KEEP IT, LOSE IT (HOGWARTS LEGACY FANFICTION)

Chapter Thirty

As they descended deeper into the glowing cavern, Ominis couldn't shake the thought of Richard's warning about the deadly breeze. 

"I can't stop thinking about that so-called 'refreshing breeze.' " he muttered, his tone dry. "We've been walking for ages, and I haven't felt a thing. Perhaps it's just waiting for the perfect moment to knock our heads off."

Sebastian chuckled, but his eyes remained sharp as he scanned the surroundings. "Maybe it's just playing. Wouldn't want to make it too easy for us, right?"

Mary, her face more serious, was on high alert, silently casting Revelio in her mind as they moved. The familiar golden wave of magic swept out, but to her relief, nothing triggered. 

"So far, so good," she said quietly, her gaze still darting to every shadowy corner. "But stay sharp. We don't know what's ahead."

As they continued down the path, the cavern opened up into a massive expanse that took their breath away. The scale was overwhelming—vast platforms of stone connected by narrow bridges and towering columns that seemed to stretch endlessly into the depths below. Luminescent moss covered the walls, casting an ethereal light across the cavern. It was both beautiful and daunting.

Sebastian whistled in awe. "This place is enormous. We'll be here all night at this rate."

Ominis shook his head, his voice tinged with disbelief. "And here I thought getting through the forest was going to be the hardest part."

Mary nodded, taking in the overwhelming sight. "It's impressive, but it also means this isn't going to be easy. Whatever the Keepers have hidden here, they've made sure only the most determined will reach it."

As they descended further, they were greeted by an unexpected sight—an ornate golden door, intricately designed with symbols matching the architecture of the Map Chamber. It stood tall and imposing, clearly created by the Keepers.

The door was surrounded by three spherical devices made of the same golden metal, each adorned with a glowing rune. Two spheres were to the left, and one to the right, their purpose clear to Mary: they needed to be activated to open the door.

"Looks like we've got some Keeper puzzles to solve," Mary said, her voice filled with determination. She turned to Sebastian and Ominis. "We need to hit these spheres with magic. That should trigger the mechanism to open the door."

Sebastian grinned and readied his wand. "I've got this one." He fired a precise Depulso at the sphere on the left, causing it to hum with energy as the rune glowed brighter.

Ominis, not one to be outdone, aimed at the other left sphere. "I'll take this one." With a swift Accio, the sphere shifted and locked into place, also glowing with the Keeper's magic.

Mary aimed her wand at the final sphere on the right and cast Levioso. The sphere rose slightly, illuminating with the same golden light as the others. The ground beneath them trembled slightly as the door responded to the combined magic, slowly sliding open with a low, resonating sound.

As the door revealed a pathway beyond, Sebastian smirked, casting a glance at Ominis. "Do you think Richard had any clue how to open this thing? I bet he was scratching his head for hours."

Ominis snorted, shaking his head. "There's no way. He could barely remember whether 'adieu' was Latin or Greek. This would have stumped him for sure."

Mary shot them both a stern look as she stepped through the door first. "You two should really stop underestimating people. Besides, if Richard made it this far, he must've had some smarts."

Sebastian and Ominis exchanged sheepish glances as they followed her through the now-open door. "All right, all right," Sebastian muttered. "But I still think he was just lucky."

"Or stubborn," Ominis added with a wry smile. "Kind of like us."

Mary couldn't help but laugh at that, the tension easing slightly as they ventured deeper into the unknown