#22 - The Eagle's Return

The raven flew off, as it had before. Then there was MJ's own reflection, watching her curiously. Same procedure, it seemed -- talisman or not.

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

The Artefact Room was just as she'd left it. The stone walls seeming to predate the castle. The sense of ancient importance. And the sense of history imbued in its very magic.

She could cross the wide room in several steps. The main wall, with its four alcoves built / melted into the stone seemed to sense her progress -- as if it called to her. Each stone plinth, engraved with a house crest on the wall behind it, seemed unchanged except the air felt thicker.

The Ravenclaw crest was irresistible, as if awaiting her to approach it.

Once it was above the plinth, there was quite a magical reaction. The Ravenclaw crest on the wall glowed deep scarlet, and the talisman was pulled from her grasp to hover itself above the plinth before she had the chance to place it. Magic swirled around it, locking the artefact in place; even if she dared try, it could not be removed.

The exit from the room sealed itself. MJ was trapped.

Then a painful vision showed MJ a scene of Rowena Ravenclaw herself in that room, providing her blood to the artefact. Then it faded, as did the glowing crest.

There wasn't anything in the room to assist her. Rowena herself had used some sort of golden-wing-handled blade. Perhaps there was something else in her pockets or another safe method in which she could make work for her task? One drop was all that seemed to be needed.

It seemed to do the trick, and the artefact only needed a drop to be fulfilled. 

The talisman glowed bright. With a burst of harmless power, a magical pulse spread from the object and filled the room in all directions. It went into the walls, then was gone.

The exit reappeared, and a sense of peace washed over MJ.