The Gathering: The New Order of Merlin Book 1

83. Heart's desire

Two small figures in hooded dark robes walked down empty Hogwarts corridors. Their bare feet made no noise, their linked hands dispelled the darkness of the sleeping castle, and their hearts beat as one. No patrolling teachers caught them, no sleepwalking students saw them, no lurking monsters smelled them, only a being like them sensed their presence.

"Jack-Friend, where are you going?" Peeves whispered, appearing in front of them.

"It's our business, Peeves. This isn't the time for mischief."

"There's always time for mischief."

"Then, do something fun for me. I think Professor Flitwick is on the second floor. Go spook him or something but don't lead him to us. This is important."

Peeves grinned broadly. "The wee Professor could use spooking."

"That's right. Have fun, Peeves."

Peeves giggled and floated to the staircase, leaving the twins to their adventure.

They arrived on the third floor and made it to the door which promised to lead them to what they desired. They unlocked it and opened the trap door in the center of the floor.

"Lumos."

They peered over the opening but couldn't see how far the hole went.

"I'll go first," Jack offered, and before his sister could protest, jumped inside.

"Jack?" Elsa called when she didn't hear from him. "What's down there?"

"It's some sort of a plant," he answered and the echo of his voice bounced off the walls.

She decided to take the chance and jumped in as well.

"Ow," he complained when her foot hit his face.

"Sorry."

"Per Hermione, there were a bunch of traps and challenges down here, but she said that they disabled them all. How is this plant still alive?"

"How did they get through it before?"

"She didn't say."

The thick tendrils crept up their arms and legs and squeezed.

Elsa yelped. "We need to find a way out of it before it strangles us."

"That's the idea." As Jack struggled, the plant tightened around him even more. "Ideas would be welcome about now."

Elsa tried to free her hands, but for each tendril she removed, two more wrapped around her. "Jack, it's got me."

"Let's freeze it."

They both used their powers on the plant, which finally made it stop moving but it was still holding them hostage.

"Give it all you've got, Elsa," he encouraged. "Make it colder."

She gritted her teeth, and with a small scream, released a wave of frigidness that would have killed anything alive in the vicinity. They struggled again and this time, the frozen plant shattered, releasing them from its prison.

"Nice," he complimented, shaking broken bits of the plant off his robes. "You're one cool sister to have."

She groaned at his joke and pushed him through a stone passageway which was now coated in a thick layer of ice. They lit their wands and proceeded into a chamber with a high ceiling where a heavy wooden door was slightly ajar.

Jack's voice echoed in the stone room. "Since the plant was still here, do you think the other challenges will be too?"

They walked into a large chamber framed by tall statues of chess pieces. Their wands illuminated black and white tiles on the floor and a few overturned statues at the edges.

"Giant chess?" Jack asked, looking around. "Who can move pieces that big? Do you think there are actual Giants here?"

They held their breaths and waited, inspecting all shadows for signs of movement but there was no evidence of anyone having been there in a long time. The air was musty and a thick layer of dust covered the floor. When nothing happened, they breathed a sigh of relief and walked across.

"Strange challenge," Elsa mused while Jack kicked a jagged piece of rock and cried out in pain. "You forgot you don't have shoes on, huh?"

He tried to cover up his embarrassment by jumping from square to square. "Did it on purpose."

They passed through more chambers, one which smelled so bad, they ran through it to be able to breathe again, and one which had sinister scorch marks left behind on the floor. The last door led them down stone steps to a large empty chamber. And right there is where they saw what they were looking for, waiting for them so enticingly available, it seemed too easy. A framed mirror, larger than them, stood at the center of an empty chamber, illuminated by a spotlight that didn't have a source.

Their blood sang as one, their hearts finally on the same page after months of separation because once again they had the same goal: to find their blood, their family, their father.