Chapter 6 : The Stray Wand
Albus didn't actually remember falling asleep; the conversation around him about the thundering sound had went on for so long. But he did remember waking up, and remembered being alone, and the next thing he knew he found himself at the Slytherin table for breakfast, where the conversation had hardly changed.
No one knew much about the sound. Theories ranged from dragons attacking the castle to every living creature in the forest getting together and having a party. All that people knew for sure however, is that when the teachers went to ask what the Headmaster knew, he was nowhere to be found.
"What do you think it was, Al?" Bartleby asked him through a mouthful of eggs
Albus shrugged and lazily spread marmalade on his toast. He was thankful it was Saturday and didn't have to attend class.
"It always could have been Darvy" Scorpius said with a chuckle. "He was no where to be found after all."
"Neither was Ares" said Denise, a girl in Albus' year. "And I doubt they were playing a practical joke together."
Albus looked up at the staff table and grinned. Ares was looking just as normal as he always did while he scanned his newspaper; bored, like he didn't have a sense of humor. Darvy was there too, chatting with Neville. He looked as though he was completely clueless about what had occurred the previous night.
"What do you want to do today?" Morrison asked him.
Albus shrugged again. He was way too exhausted to be thinking about anything except for the toast he was chewing on.
"We have a ton of homework" Scorpius said. "We might as well get started on that."
Morrison rolled his eyes. "We'll have all of Monday morning for that. Let's go and visit Hagrid! We haven't seen him yet!"
Albus swallowed a large chunk of his toast. It was true, they had yet to see Hagrid. He stifled a large yawn. "Should I get Rose and Mirra?" he asked.
"I'll do it" Scorpius said, pushing his plate away and hurrying off.
"You talk to Mirra yet?" Morrison asked him in a hushed whisper.
Albus stifled a yawn that he didn't even have to take. "About?"
"About...you know. You two arguing."
Albus narrowed his eyes. "I don't even think she remembers" he told him, which was a perfectly honest answer. "We were talking fine in Potions."
"I don't think she forgot. I think she's waiting to apologize. Or vice versa" Morrison added thoughtfully.
"She better not be expecting anything on my end" Albus told him, in a tone more menacing than he thought it would be. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"They're not coming" came a voice from behind him. Albus turned and saw a defeated looking Scorpius standing by his side.
"Why not?"
"They're doing homework with 'Charlie' and 'Donnie'" he sneered. "Why do they shorten their names? I mean seriously, no one calls me 'Scorpy'!"
Albus blushed and tried hastily changing the subject. He much preferred 'Al' over his given name any day. Not that he wasn't proud of being named after one of his father's friends; he just found the name to be too eccentric. "Just us three going to Hagrid's then?"
The cold air outside smacked against their faces as they tucked their arms in their cloaks and walked to Hagrid's cabin. Albus smiled happily at the sight of smoke coming from the chimney. It would be a relief to sit near the fire while talking to Hagrid. Albus approached the door and knocked three times. The door swung open.
"Al!" Hagrid bellowed. "Come in, come in" he said, waving his hand towards Albus and his friends. But Albus didn't move. He was standing in horror, gaping at Hagrid's face.
On Hagrid's right cheek was the biggest hoof print that Albus had ever seen. He had only seen one that matched it-the one on the chest of the centaur Firenze. It didn't take long for Albus to realize who had done it. "Hagrid, where you attacked by the centaurs?" he asked.
Hagrid groaned. "Though' you wouldn't a noticed it" he said. "Come on in, don' wait out in the cold. Bring your friends. I'll explain."
They walked through the cabin door and Albus saw that he was not disappointed with the fire. It was quite warm. They took their seats at the table. "Got any of that treacle fudge, Hagrid?" Morrison asked excitedly.
Hagrid brought forth a large tin of it as Morrison smacked his lips. "I'll pour us some tea too" he said.
"So what happened to your face?" Scorpius asked him. "Did the centaurs attack you?"
"Yup" he grunted as he busied himself with the teabags. "Not their fault though. It was dark. They though' I was someone else."
"Who?" Albus asked him.
Hagrid gave another groan as he placed a mug in front of each of them. He took a seat at the table. "Couldn't tell ya'. They're damn secretive. And I don' remember a lot 'bout las' night."
