CHAPTER TEN
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH THEY SNEAK
INTO THE CASTLE

. . .

The Rosmerta girl's eyes travelled over the rotting wood, the old dusty furniture and the peeling wallpaper. "James - I know I said I trust you to show me a good time... but I frankly can't believe that this is the place you were planning on that being." 

James looked back at her, securing the wooden planks over the door once again. "I can hear the sarcasm all the way from over here. But no." He paused, moving another plank. "This isn't where you're going to be having a good time. Believe it or not, but we tend to hold our parties actually at school."

"No way." Rosie grinned, leaning against the least dusty looking armchair. It had springs sticking out of the cushion. "Isn't this place really haunted?" 

James pushed the final piece of wood into place. "Well... yeah." He admitted, making his way to stand besides her. "But if you're nice enough the spirits won't bother you."

"And do I fit that category?"

Rosie watched as James moved over to a rug, peeling it back to reveal a trapdoor. Her eyes widened as he opened that and used the light of his wand to reveal a slowly declining dirt slope. "I daresay you do." James straightened first, before climbing down into the hole, holding up his hand. "Come on. It's safe, I swear."

"I'm not worried about that. I've been in more dangerous places." Rosie shrugged. "You could've told me to wear more suitable shoes.. but you're lucky my talents don't only lie in bartending and arguing with my mother."

"I wouldn't guess. But I am skilled in Transfiguration, if you wish for any help." He shook his hand one more time and Rosie took it, jumping nimbly down into the hole. "We have to stop by the Hogsmeade basement first. You got the drinks?"

Rosie reached for the bag she had placed by the trapdoor so not to bang them together and accidentally break them, lifting the strap over her shoulder before continuing down the slope in the light of James' wand, taking the right turn instead of left. 

The slope continued down wards, following the pattern of the hill that Rosie had complained about all the way up back down it. James walked her past several other passageway, counting them on the way past until they reached one. 

"You've got room in your bag, right?" James checked just once more, seeing Rosie nod before taking off down the passage. "In case you haven't guessed, this one goes to Hogsmeade. We come out in the basement."

"How does this work then.. like do you pay.. or?" Rosie frowned, hand running across the dirt edge of the corridor. Had she been in London, she wouldn't be so bothered, but the owners of the shop had actually been nice to her - as did everyone else in Hogsmeade - and she actually felt bad for even thinking of it. 

"Well, when I left the other morning I came by briefly. I left a list of things, and I leave some money where they leave the things." James shrugged. "I would be more discreet.. but the first time I came through the passage and Mr Flume was stood right in front of the trapdoor."

Rosie nodded, continuing along the short distance on the way to the sweet shop, up the long staircase, helping him load the various products into her bag before returning to the passageway. And then, they began the much longer journey up to the castle.

But finally, they reached a dead end, and James turned to Rosie. "We'll have to be careful. Everyone dresses up so you'll fit in just fine, but the corridor we come out is two floors up from McGonagall's office." The Potter boy said. "It's a bit of a hazard."

"I'll be fine." Rosie swallowed. "I can get myself out of anything. With ease. Trust me, if you can outsmart Aurors, then you can go a long way."

"Aurors?" James replied, hurrying after Rosie as she climbed up the slope at the end of the passageway, heels having been pulled off for this particular part of the journey. She reached the top, bag clutched close to her side and tthe straps of the heels in her hands.  

The boy pushed open the back of the humpback witch, poking his head out before climbing out, holding it open and helpign Rosie out, the girl landing nimbly beside her and putting her heels on again. 

And just like that, he had smuggled someone into Hogwarts. Which was supposedly to be impenetrable. Apparently not, Rosie besides him proving just that.

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