Finding the person in question wasn't going to be easy; I knew that. I didn't even have a concrete idea of what to do with him when we did, but I was eager to act. Sitting around and trying to come up with scenarios was useless; I would much prefer to improvise just to let me get closer to Quincy.
"Professor, I need you to draw me how he looks. Can you do that for me?" I asked, placing my special notebook before him after we entered the Three Broomsticks, where most people would come when visiting the village.
"Ah, of course, of course!" He chuckled, waving his wand, and for a moment, my heart stopped, thinking he would turn my best tool into a burning manifesto. Luckily, that didn't happen. Instead, the quill began moving, and soon, a life-like portrait appeared of a guy who should be around his mid-twenties, with sweptback, black hair, and a bit sunken eyes glaring straight at me.
"Thank you!" I said, looking at it and writing that everyone should keep an eye out for him before closing it. "I memorized him. Where did you see him first?"
"Right here!" He said, fumbling with his fingers and looking around, but we only saw locals and some older students who had some free time between classes. "Around noon, I think!"
"Did you follow him?"
"No, I had different things I had to take care of."
"Like?" I asked, pressing on as it was rare for him to be this straightforward. The executioner blade above his head seemed to wash away the always confident and jolly persona he had put forward so far.
"Haaah... it is no use in keeping silent about it, not when a storm is coming! If the Order is here, it will come to light anyway!"
"Professor..." I urged him, leaning forward, wanting him to just tell it as is.
"Do you know that the castle has multiple hidden routes?"
"No, but I guessed so." I nodded, especially after finding the Chambers of Secret.
"Now, there is more than one. We know about seven. Four of those seven have been destroyed, collapsed, and ensured nobody can come and go from them. The remaining three? We are using them to transport fugitives in and out of the castle... there is a whole prison underneath Hogwarts with some high-ranking order members held there!"
"I gathered as much. I heard things and thought there was some shady business going on." I nodded, leaning back and ordering a butterbeer. "Will they try to free them?"
"There is a possibility. I am sure they know about it! But they wouldn't know about the layout..."
"So you want to trade the information for your safety." I finished for him, already having an idea why he was so proactive.
"Exactly! I can tell them how to get in without triggering any alarms and get their people out!"
"If they are here for them..." I murmured, furrowing my brows because I didn't think Dumbledore would have come for them. Or just for them. Are some captured 'soldiers' worthy of him risking everything?
"What else? I don't see any other points! I will have to find Professor Slughorn too... Maybe he also takes the chance to escape!"
"Hoh?" I asked, surprised once again, but it made sense... If a potion master can't make someone talk, working in tandem with someone who can extract memories, then the victims surely know nothing. "This sounds like a conspiracy after conspiracy... How many layers are there?"
"Damned if I know!" He moaned with pain, and while drinking his own butterbeer, I felt my notebook get warmer.
Opening it up, I saw new writing appear as one of my sentries recognized the mugshot of our target. He did enter the Hog's Head once and was seen at the outskirts of the village later on. If that is the case, then he will be back; I just need to be patient.
"Professor, can you draw me those tunnels?" I asked him, and with a bit more persuasion, he penned it in great detail, even explaining the enchantments placed on them and how to deactivate them. Some I didn't even hear about, but after he was finished, he stood up with a dejected sigh.
"I can't stay longer; I have classes in the afternoon and duties at night! Kiddo... My friend! Will you help me? Inform me if you find him?"
"Yep! You are the only teacher helping me, so of course, I will return the favor!" I answered, looking into his eyes. After he left, I hurriedly opened my notebook. "Memorize the tunnels and their entry points! We will keep an eye out on those, too, but I am sure there are others only the Order knows about! Don't go into them; it could be dangerous, but if something ever happens and you are in trouble, don't be afraid of escaping through them!"
I don't know why, but I had a feeling that something horrible was brewing, and by now, I was worried about the School and the others. These few days made me realize only some people are like Draco and his entourage. Most of them were... just like me. Us. Kids... wanting to learn magic. I was surprised how many of them, from different houses, were willing to help me... I owed them this much.
