They quietly entered the Gryffindor common room.
The room was warm and comfortable, very different from the Slytherin dungeons. A large fireplace burned at the center, filling the space with soft light.
Red and gold armchairs were scattered around, some pushed close to small tables covered in books and parchment.
Tapestries with Gryffindor lions hung on the walls, and portraits watched them curiously from their frames.
"Where do you think we'll find the quill?" Soren asked.
They split up and searched carefully.
Jacqueline checked shelves, tables, and notice boards. Penny looked near the desks and the fireplace.
Cassie checked higher places, even climbing onto a chair to look behind banners and decorations.
After a few minutes, Jacqueline stopped near a wall.
"Wait," she said.
She reached behind a slightly crooked poster and pulled something out.
"I found it," she said, holding it up. "A black quill. Hopefully this is the one mentioned in the note."
No one wasted time.
They quickly left the Gryffindor common room and made their way back to Soren's dormitory, careful not to be seen.
Once inside, Penny finally spoke.
"What do you think these secret instructions will say?" she asked quietly. "I hope Ben wasn't being forced to do something terrible…"
Before anyone could answer, a familiar sound came from the corner.
Soren's kneazle padded over, tail flicking, clearly annoyed. It meowed loudly, then sat down, staring at Soren.
"I know, I know," Soren said, crouching down. "I've been busy."
The kneazle meowed again, clearly unhappy that Soren had been spending more time solving mysteries than staying in the dorm.
Soren sighed.
"Okay," he said, standing back up and looking at the black quill. "Let's see what this thing has to say."
Penny took the black quill from Jacqueline.
She raised her wand and cast, "Reparifarge."
The black quill shimmered and changed back into a folded note.
Cassie picked it up and read it out loud.
"Proceed to the farthest corridor at the east end of the fifth floor."
Soren frowned. "What does that even mean?"
Cassie continued reading.
"Failure to follow your instructions will result in severe punishment. — R."
"Severe punishment?" Penny asked quietly. "Is that what happened to Ben?"
Soren thought for a moment. "What's even in that corridor?"
"Nothing that I know of," Jacqueline said. "No one ever goes there."
She paused, then added, "And why was Ben supposed to put the quill back where he found it?"
"Maybe," Soren said slowly, "he wasn't the only one receiving these instructions."
Penny looked worried. "I have a bad feeling about this, Soren. Dumbledore said if we found anything strange, we should tell the professor."
Cassie shook her head. "First, we should go there and check it ourselves."
Soren nodded. "Ben could be in trouble. Let's go to the corridor first and see if he's there. If he isn't, we'll tell a professor."
Penny and Jacqueline exchanged a look, then nodded.
"You're right," Penny said. "There's no time to waste."
---
When they reached the far corridor on the fifth floor, Soren suddenly stopped.
McGonagall and Snape were already there.
Soren quickly pulled the others back, and they hid behind a corner, careful not to make a sound.
At the end of the corridor, they saw Ben.
He was trapped inside a thick wall of cursed ice.
"I'm so… c-c-cold…" Ben whispered weakly.
Professor Snape looked at him and said flatly, "Obviously."
Professor McGonagall raised her wand and cast, "Flipendo."
Nothing happened.
"The Knockback Jinx shattered the cursed ice before," McGonagall said, frowning. "But this time, it seems to be impervious."
"Incendio would melt it," Snape said calmly.
McGonagall shot him a sharp look. "And burn the flesh along with it."
Snape replied coldly, "I never said he would survive."
McGonagall ignored the remark. "The cursed ice is spreading through Hogwarts. Someone has clearly been tampering with the Cursed Vaults."
Snape folded his arms. "It would help if the Headmaster were here instead of searching elsewhere for answers."
"We don't need Dumbledore to save Mr. Copper," McGonagall said firmly. "We will cast Incendio together, targeting the ice farthest from his body. Be careful, Severus."
Snape nodded once. "Fine."
They raised their wands at the same time.
"Incendio."
Fire flared, carefully controlled. The ice began to crack and melt, steam filling the corridor. Slowly, the cursed ice broke apart without touching Ben.
Moments later, Ben collapsed forward, free.
McGonagall caught him immediately.
"Take him to the Hospital Wing," she said.
Snape turned and followed as they levitated Ben away.
Soren and the others stayed hidden until the corridor was empty.
After what he had seen, Soren made a decision.
I need to talk to Ben, he thought. I need to know who sent that note… and how he ended up trapped in the cursed ice.
The next day, as Soren was heading toward the Hospital Wing, Cassie and Jacqueline hurried up to him.
"Soren, you need to come with us," Cassie said. "Right now."
"To the Black Lake shore," Jacqueline added.
Soren looked confused. "What happened?"
They didn't explain. Instead, they turned and started walking quickly. Soren followed them without asking more.
When they reached the Black Lake shore, Penny was already there, standing a little away from the water.
"What happened?" Soren asked as he walked up to her.
"I heard a rumour," Penny said quietly. "People were saying there were screams coming from this area."
She took a breath and pointed ahead.
"When I came to check, I found her."
Soren looked where she was pointing.
A girl was lying on the ground near the shore, completely unconscious.
Everyone froze.
