Harry Potter: The Missing Keys
Chapter 9 of my Harry Potter story, enjoy.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters.
Chapter 9
In order to not arouse too much suspicion, it was decided just the original quartet would do the actual snooping, but Toru, Ariana, Cameron and Marli would be waiting up for them in their respective common rooms for updates on what happened. So it was that Jeff, Amara, Carla and Jamie began creeping from their respective common rooms and to the third floor. The plan was to meet up there and of course, as usual, try to avoid, Filch, any ghosts and any other teacher or Prefect who might be patrolling the corridors. They made good time and managed to arrive without being seen and actually arrived at the third floor at the same time.
"Well, we've gotta work out how we manage that." Carla whispered with a smirk.
The others gave quiet laughs and nodded before becoming serious.
"Okay...where exactly is this classroom?" Jamie asked.
Amara smiled. "This way, I saw it as I was passing earlier."
She led the way and they soon reached the classroom.
"So...hmmm, that's strange." Jeff remarked.
Carla looked at him, confused. "Strange? What do you mean?"
Jeff shook his head. "After everything Thaddeus said, if he really wanted to keep people from coming here before he could inspect it, you think he'd have protections set up, even something as simple as...locking the door."
To prove his point he actually reached out and opened the door, which was indeed unlocked.
They all stared in shock and then shared a confused look.
"Alright, I don't like this." Jamie remarked warily.
The others nodded and they all drew their wands and crept into the room. Luckily there seemed to be nothing out of place.
"Okay, I'm starting to think Thaddeus underestimates Hogwarts students. I'm honestly surprised we're the first ones to come here." Amara muttered.
Carla merely smirked and looked around. "Looks like some kind of abandoned office."
The others nodded as they joined her in looking around, using Lumos to aid them in seeing things. It clearly was an office, looking similar to the teachers offices, a desk, chair, several bookcases filled with varying books, proving it wasn't a Professor's office, but seemingly a random one.
"Strange...what purpose could this office serve?" Carla wondered.
Amara bit her lip. "I don't know. Is there anything around here that gives a hint?"
They began checking around, searching for anything that could have offered a hint. Most notably they could tell this was the first time this room had been accessed in quite some time, mostly due to the thick layer of dust on the desk and chair, as well as several shelves in the bookcases.
"I wonder, could someone have used this as some sort of private office?" Jeff wondered aloud.
Jamie bit his lip. "Maybe. Do those books stand out, anything about them…?"
Amara shook her head. "Nothing major, in fact, I think we might have a timeline to when this office was last used, since there isn't a title on these shelves that are later than 1925."
"1925?" Carla gasped.
The others were equally shocked, well before any of them had been born.
That revelations left them shook, but also curious.
"So...I wonder, why would someone be interested in a room that hasn't been accessed since 1925 and how did nobody find or enter this room since then?" Jeff queried.
Carla shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I'm more curious why Thaddeus Storm is interested in it, he's from the Ministry right, but again, why would the Ministry be interested in this?"
"Whatever the case, we need to find if there is anything-" Amara began. "Jamie?"
Jamie said nothing at first, he had been checking the desk and had opened one of the drawers, he turned to them and dusted off his robes.
"Nothing but dust." He said with a sigh.
"But before they could say anything else, they heard something, footsteps approaching.
"Nox." They all whispered as they ducked into hiding spots.
They waited anxiously, watching warily as the door opened and Filch poked his head and lantern in, growling and grumbling as he peered around.
"Anyone here, my sweet?" He asked, making them flinch.
They heard the miaow of Mrs. Norris, but they stayed hidden, covering their mouths to stay silent. But then, finally, to their relief, Filch grunted.
"Come on."
With that he turned and left and they heard the sound of Mrs. Norris following. Finally, once sure the coast was clear, they relit their wands and regrouped.
"Alright, this is crazy, there doesn't seem to be anything here, nothing we can see anyway." Carla said. "Let's just get outta here."
The others agreed and they slipped out of the office, closing the door and made their way back to their common rooms. Unaware that Jamie wasn't being strictly truthful about what he found in the desk, albeit he had only hidden the truth for personal reasons. He reassured himself he'd tell his friends later, once he knew more, but right now, he wanted to check this out himself, for a very simple reason.
Reaching her common room, Amara found Cameron and Marli were indeed still waiting and looking up at her expectantly.
"So, what happened?" Cameron asked.
Amara sighed. "Not much, but I think it's because we didn't know what we were looking for. I did notice something about the books there, I don't think that room's been in use since 1925."
They both looked as shocked as the original four had, but then Marli got a thoughtful look on her face.
"Hmmm, I should maybe talk to mom...I know that around that time Grandma Natty had just become headmistress of Uagadou and was still in regular contact with her friends from her time at Hogwarts." She said. "I'm pretty sure one of them had an office of sorts at Hogwarts."
Amara considered for a moment but nodded. "That...might help, if that was this person's office, it might give us a hint as to what Thaddeus is looking for."
They decided to figure it out tomorrow and headed for their respective dorm rooms. Meanwhile Jeff was letting Ariana know what they found while Jamie did the same with Toru. Due to the two not having the connection that Marli had, they had no suggestions. But once he was in bed, Jamie pulled out what he'd found at the desk and read the page he opened to.
"July 10th, 1925.
Something isn't right, the people who I have had to deal with lately...they seem familiar but I know we wiped them out. Could they be back somehow. I need to get in touch with the others and warn them, if it is what I fear, an old ghost has come back to haunt us."
Jamie read this a few times, but then put it away, he'd check more of it another time. His main concern was the familiar handwriting.
It left him wondering. 'Why was grandpa's journal in that desk?'
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.