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To Kill A Mockingjay- Chapter 12

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Arc 1: The Witch’s Charm

Chapter 12: The Infection



“What do you mean she’s missing?” Katniss asks as Mags gestures wildly, signing at a speed that Katniss was unused to seeing.

“Prim was with her the whole day, but she wandered off when they went back to the potions classrooms to deliver the needed herbs for the next potions classes.” Johanna translated, “She couldn’t be far, maybe she just made a wrong turn?”

Katniss decides Johanna sounds less then convincing, her face is still slightly pale and her smile is so forced you would think someone was holding a knife to her throat.

“Don’t worry, we’ll just go to the third floor and find her.”

“How are we going to do that?” Katniss asks as Johanna tilts her head and offers a smirk.

“I could shift and see if I can track her, plus don’t you hunt?” Katniss nodded, “So she should be easy to find, no problem.”

Katniss hoped Johanna was right, she prayed that Prim was only lost in the maze that was Tretton and not in trouble or hurt in any way.

“Mags, go find Finnick and tell him we’ll be late to dinner,” Johanna offered as the older woman nodded and gave Katniss an apologetic look. Katniss knew the woman didn’t mean to let Prim out of her sight, so she offered her a small smile as the woman walked off, much slower then before. Johanna lead the way through the school up to the third floor of the main academic building, it was oddly quiet and seemed so abandon. She shifted into her dog form which Katniss could now get a close look of.

It was a pure black Karelian Bear Dog-type dog with black fur that was red at the ends around her head and neck, her District 7 necklace was still around her now furry neck. Her color, ears and tail reminded Katniss of a Siberian Husky while the rest of her looked like her uncle’s old Karelian.

“You have big ears,” Katniss commented as she heard the dog snort at her. Katniss smiled as the dog started sniffing around, “You think you can pick up her scent?”

The black animal rolled her eyes in a very Johanna-like way even in her animal form. After a few moments she looked up and barked at Katniss. before continuing down the hallway. They turned a few times before coming to the girl’s bathroom, the abandon one that Katniss remembered no one used because of some ghost that haunted it. The door swings open as they approach and Johanna growls as Professor Coin steps out.

“You two are not to be up here,” Coin announces, “This area is on lockdown.”

“Since when?” Katniss asks as the fur stands up on the back of Johanna’s neck. “We were looking for my sister,”

Coin looks to be processing it as she looks over at Johanna. “Is that what you two were doing?”

“My sister is in there, you have to let us in.”

“I don’t have to do anything Miss Everdeen. If what you are saying is true then you will inform Headmaster Heavensbee and be on your way. The school will go into lockdown and students will be evacuated. You have no idea what you’re up against.” Coin insists, “I advise you stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

“I’m not going anywhere without my sister.” Katniss insisted with newfound determination. Coin thinks for a moment.

“You leave me no choice,” With a flick of her wand, a green light hit Johanna as the dog turns and sneezes.

“What did you-”

“Just a little insinuative to leave, for the next 12 hours, Miss Mason won’t be smelling much of anything. A little cold should keep the two of you away from here. Now I advise you leave before I have you escorted out.”

Katniss wants to argue, but instead she grabs Johanna by the back of the neck and leads the large black dog away with her. As soon as they exit the building Johanna shifts back, looking slightly pale and nose red.

“That was a bitch move, Achoo! Achoo!”

“One more time,”

“Really?” Johanna sniffles, “Now?”

Katniss rolls her eyes, “We’ll just have to find another way to get to Prim.”

“She’s defiantly in that bathroom,” Johanna starts, “There was no double over scent.”

“What?”

“When you enter and exit a room, your scent should indicate that. But Prim’s was only going in.”

TO_KILL_A_MOCKINGJAY

When Coin had said the school would be evacuated, she wasn’t kidding. There were students with suitcases going down the hall when they walked away from the academic building and back towards the faculty offices. Haymitch would be in his office, and they needed him to tell them what was going on.

Katniss Everdeen wasn’t going to leave that office without an answer. Johanna had separated from her to gather the others.

Katniss didn’t knock, she barged in to find Haymitch as his desk drinking from his flask. He looked unsurprised and unamused to see her.

