A tense atmosphere descended over Hogwarts in the days following the incident. Although the creature had been removed without any further damage, it still seemed to hover, ever present just in the back of everyone's minds. Somehow, everyone came to know that Harry was the one to defeat the troll, and whilst many seemed amazed and in awe of this, there were a few that had begun to give him a wide berth.
"A first-year shouldn't be able to defeat a mountain troll," he'd heard one student whisper insidiously. "It's just not natural."
One student who hadn't continued to avoid him was Hermione Granger, who had become fast friends with the boys who had saved her life. In fact, Harry found that having the smartest girl in their year was quite helpful, not only in lessons but also when trying to figure out other mysteries that Hogwarts had to offer.
"It must have something to do with what is beneath that trap door," she whispered as they were sat in Transfiguration. They were careful not to draw attention to themselves.
"Snape must be trying to steal whatever is inside it." Harry replied.
"Yeah you saw his leg," Ron hissed. "There's no way he got that from a troll."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "He must have attacked Professor Amora. She wouldn't have been expecting it and wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Probably hoped the troll would finish her off so there'd be no witnesses."
Fortunately, Professor Amora had survived the attack, and was well on the way to recovering. It had been a close call though. She had been barely conscious by the time they had arrived at the hospital wing and for a moment Harry had thought she'd bleed out. Snape was quick to pass his injured colleague over to the matron, and was about to escort the Gryffindors back to their dormitory as Amora was placed in one of the vacant beds.
"And just where do you think you're going?" The medi-witch demanded, hands on her hips and glaring impressively at the potions master.
"To escort these students," he sneered at Harry and his friends. "Back to their dormitory before they get into any more trouble."
She paused her examinations and glanced at Snape, her eyebrow raised. "Not with that leg you're not." She'd noticed his limp almost as soon as he'd walked in, although he'd tried to hide it. "I know you, you'll disappear back to that dungeon without seeking any medical attention. Well not today. Take a seat. I'll see to it once I've stabilised her."
Harry had watched as Snape had glanced over at them and then hobbled closer to Madam Pomfrey. "Perhaps this would be best conducted without the students here?" He leant closer and murmured so quietly that Harry had to strain to hear. "The last thing we need is for this to get out. It would cause mass panic."
Madam Pomfrey took in their dishevelled appearance. She seemed to agree with Snape to an extent as she waved her wand and a screen appeared, shielding the unconscious weapons professor from their view. "I'm worried how long she'll last if I delay treatment," She whispered in the same low voice. She then turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione and addressed them. "Can I trust you to return to your dorms without an escort?" When they nodded, she seemed satisfied. "Good."
Snape looked like he wanted to protest but one harsh look from Madam Pomfrey was enough to silence him. The trio were quick to leave after this, worried that she would change her mind and insist that Professor Snape would accompany them.
The following day, Dumbledore announced that the troll had been removed and that a full investigation was taking place to find out how it had got in, but it was nothing to worry about. He also informed them that all Weaponry classes were cancelled for the rest of the week as Professor Amora had been taken ill, and that a study period would take place instead with a designated teacher to supervise. Rumours spread and it was quickly, albeit quietly, established that Amora falling ill on the day after the troll's attack was just too much of a coincidence.
That had been three days ago and nothing more had been said on the matter, though it didn't do anything to quell Harry's curiosity. "But why risk being caught. I'm sure she would have noticed if he suddenly disappeared."
"Probably hit her and then went to the trap door." Hermione said, thinking carefully. "There is only one person who would know."
"Who?" Ron said, lowering his voice and wincing slightly as Professor McGonagall glared at them from across the room.
"Professor Amora of course. We'll ask her."
"And how do you intend to do that," Ron scoffed "she's still in the hospital wing, remember?" In fact, from what Harry had heard the professor was yet to regain consciousness.
Hermione rolled her eyes. She was always one step ahead. "I overheard Professor McGonagall talking with Professor Flitwick before. He said that Amora woke up last night. McGonagall said she was going to visit her tonight after her last lesson. And I suggest we do the same."
