A few days had passed since the information about Styros was obtained, and the children spent most of their time talking and speculating about it.
The Slytherin students had begun to suspect their strange activities. Arya was often restless, thinking about the possible disasters that could arise from the disappearance of that creature. After all, she was naturally a pessimist, inheriting this trait from her mother.
It was Saturday morning, and the weather had turned cold again. It seemed like winter was preparing to deliver its final blow to the earth before saying goodbye for several months.
When Arya entered the library, she saw Scorpius watching her curiously.
She picked up the books she needed from the shelves and sat next to him. Scorpius was still puzzled. Arya, while keeping her eyes fixed on the book, asked him:
"What's up?"
Scorpius smiled and replied:
"Nothing, I just thought you were talking to James."
Arya pulled her gaze away from the book and looked at him:
"Yeah, so what? Don't I have the right to talk to Gryffindors?"
A mischievous grin tugged at Scorpius's lips:
"Of course you do. I was just curious about what he was saying."
Arya calmly responded:
"It was nothing important."
She then looked back at Scorpius, who had a knowing smile on his face as if he knew everything.
Arya, a bit impatiently, said:
"Alright, I'll tell you, but only if you don't tell Albus."
"Deal, what's going on?"
"James asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him tomorrow."
Scorpius exclaimed:
"What?!"
He said it so loudly that the students in the library stared at him for a moment.
Arya quietly said:
"What's so surprising about that?"
"Nothing, I just thought you didn't like him!"
"I never said I didn't like him!"
"You were always mocking his hair!"
Arya, now annoyed, said seriously:
"That was before Christmas. Besides, I didn't agree. I told him I'm not ready to go on dates with anyone."
And she added: "I have enough problems already."
Scorpius looked at her for a few seconds and then said:
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
Arya replied:
"It's fine."
"So, are you coming to Hogsmeade with us?"
Arya gave a small smile and said:
"Yeah, I'll come."
And they both returned to their studies.
The next morning, Albus and Scorpius exited the dungeon, and the stone wall behind them closed.
Albus said:
"Do you think we'll be back by 4? I haven't written my potion essay yet."
Scorpius replied:
"Yeah, maybe even earlier."
They moved towards the entrance hall. Arya was waiting outside; she had braided her brown hair and had a smile on her face. She turned to Scorpius and Albus and said:
"You need to show me around."
"I'm sure you don't want to see everything," Albus said, and the three joined the group of kids who, despite their usual trips to Hogsmeade, still enjoyed going there.
Despite the cold weather and the slippery village alley, the kids had a good time. First, they visited Honeydukes, where Ambrosius Flamm usually greeted the children. Arya became enamored with the candy at the shop, so much so that when leaving, she filled her handbag with a lot of chocolate frogs and sugary chicklets.
Then they went to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, which looked more like a Muggle shopping center, and its modern building stood out in the old village. Mr. Weasley wasn't there, but several employees helped customers. Arya bought some cold medicine gum, a few shape-shifting masks, and even some explosive bombs, although she knew they would probably not be useful.
After leaving the shop, they were in fits of laughter. Scorpius had put on a shape-shifting mask that made him look like a clown, while Arya's made her resemble a grouchy old witch.
Albus, the only one without a mask, simply walked alongside them, shaking his head with an amused smile.
Next, they went into The Three Broomsticks pub and had some butterbeer.
Arya liked the taste, but she wasn't fond of the atmosphere there. The place was crowded with students from all four houses, and the noisy, bustling atmosphere made Arya suggest they leave soon.
When they stepped out of the pub, it was nearly noon. They walked up the hill to the building that led to the Shrieking Shack. Scorpius remarked that after the war, Hogwarts had renovated the place, but no one had moved in. Arya, a bit skeptical, thought it looked haunted. Then, suddenly, a flash inside one of the windows caught their attention.
They stared at it for a moment. Arya, with fear in her voice, said:
"Did you see that thing I saw?"
