What Lies Within

[Rose Wea]

ONCE THERE WAS A DREAM

Over one thousand years ago, four of the greatest witches and wizards came together with a vision and a shared dream. Working together, they raised, stone by stone, a grand castle where they could educate younger magical children and keep them safe until they were ready to face the world. For many years the Hogwarts Four worked in harmony until divisions between them broke them apart. While the stories say that the rift was caused by Salazar Slytherin's disdain for those without pure blood and when his goal of disallowing halfbloods and muggleborns was thwarted, he sealed a sleeping basilisk within the school to await his heir, the truth of the matter is a far more murky affair. For Slytherin did leave after a painful dispute with Godric Gryffindor and he did seal a basilisk inside the school. But the King of Snakes was not all that was eventually sealed within a hidden chamber...

ONCE THERE WAS A CHOSEN ONE

Nearly 25 years ago when it seemed as though the dark wizard Voldemort had achieved his grand design of conquering the British Wizarding World, the famous "Boy-Who-Lived" vanquished him alongside his friends and allies, thus avenging those he had lost and paving the way for a brighter future for those about to be born. But not without great cost. For not only was much blood shed, but the sheer amount of power spent and wielded on that night had a darker, yet unseen event. For the spent power had to go somewhere and the place it went to caused the weakening of the bonds of a dark and dormant force within Hogwarts Castle. Yet as no one knew of this event, the people focused on rebuilding their world; a world of peace and tolerance. A veritable golden age for the Wizarding World where talent and ability is starting to mean more than old blood and old money and where friendships across bloodlines and houses are more common and possible. And after twenty five years the work of one generation has changed the views of the new creating a world where blood status matters little and house rivalries are not so deep. And it was in this world that a young boy named Bradley Smith went to school. And instead of worrying about a dark lord, he worried about being late for his own graduation...

ONCE THERE WAS AN AWAKENING

As head boy in his seventh year, Bradley Smith of Hufflepuff felt it wouldn't do to be late for his own graduation and in his hurry to get to the Great Hall in time he tripped and scraped his knee on the stone, leaving a small smear of blood. Blood that quickly sank into the floor once the boy had moved on. Several months later things began to happen at Hogwarts castles. Strange and unpredictable things. At first it was innocent with trick stairs moving unexpectedly or statues wobbling out of place but soon events grew more serious - and dangerous. By the end of October, the school matron had already dealt with four severe injuries, two of which incapacitated a pair of students for weeks, and saw others in successive months needing her services for injuries from things that should not happen. Suddenly a backfiring charm, a potions mishap, a quidditch game or a Potter-Weasley prank was not the most dangerous thing a student could get into. Only one conclusion could be drawn; Hogwarts was no longer the safe haven it once was and no one could explain why.

NOW THERE IS CHAOS

With the events of the 2021-2022 school year resulting in some out of control incidents, things have changed. Student spread rumours and singled out others based on events and the staff divided on how best to solve the problem. Only they couldn't and with Minerva refusing to call for outside help, a few professors felt forced to act in an underhanded manner to get word out - the sudden retirement of Filius Flitwick after an inicdent providing the perfect opportunity. Yet  the events of the 2022 graduation and the injuring of a governor's relative resulted in the forced removal of Minerva from her post and serious talks of closing down the school. Luckily for the students a three month investigation turned up no signs of anything dangerous and the castle was declared safe again...but the students know better. They can't forget what they have seen - and in the case of three students they cannot forget what they have heard. And what they are hearing once again...

WELCOME HOGWARTS CLASS OF 2022-2023. BEWARE

WHAT LIES WITHIN