1175 Vaibhav Marwah
Standing at the entrance of Hogwarts is a solemn wizard, Master Emrys Linnaeus, the new Headmaster of Hogwarts. With his hands clasped behind his back, he glances down the cobbled stone pathway that led to Hogsmeade. His robes are a rich dark plum color with small, detailed embroidery on his sleeves detailing his mastery in the art of potion crafting.
"Master Marwah is running late," Master Linnaeus murmured with a frown. They were on a tight schedule to clear the Chamber of Secrets under the Board's directive. They would need to clean, build, and furnish the quarters that were to be housed in the Chamber of Secrets. Far more importantly, they would need the time to ward and set enchantments in place for the safety of the staff and students. Most of all it would be the runework that would take the longest and may even require a ward rite that requires a certain set of circumstances to be enacted.
A far-off swooshing sound is heard causing Master Linnaeus to raise his gaze to the clear blue sky. Squinting his eyes he sees a tiny bird-like figure flying high in the sky. Much to his dismay, the figure grows larger and larger with each passing second.
"A flying carpet!" Master Linnaeus sputtered out loud and let out a pained groan. "I forgot to mention to Marwah that carpets are banned in the isles." Indeed, magical carpets have been banned for some time now and are on the registry of proscribed charmable objects.
The vivid colors of the magic carpet are visible even from a distance. The carpet is Indian made of Indian silk and wool. It is a pile carpet woven by a manual knot to ensure its appropriate thickness. The carpet has brightly colored distinct flowers in combination with the traditional geometric patterns of Persia.
With a graceful flourish and without so much as a sound, the magical carpet comes to a neat halt on the cobbled stone pathway. Sitting on the beautifully woven carpet is a man with skin like toffee. His features are firm and pronounced with rugged hands that picked up a large woven satchel made of wool and slung it over his shoulders.
Vaibhav Marwah stands out in many ways as he rises to his sandaled feet. His robes are bright orange, and his pants are crisp white. His long white hair is neatly wrapped in a lighter-colored orange pagri (turban). His beard is pure white and neatly trimmed.
The moment Vaibhav Marwah steps onto the cobblestones, the magical carpet that lay on the ground smartly rolls itself up. Muttering something in his native language, the magical carpet shrinks to hand size. The elder wizard with care tucks the magical carpet into his large satchel.
Master Linnaeus steps forward to greet Master Marwah. The moment Master Linnaeus is near Vaibhav Marwah bows with his hands pressed jointly together in a worshipful pose, "Namaste."
Remembering the long-ago greeting he had learned during his brief time spent in Mumbai, Master Linnaeus returns the greeting in a stuttered manner, "Namaste."
Straightening up, Master Linnaeus says, "It is good to see you again, Master Marwah."
"It is also good to see you again, Master Linnaeus," Vaibhav Marwah greeted the English wizard in a thick accented English.
Feeling guilty about how to broach the subject of magical carpets being illegal in the United Kingdom Master Linnaeus tarries for a second only to suddenly spot something dark, sleek, and scaled slither out of the woven satchel and onto Master Marwah's shoulder.
A loud exclamation nearly comes out of Master Linnaeus' mouth upon seeing a rather large snake just short of five feet long. The serpent's underbelly is cream-colored all the way to its neck. There is a sleek dark hood around its head with dark marks outlined in white resembling two eyes or a face on the back of the cobra's hood.
Seeing the gaze of Master Linnaeus fixated on the coiled cobra comfortably resting on his shoulders, Vaibhav Marwah reaches over to gently scratch under the chin of the cobra. "This is Shesha, she has been with more ever since she was an egg."
In parseltongue, Vaibhav Marwah said, "Stop teasing Master Linnaeus, Shesha."
"The wizard is so easily frightened," the serpent hissed as her hood retracted and became smaller. It was not as visible nor fully extended as in its full hood form.
"My apologies about Shesha, Master Linnaeus," Vaibhav Marwah chuckled. "She is a tease."
"Yes," Master Linnaeus muttered with a sudden dry mouth. He had promptly forgotten what he was going to say. "Right, please come this way, Master Marwah, let me show you the guest quarters."
"No need," Vaibhav Marwah declined the invitation. "I would rather commence my work. There will be plenty of time for me to rest after I have commenced my work."
"Ah, well, please let me lead the way, Master Marwah," Master Linnaeus gestured for the Indian wizard to follow. Though the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge knowing that a large venomous serpent is casually resting on the shoulders of Master Marwah.
