Disclaimer: I own neither the Harry Potter world nor Santa, but if the poisoned cookies work that might change soon.
Tempest of the Fae
Chapter Twenty One: Peevesy Games
0-O-0
Judge Cortus looked at the letter lying on his desk. He was an old man and had spent most of his life serving the wizarding world. He had held many positions from court scribe to custodian to judge, in that order. He was the senior judge of the five that served Great Britain, the only higher legal authority than his was the Wizengamot itself. But it was rare for them to become involved in cases. The last time being when the Death Eaters were sentenced after the fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
His career had been quiet over the last decade, between him and the four other judges they only needed to sit two or three times a week. Dealing mostly in broken contracts and the thugs brought in by the DMLE. Now it looked like that quiet phase was going out the window. Merlin it was about time.
His old friend Amelia had approached him with the Potter case and let him know that it was far more complicated than it seemed. A major reason being that Sirius Black, the boy's godfather looked to be innocent after all. Normally after so long around the dementors that wouldn't matter. When you're gone you're gone. But the reports from those sent to retrieve him and move him to another secure facility had said that he was insulting and questioned their love lives and sexual preferences. According to reports from before he went to Azkaban he hadn't changed at all which was almost beyond belief.
With Black's pending case and the inevitable custody request if he was found innocent Cortus had suspended custody of Harry until it could be sorted out. As far as the law was concerned any decisions that needed to be made for Harry fell to him.
He had sent the boy a letter letting him know about the change in his status and received a response. Now this letter that had just been delivered a snowy owl, one that was watching him with a frightening amount of intelligence and eyeing his turkey sandwich, led him to believe the first letter was a fake.
Picking up the new letter he read it again.
Judge Cortus,
Hello, my name is Harry Potter. I recently learned that I have become a ward of the court until such a time that a guardian is appointed. I asked my housemate Susan Bones to write her aunt asking who I would need to contact for permission to stay with my friend Luna over the holidays. She provided me with your name. So I am writing to get permission to stay with my friend Luna Lovegood and visit my other friends over the coming holiday.
Thank you,
Harry Potter.
Cortus compared the writing of the letters and found the first to be similar but different. He did not enjoy being made a fool and vowed to figure out what was going on. The best way to do that, in his mind, was to meet with Harry himself. He quickly penned a response to Harry and gave it to the white owl.
0-O-0
Snape carried the cauldron of expired potion ingredients into his hidden room. The potion pit gurgled below him. He had been forced to purchase several rune stones and place them around the pit's edge to keep the fumes from spreading.
The slop at the bottom of the pit turned slowly with a self-contained current. Snape watched it almost fondly, he felt as if the potions could sense that the Potter brat was in the castle. Oh how he longed to throw the child in and watch him suffer in the potion. Of course he would document the results, for research. Perhaps he'd throw those girls in first. Let Potter suffer watching whatever happened to them before he joined in their agony.
With a wistful sigh he levitated the cauldron over the pit and tipped the spoiled ingredients in. The potion began to froth and foam. "Soon, soon Potter will suffer."
0-O-0
Harry, Hermione and Luna sat in the Room of Requirements studying and working on their own projects. They were just about to finish for the night when a worn looking Dobby popped into the room. "I is sorry it is taking so long to get sheepy eater to your home Harry Potter sir. Sheepy eater is taking many midnight snacks so I is having to change our route around sheepy homes."
"Slytherin was eating sheep? How many did he get?" Hermione asked.
"384 before Dobby is stopping him." Dobby informed them.
Harry's eye twitched. "I know Slytherin is big but that's…"
"Impressive?" Luna suggested.
"Disturbing." Harry finished. "Do you remember where he got the sheep from? I guess I'll have to figure out a way to pay them back."
"Dobby is taking care of that sir. Dobby is putting up wards to protect other sheep from predators and weather. Dobby is thinking that it be evening out, eventually."
"I guess that works." Harry said after a few moments thought. "Good work."
"Thank you great Harry Potter sir!"
