#22 Returning to the Bird

It was just as the last few times she'd tried, though there was tension in the air. Had she just heard Peeves cackling somewhere nearby? Hopefully not, as that was the last thing she needed right now.

The raven reacted when Lindsey said her full name, and its eyes shone red -- like enchanted jewels.

It flew out of frame, which remained bare for a moment. Then the painting turned into a mirror, and an inscription appeared on it -- clearer than her own reflection staring back at her.

There was only so much potion in the vial, but the absorption properties were impressive; the entire material shimmered rather beautifully, then slowly disappeared. When wrapping what was now her "invisibility cloak" around herself, Lindsey could sort of see the material but it was mostly transparent.

Her reflection, like Lindsey herself, vanished from view. The mirror was blank, then it too shimmered. The glass morphed into a rippling surface, almost like water that wasn't quite a liquid. All she had to do was climb through the mirror into... whatever awaited her on the other side.

When she entered, the other side of the rippling mirror changed back to a raven painting to anyone else who may wander by while Lindsey was busy within the secret room.

And it was the Artefact Room. It had to be; the sense of ancient importance to everything was too strong. It was like stepping into history, especially as the stones that made up the walls seemed to predate the castle itself -- even the unusual handprint on the far left side. It was entirely possible, as the room was from the time of the founders and barely touched since.

The room was wide, but didn't take long to cross it. The main wall, opposite the rippling entrance, had four large alcoves built into the stone. Or rather, melted into it from the smooth yet distorted surface. In each alcove was a stone plinth, with an engraved house crest on the wall behind it -- yet different, and more fierce, as if these were an earlier design.

Three plinths were empty, but a lack of dust implied that was a recent occurrence. The Gryffindor plinth contained a black talisman of a lion's head and mane -- its edges were scarlet red and enchanted. Someone had been here before her and completed Gryffindor's part in whatever this was. Something about it sent a shiver up Lindsey's spine; repelling her from any desire to touch it.

There was a strange air or energy in the room as Lindsey got closer to the Slytherin crest and plinth, as if it could sense her.  She didn't initially realise it wasn't air or energy she felt but magic, until she stood there for a moment and gradually began to sense it. Yes... very old, and very powerful magic.

It was the only thing that happened or changed -- just a general sense that one of Salazar Slytherin's students was in the presence of his magic. Apart from the lack of dust, there wasn't anything obvious or unusual about the alcove. Or the plinth, either.

Lindsey couldn't get far. The closer she reached for the plinth, the deeper a sense of wrongness shot through her -- a growing sense of no, she did not want to touch this. She can't. Her hand began to retreat, unwilling. She couldn't shake the feeling, but it was thick with warning.

Though the more she looked around, Lindsey noticed there was dust just not on the plinths. As if their lack of dust was very recent. Gryffindor's area had none at all.

The black handprint was an average size, though definitely from someone older / bigger than her. There was nothing about the stone around it which indicated any danger or clues as to what may happen, though of course that didn't promise safety.

It was impossible to tell how the print was made. It could be a burn, by magic, some sort of unusual ink... too many variables. There was certainly something strange about it though, yet she seemed warily drawn to it.

The handprint and Slytherin crest glowed intensely bright.

When Lindsey opened her eyes, they were was back to normal -- but instead of touching the handprint, she was holding a vial of purple, odourless potion.