Alone PV Cade Darkbound

October 2025 | @Hana Suzuki

Cade didn't even pretend he was going to the Fall Ball. He told Professor Iwasaki straight up that he had "more productive things" to do. He didn't elaborate and Iwasaki didn't ask, likely assuming it meant reading ahead on spell theory or brewing something complicated and educational. It did not.

Tonight, Cade was crouched in the second floor corridor near the study room. His coat pockets bulged with three stolen candles, two self-writing quills, and a folded up map that definitely wasn't meant to leave Madam Alarie's restricted cabinet. It was a hand-drawn floor plan of Hogwarts, partly accurate, partly wild speculation. He had found it crammed between books on ancient curse architecture. One of its wilder claims had inspired tonight's activities. Supposedly there lies a defunct dumbwaiter system that once connected the kitchens to several staff chambers. If it existed, it might be able to reach the Astronomy Tower. And what better way to deliver contraband chocolate frogs and enchanted prank notes to the upper years without setting off the stairwell tracking charms?

As far as he knew, Cade wasn't breaking any rules. Technically. He was only investigating the theoretical boundaries of school infrastructure while everyone else was otherwise occupied. What was the harm there?

He had a theory. And that alone should have given anyone a good reason to clear out. To test it, he needed elevation. Hence the bench. The corridor's old bench had stood unused except by the occasional lovesick first year or the exhausted seventh year. Cade would climb it carefully, the candle stub in one hand. He held the flame up close to the stone, watching keenly to see if the heat would draw any hint of airflow from the seams. He took a step back to balance and heard an outraged yelp beneath him.

The candle nearly flew from his hand! He stumbled and caught himself against the wall, pulse pounding fiercely. He looked down and found to his astonishment, a girl. "Er, pardon me. I didn't see you."

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Date: Saturday, October 4 2025.

Interacting with @Cade Darkbound
Dialogue
Thoughts

Hana continued to lie on the stone bench, reading her book or taking a nap, both looked the same now. Footsteps approached her but she was too into her own world that she didn't even notice, she wasn't like that before, she used to be someone who was observant of her own surroundings, and has very good hearing. But that night, guess it was different, maybe it's the coldness and the emptiness of the castle that made her feel a bit weird, a bit sad, perhaps. Reading, not something she'll usually do with her friends, but definitely her favourite thing to do when she's alone. Just as she was trying to enjoy her book peacefully, she felt something on her, too heavy to be a stray cat or dog, it's like someone stepping or climbing on her "ouch"what the heck was that

Hana slowly sat back up straight and that's when she made eye contact with a boy, older than her, and she'd seen him quite a few times around the castle, if she remembered correctly, so she assumed the boy's either in third year or fourth year. "ouch.. it's alright, I guess. I'm Hana Suzuki, by the way, second year Gryffindor." Wincing faintly of the pressure on her shoulder, she continued. "Why are you stepping on me? What are you trying to do?"

October 2025 | @Hana Suzuki

Cade blinked at her. Gryffindor. Of course she was. They all had that special tone. Their house always seemed somewhat offended, half amused, and wholly bewildered that a Ravenclaw would have the nerve to do anything that wasn't in a book or under supervision."I wasn't trying to step on you," he said quickly, smoothly hopping from the bench. "I was stepping on the bench." Cade would crouch beside her with an awkward wince. "Are you all right? Did I... crush anything critical?" It was bad enough stepping on her, but she seemed rather petite. Hurting someone younger seemed especially evil.

Cade rubbed the back of his neck, trying to recover with minimal dignity while debating whether or not to ask for help locating this nonexistent dumbwaiter... Or perhaps it was smarter to simply flee before she hexed him. That decision went out the window when she suddenly made an introduction. In the way that the younger years always did, desperate to know absolutely everyone. He hesitated before granting a slight smile. "I'm Cade. Fourth year. Ravenclaw. I'm uh... doing corridor-based research."

