A Curious Discovery [OPEN]

[ROCHELLE CASTER]

Most of Rochelle's free time was spent in the library or Quidditch pitch but that afternoon the girl had a taste for adventure. Like the Gryffindor she was, every once in a while the urge to go out and discover something came over her. Usually it was in the form of a book and her discovery would be a potion or spell she hadn't yet known. This time, instead, her curiosity led her through the corridors of the school.

It wasn't unnatural for Rochelle to wander the school grounds alone. It was strange for her to stay inside when the walls of castle were always too stuffy for her. But the weather was changing and it was now necessary to throw on a cloak, a scarf and gloves before heading outside. Besides, the girl still had so many more summer outfits to show off and she wasn't ready for the confines of winter clothing.

Stepping through halls and doorways, Rochelle concentrated subconsciously to the echoes her feet made. It was almost hypnotic. She was starting to feel right about her decision to rest from studying. Each chamber seemed to reveal more and more secrets that had never been familiar to her. She scoffed, irritated at herself for living somewhere for six years and yet never really knowing it. She felt like a stranger in her own home.

She moved along and her pace built faster, as if she knew she was searching for something. She skipped down stairs hoping to make it down to the next level before the staircase moved itself. A rumble came from under her and she grabbed the railing next to her. Never a lucky one, the staircase Rochelle chose did start swinging into another direction.

"Ohh!" she groaned loudly, which grew the attention of a group of first years across the corridor. They giggled and Rochelle crossed her arms unimpressed. It's been three months into the term, what are they experts now? she thought. But she smiled at them anyway and shrugged, letting them know she brushed their judging looks off her shoulders.

When the staircase stopped, Rochelle rushed to the top. As soon as she got off the last step, the staircase took off again. She scrunched up her face in obvious disappointment. Now she had to walk all the way around to get out of there. At least she knew where she was, the seventh floor.

The corridor she ambled through was empty. Literally. There weren't any portraits on the walls nor any rooms. Her inquisitive nature took over as she imagined all the reasons that a simple hallway wouldn't have any rooms. She stopped walking for a moment and shivered with excitement. It was a mystery and she knew what could solve it. But she needed a book.

I need a library she thought. Then I can find the answer to why this hall is empty.

She walked to the other end of the hall, searching for the stairs. The library was in the fourth floor. Turning to her right, she sighed realizing it was a dead end. Back around she went, not remembering at first that she ended up where she started, the empty corridor.

"I need to get to the library!" she whispered angrily to herself."I've lived in this school for years, you'd think I wouldn't get lost anymore!"

A few more times she went in circles, muttering about a library as her frustration increased. That's when the empty corridor she had passed the times already grew a door.

Rochelle's brown eyes widened in shock. Then, with a grin and curiosity building, she grabbed the door knob and opened.

It was a library.

"A secret library at Hogwarts?!" Rochelle gasped as she rushed in and looked over shelves and tables. "I wonder if any of the books are restricted."

[SLOAN AVERY]

Ahh What do we have here? questioned Sloan as he saw a young girl slip into a secret entrance,sloan pondered to himself "what else could this castle hold that the fool harry potter did not destroy" Sloan set a quick pace towards the entrance before it closed, For Sloan wanted to reveal in the secrets the chamber may hold. As Sloan made his way into the hidden library he encountered a young griffindor girl who was rummaging through the old books and texts Sloan barked out"what do you think you are doing in here little griffrn" Sloan pulled his wand and had it locked on her like deaths gaze Sloan said "time to clip your wings little bird".

[ROCHELLE CASTER]

As she skimmed though shelves, Rochelle couldn't help but notice a theme among the surrounding books. Every title and description left her in shock as she realized the subject of each. She grabbed a red one in front of her and the cover blared with the words The Construction of Hogwarts. A black book next to that one had the title on its spine reading What Godric Didn't Know and another next to that titled Secrets of the Chamber: The Legend of the Chamber of Secrets and Its Discovery. Rochelle blinked her eyes and scrunched up her face in disbelief. In its own library, she had never seen so many books about Hogwarts. But in this room that conjured from nowhere she found so many written works on the subject of the school. Without another thought she rushed the shelves and pulled off book after book.

