Chapter 242 - Vanishing Cabinet (1/2)
After dinner, Rowan went on her usual walk to give herself some time digest her meal and to try to find the Vanishing Cabinet within the castle. Apparently, it wasn't quite as easy to find considering the scope of the castle. And despite checking the first two recorded locations of said cabinet, the room of requirements and the first floor the vanishing cabinet was nowhere to be found.
Still Rowan continued her search after dinner on her daily twenty-minute walk. Slowly, but surely, she covered empty classrooms and obscure parts of the castle. She shivered at the chill of the cold corridors and tugged her robes around her that much tighter. A bit distracted in thought she failed to notice the hovering figure above.
A soft bell jingle caused Rowan to glance up only suddenly see a large black cabinet falling straight towards her. Without any hesitation, she pointed her wand at it and said, ”Bombarda!”
The vanishing cabinet exploded into a cloud of sharp wood splinters. Wincing Rowan felt several shards digging into her hands and bleeding cuts on her face and neck. Wincing in pain, she glared at the shocked tiny little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie hovering right over her. The usual wide malicious face of Peeves the Poltergeist was agape in utter shock.
Raising her sleeve to wipe the dripping blood from her face, Rowan winced in pain. Still glaring, she growled, ”That is the last straw, Peeves. I'm telling the Bloody Baron!”
Quickly Peeves face begins to pale as he blusters, ”You wouldn't dare! His Bloodyness, sir, would never believe you!”
”I'm one of his snakes,” Rowan snapped back. ”Want to make a bet?”
Before Peeves can zoom away a glistening figure emerges from the wall, who had been in the nearby Astronomy tower and having been attracted by the nearby explosion. The gaunt face of the Bloody Baron stares impassively at them both as his robes stained with silver blood flutter at his side. Carefully eying the wand pulled out in the girl's hand, and the blood dripping down her face, the Bloody Baron can easily piece together what had transpired.
A very icy air is excluded from the Bloody Baron as nearby torches suddenly begin to burn blue rather than their warm fiery color. Rowan can suddenly see her breath in the now freezing hall. Trying to keep her teeth from chattering, Rowan says, ”Bloody Baron, sir, Peeves tried to drop that large cabinet on top of me!”
The Bloody Baron fixed Peeves with a frightful, deadly gaze. ”Is that true, Peeves?” The Bloody Baron hoarsely asked.
Peeves shivers in sudden fear and squeaks, ”It was a prank, your Bloodyness, sir!”
The temperature seems to drop several more degrees as the Bloody Baron says, ”I have made it abundantly clear to you, Peeves, that my snakes are not to be hurt.”