Through the Trapdoor
How did Luz manage to get by her exams that year? Luz had no idea, even in the years to come. She expected Belos to come bursting through the door at any moment, yet the days crept by and no signs of someone getting past Fluffy happened.
It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom, where they did their written papers. They had been given new special quills, bewitched with an anti-cheating spell. But they also had practical tests.
Eda called students one by one to see if they could make a pineapple dance across her desk. Professor Moncullus watched them turn a mouse into a snuff box; points were given for how pretty the snuff box was but taken away if the box had whiskers.
Lilith made them all nervous, breathing down their necks while they tried to remember how to make a forgetfulness potion. Luz tried the best she could, even with a stabbing pain in her forehead that bothered her ever since her trip to the forest.
Luz’s nightmare kept repeating time and time again in her head, but now a hooded figure with green eyes and silver blood tears was in it. Because of them and the pain in her forehead, Luz was way more worried about Lilith getting the stone than Gus or Willow.
“Only History of Magic left…One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented Self-Stirring Cauldrons and we’ll be free…Free I say!... For a week before our exam results come out…” They heard Skara speaking to Boscha and Amity on the last day of exams.
Loud cheers could be heard all over the castle as the first-years finished their exams “That was easier than I expected” Gus said as they joined the crowds flocking out into the sunny grounds “I didn’t have to learn about the Werewolf conduct code of 1637 or the uprising of Elfric, the Eager! Amity, you forced me to memorize all that!” Skara shook the young Blight vigorously.
Luz passed by Amity in the corridors and much to her surprise, Blight gave a not-so-cold look before heading back to her common room to go through her exam papers. Gus, Luz, and Willow wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Blight twins and Amber were feeding the Giant Squid that lived in the lake.
“What’s the long face, Luz? We have a full week before finding out how bad we were at the exams, no need for you to be so sad so soon” Willow joked “It’s my ‘scar’, it never hurt so much for so long before, but I’m not sick” Gus was about to suggest her to go to Madame Cutburn.
“I think it’s a warning, that danger’s coming…” It was too hot for Willow to get worked up “Relax, Gus is right, the stone is safe as long as Bump and Eda are around… Besides, we don’t have even proof that Lilith knows how to get past Fluffy, she nearly got her leg bit off last time, she won’t try again without a strategy and Star will play for England before Hagrid lets Bump down” Willow argued.
A Crow flew around, probably bringing a message. Luz looked at the Blight twins now tickling the squid; they really were opposites of Amity. Suddenly Luz jumped to her feet “We need to go see Hagrid, now!” Luz rushed away.
“Why are we going to see Hagrid?” Gus asked, having trouble keeping up “Amity said something to me in the forest; how could Hagrid possibly think he could take care of a Dragon? Especially bought from a stranger in a random pub” Willow blinked “And?” She asked.
“A stranger, in a random pub, happened to have what Hagrid desired the most, a dragon. How I never thought about it before? How many people go caring dragon eggs in their pockets, knowing it is illegal and they could get caught anytime” Willow and Gus still didn’t see the point of her statement but followed her nonetheless.
Hagrid was pealing apples outside his hut while whistling a song to Fang “Why hello, how were the exams? Want a drink?” Willow was about to accept it when Luz cut across her “Hagrid, quickly, when you won Norbert, how did the strange person look like, the one who gave you the egg?” Hagrid scratched his beard.
“Don’t know really, he wouldn’t take his cloak off” The three looked at him stunned “That’s not unusual, you get a lot of funny folks in the Hog’s Head, that’s the name of the pub… He might be a Dragon dealer” Luz sunk next to the bowl of peeled apples.
“What did you tell him? You told you were gamekeeper at Hogwarts?” Hagrid nodded after a few seconds trying to remember. He retold them what happened that night; the man kept buying him drinks and said that he could play cards for the egg but only if Hagrid could prove that he could handle it.
“So I told him after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy” Hagrid said proudly “Was he interested in Fluffy?” Gus asked “Yeah, how many three-headed dogs you’ve seen in yer life? Even around Hogwarts. But I told him that Fluffy was a piece of cake if you know how to calm him down, just play a bit of music and he’ll go straight off to sleep” Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.
