The Dungeon Heist ------------------------------------------------ "Alright, we have exactly twelve minutes," Jackie whispered, her eyes darting to her pocket watch. She looked at Emily and me, her face pale in the dim light of the dungeon corridor. "Snape is at the staff meeting, and Filch is currently on the third floor. If we don’t do this now, we never will." Emily smirked, leaning against the cold stone wall. "Don't you worry your bushy head, Jackie. I’ve seen Snape use the unlocking charm a thousand times. It’s all in the wrist and the intent." I felt my stomach do a nervous flip. I was leaning against the wall with my sketchbook open, pretending to draw the suits of armor, but my hand was shaking so hard the lines looked like scribbles. "Y’all better be quick," I muttered, my Southern drawl slipping out thick because of the nerves. "I feel like a cat on a hot tin roof out here." Jackie handed Emily a small vial. "The Muffling Mist. Pour a drop on the hinges. It’ll make sure the door doesn't creak. "Emily nodded and went to work. It was fascinating watching her—she had this Slytherin confidence that I envied. With a flick of her wand and a quiet "Alohomora," followed by a rhythmic tap she’d learned in the Slytherin common room, the heavy wooden door clicked open. "In. Now," Emily hissed. I stayed back for a second, my eyes scanning the shadows for Mrs. Norris. Inside, I could hear them rifling through papers. My heart was thumping against my ribs. After what felt like an eternity, Jackie whispered, "Maddie! You need to see this." I ducked inside, the smell of herbs and old parchment hitting me. Jackie was pointing to a bottom drawer that was slightly ajar. Tucked under a pile of detention slips was a folder with a faded logo of a sun and a cradle—the same one on the bag the woman took me away in during my flashback. "That’s it," I breathed, reaching for it. But just as my fingers touched the paper, a cold voice echoed from the end of the hallway. "And what, pray tell, are students doing outside my office during dinner?" My heart stopped. It wasn't Snape. It was Filch. Emily grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the back of the office. "Hide!" she mouthed. "Into the cupboard!" Emily hissed, but instead of hiding behind the cloaks, she pressed a specific stone on the back wall of the closet. With a low, grinding sound that was luckily muffled by Jackie’s mist, a narrow slit opened in the wall. "It’s a drainage crawlspace," Emily whispered, shoving us through the gap just as we heard Filch’s keys jingle at the main door. "It leads out to the boathouse." We scrambled into the dark, damp tunnel, my heart racing so fast I could barely breathe. I clutched the folder I’d snatched against my chest like it was made of gold. We crawled in silence for what felt like miles until we finally tumbled out into the cool night air by the Black Lake. I sat on the grass, gasping for air, the Southern accent coming out full force now that the adrenaline was fading. "Lord have mercy, I thought for sure we were fixin' to get expelled." Jackie leaned over, her hair a mess of cobwebs. "Never mind that. Maddie... look at the folder." I looked down at the paper in the moonlight. It wasn't just a file. It was a Ministry of Magic Transfer Order from 1981. My breath hitched as I read the line at the top: Subject: Madailein Lily Potter. Relocation: Unauthorized. Destination: Non-Magical Sector (Southern USA). "Unauthorized?" Jackie whispered, reading over my shoulder. "That means someone stole you, Maddie. Someone didn't want you to be found." I stared at my mother's name on the page, feeling a cold chill that had nothing to do with the night air. I wasn't just a mistake. I was a secret.
