Jinx quickly learned that when Patricia Rakepick said "soon", she meant "soon" in every sense of the word. The following day, Jinx was woken from her usual weekend sleeping in by a letter flying and buzzing around her head. She opened the letter to see a very brief note informing her to meet at 8 o'clock at night next Friday at the Training Grounds. The note was signed with a cartoonishly large signature, from which Jinx could only discern a capital "P" and "R". She couldn't remember what the handwriting from Ben's note looked like, and chastised herself for not paying closer attention.
It seemed that this nervous energy permeated throughout the school as news of the sleepwalking curse spread like Fiendfyre. During their first Charms class on Monday morning, Flitwick made the unfortunate announcement that a Fourth-Year Gryffindor had been struck by the curse over the weekend. Ben started shaking violently, and Rowan, who was sitting next to him, had to temporarily use the Body-Binding Spell on him to stop his movements.
Now, two students had already been placed under the curse, and at least one (Tulip) had almost been captured by it. Jinx would have to figure out a way into the Forbidden Forest sooner than she would like.
And her appointment with Rakepick came sooner than she would have liked to as suddenly the first week of classes was over and Jinx was sitting in silence. in the Great Hall after Divinations class on Friday. Rowan and Penny kept looking over at her, concerned as she didn't eat anything, but Jinx paid them no attention. She didn't know why she was so nervous to meet with Rakepick, as there wasn't any possible way for her to be hurt on school grounds with Dumbledore hovering nearby. And she still had free will, did she not? She didn't have to show up at the Training Grounds if she didn't want to. But still, she did not want to know how Rakepick would react if she didn't show up, and besides, wasn't Jinx a little curious too?
So she found herself dragging her feet to the Training Grounds, her wand out and ready the entire way. Rakepick was already standing by one of the training dummies, waiting for her.
"I need to get back to the Hufflepuff Common Room before curfew," Jinx stated, unsure of how to properly greet the Curse-Breaker. When Rakepick had no response to that, Jinx prompted, "You said you wanted to make me aware of some danger?"
"Danger is ever-present for Curse-Breakers like you and I," Rakepick said dramatically. "You should know how to properly defend yourself. Do you know the Shield Charm?"
"No," Jinx frowned. "I've never cast it before. We're supposed to learn it later this year." She had certainly read about it in her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook and practiced the wand motion and perfected the pronunciation, but hadn't had the opportunity to actually try casting the spell yet.
"Why did you feel the need to specify that you've never cast it before?" Rakepick asked, laughing slightly.
"I do know it in theory," Jinx said, suddenly feeling very defensive.
"Theory won't help you," Rakepick scoffed.
"Not when you study like I do."
"I will be the judge of that," Rakepick smirked. Then, her expression softened and she gestured at one of the dummies. "Let's warmup on these dummies here. Show me your basic stance and wandwork."
"Like this?" Jinx asked. She felt awkward as she set her feet and legs into the stance that Bill had taught her. When Madam Rakepick nodded her approval, Jinx lifted her wand, and said, "Flipendo!" The spell hit a dummy directly in the chest and sent it flying back.
Rakepick applauded at this. "Well, you certainly have your wandwork and stance down. I think you're more than ready to learn the Shield Charm. Watch and repeat exactly as I do."
Jinx watched as Rakepick cast the Shield Charm about a dozen times. She made note of the way that the shield seemed stronger the more forcefully Rakepick jabbed her wand, the way that Rakepick pronounced the "o" at the end of the spell, and the way that her arm moved elegantly in a sweeping motion to cover more ground.
When it was her turn to try, Jinx was surprised when on her first attempt, a bright silvery shield glimmered in front of her, so solid that she thought she could reach out and touch it. When the light disappeared, she turned to face Rakepick, nervous about how the woman would react. Rakepick was looking at her intensely, with almost as much attention as Jinx had looked at her.
"Well done," she said quietly. "Now, when I cast the Blasting Curse at you, cast the Shield Charm."