He cleared his throat. "Practical structural analysis," he added, trying to sound more professional and less like a kid who spends free time tapping on walls to find secrets. "There's a hidden shaft system that predates the current kitchen layout. I'm trying to verify air movement behind this panel. Nothing illegal." He gestured vaguely at the wall like it would back him up, but the traitorous thing stayed very wall-like and unhelpful.

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Date: Saturday, October 4 2025.

Interacting with @Cade Darkbound
Dialogue
Thoughts

"I'm fine. I don't think you crush anything important, but if you were to put more pressure or jump on me, I think my collarbone will be crushed. Her tone a bit vulnerable than usual due to the boredom and loneliness she felt for the past half hour in the empty corridor. "How could you not see me? Do I look like a stone bench? By the way, are you also not going to the ball?" She whispered softly, tone laced with the faintest amusement. He seemed nice.

Hana blinked at the boy, looking at his reaction - rubbing his neck as if he was scared that he stepped on her and introduced himself awkwardly. "You know, you really don't need to be that scared, it's not like I'll hex you or curse you for that. And you're older than me, you know more spells that I do. Besides I experienced worse pain when I was younger." After a few seconds, her eyes turned from hollow to sparkly with a hint of mischief as if she found a new friend." Ravenclaw? Doing research in the corridor? How predictable." She said it in a playful tone, without any poison.

Glancing at the plain stone wall the boy pointed, Hana raised her eyebrow. "You sure there's something behind this panel? That looks really plain and normal though." Hana softly knocked on the panel, listening if there is any hollow sound as if she could help.

October 2025 | @Hana Suzuki

She was handling the whole "being stepped on situation" quite gracefully. Cade had honestly expected outrage or tears or even a wave of her wand, but she was nice... Chatty, even. Almost bemused and somehow that made it worse. "I wasn't scared," he mumbled only half convincing himself. "Just concerned... For your bones." He glanced at her, Hana, right, and saw the faintest flicker of amusement at the edges of her lips. Merlin, was she teasing him?

"Well, I didn't see you because you blended into the bench like a professional. That's not on me. You ought to consider a reflective vest." He meant it as a joke but it sort of came out like an odd suggestion. But thankfully, she didn't seem to mind at all.

Instead she questioned why he wasn't going to the ball. And Cade couldn't help but snort, shoving his hands into the pockets of his robe. "Evidentially not. Can you imagine me at the Fall Ball? Loud music, dodgy pumpkin juice, people pretending to be in love because someone charmed the ceiling to snow? No thanks. I'm better off here."

But then she knocked upon the stone, listening intently. And Cade supposed more context was in order. "This panel's been reset at least once in the last hundred years. You can tell by the mortar-- see the difference in colour?" He pointed to the wall, lifting his candle to highlight it. "Yes, it looks plain. But that's how it hides. You think Hogwarts labels its secrets?" A grin tugged at his mouth before he could stop it.

"Do you want to help me?"

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Date: Saturday, October 4 2025.

Interacting with @Cade Darkbound
Dialogue
Thoughts

"Concerned for my bones? Sure. Because you looked at me as if I were to pull out my wand and hex you. Hana glanced at him, looking skeptical but failed hiding the faintest twitch at her lips. "You know, even if you did manage to break some of my bones, we can always go to the hospital wing, right?" She added. It's not like she had broken any bones in her life yet but she knew the nurse in the hospital wing should mend those bones.

"A reflective vest? Really? I'm sure I'll stand out from the whole Hogwarts. But I mean, it's not a bad idea though, I'll think about that. But honestly, maybe we should blame on the uniform, so dark in colour that you couldn't see in the dark. Hana never mind drawing attention to herself, and a reflective vest certainly isn't a horrible idea, though she'll draw attention maybe not in the best way possible.

