Finally Seeing Him
The four ventured down the tower and through the maze of corridors underneath the surprisingly large cloak. Albus was watching their movements through the school with the map as Basil made a small slit to look for any mysterious looking doors. Anna kept murmuring about if they got caught and her hands kept grabbing at Albus's or Basil's arm telling them that they are in danger.
"No one has been attacked yet. It might be us. What if we're wrong and the doors hold something dangerous? We should've gone straight to McGonagall." Anna whispered in to everyone's ears.
"Hush! Peeves might hear you." Basil warned and tip toed a little faster.
They passed the great hall and down another hallway between Headmaster's office and Aguirre's office. Basil looked inside to see Aguirre pacing around his office while muttering; his voice went from a whisper to a loud scream.
"It's too late! Merlin, I must do it." Aguirre threw his hands in his hair and spun around to face the door. I knew it. Basil thought in victory.
The four shuffled backwards and threw themselves against the wall. Aguirre threw the door open and stomped away with his fists in the air; he continued yelling about something that Basil didn't quite catch. The group passed down another hallway, following Aguirre, only to find he had miraculously disappeared. Yet, there were no doors.
"Where did he go?" Scorpius whispered and threw the cloak off his head.
"Where do you think? He's the one doing this, I just know it." Basil replied. Her thoughts were back to the keys. Sweets, Aguirre, Castle.
"Do you see anything?" Albus asked and wrapped the cloak around his arm.
"No, give me the key." Basil instructed.
Anna rummaged through her jacket pocket and pulled out the rustic looking key; Basil fumbled with the metal between her fingers and stared down the darkening hallway. There was nothing but darkness surrounding the four.
"Well this is a bust. The person could be anywhere in the castle." Albus sighed and spun around towards the direction they were walking.
Albus threw the cloak over his shoulder and rolled up the map with a groan. It was obvious that it was frustrating for everyone; especially Basil, whom spent most of the day waiting for this moment. As they turned to leave back for their houses, there was a light. Basil clenched the key till her knuckles turned white while continuing to stare down the hallway; there was an obvious illuminating glow from the end of the hallway.
"There! Come on guys." Basil nudged Albus and he threw the cloak over all four.
Scorpius placed himself behind Basil while Albus and Anna were in the back. They were sprinting down the hall when something horribly was heard. It was the sound of clacking heels that were too familiar to Basil's ears.
"It's Professor McGonagall." Basil hissed and tried to run.
"She can't see us." Albus argued and stopped Basil from running away.
"No she can! She can see through the cloak." Basil insisted. The three turned white and looked around the hallway.
"Hello? Peeves is that you?" McGonagall called and turned the corner towards their way.
Anna stole the cloak from Albus and pushed Basil, Scorpius, and Albus against the wall and masked herself in the cloak. Basil opened her mouth to stop her but Scorpius raised his hand over her mouth. Anna dashed in front of McGonagall, which she obviously noticed, and grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Ms. Winchester, I never thought to see you sneaking past curfew." McGonagall lectured and stole the cloak from Anna.
"Oh I'm so sorry Professor-"
"Come with me to my office." McGonagall placed her hand on Anna's back and thrusted her forward.
Anna threw her head down and walked where McGonagall instructed her as they left the hallway. After another few minutes of absolute silence, Basil moved from her position against the wall. Her eyes were almost flooding with tears and she felt the enormous amount of guilt pouring out. Why Anna? Now we have no chance- Suddenly she glanced over and saw a door that was shining brightly; they still had a chance!
"Come on, once we catch the person they'll let Anna go without any punishment." Basil assured and went towards the light.
Albus rolled up the map and handed it over to Scorpius for safe keeping; they did this while Basil took a few more steps towards the door. Scorpius stood behind Basil as her hands touched the source of the light; it was the ancient looking door. The same padlock was placed on the handle and seemed as if it hadn't been touched in hundreds of years.
"What are you doing?" Scorpius asked and moved closer behind Basil.
