Arc 3: Enraptured Revelation
Chapter 7: Resolution On High: Our Willingness Unleashed
The very moment we apparated back at Spinner's End, the force of gravity suddenly functioning properly shot through my knees and buckled me directly to the floor. It wasn't pretty and the force felt like I had been shot multiple times from the crushing impact. My stomach almost could not keep its contents in. Severus, however, landed much more gracefully, still upright and dignified while I was sprawled over heaving.
"Never... again..." I huffed through harsh breaths and I tried to collect my footing but the dizziness kept me prone.
Severus hoisted me up to my feet by supporting my waist and directed me towards the living room. I promptly fell to the sofa with a deep release of air. My head felt as if it was going to explode from the sudden change of air pressure. Severus watched on as I took a few minutes to catch my breath. Once I stabilised myself, I began to speak once more.
"We actually did it." I laughed to myself. "The first people to ever break into Gringotts and get out. What a feat."
"I do not think that is something we should be celebrating." Severus replied somewhat harshly. "They know who we are. It is only time until they send someone after us."
It was almost comical the timing for two letters to suddenly fly in through the letterbox, obviously delivered by owl. Severus went to collect them and returned with them in hand.
"They are both for you." he said.
"This one is from Gringotts..." I remarked surprised as I recognised the symbol of authenticity on the envelope. I opened the documents and a neat and formal letter came into my hands.
Dear Ms. Cassandra Fudge,
Still people call me that name...
Regarding your actions at Gringotts today, our team has performed an audit on the vault you opened. It has come to our attention that the vault in question, Vault 956, belonged to one Elsie Reutin. She had not updated her details since opening the vault. Upon further inspection, we discovered that she has been deceased for some time and that you are the rightful owner of Vault 956. As such, one may only conclude that you did not steal anything from Gringotts and you are classified only as a regular customer. Your actions, and that of your companion, will be overlooked on this one occasion.
Do not make the same mistake again.
-Gringott
Owner of Gringotts Wizarding Bank
"Looks like we're off scotfree." I said relieved and handed the letter to Severus to read.
"Do you not find it incredibly unlikely coincidental that the piece was found in your mother's vault of the over a thousand potential vaults? How did you conclude on that vault?" Severus asked intrigued.
I explained to him that I was being guided by the same magic I felt from the original pieces and that they were pulling me toward the vault. I could hear someone talking to me but I couldn't piece what they were saying together.
"It is like you have some kind of attunement to the Amulet. And it resonated with you, did it not?"
I nodded and explained what had happened in the ravine that allowed me to know when to disapparate. His gaze went to that of the window in the kitchen. He was deep in thought.
"This goes far deeper than I originally anticipated. Your mother may be the one who hid the pieces." he theorised. He had a point that the newest piece being there couldn't have been just down to luck.
"But the riddle was written goodness knows long ago. But how did my mother know what was in the tome if she never owned it?" I asked as I picked it up from the table and placed it in my lap. There was no indication it had been owned by anyone relevant before the old man at the store.
"It could be that the book was written in anticipation of your mother instead. If the worshipper knew you would be making this journey, it would be possible if Ylgind informed her."
"But why would they care? In the grand scheme of things, I'm nobody important." It was sad but it was the truth. Why would some worshipper of a goddess write to me of all people to ever exist?
"There is still more to be seen. Perhaps you will know why when we finish this journey." he responded and took my hand gently.
I gave him my best smile, though it was fraught with fatigue. "I don't know if I ever have thanked you for all you have done for me with this." I admitted as I fidgeted with my free hand. "You didn't have to come along and yet you did. Thank you for that."
"For anyone else, I would not care in the faintest. For you, that would be a different story."
I leaned my head against his shoulder and thanked him again. Then, I remembered that I still had the other letter to open. I tore it open and read its contents. The handwriting was somewhat scruffy but nonetheless receptive.
To my lucky girl,
How have things been out there? I thought you said you were going to write to me! Don't say you forgot about me already? I'd be ever so heartbroken if that were the case. Anyway, I'm heading to Hogsmeade tomorrow afternoon if you and your adorable companion want to tag along. If you don't, I'll be pretending that you're there in The Three Broomsticks. I don't suppose you'll want Rosmerta to think you've gone and cast a hex on me now, do you?
I'll be waiting for you, cutie.
Patricia x
"Oh lord, I forgot to write to Patricia after how hectic everything has been!" I was shocked at the realisation. "At least we can meet her tomorrow, right?"
