Then the wall Opened as if it was now a door, they looked at each other, as Lucius took the amulets
They walked into the Room; Thomas had his sword ready, and the other had their Wands as they looked around.
Snape them spoke. "It's dark".
Lily then spoke. "Does someone have something to light up the room, like a stick, so I can start a fire?".
James snickered as he spoke. "And here I thought you were smart; you are a witch".
Snape them spoke. "She is a Wizard".
James rolled his eyes as he spoke. "More like a Cleric, but anyway Ways Lumos".
A Light happened, as to lit up the room, as on the ground was a black magic circle, but something told them it was not always black, inside of the Circle was design of a Tree, with each of its branches having a stick stabbed into, with each stick having a Rope and slightly burned, maybe by Ligthibg, on the ground was black like powdered each them when looked closed looked like the Alcamic elements to Make Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Lighting.
Thomas narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword as the light from James's wand spread across the eerie chamber.
The once-hidden room was suffused with an unsettling air—thick, musty, almost metallic. The black magic circle at the center pulsed faintly, as if echoing with some ancient energy. The scorched tree design inside the circle looked almost tortured, its branches cracked and jagged. The ropes tied to each branch dangled loosely, and the sticks appeared ritualistic, not random.
Snape crouched by the alchemic symbols etched into the floor, running his fingers just above the powdered elements. "These aren't decorative… Someone arranged these purposefully. Fire. Water. Earth. Air. Lightning. Classical elements… but also components in older magical theories."
Alice tilted her head. "You mean ritual magic?"
Snape nodded. "Or something worse. These elements… they were used together. That's not standard potion or transfiguration work."
Lucius stepped closer, still holding the jade amulet, which now glowed faintly in response to the room. "This amulet is reacting. It's attuned to whatever happened here."
Lily frowned. "Do you think this was… a sacrifice?"
Thomas didn't answer immediately. His sky-blue eyes scanned the ropes, the charred wood, the residue of raw elements. Then he muttered, "This wasn't a sacrifice. This was a binding."
Sybill blinked. "Binding what?"
Thomas pointed at the center of the tree, where the burn marks were deepest. "Not what. Who."
James took a step back, suddenly uneasy. "So, what—you're saying someone was trapped here?"
Thomas nodded. "Bound by a ritual that used elemental magic. And this—" he motioned to the amulet—"was probably the key to keeping them sealed."
Lucius gritted his teeth. "Then why was the key stored in a dusty box outside the seal?"
Snape answered quietly, "Because the key wasn't meant to keep it sealed. It was meant to undo it."
A long silence fell over the group as they all realized the same thing: someone had prepared this a long time ago… and wanted it found.
Lily whispered, "What do we do now?"
Thomas sheathed his sword slowly. "First… we make sure nothing's breaking out."
Snape added, "And second… we find out who tried to seal something under Hogwarts."
"You know when Miss said, clean the trophy room, she didn't mean mind Secret".
They looked to find a talk bird, as it looked down at them.
The group froze, staring up at the talking bird perched on a high beam just above the circle.
It tilted its head and fluffed its feathers with attitude. "Honestly, students these days… can't follow simple instructions without digging up forbidden secrets."
Lily blinked. "Did that bird just… talk?"
"Obviously," said the bird dryly. "Name's Quillfeather. I was enchanted by Professor Duskbane—long story. Part observer, part snitch, part… wisecracking commentator."
James muttered, "That explains so much."
Quillfeather landed next to them as he spoke. "You know this room is ancient, probably more than your headmaster, maybe even as old as the founder; you better the teacher about this; your House may even get Points for this".
Snape narrowed his eyes. "Points? For nearly stepping into a ritual chamber no one was supposed to find?"
Quillfeather clicked his beak. "Well, maybe not you, but the rest of them, sure."
Thomas looked at the circle again. "So this room… it was built during the Founders' time?"
Quillfeather shrugged—if a bird could shrug. "Hard to say. My memory doesn't go back that far. But it's not part of the original Trophy Room. This chamber is... beneath it. Hidden behind enchantments that most students wouldn't notice, unless, say, someone knocked a shield off the wall."
Lucius crossed his arms. "Convenient."
"Coincidence or fate, you decide," Quillfeather said with a flutter of his wings. "But like I said, Duskbane's going to want to know about this."
Lily stepped forward. "And what if we don't tell him?"
Quillfeather gave her a long, amused look. "Then I suppose I'll just have to go tell him myself." He made a show of stretching one wing dramatically. "But hey, who am I to interrupt a band of rule-breaking, mystery-hunting First Years? You want to poke ancient magic circles with sticks? Be my guest."
Alice groaned. "I vote we tell the professor."
Snape muttered, "For once, I agree."
Thomas looked back at the blackened circle, the remnants of power still faintly pulsing through it. "Alright. We tell Duskbane. But we also make sure we're there when he comes back. I want to know what this place is."
Quillfeather nodded in approval. "Smart lad. I'll inform him. Expect a visit… soon."
And with that, the bird vanished in a shimmer of light and feathers.
James blinked. "That's not normal."
Thomas smirked slightly. "Nothing this year has been normal."
James them spoke. "So, do we tell them, or Vote".
Snape crossed his arms. "A vote? This isn't some club."
Alice nodded thoughtfully. "But... he's got a point. We found this together. Maybe we should decide together."
Lily glanced at the blackened ritual circle again, clearly unsettled. "I say we tell Duskbane. This place gives me a bad feeling."
