[OOM] A Gothic Winter Tale

[honourbyname]

He'd been told he could get a room here.

So he'd asked for a room-key and received one without question.

(The Bar is so cool.)

Tired and lacking the time for a decent nap, Albus starts up the staircase. Taking the stairs two steps at a time, he reaches the room hallways, searching for his assigned number.

Comments

[vojvode]

Some have described the corridors here as akin to a rabbit warren, but one supposes a wizard who has dealt with moving staircases and rooms behind portraits should feel somewhat less intimated. But unlike Hogwarts, not only do the corridors here shift and change, but the rooms do as well. It's very easy to get lost if you've never gone looking before. It's very easy to end up going in circles.

Quite possibly one might start to feel a little fatigued at the whole endeavour. Especially when one's breath begins to fog with the chill in the air. One might even start to feel as if one is being watched, or possibly even followed.

[honourbyname]

He lets out a cold breath, frowning.

Since when did it get so cold in here? And all of a sudden, too?

He turns to glance over his shoulder, seeing nothing.

[vojvode]

Nothing but the long corridor stretching out behind him, and before him, more of the same. Perhaps it is an illusion that the walls are closer together here, the ceiling a bit lower.

It is no illusion however that the modern fluorescent lighting has turned to elaborate sconces, lit with flickering blue gas light. It makes the shadows stretch and twist.

Most of them anyway. There seems to be one that stands resolute. A shadow with more weight than a shadow should have, pacing along with Albus as he passes door after door. A shadow that is not his own.

[honourbyname]

Albus doesn't notice the solid shadow just yet.

He's far too busy making sure he doesn't miss his room number, all while trying to figure out why it's so cold here - and the careful attention he is paying to those tasks keeps him from being wary of any suspicious shadow.

In any case, he does pull out his wand from his robes. It never hurts to be careful.

[vojvode]

The shadow keeps pace with him, sometimes appearing as a figure upright on two legs. In other moments, it morphs into a hulking beast, massive shoulders stooping down to four legs.

But it is just a shadow and as such, it is harmless.

Even if it does seem to be stalking him.

[honourbyname]

Out of the corner of his eye, he notices the way the shadow is moving.

Well, that's just bizarre.

Shadows don't usually ... do that. Even at Hogwarts.

"- hullo?" he calls out, aware that his voice sounds a little off.

[vojvode]

The shadow speeds ahead of him down the hall, and one by one the lights blink out. It disappears into the darkness and for a moment, it seems as if all has gone quiet.






And then a man appears without the crack of Apparition, dressed head to toe all in grey.

"Good evening, young master."

[honourbyname]

Albus blinks.

A lot.

And his heart? Is doing that thing where it wants to simply jump out of his throat.

His wand is out, kept to his side and gripped tightly in one hand.

"Who - who are you?"

[vojvode]

One gloved hand reaches up, and touches the brim of his hat.

"No one that intends you harm, I assure you. You can put your wand away."

[honourbyname]

How did he know about -

"Oh."

He does so, but keeps it close enough that he can get to it quickly if he needs to.

Y'know. Just in case.

"Was that you? Um. Just now. With the shadows."

[vojvode]

He glances back down the hallway, following the boy's glance.

"Shadows? Forgive me, I do not understand."

[honourbyname]

He shakes his head, blinking over his shoulder for a moment more, as if the shadows might reappear again and prove his point.

They don't.

"Never mind," he says.

It's probably ... gone, now.

[vojvode]

Oh anything but. The shadows crowd behind the man like a silent pack of wolves, soot black and malevolent.

"It is perhaps, just your imagination."

The air has taken on a bite, like the wind off the Scottish Highlands.

[honourbyname]

He scrunches his nose.

This guy gives him slightly weird vibes. Nothing of the good sort.

Kind of like what he imagines Dementors are like.

"... guess so," he remarks slowly. "Um."

[vojvode]

The man lifts an eyebrow. And then clears his throat into his fist. The shadows grow still. And two dimensional.

"Perhaps I should let you -- be on your way?"