Losing Hope

Kim, together with Ella, decided to spread their search in the dungeons. Once they arrived in the place outside their common room, Kim never knew where to start. She just realized that the dungeons is too huge to search for and knowing that she still was adjusting to the new environment, she thought that maybe, this activity they are doing is just a waste of time.

She figured out that maybe, she can follow the dungeons' tracks towards nothing. "I'll start looking in this direction. Maybe you can go on the opposite one," Kim told Ella while swinging her hands around, pointing into different ways.

As soon as she started looking, Kim just thought that they won't locate it anywhere. Having the knowledge that the ministry has been looking everywhere for it, them, first year students, won't be match for this. Kim stood up from stone, coming out from leaning towards the carved stone wall. She breathed heavily, having no hope that they will finish what they started.

Aurora breathed in the cold air of the dungeons. Why she had decided to come down here, she didn't know. Shivering, she considered turning back, but there it was again: that pulling, urging sense that something might happen down here. Aurora took a cautious step down the first stair. She hadn't been down here since the last Potions class...

Her head jerked up. A girl's voice had just spoken from somewhere around the corner. Aurora walked along the sinuous curve of the dungeon, but no one was there. For a few minutes, she wandered the dungeons alone, occasionally hearing eerie, echoing footsteps. Once, Aurora placed her hand on the stone wall, but immediately pulled it back again, disliking the feeling of slime and mold. How do the Slytherins live down here? she wondered.

Just then, Aurora spotted Kim standing alone near a curved wall. Hurrying to greet her, Aurora said, "Hi, Kim. What're you doing down here?"

"Hi, Kim. What're you doing down here?" A sudden voice broke the silence. "Hey Aurora. I was just looking for something. I thought that maybe it is here somewhere, in the dungeons, but I think I am losing some hope and patience that I am really going to find it here." Kim just let all the words out of her mouth as a result of being tired from the whole day. She kept cracking her brain out but it seems that it is really nowhere to be found. 'Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought that there are no potions class today," she asked back. Kim always knew that students from other houses doesn't like the dungeons at all. In fact, maybe all of them wouldn't even bother on going down, only having the reason of potions class. But for them Slytherins, it is not about getting used to the coldness of the atmosphere. Once you are in the house of Salazar, you will immediately feel the warmth and happiness hidden in the stone walls of the dungeon.

"Me?" Aurora asked, reluctant to let her reasons for coming be known. But the words came spilling out anyways. "I...had a disturbing conversation with our house ghost. I'm also looking for something, sort of, and I asked her where it was, and she vanished. Then I just had this weird feeling to come down here. Maybe I'll find the..." She trailed off.

There was no sense in letting others know of her quest to find the ancient library. She and James had discovered some exciting information about it, including the fact that Rowena Ravenclaw herself had found it, and presumably had translocated it somewhere...perhaps Hogwarts. But their research had ended abruptly, and the only person who seemed to know anything was the unhelpful Ravenclaw ghost.

Aurora attempted to smile. "Never mind," she said. "I'll probably be going soon."

It was pretty obvious that Aurora has some secrets that she wasn't ready to share to her. Kim wasn't sure too, whether she needs to tell her what was happening. She decided to take things slow for now.

"Well, me and Ella have been looking for something. It wouldn't hurt if another person will look for it, if you don't mind?" Kim asked her, hoping that she'll say yes.

After getting up from her position, it was the required time when she realized what Aurora just said. "Aurora, you said that you're friends with your house ghost, right? I am sorry to ask this stupid question, but who is Ravenclaw's house ghost again?" Kim remembered that the ancient library has any connection to Rowena Ravenclaw, Aurora's house. She thought that the house ghost that the Ravenclaw has can help them and leave them with any lead concerning their thoughts.

Ella looked back from where she was and saw Aurora join Kim. She walked deeper into the dungeon searching, for what? She wasn't quite sure. Suddenly, something touched her face and she screamed and landed on her back on the floor. "Cobwebs!" she spat, looking disgusted.

Who is our house ghost? Aurora wondered. She couldn't recall Helen ever saying anything about her previous life. Her thoughts flew back to the book about Rowena Ravenclaw she and James had been studying. The only words she could remember were a daughter, Helena. And then Aurora knew.

"She, well, I think she's Ravenclaw's daughter, actually," Aurora said. "And Ravenclaw discovered the ancient library during her travels--" Aurora clapped a hand over her mouth, horrified. She hadn't meant to say anything. But the secret was out now.