Chapter 20: Wards and Myrtle

----- Warning: adult content in this chapter -----

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

November 23rd, 1992, 1:25 AM

Joan came out of her memories as the group arrived at the fourth floor. Making her decision, Joan fastened her steps and made a move to hug Erik from behind. Knowing that the hug would not be comfortable because of all the armor that she was wearing, a white glow covered her body and Joan's armor disappeared in motes of light to be substituted by a white dress. Now free of all the armor, Joan managed to hug Erik and hide her face on his back. Erik just relaxed and 'tanked' the impact of Joan's body on his back. He knew that this knight-wife of his rarely made demonstrations of affect out of their house.

"Hmm, someone is feeling very amorous today~"

Selena said, teasing Joan with a smirk. Leona let out a giggle and tagged in the teasing.

"Yeah, she wants it… And she wants it bad~"

Erik just enjoyed the atmosphere of friendly teasing between his wives. He knew that Joan's face must be red right now, even if it's hidden in his back. And he had an idea to 'punish' his mischievous wives.

"If you girls think that, then I will have to give it to her first…"

Selena and Leona adopted a shocked look as they stopped in front of a space in a wall between two armored knights with spears crossing. It seemed that the shot changed directions mid flight. Erik walked to the space between the armors and as he approached them, the spear separated, giving way, and the wall opened to reveal a well decorated lounge with tables, chairs, sofas, armchairs, bookcases and a big fireplace. The lounge had other seven doors, and they were basically a bathroom for visitors, an office, the master bedroom, and four guest bedrooms.

"Selena, you know the place, please show it to Leona while Joan and I finish with the wards."

Erik managed to get out of Selena and Leona's hugs and turned to exit the Lord's Chambers with Joan. That seemed to wake both girls from their shocked status and they turned to Erik and Joan in time to see him hugging Joan's waist with one arm. Joan looked back and their incredule looks and smirked at them, managing to show her tongue just before the wall-entrance closed again. Selena and Leona looked between them and Leona talked.

"Selena, I think we just got dupped by 'the maid of Orléans'."

"Indeed, Leona… And I am so proud of her for it!"

Selena replied to Leona, taking the finger to the corner of an eye and wiping a non existent drop of tear. Then both dropped in fits of giggles that evolved into laughs.

Managing to get their bearings back, Selena hooked one arm into Leona's and started to drag her around the chambers.

"Come, Leona, let me show you the place… And after that we will plan our revenge!"

Leona let a giggle out but nevermore agreed with Selena.

While Selena showed Leona the Lord's Chambers, Erik and Joan were already walking down the Great Staircase.

"You really managed to dupe them, didn't you?"

Joan giggled at that. It was so much easier to show her feelings when they were not in the presence of strangers.

"And I regret nothing."

Joan replied while tightening her arms around Erik's waist.

"And I'm not complaining too. I know how much I love these moments between family."

Erik said with a smile on his face.

"And I'm very proud of your progress, Joan."

He added, tightening his arm around Joan too, in a tentative way to show her his feelings. They quickly arrived back into the entrance of the kitchens, and with a tickle at the pear, entered the place. The movement was a lot slower than at dinner time, a lot less house-elves were present in the kitchen. As the duo walked by, some elves stopped and gave them bows.

"Good job, guys, my Ladies loved the feast!"

Erik said to them, and Joan nodded her head by his side confirming what was said. The house-elves became filled with happiness at the compliment, and were almost bouncing in place.

Erik and Joan continued their walk and reached the door by the end of the kitchen. They climbed down the stairs and reached the door to the Hearthstone of the castle. With sounds of 'clicks', 'clacks' and 'slides', the door opened and the duo entered the Hearthstone Room. Still hugging each other, they climbed the elevated platform and approached the Hearthstone.

"This time will take a little more power from me, be careful, ok?"

Erik said, and Joan nodded her head, letting go from the hug too. Erik extended both hands and touched the Hearthstone. It started to resonate with his touch, and the pulsing lights stabilized for a moment. Then, Erik started to channel his magic energy into the Hearthstone. More, and more, and more, and more magic energy was poured into it. The dormant wards started, one by one, to 'come online' again and started to weave back the protections of the ancient castle. Joan could clearly feel them and they were strong as the ones in their house. She looked at Erik's back and couldn't do anything more than admire her husband's power. It was no secret to her that the world's powers respected and feared him so much. After all, he was the first high-human to walk on Earth since Adam's time.

Ten minutes later, the last ward came into place and the original system was back fully 'online'. The Hearthstone was brimming with magical energy. Erik slowly diminished the output of magic energy, until it ceased completely. Slowly, he took his hands back and opened his eyes. Turning back he gave Joan a toothy smile.

"All done. Hogwarts' wards are 100% back 'online'!"

He then walked to Joan and took her in his arms, kissing her passionately. Joan replied fully to his advance, and hugged Erik's neck, passing her arms behind it. As the kiss evolved to a full make out session, Erik slid his hands down Joan's body until he got to her dress hem. Sliding his hands back up through the skin under the dress, Erik groped Joan's butt with both hands, one in each buttcheak, getting a long moan in reply. He then tightened his grip and lifted her off the ground. Joan quickly hugged Erik's waist with her legs, locking them behind him. The makeout session continued, while Erik walked out of the platform with Joan in his lap. Erik then pressed Joan's back against the wall of the room, and the makeout session evolved again when with one of his hands, he freed his member from his pants already hard and ready for action pressing against Joan's parts. With another movement of his hand, Joan's panties were moved aside and after that, with a movement of both of their hips, Erik penetrated Joan in one go.

