"Morning, Winnie!" Nadine beamed at her friend, stopping next to her at the side of the corridor full of students scrambling to get to breakfast before all the hot food was gone.

Winnie was engrossed in the makeshift bulletin board that covered the wall outside the Great Hall, propped up between the two suits of armour that stood guard there.

(The board usually didn't last long before it was blown to bits by some spell or another, so it was worth reading while you could.)

"I was going to join Penny for breakfast, but I'm so late. I took an age getting ready this morning because I couldn't find my wand," she said sheepishly, earning a distracted laugh from Winnie. "What's got you so interested?"

"Nothing, really," she shrugged. "Just curious. There's a lot going on this term."

"I'll say!" Nadine exclaimed. "Between Quidditch trials, the Gobstones club, and..."

'Join the Ghostly Apprenticeship Society! Write your name on this flyer for a chance to become an apprentice to a ghost and learn tips and tricks from Hogwarts' greatest. We are welcoming years two and three to this merry society as organised by Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington. (Take that, Headless Hunt.)'

"You don't happen to have a pen, do you, Winnie?" Nadine asked, already knowing her pockets would be empty. "Or a quill, or something."

"Hold on." Winnie rustled around in her bag before producing a pristine quill and ink.

"Thanks, you're the best!" She hastily dipped the quill into the pot of ink, spilling it a little in her rush. She impulsively scribbled her name along the line for the Ghostly Apprenticeship Society, noting that several other students she knew had also signed up (including Barnaby).

"That should be fun," Winnie commented.

"Do you want to do it together?"

"No, it's not my thing. Besides," she smirked. "You and Barnaby can do it together."

Nadine's laughter echoed throughout the hallway as they turned to enter the Great Hall, Winnie's over-interest in a certain poster slipping under Nadine's radar.

When they reached the tables, Winnie left Nadine to chatter to Penny. She paused, hovering for a moment before deciding to go for it.

She marched up to the Gryffindor table, where the boy she identified as Evan Wright was in the middle of telling what appeared to be a very engaging story.

"And that's when I said, 'maybe you should try peeling your own newt skin layers then'."

"No!" The girl and boy next to him, who Winnie knew to complete his trio, cried out at the same time.

"What did he do?" The boy (Caleb?) demanded.

Evan grinned, clearly waiting for this question. "He went kind of grey-ish purple and gave me another five newts."

Winnie waited until their laughter had subsided to intervene.

"My name is Winnie Whisp," she declared, being bolder than she felt. "I saw your poster?"

"As did I," the voice of McGonagall spoke crisply over her shoulder, and Winnie resisted a flinch at the shock.

When she spun around, she saw Professor McGonagall stood directly behind her, mouth pressed into a thin line.

"Tell me, Mr Wright, why there is a poster on the notice board, signed with your name, detailing your future as a 'Cursebreaker' and encouraging others to join your ranks?"

Evan visibly gulped. "Um, it was just a joke, Professor."

She raised a single eyebrow. "I see."

Caleb covered his mouth in an attempt to hide his laughter, but McGonagall wasn't fooled.

"I don't see why you're laughing, Mr Finn. It was your handwriting on the poster, was it not?"

His eyes widened. "Y—yes, miss. I mean, Professor."

"I have removed the poster in order to prevent any misunderstanding surrounding your 'joke'," she told them. "I suggest you refrain from such things in the future."

Evan smiled guiltily. "We will."

Professor McGonagall gave them one final disapproving stare before moving away from them.

"So, Winnie, you were saying you wanted to join?" Evan continued smoothly, as if nothing had happened.

"At least wait until she's out of earshot!" Caleb hissed.

"Sit down," Zoë offered, and Winnie perched awkwardly on the end of the bench next to the other girl.

"Who's in this club, then?" She asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Just us," Zoë supplied. "Everyone else thinks we're either joking or insane."

"We're like the three musketeers," Caleb interjected, but he was shot down quickly with a "stop saying that, you make us sound stupid" from Zoë.

"I don't even really like them," Zoë stage whispered to Winnie.

"Ouch!" Evan exclaimed, but he was fighting a grin.

"You're alright, usually," she admitted. "It's Caleb who I really hate."

Caleb rolled his eyes. "It's just a front to hide her love for me."

"You wish."

"What is involved in being a Cursebreaker, then?" Winnie decided she might as well speak up now before they got too lost in each other's eyes.

"We defeat the Cursed Vaults," Caleb said with a glint in his eyes. "We already think we found the location of the first one. We're just not sure how to get inside it yet."

Winnie narrowed her eyes, her impatience growing. "I'm going to need the full story."

So they told her about their project last year and the article they found, and how they'd found a symbol, too, which Caleb had then discovered on the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. They told her how they'd examined it for hours, and how Zoë had got bored and decided to break off the chunk of mantlepiece with the symbol on it to see if there was anything behind it, and then how Evan had had to reattach said symbol before anyone else noticed what she'd done. They told her how they wondered if they needed more people to bust this thing open, and so they'd put up a poster for the hell of it.

It wasn't a terribly interesting story, laid out like that, but Winnie was hooked.

"I'm in."

"Great!"

"When can I see the symbol?"

"Now, if you want," Evan looked to the others for confirmation, and they got up, breakfast long forgotten.

They were so distracted that they didn't even notice the student and the ghost in the corridor as they ran past.

"Yes, I think you'll do," the Bloody Baron mused, taking in Camille Leroy, who was the student opposite him.

She was terrified, but to her credit, she didn't seem so, instead staring at the Baron with her chin up and an air of curiosity to her.

"I shall inform Sir Nicholas of my choice," he glided off, phasing through her as he did so.

She exhaled, gasping at the sharp cold he left and the sense of dread brewing in her stomach.

When she'd signed up to be an apprentice to a ghost, she hadn't pictured herself side by side with the Bloody Baron.

On the upside, she might finally learn how he became so covered in blood.  

A/N

what's this? another chapter? 

I'm sorry it took so long aaa

these are our cursebreakers! big cheer for them! they need some character development but they're ready to embark on their journey yay!!

the next chapter will be the first magazine article dropping, and then the next few after that will be the discovery of the first vault. the discovery of the first vault chapters will drop in quick succession so you don't forget stuff and it flows! 

any thoughts, questions or suggestions here! lots of love, Im <33