"This happened last night?" Scorpius asked him. "Like around the time of the sound we all heard?"
"You lot heard it too?" Hagrid asked. "Cause it damn near blew me house up."
"Hagrid what happened last night?" Albus asked. Now that he was a bit more awake he was quite keen on discussing the sound.
He heaved a tremendous sigh. "I was in my bed, when what sounded like the loudes' clap of thun'r hit. I went outside an hour later and went into the fores'. It definitely came from there. I got right at the edge of it...there's a small clearing there. And then a ruddy centaur kicks me right in the face! I don't even remember which one it was. But they said 'aye, it's not one of them. Sorry Hagrid'."
"One of who?"
"I jus' told ya I don' know! I reckon whatever they were up against is what made the noise though."
Morrison picked some fudge out of his teeth. "But who could get into the Forest?" he asked.
"Ain't no one in that Fores'" Hagrid said. "It's impossible. No one can get in or out of the castle grounds without the Headmaster. Charms an' such you see. He'd have to remove them."
"Not necessarily" Albus argued. "My dad got in last year. He broke through the spells."
"Blimey Al, not all wizards are yer dad. Very few could break through ol' Red Ares' spells."
"But if they could-"
"They can't" Hagrid said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "There's more fudge on the coun'er" he added to Morrison, who had already devoured his plate.
"Mind if we take a look around the Forest, Hagrid?" Albus asked.
Hagrid roared with laughter. "Yer too much like yer dad for your own good" he said through gasps of air. "It's ruddy cold ou' there."
"I'm pretty curious too" Scorpius said. "Do we have your permission? Just in case we get caught?"
Hagrid heaved a sigh. "I guess there ain' no harm in bein' near the edge. But you kids watch yourselves! Them centaurs 'av been mean lately..."
They tucked their arms into their sleeves and left Hagrid's Cabin, breathing in the chilly air as they strode towards the Forest. Even in the daylight, the tall trees seemed to cover everything in darkness, so that it looked just as forbidden as its name implied. Albus took his first steps into the forest, Scorpius and Morrison following.
He walked around the edge, following what looked like a very poorly made trail. "Where do you think Hagrid got attacked at?" Albus asked them.
"No clue. Wherever you see centaur prints" he heard Scorpius say in a muffled voice; he was covering his face with his sleeves due to the cold.
Albus strayed away from the trail and into a large clump of bushes, seemingly more dense and dark than the other portions of the forest. He heard birds and rustling in the trees. Frantically, he turned on the spot and saw that Hagrid's cabin was still quite visible. Only twenty feet into the forest and he was terrified already.
"We're not going to find anything!" Morrison called out to him. "It's freezing, let's head back!"
Albus ignored him. He continued peering through the dense bushes. There seemed to be a large clearing on the other side. He walked through the bushes with a hassle; there were so many twigs it was a fight just to pass through. He made it onto the other side breathing with exhaustion.
He was definitely in the middle of a large forest clearing, broad enough for at least the entirety of Slytherin House to gather in it comfortably, though it didn't seem natural. There was wood laying right in the middle of it, as though a fire had been lit, and the surrounding trees were all taller than the ones that he had already passed-as though they had been grown by magic.
"There's nothing here!" he heard Scorpius mutter from beside him. He had apparently followed him into the clearing.
"Look at this place" Albus said.
"It's a forest."
"It's a clearing! People could have met here!"
Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You heard Hagrid, no one can get in or out of the castle grounds. This has probably been here for years. The centaurs may have made it to chant to planets and all that other ridiculous stuff they do."
But Albus ignored him. He scanned the clearing, peering at the disheveled bushes and what looked like burn marks in some of the trees. There was even a very irregular looking stick protruding from a thorn bush off in one of the corners.
"Hold on a sec" he told him. He walked towards the bush and carefully removed the stick.
"Yeah, go digging into a thorn bush" Scorpius called to him. "Real smart."
"It's a wand!" Albus called back.
It really was. It looked slightly longer than Albus', and based on the stringy substance poking from the top, it appeared to be made of dragon heartstring.
Scorpius strode over to him skeptically. "Really?" he asked.
