The Years to Come

Taralynn's body tensed for a moment, her hands frozen in fists. "You..." she began softly, an odd mix of excitement and fear rising in her stomach, making her a little nauseous. She cleared her throat a second later, glancing over at Jack. "Are you... bored with this already?" She had thought that the game would keep Jack entertained, since it still wasn't a good enough time for either of them to complete any of their plans. Yes, they could go out and curse a few more first years, hopefully make them cry, but their were teachers out and about in the castle, and Taralynn couldn't afford detention tonight. As for Jack's last secret... well, if he wanted to talk about it, he would have continued on the subject, and he didn't. Taralynn knew better than to push him. Instead, she waited patiently for his response to her off-topic question.

Iris laughed quietly under her breath, folding her arms over her chest, waiting for her Elysia's reply.

 

Luke choked on his saliva, uncrossing his arms in surprise. "Albu-THE Albus Dumbledore?" He looked at the painting and instantly saw it. The white hair and beard, the semi-circle spectacles, the calm and friendly demeanor. Of course! He should have recognized the great Dumbledore before. "Elysia," he said, his eyes narrowed now as they followed her into the office. "What did you find?" Luke looked around and gasped. "We're...are we really here?"


EDIT:
OOC: Ninja'd B| slightly edited my post.

 

Choosing to put her siblings out of their misery, she nodded to answer Lulu and smothered a giggle when Luke got hit over the head by a book.
She looked at the man in the portrait, and asked him. "Is it safe?" and the former Headmaster gave a wise, kind all knowing nod and smile.
Elysia cleared her throat and then...
"Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
Dumbledore nodded once more... and the portrait opened at the long password. "Come on!" she told them excitedly, leading them down.
Before the siblings had known it, they were in a familiar room... a room they had been in on an occasion or two. Last time was after they had flooded the entire second floor and as such... the floors below by accident... but that was a story for another adventure.
This was it. They were standing in the Headmaster's office.

 

OOC: Ah, the good old ninja-ing of posts. ^^

"No," Jack answered, changing his mind and turning to face Taralynn. He could see the question in her eyes; she wanted to know all about his last secret. There was no one around to overhear him, and he did still have time to kill. "But I can tell you want to ask me what I meant just now." He took his seat again and folded his arms across his chest.
"It was two years ago. I met my parents in Hogsmeade during the winter. We went to the Shrieking Shack. They had charmed the entire Shack so no one would hear; no one would suspect anything. A boy was there, a Mudblood. My parents taught me the most powerful spell there is: the killing curse." He chuckled at the memory. "That's my favorite spell." His eyes darkened as he recalled that day. "They told me to kill that boy. He would be the first of many, they said. He would start my takeover of Hogwarts. That dirty excuse for a wizard had his eyes locked on mine, and he begged me to let him live. But I pointed my wand and I screamed," Jack drew his wand and extended his arm so it was aimed at Taralynn. He paused, lowered his wand, then, "I screamed that curse. He was the first, but he won't be the last."

-------

"No way," Lelouch repeated, dropping his school bag and walking to the middle of the office. His jaw went slack as he stared at all the amazing things inside the Headmaster's office. "Look at it all!" He walked around the room, almost running, staring at each and every trinket, book, and relic. He stopped in front of a bookshelf and his eyes widened. "None of these are in the library." He drew the book that was right in front of him and flipped it open, going silent as he began to read but still grinning from ear to ear.

 

"Who is awesome?" Elysia chirped. "But there is one more little thing I wanted to show you, and that's also why I need your particular skills Lulu." she teased them all again with knowledge that only she knew while she rested an elbow on her brother's shoulder, leaning against him in a relaxed manner.

 

Taralynn swallowed, blinking for a moment, trying her best to keep her face blank of any emotion. It was funny how she knew that she liked Jack, as a person and for his ideals, but when she actually heard about it, from his mouth directly, it still gave her the chills... and she liked it. But how was she supposed to respond to that? Knowing Jack, he didn't just spill the beans about as big a secret as that without wanting to judge her response. And Taralynn knew she could manage a decent reply:

"Heh," she chuckled, nonchalant, after a minute. "It's amazing how much someone can change in a few years; one minute you're not old enough to use magic outside school, and the next it's... everything else. If you ask me," she continued with her voice lowered to a murmur, "you need to take your time with killing. Another secret, by the way, since it's my turn, is that I've never used an Unforgivable Curse... nor do I ever want to. It's like how the Muggles fight with guns and knives; which one would the truly righteous, evil, serial killer pick? A quick, easy kill with a silenced handgun or... cutting up their prey into little, agonizing pieces with a few tiny, dull blades?

"That's what the Killing Curse is like to me; a dirty gun. Of course, don't get me wrong, it can be useful and sometimes necessary at certain points, but... if I can help it..." She paused even further, letting her own thoughts form slowly in her head while she played absentmindedly with the hem of her robe, "... I like to take my time."