“I’d not have told you that! Forget I said it” He blurted out “Where yer going?” The trio didn’t exchange a word at all until they reached the entrance hall “We need to tell Bump, Hagrid told Belos about Fluffy, he must have already told Lilith about it. Just hope Bump will believe us, Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn’t stop him” They looked around, only now realizing they had no idea where Bump’s office was.
“What are you three doing inside?” Professor Milo, their Herbology teacher and head wizard of Hufflepuff, asked them. Milo was a short man with a strong build and peach color hair; he was caring a big vase full of dirt over his shoulder.
“We want to see Principal Bump” Gus said rather bravely “See Principal Bump?” Professor Milo repeated with his almost child-like voice “Why?” The trio didn’t know how to answer “Well, Principal Bump received an urgent Crow from the Ministry and flew off to London about 10 minutes ago” Milo explained.
“He’s gone? Now? And where’s Professor Eda?” Luz asked now even more anxious “She went off to the dungeon to correct the exams; she can be anywhere down there really… Why do you ask?” Milo asked “It’s about the Galdorstone” Luz said throwing precautions out to the winds.
Whatever Milo had expected for an answer, it wasn’t that. He let the jar he was caring fall from his shoulders, it exploded when it hit the ground sending dirt all over the place “How do you know?” He asked, the smiling face he always cared around was halfway to becoming a serious expression.
“Someone is going to try and steal the stone; I’ve got to talk to Principal Bump” Milo eyed her with a mixture of shock and suspicion “Principal Bump will return tomorrow. Rest assured, no one call steal the stone, it is too well protected, now go outside and enjoy the sunset” He grabbed his Palisman, repaired the jar, and carried it away to the greenhouses.
“She’s doing it tonight, she already has everything she needs, even Bump out of the day” Luz said after Milo left earshot “But what can we…” Gus gasped, Willow and Luz wheeled around; Lilith was standing there.
“Good afternoon” She said smoothly. They stare at her “You shouldn’t be inside on a day like this” With an odd smile “We were...” Luz began, not knowing how to end “You want to be more careful” Said Lilith “Hanging around like this, people will think you’re… Up to something” Luz flushed, they turned to go back outside but Lilith called them back.
“Be warned, if I ever catch you in any other nighttime wanderings I’ll make sure you are expelled. Have a good day” She strode off in the direction of the staff room. Out in the stone steps, Luz turned to the others.
They came up with a plan; Gus wound stay outside the staff room and would follow Lilith if she got out, while Luz and Willow guarded the door that separated Fluffy from the rest of the school, but the moment they got there Professor Chariot passed there, and she warned that if she ever caught them there again, they would lose another 50 points each.
Gus wasn’t successful in his part either, “Lilith got out of the room and when she asked me why I was there I told I was waiting for Professor Moncullus, she went to get him, and I only just got away, I don’t know where Lilith went” Their plan fell apart quicker than they could ever imagine.
“Then there is only one way” Luz took a deep breath “I’m going to get the stone first, tonight… Points don’t matter right now, and if Belos comes back, there won’t be Hogwarts to get expelled from! He killed my father; I will never let him triumph again… And no matter what you tell me, you won’t stop me” She glared at them.
“You’re right. We are all small enough for the invisibility cloak to hide the three of us, so that would give us an advantage” Willow said “The three of us?” Luz asked “What? You thought we’d let you go alone?” Said Willow with a confident smile.
“Of course not” Gus said reassuring “How did you think you’d get to the stone without us? I batter go and look through my books, there might be something useful there” Luz started to tear up “Guys…” She never had friends like them, whiling to risk their lives for her; she couldn’t help but smile at them.
Late that night they met in the common room, they checked for their Palismen, the invisibility cloak, and the wooden flute Hagrid gave Luz “We have everything, we batter put the cloak here, Ken will definitively be on our tails” They prepared to leave when someone got up from one of the armchairs in the dark.
“Where are you going?” Star Butterfly stood between them and the portrait of the Fat Lady “You’re planning to sneak out again aren’t you? You can’t, Gryffindor will lose more points. I won’t let you” Mewni came flying from the girl's pocket and transformed into staff form.
This was bad, no doubt the three of them could defeat Star in a duel, the problem was that any noise could wake up everyone there and their stealth mission would be blown up. “Locomotor…” Star pointed Mewni towards Gus first “Petrificus Totalus” But Gus was faster than Star.