"Isn't the Blasting Curse deadly?" Jinx muttered.
"I realize we just met, but you should know that if something isn't deadly, it simply doesn't hold my interest," Rakepick said loftily. "Are you ready?"
" Of course. If I can't survive this, how will I ever survive future Vaults?"
"You remind me of myself, Miss Raider," Rakepick smiled. "I have only said that to one person before. Ten points to Hufflepuff."
Was Rakepick even allowed to- "Confringo!"
Shit.
Thankfully, Jinx already had her wand out. "Protego!" she shouted, stuttering over the spell slightly. But it was enough to block the spell before it hit Jinx in the face. The force of the two spells colliding forced Jinx to stumble back slightly.
"That-" Jinx was about to argue back, but she quickly shut up when she saw Rakepick lift her wand again.
"Confringo!"
"Protego!" This time, the shield held up strong, even after absorbing the shock of the spell. Jinx could still feel her heartbeat in her ears as Rakepick placed her wand back into a holster along her belt.
"I'm impressed. You may be as gifted as they say. But you should focus on your classes for now. I'm sure our paths will cross again." And with that, Madam Rakepick swept her red robes behind her and marched back up to the castle.
Jinx would have followed directly after her if she hadn't noticed someone moving along the castle wall. She took her wand out again, ready to defend herself, when the moonlight hit the person's face for a split second: the person was Tulip. She didn't know why Tulip was sneaking around, watching them, but at least it was comforting to know that her friend was well enough to spy on her.
The next morning, some instinctive feeling told Jinx to wake up early and head to the corridor with Jacob's research room. So despite it being a Saturday, Jinx hauled herself out of bed and up the stairs to the corridor where she ran directly into Tulip. Tulip seemed shocked to see her, and Jinx herself was surprised too. Perhaps she should entertain the voices in her head more frequently…
Tulip pulled her into a small storage closet and shut the door as quietly and angrily as she could.
"Why were you following Rakepick?" Jinx whispered.
"When you left the Hospital Wing, she asked me about my sleepwalking incident and the Cursed Vaults," Tulip rushed to explain. Jinx felt the warmth of her breath against her cheek and tried to step back further into the closet.
"I decided to follow her," Tulip continued. "She interrogated the House-Elves in the Kitchens for a while until Snape arrived. He led her here."
"Why?"
"Because he found another sleepwalking student," Tulip shuddered slightly. She tilted her head back slightly so Jinx could peer through the spaces between the closet door hinges to see a boy in Gryffindor robes floating in the air. She recognized him as the blond boy who sat behind her in Charms class who still could not master the Levitating Charm for his life.
"Where did you find him?" a now all-too-familiar voice demanded. Rakepick certainly hadn't lost any of her sharpness overnight.
"Approaching the Forbidden Forest," another familiar voice, this one nasally and slimy, said. "Dumbledore asked us to keep watch on the perimeter."
"How many sleepwalking students have you found?"
"Seven. Since the start of this school year," Snape said flatly.
"It's the curse," Rakepick grumbled. "Someone has tampered with another Cursed Vault."
"I assumed that someone was you."
Jinx and Tulip both gasped at this. Jinx had noticed Snape's distaste towards Rakepick from the moment she had stood up in the Great Hall, but for some reason, she hadn't fathomed him making that clear to her face.
"You still don't trust me after all these years, Severus? Could it be that you're jealous?" Rakepick teased.
So there was history between the two of them…
"Is it arrogance or insecurity that makes you misinterpret my genuine disdain?" Snape retorted. Jinx bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. When his insults weren't directed at herself or any of her fellow students, she supposed that Snape did have a rather dry but entertaining sense of humor.
"Slither back to your dark little closet full of jars and frog parts," Rakepick sneered. "Leave the important matters to an expert."
"They should snog," Tulip suddenly whispered, and Jinx had to bite her lip even harder to stop her laughter. "They're both equally insufferable."
