The Barry Johnson Walter Series Book One: The Beginning

Chapter 8: Ardesco Tower

Chapter 8: Ardesco Tower

After the feast finished the Prefects from each house, there was between three to five for each house, led the way to the common room for each house. The Ardesco common room was located in a tower. To access the common room you would have to go out of the Great Hall and go up the Grand Staircase.

Then from there you would travel to the the seventh floor of the castle, using the staircases that move, to where the entrance to common room of Ardesco Tower is. Before you could enter the common room, you would have to tell a portrait the password, which one of the Prefects was talking about as he led the way up to the tower.

“The portrait requires a password,” he said. “The password is for Ardesco ears, and Ardesco ears only. Don’t repeat it to anyone in any other house. Now the password is 'Animi'. Once you tell the portrait of Sir Caddock, he will open up and reveal a whole in the wall that leads to the common room.”

“That's some password,” Alec mumbled as he and Barry and Ginny were in the back of the group of first years.

“I know,” Barry said as they made their way up another floor. “How many more floors do we have left?” he asked irritated.

“Two more,” another Prefect said from in front of them. This time, the Prefect was a girl.

“ Um thanks,” he muttered embarrassed.

“No problem,” she said. “And I know what you mean. My first year here and I couldn’t wait to get to the common room and dormitories. It seems like a bit of walk to get to the Great Hall every morning, but trust me you get used to it.”

By the time she finished that thy had already reached the seventh floor and were heading towards the end of the corridor.

“You see what I mean?” the female Prefect asked. “By the way my name is Joanna.” she said as she turned to face Barry, Alec and Ginny.

“Nice meeting you,” Barry said as he took in her appearance. She was medium height, had curly blonde hair, and hazel eyes.

She smiled at him, before hurrying to the front of the group as they stopped walking.

“She seems nice,” Ginny said.

“I know,” Barry said as the group of first years starting going through the portrait hole. After he went through he looked around the common room that was occupied by the other students in different years.

The common room was a circular room filled with squashy armchairs, tables and a bulletin where school notices, ads, and posters could be posted. On either side of the common room were a staircase that led to the dormitories. There was also a window overlooking the school grounds, and a large fireplace that dominated one of the walls in the common room. Barry had spotted Sam and Tim sitting in two armchairs sitting by the fireplace.

He assumed they were sitting there to keep warm because, by the sound of it, it was raining pretty good out there.

“Now to the left side of the common room is the staircase that leads to the boys dormitories and to the right is the girl dormitories. When you arrive to your dormitory you will see that your luggage and possessions have already been placed there,” the male Prefect said. “Now I wish you all the best of luck tomorrow for your first day of lessons.” he added, before walking away.

“Well good night,” Ginny said to Barry and Alec as she headed to the girls dormitories.

“Well I suppose we should go and see who we'll be sharing a dormitory with,” Alec said as he gestured to the dormitory staircase.

“We have to eventually,” Barry said. “So it might as well be now.”

Without saying anything else, Barry and Alec headed to their dormitory.

Sorry about the short chapter. I think it's the shortest one in here so far, but I'm typing aead to try and finish this story.