Chapter Thirteen: Through The Trapdoor
It was a tired and nervous Harry that woke up the very next day. While the debacle in the Forest was still raw in his head, there was no thought more worrying than getting through his exams as of now.
It was swelteringly hot in the classrooms where they wrote their papers, and the thick blankets of snow that had engulfed the castle had slowly receded into clumps of wet ice still wedged between corners where April's heat and light couldn't reach. Harry wondered why the school couldn't install air conditioners already – the region of Omnis had harsh summers.
The practical exams were much better than the written ones – Flitwick called them one by one into his class and asked them to perform a class one contest combination, which Harry thought he did fairly well in (Flitwick had smiled at him after his Mist and Agility combo that Hedwig and Prongs had performed). McGonagall presented them with a live pokémon and asked them to explain said pokémon's biology. Potions was the worst – it was a pain in the neck to create an Antidote, what with Snape's Crobat literally breathing down Harry's neck all through the exam.
Harry did the best he could, pondering over the numerous questions printed out in front of him. He scowled as he handed in his History paper. Neville was lucky he didn't have to write the exams – he was still in the hospital wing, recovering from the poison in his system.
"Agility, and Tackle!" Harry cried, smiling as Prongs the Deerling slipped into the speed-enhancing move. Their Defence practical – which was their last exam – required them to cross a series of obstacles before battling a "wild" pokémon, which were actually some of the newbie pokémon Quirrel was currently training, all in ten minutes or less. Harry watched gleefully as Prongs zipped towards the dummy targets and slammed into them, crushing them with his body. As quickly as expected, the ten targets were felled by Prongs' strong body, and soon came the final part of their Defence practical.
"V-v-very impressive, Mr P-P-Potter," Quirrel muttered. "You s-still have s-s-six minutes left. Let's see if you c-ca-can finish the task, however!"
With a flourish of his hands the battle instructor tossed a shiny new pokéball into the air and released a Doduo. "D-Doduo, battle!"
"Agility!" Harry said. Leaving only a trail of energy as his presence, Prongs blurred away to avoid the Doduo's twin beaks that had sharpened into spikes before being jabbed at where the pokémon had previously been rooted.
Harry quickly owned the battle, despite Doduo having a significant advantage over its opponents. With a Leech Seed to drain its energy and a Sand Attack to blind it, Prongs swiftly brutalised Doduo and beat it to a pulp. An anxious Quirrel winced as Prongs delivered a powerful Double Kick straight to the backs of Doduo's heads and knocked it to the ground.
"R-Return," Quirrel stuttered. Then the professor's face broke into a nervous smile. "W-Well done, M-Mr Potter! Congratulations. Y-You're only the s-second student to f-f-fi-finish the practical exam!"
Harry choked in shock. "Really?!" So many first-years hadn't manage to complete their practical?
Quirrel nodded. "Ms G-G-Granger was the only other student to do so. Nothing on you however, Mr P-Potter — only six seconds to spare, compared to your three minutes."
Harry left the Battle classroom in high spirits – no doubt he would be getting the highest marks in Battle that year.
It was with a freeing sensation that Harry met up with Hermione and Ron later in the afternoon. Ron looked ecstatic, while Hermione on the other hand looked sullen and worried as they made their way to the hospital wing to check up on Neville.
"I'm going to fail," Hermione moaned.
"There she goes again," Ron said, rolling his eyes. He pushed open the doors of the hospital wing and snorted at Hermione as she glared at him.
"And what are you three doing here?" Madam Pomfrey said, her voice stern.
Harry, however, was no longer affected by her falsely angry demeanour. "We're here to meet Neville," he said impatiently. "Is he awake?"
Her expressions softened. "He just woke up in time for his daily dose. Follow me," she said, already on her heels.
The trio followed her in a brisk walk, passing several other bedridden patients, human and pokémon alike. Harry noticed Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor sports team, and waved at the burly fifth-year. His forehead was wrapped in layers of bandages, probably from playing with his Bastiodon a bit too roughly.
Neville's round face broke into a smile as he watched his friends close in. "Hey, Harry," he said. "Thanks for stopping by."
Harry waved his hand in dismissal. "How are you Neville?"
"Better. Madam Pomfrey says I'll be left before dinner," Neville replied. He opened his mouth and allowed Pomfrey's Chansey to pour a few millimetres of an antidote. He grimaced at the bitter aftertaste the medicine left on his tongue. "Eh, not so much now." Ron snorted.
