In the Shadow of Power - Hogwarts Legacy

Chapter 9

Alayna knew the pendulum courtyard in question that Scrope spoke of in their note. It was the same one she had exited through to meet up with Natty. When she arrived there though, she didn't see any house elves around. She spent a few minutes looking around the courtyard before spotting a piece of paper tucked into the mouth of a griffin statue. Another note from this mysterious Scrope.

Scrope knows about the book you found. Is it missing something?

Scrope does not believe it is safe to speak out in the open.

Scrope has left another note -- across the bridge, among the rocks.

Take care. Tell no one about this.

The rocks in question, Alayna assumed were the standing rocks around the exit of the bridge. Across the bridge, she was quick to find the note this time. It was simply laying on top of one of the shorter stones.

"Another note, seriously? Why not just name a time and place," Alayna muttered to herself as she picked up the note and read it.

Almost there. Head for the pumpkins, just down from the stone circle. Look inside one of them.

You may be able to help poor, broken-hearted Scrope.

"Seriously?" Alayna sighed. Looking down the hill, she spotted a small hut with a pumpkin patch surrounding it. She groaned and began to make her way in that direction. Nerida had said Scrope was Headmaster Black's house elf. Maybe this was all a big ruse. Perhaps the headmaster had found out about the book and was trying to catch her getting into trouble. She laughed at the idea that the headmaster would really put in that much effort to get one student in trouble. So what was it the house elf wanted?

This note was the hardest to find. Only after using Revelio did Alayna find the note hidden beneath a pumpkin.

The young Slytherin must be exceptionally curious by now.

Meet Scrope at the water's edge, by the broken docks.

"Yes, I really am," Alayna said to herself. She was quite close to the lake. Walking around to the back of the house, there was a short cliff that led down to the sandy beaches surrounding the lake. Along the water's edge she could see fragments of wood that she took to be the old dock Scrope mentioned and a small figure. "This better be worth it." She found a path leading down to the beach and made her way over to Scrope who noticed her coming.

"Thank you for coming all this way," the house elf greeted her. He wore dirty tattered clothes and had bandages wrapped around his head where his right ear would have been. "The name's Scrope. Scrope serves the headmaster. Been in the Black family for years."

"So Nerida was right," Alayna murmured to herself.

"Apologies for the notes. Scrope wanted to be sure you weren't followed." That was an eerie thing to say. Alayna certainly hoped that no one was following her around.

"Please, just tell me what this is about. Your notes mentioned the book I found in the Restricted Section." Alayna was feeling a tad bit impatient after following those notes around.

"Scrope can tell you more in exchange for your help. But no one, especially the headmaster, can know."

"So you're not doing this on his behalf then?"

"No, no. Scrope asks for your help himself."

"Alright then. What do you know?"

"Scrope's late mistress Apollonia Black - may she rest in peace - was a student at Hogwarts over fifty years ago. Before she died she spoke passionately about pages ripped from a book. Scrope suspects she took them to her private grotto."