"There's a door. It's right in front of us." Basil assured.
Basil lifted the key to the padlock, shaking slightly, and inserted the metal into the hole; it was a perfect fit. Basil's breathing hitched causing the boys to stop breathing for what seemed like forever. It seemed unreal that this was finally happening, and they did so until the door opened to reveal what was behind. The new trio crossed the threshold and discovered it was a cave like maze; the interior seemed to stone and rock with moss growing on the walls. There was lanterns hung on the sides-they were lit, and the ground was covered in foot marks.
"So…should we follow?" Scorpius whispered. Basil stared at both boys, unsure of what to do.
Basil nodded her head at last and followed the dirt footsteps, which looked fairly new, for what seemed like hours with no end to the steps. What if there is no end? What if there's another exit? Basil thought but did not express. Scorpius and Albus were staring at the ground intensely and did not say one word; Basil didn't want to say anything to break the concentration of the two.
"How much longer?" Albus groaned and stopped.
"Who knows?" Scorpius replied and stopped walking.
Basil sighed and did not say anything to the boys; her mind was too clouded with doubt and decisions that it was best to keep it in her head. Scorpius and Albus seemed to look at Basil as if they were waiting for a reply. The maze seemed endless and their hope was now dwindling with no proof or perpetrator.
"Sorry, what?" Basil shook her head back into focus.
"Do you see anything? You might be able to see something we can't." Scorpius repeated and crouched on the ground to rest his legs.
Basil surveyed the maze around them, it was beginning to get darker down the path and the footprints were becoming lighter and lighter. Basil crouched beside Scorpius and stared down at the ground, just dirt and pebbles, then back to the darkening hallway.
"We need to find him." Basil stated just under a whisper.
Then it happened; the whole maze lit up in bright blue lines along the walls that pointed straight towards the end of the passage. Scorpius went straight to his feet, as did Basil, and the three sprinted to follow the lights.
"Thank Merlin for Basil." Scorpius said as they finished their sprint down the passage.
At the end, there was door illuminating a baby blue behind the cracks of the wooden door. There was no lock, just the door that separated the trio and the person behind all this. Finally, we catch Aguirre in the act. Basil thought in triumph.
"Ba-"Albus said then was cut off.
Basil and Scorpius spun around and saw the moss had become a life of its own; the moss extended into arms and caught Albus and held him against the wall. Albus struggled and tried to yell out but the moss was growing over his mouth; his eyes were wide and distressed. Scorpius yelled as many defensive spells to make it stop, but it was unsuccessful.
"Wait!" Basil announced as it finally hit her. "My grandpa told me about these when I was younger. They're attracted bugs and birds. Albus, they'll let go when they realize you're too big to consume." Basil assured. The moss was slowly peeling away from his mouth.
"We have no time to waste. Go, now!" Albus insisted and looked towards the door.
"But-"
"Do it for Rosie! Do it for Anna, she might be next." Albus expressed. His eyes became dark and watery.
"Basil, let's go." Scorpius agreed.
Basil nodded towards Albus then faced the door once again; all three stared at the brightening light. Basil pressed her hands against the surface of the degrading wood and pushed with all the force she could exert. The door was heavy but it moved without a sound, which aided in Basil and Scorpius sneaking in.
The door closed behind them, without a sound of course, and they were left in a room the size of a classroom. It was made of stone and at the front there was a man; he was reciting something and stirring into a cauldron with a book at a podium. The two were blinded by the light spilling into every corner of the room; from what they could see, it was a man. Basil felt her heart race again and her hands become sweaty. She couldn't form words so she let Scorpius start this battle.
"Stupefy!" Scorpius called and raised his wand.
The spell shot across the room and hit the man in the back, but he did not budge. The man closed the book and stopped his churning and swung around. He was not Charles Aguirre or anyone Basil thought it would be. He was someone that Basil had not even think of being standing in front of her, raising his wand and laughing evilly.
"Grandpa!"