The Keeper and the Monster

Chapter 4: The thief

There was a crash in the library at noon. Furious, Madam Agnes Scribner rushed upstairs where she heard the noise, calling after Peeves. Nevertheless, the Poltergeist was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the body of a student was laying on the floor, surrounded by books damaged by their fall.

"What is happening here? Is... Is that you, Mr Gaunt?"

When she realised the poor boy had fell, she helped him right away.

"My apologies, Mrs Scribner. I was searching for History of Magic books and I didn't notice this pile over here. I can help you fix them." He showed the books, but in the wrong direction.

Always well-mannered, this boy. The librarian was quite fond of him. Of the whole Gaunt family, really, as they were all charming.

"Do not worry about these, I will manage. Tell me about what you are looking for, and I will help you find those books you need."

She had no idea that was a diversion.

At that very moment, Ophelia had been able to enter the Restricted Section with Scribner's key and was looking for Marvolo's coveted book.

The nostalgia hit hard. Hidden by a disillusionment charm, she walked by this volume, the one enchanted to look interesting. "I stole it twice" had said Sebastian – or something like that. Damn, that was only a year ago. If she could go back in time... would she, though? No, it wasn't worth all the suffering that came after. Nothing would have stopped him anyway. Those early times, happy times with Sebastian came with a painful price.

She went downstairs. There were no ghost guarding the corridors this time. She hurriedly checked the bookshelves – so many books, so little time. There sure were a lot of dark arts books for a school library, no wonder some students thought dark magic wasn't that big of a deal. Not to defend anyone – because in the end, it was just common sense.
It was in the bloody name: DARK arts. "I also hear arts" would have said Sebastian. She slapped her foreheard to get him out of her head.

Some books were covered in dust, untouched for years. Ominis had warned her not to touch any other book, as some of them were actual weapons. Seba... Someone had once told her one of grimoires yelled so loud when he opened it that he didn't event try to hide from Scribner and accepted his fate.

She walked by a mermaid statue, still unsuccessful with her search. Ominis wouldn't be able to keep the librarian forever and she'd eventually notice her missing key. She tried to cast accio on the book once again, but nothing happened.
Except for a wooden noise.
She stopped in her tracks and turned around.

Something was trembling: the Mermaid statue. Or was it stuffed? Dear. Nerida Roberts had some work to do. Anyway, she came closer to this... thing, and it stopped moving. She casted Accio again, and it shook again. The pedestal: some books where inside the pedestal.

How fitting. A book about mysteries and revelations that was mysteriously hidden.

She lifted the mermaid – "Sorry, ma'am" – and found a small opening under the wooden base. She opened it to find the "Mysterious Spellbook of the Darkest Revelations ~ and Other Secret places". She took it and put it in her bag with a victorious smile.
There was another book inside with a very similar cover. She read the title: "Mysterious Spellbook of the Darkest Secret Curses ~ and Some of Their Counter spells." Her smile solidified in an ugly grimace. Had he ever found this book? She hoped so. She hoped he stole it and she hoped nothing was in there to help Anne. She hoped he hadn't missed the only book that could have prevented all that happened last year.
She put it in her bag as well, this time with trembling hands, and hurried upstairs.