Gajeel grunted sourly as he paced over the rugged turf, kicking the rocks out of his way even it they were as big as he was. He'd been scouting around this place for hours now, always trying to find a way to get closer to the castle but always being pulled up short.
And his mood wasn't being helped by Charla's increasing fretting. While totally understandable, it was grating on his nerve - the white cat was desperate to head to the castle on her own and find Wendy since whatever was keeping Gajeel out seemed to have no effect on the Exceed, but Lily and Happy both pointed out that they should wait to have Gajeel for backup just in case the people of the castle weren't friendly. Lily himself was not really in a condition to fight right now. His burns were not healing as well as they normally would. Perhaps there was some magic in that dragon's fire that was causing its effects to last longer.
The thought made Gajeel want to backtrack and beat the crap out of the dragons himself but Mavis pointed out to him that these dragons didn't know any better. They were not like Metalicana. They were just animals here.
Speaking of Mavis she was currently nowhere in sight, meaning Gajeel and the Exceed were skirting around the castle by themselves for the moment. But that didn't last long, as the ghost suddenly hovered into view and alighted on the ground before the Iron Dragon Slayer.
"Tell me you've found a way in," Gajeel murmured.
"Not exactly," Mavis shook her head, her long blond hair swaying rhythmically behind her. "My analysis of the wards leads me to conclude that the castle is completely surrounded by them just as we suspected. I've also been able to conclude that there are a few places where you would be able to get through them unimpeded, the tunnel into the lake that Wendy used being one of them. Of course that one we cannot reach and I have not yet located any of the others. But, I believe I have located a weak spot you might possibly be able to get through."
"Then lead the way," Charla pressed immediately. "We can't waste a single second."
"Charla's right. Let's go!" Happy lifted into the air and shot off.
"Happy… it's that way!" Mavis called out before he could get far and pointed off to the cat's right.
"Oh…" Happy grinned sheepishly. "I knew that."
Gajeel bounded after Mavis so hard his feet were cracking the ground whenever he passed over rock, until eventually Mavis pulled to a stop and pointed ahead.
"I can only assume that that's the main entrance," she said, pointing to a set of large metal gates set in a high stone wall - a long dirt road winding across the ground towards it and through it and two statues of boars with great sweeping wings sitting on the columns flanking the gates. "The wards are a little weaker here, presumably because they had to let people in at this point while the rest of the castle is better protected to prevent people coming in from unexpected angles.
Gajeel marched forwards towards the gates and said, "Alright then. I'm going to try smashing my way again!"
"No, that still won't work," Mavis shook her head. "I've analysed the defences here and although the magic here is quite different to what I'm used to I am able to discern some of it. There's spells woven into the gates to prevent them from being forced open, smashed or knocked off their hinges. Similarly there are defences designed to keep people from climbing or flying over them or the walls on either side of them, and even protection against tunnelling underneath. Clearly whoever wove those wards only wants those gates to be opened with the use of the right key.
"Well then, how is Gajeel supposed to get through here?" Charla asked.
"Do you think that if you unleashed your full power, Gajeel, you might be able to break through the spells as well as the gates?" Lily asked from where he was clinging to Gajeel's shoulder.
Gajeel said nothing for a moment, but then a wide, savage grin spread out across his face. "Geehee! I dunno," he claimed. "But I bet I have a way in that these wards don't block."
And he marched straight up to the gates, cracking his knuckles as he went. Mavis and the Exceed watched him silently, wondering what he was going to do. Gajeel stopped right next to the gates and took hold of the bars in his hands, inspecting them shrewdly.
"Wrought iron," he laughed. "Piece of cake. And I was getting hungry anyway!" And he suddenly lunged forwards and sank his teeth into one of the bars. The iron splintered under his fangs and broke, leaving Gajeel to chew and swallow noisily before taking another bite, then another and another, attacking the bars in front of him almost at random and starting to create a hole in the gate.
"Of course," Happy grinned. "No way that anything made of metal is going to stop the Iron Dragon Slayer."
"Wow, I guess the wards were not prepared for this," Charla noted.
"No, indeed they are not," Mavis laughed. "I don't think that whoever cast them ever thought to cast something to prevent someone from eating their way through their doors."
