Seven in the evening.
Outside the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts, the ugly stone statue was unlike anything elsewhere. It was Ian's first time here, and he softly spoke the password Dumbledore had told him.
"Jelly Slugs."
As the words fell.
The stone statue tilted its head and moved aside, revealing the way. Ian slowly climbed the spiral stairs until he reached a stately wooden door fitted with a brass handle.
There was no need to turn it.
Ian merely knocked lightly on the wooden door. The knocker seemed to come alive, flapping its tiny wings as though straining to open the door, and the wooden door slowly opened without a sound.
Ever-burning candles cast a gentle glow as Hogwarts' most solemn chamber unfolded before Ian's eyes. Rows upon rows of bookshelves stood out in the spacious room.
Since Dumbledore did not seem inclined to hold him accountable, Ian was not particularly nervous. After all, he was the victim who had been ganged up on.
He looked around the room with considerable interest.
Ian saw that the walls were covered with portraits of former headmasters, each one lifelike. Nearly all of those headmasters were looking at him in perfect unison.
"Has another Young Wizard gotten into trouble at school?"
"It's that little guy. I remember him—he's the little boy Dumbledore can't forget."
"Shut up! You bigmouth!"
After a brief squabble, the portraits all fell silent and stopped moving. They pretended to be frozen in smiling poses on the walls, though their eyes continued to follow Ian's movements.
"Most Poisonous Magic"
"Evil Magic Codex"
"Blood Pact"
"Secrets of the Darkest Art"
Besides books like Break with the Banshee, Gadding with Ghouls, and Vacationing with the Hag, the bookshelves also held quite a few volumes that could be called forbidden books.
They