A Journey At Hogwarts

XV. Unanswered Questions

Warnings: hospital phobia, mild swearing like once

What happened with Skye last night didn't settle right in Juniper's stomach. She couldn't sleep with her stomach in knots as she tried to soothe herself in a deep sleep from the snores of the other girls.

She was just trying to do the right thing. Helping Rowan find Ben and helping Skye to find out if the Slytherins would sabotage the team or not. That was not her initial intention until Tulip targeted the Gryffindor changing room.

She waved her wand and used the lighting charm to check the clock on her bedside stand. It was midnight. She tossed the bed sheets and grabbed a cardigan as it was chilly. She woke Rowan up.

"Is it time?" Rowan yawned but quickly covered her mouth, not to wake the other girls up.

"Aye," Juniper whispered.

They snuck through the commons room and down the multiple flights of stairs. It would be a pain to guess the riddle correctly when they have to come back though that was currently the least of Juniper's worries.

"I wasn't expecting you to wake me up," Rowan said with slight amusement. However, Juniper's dark eye bags betrayed her. "Usually, I am the one to wake you up."

"Well I thought a change would be nice." Juniper tried to joke despite the tiredness and nauseous feelings.

They journeyed to the East corridor on the fifth floor. The paintings either chatted away, minding their own business or sleeping though there was one or two who minded them creeping a lot. The door had an open gap of bright light flooding in. A chilly breeze sends goosebumps down her arm.

"Someone beat us already."

"Let's have a look anyway." Juniper pushed on. They snuck carefully, avoiding creaks and squeaks that could give away their position on the wooden floor.

Large ice shards marred the corridor like the inner linings of shark teeth. Juniper could see her breath, and at first, she thought her teeth were chattering, but it was Rowan. Their cardigans provided very little warmth.

She looked ahead and saw dirty blond hair attached to a plump face and the red Gryffindor robes ahead.

"I'm so...c-c-c-c-cold..."

"There's Ben!" Juniper pointed out but quickly covered her mouth. Ahead were the distinct figures of Professor McGonagall alongside Professor Snape. His face turned in their direction.

"Hide!" Rowan hissed.

She pulled Juniper behind one of the ice, carefully avoiding its icy touch. She was sure that Professor Snape would be marching over to check out the sound of the source had it not been for Ben being stuck in ice. Had he been here all this time?

"Flipendo!" The Transfiguration teacher tried, but the lack of ice shattering was disturbing. "The knockback jinx always shattered the cursed ice before, but it seems to have become impervious."

"Incendio would melt it away." Juniper could hear the smirk from Professor Snape.

"Along with his flesh." Professor McGonagall sounded appalled by the Potions master's suggestion.

"I never said he would survive." He said sinisterly.

Juniper could imagine the Professor's stern stare at Professor Snape like the one she would give to her students.

"The cursed ice contiunes to spread throughout Hogwarts. Someone has clearly been tampering with the cursed vaults."

Juniper's ears pricked up. The ice was spreading; it explained why the air was chillier than usual at Hogwarts or the teachers hid it well. It frustrated Juniper that someone would blatantly beat her to the cursed vault, yet she was relieved that Ben was found.