“I knew you’d be here.” Haymitch sighed. “Coin let all the teachers know you were up to something.”

“Tell us about the chamber.” Katniss demanded, “Why wouldn’t Coin let us look for Prim?”

Haymitch didn’t like being pushed, but he seemed to control whatever anger he had towards her.

“The chamber is a death sentence. Last time it was opened a student was killed by the monster in that chamber. If you sister is missing then it’s directly linked to the chamber being opened.” Haymitch stood and crossed the room.

The chamber used to belong to Sky Lark, the founder of Cardin house. He created the chamber to house a monster to prove that blood heritage should be a consideration when accepting students into Tretton. He used the beast’s blood to construct powerful wands to give pure-blood students an upper hand in magic. It’s wasn’t always effective and he closed the chamber locking the beast inside it.

“When it opened years ago I was a student here. We never found out who opened it, only that a student who I was very close to died because that thing was let out.” Haymitch took a swing from the flask. “If you really need to go down there, I suggest to find out what you are up against first. Go to the restricted section of the library and bring back the book with the ID code BL 666. That should tell you what you have to look out for in the chamber. The reason Coin didn’t allow you into that bathroom is because the entrance to the chamber is within that bathroom.”

Katniss seemed to be satisfied with that answer because she turned around ready to leave.

“Page 294, don’t get yourself killed.” Haymitch called, “And if your smart, you’ll ask Johanna about Alexorish’s Drawing as well.”

TO_KILL_A_MOCKINGJAY

Johanna had everyone meet in Nevermore’s common room. Most of the Nevermore students had already evacuated, Johanna and Cressida, along with a few others, were still there.

“Haymitch said we had to look through a book in the restricted section of the library,” Katniss started, “It will tell us what is in the chamber.”

“Easy, I sneak in there all the time,” Johanna stated as she leaned back against one of the large couches in the common room.

“He also said I should consider some drawing? Alexorish’s Drawing?” Katniss started, “He said to ask you about it Jo, do you know what it is?”

“Alexorish was a Nevermore who created a complete detailed architectural drawing of all of Tretton. Every dungeon and chamber is on it. When it was completed the professors locked it up in the restricted section of the library” Cressida stated, “All of Nevermore knows about it, They wanted to display it here in the gallery. But the Ministry of Magic wouldn’t allow it.”

“It’s a glorified map, it’ll make navigating through the chamber much easier.” Johanna added, her voice slightly altered due to the cold.

“Didn’t Coin give you a map to track down Titus?” Finnick asks as Johanna turns to sneeze.

“Yeah but that was only a top view map. Only what was above ground is in it. The chamber must be underground otherwise I would have seen it. Coin already took back her map anyway.”

“Johanna should be the one to get the book and drawing, she said herself she sneaks in there all the time,” Peeta suggested, “Once we know what we’re dealing with, we can find out how to beat it.”

“I’ll go with Hanna,” Annie suggested, “Coin probably has more peacekeepers then usual guarding everything.

“You two be careful,” Finnick called as the two headed out the door.

TO_KILL_A_MOCKINGJAY

“BL 666” Annie hummed as she ran her finger over the old worn leather-bound books. “I got it,”

“Page 294,” Johanna called back as she pulled a piece of aged parchment out of a folder, “I got Alexorish’s Drawing.”

It was too easy, Johanna though as she carefully folded the old paper and slid it in her pocket, “We should hurry, just rip the page out.”

“Don’t you people from 7 love your books more then that?” Annie teased as she flipped through the pages, “Page 294: ‘The Basilisk. A serpent creature. One look into the eyes of this beast and you’ll die instantly.’”

“Don’t they use Basilisk blood to make wands?” Johanna asked, “Must be a sucky job”

“Lots of pure-bloods in Cardin rave about their crystalized Basilisk blood wands,” Annie commented, “They say that makes them more powerful then other cores.”

“I’m sure Professor Cinna will straighten them out in Charms.” Johanna shrugged, “Or Professor Seeder,”

Annie pulled her wand and used it to make a clean cut in the book, pulling the page from the book and folding it in her hands. “Let hurry before the Peacekeepers decide to check here again.”

