With greasy fingers rubbing against the edge of his robe, Kayson tore off the last piece of Thestral meat and stuffed it into his mouth, casually tossing the bone into the Black Lake.
The ripples spread out in circles, only to be shattered by even larger ripples.
Meanwhile, Snape was smashing himself with a stone, gnawing on his bare bones, with one dull thud after another.
Teenagers often seem confused, and you might think they're just throwing stones at each other, but it's possible that in their inner world they're actually throwing stones at James and Sirius.
"Full?" Heath leaned against the stone pillar by the back door, the firelight casting a yellowish glow on his robes. His cuffs were stained with bits of charred flesh, like dried scabs.
"Now that you're full, let's get down to business." He flicked away the meat scraps, ashes falling in a flurry. " Kayson Heath, learn alchemy from me. You were born for this."
Kayson made a gurgling sound in his throat, probably from swallowing the meat too quickly.
He lowered his head, concentrating on picking at the burnt skin under his fingernails.
Holy crap, those nails are real nails.
Lily licked the oil from her fingertips, her voice crisp and clear. "Professor, the Thestral meat was a little overcooked. Maybe use a lower heat next time?"
Snape threw the stone in his hand into the lake with a splash, nearly spilling water onto the corner of Heath's robe. "Hard bone, hard to chew."
He wiped his mouth, the grease smearing onto his sleeve, making it shinier than his robe.
Heath nodded. "You guys just want to say that the meal wasn't good, so you're refusing on behalf of Kayson, right? Of course you can do that, but ultimately the person involved has to refuse."
Then Heath squinted at Kayson, the firelight dancing on his glasses. "Become an apprentice, learn the real stuff. Flesh Alchemy, take it apart and put it back together, replace whatever parts you want." He poked Kayson's chest with his fingertip, burning hot. "Your body is a perfect match for my skills!"
Kayson shrank back, his rear end scooting half a foot off the grass. "I'm full, time to digest." He suddenly stood up. "Thanks for the midnight snack, Professor! The taste... um... was quite complex!"
Lily, however, tugged at Snape, who was still staring at the charcoal residue on the grill. "We have to go! Professor McGonagall assigned us constellation homework! Yes! Tonight we're observing Orion's Belt!"
Snape stumbled, then looked at Heath's childish expression, as if he were an idiot, and added dryly, "... a very educational barbecue experience. I benefited greatly. Goodbye."
Kayson wiped his greasy mouth and waved vaguely at the ashen-faced Heath: "Thanks, Professor! Next time... next time I'll treat you to pixelated steak!"
Then, turning to Lily, who was the most well-informed of the three, he asked, "The castle must have a secret base, right, Lily?"
"There definitely is!" Lily jumped up, rubbing her oily hands on her robe, leaving two dark stains. " Snape, let's go!"
Snape rose to his feet, his robes dripping with the oil splattered from smashing the bones. "Finding a place is better than listening to someone's sales pitch."
The three of them disappeared into the shadows behind the castle's back door without looking back.
"Hey!" Heath's voice chased after them, echoing between the stone walls. "Become my apprentice! You can use my office as your base! Use whatever crucibles you like! Plenty of dragon heart meat!"
The footsteps didn't stop; in fact, they quickened. Only Lily's voice drifted back. "Thank you for the midnight snack, Professor..."
The shadows were swallowed up by the torches in the corridor, and the footsteps faded into the distance.
Heath kicked the Thestral's skeleton, sending bones shattering on the floor. "You little brat!" he snorted, staring at the dark doorway.
Castle at Night...
Lily led the way, her fingers tracing the cool cracks in the stone wall. Kayson walked in the middle, glowing fluorite floating around him, illuminating the uneven paving stones beneath his feet. Snape brought up the rear, his robes sweeping through the dust with a rustling sound.
Suddenly, Lily stopped moving.
"Looking for him?" Snape suddenly asked, his voice muffled in the narrow passage.
"Hmm, that old book really didn't lie." Lily picked at a loose stone with her fingertip and pressed it down hard.
Click.
A crack slid open in the wall, and dust fell down, revealing a dog hole. A musty smell mixed with the odor of old parchment wafted out.
"That's it?" Lily covered her nose, her wand gleaming as she peered inside. In the dim light, a corner piled high with tattered armor, a few empty bottles gleaming eerily, and the peeling paint on the walls resembling a scaby's head.
Kayson's shoulders slumped. "This place is a bit lousy, sis? Let's find another one."
Snape nodded quickly. Cleaning up the place might be easy, but having to climb through a dog hole every time he entered was something he couldn't stand.
Half an hour later...
The stairs twisted and turned, making one's calves cramp. The lock on the abandoned classroom door was rusted shut, and the broom shed was crammed with moldy mops. Snape kicked open a creaking wooden door, startling a room full of bats that fluttered and bumped into Lily, making her gasp in disbelief.
"Secret base...it has to be secret enough. Look at this secret base, right? Such a huge door? And what's this thing even doing here? As a doorman?" Kayson panted, leaning against a pair of knight's armor hanging crookedly. The armor clattered and swayed.
"It also needs to be big enough," Lily said with some anticipation.
"Quiet enough," Snape added, swatting away the bat that was grabbing his hair.
Kayson's fingers unconsciously traced a groove on the edge of the armor's base. The groove was deep, and the pattern seemed somewhat familiar...
Hmm? There's something there?
He squatted down somewhat strangely, his fingernails tracing the grooves in the grooves.
The stone slab at the base slid open silently, revealing a dark hole. A cool breeze swept up, carrying the smell of dust and stone.
"Stairs?" Lily leaned closer, her wand glowing as she looked down. The rough stone steps plunged into the darkness.
Snape first stuck his foot down to test the depth. "Deep enough." He bent down and stepped inside, his voice buzzing from below. "Big enough."
"I was lucky, you know." Kayson was the second to crawl down, stopping just before his head was inside. He turned back and grinned at Lily, "And it was pretty secretive."
The stone steps spiraled downwards, ending at a cave the size of a cellar. Water droplets seeped from the cave walls, dripping incessantly. In one corner lay a pile of rotten wooden crates, and the central open space was covered in dust, feeling soft and yielding underfoot.
"This is it." Kayson plopped down on the pile of ash, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Lily coughed, brushing away the dust, her wand's light sweeping across the stalactites hanging from the cave ceiling. "Why is Hogwarts connected to a cave? A cavern?"
Snape kicked aside a half-broken brick at his feet. The brick rolled into the darkness, making a clattering sound for a long time before stopping. "This place is nice." He sat down against the damp, cold stone wall, a dark water stain staining his greasy robe.
Kayson looked up at the dark cave ceiling and snapped his fingers. The fluorite flew back into his hand, and he then gave it to Snape and Lily.
"It's time for us to renovate this place!"