"I'm going to deliver this child to the Hospital Wing."
"Dumbledore charged me with anything having to do with the Cursed Vaults," Rakepick argued back.
"Oh, the banter," Tulip said, pretending to swoon.
"If you can manage to keep your mouth shut we can walk there together," Snape relented. Jinx could just imagine him gritting his teeth, his face contorted into pain.
"Oh, but they're warming up to each other now," Tulip whispered, and Jinx thought she could see her wiggle her eyebrows. She inhaled sharply, and Tulip quickly put one hand over Jinx's mouth to quiet her. Jinx smiled widely into Tulip's hand, and Tulip immediately retreated, wiping her hand on Jinx's pajama shirt.
"Fine," Rakepick snapped.
"Fine."
And with that, the two both turned dramatically on their heels and headed down the stairs, the poor Gryffindor boy floating ominously behind them. Tulip and Jinx waited a few minutes until they were sure the adults were completely out of their way before emerging from the closet.
"Unbelievable," Tulip muttered, straightening her robes.
"I know," Jinx agreed, "She was really going after Snape."
"I have a feeling she's up to something other than the Vaults," Tulip whispered. "We need to find out what it is."
Jinx nodded. And they would need to find the next Cursed Vault before this sleepwalking epidemic took over all of Hogwarts. As Snape had said, seven students, not including Tulip, had already been cursed. Who was to say how many more would fall to the curse if Jinx didn't act soon?
One of the weirdest things about Hogwarts for Jinx was how on the one hand she had to deal with what seemed to be never-ending curses and on the other hand, life passed on normally with classes and homework and friends. She liked to be reminded of how simple her life could be though, and genuinely enjoyed studying in the library with her friends. A few days after that first meeting with Rakepick, Jinx found herself in the library for the first time after her adventure with the vaults last year.
"You should be banned from the Library after the damage you and your friends caused last year," Madam Pince snarled as Jinx ran into the library.
Jinx simply waved at the fuming librarian as she headed to the back section with the tables. Bill had organized a little study night for Jinx and her friends. Jinx appreciated his attempt to make life seem normal, if even only for a night.
"Some of these books taste terrible," Barnaby said as Jinx took the seat next to Rowan.
"Just don't go gnawing on my books," Tulip huffed.
"Or mine," Bill laughed. "I'm going to need them all for next years' NEWTs."
"Oh, hi Jinx," Rowan said brightly, the first one to notice her.
Tulip's head shot up from her book. She stared at Jinx with a strange intensity before slamming her book shut. "Tell them what we overheard," she demanded.
"What?" Jinx asked, confused. Ben peeked out from behind his Potions textbook to frown at Tulip.
"The broom closet?" Tulip prompted as if it were obvious.
The broom closet-oh, right, Saturday morning. Jinx leaned forward and gestured for everyone else to follow. " Rakepick and Snape found another sleepwalking student," she whispered. "The kid who sits behind us in Charms that can't cast Wingardium Leviosa."
"No, not Levi too," Ben gasped. "That's already two of the Gryffindor boys in our year!"
Bill had a grim expression on his face, and Jinx knew that he had already known.
But she continued to recount what she and Tulip had seen. "They think it's a curse caused by someone messing with a Cursed Vault. Also, they don't seem to like each other," she added, remembering Tulip's commentary.
"Professor Snape doesn't like someone? I don't believe it," Bill snorted.
"Poor Levi," Barnaby said softly, shaking his head. Rowan reached across the table to pat his hand, but he still didn't look up. Jinx felt her body tense up upon seeing Barnaby and Ben in such distress. These curses affected everyone's mentality at Hogwarts, she couldn't forget that.
" What do you think about Madam Rakepick?" Rowan asked, trying to steer the conversation away from Levi.
