(HOGWARTS MYSTERY) Janelle Morgan -- Year 1: The Forbidden Corridor

Chapter 14: Compensation Over Expulsion

I couldn't sleep that night. I was so giddy with happiness that I couldn't get my mind and body to shut down. Ben, Rowan, and I had finally found proof that the Cursed Vaults existed, and it totally changed how I had been thinking of my brother all these years...

Jacob wasn't crazy, after all! If only there was a way that I could tell him...

The next morning, I packed my bags to get ready to head back home with the rest of my fellow Gryffindors. As we were packing, Rowan and I talked about our summer holidays and how we believed that we got away with it last night, when we entered the forbidden corridor without getting caught. Before we left the Common Room, we were certain that everyone was asleep, and there was no one in the corridors, not even Mr. Filch, as we headed to and from the forbidden corridor. Even Ben Copper was less nervous about our chances of getting caught once we returned to the Common Room without running into anyone.

On the way to lunch with Rowan, I saw Angie running toward us. At first, I was excited to see her, but when I noticed the look on her face, I wasn't as thrilled. Somehow, I knew why she looked so disappointed... She found out, but how, I didn't know.

"Jane!" she called to me in the corridor. "We need to talk!" The tone in her voice indicated that it wasn't a request.

I told Rowan to go ahead to lunch without me before I hesitantly approached my prefect. "Hey," I greeted her somewhat guiltily.

"Hey," she responded indifferently before she began a long spiel that I was sure I was going to avoid, but I was wrong. "I warned you that word travels fast at Hogwarts, Jane. There is a rumor going around that there is what people call 'cursed ice' at Hogwarts, and that it could be connected to a cursed vault. Now, I'm not a hundred percent certain whether this is true, but what is true is that you, Rowan Khanna, and Ben Copper were seen sneaking out of the Gryffindor Common Room after hours and into the forbidden corridor last night, and that you were followed by Merula Snyde. Would you care to explain what happened?"

I was in total disbelief. How in the name of Merlin did she find out? How did anyone? There wasn't anyone in the corridors last night...was there?

"Please, Jane," she said, noticing my silence. "I need to know the truth. It will greatly damage our relationship if you lie to me."

I sighed. I didn't want to lie to her, as we had just become friends, so I felt like I had no choice but to admit my guilt. "Yes, but it was my idea. I thought the corridor was connected to the Cursed Vaults and was hoping to find a clue about my brother." I neglected to tell her that I had, indeed, found said clue, that being the cursed ice.

"I understand why you did it," Angie nodded, "but you have to realize that you represent all of Gryffindor. Professor Dumbledore has requested to see you later this evening. Here is his message that Professor McGonagall asked me to give you." She handed me a folded-up piece of paper that had my full first and last name written in neat handwriting.

"Why does he want to see me?" I asked nervously. Wasn't he busy writing letters to the Ministry?

Or worse, he was writing a letter to Mum, telling her not to bother sending me back to Hogwarts next year, because I was to be expelled.

Would Rowan and Ben be punished as well? If that was the case, I didn't think it was fair, seeing as I asked them to come with me, and I didn't want them to take the fall with me.

"I assume to talk about what did or did not happen in that corridor," Angie said with a shrug.

I sighed again, this time with tears pricking my eyes over the fear of losing a friend and getting expelled on top of that. "I'm sorry, Angie. You've been a good friend to me, and I—"