The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts – Task 1

[Janne Halla 29]

Sometimes, the Dark Lords need a second chance to bring on their evil empire. For that, they often need to escape from a wizarding prison.

 

Choose at least two objects from the list below and write a story about your escape from prison. The objects you've chosen must be the key to your escape, not just a passing mention. Write your stories in at least 100 words and keep them within HOL rules.

 

• Coffee mug
• Spoon
• Plate
• Blanket
• Soap
• Toothbrush
• Shoelaces
• Socks
• Book
• Candle
• Ruler
• Envelope
• Hairbrush
• Coin
• Newspaper

 

Post your escape stories below by 23:59 HOL-time on 28th February to earn 10 rubies.

[Galena May 7]

When you are frisked before being detained, they usually take away all things in your possession that you can use to hurt someone else or escape. They take your wand, any potions, dangerous magical objects, and are even inclined to take any ordinary Muggle sharps such as lock-pickers and knives. The Aurors who gagged me, put me on a broomstick, and deposited me at Azkaban frisked me for the same things, except, they didn't realize what a useful thing I had in my possession, my shoelaces, and, if you will believe me, soap. They thought I wasn't going to get away. Little did they know that the harmless looking things are the most handy. You don't need a wand until an exceptionally smart Auror strips you of your basic (and harmless) necessities. I untied my shoelaces, pulled them out, and now I had two pieces of very handy and flexible but sturdy string. A small piece of soap was in my pocket, one they almost laughed at because it would finish in a few days anyway. I smeared the entrance to my cell with lots of soap, making it as slippery as I could. Then, I tied my highly elastic shoelaces to form a sort of chain behind the door of my cell. Then I made a racket saying that someone had apparated into my cell, and pretended to argue in two different voices. This brought the Aurors to my cell door, for they were worried about the safety of whoever was in my cell, but more worried how someone had breached their security and entered my cell in the first place. They kicked my cell door to open it, but the shoelaces were doing their job. As they pressed their bodies against the door, the door refused to budge, and they had to blast the door down with a Reductor Curse, and the shoelace finally gave way, but they fell with more force than usual on the slippery soap suds in their sense of urgency. One of them fell with a hand outstretched, and the wand shot out of their hand. That was enough of a diversion for me to pick the wand up and run out of the prison cell past the Aurors still trying to get up from the slippery floor but slipping down back again. I ran out into the Azkaban grounds, retrieved a Nimbus 2001 broomstick from the Aurors' broomshed, and took instant flight, keeping low to avoid being in the line of sight of the other Aurors posted near the other wings of the prison. It was a while before they found out what had happened and gave chase, but I already had a good start.

Edited February 3 by Galena May

[Matthew Treetop 0]

I was brought into a cell in Azkaban after being caught in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I can't remember what I was doing in that alley that night but what I can remember is that I was stunned by the back and, when I reacted, I was inside a ship heading to Azakban. Of course, I didn't know where I was heading back then, but strangely enough, I didn't have a trial and now I'm inside a dark cell where my only contact with the outside world is an Auror who brings me some food and a couple of Muggle elements for me to groom.

 

My imprisonment was obviously either a scam or an error, but I knew I had to get out of Azkaban as soon as possible and find a way to clear my name. After several months of thinking and analyzing my situation, I came up with a supposedly effective way of coming out of my cell. I observed that the only human outside my cell was the Auror who brings me food and basic Muggle supplies, no Dementors, and that he usually dozes off at night, for probably an hour or two, sharp. I waited and waited until the exact moment of my escape could become a reality.

 

Maybe they believed that without magic nothing is possible, or they simply thought that my Muggle knowledge was limited, I thanked for having been underestimated. I took the toothbrush they "kindly" lent me to brush my teeth everyday and with some strength, I removed the head, keeping the handle and making sure that one side was sharp. After this, I picked up the hairbrush (yes, they sent a hairbrush once a week to my cell so I could comb my very long hair) and did the same, removing the head and keeping the handle. Having analyzed my surroundings for months, I noticed that my cell lock was mechanical without any magical additions. So, with the help of both handles, I started lockpicking the door, making sure I made the lowest noise possible. After a few attempts, I managed to forge the door, and come out to the corridor, which was very cold and dark. Sneaking out of the cell, I approached the sleepy Auror and carefully grabbed his wand, moving away as softly as possible so as not to warn anyone outside or in the other cells. When I realized I was safe, I performed a quick spell to retrieve some important objects, and moved towards the door that led to the courtyard. As soon as I got there, alarms went off, and heard some footsteps right behind me. As quickly as possible, I opened the door, got out in the courtyard, and performed a spell to summon my beloved broom so I could fly away from the place to hopefully never come back. Time to clear my name!