"Dobby, I wrote Daddy and he is expecting you so you can head over whenever you want. Oh and could you see if that thing I asked him to order has arrived?" Luna asked.
"Yes Missy Lovey." Dobby said before he vanished.
0-O-0
Dobby reappeared behind Xeno who was hunched over working on the latest issue of the Quibbler. He spun around to look at Dobby. "So you're Dobby I take it?"
"Yes sir." Dobby said with a bow.
"Excellent! Hmm." Xeno stood and walked around Dobby examining him from all angles. "First thing we need to do is get you some proper clothes."
Dobby almost choked. "You is wanting to give Dobby clothes?"
"Yes, but since I'm not your master there shouldn't be a problem. And we can't have you going around in a dirty tea towel or pillowcase or tailored suit. We need something special."
After several minutes of thought Dobby decided the strange man was correct. Only Harry Potter could free him. "Dobby supposes that it would be alright then."
"Wonderful! I have several sets of robes that were shredded beyond repair on an expedition but I think we can salvage enough for you to use." Xeno lead the way to his room.
Dobby followed behind nervously. Harry Potter had told him to obey Grangy and Lovey as if they were him and Lovey had told him to listen to her father so he was technically following orders, and he had always wanted to wear something better.
0-O-0
Dumbledore removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had discovered that Septima had also made a copy of the charm placed on the point system and scoffed at it. As she put it 'it looks like a chimp threw his fecal matter at a list of spells that were then torn apart and glued back together.' He was not of the same opinion, not anymore. After hours of studying and testing he had figured out that the charm would only work if you were in the water.
While his love of working on Arithmancy while in the tub was not well known it was conceivable that someone discovered his habit and used it to their advantage. The supposed attack on Snape was another clever ruse, making it appear to be a prank on a disliked teacher was the perfect cover for an attack on Dumbledore himself. Had his reaction been just a bit slower that vulture would have hit his head. Dumbledore was willing to bet at that point it would have exploded.
It also sent a message; someone was upset that Snape had gotten off.
Whoever Dumbledore was up against was good; either plan could have been written off as an accident. But he wasn't the Headmaster for nothing. He saw through the plan, someone was out to get him. Unless these had just been warnings which suggested that the assailant was not yet trying.
With a deep sigh Dumbledore set the papers aside. He would need to deal with this but he also couldn't put off his plans for Harry. While most of the students were away it would be the perfect time to convince Harry that he was acting in his best interest. Perhaps he could have a few of the ghosts keep an eye on him, children loved ghosts. His original plan to keep the Weasley children at Hogwarts over the holiday had been scrapped because of Ronald's actions towards Harry and his friends.
Maybe the best idea now would be the twins. He could let slip that Harry's father was a Marauder. While the identity of the members was well guarded almost everyone knew of the group of pranksters. Yes that plan had promise.
He ran a hand through his shortened hair. Now if Severus would only hurry along with that hair growth potion. While he could have bought them, by having Severus make the potion Hogwarts would pay for it.
0-O-0
Theodore tapped his quill against the parchment as he thought. His latest plan was amazing, if not for the difficulty in acquiring the needed potion. It was beyond his current skills and while Snape could make it his head of house was not a person that Theodore wanted to share this victory with.
He hadn't been too concerned since Potter had been dragged from the great hall by Snape but that was long enough ago that he felt it was time to put his plan into action. It would humiliate and embarrass Potter; it might even drive him from the school. It was perfect, cunning, and untraceable to him. And on hold until he could find this damn potion!
With just a few days before the holiday break his best bet now looked to be finding the potion once he went home. His greatest regret about that was that it wouldn't be ready for the welcome back feast. That would have been the icing on the cake.
0-O-0
"Dumbledore thinks what?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"He thinks someone is out to kill him." Hathfojd said.
"Why? I mean yes the vulture could have hurt him but that was an accident. Isn't he being a bit paranoid?" Hermione asked.
"Well he was almost boiled alive as well. He thinks it is all connected. Plus he does have a swollen ego."