Thirty minutes later, a tired and happy Joan was being princess carried back up the Great Staircase. Erik paused at the second floor and decided to give a look at the location of the first attack. Arriving at the place, Erik noticed that the message written on the wall was still there. Analysing it better, he noticed that it was written in chicken's blood, that it was dry now, and had a charm on it so that people could clean it. Flexing a little of his power over the charm, he forcefully broke it.

"A house-elf, please?"

Erik called, and with a pop sound, a young house-elf appeared by his side.

*pop*

"How can Tootsy help Lordi Ravenclaw?"

"Hello Tootsy, I called to warn you that the message can already be cleaned from the wall. The charm that protected it was erased."

Erik replied to the house-elf. Totsy immediately looked at the wall and snapped it's fingers. The message in dry chicken blood shimmered and started to vanish. A second later and it was completely gone.

"Nasty words. Made house elves of Hogwarts look bad that it could not be cleaned."

Erik and Joan chuckled at the young house-elf rambles. The young Totsy then remembered that it was in the presence of the Castle's Lord, and almost blushed in shame of its behaviour.

"That was all, thank you Tootsy."

*pop*

After being dismissed, the house-elf disappeared in another soft pop. Erik then looked around at the floor of the corridor and saw a little water running from inside the near bathroom. Still with Joan in a princess carry, he entered the female bathroom. He looked around and saw that the water was coming from the toilets. Looking around a little more, he was soon attracted by a shrill feminine voice.

"You can't be here, this is the female bathroom! Boys are not allowed here!"

Erik looked at the owner of the voice and saw a female young ghost floating over the toilet cubicles. He noticed that she should be no older than fourteen and was wearing the School's uniform, in Ravenclaw's colors.

"Hello, Miss..?"

"Warren, Myrtle Warren."

Erik said and received a reply from the ghostly girl.

"... Miss Warren. My name is Erik Ravenclaw, and I am the castle's owner and Lord. I entered here because I was investigating the origin of the water running to the corridor. Do you know anything about it?"

"Ravenclaw, as in house Ravenclaw?"

The ghost of Myrtle Warren asked, ignoring Erik's question.

"Exactly, Miss Warren. I am Lord Ravenclaw."

"Oh my gods! Oh my gods! Oh my gods! I'm talking with Lord Ravenclaw! I..."

The ghostly girl was freaking out. Erik let her freak it out of her 'system' and tunned her down. After a little while, he called her again.

"Ms. Warren. About the water running down the corridor, do you know anything about it?"

The ghost stopped mumbling and seemed to blush, if that was possible for a ghost. And with a low voice she answered Erik.

"I'm sorry, Lord Ravenclaw. The water is my fault. I tend to dive into the toilets when I'm sad, and they end overflowing because of it."

Erik nodded at her, understanding the flooded water.

"And why is such a young ghost haunting a bathroom of all places?"

"Oh, it's because I died in this same bathroom."

Myrtle replied to Erik with a little more chirp in her voice. She seemed to be happy in talking about her death, he noticed.

"And how did you die in this bathroom?"

"Oh, it was horrible! It was in 1943, I was here in the bathroom, crying because Olive Hornby made fun of my glasses again, when I heard a voice outside the toilets. I recognized it as being a boy's voice, and opened the stall's door. I was going to yell at him to go away, but then, I died."

Erik listened to her tale.

"You just died? Do you remember anything before 'just dieing'?"

"Yes. Nobody missed me even when I was alive. Took them hours to find my body. I know, I was sitting there waiting for them. Olive Hornby came into the bathroom, 'Are you in here again, sulking, Myrtle?' she said, 'because Professor Dippet asked me to look for you...' And then she saw my body… And started yelling and ran out of the bathroom. And I just remember seeing a pair of great big yellow eyes, then I was dead."

Erik nodded at her tale. He just confirmed that the entrance to the secret chamber was in this bathroom. He looked around the bathroom, expanding his senses. He noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with one of the faucets in one of the sinks. He walked through the bathroom until he reached the said faucet and saw a snake engraving in its base. Erik smiled.

"Found it~"

He then looked back at the ghostly girl.

"Thank you for sharing your story with me Ms. Warren. The boy responsible for your death attacked the school again. His name was Tom Riddle."

"Riddle killed me? But he was so dreamy~ But he was distant and cold too."

Myrtle was first shocked with the revelation of her killer's name. But soon changed expression to one of a dreaming girl. And changed again to a serious one when talked about how the boy was.

"Yes, Ms. Warren. It was Tom Riddle that killed you. Or at least he was the one responsible for it. What killed you was the death stare of a Basilisk, also known as the King of the Serpents. Very nasty creature, almost incurable poison and can kill a person that looks at its eyes. And if the person looks at it's reflection instead, the person gets petrified. You must remember that in the same year, before your death, there was a series of students being found petrified, didn't you?"

Erik explained better the Myrtle's ghost. The girl nodded, confirming that there was indeed a series of attacks in that year.

"So you are going to avenge me?"

The ghost asked Erik. He replied.

"Mr. Riddle's has already been stopped, and soon we will get rid of the Basilisk that killed you and attacked the other students."

Myrtle, maybe for the first time since her death, smiled. Erik gave her a small smile back and started to walk out of the bathroom.

"Until that time, the entrance to your bathroom will be sealed. Have good night, Ms. Warren."

Erik wished for the ghost.

"Good night, Lord Ravenclaw."

Myrtle wished back. And as Erik exited the bathroom, with a Joan still absent minded in his arms, the door to the bathroom closed, clicked and a plaque appeared on it that read 'CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS'.

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