Trying to find 'The Room'

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda left her dorm and on walked quietly down the long winding stair case. It was getting late and many were studying hard or mucking about in their common rooms or dorms. For nearly a week now Andromeda had been having a recurring dream about a room. The room had so many books and large framed antique looking paintings and even a passageway. The room was familiar but she couldn't remember why. At least she couldn't until dinner that day, she had simply lifted her head and seen a face at the Slytherin table that kicked her brain into gear and the memory of the room had come flooding back. Ford Harkonnen and herself had discovered a room by sheer luck once upon a time, the room held so much paraphenalia about werewolves.

She was amazed she hadn't gone back sooner but also knew why. There had been a passageway with clawed scrawls down the walls and even footprints or paw prints really in the ground. She had recognised the markings and even the smell. There had been a werewolf there at some point, this castle had a history pertaining too werewolves and she wanted to find out what it was. In dark clothing she made her way down the stairs and into the dungeons. Hopefully all the Slytherins would be nicely tucked up in their house and wouldn't be bothering her. Removing her wand she continued further along down the corridors trying to figure which way she had gone the last time before she had bumped into Ford. As the area got darker, she lit her wand and slowly continued.

 

[Chace Harker]

When he wasn't battering his brain out with homework or sitting through classes, Chace Harker could be found lurking the many corridors and passages of the school. He had yet to attend an SDA meeting, and he was anticipating the next one, as Kat had invited him. These days he didn't see much of her, which saddened him. He reminded himself every morning that he was getting too pale, and he would need to see some sun before he regretted it.

His boots clicking on stone floor, he paused as he thought he heard a different pair of steps. Sure enough, someone was turning about the corridor. Deciding to investigate, Chace turned towards the new arrival. If it were a professor, he would simply wish them a good day. If it were a student, his response depended on whether he even knew their face.

The Slytherin's eyebrows raised as a girl he had met in the Trophy Room last term mosied down the Corridor, seeming to be looking for something. There weren't any classes in session down here to his knowledge. So what was she doing in the Slytherin domain? Leaning against the wall, he asked as she came close enough, "Looking for something?" Gryffindors usually didn't want to be in the Dungeons if they didn't have classes.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

The hair on the back of her neck rose slightly, it had been happening alot lately whenever someone was about. She blamed it on the many months without wolfsbane which had somehow heightened her werewolf instincts more than she liked. This wasn't a bad instinct though, it seemed to be like a built in alarm system. Letting her know of another persons presence. It didn't stop her gulping in anticipation though. She certainly didn't want to run into any professor down here at this hour and have Gryffindor house fall lower in the points stakes.

A boy stepped forward and as she held up her wand a bit, she recognised as the boy from the trophy room back in September. He had been helpful enough to her then but still, he was a Slytherin and though she hadn't anything against any of them - it was late at night and she was down in his 'domain'. Almost defying him to oppose her being there, she tilted her chin slightly.

"I'm looking for the lost city of Atlantis" she didn't mean to be rude but she could do without any tag alongs right now. The whole reason she hadn't come down until now to search out the room was because of how dangerous it potentially be. She was almost certain though that if another werewolf was lurking in the depths of the castle, she might just be alright, just!

"Does it really matter what I'm looking for? Shouldn't you be back in your house?" looking quickly at her watch she really didn't want to be any longer in the corridors than necessary. She made to move on passed him.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace smirked back at the girl. "Andromeda, wasn't it?" He followed her, figuring that he had nothing better to do. If he got caught, so what? He didn't have any reputation to ruin. The Slytherin boy was surprised at the hostility that the Gryffindor gave him. What was a Gryffindor doing out of her house after hours? Wasn't it his duty as a Slytherin to protect his domain?