Suddenly Star’s arms snapped to her sides. Her legs sprang together. Her whole body rigid, she swayed where she stood and then fell flat on her back, stiff as a board. Star's jaws were jammed together so she couldn't speak. Only her eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.
“What was that?” Willow asked Gus “The Full Body-Bind… I’m sorry Star” He apologized “We hope you can forgive us” Willow said “We’ll tell you everything another day” Luz added while they passed the portrait hall.
Leaving Star immobilized on the floor of their common room didn’t feel like a good omen to them. Every shadow of statue or armor looked like a ‘Kare-taker’, every whistle of wind sounded like Peeves sweeping down on them.
On the first floor staircase, they found the ‘Kare-taker’ of the third-years of Ravenclaw. They sneaked past it and met with Peeves flying down the stairs from the third to the second floor, being followed by two ‘Kare-takers’ “Come and get me! Hehehahahahehehe” His laughter echoed through the castle “That Poltergeist will be the death of me someday” Willow said after her heart calmed down from the scare.
And there they were, in front of the door, already ajar, on the third floor “Lilith already got past Fluffy” The three entered the room where the dog lay, its three big noses madly sniffing at them, even though it couldn’t see the trio.
“There’s a harp beneath its paw, Lilith must have used, but it woke up as soon as it stopped” Gus whispered. Luz took a deep breath and started playing the flute Hagrid gave her, even though the sound was out of tune and almost painful to hear, the dog fell asleep as if the flute was bewitched.
“Don’t stop” Willow got out of the cloak, sneaked between the creature's legs, bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor which swung up and open “Nothing to see or use to climb down, we’ll need to jump” Luz, still playing the flute came over and gave the flute to Gus.
“No sign of the bottom” Luz lowered herself through the hole when she was hanging on by his fingertips “If something happens to me, go back, send a Crow to Bump” Luz let it go. She felt the wind in her back as she fell down, down, down, and flump with a funny muffled sort of thump she landed on something soft.
“Is a soft landing, you can jump” Luz said, it appeared that she had fallen in some sort of plant. Willow and Gus fell right after, and Luz heard a loud bark coming from above them. “Oh no” Gus said when he tried to get up but was dragged down by snakelike vines wrapped around his ankles.
Willow and Luz were in a worse situation, the more they struggled to get it out of them, the more tightly and faster the plant wrapped them “It’s Devil’s Snare!” Willow exclaimed “Great, we know now, how do we get rid of it? I can’t breathe!” Luz asked.
“We need fire!” Willow said as the vines wrapped around her neck “But… there is no… wood” Luz said as she drew closer to fall unconscious “Have you gone mad?!” Gus bellowed “Are you a witch or not” Neither Gus nor Willow could reach for their Palismen.
Luz, almost passing out, grabbed her staff and pointed it at the Snare, and much like what happened in the Quidditch match the staff glowed and sparkles blasted from it. The vines let the students go, cringing away from the light and heat, wriggling and flailing it unraveled itself from their bodies.
“Good you pay attention on Herbology class Willow” Gus said “And good you don’t lose your mind in a crisis” Willow looked a Luz, she was sitting down breathing heavily “There is no wood, how could I say that?” That memory will embarrass her for many years to come.
A stone passageway was the only way on so they followed Luz through it. By the end of it, they were in a chamber, lit with floating purple flames, its ceiling acing high above them. It was filled with small jewel-bright birds fluttering and tumbling all around the room, on the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.
Luz sprinted across the room, she expected to be attacked by the birds but nothing happened, the other two followed. They tugged and heaved at the door but it didn’t even budge, it was very tightly locked. Not even Gus’s Alohomora charm worked.
“Those birds must serve a purpose” Gus muttered, Willow looked up, and squinted her eyes, something was wrong with them when she understood “They’re not birds, they’re keys! Winged keys! We need to get the right one” She exclaimed.
The trio flew using their Palismen, and one after another they tried keys that matched the handle; big, old, and silver. It was an arduous task, as the keys darted and dived quickly whenever they approached them.
Willow, not for nothing was the younger seeker in a century, spotted the key they needed “That one” She called the others “That big one, not that one, that one! No, no, yes! That one with bright blue wings, the feather is all crumpled on one side” Gus speed towards the key, only to almost hit the ceiling and fall.