"Was he this paranoid the last time around?" Hermione asked.
"Possibly. When Draco Malfoy was trying to kill him he found the attempts amusing. But only because he knew about them beforehand." Hathfojd said. He wasn't going to admit he'd spent as much time as possible asleep. Headmasters tended to get boring after the first few hundred years.
Hathfojd's musing was interrupted by Dobby. The house elf was wearing a small robe in a camouflaged pattern, except instead of muted greens and browns it consisted of Canary Yellow and Kill Me Orange. Hathfojd took one look at Dobby and proved that he did have limited mobility when he threw himself from the table with a cry.
"Dobby, did Daddy give you those robes?" Luna asked.
"Oh yes! He is having the most wonderful robes and giving some to Dobby! But because he is not Dobby's master there is no problem." Dobby said.
"Eh, great. So long as you like them." Harry wondered if a fondness for unnatural colors would replace his love of socks. He picked up the Sorting Hat and placed it back on the table.
"I is, oh and Miss Lovey your father is sending you the package you is ordering." Dobby snapped his fingers and a large box appeared behind him.
Luna clapped with excitement. "Wonderful! Harry, Hermione help me."
They watched as Luna opened the crate and rolled out a large heavy looking leather ball. It came up to Lunas waist. Hermione traded a look with Harry, not understanding what Luna was up to until she was finished was normal, but still annoying. "Luna, what exactly are we helping you with?"
"Fluffy's Christmas present. We're going to enchant it a bit." Luna explained.
Hathfojd huffed before the turned to Fawkes. "Speaking of present, why don't you go get that?"
Fawkes bobbed his head before he disappeared. A moment later he returned with a crudely wrapped package. Fawkes nudged the package towards Harry. The Sorting Hat snorted. "Dumbledore decided not to return this to you, but since he had no right to it we aren't bound by the school to listen to him. The burnt chicken insisted on wrapping it."
Harry unwrapped the package to find his invisibility cloak. "Thank you, I was wondering if Dumbledore would send it to me this time. And I think the wrapping was brilliant Fawkes. Thank you both."
Fawkes trilled proudly. Hathfojd snorted again. "Yes well you still had bad gas last night you burned pigeon. You might want to check your cloak, I'm sure the Headmaster has put some kind of charms on it."
With a nod Harry laid the invisibility cloak out on the table. He, Hermione and Luna began to cast diagnostic charms on it. Hermione was the one to sum up their findings. "That's odd. The arithmancy for the cloak is in a number base I've never seen before. Luna?"
"No idea, but is a big number though." Luna frowned in confusion. A very big number.
"Well at least it makes it easier to see what Dumbledore added, I guess he's responsible for the normal spells." Harry counted no less than seven tracking charms of different types as well as a powerful revealing charm.
Thankfully their experience hunting Death Eaters meant they had gotten very good at the counter charms needed for most tracking charms. Still it took the three of them working together to remove each of the tracking charms. The revealing charm on the other hand snapped when they tried to remove it.
The spell burst releasing enough magic to push them to the floor. Harry tumbled into a pile of books. Hermione and Luna dug him out while Hathfojd and Fawkes laughed as Dobby tried to help; his first attempt was too strong and caused more books to cascade onto Harry. A check of the invisibility cloak showed the snapped spell hadn't damaged it.
Luna crouched down so her face was level with Dobby's. "Dobby could you go get the two wrapped presents in my trunk?"
"I can." A few moments later Dobby returned with the wrapped packages. "Here you are."
"Thank you. Since we're giving gifts early." Luna set one of the packages before Fawkes.
The phoenix eyed the bright paper before he tore through it with his beak. He trilled a joyful song upon seeing several dozen match boxes. Hermione walked over and ran her hand along his head. "I had my parents send a couple different types. I have no idea if they taste different but I thought you'd like the variety."
Crookshanks approached the pile of matches slowly; his paw slinked out towards his prize. Fawkes head whipped around and snapped at the kitten. Crookshanks jumped back and hid behind Luna. "Bad minion burny bird!"