"What are you guys looking at?" Morrison hollered to them, and he too joined them at the end of the clearing.
"A wand I found" Albus said triumphantly.
"A wand?" Morrison asked him. "That's random."
"Yeah and let's think" Albus said in a voice of mock contemplation. "What carries a wand? A bird?"
Scorpius scowled at him as he examined the wand.
Albus continued in glee. "No wait...maybe a unicorn? Wait! No, I know! A wizard. Hmm...but nobody came in the forest...but there's a wand. Interesting."
"It's probably from years ago" Scorpius said. "It could be anyone's."
"Oh come off it!" Morrison said. "There's a wand in here, wizards carry wands. The centaurs fought someone with wands last night! Just admit you were wrong!"
Scorpius scowled.
Neither of them made any mention of the wand at dinner, or for the entire weekend for that matter, and by the time Monday morning had come the mysterious loud sound had long since vanished from the student's minds, replaced by the whimpers of those that were desperately copying each other's homework.
Albus had taken the wand with him, stowed it into his robes and later kept it in his trunk in the boy's dormitory. He wasn't quite sure why, but he had gotten a strange, eerie vibe from it. Who could have been in the forest? And left their wand in there no less? Albus knew that a wand was like an additional arm to a wizard. Without it, they would be helpless.
"You should take it to Darvy" Morrison said while they sat in Herbology, waiting for Neville to show up.
"Why? I found it" Albus said.
"But it's not yours!" Scorpius snapped. He was evidently still upset at having been proven wrong. "Someone is missing their wand!"
"Who's missing their wand?" came a voice from beside them. It was Mirra. She and Rose had just arrived.
"No one-"
"Someone is" Scorpius said, cutting him off. "Al found a wand in the forest. He kept it."
"Al!" Rose said. "That's not cool, that's someone's wand -"
"-who shouldn't have been in the forest anyway!" he cut her off.
"You were" Rose spat back.
"I want to see it" Mirra said.
"Settle down class" Neville said as he entered the greenhouse. "Special treat today! We'll all be planting our own venomous tentaculas!"
The class groaned.
As Albus had no more classes with Rose or Mirra throughout the day, he managed to keep the conversation about the wand to a mere minimum. That being said, nothing at all would change how Scorpius felt.
It was as though being wrong had given him a sudden urge to mock Albus' victory, and for the remainder of the day he was bombarded with "Take the wand to Darvy" and "This makes you a thief, you know. He had even taken to stop talking for a brief period of time, only to suddenly and abruptly tell him to turn the wand in, as if hoping to catch him off guard.
"Not happening" Albus said for the millionth time as he poured gravy on his mashed potatoes. It was dinner time, and Scorpius still had not let up.
"Fine. Let some defenseless wizard wander the castle. Failing his classes. Unable to perform the simplest of magic. Be kicked out for being a squib."
"Okay" Albus replied casually as he cut through his chicken.
Scorpius banged his fist at the table just as Bartleby yelled down "Hey, my great uncle is a squib!"
"Why are you being so thick?" Scorpius continued.
"Because I just feel like whoever had it shouldn't have been in the forest in the first place. Whoever the centaurs went up against obviously tried attacking them!"
"But there's no proof of that!" Scorpius shouted, throwing his hand up in the air wildly.
Morrison swallowed his own potatoes, then cleared his throat loudly. "Okay, here's what I think should happen."
They both stared at him. The only time Morrison ever gave his opinion on the matter was during a Quidditch argument.
"Albus should go to Darvy-" he continued, while Scorpius raised a fist in triumph, "-but not tell him that he found a wand. He should just ask if anyone lost one."
Scorpius slowly put his hand down. "What would that accomplish?"
Morrison ripped off a large chunk of chicken, chewed quickly, then said "Well, anyone who's lost a wand obviously went to the staff members right? Even if it wasn't a Slytherin, Darvy would have heard about it. If Albus asks if anyone's missing one, and someone is, he should give it back. If Darvy says no, then well... just let him keep it I guess? No one's tried claiming it. This way he's not actually giving up the wand. Just making sure no one's tried to get it back."
Albus thought about it. "Okay...that's fair" he said.