"What with old McGonagall?" Ron cried, once again attracting the attention of the professor in question.
"Why not," Hermione hissed quickly as their Head of House walked towards them. "If we go with her, then Madam Pomfrey won't turn us away."
"That's after we manage to convince McGonagall-"
"Since you're spending more time gossiping," Professor McGonagall said, having pounced upon them with stealth fitting for her animagus. "I'll assume that you have mastered the spell and can demonstrate how to do it perfectly." She glared at the trio over the top of her rectangular spectacles and pressed her lips into a firm line. Harry gulped.
Somehow he got the feeling that they wouldn't be visiting the hospital wing any time soon.
Clearing her throat, Hermione pointed her wand at the small white mouse that was unsuspectingly cleaning its whiskers. She clearly spoke the spell and motioned with her wand, turning the small rodent into an ornate snuffbox. This seemed to satisfy McGonagall and she pointed out the correct technique needed to perform a successful transfiguration as the class took notes.
They didn't get a chance to continue their discussion after this, deciding it would probably be best not to annoy their professor any more, and waited until the lesson ended to put their plan into action. As the rest of the class scurried out, eager to leave what was the last lesson of the day, the trio cautiously approached Professor McGonagall, who was attempting to sort her already immaculate desk, gathering together her marking for the evening.
Observing her carefully, Harry noticed that her movements appeared hurried.
"Professor…" Hermione began hesitantly.
"Oh," she said, surprised to see she was not alone. She recovered quickly. "How may I help you?"
"We were wondering…well we'd heard that Professor Amora woke up yesterday."
A sleek black eyebrow raised and McGonagall observed them suspiciously. She glanced quickly around the room before answering them in hushed tones. "Professor Amora's situation is…sensitive. You understand that discretion is something of great importance." She paused. "A troll getting not only into the grounds, but in the school itself is enough to cause concerns amongst the Governors. If they found out that a professor had been injured as well…" she trailed off, but Harry didn't need her to finish to understand what she meant.
"We haven't told anyone." Harry said firmly, and McGonagall nodded.
"If you're going to visit her, could we come with you?" Hermione said, faltering slightly under the professor's distrustful glare. "We saw the injuries and, well, we wanted to make sure she's alright."
For a moment, Harry thought she was going to refuse. However, she gave a curt nod and agreed. "Very well. I suppose after witnessing what you did it's only natural that you'd be worried." She scooped up a pile of papers and gestured for them to follow her. As they made their way down the partially deserted corridors towards the hospital wing, the older witch moved at such a pace that they had to jog to keep up with her.
"She's worried," Hermione whispered as they approached the heavy oak door of the infirmary. "There's clearly something that they're not telling us." Harry agreed but said nothing as McGonagall paused before opening the door.
"Now I know I don't need to remind you that this is an infirmary, and that the people in here are trying to recover, so please try to bare that in mind before you go charging in there like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons." She said, directing her firm gaze at Ron who, not realising the witch had stopped, had nearly crashed into her.
Despite her warnings, most of the beds were empty. There was a first year who had somehow managed to give themselves oozing boils after a failed potion lesson, and a third year who had fallen from his broom during a flying lesson, but apart from that the room seemed fairly deserted.
In the far corner of the room there was a screen that quartered off one of the beds and it was there, Harry guessed, that Professor Amora was recovering. As they approached the screen, they could hear what sounded like an argument between the professor and medi-witch.
"Will you stop fussing me? I'm fine, I'll be even better once I'm out of here."
"I'll be the judge of that, if you'd just let me examine you this would be," at this point there was a yelp of pain and an irritable huff. "That serves you right. Would you keep still?"
McGonagall rolled her eyes as a small smirk flickered across her lips and pulled the screen back slightly so that they could see into it. As Harry peered in, he could see Professor Amora was sat upright, her head tilted forward, enabling Madam Pomfrey to examine the wound on the base of her skull. McGonagall cleared her throat to announce their arrival and the pair hastily looked up, Amora briefly closing her eyes her face contorting in pain at the brisk movement.