Luna bent down and scoped up the agitated Crookshanks. "If you didn't want to get caught you should have been invisible."
"I forgot." Crookshanks mumbled.
Hermione rolled her eyes at her familiar's antics. "Moving on we made this for you Hathfojd in case you ever get bored."
She unwrapped the small wooden plate they'd carved the runes into and used a sticking charm to attach it to the Sorting Hat. Another charm and it blended into the hats fabric. "This was Harry's idea by the way."
"Hmm, so what does it do?"
"It will simulate several dozen scents." Hermione said with a hint of distaste in her voice.
"Including farts, rotten fish, spoiled eggs and well you get the idea." Harry said with a smile. The idea the Sorting Hat filling the Headmasters office with smells to drive the old man crazy was priceless.
"Oh really?" Hathfojd spun around to face Fawkes. "Payback time!"
Fawkes trilled.
"Fine I'll wait until after you've eaten your matches. Let it never be said I have no Christmas spirit." Hathfojd said. "Oh and on a similar note may I make a request? I would like for you to purchase some petrol for Fawkes."
"Eh, why?" Hermione asked. Flammable liquids and a fire bird didn't sound like the best combination.
"Muggle petrol is like alcohol to magical fire creatures such as phoenixes and dragons. And Fawkes is quiet fun when he is drunk." Hathfojd explained.
Fawkes got a wistful look on his face. Hathfojd laughed. "Yes, those were good times."
"We'll see what we can do." Harry promised.
Hathfojd nodded before Fawkes took him and the matches away. They spent almost an hour enchanting the leather ball for Fluffy before Luna asked for a door to his room. The three headed dog growled when he saw Harry and Hermione until Luna convinced him they were alright.
Fluffy sniffed his way around them, then turned to face Crookshanks. Crookshanks backed up until he was against the wall. When Fluffy's nose was only a foot away he snapped. "Sit!"
To everyone's surprise Fluffy did. Crookshanks looked the most shocked. "Finally a minion that knows how to obey me."
0-O-0
Lucius Malfoy strolled along the docks, a look of revulsion on his face. He despised muggles and their metal ships. Still he was determined to win this year. Every Christmas he and a few associates would get together for a friendly competition. Who could cause to most trouble for the muggles. Sure killing them was fun but setting up something simple and watching the results was also enjoyable. Such as cutting the break lines for a truck as it approached a hill.
Whoever caused the most destruction would win the prize, this year a particularly fine bottle of Gutrot Gin. Normally he would never sully himself with something called Gutrot, however this particular bottle had a very attractive history. It was fatal to muggles, of course they'd been forced to stop production when a fine wizard had taken to inviting important muggles over for a drink and killed them with the alcoholic beverage. The few bottles that remained were very valuable and prized among the proper kind of wizard. Malfoy had decided that sinking a ship would be just the thing to see the bottle in his hands by New Years. Not that he'd drink it then, such a bottle deserved to be saved for a special occasion.
As he walked Malfoy spotted just what he was looking for, some type of fishing vessel. Malfoy approached the ramp that lead onto the ship and spotted a deckhand. "You, my son has expressed an interest on working on a vessel similar to this. Could I perhaps have a moment to examine your fine craft?"
He could have just cursed the man but that was against the rules, they weren't allowed to directly curse anyone in this game. More the shame but it did make things interesting.
Paul looked over the man, any son of his was probably worthless but Paul was friendly and invited Malfoy up with a wave. "Sure, come take a look around."
"Thank you." Malfoy liked to see what he was working with first hand, perhaps a discreet charm on the engines so they'd ram the docks next time they came in?
They walked around the craft; it wasn't until they reached the wheel that Malfoys plan came to a stop. Framed on the console was a piece of rubber with protection runes on it. Paul followed his gaze. "Interesting huh? That's the remains of a balloon that got caught in our lines a couple months ago, we've had amazing luck since then. When it finally deflated we decided to frame it up."