His voice quiet, he replied, "I could ask the same of you. Besides, I may be able to help. You don't seem like you know the territory too well." The Slytherin's green eyes flickered with amusement. He was slipping back into the skin of his old self without even knowing it.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda turned to look at him, amazed that he was able to remember her name. They had after all only met the once wasn't it? She definitely hadn't met him after that, then again she had been somewhat out of it when she had returned in September that much of what happened was a blur. It seemed only since the Christmas break that her head was well and truly screwed on again, at least as much as it could be. She rattled her head for his name but it eluded her and she felt guilty.
"Yeah it's Andromeda but you can call me Andy" hoping that, that small flag of truce would compensate for her forgetting his name. She honestly couldn't even remember if he had introduced himself but he must have to say he knew hers.
"Sorry you were?" the hostility had ebbed slightly but not by much, she began to fume silently when he began to walk beside her. After taking a few more steps she finally stopped again and turned to look at him in the dim light from her wand.
"What I'm doing down here is none of your business really and no, I don't need your help. It would most likely be the other way around actually. You're better off going back to your house. Safety and all that" she ventured a smile at him before turning on her heels and walking on, the area was beginning to look familiar now. There should be an archway just ahead with the smallest of stairways leading down to the corridor where the room had been. She certainly didn't want him tagging along any further, so turned to face him once more.

Andromeda was tall enough but he seemed to be just head and shoulders over her. She hated looking up when she wanted to lay down the law.
"Well goodnight, it was nice meeting you again".

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace snickered a bit. He wasn't surprised that the Gryffindor girl had forgotten his name- after all, they had only met once. The Slytherin boy simply had a knack for remembering people he was introduced. For that matter, who could forget someone with hair that red? People with red hair were getting more and more rare these days. Some muggle scientists claimed that the 'gene' or whatever it was for red hair was disappearing.

"Chace Harker," he replied silkily, extending a hand. "I don't believe we were formally introduced." He wondered if she would take it.

He cocked his head to the side. The way she was walking away from him was slightly annoying. She was pretty haughty for being a Gryffindor in the Slytherin domain. Keeping pace with her, determined to see where she was going, he responded, "Me? Safety? Oh, don't worry about me. Seemed like last time you were the one who needed rescuing, not I." He smirked, adding, "And I don't feel like heading off to bed just yet."

The Slytherin knew he was being irritating, but he couldn't resist being his old self, if only in small doses. He didn't want to be an ass of course, but he missed his old personality from time to time. Sometimes, he felt like the one he currently exhibited was being forced.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda would have liked nothing better than to throw a hissy fit and tell him to leave her alone but he really wasn't budging, she certainly didn't want to call anymore attention to herself by putting up an arguement that could quite easily turn nasty so she simply looked at the hand he extended to her. She didn't think she'd be forgetting his name in a hurry now.
"No we weren't formally introduced Chace Harker, life is good like that and yes you did come to my rescue of sorts before but it was something I could have handled. This is different and I can't take responcilibity for you" she placed her own hand in his looking at their hands for a moment as hers seemed to get lost in his. Quickly she retracted her hand again and stuffed it into the pocket of her dark jeans.

"If you must come along then get your damn wand out" she couldn't believe she was actually going along with this but she couldn't go back now not after coming so far, "And be ready... for anything".
She walked around the corner from him and there infront of her was the archway, a small satisfied sigh escaped her lips. Glancing back quickly to see if he was following her or not, Andromeda then made to go down the few steps on to the other corridor.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace snorted. What was a third year, telling him, a fourth year, that he would have to become her responsibility? It was laughable. "Don't worry about me," he chuckled slyly, "Besides, I've got a year of spellwork on you. I'm sure I'll be right as rain." He could tell that she was not very happy about his tagging along, but she would just have to suck it up. Until his curiosity was curbed he would follow her, even if it took all night.