"So, how were your exams?" Neville questioned.
As Hermione launched into a full-blown tirade of her own experience, Harry looked out of the hospital wing's window. However serene the school grounds were, and however calming the lake was, it could not squash the anxiety Harry was feeling as he thought about the Jewel of Life. Perhaps it was because of his history with the man, but it seemed that it was only Harry who understood the threat Voldemort truly posed, and how much of a danger he was to the Jewel's security. He couldn't help but remember how less interested Ron and Hermione were whenever be brought up the subject. They seemed to think that, as long as Dumbledore lived, Voldemort would not dare do anything to risk action from the headmaster's end.
A flutter of wings grabbed his attention – a Pidgeotto had just flown by, carrying a parcel and a letter around its leg. Hagrid had been the first one to send him anything, Harry mused, lost in thought. Hagrid's pretty close to Dumbledore. I bet he must've told him how to get past Rocky. Well, Hagrid would tell anyone anything under the right conditions…
Harry's eyes widened. Nononononono—
"Ron, Hermione, we've got to meet Hagrid now," Harry muttered, his heart racing.
Ron looked at him quizzically. "Huh? Why—"
"Just come on!"
He said a hurried goodbye to Neville and ran out of the hospital wing, horrific thoughts running through his mind. Ron and Hermione followed suite, taking huge leaps and skipping steps as the hurried down the grand staircase.
By the time they reached Hagrid's cabin they were winded, and they looked a mess – Hermione's hair was like a wild bush and Harry's was messier, a feat that had seemed impossible until today.
Harry rapped his knuckles against the hard wood of the cabin door. "Hagrid, open the door, we need to talk to you—"
"Harry?" a gruff voice sounded. "Hermione, Ron? What're yeh doin' here?"
Hagrid walked from behind the cabin, holding an axe in his hand, resting on his shoulders. He smiled. "Finished yer exams? Here, have some rock cakes—"
Ron beamed. "Yes, please—"
"Sorry Hagrid, but we're in a hurry," Harry cut in, glaring at Ron, who cowered and stepped back. "Hagrid, I need to ask you something. Do you know who gave you Norberta's egg? What they looked like?"
Hagrid chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, he had his hood up. Never saw an inch of his face. It isn't unusual, most people in the Head like ta keep ter themselves, it's jus' how it is round there."
Harry chewed his lip nervously. "Do you know why he gave you a dragon egg? Those are really rare."
Hagrid bit into his rock cake and ground the piece in his mouth into fine crumbs. "Said he was a seasoned trainer, and was lookin' ta give the egg ter someone who had time ter look after it. When he found out I was gamekeeper at Hogwarts, he got real interested, asking if I had experience with pseudo-legends. He was real excited when I told him 'bout Rocky."
"You told him!?" Ron exclaimed.
"Just tha' I raised a Tyranitar," Hagrid explained. "N'un more. I don' want no one ter snoop around the castle now, do I?"
"Well what did he ask about Rocky?" Harry interrogated.
"Huh…" Hagrid rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "I remember him askin' about how ter take care of him, so I told him – how much the bugger eats, how ter groom him, and how ter put him to sleep with a pokéflute—"
Hagrid blanched. Harry felt a sickening sensation in his stomach.
"I shouldn'ta told yeh tha'!" Hagrid exclaimed, horrified. "Forget I said— hey! Where're ya goin'?!"
XxXxX
Harry groaned, a knot of anxiety twisting in the pit of his stomach. "What are we going to do?"
Hagrid's words had immediately prompted them to go to the teachers for help, with the only problem being that there were no teachers who could help them. While Hermione used Harry's pokédex to keep an eye on Snape via the Marauder's Map, Harry and Ron had rushed to McGonagall and ask her to meet Dumbledore, only for her to tell them that he'd been called to the Ministry an hour prior. With growing dread, Harry had had no choice but to tell McGonagall about his suspicions (he didn't think he could ever forget her shell-shocked face). However, as soon as she'd composed herself, the professor has simply dismissed his concerns and ordered them to return to their dorms in preparation for dinner.
And now they were stuck in the library, swimming in their own misery and anger and dread over what was to come.
Ron sighed. "Dumbledore's gone, McGonagall doesn't believe us," he said, putting up two fingers. "Anything else that could make this worse?"
Harry frowned in sadness, cradling her head in her hands. "I can't believe this."
