𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑 || 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰

Chapter Forty: The Final Repository

Chapter Forty

Tw: angsty stuff up ahead 😭

Matty raced back to the Map Chamber as fast as she could. She had the wand, Rookwood was dead, and she was one step closer to being able to get to the Repository and protect it from Ranrok.

She ran down the stairs of the chamber and over to Professor Fig, who had waited there for her for quite some time. He was beginning to grow concerned with how long she had taken-not knowing what had happened with Victor Rookwood. When he saw her with cuts all up on her arms and slightly bruised from the fight, he looked concerned.

"What in Godric's name happened to you?" He asked with concern in his tone.

"Professor! You won't believe what happened. I was at Ollivanders and I got the wand and then Victor Rookwood showed up, confronted me, and brought me to some poacher camp-at first he was trying to convince me to join him but of course, I said no and then he and his poacher lot attacked me!" Matty blurted out, going on a ramble about what happened. "But I stopped him, he's dead."

Professor Fig furrowed his brows as if it was all a lot to take in at one moment-which it was. "Godric's heart. Are you all right? I know you're well able to defend yourself, I've seen it often enough-but Rookwood himself?"

Matty nodded her head. "I know, I know but I had to defend myself. I wasn't just about to let him find the repository, he would've killed me after, if not before." She answered. "Speaking of the Repository-I'm ready. I have the wand."

Professor Fig and Matty turned to the portraits of the Keepers. Matty had done everything they wanted to her do; Found the Map Chamber, completed all four trials, viewed all the memories, and so much more. She was ready for this; she was ready to take down Ranrok and keep the magic that could harm so many away from him.

Driven by several months of torment, she was ready to end all of this.

"You have completed all of our trials. And you have done so under circumstances even I did not foresee." Percival Rackham spoke. "You understand, now, why all of this was necessary-the Portkey, the vault, the locket, the book, the trials. To ensure that one with the ability you and I share would make the same choice San, Niamh, Charles, and I did."

"Now that you have witnessed my memory, you understand all that is at stake. Not everyone is what they seem." San Bakar stated.

"As you know, light does not exist without shadow nor shadow without light. Simply because you can eliminate darkness does not always mean you should." Niamh Fitzgerald said. That had always been one of Matty's favorite things that Headmistress Fitzgerlad had said.

"Even the most well-meaning and competent amongst us cannot possibly know the consequences of manipulating what should be beyond our reach." Charles Rookwood said.

Matty felt as if this was the Keeper's way of telling her that whatever was in the Repository needed to stay contained. The dangers of if this magic got out were unimaginable.

"What lies in the repository must never be released. Resist the temptation to destroy or control it." Professor Rackham instructed. "The magic that you have so carefully honed must now be used to protect the secret we keep. You have the wand. You will know when to wield it. We leave our legacy in your hands."

Hearing what the Keepers were saying made the situation much more surreal. Suddenly the floor began to change, sinking down to reveal a doorway. This must be the way to under the school and to the repository.

"We can only hope that we're not too late and that we find nothing but a repository, undisturbed, beyond this door." Professor Fig said as they entered the Keepers Cavern.