Hogwarts: Era of Darkness

It was the middle of spring. I was standing in Lockhart's office, and I was facing a fellow first-year student, one from Hufflepuff. He was deathly white, trembling, and on the verge of crying as he was sitting there, facing me. Originally, he was caught by Professor Umbridge for doing something trivial, playing gobstones, I think. Too bad they didn't do it in their common room and that it was that toad who stumbled into them.

"Relax, nothing will happen to you!" Lockhart chuckled, slapping his shoulders encouragingly. "You are lucky! Your friends are spending their detention with Professor Umbridge; you will be fine with us!"

It was Professor Lockhart who 'borrowed' him as I needed someone to practice my command with my memory charm. It would be my first time using it for real, and I would lie if I said I wasn't nervous. I knew nothing about him, and the Professor forbade me from asking questions. I was to penetrate his mind, learn of him a little and find the memory of him being caught and suppress it.

"Ready?" Lockhart looked at me, and I nodded, pointing my wand at the boy's face.

"Wait-!" He cried, but it was muffled by incantation.

"Obliviate!"

The scenery changed in an instant for me. I was walking along a bright, white corridor, seeing framed paintings to both my left and right. No… they were not paintings; they were memories. Recollections of… Timothy. Yes, that was his name; I heard his friends call him that in one image. "Oh!" I recognized another image; he was from Manchester. I knew that scenery of depressing industrial buildings! The surreal sight somehow looked normal to me. Walking around paintings, displaying his memories... it was… it was how it should look. I knew that by instinct. Finding the recollection I was looking for was easy; I only walked briefly before noticing it hanging on my left. Its frame was incredibly thick, carved out from some kind of red oak or something… it was as if a warning sign was painted all around it.

"This is a strong memory," I murmured while watching him play with two of his friends. I knew from my studies that stronger memories appear differently than simple ones. The meeting with Umbridge, her strolling in on them, was horrifying for Timothy. Especially because they were in an unused classroom that in itself was forbidden. Even worse, one of the stones just squirted, and its nasty, smelly liquid landed on Ubridge's shoes. No wonder they were all punished. Heavily. "Heh… good one, Timothy!" I laughed, pointing my wand at it, and the painting trembled as I tried to lift it from the wall with magic.

It was resisting vigorously, but I was ready for it. In the past weeks, I focused solely on my studies, essentially ignoring anything else. My sleeping schedule turned upside down; I sometimes slept in our hidden headquarters for a few hours, napping in the afternoon while being up until dawn. But… it was worth it! After a minute of struggle, the painting clicked and flew off the wall with a bang. I managed to stop it from knocking into the others, starting a horrible chain reaction, and concentrated on sinking it into the ground. When Lockhart said we have to slip it into the subconsciousness, he did not lie. I was pushing it down into the white, clear floor that was rippling like the surface of a lake, swallowing it very slowly. When it was finally gone, I stopped the spell, hoping I had done a good enough job, wiping my sweaty forehead.

The scenery was changing fast, fading away, and watching the other paintings on the wall, I was satisfied I did not disturb them. That would signal that I failed and damaged poor Timothy's mind and his other memories. Even knocking one off could have severe adverse effects. When I was back in reality, looking at the clock on Professor Lockhart's table, only a second had passed.

“W-what… why… Am I here?" Timothy asked, feeling confused and lost.

"Wonderful!" Lockhart laughed, clapping, "You can go, Timothy; you helped us greatly! You just earned your House five points! Good lad! Now, go, go!" He ushered the poor, disturbed boy out of the classroom before grinning and swaggering up to me. "You are a natural, boy! Now you just need practice, practice, and more practice! But don't take it too far!"

"I won't, Professor." I smiled back at him, putting my wand away. I felt… wonderful. Even if I was still nothing but a beginner, tasting it once already sent my brain into overdrive, filling it with ideas and opportunities this could create for me… if I kept mastering it.

"So…"

"I am glad we are on good terms, Professor~!" I smiled at him, trying to look innocent, and he just chuckled, punching my chest like we were a pair of uncle and nephew playing around.

"Good kid! Well-"

"Sorry, Professor!" I cut in before he could say more, "I need to catch up with my studies… If I fail the end-of-term tests, that would be… really bad, right? Then I won't be able to prove useful for my Father in the summer and... and…" I tried to find excuses in a way it reminded him that he was supposed to spy on him in the first place.

"Yes, of course! Go, you little rascal!" He laughed, ushering me out, "Don't bring shame to your name!"

"I won't, and Professor… Later on, we can have a longer chat; I may be able to answer some questions if you have any! Father would like to have such a good asset… he works with muggles, muggle-born mages, and a professional who can modify minds like nothing, is always welcomed~!"