"I don't know," Jinx shrugged. She paused, unsure of how honest she could be with her friends, remembering Rowan's concerns from the first night. She looked over at Ben again, who appeared to be holding back tears, and couldn't convince herself that Ben was truly a danger. So she decided to tell them all the truth, the truth that Rakepick would probably discern anyways.
"I mean she's pretty suspicious," she said. "I definitely don't trust her enough to tell her everything we know about the Cursed Vaults. But we definitely don't want to get on her bad side."
"We should keep trying to find the next vault ourselves," Tulip said determinedly.
"We found a map of the Forbidden Forest inside of the last Cursed Vault, but it's hard to tell where it leads," Jinx reminded everyone.
Bill nodded thoughtfully at this but remained silent.
It was Rowan who spoke up first. She had been rummaging around her bookbag for a few minutes and eventually pulled out several large maps of what appeared to be the Hogwarts grounds and a large forest.
"I've been studying maps of the Forbidden Forest," Rowan explained as she spread the maps out on the table. "I've also been talking with my family, just asking innocent questions about how best to enter forests. They think it's best to travel by air.
"Centaurs and Trolls and Acromantulas? Oh no…" Ben mumbled, pointing at the drawings of rather vicious-looking creatures on the map. Barnaby, on the contrary, looked at the drawings in interest, and he started flipping through his Care of Magical Creatures textbook.
"The creatures in the Forest don't scare me as much as getting caught," Rowan said. "Dumbledore will have our wands."
"If we enter the forest at just the right spot, we can be in and out before the creatures or the professors find us," Jinx said, trying to contain her excitement as she looked over the maps. Rowan had already pinpointed several potential entrances.
"Determining the best place to enter won't help once we're inside," Tulip grumbled, ever the voice of pessimism and most likely reason too.
"Tulip is right," Bill agreed begrudgingly. "I went in there with Charlie once and got lost. I'd still be in there if it weren't for him."
So Charlie had experience inside the Forest? Jinx made a mental note to bother him for advice sometime in the near future. Rowan was still going on about the Forest and trees, but Jinx blocked her out as she focused on one thing that Rowan had mentioned earlier: traveling by air. That was all fine and dandy for Rowan as she was an excellent flier, but Jinx would prefer to stay two feet on the ground if she could. No, there had to be some other way to get into-
"Jinx? Are you still awake?" Barnaby's soft voice brought Jinx out of her thoughts.
"Oh yeah, just thinking about the Forest, that's all," Jinx said hurriedly, once again aware of everyone's attention pinned on her.
"Let's head back to the dormitory," Rowan suggested. "You look tired, Jinx, and we still have classes tomorrow." Then, to the rest of them, she said, "Everyone take a map and study up!"
"Yes ma'am," Bill grinned. He saluted Rowan, who quickly bent down to pack up her bag. But Jinx knew she was hiding the blush that covered her entire face and she smiled slightly at that.
"Thanks for the help everyone," she said, giving everyone one last grateful look as Rowan packed their bags. "Night!"
"Night, Jinx," Ben waved softly as she and Rowan left.
Madam Pince gave the two of them a dirty look as they left the library, but Rowan only giggled at that.
"She's still so bitter about last year," Rowan grinned. "I feel like such a rebel, even though I didn't touch the vault."
"Still an accomplice," Jinx winked. Then, in a more serious voice, she asked, "Why were you so quick to hurry us out of there?"
"Trust," Rowan said simply. "Or lack thereof."
"But you left your maps with everyone."
"Oh, I've kept the real versions in my room," Rowan shrugged. "And I've narrowed down the best entrances to two possible points, so don't you worry. But back to why I wanted us to leave, I'll tell you in the dorm."
Jinx stayed silent as they walked back down to the basement. Truthfully, she did not like this scheming side of Rowan when she was not let in on all of the secrets. And she did trust every person that had been at the Library table. If they were to help her with the vaults, didn't they deserve all the knowledge necessary for their safety?
The tension remained even when they entered their room again. Rowan gave Jinx a hesitant look as she took a notebook out of her dresser.