Iris' jaw dropped slightly when she followed her siblings, a bit of fear rising in her when she finally realized where they were. "I..." she began quietly, but then stopped, realizing she really had nothing to say. The immediate thoughts of: Ooh, boy, we could get in so much trouble... and But I'm so impressed with Elysia on this one I can't help but be excited! ran through her head at the exact same time, making it hard to think. She instinctively grabbed the sleeve of her sister's robe, wanting to make sure she stayed close to her and not touch, move, or break anything.

 

Jay walked into the room after Al with his jaw dropping. "God damn it, I love Hogwarts!" he laughed. "I mean with all the weirdness this year..." he trailed off, frowning with a shrug. "This is kinda cool." he nudged Al in the ribs with his elbow. "Riiiight? Hey I didn't know you liked candy." he teased before pacing around the room to see what it thought helped people relax. "geeze this place goes on forever. I wonder if they have any muggle things." he walked back to Al, "So wanna explore?" he asked, popping a peice of blowing gum into his mouth.

 

"And that's what the basilisk is for. It plays with them until I'm bored watching," Jack was impressed by Taralynn's answer; it just reminded him why he trusted her to be his right-hand woman. "Well then, another secret: I don't like chocolate."

-------

So I ended up alone...? This is pathetic... How am I supposed to do anything if I can't even get my friends together? Ben wandered the halls, not really sure where he was going. He just wanted somewhere to be at ease and not think about any of this Chamber stuff. It was a lot for one, twelve year old kid to handle. He stopped his path and turned around to pace. There was no one in the hallway so he didn't care. I'd go to the common room but I bet people are there. He slid his hand along the wall as he paced, and suddenly, the texture of the wall changed. It wasn't stone anymore, it was wooden and metallic. He looked up and gasped. There was a door in the middle of the wall that wasn't there before.
Should I...? Ben reached for the handle and opened the door.

"Yeah! Let's go," Al grinned. She was fascinated by the Room and wanted to see more of it. But before they could begin their exploration, the door to the Room opened and a timid looking Gryffindor stepped in.

Ben stopped in the doorway, cheeks furiously pink. He'd walked in on someone. And to him, they looked like a couple. Then he recognized Jay from earlier at the library, and Al too. Oh man... I'm in trouble now. He took a step backwards. "I-I'm sorry!"

-------

"Hm?" Lelouch looked up from the book. His thoughtful frown turned into a mischievous grin. "C'mon! Tell me what you need. I bet I can do it!"

 

Jay looked over his shoulder at the voice. "Ey! It's my little buddy from the library. What's up dude?" he asked, cheerful as always. In truth he had really been hoping no one would bug them so Al could keep her mind away from her work. Also he'd been enjoying hanging out with her when she wasn't rushing to class. But fate does what she wants. Maybe he'll even join us and help me get this ol' girl to enjoy herself.

 

Elysia grinned at Iris's reaction of grabbing her, and pulled her in close for a one armed hug. "Sheesh... what are you like eh sis?" she beamed. "You need to be more confident, after all, I already know you can smash a bludger harder than pretty much anyone I know." she laughed referring to the time that her sister had panicked during a practice as a bludger had come towards her and had hit it so hard the bloody thing had knocked Elysia unconscious instead.
But finally, she turned to Lelouch and gave another mischievous grins. She pulled him and Iris with her over to a glass case, expecting Luke to just follow. Inside was a plain piece of parchment, folded neatly. "I'll give you guys one guess of what legendary Hogwarts item this is and then Lulu, I'll ask you if you still feel confident on breaking magical seals and locks."

 

Luke had strayed from the others, though he remained in the same room. His eyes were scanning every little item, every little detail, just in case...well, just in case. Listening to Elysia, he offered his own thought. "Is it related to Harry Potter?" He asked because it was a portrait of Albus Dumbledore that let him, who was famous for several things, but most importantly, aiding Harry Potter, another legend.

 

Taralynn laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, don't be ridiculous," she giggled, flirting just a little bit now. "Everyone likes chocolate just a little bit! Especially if there are Dementors around!" She paused for a moment, trying to think of a secret she could tell. "I... can't wait till the sun goes down and its nighttime."

Iris smirked at her sister, giving her a little wink. "What do you think, silly?" she smiled at Luke. "I just hope Lulu's answer is a big YES!"

 

Jack honestly didn't like chocolate; it was too sweet and overrated for his taste. He'd never had a run-in with a Dementor so he couldn't say whether that would be the exception to his no-chocolate rule or not. He looked at his watch; it wasn't close to dinner yet. "Hm. I can't wait to make this school the way it should have been in the first place."

-------

"Oh. Uh, I-I was just walking and, uh, this door... But first my friends and library, and so I left, but the moving stairs, and the crowded halls, and then... This door just was there," Ben stammered, trying to explain without saying too much, his hands making all kinds of gestures to illustrate his ramblings. He sighed and hung his head. "I'll just go now."