The shelves were arranged by author, of course, so after Rochelle picked the titles she wasn't familiar with, she searched the B section for one she did know. Hogwarts, A History slipped into eyesight and Rochelle grinned, grateful that it was there. To her amazement, the whole shelf was full of them. Several revisions were stacked one by one and all by Bathilda Bagshot up until 1997, as one book informed, the year of her death. There were at least ten years of various authors adding to the well-known book and the last designated with the words With Amendments by Hermione Granger-Weasley. Rochelle eagerly grabbed all she could and ran to a table near her.

As she searched pages looking for some clue about the mystery room she occupied, the sound of a door creaking open met Rochelle's ears. She listened for footsteps and the presence of another. Did anyone else know of this place she found or did they too stumble across it? That's when the booming voice of Sloan Avery interrupted her quiet reading. Her brown eyes flickered and moved up from the book to the professor's face. They widened at first, startled but then she squinted in a glare with discontent.

"'Ello, Professor," she mumbled without interest. She knew she wouldn't be in trouble for finding the room. There were no rules against entering any chambers on the seventh floor. Professor Avery was a strange and mean man in Rochelle's mind as she knew him from classes. Since he started that term, she always left Defense Against the Dark Arts with a bit of irritation. So even though she didn't fear punishment for rule-breaking she did worry about the professor annoying her.

"I was wandering around when I noticed the door to this...secret...library appear out of nowhere. Do you know anything about it?" She chose her words carefully not wanting to enrage the professor accidentally.

[SLOAN AVERY]

Sloan realized what was going on the young girl was just studying so Sloan put away his wand and exclaimed " I do apologize for my entrance" Sloan had believed the girl to be up to no good and had acted hastly. How may I ask did you come about this place? It was strange to Sloan because he had remembered this room from his youth but when he had entered it held nothing but old dusty tables and empty jars Sloan thought to himself" perhaps by believing that the room was not important is why it did not reveal it's self " once again Sloan apologized for his actions before hand, Sloan began to survey the room and an a shelf up high he had gazed upon a text that may beable to help. The book Sloan grabbed was one that had been compiled long ago it was a DADA text that he had thought to have been lost. The entitled reverse this curse was exactly what he need to go about his plans,Sloan turned to the gryffindor girl and said" I do not like you,but you are very resourceful" 5 points to Gryffindor! 

[ROCHELLE CASTER]

The way Professor Avery could switch easily from a biting attitude to a cheerful kindness frightened Rochelle more than anything should. Muggles had given a name to the mental disorder that very likely afflicted the professor. He's bi-polar! she screamed in the back of her mind. Completely mental, she tried her best not to scoff.

Despite irritating Rochelle with his sudden sweetness, she couldn't help but feel gratitude for it. In her experience with the professor he always seemed particularly grouchy towards any student not of Slytherin. She had never even seen him reward anyone with house points but then again he was a new teacher and it was still first term. That made her realize to give everyone second chances even though she was sure his compliment was an insult in disguise.

"Um, thank you, sir?" she mumbled with uncertainty. Rochelle wasn't sure how "resourceful" her act had actually been since she only accidentally came across the library. The door appeared to her out of nowhere. But perhaps in the magical world that proved to be some special feat. As a Muggleborn witch, she had many things to learn. Besides that, she wasn't going to reveal that fact to Professor Avery in fear of waking his anger.

"If you don't mind me asking, Professor, but have you ever been to this room?" she queried carefully choosing her words. If she could learn the mystery of the seventh floor chamber and keep the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor calm she'd 'cast two spells with one incantation' so to speak. "I'm baffled that something like this could stay a secret. However, all the books here seem to be just what one would need to research this discovery. It is quite curious."

[SLOAN AVERY]

Sloan couldn't shake the fact that this girl caused him to break suite , he acted out of character.Sloan decied to play along and answer the girls questions" yes I have in this room many a time" but what Sloan didn't say was the room had never revealed it's self to him before.
Sloan made haste to change the subject, Sloan said to the gryffindor girl " isn't it time to run along to class" you wouidnt want to lose those precious points that were so graciously given now would you smirked Sloan. Time had seemed to have slipped away from the professor as he found himself stuck in adaze,Sloan muttered to himself "Get with it and pull yourself together" Sloan then refocused on the girl as she was still in front of him, Sloan with a hint of agitation in his voice said "Do I have to repeat myself?