"You are late, challenger."
After curfew, in the cover of night, Quinn turned a corner in the Hogwarts hallways and was immediately greeted by a deep-deep voice.
Quinn looked up and saw the Bloody Baron, decked in the restrictive chains wrapped around his body. The ghost was accompanied by the other three house ghosts, making the council of ghosts all present.
"Good evening, my ghostly friends," said Quinn. "I apologize for keeping you waiting, but my duties had seen me busy organizing paperwork with the deputy headmistress."
"Ease it up, my friend," said Nearly-Headless Nick, laughing boisterously, "we are used to waiting; what are a few more minutes?"
Bloody Baron didn't grace the Gryffindor ghost with a reply, maintaining his somber self as he turned away, looking down at Quinn with his ghostly eyes.
"Quinn," Friar floated forward, "for you to have called us here today, does it mean that you're ready?"
"You're right to have those expectations, Friar," smiled Quinn. "I have indeed completed what I was set out to do. I think it will be a great addition to Hogwarts."
Helena Ravenclaw, the ghost of the Ravenclaw Tower and the once daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw, swifted forward in the air. She gazed at Quinn with curiosity in her eyes, an emotion unusual in the taciturn and unspeaking Grey Lady.
"... Have you kept your promises, little eagle," she said in a voice much quieter than her three companions, yet it was the clearest.
"I have indeed, my lady. My creations, my legacy, will be a new jewel in the Cursed Vaults crown."
"Then what are we waiting for," said Nearly-Headless Nick, "let's go see what Quinn has built here."
Quinn nodded. He turned to the left, and accompanied by the four ghosts, he walked into a short corridor on the sixth floor with no classrooms or even a single door, much less a broom closet. It was as if the hallway was built for apparently no reason and had no apparent use— but that was only to those who couldn't see the truth behind the hallway.
"Scattered all over Hogwarts, short corridors like these are present on all floors— all of them leading nowhere but dead ends," said Quinn. "According to my research, they were built by the Architect for when the castle was needed to equipped with more rooms in case the student studying in Hogwarts increased."
"I presume you found this information from the Architect's Vault," asked the Grey Lady.
"That'd be correct. There were a few documents related to Hogwarts in the Architect's Vault. One of those documents mentioned these hallways. And they were indeed built for the reasons I said before, but of course, the Architect had been sneaky and had built a secret into these hallways.
Just as he had built the Chamber of Secrets for Salazar Slytherin, Architect had built—"
"What?! The Architect had built the Chamber of Secrets?!" Friar said in shocked exclamation.
The other three ghosts looked equally shocked. They exchanged glances before looking at Quinn, who continued to walk towards the hallway's dead end.
"My dear ghosts, one thing that when Hogwarts was built, the Architect knew all secrets— the short man was an overbearing man who wouldn't let the founders touch Hogwarts without his permission. So everything from the Room of Requirements to the Chamber of Secrets, he knew of everything and was actively involved in their creation," said Quinn.
"I was even able to find out that except the Underground Vault and the Aquatic Vault— the Architect had mentioned the spaces in which all the vaults were eventually built?"
"The Architect knew about the Cursed Vaults?" asked Nearly-Headless Nick.
"No-no, he wasn't involved in any vault other than his own. It is just that all the vaults were made in the hidden, secret places that the Architect had built during the castle's construction."
"Then there must be something similar about these hallways," asked Friar.
"Ah yes, the secret built into these hallways are rooms similar to where the other vaults are built. Empty spaces that are hidden from the main from the castle," said Quinn.
They arrived at the end of the hallways and stared at the black wall in front of them.
"Just like the other vault creators, I too have used on one of the hidden rooms inside Hogwarts," Quinn grinned, "to make my own vault."
He reached out to the wall with his hand and touched the wall for it to immediately thrum. The bricks shifted in their places, going up and down, forming ripples that spread across the walls. The spaces between the walls glowed with a purple light as the bricks started to move aside, leaving a gaping hole with a purple portal inside.
