Creeping Shadows

[Theodore Westwick]

Hogwarts was such a big and vast castle, that Theodore was quite sure he would need the full seven years of schooling to explore it all. He did not mind, it was what he and Edmund did best. Growing up in a partly crumbling victorian mansion, they were used to narrow corridors and low ceilings, as well as the general atmosphere of old buildings. The forest around their house also reminded him a little of the forbidden forest, and he had the idea that he would be feeling quite at home here if it wasn't for all the students, teachers, pets, and noises that seemed to be everywhere.

But in this part of the school there weren't many students around, or anyone else, only the occasional Slytherin, which seemed less and less frequent as dinner time approached. He and Edmund stayed close together as they creeped through the narrow passageways, Theodore's eyes scanning their surroundings eagerly. Dungeons sounded promising to him, like there were jail cells with old bones in them just waiting to be found. The tip of his wand was dimly lit by a weak 'lumos', as he had tried the spell until he managed it somewhat as soon as he'd gotten to Hogwarts. It wasn't night yet, but the dungeons were still darker than the other corridors with windows. Besides, Theodore sort of just wanted to use the spell because he could. He almost regretted not being sorted into Slytherin, as he would have loved to have his sleeping quarters near the most interesting part of the school so it would be easy to explore it when it was truly night. That would definitely be difficult now if they had to sneak down from what seemed to be the highest tower of the entire school. But if Slytherin meant he would be separated from Edmund, he would take Ravenclaw any day. He glanced at his twin. "How deep do you think the dungeons go?" He asked him quietly. "I wonder if anyone ever got lost in here and died of starvation. Or something else." It didn't seem too likely, as a teacher would probably have gone to look for a lost student, but he couldn't help but wonder and imagine.

 

[Edmund Westwick]

As much as the description of his house appealed to Edmund, part of him wished he and Theodore had been Slytherins. The idea of living in a dungeon felt much more enticing than a tower, isolated in the sky with nowhere to go but down. The dungeons seemed to wind on endlessly in all directions, and Edmund knew there had to be some deep secrets in here somewhere. He stayed close to Theodore, letting his brother be in charge of their light source. The corridors were dimly lit, winding, and clearly ancient, all the things Edmund liked in an adventure. Part of him wondered what types of bugs would be creeping around these hallways. Could be worth coming back with a couple of jars some day.

Theodore's suggestions cutting through the quiet of the corridor made Edmund grin. "Or worse." He added quickly, imagination running away with him. "Writhing monsters of the deep concealed beneath a school, fed stray students in order to placate them." He mused, getting a little excited at the idea. "An altar for sacrificing people who didn't do their homework. Ever wonder why this place apparently has so many ghosts?" The idea of school ghosts had really stuck with Edmund, and he was disappointed that he hadn't gotten to interact with one yet.