Gajeel cackled slightly as he gripped another bar in his teeth and munched his way merrily through it. In practically no time flat he'd created a hole large enough for him to step through as long as her both ducked and raised his legs. Gripping the bars that remained he quickly pushed his way through the hole, encountering no resistance whatsoever.
He was in.
"Take that, wards," Gajeel laughed. "I told you you couldn't keep me out. Come on, you lot. Let's go find Wendy."
"Right behind you, Gajeel," Happy cheered as he whooshed into the air and followed Gajeel through the hole he'd made, Charla and Mavis right behind him as Gajeel bolted up the path.
Towards Hogwarts.
...
"Do we really have to do this?" Ron muttered as he trudged down the corridor, rubbing at his eyes in an attempt to keep them open. "All the teachers are always telling us how much we need to work hard and pay attention for our OWLs this year and surely a decent way of doing that is to actually get a good night's sleep."
"It's our duty as Prefects, Ron," Hermione chided him. "You should consider it part of the privilege. Prefects help the staff by patrolling the corridors to ensure the younger students obey the curfew - that's the way its been since the concept was introduced to the school."
"I know, I know. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for being a prefect but it's just… I dunno… I feel like I could do without this part. I'm tired and I don't reckon anyone else is out of bed anyway."
"Says a boy who has snuck out of the dormitory at night many times for various reasons."
"Well, yeah, but never for any bad ones, right?"
"Well… I suppose not, surprisingly. But just because you and I never disobeyed that particular rule without a cause doesn't mean that everyone else will. And that means we have to help uphold the rules."
"Yeah, I suppose," Ron sighed. "But is it weird that I still feel like I should be creeping around so that I don't run into Filch or something while I'm out here? Speaking of which, when does Filch get any sleep anyway? He's always patrolling the castle at night. What does he do - take naps every now and then during the day?"
Hermione laughed slightly, but shook her head. "You really shouldn't say things like that in a place where Filch could be around the corner and hear you."
"I guess, but its not like he could do anything. I reckon the guy knows that none of the students like him anyway - he doesn't seem to care what they think. Wish we'd brought the Marauder's Map with us though. We could see where… hey, there's an idea! Maybe we should ask Harry if we can bring it with us next time we have to do this. That way if anyone's sneaking around out here we can just head straight to where they are and lynch them or something."
"That's… actually a pretty good idea," Hermione ran a hand through her hair. "Why didn't I think of that? It could be a really useful tool. Though I can just imagine the look on Sirius' face if he ever found out that we were using the mischief making tool of the Marauders to catch mischief makers."
"He'd be horrified," Ron grinned. "Bet Lupin would approve though. He was a Prefect wasn't he? I wonder if he ever used it for that reason."
"He might have tried, but I imagine Sirius and Harry's dad might have tried to stop him if he did. But then again, they were probably the ones breaking the curfew anyway so I don't know."
"Maybe we should ask him next time. Wonder what he would have done if he ever caught them?"
"What will you do if we happen to catch Fred and George out here?"
"Um… side with you?" Ron said uncomfortably, making it sound more like a question than a statement.
"I bet you will," Hermione rolled her eyes slightly. "Anyway, we should probably split up a little now so we can cover more ground. You want to head out and check around the Entrance Hall and the greenhouses or do you want to search around the first and second floors?"
"I'll take the greenhouses," Ron yawned. "Maybe a little fresh air will wake me up. I still can't believe we have to do this until bloody two in the morning."
"I really don't know what you're complaining about since you probably caught up on all the sleep you're missing in History of Magic this morning."
"…True but still…"
"Like I said, Ron. All part of the privilege. Meet back here later, okay?"
"Yeah, alright. Um… what do I do if I do catch anyone out of bed again?"
"Deduct points off them and send them back to their dormitories off course."
"But what if they're from Gryffindor?"
"Deduct points off them anyway?"
"Seriously, you want me to deduct points off our own house? Isn't that just like… punishing myself as well as the ones disobeying the rules?"
"It's what Prefects do, Ron. You wouldn't hesitate to deduct points from other houses so you can't hesitate to deduct points off your own."
"Yeah, yeah, I guess so. But still, if I do catch anyone I hope they're from Slytherin. Anyway, see you later."
...
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