"Ah, Minerva," Poppy huffed. "Perhaps you could convince this stubborn woman that I need to check her head before I discharge her."
Harry was sure her heard McGonagall mutter something along the lines of 'I've been telling her that for years' as she walked over to the chair that was placed next to the bed and put her papers down on it. Amora glared at her and gave a sarcastic laugh, which once again caused a sharp pain to shoot through her head. Madam Pomfrey gave a long suffering sigh and tried once again to examine her patient.
"How are you feeling?" McGonagall asked as she came to stand beside the medi-witch, watching as she diligently removed the bandage and checked the stitching.
"Never better," Amora replied with as much false cheer as she could muster without giving herself a headache. "Especially knowing the mountain of paper work I'll have to do and extra lessons that'll need to be arranged for my O.W.L and N.E.W.T classes."
"Well I know what will cheer you up," McGonagall said, beckoning the trio to enter. "They were worried, and I thought it would be a nice idea for you to see that you're lessons aren't falling apart in your absence."
Hermione nudged Harry forward into the small space and followed, subtly dragging Ron along beside her. "Hello Professor," she said, smiling. "We came to see how you were doing."
A slight smirk formed on Amora's face as she silently regarded the students before her. Her penetrating gaze made Harry feel somewhat nervous. Now they were in for it. How were they supposed to ask about the attack with McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey there? It made the chance of them getting any answers even less likely. "Getting better," the professor said slowly, as though she were deliberating her words carefully. "I hope the lessons haven't been too disrupted by my absence. Bloody troll packs one hell of a punch." At Madam Pomfrey's worried shushing, Professor Amora rolled her eyes. "Oh please Poppy. They already know what happened, they were there. Well, there in the aftermath. No point closing the stable door once the horse has bolted."
Harry was, not for the first time, relieved that Hermione had tagged along with them as she began discussing what they'd done during Amora's absence, and reassured her that they had not picked up any weapons without, as Amora referred to it, a 'properly trained expert'. If Hermione hadn't have been there, he and Ron would have probably awkwardly blundered their way through the conversation and given the game away, and although they were worried about their professor, they needed to find out some answers as to why Snape would want to get whatever was hidden under the trap door.
During the conversation, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey left to discuss something that Harry guessed they did not want the trio to overhear. "Now not too much longer," Madam Pomfrey ordered sternly. "Professor Amora needs to rest." Once she'd turned her back, Amora pulled a face and stuck her tongue out. Harry couldn't help but laugh slightly at this, which caused Amora to refocus her attention on him.
"Now then," she said, sternly looking at the trio one by one. "You may be able to fool Professor McGonagall, but I'm not so easily swayed. You've come to ask me about the attack." When they tried to protest, she simply held her hand up to silence them. "Although I am grateful and touched that you came to see me, I'm perfectly aware of the fact that you are no doubt curious as to how this happened." She gestured to the back of her head. "Dumbledore believes keeping you all in ignorance is what's safest at this point, but I disagree."
"Why would he do that?" Harry asked, a sense of dread filling the pit of his stomach.
Amora sighed, clearly torn, and looked over to make sure her colleagues were out of earshot. "Look, I shouldn't be telling you this but I'm sure I can trust you not to gossip." She sighed again before continuing. "When I was fighting the troll, I thought I saw someone approach. They came from behind me so I didn't see who they were but I assumed it was Snape. He was sent with me to check the troll hadn't moved elsewhere in the school. Anyway, I thought it was him and thought nothing of it, but the next thing I knew something had hit me in the back of the head and I was sprawled out on the floor. I saw someone running away and then everything went black. When I woke up, Severus was helping me up and he said that he arrived in time to stop the troll from finishing me off, but it had managed to escape."
"So you don't know who it was." Hermione asked. Amora shook her head but Harry felt anger boil from within me.
"Isn't it obvious," he hissed, careful not to attract any attention. "It was Snape, it has to have been. He's trying to steal whatever is on the third floor."