I saw it in his eyes how pleased he felt about it. Good… I will have to talk with Father, explaining everything before we make a move. Oh well… at least I got something good out of it! I was hurrying back towards our common room to tell Quincy when I literally ran into her at one corner.

"Finally!" She whispered, out of breath, rubbing her forehead. "I was looking for you!"

"What happened?" I asked, sensing that she was a bit worried.

"Draco… He found something! I caught him sneaking out with Crabbe and Goyle!"

"Where did they head?" I asked, following her as she led me back toward the dungeons.

"That is the weird thing!" She whispered, "They were loitering around the dungeons!"

"Did he finally find something?" I murmured, thinking.

"He had to! The two lackeys of him are keeping an eye out while he goes into rooms, checking them before coming back out!"

"Where are they now?" I asked, but then we heard a door closing, and we stopped immediately, inching forward silently, hugging the wall. Peering over the corner, we could see the girl's bathroom and its heavy, wooden door. Its circular handle was still moving a little, telling us they went in there just now. "The fact that all three of them moved inside…" I whispered.

"Did they… find it?"

"There is a strong possibility…" I furrowed my brows before looking at Quincy. "Can you get a rooster?"

"It is late… and dark." She looked at me before smiling a little. "I can sneak out and back in fifteen minutes! Keep an eye out for them!"

"Hurry up…" I nodded and watched her disappear, focusing on the door the whole time. I hoped neither of us would get caught now because that would ruin everything.

I wanted to get closer, but also, I was worried they would come back out… then how do I explain it? With Quincy by my side, I could come up with something stupid but plausible, but alone? Trying to sneak into the girl's bathroom? It would be clear I was spying on them. To my relief, I did not need to worry for long as Quincy returned with a rooster that looked like a statue with how still it was.

"I petrified it." She panted, breathless, as I looked at the frightened bird, moving its eyes frantically. "The little bugger started making too much noise!"

"Good thinking!" I nodded, letting her catch some air before we moved forward.

"Hold him!" She passed over the rooster, and before I could ask, she walked into the bathroom. It was… logical; she was a girl, after all. When I heard no other voices, I hurried after her, and both of us were looking at the opened-up faucet before us, revealing a hidden passageway towards the belly of the Castle.

"Damn…" I clicked my tongue, "He found something really awesome! He is not that stupid, eh?"

"No… evidently not. Your idea was right… Are we?"

"Yes." I answered without hesitation, "I get the potions; now, you keep an eye on the opening!"

It was my turn to run and make a return trip from the room of requirements with all the potions we, I mean, Quincy, prepared. I was almost caught by the patrolling idiot, Argus Filch, but he is old, lame to one foot, and already out of breath after climbing some stairs. A Squibb like him is only used as a caretaker to amuse the teachers. By the time he notifies someone, both of us will be gone!

"Conrad…" Quincy looked at me, tears in her eyes when I returned, and I knew why. The opening was gone, closed, and sealed again.

"Oh," I exclaimed but did not panic. I was expecting it to shut down after some time. I wasn't that surprised. "Which sink was it?"

"This…" She pointed at one, and I came close, giving her portion of the potions, pocketing the rest. "Ah! Look!" I pointed at a snake emblem on the tap. "Try speaking to it!"

"Oh…!" Understanding glowed in her eyes as her initial panic dissipated. When she was back to normal, her mind seemed to catch up quickly. With a hissing whisper, she said something at the sink disappeared, lowering itself to the ground and revealing the whole we saw earlier.

"Follow me closely!" I said, sliding down first, and if not for heading into the nest of a deadly beast, I would have enjoyed it. It was like being on a playground, enjoying an elaborate slide. The only problem was, after landing on my feet, I forgot to move, and Quincy landed on me, making me crash onto my stomach. "Owie…"

"S-sorry!" She moaned, climbing off of me and pulling me up. "Are you good?"

"Yeah, nothing is broken!" I chuckled, dusting off my robes, checking the potions while continue looking around. We were in a dimly lit corridor with dark walls, a wet, cold floor, and some torches burning with green, magical fire. "I am surprised his lackeys did not get stuck-"

"Conrad… Don't you hear it?" Quincy interrupted me, tugging on my sleeves.

"Hear what?"

"The voices!"

After listening a little, no… I could not. I only heard the fire crackling on the very few torches.

"Shit…" I drew a sharp breath, "You probably are hearing the snake! If that is the case, that must mean it's speaking with Draco! That is not good; what if they make a deal!" I started hurrying forth. "Damn it… I hope we are not too late!"

"What are we going to do?" Quincy asked, keeping up while holding the still-frozen rooster.

"I don't know… but I will come up with something!"