"Yeah, I suppose" Scorpius agreed, though he did look slightly disappointed. Albus could tell that he was was hoping that the wand belonged to a student; this way he wouldn't have been wrong about any wizards entering the castle grounds.
After dinner Albus hurried to the Slytherin common room to retrieve the wand. Digging through his trunk, he found it nestled within his robes, where he had placed it over the weekend. He unwrapped it and pocketed it, noticing that the wand was quite thicker and more uncomfortable to hold than his own.
"When you get back, we're all going to be in the library" he heard Scorpius say from the door.
"Who's 'we all '?" he asked as he stood up and closed his trunk.
"Me, Morrison, Rose and Mirra" he answered. "Tell us how it goes."
"Where's Darvy's office anyway?" he asked. "Just right through his classroom?"
"I think so" Scorpius said, turning.
Albus walked with him through the labyrinth of the dungeon. it was a small mark of their friendship how, even in the middle of a debate, they managed to talk about Albus' upcoming first Quidditch practice as they did so. Scorpius turned right and followed the stairs up to the Great Hall while Albus continued walking until he hit the Potions room. Hesitantly, he knocked.
No one answered. He knocked again, and this time, still with no answer, the door creaked open. Albus shrugged and entered his Potions classroom. It looked quite plain without bubbling cauldrons set up, or with the candles lit, and Albus noticed that it was quite chilly. He saw the storage cupboard, next to it Darvy's private stores, and just behind his desk near the chalkboard, his office.
Albus walked towards it and saw that the lights were on. He knocked on this door as well, but still no one answered. He was beginning to grow slightly uneasy. It didn't worry him that the professor wasn't there; he knew that Darvy was far too crazy to be in one place for too long, but what he was doing now was bordering on trespassing. Well actually, it was trespassing.
He turned the doorknob and saw that it wasn't locked. He would just take a quick peek inside, that was all. He had made the long trip from the common room, hadn't he? He had might as well make sure that his professor wasn't just sleeping. He entered the office and nearly laughed.
It was quite spacious, though it would be quite hard to tell with the mess on the floor. It looked very much like his own room; when he was five. There were papers and jars, and numerous odd and strange looking instruments sporadically placed on the floor. There were shelves up against the far corner of the wall, where books rested, unorganized completely. There appeared to be a smaller room in the back. He carefully stepped over the gadgets on the ground, nearly tripping over a cloak so dark that it blended in with the floor. He tip toed into the room and this time really did laugh.
This room was much smaller. There was a cot in the corner roughly three fourths the size of Albus' bed, and clothes were scattered all across the floor. He saw a closet that was slightly ajar, filled with nothing but hangers. Professor Darvy was officially the most untidy person that he knew. Still chuckling, he turned and left the office, leaving the lights on to show that no one had entered.
"Nope, he wasn't there" Albus was telling them five minutes later.
"Really?" Scorpius asked skeptically.
"Really!" Albus answered in all honesty.
"Then there's still no proof it's not a student's."
Albus rolled his eyes. "There's still no proof that no one else entered the castle grounds."
Rose let out an exasperated groan that caused the librarian to stare at them. "It's not about who's right or wrong!" she said, her voice just barely above a whisper, but intimidating nonetheless. "It's about a wizard or witch-regardless of who they are or what they were doing-losing the one thing that truly connects them to our world!"
Scorpius stared at her for a moment, then laughed. "No it's not, it's about Albus being wrong."
"You should take it to the Headmaster" Morrison said as he casually leaned back in his chair. His book was the only one not open.
Now it was Albus' turn to laugh at someone. "That's not going to happen" he said, shaking his head. "That guy hates me. And why him anyway?"
"Because if anyone gets complaints about missing stuff, it's him" Morrison replied. "It's his castle after all."
"Eh, I'm still not going" Albus said, pulling out a chair to take a seat.
"You really should though" Mirra said. Her head was inches from the paper she was writing, her hair dangling in front of her. Albus didn't even think she had been listening.
"Erm...what?" he asked.
"You should take it to the Headmaster" she said, eyes still on her paper.
Albus contemplated it a bit. "Yeah, I guess I should" he said.
Morrison stared right at him "What? You just-"
But Albus saw Scorpius kick him from under the table. He looked like he was going to explode with laughter. "Okay, you go do that mate" he said with a grin.
