-𝕏𝕀𝕀𝕀-
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Dear Uncle Remy,
I hope this letter finds you as soon as possible! GRYFFINDOR!!! We've been sorted into Gryffindor! I couldn't wait to write and tell you all about our first week at this amazing place! Hogwarts is beyond anything I could have imagined. The castle is enormous, and there are so many secret passages and magical surprises! Leo and I have been exploring everything, just like the Marauders!! We've also made some friends such as Neville and Leo's cousin Draco. Vincent, and Gregory have become our friends too (They're Draco's best friends). Well, Neville definitely has ... Draco, Vincent and Gregory are still a bit closed off but I feel we're winning them over! We also visit Hagrid a lot, and I've also begun giving Hagrid some baking help - his rock cakes are edible now! And delicious! (Don't worry, we've stayed far away from the Whomping Willow as you warned) Classes are fascinating! I have already learned so much about magical creatures, spells, and potions. Professor McGonagall is strict but really kind, and Professor Flitwick is so cheerful! Professor Sprout is lovely! She's Neville's favorite! Professor Snape is a little ... well, he's a Professor! And as you told Leo, if you ain't got anything nice to say, then it's best to say nothing. The other professors however, are interesting too. Professor Quirrell is a bit odd at times ... I could of sworn his eyes changed color when speaking to me once, but - I could have just been imagining things. We had our first flying lesson, and I was nervous at first (I didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of everyone!), but Leo encouraged me, and we ended up racing around the pitch. It was incredible! Though Madam Hooch was not pleased, however she admitted that she was impressed by our flying! The Great Hall is magnificent, and the feasts are beyond delicious. The enchanted ceiling shows the real sky with an enchantment! I love looking up to see the stars during dinner. Also, Dumbledore made some announcement during the feast on our first night, that the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to anyone who does not wish to die a very painful death. Is that a normal thing at Hogwarts? Leo said it was a rule we should abide by and stay far far away from that corridor ... Quite odd for Leo to be the behaving one. Also, everyone's a buzz about the break in at Gringotts! Apparently, it's never been done before! I wonder how they did it, what do you think? I remember when Hagrid took me to Gringotts, the goblin told me about one of the door trap enchantments. Quite grim! Anyways, I miss you and Kreacher so so so much. I hope you're doing well. Please give Kreacher my love and tell him that I promise to read a bunch of stories to him, as soon as we return home for Holidays! Leo and I are planning to write to you regularly and share all our adventures. I can't wait to hear from you. Please take care of yourself, and listen to Kreacher after the full moon! He knows what he's doing.
Sending lots of love and magical hugs,
Adhara
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"I'll be right back! Gonna take my letter to the owlery, to send off to Remy!" Adhara stated to Leo, getting up from the common room floor. Neville and Leo opened their mouths to ask if she wanted them to come with, but she was so excited, she immediately ran out.
Adhara hurried through the corridors of Hogwarts, clutching her letter to Remus in her hand. The castle was alive with magic as she ran past the chattering portraits and maneuvered through the changing staircases, her excitement bubbling with each step. Finally, she reached the Owlery, a tower filled with fluttering owls of all colors and sizes.
Entering the room, Adhara spotted Leo's beautiful snowy owl perched on a wooden beam. His feathers were pristine, and his large, round eyes stared at her with a sense of intelligence. Adhara smiled and carefully tied her letter to the owl's leg.
"There you go, Mischief," she whispered, giving the owl a gentle stroke on his feathers. "Take this home to Uncle Remy, alright? And be safe, I promise to feed you extra bacon when you get back!"
Mischief hooted softly, as if acknowledging the task. With a swift movement, he spread his wings and took flight, disappearing into the sky through the open window. Adhara watched until the snowy owl became a distant speck against the darkening evening sky.
As she turned to leave the Owlery, Adhara couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She scanned the room but found no one. Shrugging off the sensation, she made her way back down the owlery tower.
Back through the corridors she went, however, it was when she got on the changing staircases that something happened. Normally, they changed in the direction the majority wanted, and as she was the only one on the staircase... it should have connected to the stairs leading up - towards Gryffindor tower. But, for some unknown reason it connected downwards to a different stairway.
She stood there for a few minutes, waiting for it to change again... only for the stairs to suddenly turn into a slide. She fell on her arse and slid all the way down and landed with a thud onto a darkened corridor stone floor. Which was quite painful! To say the least.
She stood up and turned back to the stairs, only to see that they had gone. Looking around, baffled, she tried to figure out where she was - but she was still new to Hogwarts and she didn't think she'd ever been in this corridor before.
