"We need a key," James said as his eyes caught the key detail of the lock on the door. Compared to how big the door was the keyhole was small, which was why he hadn't noticed it before.
"It didn't say anything about a key in the scrolls," Regulus said.
They made a quick inspection down the corridor but found nothing.
"Maybe..." muttered Regulus with a thoughtful expression.
"What?"
"The ice knight you captured. He has the same symbol behind his helmet as the symbols that shot at us. I also found that symbol in the fifth-floor corridor behind the helmet of a suit of armor," Regulus replied.
James with a grimace released the knight from his cage. He threw an Immobulus at it and then returned it to its original size. He looked at him from behind and noticed that Regulus was right. Behind his helmet was an intricate symbol of ice. It glowed with a cold and mysterious light.
"Try shooting it," Regulus suggested.
Before the knight regained his mobility James threw an Incendio that hit him right in the back of the neck where the symbol was.
With a thunderous crackling sound, the symbol caught fire and shattered into many pieces like a mirror receiving a heavy blow.
Once the symbol disappeared the ice knight began to shiver and slowly melt. His armor was crumbling into tears of water and shards of ice. In a few breaths, the knight vanished in glowing ashes.
In the place where the ice knight lay, a crystal key of not very large size emerged. James and Regulus looked at each other.
"It worked..." muttered Regulus. He just had a hunch he didn't think it was going to work.
James bent down and picked up the key, then looked at the ashes with regret. His great practice partner was gone. There was nothing left of him. Just ashes.
"At least you kept the sword," Regulus said as he noticed James look at the ashes. He didn't know what anyone wanted a knight for that all he wanted to do was decapitate you. Strange tastes.
"That's true," nodded James. The sword was not normal. It had ancient runes embedded in its blade. Most likely because of that it could cut spells and not receive their effects.
James walked back to the door, and as he was about to put the key in the lock, Regulus spoke, "I don't think it's a good idea to come in..."
James stopped the key just inches from the lock, "Why? With your friend, you seemed to want to get in," James said.
"I was reckless," Regulus said not too proud of this.
Regulus didn't think there would be such a dangerous place at Hogwarts, that's why he wanted to go in and find the treasures. As someone from Slytherin, he didn't like being reckless as a Gryffindor.
If it wasn't for James the knight would have killed him already. And if in a hypothetical case, he managed to defeat the knight, the ice lasers would have frozen him. At best, he could have dodged one with luck.
Who knows what things would protect the treasures inside the vault? It wasn't something a freshman could face. Even sophomores, juniors, or seniors would have the same fate. Except James, who was a weirdo.
"You can go back to your common room. I'll send you the treasures in the postal service. I'll pick the one that catches my eye the most though," James said, paying no more attention to Regulus and putting the key down. He turned it, and faint clicking noises began to be heard.
After a few seconds, the gear movement stopped, and James with both hands pushed the large ice door.
The door separated into two halves with a loud noise. A cold wind blew into James' face, and he noticed how all his facial muscles tingled. He felt the key melt away. He didn't understand why, but he didn't think much of it.
The cold inside the vault was much worse than he thought. It was different from the cold in the corridor. He didn't know how to explain it. Regulus, who decided to follow James also felt the same. He started to shiver more than before.
'How could there be so much difference?' James thought as he entered the vault. He had to take the treasures and get out of there quickly or he would freeze to death.
The interior of the vault has a hexagonal layout, with walls of ice reflecting light in shades of blue and silver. The floor, too, is covered in polished ice, amplifying the sense of coldness.
James entered first, and Regulus followed. Both looked at the vault with interest. A hexagon has six sides. One of the sides was through the door where they entered. On the remaining five sides were Ice Knights. Each carried a different weapon.
One knight had a long sword like the one James defeated. Another carried an ice spear. Another had an all-crystal bow. Another a shield and sword. Another was a mace that consisted of a simple bronze ball with blades set on the end of a metal handle. The last one carried a huge axe that he had to hold with both hands.
In the center of the hexagon on a pedestal was an icy chest. The surface of the chest is adorned with ancient patterns and symbols.
Regulus paled as light blue lights appeared on the hooves of each ice knight. He turned to escape the vault, but the door quickly closed.
"No!" he exclaimed banging on the door and trying to push it open, but it was impossible.
James' expression also became worried. Perhaps he was reckless to enter the vault. Besides, he had a first-year student to protect, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He had to survive and protect Sirius' brother.