Hana nodded as Cade told her why he wouldn't want to go to the ball. "Me too, ball is just too tiring for me, dressing up fancy and dance. But to be honest, I kinda regret it because maybe I got to get some free snacks or food there. I'll probably go next time, just sneak in and stay in the corner eating and drinking.

After Hana knocked on the stone wall, Cade asked if she thinks that Hogwarts. "Subtly, yes. There definitely will be some small details about Hogwarts' secrets, it's just like finding evidence. Glancing at the boy and clapped her hands together, she added, "Yes. I'll help you"

October 2025 | @Hana Suzuki

Cade hadn't expected her to say yes. He wasn't exactly sure why he asked. Maybe it was the faint sense that this strange, bench-shaped Gryffindor was actually, dare he say, interesting? Most people would have hexed him or at least reported him to a prefect by now. But Hana hadn't. She joked and laughed and even considered wearing a reflective vest. Didn't that count for something?

Now, as Hana clapped her hands together as if they were about to embark on a scavenger hunt instead of poke around the castle's architecture, Cade felt a small thrill he didn't care to admit. "Alright, but fair warning... I'm not quite certain what we're looking for. Yet."

Cade would step back, letting her examine the stone panel again. He watched her with sideways interest. Admittedly, it was strange to see someone else taking his theories seriously. Or at least treat them like something worth poking with a stick. He thought of his brief history in Hogwarts. The types of students that he seemed to come across with every turn. That Katherine Labroudor didn't appreciate his schemes and Leonard Oaksworth-- while he tolerated Cade's ideas to an extent and vise-versa-- made his opinions well known. So this was a welcome change.

He stepped forward slightly, returning from his brief musings. "Look at the grout lines," he remarked, gesturing with the end of his wand. "They're uneven. And the texture is different here. It's not just age, someone's redone this panel. Probably in the last seventy years. Which is practically yesterday in Hogwarts' standards."

Cade would kneel, fishing a wad of parchment out of his pocket. It looked to be a rough diagram with dotted lines and scribbled notes in his cramped handwriting. "This is from a text on obsolete servant routes. There's a mention of a narrow goods shaft running vertically through this wing. No one's seen it in centuries. If it still exists, it should be right behind this wall." He paused, glancing over at Hana sheepishly. "I was going to cast a echo-detection charm, but its delicate. If I do it wrong, the whole wall might scream. And that's no exaggeration. There was an incident last year involving enchanted stonework and an unfortunate rendition of Celestina Warbeck's greatest hits."

The Ravenclaw would dig into his pockets again, finding a bit of chalk and his notebook, both of which he passed to her. "I'll need you to mark any spots where the knocking sounds hollow, and write down anything that shifts when I cast. Don't worry, I warded the notebook against ink blots after the jelly-slug incident." He didn't care to explain this incident, some things were better left mysterious.

As he stood and raised his wand, he hesitated with anticipation. He'd done many of these little experiments alone, sneaking back and forth with no one to talk to but echoing suits of armor. Having someone else there who didn't think he was mad was nice. He flicked his wand, and let the wall hum.

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Date: Saturday, October 4 2025.

Interacting with @Cade Darkbound
Dialogue
Thoughts

Hana's face dropped when she heard the boy saying he didn't know what he was finding. Raising an eyebrow, she said "Are you joking? You don't know what you're looking for? Then why are you here investigating some walls?" She simply couldn't understand it.

Hana always thought that Ravenclaws will have a target for every plan they do, making sure everything is flawless, but guess this is something new to her, but scavenger hunt-without-a- target, makes Hana interested though normal people will think it's just wasting time and effort. But of course, Hana would prefer knowing the object or whatever they are going to find.

Seeing Cade pulled out a paper, Hana curiously stepped closer and glanced at it. A diagram with random dotted lines and just drawing. Hana seriously had no idea what the whole paper meant. And listening to Cade's long explanation, only made Hana more confused and she just pretended to understand, nodding along to what he said, though the only thing she knew was that something ancient and mysterious would be on the other side of this wall.

