Shattered Bonds

26| The Unseen Forces

The following morning, the air inside the Slytherin common room was thick with anticipation. Draco, Mattheo, Pansy, and Faith gathered around the table once more, the journal still open, its cryptic warnings etched in their minds. The map they'd discovered last night had ignited a burning curiosity, one that was hard to ignore, despite the dangers they knew lay ahead.

Draco tapped his fingers on the table, the sound echoing through the dimly lit room. "We need a plan. We can't just go charging into these chambers without knowing what we're up against."

Faith sat across from him, her brow furrowed. "There's still so much we don't understand. Snape said there was a force older than the Founders—what if it's been lying dormant, waiting for someone to awaken it?"

Mattheo leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "The question is, why now? If Snape knew about this years ago, why didn't he do more to stop it?"

"Maybe he couldn't," Pansy suggested quietly. "Maybe he was waiting for the right moment—or for us to figure it out."

Draco stood up abruptly, pacing the length of the room. "Whatever the reason, we're involved now. We've triggered something. That guardian wouldn't have appeared if we weren't close to uncovering something important."

Faith's thoughts were scattered, her mind replaying the events from the previous night. She felt a strange connection to the dark magic they had encountered, as if it resonated with some hidden part of her. It wasn't something she could easily explain, but it unsettled her.

"We need to go back down," Faith finally said, her voice steady but tinged with fear. "We have to follow the map. If Snape thought this was important enough to protect, then it's important enough for us to understand."

Draco stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression serious. "Are you sure? You barely made it out last time."

Faith nodded, determination flaring in her chest. "We don't have a choice."

Mattheo pushed back his chair, standing up. "Then it's settled. We'll gather supplies and head back down tonight. But we need to be prepared for whatever we find."

The group dispersed, each heading off to gather whatever they thought might help them on their descent into the unknown depths of Hogwarts. Faith felt a tight knot of anxiety in her chest as she walked the corridors, her mind racing with questions about what lay beneath the castle and what it had to do with Snape's cryptic warnings.

---

Nightfall came too quickly. The four of them regrouped by the entrance to the hidden passage they had discovered the night before, their wands at the ready. The air was cooler than usual, a faint breeze swirling around them as they descended into the shadows once more.

Faith led the way, her heart pounding with each step. The narrow tunnel stretched on, its walls damp and ancient, as if the very stones had borne witness to secrets lost to time. The path eventually widened into a larger chamber, the one they had seen on the map—a place far beneath the castle that felt untouched by any living soul for centuries.

"This is it," Draco said, his voice barely above a whisper. He held up the map, comparing the markings to their surroundings. "The hidden chamber should be just beyond this door."

Faith stared at the massive stone door before them. It was engraved with ancient runes, symbols of protection and power, similar to the ones Snape had used in his journal. She could feel the magic radiating off the surface, pulsing in time with her own heartbeat.

"I've seen this before," Faith said, stepping closer. "These runes—they're designed to repel anyone who isn't meant to enter."

Mattheo stepped forward, examining the door. "And yet Snape left the map, knowing we would find it. That means there has to be a way through."

Draco raised his wand, his voice low and commanding as he spoke the countercurse they had practiced earlier. The runes on the door glowed faintly, their light flickering like dying embers before slowly dimming. The door creaked open with a groan, revealing a dark hallway beyond.

"Let's go," Draco said, his voice firm.

As they stepped through the doorway, the temperature dropped even further, the air thick with ancient magic that seemed to swirl around them. Faith's breath caught in her throat as they moved deeper into the chamber, their footsteps echoing ominously in the silence.

The hallway led to another room, even larger than the one before. The ceiling was high, and the walls were lined with more runes, glowing faintly in the darkness. In the center of the room stood a large stone pedestal, and atop it lay a small, intricately carved box.

"That's it," Mattheo whispered. "That's what Snape was hiding."

Faith moved cautiously toward the pedestal, her hand trembling as she reached out to touch the box. The moment her fingers brushed against it, the runes on the walls flared to life, casting an eerie glow across the chamber. The ground beneath their feet rumbled, and a low, guttural growl echoed through the room.

"Something's coming," Pansy said, her voice shaking as she backed away from the pedestal.

Faith's pulse quickened. She grabbed the box and stepped back, her wand raised as the growl grew louder. From the shadows, a figure emerged—a massive, hulking creature with eyes that glowed like molten lava. It was made of the same dark energy as the guardian they had encountered before, but this one was far more dangerous, far more powerful.

"Run!" Draco shouted, grabbing Faith's arm and pulling her toward the exit.

They sprinted down the hallway, the creature's footsteps shaking the very ground beneath them as it gave chase. Faith's mind raced, searching for a way out, for a spell that could stop the thing from tearing them apart. But nothing came to her—nothing but fear.

As they reached the door, Mattheo slammed it shut behind them, sealing the creature inside. The walls shook as it pounded against the stone, but the door held.

"We need to get out of here," Pansy said, breathless and wide-eyed.

Faith clutched the box tightly, her heart still racing. "We can't leave yet. We have to know what's inside this."

Draco glanced at her, his expression torn between frustration and agreement. "Not here. We'll go back to the common room and figure it out."

Faith nodded, though a part of her still felt the weight of what they had unleashed down in the depths of the castle. As they made their way back up through the tunnels, she couldn't shake the feeling that they had only just begun to uncover the true darkness lurking beneath Hogwarts.

And whatever they had awoken—it wasn't going to rest until it had found them.