Perhaps Draco Malfoy was truly evil and partaking in dark magic within the castle walls. Artemis imagined being the one to uncover and put a stop to his plot, a smile forming on her lips at the thought. Although, if his plot were truly threatening, perhaps she should get a professor to investigate, Snape maybe? Or better yet, perhaps she should wake Harry and force him down here to investigate with her. Still, a more rational thought struck young Artemis, telling her that she should mind her business and walk away. The thought urged her to act as if she had not seen a single thing, tempted her to get some well deserved sleep.
Despite the rational thoughts, Artemis decided that sleep would have to wait. The now cautious gryffindor took a single step forward into the dark corridor to see if she were in any imminent danger. Hesitating when nothing but silence met her, she craned her neck to check for any signs of movement behind her. When Artemis saw nothing, she allowed herself to relax. "You have a bloody destiny to live out, calm down. Nothing bad will happen to you." She whispered out loud. Suddenly considering Draco's fast pace, Artemis feared that she may lose him, so without giving herself a chance to back out, she too headed into the darkness with quick, silent steps.
If anything, I can say I got lost. It's late and I'm tired, it'd be perfectly reasonable. The witch started planning ways to charm her way out of a nasty encounter with a professor, or worse yet, Filch, should it happen. Most of the time, she didn't even bother with excuses. Her pace had increased drastically now and she kept the grip around her wand tight, unsure of where she was heading or what she would find. The utter blackness of the hallway allowed for no visibility and the careless girl hit her foot on a slightly raised platform beneath her, causing her to yelp and fall gracelessly. "Lumos!" Artemis shrieked instinctively. Her white wand lit up the hallway to reveal sleeping portraits of old witches and wizards she did not know. Sighing with relief and getting to her feet with haste, Artemis noticed she was alone. I guess Malfoy got away, she thought bitterly. She turned around and raised her wand in the direction she had been heading to look for any sign of the boy, yet saw nothing but a long stretch of disappointment of the failed mission altered her look; her lids lowered over her eyes and the tension in her shoulders all but disappeared.
She then eyed her still extended wand, distracted by its pale color; it contrasted the darkness and stood bold as its owner. A warm feeling filled her body as she recalled the day she first bought it.
Artemis Lupin had tugged on her father's hand all the way to Ollivanders wand shop, her excitement unmistakeable. An ungroomed, tired looking wizard found it difficult to keep up with his energetic daughter; a flash of annoyance coated his features as he warned Artemis to mind her steps. "Dad, I'm about to get a wand, can you believe it?" She shouted through the surrounding noise. "I honestly cannot believe it; I dread what you will manage to do with a wand." Remus Lupin responded slowly, altering his body as to weave through the crowds easier. "Artemis that's enough, slow down."
Artemis slowed grudgingly but her eyes were still peering overhead, attempting to locate the shop. Remus Lupin had a grave look on his face and his eyes were focused on something in the distance; one could guess that he was not fully present. The image of a baby boy with pale gray eyes was swirling in the back of his mind, making it difficult for him to focus on his young daughter. Meanwhile, Artemis was wondering about her future wand; she wondered how it would feel in her hand, she wondered what type of wand it would be, and especially wondered how it would look.
She didn't hear her father call to her until he repeated himself and tugged on her hand. "You're so excited you almost missed it, Artemis. Come on now, do you want a wand or not?" Remus smiled warmly down at his daughter, love shining in his eyes. He was all too aware when he was neglecting her of attention. Artemis shrieked and dashed into the store, not wanting to wait another heartbeat. Remus chuckled softly and with a small shake of his head, entered the store behind her. Artemis had walked up to the front desk, admiring the endless cabinets filled with packaged wands, her mouth hanging open with amazement. "There's thousands of wands here, how will he know which is the one for me?" She wondered aloud, voice but a whisper. She felt her father's hand on her shoulder and before she could turn to interact with him, a friendly older wizard appeared, dressed in bold robes of purple.
"Mr. Ollivander at your service, m'lady" He said cheery, beaming down at the beautiful girl. "Hello there Mr. Lupin, fancy seeing you here! I remember when you were but a lad coming in to get your own wand! Time flies, eh?" The wizard offered his hand eagerly to Remus, to which Remus reached for with equal enthusiasm. "I'll never forget the first time I stepped into this shop, Mr. Ollivander, as I'm sure my daughter won't either. Artemis, meet Mr. Ollivander, the same wizard who sold me my wand when I was your age."