"This is just like the portal entrance to the Architect's Vault," said Friar.
Quinn stuck his arm inside, sending gentle ripples in the portal.
"You will soon realize that my vault is an amalgamation of the magic I know until now," said Quinn. "One of the magics that I have dabbled in is spatial magic, and I decided that the entrance to my vault would also utilize spatial magic."
"Is there a specific reason behind using spatial magic on the door?" asked the Grey Lady. "According to you, the place behind is an empty pocket— what's the need for a spatial entrance?"
"The reason is simple. The actual vault is not placed in the empty pocket behind the wall; instead, it is placed in a different empty pocket, somewhere else in the castle— making it so that if someone decided to break into the vault by brute force, all they would find is an empty space.
Only those with proper skill would be able to enter the vault."
"The proper way?"
"I drew inspiration from the Icy Vault and used a rune puzzle to reveal the portal. I have found that the Architect's method of using a tangible object is deeply flawed. If someone is to take the ring away with them, the next challenger would never be able to enter the Architect's Vault."
Bloody Baron stared at the wall and portal as he asked, "What is the difficulty level on this... rune puzzle?"
"Much easier than the one guarding the Icy Vault," Quinn glanced at the Bloody Baron, "all according to the motive behind creating this vault."
Bloody Baron nodded.
"Now, let's enter the vault. I will show you what I have prepared," said Quinn and stepped into the vault with the ghosts following behind him.
- (Scene Break) -
"After I went through the Cursed Vault journey, five years with five vaults showed me various things and taught me things that have made what I am today," said Quinn.
He, along with the council of ghosts, stood in a room shaped like a pentagram. The entire room was painted white with artificial lights crystal, similar to those in the Aquatic Vault, studded on the roof and edges. The white was so pure that the lights from the crystals reflected all over the room, lighting it up in a glow just below uncomfortable blinding.
"However, every year, every vault, every time I ventured into the vaults, my life was put at risk in one way or another," said Quinn. "Last year, after completing the Architect's Vault, I fell into the thoughts about the future challengers.
I am not one to brag, but if the challenger is someone other than me, they will die a painful death in every one of them."
The ghosts didn't have anything to comment on. They had been giving out the Cursed Vault challenges for centuries, and there had been a few who had died and plenty who had come closer to death. And that was only the first vault.
"So I decided that I would create a vault that makes things safer, or at least keep children away from danger."
As Quinn spoke, the ghosts looked around the white room. Their eyes were attracted to the pentagonal walls of the vault. Every wall held a door within them; each had a unique design and a roman numerical written over them.
[ I II III IV V ]
"Even though I said this is my legacy, I don't consider myself to be qualified to leave behind a vault of the same nature as the other ones," said Quinn.
He turned to the door with the numeral [ I ] above the gate. It was the plainest of the five gates; its design had no decorations or attractive features— only a gate that looked like it was made from dull grey concrete.
"The Architect's Vault was the creation of the Architect. Even though the vault was the easiest to go through, and if a motivated student with a hint of talent for magic devotes themselves to solving the vault, they would be able to go through it without any problems. It's not much of a vault and doesn't match with the majesty of the others, but the creator behind it speaks for its legacy. Without the Architect, Hogwarts would never exist. And while I do not enjoy saying this and would never ever again repeat this... I have not yet matched the Architect in his achievement. He had created something that has persisted over a thousand years, and I have not done that."
Quinn turned to the door on the next wall with the numeral [ II ] over it. The gate was made from a beautiful sea-green jade-like material, letting out a beautiful glow. He smiled as the scent of the water tickled his nose.
"I don't know which great person created the Aquatic Vault, but whoever it was, they have my utmost respect. If just by spending time in the vault's final area, I was able to gain so much knowledge about water and its relation to life, then I have no idea what that personage must know about the mysteries of water. I have no idea if it was the motive, but every stage of the vault showed me an important aspect of water. I have nothing to offer of that level— making me disqualified to leave behind a legacy like that."
