The next detention was easier, helping Hagrid cut up meat for the Thestrals but we weren't allowed in the forest again. It was made a rule now. Too dangerous when that creature was sulking the grounds.

Even then, there was the temptation, no matter the cost of searing pain and headaches, to find out exactly what that thing was.

And I still didn't know what was in the trapdoor, or what the beast protected.

I had to know.

Saner heads prevailed, and Tercet bumped one of his heads into my back as he led me towards the trapdoor.

I opened the trapdoor, seeing into the darkness of the lower level. I couldn't see how deep it was and I wasn't going to jump in without knowing. I pulled out a book from my pouch, dropping it into the darkness. It thuded softly, as if caught by something.

Then Emperor shoved into my back and we went tumbling into the darkness. Something caught us, quickly pulling me into its grasp as vines withered around me. It was tight around me, lowering us even further but never letting go. It stiffened around me, tightening like a snake.

I didn't panic, already knowing what kind of plant it was by the way it moved and caught its prey. I light up my wand with fire, making it drop us onto the ground below. It didn't take long, only a few feet, like it was expecting us to drop down soon enough.

Finding a room full of keys with wings was not what I was expected but Emperor instantly snatched on into his jaws, dropping it into my hand. And it was the perfect one for the silver lock on the next door.

A huge chessboard set in the next room.

I hated chess. As much as Draco liked it, Vernon had taught me it but found I was much better than him in the long run, it wasn't a game I spent much time on.

Black pieces stood metres above me, carved from black obsidan as it reflected the light. The white pieces were on the other side, faceless and brooding. I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to get through to the other door without playing.

I needed to play.

I took my place as a missing pawn, one of very few already missing pieces from each side. I lost several pieces to White but they lost just as many. I took my time, calculating each move. I didn't want to lose any piece unneededly. I needed to get across and win. I had nine pieces remaining, one of which I was a pawn.

Each time a piece was taken, the winner would smash the loser into bits. It was barbaric but somehow beautiful.

Thewhite queen had planned to take a black piece but I moved before her last move, which would have been White's win. Instead, as my final move, I took the queen.

I didn't destroy her, but there wasn't a need as the queen bowed her head and moved off the board. All of the pieces repaired themselves and walked over to their side of the chess board, resuming the beginning of the game. I walked through the white side, stopping as the white king abruptly turned to face me. He took his crown off, placing it on my head with his head bowed.

Then the queen bowed too.

I bowed my head for respect of the game.

"Wonderful game. Thank you for playing," I took the crown off of my head and inspected it seeing the white marble and stone set in the middle. "Can I keep the crown?"

It was a beautiful piece and I wanted to keep a memory of this.

The king bowed at the waist as the crown in my hands turned from white stone to pure gold. The whole crown flashed suddenly and I closed my eyes so I didn't go blind. It began lighter in my hands. The pure gold was medieval, sharp curves becoming larger and the stone in the middle turned to rubies.

"One day, I hope to play again," I said, placing the crown safely into my endless pouch. "Perhaps, white against black so I can win that crown too."

The pieces didn't reply, reverting back to their statue-like poses.

)(-)(

Did I ever mention that I hated riddles?

Hmm.

Because the next room was a riddle, one lined with posion vials.

The fire-lined room had a table in the middle, seven bottles strangled shaped and a piece of parchment with the riddle on it.

The way back was blocked by black flames, preventing me from leaving. I had to continue forward so I read the parchment.

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,

Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,

One among us seven will let you move ahead,

Another will transport the drinker back instead,

Two among our number hold only nettle wine,

Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.

Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,

To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First, however, slyly the poison tries to hide

You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;

Second, different are those who stand at either end,

But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;

Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;

Fourth, the second left and the second on the right

Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight.

I wanted to scream in frustration. Why did this have to be so difficult? All I wanted to know was what the hound was protecting. Whatever he was protecting, it would have to be of great importance to have so much protection.

I calmed after a moment and began to think. Out of the seven bottles, three were poison, two wine, one would protect me against the black fire and the last would get me through. Now I needed to figure out which one was which. It took me several long minutes, a lot of pointing at each one as I crossed them off as one bottle or the other in my mind.

I pocketed the purple bottle, and looked into the smalled bottle which was blue. I gulped it catiously, already knowing my deduction skills were correct but I was still warely. Ice filled my bloodstream as I stepped through the purple fire. I couldn't see anything as the purple fire surrounded me in a warm hold, never burning me as I continued to walk until I came into a chamber.

All of that for the Mirror Of Erised?

So useful.

I stared at the memory.

What could Quirrell want with this mirror? It couldn't have been very special. It only showed what one most desired, the thing they yearned for, what they wished they had.

Quirrell went after the Unicorn for its bold, slaughtering an innocent and divine creature like that so he could simply live longer.

I gulped the potion to go back and it didn't take long.

)(-)(

I walked the path of cold corridors and hallways, never letting the darkness of Hogwarts scare me. There was nothing to fear when I had Emperor by my side, strolling through as if I owned the place.

I went up the castle, taking each level by itself as I walked the length, then down them again. Stopping in the library once again. I had to return a few books I had borrowed so I left them on Madam Pince's desk before walking back to where the Rescrticed Area was.

A couple metres from where the rope separated the two areas, between a set of bay windows, Emperor pawed at the wall there. I strode over to the area, knowing that Emperor was telling me something about the wall. I put my own hand against the plain stone wall, feeling a wave of something there.

Under my fingertips, the wall shimmered until a set of double doors appeared, deep blue with a set of etched bronze words into the wood.

For what you wish,

For what you know,

You'll find it here,

Where you should never go.

With books of lore,

And tombs of dark,

You'll find out more,

And it will leave its mark.

Here where magic has a price,

Where knowledge will always flow,

Things you won't find nice,

But yeverything you need to know.

The doors opened the second I finished reading the warning, stepping into the warm room. But it wasn't just a room, it was a library full of books.

Smaller than the Hogwarts library, but much cozier with plush seating around a large circular table in the sunken middle. Rows upon rows of books sat on the walls, reaching the high ceiling with several levels spanning the height of Hogwarts. The back wall had bay windows looking into the lake below, burgundy pillows lined up neatly. Candles lit up the place in an eerie glow, calm but bright enough to see the blank spines of the books.

A fat tomb sat on the cirucular table and I approached it. It had a burgundy cover with the same six-sided star with a circle around it.

When I opened the book, a searing papercut cut into my finger, dripping my blood onto the pages. It swallowed it up instantly revealing the words.

For those who crave

For those who lost,

For those who need it,

You'll find it here at a cost.

I opened to the contents page and found a list of different subjects, Potions, Transfriguration, Charms, Herbology, and under each one was even more extensive list of things. Necromancy, Blood Magic, Black Magic.

It was a book that listed every single book every written about Black Magic. Not Dark Magic, not what the Ministry hated, but what the Ministry tried to make Wixen kind forget about, the ones they won't even speak of least we try to find them.

I couldn't help but sit down on the black plush couch surrounding the circular table, reading through the rest of the contents of the book. Nearing the back of it, I found blank pages. Even when I cut my finger again, nothing appeared. I did it once more.

Once you are strong enough,

Once you find the courage to go further,

You'll find the words you need,

For you can't be against murder.

I shut the book instantly.

I couldn't kill someone. It wasn't right.

Or could I?

I didn't know but I knew I had to get away from this book for now.

When I left the room, the door sealed itself up and disappeared, returning to the plain wall once again.