Thomas stayed quiet for a moment, then spoke. "We vote. Majority wins. Everyone has a say." He looked at the others. "Raise your hand if you want to tell Professor Duskbane."
Lily's hand went up immediately. Snape followed, albeit reluctantly. Alice raised hers next.
Lucius hesitated, then sighed and raised his hand too. "Fine. Better Duskbane than McGonagall or worse, Dumbledore."
James didn't raise his hand. "I say we keep it secret. This could be our thing."
Sybill looked unsure, but then slowly lifted her hand. "I... think it's safer to tell."
Thomas gave James a look. "Five to one."
James threw his hands in the air. "Fine, but if this turns into some cursed 'unleash the ancient evil' situation, I'm blaming all of you."
Thomas grinned slightly. "Fair enough."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "So, what now?"
Thomas looked back toward the passage. "We clean up, close the wall, and wait. Duskbane will show up—Quillfeather will see to that."
Lucius muttered, "I still can't believe we followed a cleaning punishment into some ancient ritual vault."
James smirked. "Best detention ever."
The next morning, Duskbane smirked at all the students as he spoke. "Will that is interesting, 5 points to all your house and will, this secret is interesting so I won't be telling to headmaster".
Thomas blinked. "Wait… that's it? Just five points and no letter to Dumbledore?"
Duskbane shrugged with a smirk. "I reward curiosity and initiative. Besides…" He tapped his blindfold. "I've known about that chamber for years. Just wondered when some bright minds would find it."
James muttered, "You knew?"
Duskbane grinned wider. "Of course. Hogwarts is full of secrets. I simply don't spoil the fun. But I'll give you this—whatever ritual that was, it's incomplete. Old magic, dangerous magic. Best not to mess with it unless you understand it entirely."
Lily stepped forward, arms crossed. "So what do we do with it?"
"Nothing—for now," Duskbane replied. "Consider it an advanced assignment. Observe, research, learn. You have the minds, and clearly"—he gestured to Thomas—"some of you have unusual talents."
Snape narrowed his eyes. "You're encouraging us to study it?"
"Knowledge is power, Mr. Snape. But power without understanding is chaos. And chaos gets you expelled... or worse." He turned, then paused. "Oh, and do clean up properly next time. The Trophy Room still looks like a troll's playroom."
With that, he strolled off, his coat fluttering like a magician leaving the stage.
Alice looked around. "So… we're keeping a secret ritual vault under the Trophy Room?"
Thomas smirked. "Looks like we've got a mystery club now."
Alice looked at Thomas as she spoke softly, "Be honest—do you really think any of us can keep this a secret?"
Thomas tilted his head thoughtfully, then looked directly at James with a smirk. "Well, I know I can."
James narrowed his eyes. "Oi, what's that supposed to mean?"
Thomas crossed his arms, the corner of his mouth still curled. "What do you think it means, Potter?"
James stepped forward, looking like he was about to fire back, but Lily quickly placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't," she said calmly, then turned to Thomas. "We're all in this together now, remember? No more baiting each other. We need to trust one another if we're going to figure out what that circle is."
James scoffed but backed down. "Fine. But if he keeps poking, I will poke back."
Thomas rolled his eyes. "Noted."
Snape chimed in quietly, "The real question is—do we leave it be, or do we go back tonight?"
Everyone looked at each other. There was a silence, heavy with unspoken curiosity and danger.
Alice broke it. "We should study it. Carefully. Together. Maybe once a week. Just us."
Sybill tilted her head, almost dreamily. "There's something… calling from that place. I saw it in my dreams. A tree that bleeds lightning."
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's not terrifying at all."
Thomas's smirk faded into something more serious. "Then it's settled. We keep it between us. No professors, no prefects, no Marauders—not unless they're one of us."
James looked like he wanted to object, but paused. Then, with a sigh, he nodded. "Alright. A secret club of first-years poking at ancient alchemy and possibly cursed rituals. What could possibly go wrong?"
Everyone chuckled—nervous, but together.
Alice crossed her arms and glanced between them all. "So… what now?"
Thomas looked over at her, calm but sharp. "Next time we meet, we head back to that room. Until then, we go back to our dorms like nothing happened. And start researching anything—rituals, magical trees, ancient alchemy, symbols—whatever you can find."
Snape nodded slowly. "We'll need books from the Restricted Section."
Lucius raised a brow. "Do you have a plan for that, or are we just charming Madam Pince into letting us borrow a cursed tome?"
Sybill whispered, "The tree is waiting. I saw it again. A new branch was burning this time…"
James muttered under his breath, "Nerd."
Thomas smirked and turned to him. "Better a nerd than a broom-headed Gryffindor with more biceps than brain cells."
James looked personally offended. "You take that back."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Boys."
Thomas gave a mock salute. "Dismissed, comrades. We regroup in two days—Friday, after dinner. Same place. Bring your wands, your brain, and maybe something for light. And keep your mouths shut."
Alice mock-zipped her lips. "Sealed."
Lucius tucked the amulet they found into the inside of his robes. "I'll keep this hidden. No one touches it until we're back there. Not even you, Potter."
James threw up his hands. "I wasn't going to!"
Thomas clapped once. "Alright. Go. Before someone gets suspicious."
As they all began slipping out one by one, splitting up down different corridors, Thomas lingered for just a moment, looking back toward the hidden door. His expression was unreadable.
"Whatever's in there," he muttered to himself, "It's not done with us yet."
As the last echo of footsteps faded and the door to the hidden chamber sealed once more, the room fell into silence. Only the faint shimmer of the blackened ritual circle remained, waiting. Watching.
To be continued
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