Change - James F. Potter

Chapter 15: Dumbledore's Map

The Video does not belong to me and its only purpose is that this is what I was watching as I wrote this. Also, the Brooklyn 99 cold openings are the best things ever

Cassie's POV:

"So, where do we think he went?"

The crowd that had gathered in the common room had long since dispersed and with around an hour left until dinner, we were determined to find where Remus had gone. He had not shown up in the crowd and was not in the boy's dormitory, so we could rule out the Gryffindor tower. He would not be in the library due to the... accident... that had occurred. With those two places eliminated, we were left with only the rest of the castle to search.

"Maybe we should split up?" James suggested. I nodded and chewed on my bottom lip. That was the fastest way to search the whole castle.

The three of us nodded at each other and walked over to the portrait hole.

"I'll take the top two floors," I began giving orders, "Sirius you can take the fourth and fifth floors, and James, you take the second and third. If we don't find him, we can meet up at the ground floor and search for him on our way to dinner."

Since I had given myself the sixth and seventh floors, I got the chance to explore the map Dumbledore had given me. It depicted a hidden corridor on the seventh floor that would eventually lead me to the portrait of a pear. Once I reached the pear, I would have to tickle it, and only then would it grant me access to the kitchens.

I began my search for Remus by looking behind the statues and tapestries that decorated the walls of the seventh-floor corridor. Not many students were around and for that I was grateful. After being around so many people for so long, it was nice to get some time alone. As much as I thrived on social interaction, even I needed my breaks. Sirius was the same. He was one of the few people I could stand to be with for hours on end without getting bored or tired of his company. With him, the hours turn into seconds and the miles turn into feet. He is what makes me me and quite literally the other half of me.

I am only halfway through the corridor before my thoughts are completely lost. The search for Remus seems to fade from my thoughts as I am entranced by the beauty of Hogwarts. Tapestries embroidered with otherworldly colors enchant the walls and make me feel as if I am in another world, one much better than my own.

Something makes me stop in front of a tapestry depicting a wizard and his attempt to teach ballet to trolls. Not sure what drew me to the tapestry, I study the scene. It is a rather funny scene and I find myself giggling at it before I dismiss the idea of something drawing me to it. How silly to think that there could be something drawing me to the tapestry. It was just art after all.

My stride becomes longer as I reach the end of the corridor. I look down at the map to see that I am indeed in the right place but I see no entrance. Scratching my head, I study the map once more. It does not make sense, how could the kitchens be located here? On the other side of this wall was a hundred-foot drop.

Reaching toward the tapestry, I realize it could be similar to the wall the boys and I fell through earlier. Seeing my fingers pass through the artwork tells me I am right. Taking a deep breath, I step fully through the tapestry, trusting that Dumbledor would not lead me to my own demise.

The feeling in my stomach is similar to that of apparating and when I open my eyes, I find that I am no longer on the seventh floor. The stone below me is cold and the air reminds me of that in the dungeons where potions were taught. There is no light to see where I am going so I walk in a straight line until I find a torch. When I reach out to touch the torch, it lights up with flames. The other torches lining the walls light up mere seconds later and I see that I am in a dark corridor and most likely underground.