"Charming." Malfoy said. No one could be stupid enough to believe such a story. Clearly this man was someone of lesser blood and that piece of trash was his way to warn off other wizards. Malfoy had to assume that he had been recognized. "Well I think I shall be going, thank you for your time."
"No problem." Paul said with a cheerful wave. He had no idea his ship had been saved once again.
0-O-0
Harry, Hermione and Luna got up early on the day they were returning home. They ate an early breakfast then used an empty classroom to check themselves and their things for tracking charms. Several dozen were located before they called Dobby to have him check. He found three more on Harry's things.
Hermione and Luna each cast several charms on themselves and Harry, along with their things meant to confuse any tracking or locations charms they had missed. As well as anything else Dumbledore might have tried to slip onto them.
As sure as they could be that they were free of foreign charms they walked towards the main doors to head down to the train station. Filtch was standing guard by the doors with the list of students allowed to leave. They were just walking past him when his hand shot out and grabbed Harry, only half expecting something prevented them from hexing the man on the spot. "Trying to sneak out Potter?"
"No sir, I'd like to think if I was sneaking out I'd do a better job of it. I put my name down on the list to go home and I have permission to leave." Harry explained calmly.
"Name's not on my list so you ain't leaving." Filtch shoved Harry back into the castle.
Holding their tempers they walked back into the castle and towards the Headmaster's office. Thankfully Hathfojd had been supplying them with the password every time Dumbledore changed it, as he put it to 'annoy the old goat.'
Hermione and Luna agreed to wait in the hall while Harry spoke with Dumbledore in case he started acting strange after meeting with the Headmaster. Harry stood in front of the gargoyle. "Twisted Tarts."
The statue moved aside and Harry walked up the stairs, a dozen scenarios running through his mind. Harry took a deep breath and knocked on the office door. "Come in."
If Dumbledore was surprised to see Harry there was no sign of it on his face. "Hello Mr. Potter, is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes sir, there seems to be a problem with the list of students to go home. My name was removed from it." Harry said.
"There is no problem I removed your name because I did not feel it was safe for you to leave the castle." Dumbledore explained as if talking to a particularly dim child.
"I see, so you won't let me leave even though I have permission from Judge Cortus to go?"
That did provoke a reaction from Dumbledore, his face paled dramatically. On the shelf Hathfojd did his best to keep from laughing. "I was not aware of that Harry; still I feel it would be a bad idea to allow you to leave at this time. I will of course speak with Judge Cortus about this matter."
"I see, well thank you for explaining your reasoning Headmaster." Harry said dejectedly.
"Of course my boy. Cheer up I am sure you will enjoy your holiday greatly."
"I hope so sir." Harry left his office; in the hall he motioned for Hermione and Luna to follow him to an empty classroom.
"Well how'd it go?" Hermione asked.
"He said you couldn't leave I bet, for your own good." Luna added.
"Yup. So Miss Hogwarts a History can he actually keep me here?" Harry asked.
Hermione snort. "I doubt anyone could keep you here against your will. But legally no, in fact there are specific rules against it. I think they were made so the Headmaster couldn't hold students hostage." Hermione explained.
"Well I suppose it's my duty then to escape then." Harry said. "But first to make sure he didn't somehow manage to slip another tracking charm onto me."
Amazingly Dumbledore had somehow managed to place another charm. Harry would grudgingly admit to being impressed if asked. "Alright you two head down to the train, I'll be down shortly, after I figure out what to do with this charm."
"Don't be long. You know the seats on the express aren't comfortable and we'll need our Harry pillow." Luna said.
"Hairy pillow Luna? Really?" Hermione gave an exasperated sigh at the blonde girl.
As they left Harry considered the best way to handle the charm, he could just get rid of it, but where was the fun in that? Same with transferring it to something in his dorm. Finally he hit upon what he thought was the perfect idea. He switched the charm to a piece of parchment then donned his invisibility cloak and checked the map.
