Chapter 24: The Kitchen Raid
The Iago Tower common room buzzed with nervous energy, its cedar hearth crackling, casting flickering shadows on the scarred table strewn with parchments, the Black Thorn purge plans spread out like a grim map of betrayal. The air was thick with the scent of melted wax and ink, the glowing barriers humming softly, echoing the rebellion sparked at the rally. Leo leaned forward, his frayed robes catching the firelight, as Lila sketched a map of the Hogwarts kitchens, her voice resolute, her spectacles glinting with purpose. "I know Orloff's moves. He's in the pantries at midnight, checking supplies. We'll trap him with the plans." Her redemption arc, tied to her spy work from the prank, rallied the group, her hands steady despite the weight of her words. This is it. The insider who sold us out. A chipped quill teetered on the table, its feather frayed, grounding their urgency as the hearth's warmth urged them forward.
"Elf spy? Sneaky little chef," Leo quipped, his sarcasm sharp, a nervous grin masking the tension coiling in his chest.
Agnes conjured a tiny chef's hat illusion above the table, her voice playful. "Sneaky but caught!" Her Gryffindor spark, tied to her role in the prank, sparked laughter, easing the group's nerves like a breath of fresh air.
[ORLOFF'S KEY TO BLACK THORN. DON'T LET HIM SLIP.]
A key animation pulsed in Leo's vision, bold and urging. He muttered, "Slip? We're glue, System." He's the link to Black Thorn. We end this now.
Hermione's quill scratched furiously, her voice firm as she adjusted her ink-stained robes. "We use the purge plans as bait. Orloff grabs them, and we catch him red-handed." Her strategist's mind, honed in the cure's triumph, mapped every detail, her eyes blazing with purpose.
Enid's hand brushed Leo's, her scarf warm against his wrist, her voice fierce. "We'll get him, Leo. Together." Her warmth, tied to their rally bond, fueled his resolve, her touch a spark in the firelit room. Ginny, their new Gryffindor ally, nodded, her voice bright but steady.
"Let's nail this traitor," she said, her rally-born courage shining through. The hearth's crackle urged them toward the kitchens, their plan a weapon to expose the Black Thorn operative, their steps heavy with purpose as they slipped into the night.
The Hogwarts kitchens were a chaotic symphony of sizzling pans, clattering dishes, and the warm scent of fresh bread and spiced stew, the air thick with steam that curled around bustling house-elves. Their voices, a hum of anxious chatter, filled the space as Leo and the group hid behind a stack of steaming pots, their silhouettes blurred by the heat's haze. The tension was a living weight, pressing on Leo's chest as he watched Orloff, a squat elf with a sour scowl, shuffle toward the baited parchment left on a flour-dusted table. There you are, traitor. Make your move. The clink of a chipped ladle, dented from years of use, grounded the moment, tying to the urgency of their mission to expose Black Thorn's insider.
"Spy elf or master chef?" Leo whispered to Ginny, his sarcasm low, his eyes locked on Orloff.
"Chef? Burnt toast!" Ginny giggled, her quip bright but hushed, easing the tension with Gryffindor warmth.
Enid gripped Leo's arm, her voice a hiss, her scarf brushing his sleeve. "He's moving—careful, Leo." Her touch, fierce and caring, deepened their bond, tying to their Great Hall moment, her eyes wide with anticipation.
Orloff's eyes locked on the parchment, his muttering low and damning. "For Thorne." His voice, furtive and sharp, confirmed his Black Thorn ties, sending a chill through Leo's spine. Got you, you little rat. The steam's heat stung his face, grounding their anticipation as the elf's trembling fingers reached for the bait, his scowl twitching with greed.
[HE'S TAKING THE BAIT. SPRING THE TRAP.]
The System's net animation pulsed, urging action. Leo whispered, "Now." The group tensed, ready to pounce, the kitchen's chaos a perfect cover for their stealth, the scent of spices sharp in their noses as they prepared to confront the traitor, their hearts pounding in unison.
The ambush erupted in a narrow kitchen alcove, the air thick with the squeaks of Leo's rats, summoned by his beast-speaking to block Orloff's exits, their tiny paws a relentless tide that swarmed the elf's feet. Orloff's face paled, his sour scowl twisting into panic as the rats formed a living barrier, tying to Leo's tamer skills from the prank and the rat cure. No escape, Orloff. You're done. The scent of burnt sugar and scurrying rats grounded the chaos, a chipped plate clattering as it fell from a shelf, amplifying the triumph of their trap. The elves' chatter faded, their eyes wide as they watched from the shadows, the kitchen's warmth a stark contrast to the cold justice unfolding.
[GOT HIM! ELF DOWN!]
A net animation pulsed in Leo's vision, bold and triumphant. He shouted, "Down and out!" His voice echoed, raw with victory, ringing off the stone walls.
Lila stepped forward, her spectacles glinting in the firelight, her voice a low rumble of righteous fury. "Your lies end here, Orloff. Black Thorn's finished." Her redemption arc burned bright, her confrontation cementing her loyalty, tying to her spy work from the prank, her hands steady as she clutched the baited parchment.
Orloff gasped, his voice trembling with panic. "You're just kids! You can't stop us!" His eyes darted, searching for an escape that didn't exist, his fear a crack in Black Thorn's armor.
"We're the future," Lila snapped, her resolve iron, rallying the group as the rats squeaked louder, tightening their net.
"Elf jail's new menu!" Leo quipped, his sarcasm sharp, easing the tension with a grin.
"Served justice!" Enid cheered, her giggle bright, her scarf brushing Leo's arm, their bond a spark in the victory's glow.
Hermione clutched the baited parchment, her voice fierce. "This proves everything. Black Thorn's exposed." Her strategist's resolve, tied to the cure's triumph, burned bright, her robes smudged with kitchen soot as she tucked the evidence away. The rats' squeaks faded, the group's victory a beacon against the conspiracy, the kitchen's warmth lingering like a promise. A frayed apron hung on a hook, its threads unraveling, grounding their triumph in the looming threat of Black Thorn's remaining forces.
[ORLOFF'S DOWN, BUT BLACK THORN'S STILL OUT THERE. STAY SHARP.]
Leo's grin was fierce, his voice light but eyes hard. "Sharp? We're blades, System." The group's unity, forged in the rally and hardened by the cure, stood as a weapon, ready to expose Black Thorn's plans, their resolve as unyielding as the castle's ancient stones.
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