"Listen. I'll try to get the attention of most of them. Take care to stay as far away from the knights as possible and cast charms like Immobulus or Diminuendo on them that way they'll be out of combat. Also, try to cast Incendio near the symbol," James said quickly as from his wallet he pulled out the sword of the knight he defeated.
"It's okay. I don't know how to cast Diminuendo," Regulus said, getting ready and positioning himself behind James.
"Control spells will do me," said James, holding his wand in one hand and the sword that weighed about 4kg in another. The disadvantage of the sword was its length, and James was not as tall as the knight so the weapon touched the ground.
'Worst case scenario, I'll use my telekinetic ability,' thought James. That was the name he gave to his ability to move objects with his mind. Since it was the same thing muggles know as telekinesis.
If the situation was really bad he would use it for combat. He didn't want to use it because there was Regulus, and he didn't want his ace up his sleeve to be known to a Slytherin student and possible enemy.
Even though Regulus was Sirius' brother, he was just like any other blood supremacist and House Black. He had no confidence that a future would not join Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
The most problematic thing about knights was their weapons that could defend against spells. If the knights would not have those weapons they would not be able to defend against a spell like Immobulus or Diminuendo.
Another disadvantage was that they were surrounded. The knights were in an ideal position. They were walking slowly towards them, they seemed to be activating as if they had not moved for many years.
James wasn't planning to give them time for it. He decided to throw a Diminuendo at the knight with the bow since he would be the most problematic. If he could shrink it, the problem solved.
The knight did not stand still as a spell came at him. He drew his bow, and an arrow of ice formed out of thin air. Then he shot. The arrow and the spell flash collided and canceled each other out.
However, James had already expected this and had quickly cast yet another Diminuendo seconds after casting the first spell. Even so, it did not work. The knight had speed and reflexes equal to or greater than him. He launched another arrow that destroyed the spell.
Before James could complain he noticed that he already had the other four knights on him. Regulus didn't stand still and cast spells trying to get the attention of the knight with the huge axe.
So he only had three nice knights who wanted to slice his head off with their sharp weapons.
"Protego!" shouted James.
Two swords hit the barrier and were reflected, but the knight with the spear managed to break James' shield, who quickly raised his sword and defended himself.
The lance hit the sword, and James was thrown backward. He could not compete in strength with a magical knight who could break spells with his weapon.
He rolled and rolled until he could stop himself and got up quickly. Thanks to covering himself he didn't get any serious injuries. Just a few sore muscles.
He didn't have time to breathe. Two ice arrows were speeding towards him. He launched an Aeromanteo with incredible reflexes. Thanks to the fact that the arrows were directed to the center of his forehead with a single Aeromanteo he managed to deflect both arrows.
He could see how the arrows passed just a few centimeters from his face. His heart was beating a thousand per hour, and he felt an adrenaline rush he had never felt before, not even against the mountain troll. If he had missed, his forehead would have been pierced.
In milliseconds, he understood that he could not hold back. He had to use all his abilities or he might end up dead before Voldemort came for him.
Again a long sword, a normal sword, and a spear were heading deadly towards him. He cast a Protego and with his telekinetic ability stopped the spear knight. It was very difficult to do these two things at the same time, but he succeeded.
The two sword-wielding knights were reflected by his Protego. The one with the spear stood still as if he had been hit by Immobulus, but in reality, it was James who with his mind at full power held back his movement. He could feel that with each passing second it was harder and harder to hold the knight still.
"Reducto!" shouted James with sweat on his forehead aiming at the spear knight.
The knight managed to break free but didn't have time to try to cut the spell with his special weapon. The blue flash hit his armor, and the knight was reduced to a pile of ashes.
The Reducto was a Curse that turned solid objects into pieces. In this case a lifeless walking armor. Since it was a Curse it was much more powerful and dangerous than the other two types of dark spells, namely jinxes and hexes.
James learned it and used it because he did not consider it a dark spell, although it was classified as one. It could only be used on solid objects. Not on people, so he saw no harm in learning this spell.
'One down,' thought James with sweat on his forehead. He could see Regulus rolling on the ground dodging an axe from the knight. Thanks to this one being slower than the other knights the Slytherin boy was somehow surviving.
'I have to help him,' thought James, but he already had the other two knights on him and two arrows coming at him.