The Shadow of Slytherin

An eventful night

Since some of the pages are missing, you have spoken with Professor Fig and he suggests you spend some time catching up on your school work while he does more research.

You agree, but realise soon enough that peace and quiet are not in the curriculum. Thus you find yourself in the squid cave underneath Hogwarts when a house elf named Scrope approaches you about a ring stolen from his late mistress, and end up meeting a young student named Richard Jackdaw, who died about 50 or even a hundred years ago.

In other words, you are off to another adventure when Jackdaw tells you he had the missing pages on him when he died, and you need to retrieve them. He will show you, but not at Hogwarts, no, that would be too easy, instead, you may meet him at midnight in the forbidden forest.

***

Stumbling through the dark of the common room, you strap on your gear and head out, midnight, Richard Jackdaw had said, and you want to be on time. Although even Professor Fig had his doubts about the adventure, as you told him, of course, you are certain Jackdaw did not lie to you, at least you hope so.

"Where are you off to?" The sleepy voice of Sebastian comes to your ears as you cross the broad space of the common room and want to head out the door. "Salem?"

"Sh, people are sleeping" you say as you step closer, noticing the deep dark circles under his eyes, "When was the last time you've slept?"

The light of the fire place flickers, but it gives enough light to spot his tired smile as he rises from the ground and drags himself over to you. "I'll get dressed"

"What?" Perplexed you look in his direction while he walks back to his dorm. "No, it's nothing, just an errand. Sebastian!"

Halted in his path, Sebastian turns around and stares at you. The tired eyes inspecting you from head to toe, he shakes his head at the gear you have put on, the dark cloak you found on one of your previous adventures. "And what could bring you, Salem Morningstar, to leave your bed at this hour, alone?" A dark shimmer rises in his eyes as he approaches you, the freckles so close, you become cross eyed for a moment in an attempt to count them. "So? It's Gray, right?"

"Are you joking?" The eyes lingering on Sebastian's, you notice in what bad condition he is, his head no higher than yours even though he is taller, the entire body drooping as he keeps himself up straight, swaying. "Sebastian, you need sleep, go to bed"

"No, you're not going without me"

A sigh rolls over your lips. "Fine, go get dressed" Following him along to his dorm, you pull out your wand as he gets some trousers from the trunk before his bed, "I'm sorry, you need this" Pointing the wand at Sebastian as he turns around, you press your lips together, dormi nunc. The words roll over your lips with such ease, you barely have time to catch Sebastian before he drops.

Careful to not hit his head, you lift him onto the bed and drape his blanket over the body.

"Sebastian, is that you?" the half asleep voice of Ominis rings in your ear.

***

Quiet not to disturb any other students, you hush out of the dorm to meet with Richard Jackdaw at the edge of the forbidden forest. As usual, you do not use any light while wandering the school grounds, however, you feel watched and use revelio to find out if anything is nearby, but spot nothing other than a crow flying over your head and land on the path near you. At first you ignore it, but when the giant bird follows you, your eyes remain on the creature.

One hand in your pocket, you pull out some bread crumbs that have found their place in the cloak after you took the toast from Scrope to feed the squid statue before the entrance of the Squid Cave.