A slight frown tugged at his lips as she told him to be prepared for anything. What the hell was this girl up to anyways? Better to find out than be left in the dark. Pulling his wand out, he retorted snarkily, "Yes, M'am." Gripping the handle of his walnut, core of Dragon Heartstring, he trailed the Gryffindor, wondering where in the world she intended to go. He had heard stories about the Dungeons, but frankly he thought it would be more fun to experience them. The fact that it was the dead of night made it even better.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda merely rolled her eyes at him, if he only knew just what he was walking down to explore and exactly with who, he would definitely be running the other way. With this thought she smiled, her amber eyes almost dazzling in the dim light shining from her wand.
"Well Harker do you want to light up that wand of yours or are you going to hold it for comfort for the duration?" she knew she was being snippy and didn't really care, she hadn't wanted him to come along but now that he was it was actually perfect. She remembered how Ford couldn't open the door until she had suggested that the two of them combine their efforts. She would most likely need him for this but wasn't going to let him know that.

"A year of spell work huh? I hope on everything magical that you were paying attention then because you'll need whatever spells you think you know" she smiled at him liking how enigmatic she sounded. She pushed a curled tendril behind her ear as she continued down the darker corridor.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace's smirk was illuminated as he muttered Lumos. He looked around the place- he had definitely never been this way before. Who knows, maybe we'll run into some horrible monster, he thought to himself. The Slytherin was a very skeptical person, and he had to see things to believe them. Hadn't he been, he most likely would have turned heel a long time ago. It definitely was creepy down here.

The fourteen year old boy snorted audibly. "What- are we after the wee beasties that go bump in the night?" Chace couldn't help being sarcastic. He believed in ghosts- despite the fact that he barely ever saw them around the school- and other various creatures in the class of the same name, but as far as the boogeyman went, he wasn't sold. He twirled his wand between his fingers, the light glowing at the tip flickering on the wall as he did so.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda chose to ignore him momentarily as she rummaged about in the dimly lit corridor for the door. It was definitely around her somewhere, her hand foraged along the wall until at last her eye caught a glint of something through a crack in the wall and her hand brushed against an antique doorknob. She stood back with her wand at the ready. Turning to Chace she thought it best to fill him in on some points at least.

"We'll need to open the door together, can you use the 'alohomora' spell?" she was teasing now but she wanted to keep things light for what she was about to land on him.
Her amber eyes seemed all the more bright here with only their wands to give light, the illusion of a cat or indeed of a very large wolf was there already. All he had to do was look into her eyes and see it.

"Do you believe in vampires, werewolves, boggarts, beasts that really do go bump in the night?" she hated referring to herself as a beast but that was technically what she was.

 

[Chace Harker]

"Sure thing, girly girl," Chace retorted, and with a wave of his wand cast Alohomora as Andromeda had asked. He grinned broadly, placing his hands against the door and ready to push at her bidding. Curiosity was at its pique as he stood there, wondering where in the world they were going. The Gryffindor seemed to know her way well enough.

He glanced to the girl, and what he saw in her eyes was rather disconcerting. For a fleeting moment, he thought that he saw an animal behind those amber orbs. Instinct told him to turn tail back the way he had come and into his bed in Slytherin house, but his pride kept him rooted firmly in place. He wasn't going to chicken out in front of a Gryffindor; he didn't want to be the laughingstock of the school.

His response hung at the tip of his tongue before he responded to Andromeda's question. After a moment, he replied softly, "The first few- sure. But the beasties that go bump in the night, I'm not sold on." His green eyes gleamed inquisitively as he looked back to the girl. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck as he thought maybe, just maybe, beasties would be their matter of business.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda readied her wand and cast the unlocking spell at the same time as Chace, she heard a faint click and smiled. She watched as he then went to lean against the door as if to nudge it in, Andy rolled her eyes and laughed.
"Step out of the way boy" she teased, "there is a doorknob."

Waiting for him to do just that or for him to turn the knob and open the door for them, Andromeda became more forthright with him.
"Myself and another student found this room ages ago but almost ran out of it. I haven't been back since and I'm almost certain he wouldn't have dared to reenter. He was also a Slytherin but he's in sixth year now and had the sense to leave when I told him to" she turned her attention on him then, "Trust me on this, when I say we need to leave then we leave. We're not going in otherwise. Are we clear on that?"