[Helenarosequeen Granger 0]

I was in the Nurmengard prison in Austria. The cells have magical locks with several charms placed on them. My feet were tied with a chain which had a simple mechanical lock on it. I was brushing my hair when I had an idea. I broke off a sharp bristle from my hairbrush and picked the lock on my chain, but pretended to be still tied down. When night fell and everyone except the security officials and prison guards fell asleep, I asked the prison guard to bring me the daily newspaper to read myself to sleep. I said that I wasn't sleepy and couldn't sleep without reading. At first he refused but I made so much noise that he had to. He brought me a large, heavy book instead. He said, "Read that and you can sleep for days. I don't want a prisoner to read the daily newspaper and find out about more criminal gangs or receive secret coded messages, do I?" 

I sighed.

The book was an encyclopedia of magical creatures.

I was planning my escape. As soon as he turned his head, I hit him a blow with the heavy book and knocked him out. He fell unconscious. I searched his pockets and found and stole his wand. The lock on my prison cell was magical. I said, "Alohomora" and broke out. 

I was still not safe. As soon as I broke the magical lock, sirens went off in all directions. I knew that prison guards from everywhere would come rushing. 

I had to create a diversion to put them on the wrong scent so that they can't catch my trail. I lit a candle and dripped molten candle wax near my cell. Then I ran some distance and threw the candle as far as I could. The light went out as the candle flame touched the cold stone floor and got put out. Then I hid behind a wardrobe full of chains and locks and waited. The prison guards came and were alarmed by the unconscious guard in my cell. In shock, they thought I had run away. They saw the candle wax dripped near my cell door and went in different directions. One of them found the candle I had thrown, and called out, "Helena went this way, she dropped her candle". All the prison guards rushed that way. I quietly came out of my hiding place behind the wardrobe and fled in the opposite way to the portkey room of the Aurors to escape the prison.

[River Fenwick 4]

My stints had finally caught up to me when I found myself locked up in  Azkaban, but these poor fools had no idea who they were dealing with. I had followers who kept mainly underground but had deep connections. I was lucky enough to be granted a singular book to read, which, to my surprise, had a hidden map. It was no ordinary map, but one much like the Marauder's Map, which detailed the exact location of everyone in Azkaban instead of Hogwarts. The book had a date written on it, which I understood was my expected escape date to receive help from the outside. I began my escape plan by studying the book for hours on end and learning the typical schedule and patterns of the guards. I secretly began sharpening my toothbrush against the walls when the book showed no guards nearby. It took days, but I finally had it small enough to lockpick my cell. In the dead of night of the date written in the book, I used my toothbrush to open my cell, taking the book with me to guide my escape and use it as a weapon. Once freedom was close, the guards got closer, which prompted me to use my toothbrush to lockpick some nearby cells, releasing some prisoners to serve as a distraction, allowing me to escape successfully, meeting a follower once I was clear from the prison who then helped me disappear from the wizarding world in the meantime to lay low until my next endeavor.

[Scarlet Robloutain 0]

In the dimly lit cell of the wizarding prison, I clutched my coffee mug and spoon, the only tools at my disposal. The guards had underestimated the resourcefulness of a Dark Lord. Every night, I meticulously scraped away at the mortar between the stones with the spoon, hiding my progress behind the blanket during the day.

One evening, as the guards changed shifts, I finally loosened the last stone. I used the coffee mug to collect the debris, ensuring no evidence was left behind. With the wall breached, I squeezed through the narrow gap and found myself in a dark corridor.

I had memorised the guards' patrol patterns from my cell. Timing my movements perfectly, I crept through the shadows, the spoon still clutched in my hand as a makeshift weapon. I reached the storage room, where I found a candle and a book. Lighting the candle, I used its flickering light to navigate the labyrinth of passages.

The book, an old tome of spells, contained the incantation I needed to unlock the final door. Whispering the ancient words, the door creaked open, revealing the cool night air. Freedom at last!