Two hours later, I was ready to head back when a fifth-year Ravenclaw student hurriedly wrote that she saw the man. He had just entered Hogsmeade, coming from the side of the train station. I didn't hesitate, rushing out and a minute later I saw him. He was doing rounds around the main market square, looking at the stalls and the shops, seemingly just strolling around but edging closer and closer to the Hog's Head.
"I need some of you to either block him or herd him towards the alleyway on the left! Make sure people don't notice it because I'm going to knock him out!"
A moment later, a group appeared with a dozen students, and it made me smile. They acted perfectly, being loud and obnoxious. They blocked the narrow roads just right to make my target take the designated alleyway, and when he entered, I stepped after him and hit him in the back with a stunning spell.
"This way!" A sixth-year Gryffindor whispered, opening a door with alohomora, and we pulled in the unconscious man.
"Thanks!" I nodded as more students filled the room that looked like some abandoned, old shop.
"Who is he?" Asked a girl whisperingly, and I could tell she was part fearful, part excited.
"Probably a member of the Order!" I said, making them take in sharp breaths. "I will look into his memories. You guys, keep an eye out for me!"
"You can do that?" A Ravenclaw student asked, sounding impressed.
"Professor Lockhart taught me. Believe it or not, that is the only spell he is good at!"
"It is tough to believe!" The others chuckled, making me also smile before casting the spell.
At least there were no weird blocks or defenses inside his memories, so I could 'walk around' freely, looking at the images. It took only a short time until I found the one I wanted. It was an underground passage leading from the train station to the edge of the School. It didn't head into the grounds but ended right before it, concealed by a trapdoor, transfigured into a bush. Walking through his memories, I didn't see the picture of my father at all, and some shots were blurred into an unrecognizable state. Probably tampered with... By whom? I couldn't tell.
"Let's see if I can untangle this mess..." I murmured and pointed my wand at one of the blurry pictures, but the moment I did it, blue flames erupted around me, and I felt incredible pain searing through my mind.
It jolted me out of the spell, making me take a step back as I heard multiple screams and saw the body of the man erupt in flames, turning into nothing but ash at a moment's notice.
"What happened?!" A Slytherin student asked, holding me by the shoulder, keeping me from swaying.
"His memories were obfuscated!" I groaned, wincing multiple times, "The moment I tried to undo it, something activated! Probably a curse placed on him or... I don't know!"
"Your nose!" A Hufflepuff girl said, giving me a tissue as it was bleeding profusely.
"Thanks... damn it!" I cursed as the rest of the students looked to be whiter than a ghost.
"They don't want this to be discovered... This is really bad... very bad!"
"It is." I nodded, not wanting to argue with them, "But panic is not a solution!" I said, raising my voice and making them look directly at me. "Listen! This competition is going to turn really ugly... But it won't help if we start panicking and making a fuss! In the guy's memories, I found the underground tunnel he used to move around! I bet there are multiple dozen others that they use!"
"Like what we saw in the notebook appear?"
"Kinda, but the one this guy knew about didn't go straight to the castle! But I bet there are others that do!"
"What should we do?!" They asked as, by now, for them, this was not about helping me find Quincy. Nor about the competition. They feared an attack from the Order... the threat of war and death.
"If there will be a battle, that would be catastrophic here. I will speak with the Headmaster!" I started with a lie because I won't even mention this to him... But this simple promise would still calm the others down. "But I am just one man... This is now more than a kidnapping of my partner! They are planning an assault on our school!"
"That would mean war!"
"We are already at war with them for many years!" I answered, waving a hand to calm them down. "I told you before... I will help. All of you! Look for your friends, those who you can trust! Make more notebooks and involve them in this so we can keep in contact and share information! When trouble comes, we can only trust each other, understand? We are Hogwarts students, so we have to look out for each other, no matter the house! Those passages that lead from the castle to the outside world? If something happens, use them! Use them to escape or hide! Got it?"
"Y-yeah..." Some weak answers did come, but I could feel that they were nervous, so much so that it was hard to speak.
"Trust me on this... and I will do my best to ensure that all of us are safe."
When we slowly, one by one, left the room, I was the last to leave. By now, my nosebleed had stopped, and I wasn't heading towards the castle. My goal was the entrance of the tunnel the guy knew about.