"Look at what I found." They turned their heads and saw Hermione carrying a thick, dusty book in her hands. They flinched as she slammed it on the table the had chosen, and didn't see the stink-eye Madam Pince sent their way. "I found out why Snape attacked those Ivysaur."
"Delving into the Mythos of Pokémon," Ron read out, peeking at the books cover. "What did you find here? And why's it so dusty?" he added, sneezing a split-second later.
Hermione glared at him irritably. "As I was saying," she said sternly, "I figured out why Snape stole those Ivysaur pods. It's all written here."
Harry shifted closer, his curiosity spiked. "Well, what does it say?"
She cleared her throat softly. "Listen to this excerpt: 'Like most starter pokémon, the Bulbasaur line are rare in the while; but what makes them so precious is the fact that they have been hunted to near extinction, and are said to be one of the, if not most, endangered species in the wild. It is feared that, as the population has dropped to dangerously low levels, they will join the ranks of Aerodactyl and Omanyte within the century.
"'This is primarily due to a legend which states that if an Ivysaur's bud is removed, the Ivysaur will die; but the seed in the bud will continue to bloom and can be used to produce a potion that can renew life. This myth has been debunked, however, and only the most superstitious of the world still hold this notion in high regard.'"
Ron and Harry gaped at her. "That's why Snape attacked those Ivysaur. That's why he stole one of their seeds," Hermione said, her jaw tightened.
"So what, he wants immortality?" said Ron.
Harry nodded. "And we need to stop him. We can't let him win. He's already desperate enough to murder pokémon— who knows how desperate he is to get the Jewel?"
"We can't stop him Harry," Hermione said. "He's a professor with elite level pokémon. And we— we're just a bunch of kids with—"
"I know that, Hermione!" Harry cried. "But if we don't even try, Snape's going to win. And who knows what can happen if he gets what he wants – all we know of the Jewel is that it contains a lot – a lot – of energy. And what if he uses the energy for something else?"
"Nuclear-level bombs," Hermione said in horror. Ron whimpered.
"We have to do this," Harry insisted. "Are you with me? Even if you aren't, I'm still doing this." When they didn't answer, he added, "Well?"
"We're coming with you, Har'," Ron said, clapping him on his shoulder. "No way are we letting you die alone."
Harry smiled at him. Then he looked at Hermione, who sighed.
"Of course I'm with you, Harry," she said. "But if we get caught?"
"…Let's not think about that."
XxXxX
Harry took a bite of the chicken breast on his plate. It would've tasted glorious and made him moan if he'd actually noticed what he was eating, instead of glaring hard at the staff table. He felt a stab of worry as his eyes looked over Dumbledore's empty throne. What if things went wrong?
He shook his head. Now was not the time to be pessimistic. He focused his sight back on Snape. He eyed every movement of his, from the way he took a swig from his goblet to the way he looked down his nose at the students. He looked at Harry and scowled. Harry softened his look, and discretely shifted his eyes to Seamus, who was directly front of him; it wouldn't do to warn Snape of what they were up to.
"Oi Harry, can you pass me some of those potatoes?" he heard Ron say. Harry looked away from Snape, and handed over a few boiled potatoes over to Ron with a picker. Shrugging, he grabbed one for himself and stabbed it with a fork and he looked up—
Snape was gone. His seat was empty. Dread filled Harry, sending waves of fear through him. "No," he whispered in horror. The fork clattered to the plate as Harry pulled out his pokédex and frantically sent a message to both Ron and Hermione. There were two simultaneous buzzes, making Hermione furrow her brow; Ron was busy gulping down his potatoes. Harry's feet tapped the marble floor in impatience as he watched Hermione bring out her pokédex from her pocket and open the message.
Her eyes widened, moving to look at the staff table. She gasped.
Hermione gave him a look that said, Shit! even though she'd never swear.
Harry nodded grimly.
She nudged Ron, until he gasped out in pain when she stabbed his foot with the heel of shoe. "What?!" Ron demanded, hissing in pain.
"Look," whispered Hermione, discretely showing him the pokédex. Ron choked on his foot and coughed wildly by the time he was done reading the alert.
"Bollocks," he mumbled. For once, Hermione didn't chide him. "We've got to go!" he mouthed at Harry.
"I know," Harry mouthed back.
Ron nodded. Then he said. "Uh…can I finish my dinner first?" he pleaded meekly.
Harry groaned as Ron speared another potato without waiting for a response.
XxXxX
"He's still not moved," Harry complained, staring at the Marauder's Map. It was nearing midnight, and they were in the common room of their dorms, watching Snape's pinpoint on the app lie motionless in his office.