Adhara stood in the dimly lit corridor, her surroundings shrouded in an eerie silence. The walls seemed to close in on her, and she heard a distant click noise, like a door closing.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Adhara called out tentatively, but her words echoed unanswered. Feeling a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, she decided to head towards where she heard the noise, hoping to run into a Professor or a Prefect. The air felt colder, and the further she walked, the more she noticed the walls adorned with peculiar tapestries depicting scenes she couldn't quite comprehend.
As she rounded a corner, Adhara stumbled upon an ancient-looking wooden door. It bore no markings or signs, and curiosity got the better of her. Pressing her ear against the door, she couldn't hear anything. There wasn't any other door nearby, and she was certain the noise had come from this direction. Slowly, she opened the door, and her breath caught as she froze in place.
Before her, a large, three-headed dog slowly rose to its feet, emitting a low growl that sent shivers down her spine. Adhara's face paled as she took in the unexpected and perilous sight. The realization dawned on her – this must be the third-floor corridor, and she had inadvertently stumbled upon something far more dangerous than she could have imagined. She immediately backed out of the room, and the heavy wooden door slammed shut just in the nick of time, the sound echoing through the corridor.
Leaning against the door, her heart pounding in her chest, Adhara heard the Cerberus's snarls echoing from behind the closed door, its massive paws scraping against the stone floor. Her mind raced, realizing the danger she had narrowly avoided. She knew she had to find a way out of there and fast!
Pushing away the slight curiosity within her about why the Cerberus was there and what it was guarding, she saw the trap door below its massive form. Adhara ran back towards the direction of the stairs, and for some reason, the stairs were acting normally again. But she didn't care enough to question it further, too busy fleeing from what she had just stumbled upon.
Without a single stop or break, Adhara hurried back to Gryffindor tower and entered the common room. Breathless and wide-eyed, she rushed toward Leo and Neville in the corner of the Gryffindor common room. Leo's concerned eyes met hers as he noticed the urgency in her expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked, worriedly.
Adhara took a moment to catch her breath before blurting out, "The third-floor corridor, Leo! I accidentally stumbled upon it, and there's a Cerberus guarding something! I don't know what it is, but it's dangerous, and you were right! We need to stay away! Far, far away!"
Her words tumbled out in a hurried whisper, fueled by the fear and adrenaline still coursing through her veins.
Neville, wide-eyed, looked between Adhara and Leo, realizing the gravity of the situation. "A Cerberus? Stumbled upon it? How?" he asked, a mixture of concern and fear on his face. Adhara shook her head, still trying to process the intensity of the encounter. "I don't know! The stairs were acting strange, and I ended up there by accident. But we can't go near that corridor; it's off-limits for a reason! Dumbledore must be mad in the head!"
Leo swallowed anxiously. "Dumbledore is most definitely mad in the head!" He quickly stood up and hugged Adhara, realizing that Dumbledore would have made her find the dog one way or another. He'd been so careful to stick by her at all times. Now that she's seen the dog, Dumbledore would try to make her see that mirror next. Something he's got to prevent from happening!
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There was a tapping noise at the window, and Remus quickly stood up to let Mischief in. The beautiful snowy owl flew in and landed on the table, holding out the tied letter for him. "Hello, Mischief. Good flight?" he greeted as he untied the letter. The owl puffed up and hooted. Remus sat down in his chair by the warm fire and read Adhara's letter. He couldn't help but furrow his brow as he finished reading.
The mention of the third-floor corridor and Dumbledore's ominous warning caught his attention. The cryptic message about avoiding it to escape a painful death raised questions in his mind. He leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. The letter conveyed the usual excitement of a first-year at Hogwarts, but the mysterious atmosphere surrounding the third-floor corridor intrigued him.
He had experienced enough in his own time at Hogwarts to know that Dumbledore didn't make such statements lightly, especially after everything with the trial. There had to be something significant and potentially dangerous in that corridor. He pondered over the possibility that Dumbledore was placing a subtle test or challenge for the students, a rite of passage perhaps? Or, on a darker note, there might be an actual threat hidden on the third floor that Dumbledore was, for some reason, bringing into a school full of students.
He knew all too well that Hogwarts held its share of secrets, but the safety of the students was paramount, and Remus couldn't shake the feeling that there might be more to this warning than met the eye. With a sigh, he folded Adhara's letter, placing it into the side drawer table. He should try to inquire any information he can at the next Wizengamot meeting. There are plenty of school board members there, and if they aren't aware of the third floor being "out of bounds," then surely Dumbledore is up to no good!
He really wished they removed Dumbledore as headmaster. Having him so close to Adhara and Leo, after everything she had to go through because of him, was worrying.