"Look, I'm sorry for being so secretive, but I truly believe it's all necessary," Rowan began."
"At least be honest with me," Jinx said sharply. "If you feel like you have to chase Penny out from her own room or disregard Ben's feelings and fears then fine, but don't expect me to tolerate all of that."
"Alright," Rowan relented. "Just..look." She pointed at a page in her notebook, which Jinx could see was filled with notes on Madam Rakepick's background. It was only basic facts, such as her year of graduation (1974), her house (Gryffindor), and how many NEWTs she had earned (ten).
"We have another mystery to solve: her. I want us to research her more deeply, figure out what from her past looks strange," Rowan explained.
Jinx nodded. This made sense; even if Rakepick did turn out to simply be a renowned Curse-Breaker looking to solve the Cursed Vaults of Hogwarts for her own glory, it would be good to know about her past. "I agree, we should," Jinx told Rowan, giving her an encouraging smile.
Rowan leaned back in her chair and sighed with relief. "Oh thank goodness you said yes. I've already blocked out two hours every night for the next two weeks for us to research!"
And so that was how Jinx found herself in the Library every weeknight for the next two weeks. The one day that Rowan was gone for Quidditch tryouts, Jinx still went to the library, almost used to the pattern after the first few days. But instead of studying Madam Rakepick's adventurous past, she took the time to read and reply to some of the letters she had received over the past few weeks.
First was a letter from Raul: he was letting her know that he got back the books he left at her mother's place, and that he hoped school was going well, and that she should expect a large candy delivery (with plenty of lemons) for her birthday as usual. The second letter was from her mother: she was writing to tell Jinx not to worry about Raul's books, to study hard at school, and to not eat all of Raul's birthday candy. And a surprise third letter had come from her grandmother, who usually chose to just add on to the letters that her mother wrote. But this time, Queenie had sent a short letter telling Jinx that Uncle Ellis was fine after Queenie had "dealt with him" and that one of Great-Aunt Tina's Kneazles, Milly, had recently undergone a small successful operation on her eye. Jinx thought that the contents of the letter were strange, but she supposed she was happy to get correspondence from more of the family, even if it meant that she had more letters to write back.
But she much preferred letter writing to the arduous research Rowan continued the following nights. One night, a few of the Hufflepuff boys decided to stop by their table to congratulate Rowan on her getting the Chaser spot. Jinx and Penny had already celebrated Rowan's triumph earlier that morning in their dorm room, so Jinx was simply annoyed when it felt like a dozen of her Housemates came to their table. Lenny and Aiden both hugged Rowan tightly - clearly they were all still close - but didn't even bother looking at Jinx. Sebastian, to his credit, nodded in acknowledgment at Jinx, but she still felt angry. Rowan hadn't seemed to notice the side-eyes and nasty glances, and Jinx wanted to keep her friend in that blissful delusion.
When they were finally alone again, Rowan sighed and rested her head on her arm. "I could write an entire book about her adventures in Egypt alone," she said dreamily, referring to Rakepick's adventures. "She seems so fiercely independent, that's why I was surprised at that article describing her working with a young assistant. I wonder who it was."
Jinx wondered the same, considering the fact that Rakepick had mentioned that she had only ever seen herself in one other person. It frustrated her, how the more she learned about Rakepick the more questions sprang up. And it seemed that these questions were unanswerable, as the only person she could ask was the one person she was asking them about.
Once again, Jinx learned how Madam Rakepick operated with the word "soon".
After two weeks of somewhat discreetly researching the Curse-Breaker, that little nagging feeling in Jinx's head told her to expect another meeting with Rakepick soon. Rowan had been rather haphazard about looking for Curse-breaking books and articles, and Jinx was certain that this would all catch up to them.
She just didn't expect it to be halted so abruptly.
One Saturday afternoon, as Jinx worked on a Transfiguration assignment with Penny and Rowan in the Hufflepuff Common Room, someone ran into the Common Room, panting loudly. The person slowed down as they approached them, and Jinx could see that it was Philip, a Hufflepuff boy in the year below them.
