A Ghoul's Warning

Haunting Message

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At least, he thought he was safe until he heard a door slam shut and the floorboards above his head creak with the sound of footsteps that didn't belong to him ...

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Severus' fingers found their way around the shaft of his wand as those dark eyes followed the sound of the footsteps. With each step of the stranger's footsteps the old floorboards flexed and sent a small stream of dust down to the floor near Severus' feet. As the slow footsteps made their way to the stairs where the wand was aimed.

Whoever, or whatever, started walking down the stairs. With each loud step Severus tensed even more. However, right before the being making the thunderous footsteps was about to come into view the sounds suddenly went silent.

A few tense moments passed and Severus slowly backed away. After taking two steps away the phantom footsteps charged down the stairs. Severus turned and ran from the unseen force. Out of the corner of his eye could see that the windows were being shut and locked. With each step he took the lights were also being shut off at the same speed as the thunderous footsteps.

A split second before the unusual darkness consumed him he flicked his wand. The pocket door ahead of him flew open and he skidded into that dark room. Another flick of that wand made the door slam shut and the lights go on.

The professor realized the sound of footsteps stopped the second he got in the room. He turned towards the closing door just in time to see something in the darkness just beyond the door. Before the door slid those last few inches Severus' sharp eyes saw a glimpse of the same Harry Potter with the empty bleeding eye sockets from before. Only difference was that the thing looked deathly white and stood out against the unnatural darkness that surrounded it.

That was the haunting image that lingered in Severus' vision even after the door slammed shut. Severus continued staring at that spot until his heart began to slow down. Finally he turned to the rest of the room, which turned out to be a potion lab. Unfortunately, when the professor started going through his lab to set up a potion he heard scratching against the door.

'Do you see what's wrong, professor?' Severus froze for a moment before reaching forward to grab a cauldron. 'Professor. Come out and see what's wrong. Professor.' The haunting voice stopped, but the eerie clawing at the door didn't.

The grating on the door soon started grating on Severus' nerves as well. However, Severus knew there was only one way to handle this.

First, he had to calm down.

Second, he had to create a rather dark potion.

It was easy to see that this being was strong and wanted to say something. Of course, the potion master was no fool. If this being was just trying to trick him to feed on his fear or flesh then he simply couldn't risk confronting it without subduing it. At least, weakening it so it can't hurt him.

Thus, the potion that Severus was currently gathering ingredients for. It was a powerful potion that will render any being, living or not. Even vampires and ghosts are affected, assuming you can corner them so the fumes make contact.

Severus was positive that this 'Harry' was either a creature or an illusion made by a creature. With the security on his home, especially this room, he knew an illusion couldn't be sent into the house from outside. That could only mean that the creature, probably a very strong one, somehow got inside already. While dangerous he knew this would make it easy to trap it.

Just fill the house with fumes ...

Once the fumes do their job the creature will be greatly weakened and any illusions will vanish. Granted, Severus couldn't be exposed to these fumes either. It'd be very counterproductive if he was incapacitated as well.