Johanna nods and places the old book back as Annie folds the paper.

“Did you hear that?” Johanna asks as she looks over her shoulder.

“Hear what?”

TO_KILL_A_MOCKINGJAY

The two had been gone almost an hour, Katniss paced the common room while Finnick started getting antsy himself.

“They’ve been gone too long.”

“I know,” Katniss stated, “I hope nothing happened.”

“Should we go try to find them?” Peeta offered as Cressida hopped off the couch.

“Best plan I’ve heard all day Baker-Boy,” Cressida stretched as she headed toward the exit with the other shortly behind her.

“Cressida” They hear a male voice call as they see Blight running toward them, “What happened?”

“What do you mean?” Katniss asks as she sees angry in Blight’s usually friendly eyes.

“Johanna and Annie are in the hospital,” Blight states looking toward Finnick before looking back to Katniss. Katniss knows the gesture, Blight was almost Johanna brother-in-law, and Finnick was Johanna’s adoptive brother, she wondered if there was some kind of tension there. “You need to come see for yourself.”

They rushed over to the hospital wing, as they entered Katniss swore she was in some kind of horror movie. Beds were occupied by students who looked frozen in time, eyes open and appeared glass like, different facial expressions on each one. One was a young boy in Katniss’s class who’s name she couldn’t recall, but he was usually with another girl and he loved taking pictures. He was frozen with his camera ready to take a picture.

Another student was frozen looking into a mirror, checking her hair. Marvel was frozen as well, he looked as though he were ready to fight off this attacker.

Nurses were rushing to different beds, taking notes and calming the frantic friends of those frozen students.

“Annie!” Finnick’s voice yelled as he ran to one of the beds, Annie was laying there, eyes looking like sea glass and head slightly tilted back. She was looking up at something when she was frozen. Johanna was in the bed next to her in a similar fashion.

“It’s the same thing that happened to Nightshade.” Peeta commented, as if on command Katniss saw Clove stand up from her position in the corner of the room, Nightshade in her arms. Katniss almost expects her to talk to them, but instead she shoot a distasteful look and walks to the other corner of the room to talk to a nurse.

Katniss walks over to Johanna’s side, sliding her fingers around her wrist to feel her skin is stone cold, a slight pulse against her fingers was the only indication of life. She hears The crumbling of paper and turns to see Finnick unfolding a paper that is heavily crumbled.

“It’s the page,” Finnick stated in a solemn voice. “It was in her hand.”

Katniss turns back to notice the aged corner of paper sticking out of Johanna’s pocket. She slowly pulls it out and unfolds it, “Johanna has the drawing.”

Katniss folds it back up and places it in her pocket.

“We need to stop this,” Finnick states, his voice gaining strength. “We need to find and kill jumbo-snake and get everyone back to normal.”

“Agreed,” Katniss states as her hand rubs against the back of Johanna’s in a sad attempt to return some warmth to the stone-cold girl.

“Go,” Peeta stated, “Go find the chamber, go kill this snake and find Prim. I’ll stay here and cover for you two.”

“Me too,” Cressida stated, “We’ll distract Coin and the others, you find the asshole that opened the chamber.”

“Here,” Finnick handed Peeta the page from the book, “Try to find a cure, a potion, anything while we’re gone.”

“I’ll try.” Peeta promised.

“Let’s go,” Finnick offered as he stood up, “Before anyone notices.”

“Right,” Katniss stood, slowly pulling her hand from Johanna’s. She was more then angry, they had taken her sister and they had taken Johanna. She was going to get them both back.

END NOTES

SHOUT OUT to Alex-Waters on DeviantArt who's been an awesome supporter and amazing artist. Her art really brings this story to live. Alexorish's Drawing is named after her. I know this one was short, but I rewrote the entire thing and thought this was a nice place to leave off. Next chapter will be action-packed I promise!

© 2014 - 2024 EbonyDazed
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fangirlbookfreak's avatar
When I saw this notification that you posted the chapter I practically screamed. XD
Scared the heck outta poor Jinxy. (My cat)
AMAZING. I can't say anything else. It was unreal <3 <3 <3