The wall beside had the numeral [ III ] over the gates made from stone. Both doors on the gates were etched with various magical creatures— centaurs, trolls, acromantulas, wolves, among many others. Moreover, a soft green light leaked through the slight spaces on the edges of the gates.
"The runic platform inside the Underground Vault was an application that I have never seen before, only second to what I have seen in the Sin Vault. Even now, there are plenty of rune logics in that runic cluster that I have not been able to understand. Moreover, the creator had combined runes, rituals, and human transfiguration together— three fields that are complex and potentially hazardous. They achieved a needlessly, almost not-worth-it procedure of achieving an animagus form through a runic application. Do you know what that is? They revolutionized an entire field of magic. Now that's a legacy to be proud of. I attained some noticeable achievements, but none of them are as prominent as this personage when it comes to the betterment of magic."
The gate with the numeral [ IV ] was unique even among the five gates. It looked it had been crafted from pure ice, and a cold fog flowed out from the gates, granting it an ethereal appeal. Quinn walked to the gate and touched the ice. His shoulder relaxed when he felt cold enter his body.
"It won't be an understatement to say that the Icy Vault and Absolute Zero is one my longest active project— the only thing that can compare to it is mental magic. I have tried for years to take out Absolute Zero from its cage so that I could take it with myself so that I could continue to study it after I leave Hogwarts... but, even after years of trying, I haven't been able to create a method to transport Absolute Zero. The person who gave birth to Absolute Zero was a master of Alchemy, reaching legendary status, and he had enough runic knowledge to contain a substance that could wipe out Hogwarts. Out of all the vaults, this person might be the most talented one and one who has achieved the most— it is safe without saying, I haven't reached that level yet."
Finally, Quinn's eyes turned to the last gate with the numeral [ V ] over it. And unlike the previous four gates, he had no warmth in his eyes— only cold steel flashing in the stone grey. The gate was pitch black, so black that it looked like it was sucking in light, and even the ghosts who usually couldn't interact with the physical world were feeling a slight danger from it.
"I have made this clear plenty of times, but I do NOT want anyone to enter the Sin Vault. It is an abomination that shouldn't exist in a school of students. If I was capable, I would've destroyed the damn thing; unfortunately, I am not able to do so and believe me, I have tried. I implore all of you that if someone, somehow, is able to reach the Sin Vault, I beg that you don't let them go through it. Congratulate them, pat them on their back, and send them on their way while singing their praise."
Quinn sighed, "If it does come to that, then let them go through their gates, and if they're still excited after experiencing what's behind the doors, then let them go through the Sin Vault to risk not just themselves but also those around them."
"... What exactly is behind these doors?" asked Nearly-Headless Nick.
"They're like tutorials," said Quinn. "Just as we discussed when I met you guys regarding the vault order, I wanted to make the future challengers' job easier, so if they go through what behind those gates. The aim is two-fold— prepare them for the real deal and give them a taste of what's to come so that they can decide if they want to go through it.
It's an asset and warning."
He looked at the four ghosts and smiled, "Would you like to see what's inside?"
Their eyes widened. The fundamental aim of revealing Cursed Vaults to students had been to sate the ghost's curiosity. But even with Quinn revealing everything to them, they couldn't go in the vaults to see what was in there. But as Quinn had said, these gates were tutorials, and with the creator with them, they might be able to see what it was.
"We would love to," said Friar with a bright smile on his face.
Quinn waved his hand, and the [ I ] numerical glowed in a golden light as the gate beneath it opened up.
"Well then, lady and gentlemen, how about we take a grand tour."
It would be decades before someone would step into the GUIDE'S VAULT.
.
-*-*-*-*-*-
.
Quinn West - MC - Even the gates have spatial magic on them, making my vault just a node center.
FictionOnlyReader - Author - I might reveal the contents of these tutorial gates in the epilogue volume. Tomorrow, we shall start the announced arc. Also, the I have started the final arc of this volume on you-know-where.