Albus and Scorpius nodded, both equally startled. Scorpius muttered under his breath:
"Someone's in there."
Arya looked back at the building but there was no sign of any movement. She suggested:
"Shouldn't we check it out and see if anyone's there?"
Albus replied:
"Probably just some curious kids who went in."
Arya, disgusted, said:
"Who would go to a place like that for fun?"
Scorpius gave her a meaningful look and said:
"I don't know... maybe James Potter?"
Arya, serious, said:
"Alright, let's go see what's going on. If it's just kids, we'll leave quickly."
Without waiting for their approval, she walked towards the shack, and the boys reluctantly followed.
Inside the half-open building, it was cleaner than expected, though the wallpaper was still peeling in places. Arya whispered "Lumos," lighting her wand, and they proceeded in eerie silence.
They walked a little further and came across a room that seemed empty. They entered cautiously.
Next to the room was a small door that opened into a large hall. The door was half open, and all three of them looked inside with shocked expressions; a middle-aged man with red hair was bent over a chest.
The chest seemed smaller than the one in Professor McGonagall's office, but like it, it was made of metal. He placed his hand on the chest and let out a faint groan.
At that moment, they saw his profile; it was Professor Weasley, their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. For a few seconds, they all stared at him in disbelief, and then Arya whispered softly, her face filled with concern: "We need to go."
They all moved backward slowly. They had to drag Albus along with them, as he still seemed shocked by what he had seen. When they exited, they ran toward the main road with incredible speed. They didn't speak to each other until the building had completely vanished from their sight.
He quickly entered the elevator and adjusted his gray cloak. He pressed the button for the ninth floor and tried to organize his thoughts; he knew that he was now in a sensitive situation, and any mistake could cost them dearly. He wrote something in his notebook and tried to go over all the theories in his mind again. The elevator stopped between floors, and many people entered and exited, but he didn't hear his colleagues' greetings at all.
Finally, the elevator stopped on the ninth floor. A soft female voice announced: "Department of Mysteries…"
In the few months he had worked in this department, he could say it was the most mysterious part of the Ministry. He barely knew any of his colleagues, and each time he entered the ninth floor, he encountered new people. The Unspeakables were strict in their work.
He entered one of the rooms and closed the door. Then he entered another room, and from there reached a large office whose door was closed, and behind it was the person who had been waiting for him. He stepped into the room and gently closed the door. He saw the face of a middle-aged man with thick-rimmed glasses and a grim expression. The man looked at him and said in a serious tone:
"I've been waiting for you, Calderon."
Elliot's face tightened. "What happened?"
The man got up and walked to the window. He looked through the curtain toward the laboratory across from him.
"You still haven't found it?"
Elliot, still serious, replied, "No. But we're doing everything we can."
The man shook his head. "Everything you can isn't enough." Then he looked into Elliot's gray eyes.
"I need to send you backup."
Elliot looked back at him. "Fine, send Aurors to Hogwarts. Then even the ones who don't know will find out, and everyone will rush there hoping to bring their loved ones back."
The man glared at him. "Then what do you suggest I do? You were responsible for this! How could you lose something so valuable? I told you to bring them to the lab…"
Elliot remained calm and didn't let anger take over. "I told you, I couldn't remove them from their containment site. They were too weak."
The man continued to stare at him angrily. "Do you even know what you're playing with? This is the future of the wizarding world! The last generation didn't fight so we could come and ruin everything…"
"I know how important it is. We're doing our best."
The man's anger lessened slightly. He turned back toward the window.
"How much time do you need?"
"Two weeks."
The man raised his index finger. "Fine. But only two weeks. After that, I'm sending in my backup team."
Elliot gave a faint smile. For a moment, a glint of victory sparkled in his eyes. But when he left the room, that look was replaced with worry. As he got into the elevator, he opened his notebook—and a message from Professor McGonagall caught his attention:
Come to St. Mungo's as soon as possible.
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