His target was in the fourth floor corridor with the painting of the sleeping wizards. A minor attraction at Hogwarts since no one had ever been able to wake them. Carefully Harry made his way to the proper corridor. He stopped next to a painting of an old wizard with a chess board and purple robes, he peeked around the corner.
Peeves had an inkwell and was busy drawing glasses, mustaches and scars onto the sleeping wizards. Harry moved down the corridor and set the parchment on the ground. Then stepped away and cast a voice altering charm. "Hello Peeves, would you like to play a game?"
"Who's there? Is a little student sneaking around on old Peevesy?" Peeves cast his gaze up and down the hall.
"Would you like to play a game?" Harry asked again.
"Maybe, what is your game mister voice?"
"On the floor in front of you is a piece of parchment, on the parchment is a tracking charm I stole from a student. If you hide it somewhere Dumbledore is sure to come looking for it and you can use it to lead him on a merry chase." Harry explained, sure the poltergeist couldn't resist the chance to prank Dumbledore.
"Hmm, Okays I will play." Peeves grabbed the parchment and flew down the corridor thinking of all the places he could hide the parchment to get the Headmasters attention.
0-O-0
With the tracking charm taken care of Harry took the tunnel under the one eyed witch to Hogsmead. Hedwig would have been faster but he'd decided to let her sleep until she popped home. Besides he still had time.
He reached the train and found Hermione and Luna well before the train left. He did take a moment to find Susan and ask if her aunt was picking her up as he needed to speak with her. Assured that Madam Bones would be there he settled in to enjoy the ride with Hermione on one side and Luna on the other.
0-O-0
Dumbledore was pleased with how Harry had handled being confined to the castle. Perhaps there was still hope. In fact he decided that he should take the opportunity to speak with Harry further since he seemed to be receptive today. A quick check of the charms he had placed on Harry was the first hint that something was wrong. They had all gone dead. It was the same for the ones on Miss Granger and Lovegood.
But how? No first year could find those charms, let alone remove them. Someone had interfered. But Harry had come to see him that very morning, Dumbledore switched to the tracking charm applied to everyone who stepped into his office. Everyone who walked through the door way was 'tagged' and tracked by the wards. So long as they were on the grounds, which were far more extensive than most people assumed.
Harry wasn't in the castle; Dumbledore turned his focus outward, there. For some reason Harry was in the forbidden forest, right where the Acromantula nested! He needed to help him right away. "Fawkes!"
Dumbledore waited a moment expecting the phoenix to appear, when he didn't the Headmaster called out again. "Fawkes I need you!"
"He's in the closet." Hathfojd said.
Dumbledore ran to the closet and ripped open the door. Fawkes was spread out on the floor, stomach bloated and pieces of matches scattered around him. "Fawkes we must save Harry!"
Fawkes raised his head weakly before he burst into flames. A small chick emerged from the ashes, then fell backwards and began to snore. While he was bound by the wards to answer to Dumbledore, if he physically couldn't, say because he had just had an early burning day, well there wasn't anything the Headmaster could do about that.
Hathfojd laughed at Fawkes antics. "That's what happens when you eat five pounds of assorted matches in one night."
Dumbledore turned to the Sorting Hat. "Where did Fawkes get so many matches?"
"Internet."
"What's an internet?" Dumbledore asked confused. He's never heard of such a thing, perhaps some kind of delivery service?
"Never mind, don't you need to save Mr. Potter?"
"Yes!" Dumbledore snatched a quill from his desk. He didn't have any pre-made portkeys to the nest and so had to waste valuable moments to make a new one. He disappeared and reappeared in the middle of several dozen spiders, all larger than him and all very angry that their mating dance had been interrupted.
0-O-0
Peeves was getting bored, if he had one problem it was waiting for people to fall into his pranks. Well the exciting ones anyways. He was about to give up, watching spiders dance around so they could go shag wasn't as entertaining as it sounded, when Dumbledore appeared in the middle of their fun time.
