Only The Beginning

Hidden Places

It was midafternoon when she finally awoke, it had been no more than a few hours, her mind felt fuzzy telling her to go back to sleep. Olive rubbed her eyes and sat up, she couldn't sleep any more, she had to get Professor Fig and that book to the Map Chamber.

Professor Fig. She groaned and put her head in her hands. While she did not regret what she did, the thought of seeing his disappointed face at her ignoring his direction made her stomach turn. Olive changed out of her dirty robes, brushed the leftover cobwebs out of her hair and washed the grime off her face all while giving herself a pep talk.

She took her time walking to the DADA tower, silently hoping in her mind that Fig would not be in his classroom if she walked slow enough. However the sooner she got there, the sooner her punishment would be over, and they could bring the book to the Map Chamber. She took a deep breath, hands shaking ever so slightly, and pushed open the door to Professor Fig's classroom and made her way up to his office.

He was indeed inside, seated at his desk grading the scrolls of work students had completed. He lifted his head at her arrival, "Olive, what a surprise, I figured you'd still be asleep by now." He smiled kindly at her, but she said nothing.

"What is it? Did something happen?" She had his full attention now, there was no getting out of this one.

"Professor I... I disobeyed your instructions. I found the cave Anne mentioned, I met Jackdaw's ghost, and he took me to where he died to retrieve the pages. I defeated the guardians who were protecting a portal to a place called the Map Chamber, it's below Hogwarts." She kept her eyes on the floor.

"You did what?" His voice raised slightly, and she flinched involuntarily, Fig noticed. Whenever she disobeyed Mrs.Noxis, she was punished. She waited, but nothing came.

"I'm not angry." Not a full truth, but his voice was softer. "My biggest concern is your safety, I worry, that's why I get upset." Fig sighed "Although, I can see why you wouldn't want an old man like me tagging along." He chuckled. "Now, why don't you tell me about this Map Chamber."

"Actually Sir, it's better if I show you. Bring the book with you, I'll explain more on the way." He plucked the tome off his desk and allowed the young girl to lead the way.

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"And that's when I met Professor Rackham, or at least his portrait. He said he could tell me no more until I returned with the book, and that it would all make sense then." Olive's voice echoed around the dungeons as she led Fig into the white marble room and down the stairs into the Map Chamber.

Upon entering the rotunda, Fig was shocked into silence as he took in the grandness "Who could have imagined it was here..." he whispered to himself as he looked around in wonder.

It was as though the pedestal at the top of the stairs sensed the book in Figs hands as it came to life with blue light and swirls of magic, Olive heard the faint whispers coming from it. Professor Fig gently placed the book upon the pedestal and a blinding light shot up illuminating the room, the swirls of magic twisted down the stone and the stairs. Once it hit the glass floor the magic exploded into what looked like thousands of little stars dancing across the space. Fig hobbled down the stairs, Olive not far behind, the floor now rippling like water wherever they stepped.

"Merlin's beard."

The further Fig walked on the glass floor, the stars started to come together, forming a picture, buildings, paths, mountains, it was creating a map. "This is Hogsmeade over here, and the Forbidden Forest." he said excitedly as he scampered around the newly formed map.

"Hogwarts." Olive said as she looked down on the familiar castle with curiosity.

"Welcome back. I see you've brought the book back, along with a new face." The booming voice of Percival Rackham was heard as he stepped into his portrait.