Andromeda was completely serious now, she took a step forward and was mere inches from him. He was mere inches taller than her and not bad looking at all.
"And by the way those first few... are the beasties that go bump in the night".

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace snorted, "Well, don't confuse me then!" He grinned to reveal his pearly whites, stepping back as Andromeda went for the door. The Slytherin boy listened to her intently. He wondered what could possibly be behind this door that a student older than himself would turn his back on. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he replied, "Very clear on that." His voice was hurried, as he thought that he was going to burst with curiosity. Whatever was beyond just had to be good.

A slight chill coursed up his spine as the Gryffindor approached him, until the space between them was barely a sliver. Despite that fact that he was taller than her, she still managed to intimidate him. There was something rather imposing about redheads, he had to say. Amusement slipping into his features, if only to cover up his uneasiness, he replied slyly, "Well, I hope we have some stakes and silver with us then."

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda grinned at him as she leaned passed him and turned the knob on the door and pushed it open.
"Come on wise guy, trust me those don't work. Magic does though" she smiled her enigmatic smile again as she walked passed him into the corridor that she knew would seem more blue than anything else once Chace stepped in and the door closed behind him. She remembered being so afraid the last time she was here when the doors shut and no magic could open them. They had to go straight through, as if someone was making sure that what was inside stayed inside. It would only be later that the doors would once again open up for them.

She could almost sense, no smell the fear and adrenaline from Chace, the excitement mixed with aprehension which fed her own.
"Come on Sherlock we don't have all night you know" she wanted to see his face as the door slammed closed behind him. Would he be terrified or would he act all cool like? Andy figured she'd be able to tell an awful lot about the guy from his reaction.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace could only smirk at the Gryffindor girl, following her through the door. He jumped rather noticeably as the door slammed shut behind them. What the hell? he thought to himself, as he scrambled to regain his composure. No, he couldn't be going chicken in front of a Gryffindor. Chace Harker was not one to run away from a situation with his tail between his legs- unless it suited him of course. He frowned as he stepped forward, observing the room about him- it was rather narrow, and he had to shake off the mild claustrophobia that plagued him from time to time. If Andy had been here before, then there had to be a way out.

Holding his wand out before him like a weapon, he grinned sheepishly at the Gryffindor girl. His green eyes were set straight forward as he tried not to think about how small it was in here. "All right, all right, ladies first," he retorted, the uneasiness in his eyes betraying the cool demeanor he was trying to pull off. He would only have to think about what lay ahead.

"So, what made you want to come back to this place?" he asked, gazing back at Andromeda. "It's rather stuffy in here."

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda moved ahead with her wand raised high now, the other door was just a ways up ahead of them but it would also need them both to open it.
"come on slow coach there's another door up here. This is only the corridor, the room we want is up ahead" she smiled, he wasn't doing too badly for a Slytherin. He certainly wasn't chicken and had the sense to be some bit apprehensive about what lay ahead. Maybe letting him tag along wasn't going to be so bad after all.
"We need to open this together too. For some reason these doors need combined magic or maybe it's just that students magic isn't quite powerful enough yet" that was possibly it she hoped.
She looked at him before answering his question.
"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you" she grinned with a wicked mischievous grin.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace grinned as he followed the Gryffindor girl. Andromeda was growing on him, as he always respected anyone who had the heart to joke back. With the number of friends he had at Hogwarts New Zealand he was always desperate for human interaction, despite the fact that he had a rather social personality. He fought the urge to jam his hands in his pockets, but the creepie crawlies that coursed up his back prevented him from putting his wand away.

The Slytherin boy shrugged. "Both of us have to use Alohomora? Wow, then you know this place definitely wasn't intended for us nosy kids." With a smirk, he held his wand aloft, ready to cast at Andy's bidding.

