There had originally been nothing but air above the old wizard's head.
Other than the somewhat aged, lavish ceiling and faint patches of mold visible in the corners, there were no other decorations.
But when he reached into the air, a tasseled cord suddenly dropped down, identical to the bell rope hanging beside the canopy-covered headboard of his large bed.
One end of the rope vanished into the void.
The other silently fell into the old wizard's hand.
Without another word, he gave it a hard tug. Jingle, jingle, jingle! The crisp ringing instantly tore through the stillness of the night. Under normal circumstances, the bell would only wake the butler downstairs or the servants living on lower floors. But today, it ignored every soundproofing ward and roused the entire sleeping castle, its clear chime echoing through every room.
In the basement, the servants curled up among cramped beds jolted awake. They opened their eyes in confusion, and before they could understand what had happened, their bodies had already sprung instinctively from their beds as they hurried upstairs. In the corridors, the sounds of house Elves darting back and forth rose and fell, while sets of heavy armor marched with ponderous steps, dragging black coffins out from rooms on even lower levels.
The butler and Head Maid on the first floor had awakened as well.
The Head Maid opened her spellbook and reprimanded the disorderly servants in a somewhat restrained voice, leading them to the armory to distribute weapons. At the same time, she directed the Gargoyles hanging beneath the eaves outside to spread their wings and circle above the castle, helping the Diviners open their view of the castle's surroundings. The butler, meanwhile, carried an oil lamp as he stomped up the stairs to await his master's orders, the