Severus's social battery had been running low ever since the World Cup and he hadn't had a moment to recharge. We had been leaving the house practically every single day and going on such large expeditions. Still, he was willing to continue it for a while longer to make me happy.
"I suppose so." he said somewhat against his will.
"Perfect. You're the best. Wait. Why do I feel like we're forgetting something from tonight?"
"If you forgot it then it likely was not important." he responded.
"You're right. Let's go to bed."
It was later that night right as I was about to drift off to sleep that I remembered exactly what we had forgotten.
We left Lockhart behind.
"Oh well." I mumbled as I snuggled closer to Severus and fell into a deep sleep.
*****
Summer continued to bless us with its long sunshine periods. The skies were a great blue with hardly a cloud to be seen which was unfortunate because it was beginning to turn into a heatwave. Any kind of shade brought much-needed relief but there was little of it to go around. Even Severus could no longer stand wearing such big cloaks anymore.
"You look nice in a change of attire." I smiled as we walked towards The Three Broomsticks to meet Patricia. "Perhaps people won't deliberately dodge making eye contact with you now."
Severus grumbled something inaudible and I didn't press it much further. I did love teasing him but there was always a limit to be respected.
The inside of The Three Broomsticks was exactly the same as it had always been but there were fewer patrons today which was somewhat surprising.
"It's you two again!" Madam Rosmerta perked up as the door sounded our arrival. "What can I get you?"
"We have someone waiting for us. Patricia Evergreen?" I asked and before I finished, I could spot her striking red hair near the back.
"She's been talking about you ever since she got here. Must be mighty excited to see you." She looked over at Severus. "Getting tired of this one yet?" she joked at me.
I laughed and put my arm through his. "Never." He at least smiled somewhat at my persistence.
"I'll bring you over some drinks in a bit." Rosmerta noted and went out to the storage in the back.
The two of us wandered over to Patricia who seemed to be fairly lost in thought until she noticed our presence. Her face immediately illuminated and she brought on the cheekiest grin.
"And here I thought I really was going to have to start hallucinating to start seeing you again, cutie." She stood up and pulled me into the tightest hug she could muster. "How have you been?"
Severus and I took two seats opposite her and we began to have some regular chatter for the meanwhile. At some point, Rosmerta brought us our Butterbeer which we gleefully drank to soothe off the summer heat.
"Hey," Patricia said as she grabbed my wrist that held the Amulet. "that's new. Where did you get that? It looks ancient."
"Oh, it's-" I looked to Severus for confirmation as to how much we could divulge to her. "a gift from my father."
"Dang, I wish my dad got me stuff. Become a world-famous Quidditch player and win the World Cup and he still won't send me an owl. Then again, he is a Muggle so he probably doesn't get what Quidditch is. Or how to send post by owl." She waved her hand inoffensively. She flipped my arm over to get a closer look and her mouth opened slightly as she recognised the shapes.
"Aren't these the same as that charm I got you? Don't tell me. Did you buy a special bracelet to put mine in and collect more? I always knew you had it bad, cutie." She winked humorously. "I'm kidding. Still, it's weird that what I gave you just happened to fit in with something your dad gave you. Is there something you're not telling me?"
I gulped. She really was more clever than she let on. I knew she had caught on to us and Severus nodded reluctantly.
"Well... the charm you gave us actually ended up being a piece of a relic we're trying to complete which is this bangle here. We're missing two more pieces."
"Wow. You did all of this behind my back?" She looked so hurt as if she was going to cry but she suddenly laughed and smacked her hand on the table in jest. "Guess that means you need to let me come along for the next hunt. Where are we flying?"
I suppose it couldn't hurt to let her know...
"All of the pieces are based in riddles. The next part is "And for those who find their hearts, what is it that truth craves? May it be agony or euphoria. Only one most valued can discover their willingness.". We don't know what it means yet." I explained, not expecting too much.
Patricia leaned back on her chair and took a large sip of her Butterbeer as she closed her eyes. Within seconds, she let out a loud gasp and threw her posture forward to the table. "I got it."
There was no way-
"It's the Mirror of Erised, isn't it? I know the tale of people using it to see what they desire most but some people waste away in it, unable to leave. I suppose that part must be the "agony or euphoria". Genius, right?"
I had to blink a few times to make sure I wasn't dreaming and this was actually happening. We had spent so much time trying to work out this riddle and Patricia nails it in one.
"She's good." Severus admitted, flabbergasted.