Harry looked up at the Pyroar clock above him. The minute hand twitched. He sighed.
Ron groaned. "What's he waiting for?" he said, tapping Harry's pokéflute against his thigh. "If I was in his place I'd have done it without wasting a second."
"No, you'd just sneak into the kitchens and eat yourself to sleep," Hermione muttered, grimacing in disgust as she watched Ron crunch into an apple and take long bites wide-open.
"Shuhupp, 'uhmynee!"
Harry glared at them. "Can't you two catch a break?!" he said angrily. He was furious – for what, he didn't know. "I'm sick and tired of watching you two argue for every single moment in your lives—"
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.
"No Hermione, I'm not going to shut up—"
"No, I'm not talking about that," she snapped. Harry quietened. "What if…what if Snape's just left his dex back in his office?" she said, horror dawning on her face. "He's not obliged to take it with him. What if we've just mucked up by waiting so long?"
It was ten seconds later when the three had jumped out of their dormitory, clipping their pokébelts around their waists and running with wide eyes.
"Bloody hell, we're screwed," Ron mumbled. Their footfalls were loud against the corridor, masking the sound of anything else around them.
Harry peeked at his dex. "Filch," he gasped, staring at the red dot slowly drifting to their own location. He looked at Hermione. "Filch is coming!"
He grabbed Prongs' pokéball and tapped the release button, grimacing as the loud noise of the pokémon being released sounded. "Who's there?" Filch's gravelly, shaky voice snarled. From the turn up ahead, Harry could see a dim light softly shining.
"Prongs, I need you to Camouflage us," Harry told the Deerling. The pokémon nodded, and Harry looked at his friends as Prongs' fur began to blend in with the surroundings. "Quick, touch Prongs – and whatever you do, don't let go!"
They nodded, placing their hands on either side of Prongs. Harry could already hear a soft purr – Mrs Norris has no doubt smelled them. Harry placed his hand on Prongs' snout and allowed the invisibility to engulf him.
"Purr?" meowed Mrs Norris. The Purrloin cocked her scrawny head. Harry hated the sight of her with a passion.
"What's that, kitty?" Filch said, shaking his flashlight over the place. Harry placed his free hand over Hermione's mouth and muffled her cry of "Eep!". "What do you smell?"
The feline crawled over a few feet from where the group were standing frozen still. She sniffed the air, and narrowed her eyes. Harry's heart thumped in fear.
Just then he saw an apple core flying through the air, until it splattered against the stone floor several meters away. Harry winced. Both Filch and his pokémon jumped, then whipped around and growled in sadistic delight.
Mrs Norris hissed. "Well, well," Filch muttered, cackling. "Go, sweetheart. Trap them!"
The Purrloin hesitated – as if something seemed wrong – but once Filch tapped the floor with his cane she hissed in anger and sneakily crawled away. It was quite far away, but Harry could see Mrs Norris sniff the apple core, then snarl and leap into the corridor ahead of her, as Filch followed her slowly. It was just when the grisly old caretaker turned round the corner and disappeared that Harry let out a sigh of relief and let go of Prongs, who collapsed.
"Good job, Prongs."
"Holy mother," Ron gasped. "That was close."
Hermione thwacked him over the head. "Yes, and we'd have been caught if Filch saw you throw that apple!" she snapped.
"Well we weren't caught, were we?" Ron said, smirking. "Admit it, you're just jealous that I thought of a way to get us out of this."
"The Jewel," Harry reminded impatiently. Instantly their quarrelling quelled and they sprung into action.
Harry kept Prongs at his side – just as a precaution, in case anyone else was patrolling the corridors, or if they actually met Snape along the way. It wasn't the best decision, what with the Deerling yipping in excitement as he bounded along the way, but they had to make do with what they had.
"Alright, here it goes," Harry said, putting the pokéflute up to his lips. Carefully, Ron approached the door and, much like he did before, began picking the lock with two, thin metal instruments. The lock clicked.
"Ready?" Harry asked. Hermione and Ron nodded as they released their two pokémon. An instant later Hedwig was released, and the four pokémon tensed with grim determination as Ron swiftly swung the door open.
It was just as dark as before, and the second the door was slammed open a fearsome roar split the air. Hermione screamed as Rocky smashed the ground with his massive tail, leaving in small grooves as the Tyranitar dragged it along the floor.