Rolling his eyes, Chace chuckled, "Well, I suppose I've lived long enough so you might as well tell me. It's not like I have much to look forward to anyways." His green eyes flickered, almost challenging as he looked back to Andromeda.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

"Nosy kids speak for yourself" she laughed raising her wand at the other door;
"count of three ok... one.. two.. three" she cast the alohomora charm on the door and waited until she heard the click from that one before stepping forward passed Chace to open it. Her hand remained on the doorknob without turning it as she looked around at the Slytherin boy.

It actually felt good to be getting up to mischief again, to be doing something other than brooding away in the dorm or commonroom.

"Everything in here relates to werewolves" she let her words seep in before opening the door and walking slowly inside. Her wand was held high and though the light was dim she could clearly make out the condition the room was in. It was a mess, someone had been here since Ford and herself had been. The large framed picture of the wolves had been ripped from the wall and smashed, the antique frame scattered on the floor while the canvas was in threads, as was the curtain that had been covering the picture. Her mouth hung open as she turned around to check out the rest of the room. The armchairs had been shredded, the small coffee table and armchair reading table were broken into pieces and the books.... all the books had their pages ripped out and thrown about the room. The book shelves were broken as well.

"Someone has been here" her voice had a slight quiver to it as even now the hair rose slightly on the back of her neck as she looked to where the secret passage should have been hidden but instead the opening was clearly visible.
"Oh!"
Nothing more would come out and Andy really didn't know if she should go any further, she certainly hadn't expected this.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace snickered as he waved his wand, trailing after Andy into the room. He could feel every hair sticking up on the back of his neck as he took in the scene before him. His adam's apple bobbed up and down as he observed the torn painting, the ripped up books. Something didn't want them here. His immediate instinct was to turn and flee. He'd had enough of adventuring for one day. His boots were glued back to the floor as he looked back to Andy. He didn't want to meet who, or what, had ripped this room to shreds.

Whatever had related to werewolves was now torn up and incomprehensible. Although he had never seen one before he would have sworn one had been through here. He knew that he didn't want to meet one. Gulping, he stated warily, "Want to turn back? I don't want to run into whatever did that. Why are you so interested in werewolves anyway? I wouldn't want to meet one- at least, not in that form. Scratch what I said before- I do like my life."

He scanned the new passageway nervously, rather wishing that Andy would decide to turn back after all. He may have four years of spellwork behind him, but he had a feeling that whatever had been through here would beat him down in an instant.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda walked slowly into the room surveying everything, picking up ripped pages and letting them fall to the ground again. This was a mess, everything had been destroyed. She bent down to look at the shredded picture, it had actually been beautiful even though it had simply been about wolves. Chace asked if they should turn back and she ignored him momentarily. Holding now a piece of broken wood, it had been virtually smashed apart. She was trying to remember the damaged furniture from the first night she had spent in the cavern. Was it similar to this? Had she smashed it all up this badly? She was almost certain she had, would that then mean that there was another werewolf around the school?

Andromeda looked over to the passageway, there was only one way to find out.
"I'm not going anywhere Chace but down that passageway. You can leave if you want to, don't worry I won't tell anyone that you chickened out" she knew that was unfair, if she had been anything else but what she was she would be running in the other direction too. A wicked grin illuminated her face when he asked why she was so interested in werewolves and she couldn't help but tell him the truth knowing of course that he was not likely to believe a word of it.
"Oh, because I am one" she walked towards the passageway and stood at the opening to it waiting, "Are you coming or not? I'll keep you safe".

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace looked around the place uneasily, a little miffed that Andromeda had ignored his inquiry but figuring that she was too preoccupied with rummaging through rubbish. She was a little too obsessed with this room for his liking. He wanted nothing better than to run back to his dorm room, but the soles of his boots seemed glued to the floor. The Slytherin's pride kept him from turning back- even if Andromeda kept on her promise he could not suffer the blow to his ego.