"That's when I decided to call all of you here," Penny said.
None of them spoke for a moment.
They walked closer and took a better look at the girl.
She was slender, with delicate shoulders and an average height. Her long, silky dark-brown hair spread across the ground, slightly tangled.
She wore a loose Slytherin robe, tied neatly with a green ribbon. Her eyes were closed, but when Soren looked closely, he noticed they were a soft hazel-green, slightly downturned.
Her skin was smooth and fair, with a warm glow. A few faint freckles crossed the bridge of her nose. Her face was heart-shaped, with a gentle jawline that made her look calm even while unconscious.
Soren frowned.
"Who is she?" he asked Penny. Even though he was in Slytherin, he couldn't remember noticing her before. Now that he saw her up close, he couldn't deny she was very beautiful.
"She's Bryony Lee," Penny explained. "She's the niece of Cecil Lee, the one who came to capture the werewolf last Halloween."
Soren nodded. "Yeah, I know Cecil Lee has a niece at Hogwarts. So she's Bryony… wait, I think I've seen her around sometimes with Merula."
He looked back at Bryony. "But why is she unconscious?"
"Let's check her, and the area around her," Cassie said. "Maybe there's a clue."
They carefully examined her.
"She's not injured," Jacqueline said. "No marks, no signs of a struggle."
"But she's not waking up either," Penny added, worried.
Cassie pointed nearby. "She brought a blanket… and a cassette player."
"Maybe she came out here to listen to music," Penny said. "This place does look peaceful."
They all looked around the quiet Black Lake shore.
"So what happened to her?" Soren asked quietly.
No one had an answer.
"Bryony was listening to a tape through her headphones when she fell unconscious," Jacqueline said, pointing at the cassette player. "Whatever happened must have happened very quickly. She didn't even have time to react."
"That's awful," Penny said. "What could have done this to her?"
They all came to the same conclusion.
"We're far enough from the castle," Soren said slowly, "for something like a dark creature, an evil wizard… or someone dangerous to have gotten to her."
"That's horrible," Penny said, clearly shaken. "If that's true, whoever attacked Bryony could strike again."
Jacqueline nodded, then added, "I agree, but if Bryony was attacked, whoever did it didn't leave any evidence behind. No marks, no signs of a struggle."
They all looked down at Bryony again.
"We can't figure this out here," Cassie said. "She needs help."
Soren nodded. "Let's take her to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey can check her properly."
"And while we're there," Penny added, "we can also check on Ben."
They carefully lifted Bryony and headed back toward the castle, all of them uneasy.
---
When they entered the Hospital Wing, they saw Professor McGonagall already there.
Soren told her everything that had happened at the Black Lake.
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention so quickly, Mr. Whitlock," Professor McGonagall said.
"Of course," Soren replied. "I just hope she's going to be all right."
"Madam Pomfrey was quite thorough in her examination," McGonagall said. "She believes Miss Lee is unhurt and should wake up soon."
Soren nodded, relieved, and walked over to Ben's bed. Madam Pomfrey was standing nearby.
"Is Ben going to be all right?" Soren asked.
"I believe so," Madam Pomfrey replied. "His memory is unstable, but I've seen patients in far worse condition during my time as Hogwarts' matron."
She lowered her voice. "He's been making strange statements and requests. I believe he's experiencing some form of delirium."
"Can I talk to him?" Soren asked.
Madam Pomfrey nodded.
Soren sat beside Ben. "How are you feeling?"
"Cold. Tired," Ben said weakly. "Not that different from usual, to be honest."
"What were you doing in that icy corridor?" Soren asked. "How did you get trapped in the cursed ice?"
Ben frowned. "I don't remember. I can barely remember anything at all. Madam Pomfrey thinks it's because of the ice."
"I found a letter meant for you in the Artefact Room," Soren said. "It led to another one that told you to go to that corridor."
"I'm sorry," Ben said quietly. "I can't remember anything."
"Try," Soren said gently. "Anything you remember could help us understand what happened."
Before Ben could respond, Madam Pomfrey returned.
"That's enough for now," she said firmly. "He needs rest."
Soren stood up and left the Hospital Wing.
Outside, Penny, Cassie, and Jacqueline were waiting. They had just finished checking on Bryony.
Cassie spoke first. "We learned what happened to Bryony."
She explained, "Bryony went to the lakeshore to listen to a tape. But something happened."
"She heard a strange, terrible scream through her headphones, even with the volume turned up," Cassie continued. "Then she blacked out."
"She isn't someone who gets scared easily," Jacqueline added. "But she said she'd never heard anything like that before."
"The next thing she remembers is waking up in the Hospital Wing," Cassie finished.
Penny nodded. "It sounds like she was attacked by something that screams."
"Professor McGonagall told us, there are magical beings whose cries can incapacitate, or even kill. Mandrakes, banshees, and others."
"I told Professor McGonagall about the rumors," Penny said. "People said they heard screaming near the Black Lake."
"We thought it might be a banshee," Cassie added.
"Then Professor McGonagall shook her head. And told us, we must not jump to conclusions without sufficient evidence."
Everyone fell quiet.
Two students were harmed. They have already been busy searching for the cursed corridor. And now, a scream no one could explain.