Artemis grinned up at the wizard. "Can't imagine dad being eleven, do tell me, what was he like?" Remus rolled his eyes, "Come now Artemis, this is your experience." Mr. Ollivander's eyes swam with mischief for a moment as he considered the girl's question. He turned around and disappeared into the back of his shop, calling out a reply. "Your father was a shy boy; he was rather tall for his age, with kind eyes, but one could tell he wasn't fond of the spotlight. I found him a perfect wand match, of course, as I will find for you." Remus sighed as his daughter giggled. She looked up at him with a troublesome smirk. "If you were so shy, how did you land those friends of yours?"
"I wonder that to this day," Remus responded in a low voice, the amusement draining from his face at the topic. Confused and with a pang of guilt, Artemis felt her heart drop. She would often ask her dad questions that seemed to upset him, yet she never dared to ask why he reacted the way he did. Her eyes darted away from his face; she felt sorry she'd ever joked about the Marauders. Just then, Mr. Ollivander returned, carrying five packages.
"Out of thousands I'll be picking from five?" Artemis blurted out, confused at the thought. "Ah, it is the wand that chooses the wizard, Ms. Lupin. These five are merely to help me sense the type of wand you will attract. I've once had a customer take three full hours to meet his match!" Artemis raised an eyebrow questioningly; she certainly hoped she would not take three hours to find a wand.
Mr. Ollivander offered her a thin, dark wand that curved slightly at the handle. She glanced up at her father and was met with a reassuring nod, so the young beauty took the wand in her right hand and awaited a reaction. Immediately, the wand began to steam, causing Artemis to yelp and drop it.
"No, definitely not. Here, I'll get that Ms. Lupin, don't you fret!" Mr. Ollivander raced to pick up the wand and place it back in its box, not willing to let Artemis touch it for a second more. "Let's see how you'll do with this." After trying all five wands and not making a match, Artemis started growing nervous. She wondered if she would ever find the correct wand for her.
Mr. Ollivander paused for a silent minute, lost in thought, before summoning Remus to the side for a private word. "Young witches and wizards often display magic style even before they're enrolled into school. What can you tell me of young Artemis here?"
Remus hesitated, pondering the correct way to phrase what he was about to say. "My daughter is… gifted. I thought she took after her quick witted mother, but now I think it's something else." He said this slowly, watching Ollivander's face for a reaction. "She's exceedingly powerful, yes?" The wandmaker asked, breathing in sharply and inching ever closer to Remus. "Yes."
Brown eyes met hazel and an understanding passed between the men. "I will be back." When he reemerged, Artemis was surprised to find him holding a single box. "Perhaps this will suit you…" He trailed off, exchanging a quick look with Remus before offering the wand to an anxious Artemis. She was too excited to pay attention to the strange behavior her father and the wandmaker were exhibiting.
Artemis picked up the wand and stared at it; mesmerized. It was stark white, so much so that it glowed. The only other color it possessed was a black spiral that wrapped around it halfway. She lifted the wand and gasped; she felt a pleasant warmth stemming from it, heating her body and her bones. Her arms were coated with goosebumps and before she could react, visible orbs emerged from the wand tip and circled her. Artemis felt the oddest of feelings; she felt, for a heartbeat, the power she had the potential to possess. "Wow." she gasped when the orbs disappeared.
Mr. Ollivander's face looked worried; he seemed to be on the brink of fear, but when Artemis met his eyes, he forced a smile. "It is all too clear that you have been chosen, Ms. Lupin." His voice shook slightly but Artemis giggled with happiness, paying no mind to his behavior. "I love it, it's beautiful!" She shrieked. Turning around, she squeezed her father at the waist, grinning ear to ear. Remus, who had been watching Artemis intensely, had his eyes glued on Ollivander's. He was clenching his jaw and there was a sense of urgency in his expression.
"What type of wand is it?" Remus asked in a serious tone. "Yew wood, dragon heartstring core, thirteen inches, solid." Ollivander replied, not meeting his eyes. "Artemis, I need to have a word with Mr. Ollivander, do you mind taking a seat in the waiting area?" Remus asked his daughter, bending over slightly as to be closer to her. "Gotcha Dad, but don't take too long okay?" She called as she raced towards the chairs near the store's entrance.