"Okay...I will" Albus said as he pushed the chair back in, not getting the joke.
He left the library and walked through the halls, dodging the groups of students who were spending their day hanging around the castle. He hoped that he remembered the way to the Headmaster's office. He thought it was on the seventh floor, and sure enough, after a bit of wandering around, found himself face to face with the stone gargoyle that he knew would lead him there.
"Erm...can I come in?" he asked the stone gargoyle. It didn't move. What had the password been? Was it mysteries? Had the Headmaster bothered to change it?
"... Mysteries?" he asked the gargoyle.
It sprang to life at once, moving out of the way and revealing a large circular staircase. Albus wiped sweat from his brow and chuckled a bit. The Headmaster evidently didn't care much for privacy. He stepped on the staircase and watched as it revolved around and round, taking him further and further up. He gripped the wand that he had found loosely in his pocket to check that it was still there.
He came face to face with the large oak door that he had seen twice before. He raised his hand to knock, but was stopped by booming laughter. Standing on the spot with curiosity, he leaned his ear against the door. Was that-dare he think it-laughter from the Headmaster?
"It isn't a laughing matter" came an oily voice from behind the door. The Headmaster was having a meeting with someone, someone who didn't sound quite as happy.
"It is to me" replied the Headmaster's gruff voice.
Albus took his head away from the door for a second. This was, he recollected, the second time that he had listened at the door to the Headmaster's conversation. The first time had provided him with information about EP's, which he later learned were dark wizards on the loose. Could the second time, perhaps, be as informative?
He placed his ear back up against the door and continued to listen intently.
"I've been trying to get in for two days now" the man with the oily voice said. He sounded old and withered, but there was no denying the agitation in his syllables. "Your enchantments are too strong."
"They're meant to keep outsiders out" the Headmaster replied. "You should have scheduled a meeting. Or sent a message."
"I don't have a wand!" the man fired back. Albus felt his heart skip a beat.
"Well that's not my fault, is it Augustus?
"Oh yes it is! It was your damn centaurs who sprang an attack!"
Even through the door, Albus could tell that the Headmaster was rolling his eyes. "It's their forest" he replied calmly. His voice was still gruff, but it had lost its humored edge. "Be thankful they even let you in. Now, where did you drop your wand?"
"I didn't drop anything!" the man spat. "It was knocked from my hand! And you scaring everyone off just led to more confusion!"
"Have you searched the forest?"
"No, I haven't been able to get in! Make the oaf search!"
"His name is Hagrid" the Headmaster replied calmly. "And he is currently nursing an injury. I will not have him look for your wand. The fault is your own. You're welcome to go back tonight and search, but I cannot allow you to do so now, when you can interact with my students."
"I will not search and entire forest for a wand!" the man spat; and his voice hardly sounded oily anymore. "Make them find it! We're wizards!"
"I'm a wizard" Albus heard the Headmaster sneer. "You don't even have a wand. I suggest you find a temporary replacement until it turns up."
There was a long pause. For a moment, Albus thought that he had been detected-that they had heard his harsh breathing, or his heart pounding. But a few more moments passed, and the man known as Augustus said "Give me yours."
Another long pause. "Mine?" the Headmaster replied.
"Yes, yours. Your old one. You don't even need it anymore, you have the Dragonfang wa-"
"Rookwood!" the Headmaster shouted, cutting the man off. "You know full well it does not yet work for me! And think wisely before you speak! Colors on canvas' they may be, but these portraits have ears. I will do no so such thing. Either come back later and find your own wand, or get a new one. Now leave. Now" he repeated firmly.
Albus removed his head from the door and took a few steps back. Right on cue, the man opened the door. His hair was a wispy white, but definitely oily, and his face was pockmarked, with his cheeks sagging from age. He took a glance at Albus and walked right by him, only to stop and turn around. Albus watched as his eyes slid up his face and to his forehead-as if he were expecting to see a scar. He sneered, looked back at the Headmaster, and stood on the revolving staircase, which lowered itself at once.
"Who's there?" the Headmaster called.
Albus swallowed and stepped into the office. Headmaster Ares eyed him with a great deal of suspicion. Albus instinctively looked down at the floor. In his pocket, he held the wand that he had found tightly.
