Down the Rabbit Hole
Chapter 2
Millicent Bagnold quietly crept down the halls of Hogwarts. She carefully peered around a corner. Good job Millie… This is what you get for procrastinating on that History of Magic assignment. If you had just gotten it done ahead of time you wouldn't be out here, trying to get back to the Dorms after staying late in the library. She kept her back to the walls and crept slowly down the hall. And looking so inconspicuous too… She mocked herself.
She jumped at a scratchy sound coming from behind her. She jumped for the wall, and stared behind her. A suit of armor jumped back, its hand near its mouth, then froze. Millicent stared at the suit of armor, then stepped closer, and waved her hand in front of its face. It stood there, unmoving. Note to self: The suits of armor really do move. Millicent eyed it one last time, and started off towards her dorms again.
She paused next to a portrait of a bowl of fruit. Then stopped. She glanced around. Well, I suppose a midnight snack wouldn't do me any harm. She reached up and ticked the pear in the painting. The door swung out, almost knocking her off her feet. "Sh.." She glanced guiltily down the hall. Stupid door… She grabbed the door and pulled it behind her as she entered the kitchen.
Millicent sipped her mug of warm pumpkin juice as she watched the fire. This is nice. I should do this more often. She smiled at the house elves bustling around the kitchen. House elves are so cute!
The house elves froze and turned to the door. The portrait was slowly swinging out.
Millicent stared in horror at the door, then shoved her mug into a house-elf's hands. "Is there another door I can go out of?" She whispered frantically to the house-elf. The house-elf nodded, nervously, ears flapping. It grabbed Millicent by the arm and pulled her over to the fireplace by the wall.
One hand appeared from behind the portrait. Black robes swung from the arm attached.
The house-elf whispered something to the wall beside the fireplace, which Millicent didn't catch. A hole appeared in the wall. "Go, Go!" the house-elf shoved her through the door. "I come back when teacher gone…" The door closed behind her.
Millicent gazed at the room around her. It was another kitchen, and she seemed to have come out a door next to it's fireplace. Very clean. Almost as if no one ever uses it… She noticed absently. She cautiously walked over to a cupboard and opened it. Empty. She glanced behind her as she closed the door. There was a door across the room from her. She started for the door, then hesitated. The house-elf said it would come back for me. But if I leave it won't know where I am. She eyed the door in front of her with interest. It may take forever for whoever it was to leave the kitchen. I'll do a little exploring and be right back. She stepped forward and opened the door.
In front of her was a large, mostly empty room. It had a huge table in the center of the room, with twelve chairs circling it. That was all it had. She walked forward, and stroked one yellow chair, and she studied the doors around the room. There were seven doors besides the door she had walked through. Each had a red, green, yellow, or blue banner hanging above it. Millicent walked over to a yellow door, and opened it. Inside was small bathroom with a little window. She closed the door. Well, that was exciting. She walked to the next door.
What a strange place. Millicent mused as she sat at a yellow chair in the center room. She drummed her fingers on the table, thinking. Besides the kitchen and bathroom, she had found a quidditch pitch (the boys would love it!), a combination library-music room, and four bedrooms each done up in shades of blue, red, green or yellow. I wonder whose rooms they are… And why there are four bedrooms. I didn't think that teachers could marry and have kids… Or at least not have their spouse and kids live here with them. But why else would they have these rooms in the same place? She sighed, and looked over at the door to the kitchen. I'm really tired, and I don't dare fall asleep. What if the house-elf decides not to wake me? Or one of the teachers comes through and finds me. Millicent stood and walked over to the kitchen. Maybe if I walk a little I'll wake up some. She opened the door, and froze.
The hole by the fire was opening.
She held her breath and started to back up. Then the house-elf popped through. It looked around, and then caught sight of Millicent. "There you is, miss! Mipsy is here to tell you the teacher is gone." She came forward and grabbed Millicent by the arm and pulled her across the kitchen, and over and through the door.
Millicent carefully walked down the halls of Hogwarts. The little house-elf had given her a new mug of pumpkin juice. Millicent had sipped it quickly, her eyes straying to the still open door every few minutes. "What is that place?" She asked the house-elf. "Mipsy does not know." The house-elf said, almost primly. "Sometimes we is seeing the headmaster using it." It added.
Millicent slowly nodded. That still doesn't tell me anything. She frowned. What is the headmaster up to? "I think I'll remember this…" she said, eyes narrowed. Then she grinned. "Like it will do me any good." She grinned at the somber house-elf. "When I become Minister of Magic, maybe." She joked. The house-elf looked rather unsure of if it should talk. "Mipsy is thinking you should be leaving soon." It ventured. "It's nearly midnight." It added.
Millicent nodded, and handed her cup back to the house-elf. She glanced back at the door once more, before leaving the kitchen.
She turned around to head towards the Hufflepuff dorms, and ran straight into the caretaker, Ogg. He leered at her.
"Oh blast." Millicent muttered, as Ogg grabbed her and headed off to the Head's office.