"You got a letter, Jinx," Philip managed to say between wheezes.
Penny quickly offered him some Pumpkin Juice, which he finished in approximately four large gulps.
"From whom?" Jinx asked, snatching the letter from his sweaty fingers.
"Madam Rakepick," Philip said.
"Again, I'm not sure if I should be excited or scared for my life right now," Rowan stammered.
"Thanks, Philip. You can go now," Jinx sighed. Philip seemed relieved to be out of her presence as he immediately dashed over to the dorm room hall, hopefully to get a change of robes. He must have sprinted to get down to the basement, most likely spurred on by Madam Rakepick's demands.
"What does it say?" Penny asked, moving closer to Jinx.
Jinx ripped open the envelope and skimmed over the letter first before showing it to her friends. The letter read:
'Dear Miss Raider, I understand you have been researching my personal history. I can only assume that you've taken such an interest in me because we share a common interest in the Cursed Vaults. Perhaps you're doing this behind my back because you fear what I might do in response to your inquiry. I'd like to see you immediately in the Artifact Room, as I think it's best that we discuss this matter in private. If you choose to ignore my invitation, I will take it upon myself to find you.
Warmest regards, Patricia Rakepick.'
"Do you think she means to meet her now, like right now?" Penny asked in a hushed voice. Her blue eyes were wide with a fear that Jinx had only ever seen on her in the Ice Vault.
Jinx nodded slowly and pointed at the word "immediately", which seemed to be written more forcefully than the other words.
"I'd go right now, remember that one article that said she killed a Sphynx with her bare hands," Rowan whispered. "And that other one that described her tearing the tail off of a Manticore."
"That can't be true," Penny gasped. "Can it?"
"I don't know, but I don't think you should see her alone," Rowan said sternly. "Do you want us to go with you?"
"Don't volunteer me!" Penny squealed. "I want nothing to do with that woman."
Jinx felt a smile twitch onto her face at Penny's outburst. She would never want to inflict an angry Rakepick on her friends either. "She did say that she wants it to be private, and I don't want to get on her bad side," Jinx said in resignation. "I'd better get going before the situation gets worse."
"Good luck," Rowan said softly, taking Jinx's hand in her own. "We'll wait here for you, alright?"
Jinx smiled as brightly as she could and nodded. Then, after sweeping her Transfiguration work back into her bag and telling her friends to bring it back to their room, she left the warmth and safety of the Common Room. On the walk to the Artefact Room, Jinx couldn't help but review all the spells she knew in her head. Although she was almost entirely sure Rakepick could take her out in a heartbeat if she wanted to, it was comforting to remind herself of all that she was capable of. Besides, Rakepick had also taught her Protego, and Jinx knew that she could rely on that as protection from most of the usual curses and hexes.
When she finally reached the Artifact Room (the walk had felt both impossibly long and upsettingly short), Jinx hesitated between knocking on the door and just striding her. She eventually decided on just barging in: confidence was key, was it not?
Rakepick was already standing inside of the room, leaning against one of the bookshelves and inspecting a small, yellowed globe.
"I thought you might not be brave enough to come, Miss Raider," Rakepick said as she wiped a layer of dust off of the globe. "I should have known better. I'm pleased to see that you have come alone."
"Well, that's what your letter instructed," Jinx deadpanned.
"Good," Rakepick said, smiling slightly as she placed the globe back down on the shelf. The smile disappeared when she finally turned to face Jinx. "Why have you been researching me in the library?" she asked coldly.
Jinx paused for a second before her mouth began to speak faster than her brain could think. "With OWLs coming up next year, I wanted to explore possible careers," she explained, her voice far steadier than she felt, "and given my history, Curse-Breaking seems to be one of the more natural courses of action. And since you're one of the most renowned modern Curse-Breakers, of course I would happen upon some readings about you."