Finding the person in question wasn't going to be easy; I knew that. I didn't even have a concrete idea of what to do with him when we did, but I was eager to act. Sitting around and trying to come up with scenarios was useless; I would much prefer to improvise just to let me get closer to Quincy.
"Professor, I need you to draw me how he looks. Can you do that for me?" I asked, placing my special notebook before him after we entered the Three Broomsticks, where most people would come when visiting the village.
"Ah, of course, of course!" He chuckled, waving his wand, and for a moment, my heart stopped, thinking he would turn my best tool into a burning manifesto. Luckily, that didn't happen. Instead, the quill began moving, and soon, a life-like portrait appeared of a guy who should be around his mid-twenties, with sweptback, black hair, and a bit sunken eyes glaring straight at me.
"Thank you!" I said, looking at it and writing that everyone should keep an eye out for him before closing it. "I memorized him. Where did you see him first?"
"Right here!" He said, fumbling with his fingers and looking around, but we only saw locals and some older students who had some free time between classes. "Around noon, I think!"
"Did you follow him?"
"No, I had different things I had to take care of."
"Like?" I asked, pressing on as it was rare for him to be this straightforward. The executioner blade above his head seemed to wash away the always confident and jolly persona he had put forward so far.
"Haaah... it is no use in keeping silent about it, not when a storm is coming! If the Order is here, it will come to light anyway!"
"Professor..." I urged him, leaning forward, wanting him to just tell it as is.
"Do you know that the castle has multiple hidden routes?"
"No, but I guessed so." I nodded, especially after finding the Chambers of Secret.
"Now, there is more than one. We know about seven. Four of those seven have been destroyed, collapsed, and ensured nobody can come and go from them. The remaining three? We are using them to transport fugitives in and out of the castle... there is a whole prison underneath Hogwarts with some high-ranking order members held there!"
"I gathered as much. I heard things and thought there was some shady business going on." I nodded, leaning back and ordering a butterbeer. "Will they try to free them?"
"There is a possibility. I am sure they know about it! But they wouldn't know about the layout..."
"So you want to trade the information for your safety." I finished for him, already having an idea why he was so proactive.
"Exactly! I can tell them how to get in without triggering any alarms and get their people out!"
"If they are here for them..." I murmured, furrowing my brows because I didn't think Dumbledore would have come for them. Or just for them. Are some captured 'soldiers' worthy of him risking everything?
"What else? I don't see any other points! I will have to find Professor Slughorn too... Maybe he also takes the chance to escape!"
"Hoh?" I asked, surprised once again, but it made sense... If a potion master can't make someone talk, working in tandem with someone who can extract memories, then the victims surely know nothing. "This sounds like a conspiracy after conspiracy... How many layers are there?"
"Damned if I know!" He moaned with pain, and while drinking his own butterbeer, I felt my notebook get warmer.
Opening it up, I saw new writing appear as one of my sentries recognized the mugshot of our target. He did enter the Hog's Head once and was seen at the outskirts of the village later on. If that is the case, then he will be back; I just need to be patient.
"Professor, can you draw me those tunnels?" I asked him, and with a bit more persuasion, he penned it in great detail, even explaining the enchantments placed on them and how to deactivate them. Some I didn't even hear about, but after he was finished, he stood up with a dejected sigh.
"I can't stay longer; I have classes in the afternoon and duties at night! Kiddo... My friend! Will you help me? Inform me if you find him?"
"Yep! You are the only teacher helping me, so of course, I will return the favor!" I answered, looking into his eyes. After he left, I hurriedly opened my notebook. "Memorize the tunnels and their entry points! We will keep an eye out on those, too, but I am sure there are others only the Order knows about! Don't go into them; it could be dangerous, but if something ever happens and you are in trouble, don't be afraid of escaping through them!"
I don't know why, but I had a feeling that something horrible was brewing, and by now, I was worried about the School and the others. These few days made me realize only some people are like Draco and his entourage. Most of them were... just like me. Us. Kids... wanting to learn magic. I was surprised how many of them, from different houses, were willing to help me... I owed them this much.