He rolled his eyes as Andromeda suggested that she was a werewolf. Sure, she had creepy eyes, but he was thoroughly positive that she was just messing with him. After a moment's hesitation, he replied, "I am not a chicken." Snorting, he followed her to the passageway, stating, "Ladies first- and great, now I no longer have to fear for my safety." The Slytherin boy smirked, and as much as he felt as if he were going to lose his lunch he was still curious as to what lay beyond. Hopefully, it would be nothing.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Smiling she couldn't resist nudging him.
"I was only joking about the chicken part, I didn't think for a second you were" placating him might help more than insulting him she figured as she then turned to look down into the passageway. It was as dark and dismal as she had remembered it. Holding her wand high to extoll the best possible light she walked in. Immediately she saw the claw marks on the wall, her eyes darted to the ground and sure enough there were still paw prints there. She stopped suddenly and bent down, her hand reached out to touch what looked to be a simple imprint and lowering her wand so she could get a better view she sighed.
"There are fresh prints here" even the smell was slightly different to last time, there was a distinct human scent here. It was too long ago that herself and Ford had been here so their scent wouldn't have lingered like this. Whoever had been here and torn the place up was human, then again she had a distinct human side too.
"Human not wolf don't worry" she stood back up and brushed her hand on her jeans before walking on. The passageway began to descend lower down into the very depths of the dungeon, the darkness now began to engulf her almost envelope her. She reached back with her free hand and took hold of Chace's hand. He was not getting a chance to back out now and if she went into the blackness any further she would surely have lost him. At least this way they stayed together.

"Wouldn't want to lose you now would we?" there was a hint of humour in her voice as she whispered to him.

{sorry I godmoded a itsy bitsy teeenyweeeny bit }

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace gulped as he nodded to Andromeda, not entirely sure if he believed her. While he was a Slytherin, he enjoyed creepy passageways just as much as the next person. The fifteen year old boy trailed after the Gryffindor tightly. Call him chicken, he still didn't want to be separated. Courage was the Gryffindor's duty- not his. He'd rather be cunning in safety.

His shoulders tensed up as he took in the room about them. Someone, or something, for that matter, had been here not so long ago. Instinctively he started to back up, but Andromeda held his wrist fast. His green eyes flickered with anxiety. Relucantly, he followed after her. Although he would never admit it her strong grip was reassuring, fended off against the possibility of getting separated.

He chuckled nervously, although his amusement had taken a hike long ago. Chace didn't like this place, not one bit, but he didn't want to face the shame of running off while a girl wouldn't. And a girl who was younger than him at that.

"Who did this?" he asked softly, more to himself and to break the silence that threatened to engulf them both. "And why is a werewolf at the school?" His nose wrinkled in distaste. The Slytherin thought that whatever had done this had to be adult.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

The light emanating from their wands didn't seem to be enough so Andromeda stopped and turned around in the blackness to Chace. Even with their wands so close to them, the blackness was so complete that they could barely see one another. The only way Andromeda knew he was there for certain was because she was still holding his wrist.
"Do you think if we used that engorging spell with the lumos charm the light from our wands will get brighter?" it was worth a shot wasn't it?

She knew he was most likely waiting for an answer but what could she say to reassure him? The truth was always the better out but that couldn't be told either, at least not without implicating herself. Sure she had told him she was a werewolf but he had so obviously not believed her and why would he?

"I don't know who did this Chace maybe the answer is down here. The other question well... this wasn't always a school. It was a castle up until about seven or ten years ago or something" she could hear his breathing and sense exactly where he was standing, somehow through the very dim light she could make out his bare outline if she stared hard enough but maybe that was her imagination or perhaps his aura. She smiled at this.
"Perhaps a werewolf lived here then I don't know but a registered werewolf" she turned away now as she looked ahead again into the stillness of the dark, "A registered werewolf is entitled to be educated and be allowed to work like everyone else. The school has so many magical protections on it, we should be alright".

If he only knew he was actually attached at that moment to one he would probably run away screaming or drop in a faint.