"What is it? What do you want?" he asked. He sounded as though he were making an interrogation.
"I just- I just wanted to say hello, sir" Albus said, still staring at the ground.
There was a moment's pause where Albus mentally kicked himself. "Get out!" Ares barked.
Albus didn't need telling twice; he hardly needed it once. Still gripping the wand, he turned on the spot and ran to the revolving staircase, which had just made its way back up from dropping off Rookwood. He stared into the Headmaster's office as the staircase brought him down as well; Ares had turned in his chair and was gazing at the sky through the window.
The second the gargoyle moved itself aside to let Albus free his mind began racing. What had he just heard? The wand - the sound - the centaurs - it was all connected. He walked as fast as he could back to the library, twice forgetting where he was going and being forced to turn around mid-step.
Ares was in the forest. And he wasn't alone either. How many other people had been there? He knew one thing for sure...he wasn't going to give the wand back now. And the wand! Ares had gotten a new wand! But from who? A wandmaker certainly. But perhaps...a murdered wandmaker?
He entered the library and saw that his friends were still chatting and working, or at least, one of them was. Rose appeared to be hard at work, while the other three had their books closed. Albus briskly walked up to them and, not knowing what to say, tossed the wand onto the table. The talking ceased at once.
"Ares wasn't there either?" Scorpius grinned.
"No he was" Albus said, and his dark tone made the smirk slide of Scorpius' face almost instantly. "I got something to tell you guys though." He pulled out a chair and sat down in it. "Okay, you guys know that there was a wandmaker murdered this summer right?"
"No" they all said in unison. Even Rose had lifted her head up from her paper to say it.
"Okay well...there was. And I think Headmaster Ares murdered him."
After a few moments of silence, they all exchanged looks, Rose especially, who raised her eyebrows at Mirra. "That's a pretty...bold accusation" Scorpius said quietly.
"I know it is! But hear me out. I was standing outside of his office when I heard -"
"-eavesdropped" Morrison chuckled.
"-whatever," Albus continued, "he was talking to some guy who lost his wand in the forest. And they mentioned the centaurs and everything! It sounded like they were both there the night the loud noise happened!"
"Okay, so you're right about that" Scorpius said begrudgingly. "Someone was in the forest. But how does that make Ares a murderer?"
"It doesn't!" Albus said, exasperated.
"Well he's got me convinced" Morrison said, while the others laughed.
"Shut up! I'm not done!" Albus added irritably. "The guy said he had lost his wand, but that he wanted Ares' old wand. Meaning that he got a new one!"
"But Al, there's no law against any wizard or witch owning more than one wand" Rose said.
"I know that" Albus said, which was a complete lie, for he had thought for sure that a wizard was limited to only one.
"You bond with your wand, but plenty of wizards keep a backup. Wands can break, you know" Rose continued.
"Yeah, but it's not like he was asking for a backup wand. It sounded like Ares had gotten a new one, but was still using his old one for some reason. And it really pissed him off. "
"It's still a pretty strong accusation, Al. There's no way they'd let a murderer teach here" Rose said, turning a page and resuming her work.
"Morrison?" Albus asked, but he merely shrugged.
"Probably not mate" he said guiltily.
Albus frowned. Would no one side with him?
"I agree with Al" Mirra said. "It makes a lot of sense. I mean, what were they doing meeting in the forest anyway?" she asked.
Albus felt his heart skip a beat, he looked up and smiled. "Thanks" he said, and she smiled at him. "That's a good point, why was he meeting with Rookson? Or Rookwood, whatever his name was."
"Wait, Rookwood?" Scorpius asked.
"Yeah. I think that was it. Why?"
"No reason" he said casually. "It's just- my grandad knows him. Or like they talk. Or something." He shrugged, then looked around at the rest of them. "Well anyway, I know that Ares is a weird lookin' bloke, but until you get solid proof that someone in this castle is trying to murder me, you should get to work" he said, pushing an enormous textbook towards Albus.
He pocketed Rookwood's wand and randomly turned the pages. Mirra believed him, but it was going to be a hard battle to convince the others. I've been right before, he told himself. And I'm going to prove them wrong again.