Chapter 32: A Hidden Room
Tracking Professor Snape's movements became Sean's top priority. Although the Potions Master hadn't explicitly banned him from the dungeon, Sean decided it was best to avoid him altogether.
Fortunately, Snape was arguably the busiest man at Hogwarts.
First, as a professor, he had to grade assignments, track the progress of at least twelve different classes, and prepare his lessons. Second, as Head of Slytherin House, he was responsible for mediating student conflicts, catching students breaking curfew (or worse), and dealing with all manner of disciplinary issues. Finally, he had his "special tasks" assigned by Dumbledore.
Viewed in this light, Snape's perpetual foul mood was perfectly understandable. He was overworked, underappreciated, and constantly dealing with troublesome students. Sean could easily imagine the kind of interruptions Snape regularly faced: Merlin's beard, Professor, you have to come quick! Those Gryffindor thugs are causing trouble again! He was drowning in work and didn't even have an assistant. If Sean remembered correctly, Snape's office was even located at the far end of the dungeon corridor...
Yes, there was definitely room to maneuver. The thought made the Great Hall feel considerably warmer.
Two shadowy figures passed by the flickering hearth.
"Well, I must say, I've never found a Charms essay so easy to write," Justin said with a faint smile. He carried a magical lantern in one hand, while tucking his five-inch Charms essay and a familiar light-blue notebook into his bag with the other.
"Honestly, Justin," Hermione sniffed, peering over the mountain of books she was carrying as they entered the Great Hall. "Weren't you the one complaining just yesterday that writing essays was harder than learning dressage?" She gave him a look that clearly questioned his sanity.
They had obviously just come from the library, still carrying the faint scent of ink and old parchment.
Writing a good essay at Hogwarts was a challenge. The Charms assignment, for example, basically amounted to: Here's how you swish and flick, here's the incantation. Now, write me five inches on the Levitation Charm.
Most students' reaction was: What? Me? It required far more independent research and critical thinking than the brief instruction suggested. Without spending hours in the library, completing the assignments properly was nearly impossible. Learning how to research effectively was the crucial first lesson.
This was why Hermione and Justin spent so much time there. Hermione, having memorized all the first-year textbooks, could quickly locate the information she needed. Justin, less familiar with the material and burdened by Professor Binns's monstrously long essay, was struggling. Like most students who actually wanted to do well, he was feeling the pressure.
But today, Justin had not only finished the foot-long History of Magic paper but had also completed the Levitation Charm essay in under three hours—a feat even Hermione hadn't managed, as it had been an extra assignment from Professor Flitwick.
"You wrote a decent essay," Hermione said, tilting her chin up and narrowing her eyes at him, "but your Levitation Charm didn't improve one bit during practice this afternoon. I suspect you had help with your homework. From Sean."
"Alright, you've got me halfway," Justin admitted cheerfully, not looking embarrassed in the slightest. "Sean showed me his method. Although I'm sure he wouldn't mind me sharing it, I really ought to ask his permission first… Look, there he is."
Hermione made a noncommittal sound, not seeing why one student's essay-writing method would be particularly valuable, even if that student was Sean. Still, she found herself scanning the crowded hall. Amidst the sea of identical black robes, she doubted Justin had actually spotted him.
Then, Justin abruptly sat down at a nearby table. "Sean."
"Mm," came the muffled reply from someone engaged in a ferocious battle with a roast chicken.
"Would you mind…" Justin began quietly.
"No," the voice replied instantly from within the chicken carcass.
"Oh, good," Justin beamed, passing a roll of parchment to Hermione. "You have to see this, Hermione."
"Fine, but I really don't think…" Hermione began, tucking a stray curl behind her ear as she took the parchment.
Ten minutes later, Sean was sipping his pumpkin juice, savouring the sweet taste.
"I must say, this structure is ingenious. Oh… if only I'd seen this earlier…" Hermione suddenly murmured, her voice full of frustrated admiration. Sean nearly spilled his juice. He looked over and saw her face flushing, the tips of her ears turning pink.
"Sean, ah, I mean…" she stammered, clearly mortified at being overheard praising him.
Fortunately, Sean hadn't heard a thing, and Justin, as always, reacted quickly.
"I mean—no—Hermione was just saying, that essay method is brilliant! And your Charms notes! If only I could apply the theory in practice as well as you do…" He smoothly transitioned the topic to Charms.
"Yes, practice is important," Sean agreed absently. He was still wondering if the dungeons would be welcoming tonight.
The answer, it turned out, was obvious. The dungeons were dangerous territory today. Snape was likely brewing something himself, and potion-making was never a quick process. Sean decided to dedicate his evening to his other six subjects, starting with the most practical: Charms.
Finding a place to practice became his new goal for the evening.
"We're going to practice Charms, Sean. Want to come?" Justin asked suddenly, his pale grey eyes lighting up.
Sean hesitated for only a second.
A few minutes later, three figures were making their way through the corridors and up the Grand Staircase.
There were one hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; staircases that led somewhere different on a Friday; staircases with vanishing steps halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pret1ending. It was difficult to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept visiting each other, and Justin swore he'd seen the suits of armour take strolls.
In a castle as full of secrets and shifting architecture as Hogwarts, the existence of a hidden room didn't seem quite so strange after all.