The resulting fight was very entertaining, much more than dancing spiders. Peeves waited until the Headmaster had almost cleared them out before he grabbed the parchment and zoomed towards his next location.
0-O-0
Dumbledore panted as the last Acromantula fell, he had yet to see Harry, not that he had had time to look. A quick check showed that Harry had moved, he was now at the bottom of the Black Lake. Dumbledore knew something wasn't right but he couldn't risk not checking. Harry was deep enough that drowning was a very real possibility.
The same quill became another port key and Dumbledore cast a bubble head charm on himself, along with a warming one, and vanished into the murky lake. Right into the middle of the grindylows that inhabited the lake.
For a moment no one moved, then the grindylows swarmed. Thrilled that their prey had started delivering itself to them. Peeves floated off to the side laughing like a mad man, not that anyone could hear him over the screeching of the redcaps.
Normally Peeves didn't actually try to harm anyone with his pranks. No one would ever call him nice but as far as poltergeists went he was fairly harmless. Dumbledore had annoyed him more than once with spells to bind spirits and this was an amazing payback.
When the grindylows began to thin out and flee Peeves took off for his next location.
0-O-0
Dumbledore's robes were torn and blood stained the water around him from dozens of shallow cuts. Nothing serious but certainly annoying. And yet again there was no Harry. Another check of the charm showed Harry now inside the castle, in fact in Professor McGonagall's quarters.
Another portkey trip and he smoothly stepped into her rooms. The Transfiguration Professor took one look at Dumbledore and almost screamed, he was soaked and his beard was stained with blood giving him a distinctly Weasley appearance. "Albus! You need to see Madam Pomfrey now!"
"In a moment." The charm led him to a well-worn trunk. A quick charm had it open and its items thrown into the air. Harry was not among them but Dumbledore caught site of a piece of parchment grabbed by a ghostly hand before it disappeared.
It was then that he noticed what else had been in the trunk and was now raining down on him. Professor McGonagall's undergarments. "Albus!"
0-O-0
Peeves hurried along thinking of where to go next, maybe the pile of dragon dung fertilizer by the green houses?
His thoughts stopped when he was plucked from the air by translucent chains. He cursed knowing exactly who had caught him. Only one person knew that spell at Hogwarts. "Hello Headmaster, what can Peeves be doing for you?"
Dumbledore snatched the parchment from Peeves and examined it. "Where did you get this? Answer me and answer me truthfully."
Peeves sighed. Well it had been fun, and now that he was caught his only regret was not seeing how the Headmaster got that handprint on his face, it looked painful. "A voice tells Peeves that it is taking a tracking charm from a student and that Peeves should hide it for fun."
So that was it, Dumbledore knew it was the truth because the chains forced the poltergeist to obey as long as they bound him. But who? It was clear whoever they were had also removed the other tracking charms. Calling Harry a student implied that they weren't. Could someone have really gotten onto the grounds without him knowing? Was it the same person who had already tried to kill him?
Dumbledore released Peeves, he had bigger problems. Such as where Harry was. He had no way to track the boy at that moment. Giving Peeves the charm could have been a distraction or another attempt on his life, perhaps both? His only leads were Miss Granger and Miss Lovegood, with any luck they could shed light on what had happened. If he was very lucky perhaps Harry was with them.
Peeves waited until Dumbledore had returned to his office to clean up before he crossed his legs and floated out the window. He let the breeze blow him along over the lake. "I can't wait for the Headmaster to leave, but at this rate he'll stick around until he is dead and then his ghost will probably become the Headmaster. I wish the others would hurry it up, I was never supposed to be alone for this long."
0-O-0
Dumbledore appeared on platform 9 ¾ well before the Hogwarts express arrived. He had taken the time to clean himself up, change robes and wash out the blood from his hair. Now there was nothing to do but wait and hope.
0-O-0
(A/N: Thank you all for reading. Comments and critiques are welcome; flames will be force-fed to a random minion. As always a big thanks to this chapter's Beta Katzztar, drscot and Perfect Lionheart.)