"Okay, so where is the Mirror of Erised, Severus? The last rumour I heard was Dumbledore stashed it in some old classroom." I asked directly to the point.
"There is one issue: Dumbledore moved it somewhere rather... dangerous." he said somewhat ominously.
"That being?" Patricia pepped up at the sound of death-defying acts.
"Dumbledore wished to install a defence system in one of the castle's chambers and asked some of the professors to contribute to said defences. We have all submitted something so we would be going through the final version of it. He did not say what it was protecting but you do not question him."
Patricia looked like she was going to explode with excitement. "So we're going now, right? Tell me we're going right now, cutie." Her voice was so high pitched with the amount of energy she was leaking.
"Can we?"
"We would have to go through the Forbidden Forest by foot-" Severus began but Patricia waved her hand in front of us.
"I have a solution to that."
*****
We followed Patricia outside, turned a corner and she indeed had a solution. There were three broomsticks waiting to be used.
"Middle one is mine. You two can fight over which you want." Patricia joked as she mounted her broom and waited for us to do the same.
I chose the left and Severus the right and we too mounted and joined her in the air. Admittedly, flying was one of my least favourite wizarding activities which is why I could never be a Quidditch player like Patricia. Just watching some of the tactics they pull off makes me nervous beyond understanding. To do them myself... is a whole different story.
In swan formation, we shot over Hogsmeade and landed swiftly on Hogwarts's grounds in the main courtyard. Nobody was here so it would be odd for our brooms to disappear if we left them out in the open.
Severus lead us towards the third floor and through a rather dank and dingy corridor. Everything was gloomy and covered in cobwebs. Clearly, nobody had properly used this corridor for several years. I couldn't help but wonder how it managed to come to be in this state. At the end of said corridor was a thick wooden door with a metal hinge. Of course, it was locked but a quick "Alohomora" solved that.
"There you are!" a feeble sounding voice spoke out from behind us. Turning around, we were met with the frail Trelawney with her large spectacles still magnifying her eyes to great sizes. "My Inner Eye told me you would be coming back to Hogwarts soon and here you are!" she squeaked happily and awkwardly hugged me.
"Sybill? What are you doing here?" I had to ask as Patricia stared at Trelawney in amazement.
"I live here, did you not know?" I eyed to the side. "I came to help you find what you need."
For as much of a fraud everyone believes her to be... sometimes she is scarily accurate.
Suddenly, Patricia angled me out of frame and stood in front of Trelawney herself. "Cassandra, you didn't tell me all of your friends were this cute. Or am I just lucky enough to see this particular sweetheart?"
Trelawney could only fumble embarrassed and flustered sounds in response.
"What's your name, gorgeous?" Patricia asked, taking her hand and giving it a tender kiss.
"Sybill." she replied slightly red.
Severus and I awkwardly eyed each other as this courting was occurring. "I guess that means she's moved on from me." I said deflated.
"Maybe that is a good thing." he flatly responded.
"Probably, if it makes her happy."
The two continued to fawn over each other to the point Severus had to curtly cough to break the trance they were in.
"If you are quite done, we have some business to attend to. Goodbye, Sybill."
Patricia wrapped her arm around Trelawney's shoulders to give her the courage to speak up. "I think it would be beneficial to bring me along so I may see the dangers ahead for you." As she spoke, she waved her hands around as if to display a mystic aura that wasn't very convincing.
Severus went to protest but before he could, I opened my mouth and said "Alright, you can come along, Sybill."
Patricia cheered and gave her a friendly smack on the back which took Trelawney by surprise but she let out an entertained chuckle.
"The chamber begins now. I anticipate whatever is behind this door will be perilous. Be prepared." Severus advised as he and I readied our wands in preparation. He and I led the front with Patricia and Trelawney behind. We charged through the door expecting to come face-to-face with a trap that would kill us immediately, only to be met with a large empty room with a trapdoor on the floor.
"This is underwhelming." Patricia remarked disappointed.
"It is not intended to be like this. Of course, a certain gamekeeper would happen to forget to contribute." Severus sighed and opened the trapdoor. All that we could see looking down was darkness.
"What's down there, Severus?" I asked in hope of knowing what we would be blindly jumping into.
"As far as I am aware, the second chamber was for Pomona to fill. I would expect some form of entangling plant." he advised.
"Can you not shoot some fire spell down there to deal with it?" Patricia asked.
"We need to preserve it otherwise all the work we had done would be for nought." Severus said back.
Noone from the four of us looked prepared to go but we had no choice. Just as I was about to step forward, Patricia lept forward and fell down the hole.