“We need a game strategy; Gus you go from above and Luz you stay beneath, catch it if it escapes me” Willow ordered and so they did, the key dodged both Gus and Luz but Willow successfully grabbed it. She then flew down, placed the key in the keyhole, and unlocked the door.
The next room was something they never expected to see, a giant chessboard, where the white chessman blocked the door “We are going need to play our way through the other side” Gus said “Ish, Willow is better at this game than me” Luz admitted.
“With due respect Luz, being better than you don’t mean I’m good, it just tells how bad you are at it” Willow said “I can play, the king is who commands the troops after all” Gus volunteered and the girls accepted. Willow replaced the Queen; Luz replaced a bishop and Gus replaced a knight.
The white pieces made the first move, a pawn moved two squares. Then the game began, Gus directing the pieces but one or two times he asked for Willow’s input in his actions. Their first shock came when the White Queen smashed one of their Knights and dragged its body out of the board.
Twice happened that Gus had nearly let Willow or Luz get taken down by one of the white pieces “That was close”. After a few minutes of the game, Gus suddenly stopped; he looked at the remaining pieces and their positions “Gus?” Luz asked looking at her friend sweating.
“He needs to sacrifice me” Willow said bluntly “If he does, he’ll liberate space and you’ll be able to check-mate the King” Luz shook her head and Gus turned away from them. “You can’t!” Luz shouted “That’s how chess is, sacrifices must be made… We’re losing too much time already, just do it!” Willow demanded.
Gus gave the command and Willow walked forward, the White Queen pounced, she struck Willow hard around the head and her stone arm and she crashed to the floor, Luz screamed but stayed on her square as the Queen dragged Willow to one side, her glasses broken.
Shacking, Luz moved three spaces to the left and the White King threw its crown at her feet; they had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one desperate last look back at Willow, Gus and Luz charged through the door and up the next passageway.
“The next room is either Piniet’s or Lilith’s” Gus said when they reached the next door. A disgusting smell filled their nostrils as they opened it; both of them covered their noses with their arms and with watering eyes they saw a troll, bigger than the one they tackled, flat on the floor out cold with a bloody lump on its head.
“Glad we didn’t need to fight that thing, let’s go, I can’t breathe” They sneaked past the unconscious troll and advanced through the next door. On the other side, was nothing very frightening, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line, it was clearly Lilith’s chamber.
Once they stepped over the threshold a sky-blue fire sprang up behind them in the doorway and at the same instant, black flames shot up into the doorway leading onwards. They were trapped there. Over the table, lay, next to the bottles, a roll of paper, Gus picked it up and read it.
"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however, slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onwards neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different sizes,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."
“Oh no…” Luz sighed “What?” Gus asked “This isn’t magic… it is only logic… And something I learned is that wizards and witches are horrible at it” Luz explained “That’s not the truth! I’ll show you I can do it” Gus said.
A few minutes had passed and Gus looked at the bottles completely confused, he read it several more times but didn’t manage to get anywhere “Why is this so hard!?” Gus asked annoyed “It isn’t, well is a medium to a slightly hard level logic problem, I did something similar back in the muggle world” Luz grabbed the blue bottle and the purple one.
Luz offered Gus the purple bottle “You take this one, you go back, get Willow and use your Palismen to fly away from the Devil’s Snare, go to Amity or the twins, get their Crow and send a message to Bump, we need him” Gus blinked still impressed with Luz’s wits.
“But… if Belos is there?” He asked “I was lucky once, I might get lucky twice” Gus’s lips trembled and he brought her close and hugged her “You are a great witch Luz” He said “Not as great as you” She replied embarrassed.
“Not only do book knowledge and cleverness make a great wizard or witch, but your bravery and friendship are also far more important than that, be careful please” She took the purple bottle “Are you sure about this?” – “Positively sure” Gus took a long sip, it tasted like ice, he then ran back through the blue fire.
“The other way to solve this is simply to think, the bottle with less potion allows only one person to go forward” Luz muttered to herself, she didn’t like Lilith, but that riddle was one of the most well-thought challenges they had faced so far.
After drinking from the blue bottle in one gulp, and indeed feeling like ice was flooding her body, she walked through the flames. For a few moments, she only saw the dark fire licking her body, but she felt nothing.
Then she was on the other side, in the last chamber. Someone was already there, but it wasn’t Lilith, it wasn’t even Belos.