"Cool and dry," Shesha whispered in approval.
"Hush now, Shesha," Vaibhav Marwah gently reminded the serpent. "We do not want to make the non-speakers more nervous than they already are."
Fine," Shesha grumbled unhappily before settling down to rest her head on top of the soft pagri (turban).
As they walk through Hogwarts, Vaibhav Marwah privately marvels at the size of the entrance hall. The stone walls are lit by flaming torches with the ceiling of the halls so high that they cannot be clearly made out. There are magnificent glittering metal suits and enchanted portraits that decorate the halls. The enchanted portraits whisper and point at them as they pass.
Up a magnificent staircase, Master Linneaus leads the way to the girl's bathroom located on the second floor. Ignoring the large OUT OF ORDER sign, he set it aside to permit them to enter with ease. They enter the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom ever seen.
Under a large, cracked, and spotted mirror were a row of chipped sinks. The floor is damp and reflects the dull light given off by the few stubs of candles burning low in their holders. The wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.
"You shouldn't be in here!" A squat girl with pimples and thick glasses jumped out. "This is the girl's bathroom!" The ghost shrieked.
"I had forgotten about the ghost," Master Linnaeus murmured under his breath. With a polite smile, he says, "Miss Warren, Master Marwah is here to confirm the existence of the Chamber of Secrets and ensure its safety."
"No one ever comes down to visit me," Mrytle wailed as she anxiously picked a spot on her chin. "It's always this or that. They always make fun of Moaning Myrtle or are always asking questions about the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."
"Wait, what was that last part?" Master Linaneus swiftly asked far too late.
With a loud cry, Moaning Myrtle rushes to her stall loudly weeping, before diving into the toilet. The toilet water splashes the air as the toilet flushes itself. With one last ghostly moan, she vanishes, and the bathroom falls silent.
Master Marwah appears fairly alarmed by the sight of a ghost flushing itself down a toilet. With some hesitation, he asks, "Is this normal, Master Linnaeus?"
"Unfortunately," Master Linnaeus mumbled under his breath. "Not to worry though, she is just one of the few ghosts of Hogwarts."
"Maser Linnaeus, I am not unfamiliar with ghostly spirits, but that was the oddest one I have ever seen in my lifetime," Vaibhav Marwah genuinely confessed.
"I am sure most would agree with that sentiment," Master Linnaeus drily admitted.
Reaching into his robes, Master Linnaeus pulled out a slip of parchment paper with instructions from Reginald Prince. Counting the sinks, he walks over to the correct one. He studies the sink in the dim light and peers down. He spots a tiny snake engraved on one of the copper taps of water.
"Right, this is the entrance," Master Linnaeus announced stepping aside to permit Master Marwah to commence his work.
In parseltongue, Vaibhav Marwah asks the door to open for him. A loud hissing emerges from his mouth as the copper tap begins to glow with a brilliant light. The sink tap began to spin wildly before the sink began to move and sinks right out of sight leaving a large pipe exposed wide enough for a man to slide down.
"By Rowena's rear," Master Linnaeus swore as the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was revealed.
The two wizards peer down the pipe before Master Linnaeus glances around and finds a broken piece of glass. Grabbing the piece of glass, he tosses it down the metal chute. The two of them wait and hear nothing for the longest time until a faint crackle is heard echoing down the chute.
"Well, the first order of business is to change this into a parlor and create a permanent entrance," Master Linnaeus sighed. "Not to mention two sets of enchanted staircases, one to go up and the other down if the glass is any indication as to the depth of the Chamber of Secrets."
"That means master builders which will be expensive. The board is not going to be happy," Master Linnaeus grimly concluded out loud.
Remembering his guest, Master Linnaeus says, "I must inform the board immediately, Master Marwah. If you would be willing to wait, I would gladly accompany you into the Chamber of Secrets."
"No need," Vaibhav Marwah waved away the offer. "We both have things to do. Leave me be, Master Linnaeus, I will be perfectly safe. I shall not be alone; I have Shesha to keep me company."
"Apologies again, Master Marwah," Master Linnaeus sincerely said with a bow, before hurrying away. The Hogwarts Board would need to immediately contract a master builder in order to build the permanent enchantments in place. Unfortunately, most master builders are occupied during the summer with already preexisting building contracts. There is high demand and a low supply of master builders during the summer months. It would be expensive to contract their services that much he is certain of.
