Albus was walking the halls that Christmas Eve. The feast would be starting soon. Most of the students were outside. Thick flakes of snow floated through the air. The blanket of white that covered thee ground muffled the jubilant voices of the students outside, leaving a calming, pleasant, quiet feeling.
Around the Corner, Albus heard a voice singing.
"Wise men say only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you."
It was Katrina, who was walking halls, unaware that Albus was listening.
"Shall I say would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you
Like a river flows
To the sea
So it goes
Some things are meant to be
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you
Wise men say only fools rush in
But I, I can't, I can't help falling in love
With you
Like a river flows
To the sea
So it goes
Some things are meant to be
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you
Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can't help falling in love with you
Like a river flows
That's the way it goes
I just can't help fallin' in love with you
Like a river flows
That's the way it goes
Fallin' in love with you
Like a river flows
That's the way it goes
I can't help falling in love with you
Fallin'in love with you."
"That was beautiful." Katrina whirled around startled.
"Oh." She flushed. "You heard that."
"Yes," Albus said. "And it was lovely." He leaned against the stone sill of an open window. Katrina leaned against it as well.
"My mother used to sing that when she thought I wasn't listening," she explained. "I suppose she used to sing it with my father." They were both quiet.
"If you don't mind me asking," Albus said. "What happened to your parents?"
"When I was three, my mother woke me up, and led me to one of the old guest rooms in our house. She pulled up some floorboards, and lowered me into a hole. She told me not to say a word, not to make a sound, and that later she'd come back and get me. Then she replaced the floorboards and nailed them back in. I heard her walk back down the stairs. I waited. Then I heard the front door being broken down, and men yelling. I couldn't understand what they were saying. I heard what sounded like explosions, and then it stopped. I wondered when my mother was going to come back for me. I fell asleep. When I woke up, firemen were lifting the rubble of my house off of me. My entire house had been burned to the ground, but I was untouched. Nobody could figure out how I survived. I should have died. They never found my mother's body. Sometimes I like to imagine that she's out there somewhere, but I know better."
Albus was silent. "And your father?"
"Mom never talked about him. I never met him. I can't even remember my child hood. Not any memories or friends or even my mother's face. Only this song, and being left under the floorboards. I do remember that she was young." Albus hesitated. He studied Katrina's face. Beneath her uneasy smile, he could see how lost she was. He put his hand over hers. She looked down at his hand, and then at him. She studied his face, and then hugged him.
"You're a great friend, Albus," she whispered.
"Thanks," He responded. "I try." She laughed and pulled away.
"Have you figured out the riddle, yet?"
"Mostly. Rose helped me figure out the second and third verse this afternoon."
"11:00 on New Year's eve, right?"
"That's what we figure."
"I haven't figured out the first verse yet either. From what I've heard, neither has Thomas. I've heard that Sandy's close." They continued to walk down the hallways. Their conversation wandered from the competition, to Beauxbatons, to Quidditch.
"Where are we?" Katrina asked abruptly. Albus looked around and discovered that he too did not recognize his surroundings.
"I'm- not sure," he admitted. They both heard footsteps down the hall.
"Good," Katrina said, relieved. "Someone who can tell us where we are." She started in the direction of the footsteps, but Albus grabbed her arm. A cold chill had run up his spine.
"Don't," he warned. "We need a place to hide."
"Why? Albus, what's wrong? What-" she stopped suddenly, staring at the wall behind Albus. Albus turned around and saw a door had appeared where there wasn't one before.
"Where?-" Katrina started, but the footsteps had gotten closer. Albus grabbed her arm.
"It doesn't matter, hide!" He opened the door, and pulled her in with him, closing the door as quietly as possible while still being quick. In the moment he glanced quickly around the room. It was just an empty classroom. ]
Down the hall, whoever's footsteps they'd heard, was opening every door down the hall, getting closer, and closer. Albus frantically searched around the room for somewhere to hide, but there was nowhere. No closets or cupboards. Just an empty classroom with tons of desks. Katrina and Albus waited for the door to open, but it never did. The person walked right past the classroom and down the next hall.
They waited for while, before Albus gathered the courage to open the door. They exited the room cautiously, and behind them, the door shrunk and then ceased to exist.
"What?" Katrina was at loss.
"It's the room of requirement," It dawned on Albus.
"The room of what?"
"The room of requirement. My dad told me about it. It appears when it is needed." He thought about this for a minute.
"'You'll find me when it really counts.' The room of requirement is the location of the first task!" Katrina thought about this.
"That would make sense!" There was a silence. Katrina glanced around the halls. "We'd better get out of here. I think you were right. Whoever that was, they aren't friendly." They headed back the way they came. They weren't having any luck finding they're way back, when...
"Albus! Katrina!"
"Scorpius!" Albus exclaimed gratefully.
"Where have you guys been? The feast is about to start! Bella, Sabrina, Parisa, and I have been looking for you two for the past hour!"
"Sorry, we got...lost." Scorpius raised his eyebrow.
"Is there something I need to know about, or-"
"No!" Albus interrupted. "Whatever you are thinking, It's a no," Albus assured him.
"Well, okay. Come on, let's go find the girls. They were checking out the west wing."
They followed him down the hall. Each one knew the other had one thing on their mind: The footsteps in the hallway.
YOU ARE READING
The Cursed Chronicles: Year 6
FanfictionOur heroes return to Hogwarts for what's certain to be an eventful sixth year. Their fifth year tied up all loose ends in a nice little bow, leaving Albus and his friends ready for a fresh new start... or so they think. At Hogwarts School for Witch...
