Ch.2 –SECRET MEETINGS

A/N: I am open to slashes, but remember, I have the right to argue my case against you.

Disclaimer: Me: Come on J.K. Rowling if you just give me full writes to the books I'll stop annoying you.

J.K: NEVER!

Me: Fine have it your way. At least give me an autograph.

J.K: Sure, but you have to say it.

Me: AWW! Fine I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters. Are you happy?

J.K: delighted

ME: on with the story

Five seconds. That's all it took for Harry to register someone slowly turning the knob and to jump behind a small wooden cabinet filled with odd potions ingredients. He looked out from behind the cabinet to see a small crowd of teachers emerging into the room as if afraid of being overheard.

"Are you sure, Albus?" a stern and strict voice, which could only belong to Professor McGonagall, asked. Her hair was a darker black, almost midnight. She looked slightly younger than the last time he'd seen her but still a person with high standard who you couldn't help but want to impress.

"Minerva I'm absolutely sure. Someone breached the alarms at exactly 7:44 p.m. They traveled right through the barriers and landed in the school," like McGonagall, there was no mistaking this voice. Harry could recognize his headmaster's voice easily. He had a rush of relief. 'I'm going to be okay,' he thought. 'Dumbledore's here.' Harry did a quick double take. 'How did Dumbledore get back in and where is Professor Umb****.' His head began to throb again. 'What the hell is going on,'

"Is there a major threat to the student currently here?' asked a small chubby man with rosy cheeks and straw hair. Harry had never seen him before. 'Was he even a teacher?'

"I believe so Professor. They have not come forward to see us. We must lock down the school.'

"Albus, how could someone have breached the school's defenses? It has never been done before in all the years that Hogwarts has been open,"

"It has happened once before, but that was a rare circumstance that I will not even mention,"

'I wonder who breached the defenses?' Harry thought. He instinctively pulled out his wand, but something was different? The wand was humming and it felt as warm as it had when he was battling Voldemort the previous year. It had an aura of power that was beginning to surge through Harry. A soft golden glow covered his body. He quickly put the wand back into his robes. 'I'll figure it out later, besides I can't risk being caught, not now,'. He didn't know where these feelings came from but he knew that he must listen to them. His instincts had never failed him before.

"Luckily for us there are only a handful of students here for Christmas. We should be able to rally them up rather quickly. The heads of house should get all their students and put them in the entry hall as fast as possible. I will search the halls and I'll need the help of a few to join me in my search." Dumbledore announced. Harry had just set his eyes on Dumbledore and noticed he was looking uncharacteristically grim. Harry wanted to jump out and ask to help the search but something was holding him back. Something about Hogwarts just didn't feel right. He didn't get that comfortable feeling that he usually had whenever he was in the old castle. He just felt…. lost. It felt like it does when you return to your house after a long vacation or returning to an old childhood home. The ancient school felt the same yet different all at once.

"Everyone, perform your duties," were Dumbledore's final words before he (and his long billowing cloak) swished out of the room. The rest of the teachers quickly followed. Harry slowly rose from his hiding place and illuminated his still warm wand with 'Lumos', though there was no point since he was giving off his own glow. He edged stealthily out of the classroom and made his way to his dormitory. For the first time, Harry began examining his surroundings. Bright fairies decorated the walls that were charmed to change to the colors of all houses. Reefs were clipped to wall and mistletoe lined the roof all the way down the corridor. The place was incredibly festive, more so than usual. There was a problem with this setting that made Harry worry. Christmas had already passed. Harry remembered the time spent with Sirius and the Weasley clan at Grimauld place quite vividly. The care free carols and Christmas dinner stood out in Harry's mind as if he had just experienced them.

Feeling slightly dizzy, Harry turned down the corridor and walked to his commons room. He really needed some time in his bed. With all the events that happened today, Harry would be surprised if he could actually get to sleep within the next hour. There was just too much to think about.

Harry had almost reached his corridor when he heard multiple feet shuffling in his direction. Acting on instinct, Harry jumped into his second empty classroom of the night and peaked through the door.

"Mr. Potter, are you telling me that he is alone in a corridor while someone has breached the castle, and let us not forget that he is completely immobilized, so he can't defend himself even if he wanted to." Came McGonagall's voice. It was very low (almost a hiss), but after knowing McGonagall for four years, Harry knew that she was absolutely furious, even madder than she had ever been at Harry(except for that time in first year, or second, or maybe it was third, …no it was definitely fourth, or perhaps fifth…. Well, you get the picture). He could imagine her pale skin, blazing eyes, and tight pressed lips that indicated on a scale of 1-voldemort how mad she was and how much trouble you were about to get into.

"Y-yes pr-pr-professor," stuttered a medium height boy whose back was turned to Harry. 'Wait did she just say Potter,' Harry thought slowly. 'It could just be a coincidence.' Harry couldn't get a clear view of the small group of people huddled outside his door but he could tell that they were all trembling(McGonagall with fury and the other people with a combination of nervous anticipation and fear).

"Come on, we will have to search for the boy. Let's us hope he is not harmed for your sakes, boys." 'Wow' thought Harry. 'she managed to hiss that entire sentence.' Harry felt a sharp twinge of sympathy for the boys. He had been in trouble with McGonagall more time than he could count on his hands and these boys were going to be in a world of trouble for what sounded like a mild prank because they did it at the wrong time. Another strange thing was that Harry felt a pull towards the group and couldn't help but want to help them retrieve the boy safely. Pulling his wand out, Harry followed behind the group ready to hex anyone who looked sinister in a moment's notice. The group led him to a corridor where a tall gangly boy was on display covered in what looked like Christmas greeting cards, a bright pink paste concoction, and arms transfigured to look like tree branches.

"I hope you are proud of your work, boys. This could have been far worse," said McGonagall stiffly before levitating the boy to follow behind her. "Your punishments will be given after we deal with this issue. His head of house is probably worried." The boys looked like they wanted to protest or laugh but thought better of it and followed silently behind her as she led then to the Great Hall.

'Don't follow them. Run. Hide'

A/N: Hello guys, I hope you're ready for another question.

Q2: At the beginning of the chapter(2), who was the unidentifiable teacher with straw colored hair?