Heart of Stone: HPHM Year 6

Heroes

"Do you think R knows?" asked Jacob.

Sarah didn't have an answer. She still wasn't sure what had just happened. Had she just unleashed a new curse on Hogwarts? Who could've created something like that, and why? If R did know what was in the vault, how were they planning to use it?

This wasn't right! It was all supposed to be over now. She was supposed to finally have the answers, not more questions.

"We've got to seal this place back up," said Ben at last.

"Is the statue curse lifted?" Barnaby asked. "It doesn't feel like we did anything."

Sarah's head ached. "Every other vault's curse lifted once I touched the column. I think..."

"So, how do we destroy this place?" asked Merula.

"You don't."

Sarah's wand twitched in her hand.

Rakepick strode forward, as majestic and cocky as always, though her red hair was sopping wet from her journey across the lake.

"YOU!" Merula's wand slashed through the air. "Cruc--!"

Rakepick moved like lightning. Merula was paralyzed mid-word. Barnaby dove forward to catch her before her head hit the stone floor.

Jacob and Ben already raised their wands to engage Rakepick. Sarah moved to join them. She desperately tried to fight down the panic, but it welled within her. The people she loved most were trapped in a room with the person that had already killed her best friend. She couldn't let it happen again, but she felt powerless to stop it. Rakepick was too strong. The duel was four against one, but the killing curse couldn't be blocked.

"Stupefy!" Rakepick yelled, and Ben crashed to the floor.

Sarah dove to check on him. Thankfully, he hadn't hit his head. She didn't have time to revive him. She only just managed to dive out of the way of a jet of green light that Rakepick fired in her direction.

"Don't you dare!" yelled Jacob.

He fired a stunning spell at Rakepick. She ducked and avoided it by an inch, laughing all the while. Barnaby managed to hit her with a tripping jinx, which bought Sarah enough time to jump to her feet, before Jacob was blasted backward. He slammed into a column and sunk to the floor, unmoving.

"Jacob!" Sarah yelled, searching for a bleeding wound or sign of breathing.

"Watch out!"

Barnaby pushed her out of the way, only to be hit by the stunning spell himself, landing in a heap on the floor. Sarah held out her wand, furious. How many times was somebody else going to have to save her today?

Rakepick regarded her with a malicious grin. "No friends left to protect you, Spellman. Are you going to run again?"

"No," she breathed.

Rakepick laughed. "Doesn't sound like it."

Think, Sarah urged herself. She couldn't fight Rakepick alone. It would take all of them to bring her down, but everyone else was unconscious. She needed time. Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah saw Merula's foot twitch. A little more time.

"How did you even find this place? How'd you get by the grindylows?"

If there was one thing she new about Rakepick, it was that she was vain. Perhaps she could get her to brag long enough for Merula's hex to wear off, then they could revive the others.

"It was quite easy," said Rakepick. "I just had to follow you. The grindylows had all been killed or chased away by the time I arrived. Well done, finding this place by the way. You'd make a resourceful addition to R. "