In Harry Potter as Neville Longbottom - Chapter 86: Hogwarts on High Alert

In the Gryffindor common room, the prefect in the morning put out a notice. The same notice was put up in all four houses, and it had a few guidelines for the students:

1. Students are not allowed to walk out of their dormitories after the curfew time.

2. They must be escorted by a professor before and after the class.

3. All Quidditch and outdoor activities are cancelled.

4. Students must travel in a group of four.

5. Students are strictly forbidden to go inside the dark forest and are advised to not go out of Hogwarts until further notice.

When students woke up the next day, this notice simply amplified the already tense situation.

“How can Headmaster Dumbledore not find the attacker till now?” One student complained.

“I have already written a letter to my family. I want to go back home.” A first-year girl cried and confessed her feelings.

Maybe the words of the little girl simply came from her heart because those words infected a lot of kids around. Many owls were then released and could be seen flying away from Hogwarts.

“It’s just like last year, right?” Professor McGonagall who was watching this scene from the teacher’s lounge said to everyone who were sitting around.

All the Professors knew the situation is extremely dangerous for students and it is even dangerous for Hogwarts. If they can’t solve this matter, Hogwarts might be closed for good.

“I remember the chambers were last opened 50 years ago and one student died. We captured the culprit, but Headmaster Dumbledore argued in his favour and brought him back from Azkaban.”

History professor, Prof. Binns said in an emotionless tone.

“Yes, it was Hagrid. We all know that. Hagrid might be half-giant, but he is not Half-troll or a dark wizard. Besides, the student who reported him disappeared after Hogwarts shortly.” Professor Minerva said.

“We must find that hidden chamber. Only when we can find the chamber’s location, we can think of setting up traps and doing other things.” Professor Flitwick said.

“I somehow found this whole situation strange. Hear me out, please. There is a legendary chamber left behind by one of the founders of Hogwarts. He might have left something inside it that can petrify students with some ability and that thing is still alive now.

However, strangely, this monster never attacks students before the chamber opens. Why is it willing to be trapped in a chamber or a dungeon or any place? How is it still alive now? Why did it never eat the bodies of students it petrified or killed?”

The new Professor, Professor Plank took out her diary and listed the key points that troubled her in her investigation.

“So, Professor Plank, what do you think? What are we dealing with here?” Professor McGonagall asked the new professor who had a similar face to her.

“I believe it is either a cursed spirit which is bound by some contract or a beast from the golden age trapped in a blood contract, that is now extinct outside. Only these types of creatures can survive till now and yet be willing to do things on someone else order.

I believe the chance of it being a rogue spirit is higher as no matter which beast you pick; they must leave some marks or some traces on the bodies of their victims. However, students are completely safe without a single scratch on their bodies.

“Professor Weasley, as the Professor of Dark Arts, what do you think about the possibility of this thing that is attacking students being a cursed spirit?”

“High, very high. If this was Egypt and inside the pyramids, we would have already started looking for the spirits because the pyramids are full of those.

A wizard who died an unjust painful death could have a lot of grievances or if a lot of muggles died horribly, then their grievances could pool together to form such an entity in a magically blessed land.

These grievances are similar to our Peeves. They are amortal and could be bound by a contract when they are just formed.”

Professor Weasley despite his young age had enough strong reasoning to explain the key points.

“Very well, and if this is not a spirit but a beast?” Professor McGonagall asked again.

“Then we should close the school, run far from here and hope Headmaster Dumbledore can handle it. Any beast from the golden era is ten times or twenty times more dangerous than any creatures from today.

We might overpower a dragon with a strong plan and a big team but to overpower a creature like Hydra or Mothra or Pteranodon, we will need more than just Aurors or beast tamers.” Prof. Weasley shared his thoughts.

“Very well, since we have two possibilities. Let’s divide a team into two parts. Prof. Weasley, Prof. Prof. Sprout and I will be in one team. Prof. Severus, Prof. Plank and Prof. Flitwick will be in another.

We will move separately. My team will focus on finding a possible spirit and Prof. Severus will focus on finding the possible magical beast.

Let’s do everything we can before we are left with no other option than to consider closing the school.”

Prof. McGonagall’s words gave everyone a heavy pressure.

“And where is our Headmaster these days?” Prof. Severus suddenly asked and yes, that question was on everybody’s mind.

“He is handling things in his own way for now. That’s all I know.” Prof. McGonagall said just one sentence and that explained her own helplessness in the matters with Headmaster.

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“Psss….What do you think Neville is doing?” Seamus whispered and asked Dean in the herbology class.

“I have no idea. He keeps checking his book for something from time to time.” Dean answered and focused on peeling Shrivelfigs in front of him.

“I think he lost it after Hermione got attacked,” Seamus replied.

“I don’t think that is possible in first place. However once he find the person who did this, he will truly lose it,” Dean said in a serious manner and Seamus understood.

Neville these days has been behaving strangely. Always focused in books, keeping it to himself and muttering strange sounds from time to time. If they didn’t know any better, they would have thought he is hexed or cursed by someone too.

Meanwhile, Neville looked back in his book and saw the hidden map, the Marauder’s Map that he has not used since last year. He knew whoever committed these crimes will go back to open the chambers again and this was the third floor’s girl’s washroom.

Why a girl’s washroom? He has no idea and he again blamed it on Weedlogic from Rowling. First year, first floor’s girl’s washroom, he faced a troll.

Second year, second floor girl’s washroom, he will have to face a Basilisk.

“I hope next year it won’t be like third year, third floor girl’s washroom, fight a demon!” Neville nervously murmured and then focused back on the plant.

However, he really said something truly stupid. In third year, third floor girl’s washroom he had to fight not a demon but a Dementor. Neville and the Girl’s washroom are truly fated.