"Hey," Al smiled. She felt so badly for the poor, stuttering first year; six years ago that was her. "C'mere. You don't have anything to do right? You were just wandering the halls. So," She put her hands on her hips and smiled. "Explore this place with us."

Ben tensed, thinking he was in trouble and then, a little confused, smiled back. He thought the Head Boys and Girls were just students who got everyone else in trouble. And his impression of Al from earlier that day reinforced that idea. But now she seemed really nice. He wasn't used to people inviting him to hang out with them; he was too introverted to ask either. "Okay!"

-------

"Blank parchment, folded nicely, inside a protective case in the Headmaster's Office, and it looks really old..." Lelouch thought aloud, leaning to get a closer look. He was systematically narrowing down all the myths and legends of Hogwarts in his head as he started at the layered parchment. Then it came to him and his jaw nearly dropped. "The Marauder's Map." He knew that had to be it, and he grinned devilishly. "We gotta have that!"

 

"Exactly!" Elysia cooed excitedly. "The problem is, the lock on this case isn't as simple as using Alohamora... It'll take a more advanced magical hacking method. So I figured you were the guy for the job, bro!" she gave him an enthusiastic pat on the back.

 

"Sweet!" Jay exclaimed, "Hey don't worry about getting lost either pal." he gave Ben a light punch in the shoulder. "The stairs like to pick on first years." he joked, grabbing a couple bubble gum peices and tossing them to Ben. "Just stick with us dude, it'll be an adventure." he winked at Al, glad she invited Ben along too since he looked so freaked out. Yet another over worked Hogwarts student saved from stress; it's all in a day's work.

 

Taralynn watched Jack for a moment, thinking. "What will you be doing tonight when I'm out... with the ghosts?" She was curious and couldn't help but ask.

Iris glanced over at Lulu, excited to hear his response. He seemed so damn excited that he would burst any moment, but Iris found herself trying to think of spells to help. Right now, she couldn't think of anything; hell, her brother probably already had something in mind. She swallowed the feelings, though, and made sure to smile; she was a Quint, and they all balanced each other out equally. There was no reason for her to feel like the stupid one... as long as she didn't do anything stupid.

 

"What I do best," Jack answered. "I'm not just going to sit around. Tonight, a first year Gryffindor gets to join that Hufflepuff in the Chamber. That kid's getting on my nerves." He hated the way the first year stuttered, was unsure of himself, yet had so many friends and laughed and smiled without a care in the world. Jack would change that. He'd make that kid grow a spine and then rip it out and feed it to his basilisk.

-------

Ben fumbled to catch the gum, dropped one packet and picked it back up.

"Alright, let's go," Al turned and led the way. The room wasn't enormous, but it was large enough to have all kinds of things students over the years must have thought would give them a break from life. There was a wizard's chess set, art supplies, candy, tea sets, comfy chairs, even CDs and other Muggle things.

"Neat," Ben breathed, happy to see things from home again. He was starting to miss things like TV and books on tape. He especially missed talking to his Muggle friends on the phone or internet. The worst part was that he couldn't just tell them he was a wizard going to an amazing school.

-------

"I got this," Lelouch cracked his knuckles and waved his siblings to stand back. He took a couple of steps back himself and then drew his wand and pointed it at the glass. "Confringo!" The glass completely shattered, creating shining shards on the floor. Very pleased with himself, Lelouch reached forward and took out the Marauder's Map. Flicking his wand again, he silently cast Reparo and the glass flew off the floor and perfectly back into place.
"There." He waved the Map proudly.

 

Elysia's jaw dropped.. "BUT I could have done that much!"
she then nudged him with a grin. "Nice style!" before plucking the map out of his hands.
"Right... if the legend is true..." she gulped and took a deep breath. "I solemnly swear, that I am up to no good." she announced clearly and the map suddenly came to life in her hands! "Look! Isn't this awesome! We can see everyone in Hogwarts!" she made a loud squee.

 

Jay ran his hand over a few muggle things and noticed Ben looking at the same them as well. He smiled at the kid and flipped though some of the CD's, laughing to himself at the wide timeline the CDs showed. "Man, these things are ridiculously old. I mean check it out, there are even tapes in here. Nothing less than 100 years old, sheee--ooot. I wonder if any of them work? Or any of the muggle things really..." he tossed Ben a few of the CDs. "What to pick something to show Al what real music is?" he teased the Head of House as he peered over her shoulder to see what she was checking out.

 

"A Ravenclaw who doesn't think," Luke teased as he looked over Elysia's shoulder to stare at the map. His eyes wide in amazement, but he continued to address his brother. "Should we leave such an obvious clue to our presence?" He asked, pointing to the now empty glass case. "What would a spy do, Lulu?"