"You can ask me directly," Rakepick said dryly. Jinx wasn't sure if she had believed that very obvious lie, but she didn't seem angry anymore, which was all Jinx could ask for. "No one at Hogwarts knows about Curse-Breaking as well as they think they do. I'm not upset with you, Miss Raider," Rakepick said, stepping closer to Jinx. "As a matter of fact, I'd like to help you enter the Forbidden Forest."
Jinx made a face at that.
Rakepick let out a short laugh. "It would be foolish to think I'm not aware of everything related to the Cursed Vaults."
"You told us to stay away from the vaults. Why do you want to help me now?" Jinx questioned, eyes focused on Rakepick's reaction.
"Because I'm realizing that you're different from the others, Miss Raider," Rakepick said nonchalantly. "I was once just like you. It pains me to admit it, but you're actually farther along than I was at your age. You must continue your pursuit of the Cursed Vaults, even if it means disobeying Dumbledore and breaking school rules. A Curse-Breaker has to be willing to risk everything, and cannot let anything stand in her way."
A sort of hushed silence hung heavy in the air. Although it was only the two of them inside the Artifact Room, Jinx felt as though the words Rakepick had just spoken were directed at something more than just herself. Rakepick had surprised her with the passion behind her words, and the way that she almost seemed to understand Jinx. And for her to encourage Jinx to continue with her pursuit of the Vaults, no matter the cost, was strangely personal, and not at all what Jinx would expect from an adult brought into the school for the sole purpose of keeping her out of the vaults.
"I thought you were here to find the Cursed Vaults?" Jinx asked, but there was no malice to her tone.
"I'm investigating the possibility of a vault in Hogsmeade," Rakepick said casually, but Jinx could detect the slight edge in her voice. "I'm honestly not convinced there's a vault in the forest. In any case, I'll allow you to serve as my assistant."
Assistant? Jinx couldn't help but snort at this. "I don't really like the 'assistant' title, Madam Rakepick. I prefer to work with people, as I'm sure you'll soon learn."
Rakepick seemed to find this amusing as her eyes crinkled in amusement. Jinx noted that Rakepick seemed to find a lot of things she did amusing or entertaining: she wasn't sure if she should consider this to be a positive sign or as belittlement, but either way, she supposed it was better than to be seen as an enemy.
"No offense taken, Miss Raider," Rakepick said lightly. "From what I understood, your brother was equally ambitious. I would recommend speaking with Professor Kettleburn. When I was a student, I convinced him to share secrets he'd learned from years of exploring the Forbidden Forest. Secrets that helped me enter the Forest on my own."
There was much to ponder from that, but Jinx wanted to leave the Artifact Room as soon as possible. "Thank you for your help, Madam Rakepick," she said hurriedly. "But it does sound like you believe there's a possibility of a Forest Vault. And it seems like the sleepwalking curse is related to it."
"Yes, thank you for further affirming my theory," Rakepick smirked. "Just know that if you continue to sneak around finding information about me, I will be the farthest thing from helpful." And as she had done before, Rakepick made sure she was the first to leave.
There it was again - another mention of her brother. How much about him did Rakepick know? Did the two ever meet? Jinx thought back to what she knew of the woman: she had graduated in 1974, which was the year Jacob had started Hogwarts. So they were not classmates in any capacity, but perhaps sometime along their individual paths to the Cursed Vaults, they had run into each other.
Now more than ever, Jinx felt the missing presence of Jacob hanging over her. She took the globe that Rakepick had been looking at earlier and smashed it against the ground in frustration. Who the hell was Patricia Rakepick to think she could stride into Hogwarts as if it was her playground? And why the hell was Jinx feeling that prickling sensation in her head again? Her mind had felt strangely sensitive since Raul and Hudson visited over the summer. Perhaps she should write a letter to her other Mative cousin.
Jinx did not like cryptic people, and it seemed these days, she was surrounded by them.