Hana's soul only woke up when the boy ordered her to do something, marking the places where there is hollow sound on the notebook, to be precise. Taking the notebook, which seemed to have been through a lot, Hana slowly climbed onto the bench, and knocked on more stone bricks.

Knocking on the first brick, the second brick, the third brick.... the twentieth brick. Hana already wanted to give up, she's starting to get bored of this job. But she continued, not to let the boy down, knocking on the twentieth one brick. Something sound different She knocked again Sounds a bit hollow, but am I just getting a bit tired and hallucinated it or is it really hollow? She didn't know what to do , so she just marked it down on the notebook, hoping it's right.

October 2025 | @Hana Suzuki

Cade didn't look up when Hana questioned him. He was kneeling beside the base of the wall again, brushing off a fine layer of dust to study the mortar lines up close. Her tone was incredulous, a typical showing of Gryffindor bluntness, but it wasn't mocking. It was more exasperated. And that was perfectly fine to him, he'd heard worse.

"Of course I don't know what I'm looking for," he said calmly, as if the very idea of needing a clear goal was missing the point. "If I already knew, I wouldn't be investigating. I'd be documenting." He glanced up to see her brows knit together. She didn't have to understand. "Discovery doesn't always have a signpost. Sometimes it starts with maybe, and that's enough for me."

Cade appreciated that she didn't fake understanding. Even more so when she followed through when he passed her the notebook. While she tapped her way across the bricks, he began sketching a wider diagram on the floor with his chalk. He wasn't expecting a breakthrough, just noise patterns or anomalies.

There were a few minutes spent in silence, just working and coexisting in this shared experiment before Hana paused to note something in his notebook. He glanced sideways at her, waiting for her to confirm that scribble. But she didn't seem to be sure so he moved to the spot she'd marked and placed his hand flat on the stone. It felt ordinary. But when he knocked, just once, knuckles against cool brick-- he heard it too.

Not hollow, but less dense. A pocket.

Cade turned his head, just enough for her to see the faint smile tugging at his mouth. "You might have found it!" Cade's chalk scratched softly against the stone as he circled the brick she'd marked. It was almost meditative, the way lines became logic and logic became--

Cold, like spilled gravewater. He froze. Behind him, the air shimmered with a strange silence and the sound of breathing hitched. "Well. That's new." The voice wasn't loud, but it was close.

The wall they'd been investigating rippled. Not cracked, rippled, as if the stone were suddenly made of smoke or water. And then the Bloody Baron stepped through it, his long, tattered robes dragging spectral mist behind him like rotting silk. His eyes gleamed, not angry, but not kind either.

Cade stepped calmly to the side, subtly placing himself half a step in front of Hana. He didn't think the Baron would do anything, but he'd learned by now when ghosts arrived, especially this one, it was better to be between them and someone still relatively new. The Bloody Baron hovered a foot above the ground, arms folded, silver blood still gleaming on his chestplate like it had the day he died. His voice was rough as dragging chains when he finally spoke again.

"Another Ravenclaw scratching at the mortar," he drawled. "Must be a weekday."

Cade kept his tone level, respectful. "We were just listening. That's all."

The Baron drifted a little higher, gaze sliding to Hana. "Gryffindors, too?" he mused. "What an optimistic pairing. I suppose you've both convinced yourselves something is hidden behind this wall? A chamber? A tunnel? Some forgotten vault of wisdom?"

Cade didn't answer. But he glanced at Hana with an arched brow. The Baron snorted softly. His robes rustled, though they touched nothing.

"It's pipes," he said flatly, as if delivering the punchline to a very worn out joke. "Water pipes. Old ones. They rattle in the winter and leak through the kitchens every fifth spring. That's all you'll find. If you dig." He hovered closer, just long enough to make the temperature drop another few degrees. "You're wasting your time."