"I don't know what you already know, or what has led you to this conclusion, however I know for a fact that Professor Snape is not trying to steal it. He's one of us who's trying to protect the damn thing." That was the second time Harry had heard that and still didn't understand what it meant.
"What is being protected though?"
"No," Amora shook her head again, worriedly looking around. "I can't tell you that."
"Why did you tell us this?" Harry said.
The professor sighed and fixed them with a stern look. "As a warning. Stop digging. If they are willing to attack a teacher, I can't see them thinking twice about taking on a student. We can manage this without you endangering yourselves in the process. Forget about it now and concentrate on your studies. This is neither your concern nor your fight." From the gap in the screens, they could see Madam Pomfrey giving them a look from across the room that told them that their time was up. "Go on now, you don't want to miss dinner." She waited until Ron and Hermione had left then grabbed Harry's hand as he prepared to leave, halting his movements. "Please be careful, not everyone in this world is a friend Harry." He still felt her steel grip and foreboding words as he left the infirmary, closely followed by Ron and Hermione.
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered. "And I thought Hogwarts was supposed to be safe."
"He's got them all fooled," Harry said determinedly. "We have to find out what Fluffy's guarding and stop Snape from getting it."
"No, Harry, no," Hermione cried. "You heard what Professor Amora said. Even if he was trying to, what could we hope to do that Professor Amora, or McGonagall or even Dumbledore couldn't do? Leave it to them, they know what they're doing. And besides, you have your first Quidditch match coming up and you need to be ready for it."
"You were all for finding out what was going on not too long ago," Ron exclaimed.
She nodded and fixed them both with a troubled stare. "Professor Amora's right. If someone is that desperate to get their hands on whatever it is, then we don't know what they might be capable of."
Harry didn't quite agree with her, but he relented in his quest for now. No good would come from falling out about it. With Professor Amora's warning still hanging in the air around them, they slowly made their way towards the Great Hall, already hearing the chattering and laughter.
None of them noticed the dark figure that lurked in the shadows, listening to their every word.
Olenna continued to stare at the doorway from her bed long after they'd gone. She was so consumed in her thoughts that she almost didn't register that Minerva was standing at the foot of her bed. "They're going to search for it Minerva," she said in a low voice, not looking at the witch. "They'll go after it and put themselves in harm's way."
It took a moment for Minerva to realise what she was talking about. "They won't get very far. They'll give up before long, you'll see."
"And if you're wrong?"
"No one knows where it is, Albus made sure of it."
"I know where I it is," Olenna snapped, finally turning to face the witch, fire in her eyes. "You know, and Hagrid, and Filius, and Pomona, and Quirrell, and Severus. We all know because we all set up a trap to keep that damn stone safe."
"Keep your voice down," Minerva hissed, moving hastily to sit on the bed beside Olenna.
"What I'm saying is there's eight of us who know. What if someone of an unsavoury nature were to find out?"
"Everyone who is protecting the stone Albus trusts and they would never betray him." Minerva stated firmly.
"Someone has Minerva," Olenna whispered. "You and I know that the troll and my attack was no coincidence. Someone's trying to get the stone."
"But who would give away its location? They know its importance. If a follower of You-Know-Who were to find it…"
"I don't know. I don't know who it was or who is trying to get it but we need to be careful." Olenna looked once again towards the door. "I fear that if Harry and his friends find it, they may think that they're helping but will end up doing more harm than good."
So there's another chapter. I did intend to have it posted yesterday but it took longer than I originally anticipated to write. Also I wrote the last part and wasn't sure about it but decided to just add it on the end anyway. I know that Minerva may seem a bit out of character here for allowing them to visit Olenna when they're trying to keep her injury a secret, but she does have a reason (or I have a reason) which will be revealed as the story progresses. Side note though, don't know if any of you noticed one of my favourite Minerva quotes from Order of the Phoenix. It just fit too well not to include ;D I've got the next few chapters planned out but I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to write them, but hopefully it won't be too long (know I said that last time...) Hope you enjoyed the latest update, and stay tuned for the next one.
