out onto the landing to see what – or who – had caused this reaction.
But before I could even complete the motion, the prickling sensation disappeared, and the portrait swung shut behind me.
I stood there for a second, staring at the back of the Fat Lady's canvas. When the feeling didn't return, I shook my head, and turned around to head for the Seventh-Year girls' dormitory, and my bed.
It had been a long night, full of enough adventure and excitement to last me the rest of the year. The adrenaline was still leaving my system, so it was probably making me imagine things.
Yeah, probably.
AN: Hello, hello! Welcome to the end of chapter 7! I apologise for the lateness in posting the payoff of that cliffhanger in chapter 6, but here we are! This is probably my first attempt at something approaching building suspense and thrill, so I would love your feedback. Also, what do y'all think about those statues, eh? My money's on ancient aliens!
One Thousand and One Arabian Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales of which Ali Baba (from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves) and Aladdin (from Aladdin) are characters.
Adios, amigos! :D
