Chapter 46: Exploration
Despite the warnings given by Papaya Whisperfoot, we continue our exploration of the school by climbing the stairs. I could try to actually pronounce his name, but I just know that I'll end up biting my tongue. Everyone already saw Tracy bite hers.
Anyways, we explore wherever the magic stairs take us. Sometimes we end up on a small platform with only a door leading into an empty room. Other times we arrive at vast corridors leading deeper into the castle. But for some reason, I feel like we've ended up at this spot more than once…
"Isn't this the forbidden corridor?" Asks Draco.
"Indeed. We should depart at once." Replies Daphne.
"But haven't we been here like three times?" Points out Tracy.
The minions nod their heads, agreeing with Tracy's statement.
"So it isn't just my imagination. Unless the stairs can read our thoughts like the Sorting Hat, and are taking us to where our natural curiosity wants to go." I get weird looks at my conjecture, but they'll get used to it eventually.
We all stare at the door for a moment, wondering what might lie hidden behind it. Then to everyone's shocked cries, I pull the handle. The door creaks in response, but it doesn't open. Listening to their sighs of relief, I shrug.
"Well that was anticlimactic. Anyways, do you guys want to keep exploring wherever the stairs lead us? Or go outside and explore the castle grounds?"
I ignore the glares, waiting for one of them to respond. Daphne is the one to finally break the silence. I think that I'll retire to the common room for now. You nearly gave me a heart attack when you tried to open the door. Perhaps avoid doing things we have been expressly warned would get us killed?" With that she departs the stairs.
I look at Tracy, who shrugs. "Well we didn't die, so I'm still good to go! Oh, and I vote for staying in the castle. We've barely even seen anything!"
Draco rolls his eyes. "True. But you really should avoid doing something so reckless, Misha. What if the door had been enchanted to attack anyone who tried to open it without the proper process? We might have been thrown off the platform!"
Another shrug for the discussion. "But it didn't, so we're fine! Besides, the staff wouldn't have put something so casually lethal on the door itself. What if a student bumped it and the door took it as an attack? Boom! Dead student for clumsiness. But onto more important things. Exploration!"
I listen to him sigh as Tracy chuckles. "She's pretty funny~."
"The recklessness does worry me though."
As always, the minions are quiet. Actually… a quick check tells me that they are indeed still with us. For a second I thought they'd wandered off with Daphne. The five of us continue exploring, coming across a variety of interesting rooms.
We find a few empty classrooms that are free of dust for some reason. Seriously, aren't abandoned areas supposed to be covered in dust and cobwebs and stuff!? But these rooms are practically sparkling!
We also come across a room with a raised platform stretching down its length that Draco informs us was a dueling arena. I get excited until he says that Hogwarts got rid of the dueling club a while back.
We also managed to find the Charms classroom! Sure, we don't have that class today, but it will be helpful for when we do have it. Though we did disturb the class that was in progress. Thankfully the short little man in charge of that class was really understanding. He also told us where the History of Magic classroom is!
Another room is lined with glass cases on wooden pedestals. A trophy room. And I have to say, I have no idea what they're trophies of. They lack any kind of explanation for what they are, so I can't really say whether or not someone had switched out the real stuff for joke stuff.
Though there is a trophy case filled with awards. Since I'm not really interested in 'leaving behind my legacy' for anything as droll as academic excellence or sports records, I don't look at it with Draco and Tracy.
Instead, I examine the random stuff. A helmet covered in burn marks especially catches my attention. Judging by the radius of this one, I can tell that someone struck the helmet, likely with a lit torch.
Another part tells me that something detonated on it, but without enough power to get through the armor.
But this one, stretching across the length of the base of the fin where it connects to the actual helmet? That one looks like a detonation sequence. Someone managed to line up the explosions and tie them together in such a way that they set each other off, a brief second before the previous one ended. That takes quite a bit of skill.
Disturbing me from my thoughts, Draco lets me know that it's about time for lunch. Nodding my head, Tracy and I follow as he leads the way back to the great Hall.
There, I look over the crowded hall as we walk to the Slytherin table. I see Harry smiling as he talks to Ron and a couple of older ginger haired students. They look identical, so I'm guessing they're twins, as well as his older brothers.
I don't know anyone in Ravenclaw, so my eyes just pass over them without picking up any particular details. But at the Hufflepuff table, I see Clarity chatting with a ginger haired girl. There really are a lot of ginger kids at this school. But I don't remember another 'Weasley' getting sorted other than Ron, so they probably aren't related.
Still though, it looks like she's fitting in well. Must come from being around people who are used to all kinds of wonderful things. A purple streak that becomes pronounced when the light hits it must seem kind of bland in comparison.
Anyways, it looks like the magically appearing food decided that it would be hamburgers and fries today. We sit at the table, Draco across from me and Tracy, and then I realize something.
"Hey, Draco. What happened to your minions?"
He blinks before looking around. "Do you mean Crabbe and Goyle? Huh. I didn't even realize they were gone. I suppose that they'll turn up eventually though. They tend to follow me around."
I nod. "As good minions do. But they can't be abandoning their boss like this, so make sure to discipline them properly."
"Um, alright." He looks a bit confused at what I mean, but that's not my problem.
We eat and chat for a while before heading to class. When we get there, I'm surprised to see that we're being taught by a ghost! Not a young looking ghost though, one that looks like he's about to keel over from old age. Again.
Seeing us, he looks surprised. "Well, well, well. You're here early. I never get people here early. Ten points to Slytherin for being prudent in learning the history of magic!"
We exchange smiles as we take our seats. This class seems like it will be interesting.
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