In the Shadows//Open
It was late into the night when the sound of high pitched cackling giggles broke the silence; though faint. The Hufflepuff professor, currently creating lesson plans, glanced up from the parchment he had been scribbling on to squint questioningly at the door. Something about the noise caused an uneasy feeling to settle in his gut and he set his quill down, rising from his desk. Perhaps it would be best to find the source as well as do a check of the grounds to ensure no student was out past curfew…
The moment he opened the door to his office, a strange sight greeted him. First years, clad in their pajamas, were exiting their dorms and heading towards the exit of the common room. If that wasn’t unusual enough, none were talking or even looking around. They were zombie like in movement and he could almost believe in sleep-walking if not for the number of students walking in step towards the large circular oak door.
“Hey!” The sharp tone did nothing to stop the Hufflepuffs from their trance-like march towards the shrill song and the Professor glanced around as he struggled to figure out a way to stop them then attend to the other three houses that were certainly going through the same thing at that very moment.
Quickly an idea came to mind and he turned on his heel to aim his wand at the door leading out towards the kitchens. A murmured spell and a flick of his wrist cast an age line to encircle the room starting from the door and branching out to encircle the children behind him. It was the same spell used during the Tri-Wizard Tournament to keep the younger students from dropping their names into the Goblet of Fire and now it would prevent any from leaving the Hufflepuff common room.
That settled, he darted out the door and started towards the disturbance. There would be no time to stop by each house and seal the students in; by the time he got to one, the other two houses would have vacated their areas and, without any other around to help, he couldn’t risk their lives.
The high-pitched yet almost alluring sounds grew louder as he reached the staircase leading towards the dungeons and silently he hoped he wasn’t too late.
The cold of the stones pierced through the layers of shielding his back yet he still pressed tightly against the wall as he crept down towards where the cackling echoed from. Luckily it was soon clear that it came from the opposite dungeons of those that the Slytherin house was located. As he continued his journey, his mind raced with what he would discover. There were only few known creatures to make such noises but one stood out as the most dangerous.
The Erkling.
An elfin creature known for luring children to their deaths as meals, which fit what he had seen already perfectly, with high pitched and entrancing laughter. A level four danger by Ministry standards and, even worse, there seemed to be a nest in the dungeons due to the volume and number of shrieks emanating from it. And an abundance of children within the school grounds for the hoard to kill.
Castiel reached the bottom of the staircase and carefully peered around the corner. There were no chances for mistakes. These diabolical creatures were also known for shooting darts at unsuspecting victims and he would rather avoid that from happening.
Azure eyes widened at the sight that awaited him around the bend of the staircase. The nest was larger than expected, a couple dozen large in number. How could the school not know about this until now? The last mention of Erklings had only a couple in the greenhouse but those had been declared eradicated after the Great War.
“Where are the children?” The voice caused the Hufflepuff to start in surprise. It was easy to forget that these were one of the very few creatures that spoke a human language. “We have been patient but we are starving.” The one who clearly reigned as leader let out a piercing shriek at the statement and Castiel winced at the noise.
“Do you not hear the footsteps? They are approaching. Patience you fool.” The snarl caused the Hufflepuff to cant his head to listen for said footsteps. And sure enough, they were approaching; echoing from above. He swallowed hard as he darted back up, and headed back towards the Grand staircase to see not only a few first years from Slytherin, but from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw as well.
The creatures had clearly homed in on the youngest and magically weakest in the school as their feast of choice meaning even if Castiel broke the trance, they wouldn’t understand how to protect themselves from the Erklings.
“Stop.” The gruff tone once again did nothing to deter the vacant-eyed stares of the children as they continued their slow and mechanical march forward. Another age line might have been enough to prevent them from continuing towards the dungeon but the sheer number of students pressing against the barrier might cause it to rebound. He would have to try, but first he raised his wand up above his head and breathed “Periculum.”
Red, firework-like sparks shot out from the tip and launched into the air as a beacon to anyone around that he was in need of dire aid. Now all he could do was try to keep the children safe and at bay while hoping the Erklings stayed where they were…
John whistles as he strolls back to the Slytherin dorms. “That’s another night of drowning in debauchery and drinking marked off on the calendar.” It never gets old. Sneak into a different bed each night and return to his own by dawn. It’s not like he cares if he gets caught but if he sticks around too long then people get clingy. Unless it was an orgy- then it just gets fun.
He’s walking down the stairs when bright sparks of red shoot up from below. “Well now what’s this?” He hums as he watches the sparks explode and fade.
John leans against the banister railing and examines the spectacle below. Castiel seems to be fighting a bunch of tiny first years and the sight is actually pretty funny to him. It’s clear the Professor needs help and he just smirks while he thinks of what he can do. How can he honestly pass this opportunity by? He’s going to have a teacher indebted to him!
“It seems like you need a bit of help there Professor.” He calls down “And I’ll be glad to assist if I get something in return.” He tuts while the children push against the barrier. “Uh-oh. Strong little toddlers aren’t they? You better make the offer good and you better make it quick-looks like you’re losing.” The sing-song taunting only makes him feel even more gleeful and he chuckles while waiting to see what his poor professor will do.