She began to make noises that sounded like screams but, in reality, they were cheers of enjoyment. "This is so cool! How the heck did that Pomona lady get this down here?"
"What is it, Patricia?" I yelled down the hole.
"Devil's Snare, I reckon! Give me a sec!" There was a momentary silence, followed by a thud and her yelling back "Yep!"
"Are you going to be okay to go, Sybill? It's not too late to turn around." I advised her. She looked traumatised and the horrors had barely begun.
"I will. I have to for the Trelawney legacy as a family of Seers." she announced and jumped down. It took a few moments but it seemed that she successfully joined Patricia.
Now seeing that it was only Severus and I left, I began to feel somewhat anxious. The reality that there was a plant down there that could kill me if I made the wrong move reminded me too much of the Hound.
"Go. You will be alright." Severus encouraged. I inhaled deeply and forced myself down the hole before I could second guess myself.
After a short fall, I collided with the thick vine plant known as Devil's Snare. Truly, it took up the entirety of the room and continued to slither as if each vine was a snake looking for its prey. As I made contact, it began to contort itself to bind my legs and arms. I knew exactly how to deal with Devil's Snare- you had to maintain calmness and relaxation for it to release you- but I could not find the peace of mind required. The thoughts of being trapped within Ruberion's consciousness flooded through me. It was traumatising.
The tendrils of the Devil's Snare began to apply heavy pressure to my limbs and I could feel myself suffocating. Trelawney and Patricia could only watch on in horror. My vision began to black at the edges. As I thought I would take my last breath, a bright light filled the room and caused the Devil's Snare to recoil and loosen its grip for me to slide beneath it and fall through to join the two. Severus joined almost immediately after.
"I'm fine. I'm fine." I choked up slightly. They knew I had failed but they took it as no shame. At least Severus and Trelawney understood the trauma I had suffered from Ruberion and the Hound.
"Quick thinking, Stoic." Patricia praised Severus as she came up with his new nickname.
"Can you not think of any better name?" he sighed in annoyance.
"Nah. I like this one."
*****
Onto the next chamber and respective challenge, we were greeted by a small circular room with a high ceiling. Throughout the room were possibly hundreds of winged keys. To the other side of the room was a standard wooden door but it was locked. Unlike the door to the initial chamber, this was charmed with an Anti-Alohomora Charm. The only way to unlock it would be to find the correct key... using the brooms laid to the side. There was three total, meaning one of us would have to stay on foot. Without words, we all knew this to be Trelawney.
I looked at the door and then up at the keys. "Surely when we lift off, they'll scatter. This challenge definitely feels like something Filius would come up with." I noted. Severus confirmed my suspicions. "Then there must be more mental thinking than grabbing them and guessing what works."
Thank you, Department of Mysteries and Gringotts for absolutely confirming this fact for me.
"Perhaps, seeing how many ancient properties this door holds," Trelawney spoke. Why she couldn't call the door "old" was beyond me. "that the key to it also holds the same properties."
"Genius, Sybill! Ugh, I could kiss you!" Patricia hugged her slightly off the ground. Somehow she wasn't winded by Trelawney's countless ornaments hitting her stomach. Though, who knows how many times a Bludger has broken a rib on her.
"Then there must be a key that looks distinctly different from the rest." Severus advised as his eyes began to scan around the softly flying keys. "There." His arm reached up and pointed toward a silver key supported by bright blue wings. It was the odd one out of them all.
Severus, Patricia and I all mounted the brooms. "Keep an eye on the key. Do not lose sight of it no matter what." Severus commanded. With a kick, we shot up in unison. The keys began to fly in a frenzied flurry to the point it was almost impossible to see. Some of them began to fly into the walls and into us in their panic. Severus and I tried our best but we could not keep up no matter what we tried.
"Leave this one to me, you two. I'll get it no problem. Hold tight!" Patricia announced as she flew ever higher than us. Her red hair became obscured by the countless keys but we could make out the swishing of her broom to know she was still going.
"BLUDGER INCOMING!" she yelled and what looked to be the key was thrown directly down to Trelawney who barely was aware in time to catch it. She fumbled with it in her hands as she tried to put it in the lock. Eventually, she managed to turn it and the door successfully opened.
If only that was the one thing to worry about. The moment the door opened, the keys stopped their mindless flying and directed themselves like miniature homing missiles towards Patricia.