Remus waited for his daughter to disappear before stepping to the counter sharply. "What does this mean?" He demanded, voice raised and angry. Mr. Ollivander considered his words before he said them. "Remus, firstly you must know that yew wands are exceedingly rare. In fact, I only possessed a single yew wand in my store, the very wand that chose young Artemis today. Yew wands always choose wizards and witches who are extremely powerful; they are the wizards who can perform the greatest curses." The wandmaker paused for a heartbeat before continuing in a whisper. "I don't know if you know this, but yew wands choose notorious wizards. If you look back, there isn't a single dark wizard who failed to possess a yew wand."
Remus' heart dropped to his stomach and he turned his head to glance at his daughter, who was busy waving her wand about, creating rays of light. "Voldemort?" He asked quietly, still looking at Artemis. "I'm afraid so." Mr. Ollivander responded sadly.
Remus glanced at him before running a nervous hand through his sandy hair. He was at a loss for words. "Don't think on it too deeply, Remus." "I need to know about something else." Remus said sharply, nearly cutting him off. "I've contacted you in the past, told you to keep your eyes open in case you saw my son. I'd guess he'd look like Artemis now, only with his mother's gray eyes. Has he… shown up?" The wizard broke eye contact and peered down at his shoes. He feared the answer he was about to hear. "I've paid close attention to all the students I've sold to, Mr. Lupin. I haven't seen anyone who resembles your beautiful daughter. I'm very sorry." Mr. Ollivander looked pained at having to reveal this.
Remus didn't react right away; he continued observing his worn, tattered shoes. Without warning, he took out several gold coins from his pocket and placed them on the counter. "Thank you for the wand, Mr. Ollivander." He said, forcing a smile despite blurry eyes. Mr. Ollivander opened his mouth to respond, concern lining his face, but Remus had already turned to leave.
Artemis blinked away the memories and was brought back to the present, having nearly forgotten that she was still in a potentially bad situation. Deciding it was best to keep her wand illuminated, she began heading back the way she emerged, taking slow, carefree steps. Her eyes scanned the raised platform that she had tripped over as she cautiously passed it once more. She was grateful that others hadn't witnessed her misstep. I'd drop out of Hogwarts if Malfoy had seen that.
A heartbeat after successfully crossing, Artemis froze in her tracks; did I just see a keyhole? Whipping about immediately, she dropped to her knees in front of the metal platform, noticing that there indeed was a keyhole right in the center of it. "Bloody hell, this is a trap door." She said out loud, noting the handle on the side. Artemis ran her hand over it and felt the texture of the metal, her mind racing with ideas as to what lay beneath it. With a gasp, Malfoy's image flashed in her mind. "The slick git really unlocked a Hogwarts secret…" She said to herself, mesmerized. "If he really is down there, he must have unlocked it, climbed down, and what? Locked it again?" Artemis was speaking to herself, her mind racing. She would find a way to open that door if it were the last thing she did.
Maybe I'm being stupid. I mean, it's a little far fetched that the blonde coward would sneak about the castle at night just to hang out in a dungeon by himself. Unless there's more down there… Frustrated, Artemis desperately wanted to find out. It was all too obvious that she lived for challenges. She would attempt everything in her power to open that trap door, starting by simply tugging at it. If this works, I'll eat my hat.
Smiling at herself for even considering it would be unlocked, Artemis wrapped her fingers around the handle and pulled with all of her might. Without warning, the door flew open on its side easily, nearly throwing Artemis off balance, giving way to eroded stairs that led into darkness.
Gasping in disbelief, Artemis stared at the entrance, completely shocked that simply pulling the handle had opened the door. Someone is down there, there's no chance Dumbledore would leave a trapdoor unlocked. Someone unlocked it and is down there right now, there's no other explanation. Artemis looked at the interior of the door, searching for another keyhole. She found none, determining that the door could only be locked from the outside.
The petite girl closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Okay Lupin, woman up and go down there." She stayed with her eyes closed for another heartbeat before clenching her jaw and beginning her descend down the stairs.
Artemis' hazel eyes were wide and the blue light stemming from her wand lit up her face beautifully, exposing the dual excitement and fear she was feeling. She took cautious steps, attempting to be as silent as possible as to not make Malfoy, or whoever else was down there, aware of her presence. Once she got to the bottom, she pointed her wand at the walls and noticed that they seemed to be in even worse condition than the stairs.
She saw nothing odd or impressive about the dungeon, yet the hairs on her neck were standing on end. There's something weird about this place, she couldn't help thinking. Before she could take another step forward, there was a flash of yellow light and she was on the floor.