The Forbidden Corridor

Be careful to not get caught!

There is no word count limit here, but beware. If you are seen by a staff member online, you may lose a lot of house points.

Come and talk here if you dare.

Cass wondered if Peeves was here. She and Indiana had been on the look out ever since they'd arrived here.
She'd waited long enough now. Was Indiana coming? She took a few steps back into the corridor in which she was permitted. She'd wait a little bit more.

'Peeves tossed my wand in the Forbidden Corridor of all places!' Indiana thought as he stood outside the entrance in his black cloaked attire before placing the hawk-like mask over his face and head.

With that set, the MASKED Hufflepuff opened the door and entered the Forbidden Corridor, determined to recover his wand on his own efforts.

He was surprised to see Cassopeia already there.

(A/N: https://i.servimg.com/u/f38/15/48/72/93/zero_c10.jpg) (The disguise chosen and worn.)

"Oh, so you're here," grinned Cass, unfolding her arms and standing straight. "Woah! What you got on your head?"
She laughed as she put hers on- the only one she could find at such short notice. A feathered masquerade peacock mask.
Wonder what he's here for.

"Just my own disguise for this. Just call me Zero." the MASKED Hufflepuff replied. "Peeves stole my wand and vanished somewhere around here. Did you see him pass through?"

"Well then I'm being Negative," she harrumped, liking all of this cloack and dagger.
"Now you say that, I was checking around the corridors- looking for you actually- and i heard someone say your name. It might have been peeves. But the voice came straight past my ear. It must have gone through this wall!"
The masked Ravenclaw stroked the side of the stone. Then tapped it.
"It's hollow," she said, looking up at him with an eager smile.

Zero walked up to the wall before knocking on the stone, feeling it move slightly. "Stand back, Negative."

Taking some steps back, Zero charged at the wall and the stones slghtly gave away such that he began taking them off to reveal a small passage.

"Let's go, Negative. I'll extinguish these candles." Zero spoke.

Negative's eyes were shining, at the movement of the wall. She coughed, wafting the dust out of her eyes.
"You got enough light to see?"

Cass ran back to the light- and unforbidden corridors. Bats! "Zero!"

"Catch these!" Zero called out as he tossed some lit glowsticks to Negative.

He then swept his cloak at the bats, all of whom screeched in fury and in pain as the masked youth then struck them with flying yo-yos before heading deeper inside into the pitch-black darkness to go after Peeves and retrieve his wand.

"Got them!"
Shaking, worrying that someone would be right behind her if she dared look, Negative kept a solid stare on the back of Zero's shoulders.

The glowsticks did some wonders in illuminating the path ahead and it wasn't long before he heard a familiar cackling.

"Indy is coming to get me but Indy can't find me! GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!"

"That was Peeves." Zero growled.

Yes. That was the voice she'd heard. It sent chills up her spine.
"How did he get your wand- and, In-ZERO! There's blood on your face!"
She ripped the bottom of her school shirt. "Dab on it. There's a lot."

Zero did notice a crimson liquid on the opal visor of his mask before wiping it off, only to see that it was just an illusion.

"It's just an illusion. Peeves is really messed up." Zero replied.

"Really?"
Wow. This Peeves didn't sound like any ordinary ghost. In fact, he sounded really scary.
Could this be the person from the forest?

"He's a poltergeist and one that just loves causing trouble. But not the psychological type from what I've heard from other students." Zero replied before noticing that the masonry was starting to become different as he went further in.

Cass took a small moment to admire the different types of architecture as they went further through the secret tunnel.
This was exciting.The bats were pretty cool, actually now she thought about it. Just getting over the shock of something flying in your face first.
She tugged at Indiana's sleeve, "What are we going to do to get your wand back? I've got mine- but will spells work on ghosts?"

"I don't know any that could work on ghosts. But poltergeists are a different matter." Zero replied as he held the glowstick up to illuminate the path ahead of him and found an old door with a rusted lock.

"It's locked." Zero spoke before standing back and kicking it open to find a large chamber with non-Euclidean architecture. And there, at the center of the chamber on a flat pedestal was his wand. "Found it!"

"Wait, Indie. This is Peeves. Is it really this easy?"
She shrugged, and answered her question herself-
"Either way- we should go. Unless you want to stay."
Her wand clattered to the floor.
Huh?
She picked it up, asking Indie with her eyes if he wanted to go first.

Zero looked at the wand carefully in detail. It looked exactly like his own and even had the engraved initials that he made himself. He picked up a nearby stick and prodding at it. Nothing happened other than the wand moving at being touched.

"He doesn't have to make it easy." Zero replied before realization dawned on him that he grabbed his wand. "Peeves is probably on his way to the teachers now!"

The chamber began to shake slightly and Zero looked at Negative. "Evacuate! Let's get out of here!"

"Oh Merlin!"
Cass grabbed Indiana's hand, running up the passageway first- smallest.
"Protego!" she yelled, as rocks from above her and Indie threatened to fall on them.
"Run, Indie, what's taking you?!"

Zero was running out of the chamber before catching sight of a stone template on the ground with symbols. Wasting no time, he snatched it before following Negative out.

Aiming his recovered wand, Indiana aimed at a large rock. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The large rock hovered, shielding him and Negative from further falling debris until they cleared the path that he dispelled the charm, letting it fall some distance behind them.

Both of them made their way quickly through the passageways before emerging back into the Forbidden Corridor.

"Well, that's one adventure for today. Let's go before someone catches us." Zero spoke.

Cass nodded, panting.
"Thank you. For everything."
And she hugged him.
Running, and trying to squash her shoes back on her feet which had come off in the excursion, she headed to the Towers.
Somehow, the walk in the Forbidden Corridor had made her braver. She had a wand did she not?
And walking in the forest...well. She still needed to think that bit through.

Taking his mask off to become Indiana Lamperouge again, the youth looked back once before leaving.

'What the heck was that place?' Indiana thought to himself, heading out for the Hufflepuff Common Room. At least he got his wand back.