"MOVE, BEATERS! THIS SEEKER'S COMING THROUGH!" Patricia began to nosedive downwards and as she did, the keys followed directly behind us. Severus and I shot downwards, landed and sprinted through the door to join Trelawney. She watched in horror as Patricia was barely keeping ahead of the keys. If even the Seeker of the winning World Cup team was hardly staying afloat, none of us three would have been able to succeed.
Patricia finished her nosedive just inches from the floor and turned at the last second to fly through the door. Severus pulled the door closed and several of the keys embedded themselves through the wood to our side.
"WOOOOOOOO! ANOTHER VICTORY FOR TEAM CASSANDRA!" she yelled at the top of her lungs as she descended from her broom and held it in victory. "Though, you have got to tell your Filius buddy to get better brooms. I mean, come on, a Comet 220? In 1989? Call me when you get a Nimbus." She tossed the broom to the side and it hit the cavern wall with a rattle. "What's next, Stoic?"
Severus paused on answering in the expectation that she would refer to him by his actual name but she did no such thing. "The next is by Minerva."
"We're screwed." I interrupted knowing full well whatever McGonagall had planned was no laughing matter.
"Fortunately, I do know what we are up against. I trust you know how to play Wizard's Chess."
Wizard's Chess was essentially the same as Muggle chess, only that taking pieces was a lot more... brutal. The pieces would actually fight and "kill" each other.
As we entered the chamber, a large chessboard was displayed in front of us with all the traditional pieces laid out. Surrounding the board were braziers each holding a flickering flame to give the room a creepy orange glow.
"Looks like we have to actually be the pieces." Patricia noted and she climbed atop a knight.
"This won't work if we move without strategy." I said plainly. "Does anyone here not know how to play?"
Patricia raised her hand.
"Right, so someone needs to take the lead here." I looked towards Severus expecting him to volunteer but the small Trelawney stepped forward.
"My Inner Eye is telling me what moves to make. I can lead you all safely across." she said with mystique and Patricia gave her a strong thumbs up.
"Guess that'll have to do." I submitted as Severus took the place of a bishop and I took the place of a rook. Trelawney herself took the other bishop.
At first, everything went according to plan. Trelawney was a surprisingly good Wizard's Chess player. Maybe she could actually see what moves the opponent was going to make, or she had a real strategy. But as the game went on, she began to fall under pressure. As pieces fell, the worry of having to keep not only the king alive, but four other pieces, began to eat at her.
"R-Rook to... H4..." she stuttered out as her confidence fell apart. The white team immediately made a move to devour the rook she had placed. She had made a mistake.
"Come on, Sybill!" Patricia called out to Trelawney. Trelawney turned to see her. "You got this. Believe in yourself!"
Something ignited in Trelawney that I had never seen before. For the first time, her posture straightened, she realigned her glasses and she looked so determined that she could conquer mountains. Within four moves, she successfully checkmate the white king and the game was over.
Patricia jumped off the knight and, once again, hugged Trelawney with all her might. Just this time, she placed a deep kiss on her cheek, causing Trelawney to go bright red.
"Were we like that?" I whispered to Severus as the scene played out before us.
"We were at least much more dignified..."
"Yeah, I thought so..."
*****
"This is the penultimate room. I must advise, it is difficult." Severus warned as we came to a large chamber that was rectangular in shape and in the middle of the room sat a table with seven bottles of various colours, shapes and sizes.
Once all four of us stepped into the room, the entrance was blocked by purple flames and the route ahead by black flames. I approached the table and found a piece of paper dictating a riddle relating to the potions.
"You clearly wrote this, Severus." I spoke out as I read through the writing. "Only you would have such... flare."
Patricia looked like she had a masterful plan. "Can't you tell us the solution, Stoic?"
"I can, but only one of us is able to go ahead to the end."
"That means I have to do the final challenge alone." I realised.
Severus had saved me from the Devil's Snare, Patricia grabbed us the key, Trelawney solved the chessboard and Severus would give us the solution to the riddle. This was my time to do my part.
"Tell me which one."
Severus directed toward the blue bottle. I picked it up and drank its contents. As I did, a sea of flames began to surround Severus, Patricia and Trelawney.
"Such a pity, Chosen One, that there must be a traitor within your group. Decide the one who betrayed you and have them be consumed by the flames surrounding them." echoed throughout the chamber.
Severus and Patricia stood there mostly calmly while Trelawney looked as if she was about to break down as the flames flicked at her draping clothes.
My heart sank to the bottom of my chest.
Someone here had betrayed me.
And that someone... had to die.
How could this happen?