Henbane Academy

25 September

Cronus Hall; Professor Norton's Office

'You're pleased we've been called here.'

'You're not,' William replied just as bluntly. 'Are you—'

'No,' I wasn't nervous. Not one bit. 'Are you?'

'No,' his shoulders slumped in defeat and we fell into a painful silence we hadn't met in quite some time. Thankfully it didn't have time to settle. Professor Norton burst into the room, eyes wild and determined.

'Good. You lot are here,' he ran a hand up his face, and through his hair, all while leaning against the door for support. I'd never seen the professor so disheveled. 'Come on, let's go,' he waved us over. 'What are you waiting for?' We exchanged worried glances. 'Both of you! Let's go!'

'You're the one asking for my cooperation,' the professor fumed as we followed him in his wake. 'This way,' we turned a corner.

'Sir, what's happened?'

'Take a look for yourself Mr. Hawley.'

As soon as we entered the side of Asclepius that held dead bodies, our questions only grew.

'Is it so hard for you to knock, Norton?' Dr. Longstone said in exasperation, nearly toppling the stack of files beside him.

'Not now Ben,' he continued his sharp strides across the room. 'I need her forensic tests,' he waved distractedly at the metal table obscured from our view.

'Second drawer on the left,' Dr, Longstone huffed and proceeded to wipe his glasses. 'What are you two doing here?'

'We honestly have no idea sir.'

'You're here for the body of course,' Professor Norton steered the body over. 'Do you recognise who this is?' On the table was a charred skeleton. For all we knew, it could be one of the specimens Dr. Brown kept for her anatomy lessons. 'Do you recognise her now?' He held up a photograph of a third year. It was one of Mary-Lou's friends. A bright girl who worked hard and refused to be known for her family's title.

'Adelia Rose,' William muttered next to me before his eyes widened in fear. 'Is that her?'

'It certainly seems so. Unless our professors here have arranged this with the intent to mock us on pursuing the Grim as a project.' which in its own right was absurd. It always surprised me that I had the ability to speak calmly when sirens were going round in my head.

'I'm sorry?'

'You asked for the faculty's help in your project. But don't expect anymore favours coming from me.,'

'Sir, we never asked for help,' William spoke up. 'Miss Cunningham only asked for permission to pursue the project.

'Well,' Professor Norton huffed indignantly. 'Some people really can't appreciate help.' He plucked a letter from his coat pocket and thrust it in my hands. 'This was found with Miss Rose's skeleton.'

The dead they whisper,

They crawl and they see

10 bodies turned 35

On the count of three

Down beneath the willow

Where the dead and the young go

One to lay in peace

Another drowning in sorrow

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock