✔ᵉⁿᵍˡⁱˢʰ Stuck in the Past [Grindelwald]✔

12

After a day's delay, the ship finally reached London Harbor late in the evening after a nine-day journey across the Atlantic Ocean. Even though the crossing was more pleasant than initially anticipated, the feeling of relief was instantaneous as soon as Hunter and Gillian had solid ground under their feet.

Setting out for Hogwarts by a direct route would cause too much of a stir, so Hunter and Gill took a slight to moderate detour via Hogsmeade. As was well known, there were countless ways to get to the school from the village, where students flocked on exit days.

Until now, Gill had always believed that apparating to Hogwarts was only possible thanks to Lord Voldemort's first reign and not since, but it had been the case before. Getting into the castle via 'The Three Broomsticks' was also out and the Shrieking Shack didn't even exist. All the greater was Hunter's joy, and it was honest joy, hardly to be understood, for it was through the dark forest. Never before had Gill understood his fascination with the forest.

The forest looked like it did at the time, his own school days, and the feeling of it hadn't changed. Not one bit. Whatever was here would continue to live in this forest for the next seventy years. Seconds became minutes and minutes became hours, whether Hunter knew his way around or not. Everything looked different at night than it did during the day. Everything. In the past, or much more in the future, you could at least get your bearings from the smoke of Hagrid's cabin if you wanted to go back out, but there was no smoke.

One thing that will not change, fortunately for them, were the secret passages of the castle. How many of those actually existed, neither Hunter nor Gillian knew, as they both knew of a mere four. Whereas four was already quite a lot, since most of the other students didn't know nor will ever know a single one.

"At least we don't have to watch out for that stupid cat," Hunter said suddenly as he walked forward with his wand glowing, pushing aside individual cobwebs, "She could have stayed dead then. Fine, petrified, but in that time everyone had had their peace from that critter, which could have quietly stayed that way."

"Uh, now that you mention it, the basilisk is still alive," fourth year was becoming a nightmare, thanks to all the safety precautions and bans that had been put in place, and Gill hadn't been the only one who didn't take any pleasure in it, "The Chamber of Secrets hasn't been opened yet. How strange that must be for Hagrid. He still knew Lord Voldemort as Tom Riddle."

"I don't think anyone gives it much thought," as most don't even know, which was intentional, Hunter knew that as well as Gillian, otherwise there wouldn't be a name change, "Typical that you worry about such things."

Quietly and peacefully, the school lay there. No students walking or talking in the hallways. Bedtime must have started hours ago, because it hardly ever happened that the hallways were as empty as they were at the moment.

With her index finger raised and the words, 'wait a minute,' Gill stopped dead in her tracks, thinking she had seen something, and took five steps back, where she turned to her left, pausing in her position.

"Is that....?" not sure because Gill had exclusively heard and read about it, she pointed a raised finger at a mirror over six feet high, "Am I mistaken or could it be that....."

"..... is an ancient, useless mirror," in Hunter's eyes, from that there was no reason to pause here either, and so moved on hurriedly, "Come on."

But Gillian didn't follow Hunter, instead she approached the mirror, causing him to turn around annoyed when he noticed she wasn't coming and walked back to her.

Alone, however, neither were the two of them. Another person had joined them, standing not too far away and watching the two tensely at first.