"Hedwig, Double Team, Confuse Ray!" Ron yelled as Harry slowly began playing the flute. Meanwhile, Inkay shot forward, extending her tentacles and wrapping them around Tyranitar to restrict its movement.
Rocky bellowed and stomped its foot, triggering a blade of stone to punch out of the ground in anger. The Stone Edge attack narrowly missed Cyndaquil, who whimpered and scurried back to Ron in fear.
As Harry began to play the sleep-inducing tune, Hedwig took it upon herself to distract Rocky from her trainer with the help of her clones. They danced around the stone monster, taunting it, angering it, and taking the brunt of its many attacks. One by one they were crushed to nothing, but every time one was eviscerated another one took its place.
Until finally the pokéflute's tune began to take effect. Slowly, but steadily, the Tyranitar began to fall asleep. At first it was simply sluggish movements, then long drawn-out yawns, until it swayed and dropped to the ground, kicking up dust as it crashed face first into the floor and began inhaling dirt.
Unfortunately, the tune hadn't just affected Rocky – Cyndaquil had tumbled down Ron's shoulder as he lost balance and hit the floor with a thump. Similarly, Inkay snored and plummeted, but was thankfully saved by Hermione, who leapt forward and caught the psychic-type in her arms. Harry quickly dropped his flute and recalled Hedwig before she could experience a nasty fall.
"Oh no," Harry muttered in shock. All their pokémon were unconscious – how were they going to make a stand against Snape?
"I-I should've planned ahead," Hermione mumbled, her fingers sinking in her hair. "It's my fault! How could I have been so s—"
"D-Don't worry, I have Chesto berries," a timid voice said. Harry looked around.
"Neville!?" Ron exclaimed, utterly bemused.
Neville smiled nervously. "H-Hey guys," he said.
"Nev, what're you doing?" Harry was confused. "You weren't supposed to be here. This is dangerous. You—"
"I know, Potter," Neville said icily. "I— I'm not as s-stupid as you lot think I am!"
Hermione stepped back. "You're not stupid, Neville, but you should be asleep, not following us! How did you even know what we were up to?"
"I heard you guys talking down during dinner," Neville answered. "Besides, I have as much of a right to be here as you are. He killed those Ivysaur. I want my revenge, and you— you're not going to stop me."
Harry, Hermione and Ron exchanged a long look. Finally, Hermione sighed. "Fine, Neville," she said, albeit grudgingly. "But it something— anything happens…"
Neville smiled. "Thank you. Now let's get your pokémon back in shape."
As quickly as possible, Neville rushed up to their pokémon and crushed the Chesto berries into a pulp and pushed it down their throats. First Hedwig, then Prongs, followed by Inkay and Cyndaquil. At first nothing happened, but slowly their eyelids fluttered and they came back to life albeit in a daze.
"Quick," Harry whispered, walking carefully round Rocky's massive body as to not rouse the slumbering beast. Hermione followed him, and Ron and Neville walked behind her. Softly, Harry and Ron held the trapdoor by the handle and pulled it open, wincing whenever it the rusty hinges creaked.
"Ready?" Harry asked. The rest nodded, but he could see the nervousness on their faces.
"Okay. Hermione, you first," said Harry. The girl let out a meek yelp, but nevertheless began to lower herself down the trapdoor – first her legs, then her body, until she was hanging by her fingertips. Then she shuddered. "Wai—" she began to say, but her hands lost their grip and she shrieked as she plummeted down the door.
"HERMIONE!" Ron yelled in worry, but Harry hissed in anger and slapped his hand over his mouth. Unfortunately, that made them lose their balance, and Ron cried out in shock as he stumbled over the trapdoor and sank into the darkness.
Harry, however, tried to latch onto Neville's shoulders – but the boy tried to leap out of the way and instead landed directly over the open trapdoor. The last thing Harry heard of him was a weak whimper as Neville tumbled down and to wherever Hermione and Ron were.
"Holy shit," mumbled Harry. "Are you guys alright?!" he shouted down.
"You're lucky we bloody well are, Harry!" Ron's voice echoed up.
Harry heaved a sigh of relief. Then he froze. There no longer was any snoring.
Slowly, he turned around, only to feel the urge to run as he saw a dazed Tyranitar slowly rise to its full height. It roared. Harry screamed.
There was no time to do anything else – with not a single care about his landing, Harry jumped down the hole just as Rocky slammed the trapdoor shut, screaming as he plunged down the abyss.
XxXxX
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