Hogwarts Mystery: hide-and-seek

Year III: I'm happy too! Now, let's fight!

Clytemnestra: And are you happy?
Cassandra: I could kill you.

— Dacia Maraini, "Dreams of Clytemnestra"

I pushed aside another stack of papers that had taken over the room. They were scattered everywhere — on the desk, the shelves, pinned to corkboards and walls. Jacob's notes had invaded the space, filled with cryptic codes, torn book pages, and fragments from his journals. Unbelievable! For the first time in years, my brother felt so close.

Ah-choo! Tulip sneezed, hastily covering her mouth with her hand. Even my own nose couldn't escape the onslaught of dust. It hung in the air, lurking in every nook and cranny, dense and dark like ashes.

The room was a complete mess, and in the midst of it all, a massive map of Hogwarts hung on the wall, adorned with flags and markings, just like a real treasure map. Tulip was studying it intently, as if seeing it for the first time, as if she hadn't been here before.

"Do you see all these markings?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the castle's layout. "Your brother is mad. In a good way."

I hummed, then reached for the handle of the drawer and pulled it open. Inside was a jumble of papers, schematics, and drawings, again.

Unexpectedly, among them, I caught sight of our family photo: the cozy living room, Jacob and me, Mom and Dad. Our father's presence was only a guess on my part, as his face had been deliberately charred away with a fiery spell. I swiftly tucked the photograph into my pocket, making sure Tulip didn't see it.

"Has Merula already gone through all of this?" I finally asked.

Karasu let out a weary sigh, tearing her gaze away from the map. The absence of a response spoke volumes. So, Snyde had already been poking around Jacob's things, huh? Did she come across his sketches and notes about the Cursed Vaults?

As I continued rummaging through Jacob's belongings, my anger began to fade when my attention was drawn to yet another photograph.

Thump!

My heart skipped a beat as the photo came to life. There we were, Jacob and I, jumping up and down and grinning at Mom. She must have thought it was because we were excited. Mischievous, giggling, and making silly faces at each other. Little did she know, Jacob was hiding a Fanged Frisbee behind his back.

A faint smile tugged at my lips. Back then, I had no idea the Frisbee wasn't the only thing he was hiding.

"She hasn't taken a thing, Mia Gelider," Tulip suddenly interjected. Her gaze wandered around the room, lingering on particularly peculiar drawings. "And she won't be taking anything anymore, not without a key. You should have seen the look on her face when that Dungbomb exploded!"

That's how we acquired the second key — by hurling Tulip's ingeniously crafted Dungbomb at the trio of Slytherins. Taking cover behind a column, Tulip and I watched with glee as the unbearable stench engulfed them, like fire consuming wood in a fierce blaze. Ismelda emerged first, her face a sickly shade of green, contorted in disgust. Barnaby Lee followed suit.

Finally, Merula was left alone, without her loyal guards, and that was precisely what we had been waiting for.

She yelled, "Hey, you cowards! Turn back!"

My arm straightened, wand pointed directly at Merula. We had no interest in a duel (though I must admit, giving Snyde a good thrashing would've been immensely satisfying). Tulip and I had embarked on this entire journey for a different purpose...

"Stupefy! Accio key!"

It landed perfectly in my palm — a duplicate of the key Karasu had been carrying. Finally! We were ready to unlock Jacob's room.

I glanced at the photograph again, where Jacob, barely restraining the Fanged Frisbee, waved at me. My hand instinctively clenched it and tucked it into the pocket of my robe. Merula shouldn't have seen it, right? Memories of our duel resurfaced, and Snyde's face as well as her sharp, hateful gaze at Tulip flashed through my mind.

Her words pierced the air like the screech of a thunderbird: "Watch this one, Gelider. It's only a matter of time before she stabs you in the back."

That was the first time I saw Tulip trembling.