Redemption II

Chapter 78

Hermione slowly released Severus' hand when they came to the center of the entrance hall. Her heart was beating excitedly. The castle's first floor was nearly intact, aside from some dust looming in the air it looked suspiciously maintained. The entrance hall was brightly lit with beautiful colors that came to life from the rounded glass ceiling three stories up. The designs too far away to clearly discern from the first floor. The grand winding staircase was broken but the debris had been cleared away to someplace unknown. Two large golden doors sat straight ahead on the first floor gleaming in the light and calling to them both.

Two large circular stones held center stage, one black the other white. Inside each one stood the eye Hermione had seen from Severus' ancestry book. The black held the seers' eye while the white held the legilimens' eye. Her mind cycled through the blueprints before she was able to guess what lied just beyond.

"It's...the Oracle's room..." Hermione kept her voice a low whisper, she didn't know why but she it didn't feel right to speak too loudly in the otherwise silent hall. She turned her eyes up to gauge Severus' reaction but his face was only furrowed with concentration.

Severus only gave her a sage nod before turning his head toward the east wing, or rather where the east wing should have been. It appeared as though the stone steps missing from the staircase had been used to block off the large archway. As amazed as he was, there was a niggling in the back of his mind. Who or what had done it, more so, why was this room so well maintained?

"We're not alone here...keep on your guard."

Hermione nodded slowly and took a small step forward, the feeling of stone shifted to tile underfoot and she turned her head down to the elaborate design that had been made on the floor. Her brow furrowed as she recognized the lunar and solar designs and she lowered down onto one knee to touch one of the embedded stones. Her brain clicked away for a long moment before she gasped softly and turned her head up towards the skylight.

"This... this is what places the wards over the entire town...look Severus." Hermione pointed to one of the stones just ahead of her that was partially glowing from the light that shined down from above.

Severus turned his head away from the west wing to join in her observation, his head tilted to see the same patterns and sigils she had, "You're right..." Even for a learned man as he, he couldn't help but appreciate with quiet awe at the magical power held just beneath their feet. So many ancient magic lost to the ages hidden away here.

"We must be sure to be out before sundown." He kept his voice just as low as hers as he came around to look at the design from a new angle. His eyes narrowed as he followed the winding paths in the design, "I don't think we'll be able to leave the castle after that..."

"Noted..." Hermione swallowed slowly, coming back to her feet, "Do you...do you think they would have put the orb or stone inside there? They didn't exactly hide this one..." She pointed behind him to the golden doors.

"It's possible..." Severus nodded his head turning to look at the doors while Hermione came back to his side. The entire air of the place felt heavy, as if something very powerful and very dark had happened there. Severus took a deep breath and placed his hand on the door, a quick glance to his side brought Hermione's focused face into his line of sight. He let out a small noise as he tried to turn the handle but found that it wouldn't move an inch.

"It's locked?"

"I don't know, alohamora." Severus pointed his wand at the door but it still didn't budge, he released it with a small sigh turning his head up to try and decipher the markings over the frame.