Two hours later, I was ready to head back when a fifth-year Ravenclaw student hurriedly wrote that she saw the man. He had just entered Hogsmeade, coming from the side of the train station. I didn't hesitate, rushing out and a minute later I saw him. He was doing rounds around the main market square, looking at the stalls and the shops, seemingly just strolling around but edging closer and closer to the Hog's Head.
"I need some of you to either block him or herd him towards the alleyway on the left! Make sure people don't notice it because I'm going to knock him out!"
A moment later, a group appeared with a dozen students, and it made me smile. They acted perfectly, being loud and obnoxious. They blocked the narrow roads just right to make my target take the designated alleyway, and when he entered, I stepped after him and hit him in the back with a stunning spell.
"This way!" A sixth-year Gryffindor whispered, opening a door with alohomora, and we pulled in the unconscious man.
"Thanks!" I nodded as more students filled the room that looked like some abandoned, old shop.
"Who is he?" Asked a girl whisperingly, and I could tell she was part fearful, part excited.
"Probably a member of the Order!" I said, making them take in sharp breaths. "I will look into his memories. You guys, keep an eye out for me!"
"You can do that?" A Ravenclaw student asked, sounding impressed.
"Professor Lockhart taught me. Believe it or not, that is the only spell he is good at!"
"It is tough to believe!" The others chuckled, making me also smile before casting the spell.
At least there were no weird blocks or defenses inside his memories, so I could 'walk around' freely, looking at the images. It took only a short time until I found the one I wanted. It was an underground passage leading from the train station to the edge of the School. It didn't head into the grounds but ended right before it, concealed by a trapdoor, transfigured into a bush. Walking through his memories, I didn't see the picture of my father at all, and some shots were blurred into an unrecognizable state. Probably tampered with... By whom? I couldn't tell.
"Let's see if I can untangle this mess..." I murmured and pointed my wand at one of the blurry pictures, but the moment I did it, blue flames erupted around me, and I felt incredible pain searing through my mind.
It jolted me out of the spell, making me take a step back as I heard multiple screams and saw the body of the man erupt in flames, turning into nothing but ash at a moment's notice.
"What happened?!" A Slytherin student asked, holding me by the shoulder, keeping me from swaying.
"His memories were obfuscated!" I groaned, wincing multiple times, "The moment I tried to undo it, something activated! Probably a curse placed on him or... I don't know!"
"Your nose!" A Hufflepuff girl said, giving me a tissue as it was bleeding profusely.
"Thanks... damn it!" I cursed as the rest of the students looked to be whiter than a ghost.
"They don't want this to be discovered... This is really bad... very bad!"
"It is." I nodded, not wanting to argue with them, "But panic is not a solution!" I said, raising my voice and making them look directly at me. "Listen! This competition is going to turn really ugly... But it won't help if we start panicking and making a fuss! In the guy's memories, I found the underground tunnel he used to move around! I bet there are multiple dozen others that they use!"
"Like what we saw in the notebook appear?"
"Kinda, but the one this guy knew about didn't go straight to the castle! But I bet there are others that do!"
"What should we do?!" They asked as, by now, for them, this was not about helping me find Quincy. Nor about the competition. They feared an attack from the Order... the threat of war and death.
"If there will be a battle, that would be catastrophic here. I will speak with the Headmaster!" I started with a lie because I won't even mention this to him... But this simple promise would still calm the others down. "But I am just one man... This is now more than a kidnapping of my partner! They are planning an assault on our school!"
"That would mean war!"
"We are already at war with them for many years!" I answered, waving a hand to calm them down. "I told you before... I will help. All of you! Look for your friends, those who you can trust! Make more notebooks and involve them in this so we can keep in contact and share information! When trouble comes, we can only trust each other, understand? We are Hogwarts students, so we have to look out for each other, no matter the house! Those passages that lead from the castle to the outside world? If something happens, use them! Use them to escape or hide! Got it?"
"Y-yeah..." Some weak answers did come, but I could feel that they were nervous, so much so that it was hard to speak.
"Trust me on this... and I will do my best to ensure that all of us are safe."
When we slowly, one by one, left the room, I was the last to leave. By now, my nosebleed had stopped, and I wasn't heading towards the castle. My goal was the entrance of the tunnel the guy knew about.
