Disclaimer – Everything you recognise belongs to JKR. All the rest is simply me playing in her sandbox.
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Hermione's Book Nook
Chapter 25
"ATTACK! ATTACK IN THE FIFTH FLOOR CORRIDOR!" Peeves bellowed.
Harry panicked, but before he could move, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, along with the Bloody Baron and Nearly Headless Nick appeared.
"What's happened?" Professor McGonagall blurted, her eyes constantly flicking between Harry and the three frozen figures.
"I don't know, Professor. I just found them like that," Harry replied quickly.
"They're petrified," Professor Flitwick announced from where he stood between the three waving his wand over each one. "Looks identical to what happened with Argus and Mrs Norris."
With a sigh and a wave of her wand, Professor McGonagall produced a brilliant silver cat that immediately raced off down the corridor.
"Poppy will be here momentarily," Professor McGonagall announced.
"It looks to me as though whatever it was that happened, it interrupted Mister Crabbe and Mister Goyle in the midst of some misdeed," Professor Flitwich commented.
"Filius if you could handle things here? Mister Potter, you'd better come with me," Professor McGonagall stated.
With a sigh, Harry trooped after his Head of House.
Professor McGonagall set a swift pace as he was led along corridors, down staircases and then along even more corridors. Finally, a pair of gargoyles came into sight and she finally slowed down.
"Lemon drops," Professor McGonagall said.
Instantly, the two gargoyles leapt to either side, allowing a hidden door in the wall to be revealed. This, too, opened by itself to reveal a set of circular stairs leading upwards. Following the professor, Harry stepped through the doors and prepared himself for another climb. However, the instant that his feet touched the stairs, he felt a jerk below him causing him to reach out to the hand rail to steady himself.
The two of them rode the circular stairs upwards in silence to a landing in front of another door, this one guarded by a huge stone griffin. His eyebrows rose as he noticed Professor McGonagall scowl at the griffin before raising her hand to knock on the door.
A call of, "come in, Minerva," met their ears a fraction of a second before the professor could knock and Harry heard a sigh of exasperation escape the witch in front of him.
The room that he found himself being led into was a huge office. There were bookshelves galore, shelves full of trinket of the most bizarre design simply begging to the examined, an owl perch and a large, rich, looking desk piled high with even more books and stacks of parchment.
The occupant seated behind the desk, though, caused Harry's face to darken and it was all he could do to suppress his sudden urge to growl. That or race forward and throttle the old man before him.
All term Harry had studiously avoided being anywhere near Dumbledore. It was because of him that he'd been placed with the Dursleys. He was the reason that he'd had to suffer ten years of beatings, ten years of hoping for the meanest table scraps, ten years of doing the never-ending cooking, cleaning, gardening and whatever it took to appease the Dursleys. And he was the one who failed in his promise to do something about it last summer.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I'm afraid that there has been another attack," Professor McGonagall announced.
Dumbledore dropped the quill that he'd been using onto his desk as he half-rose in his chair before retaking his seat.
"The details, if you would, Minerva," Dumbledore asked.
"It seems that Mister Goyle, Mister Crabbe and Miss Moon have been petrified at the end of the fifth floor corridor, northern end. It appears that Mister Goyle and Mister Crabbe were in the midst of the act of bullying Miss Moon when the three were … interrupted," Professor McGonagall stated concisely. "I was alerted to the situation by Peeves."
"And Mister Potter, what is your part in all of this?" Dumbledore asked, his piercing blue eyes trained on his own emerald ones.
"Nothing, Professor, I swear! I just found them like that," Harry protested.
"You are, of course, to be believed," Dumbledore stated after another minute of intense staring. "No second year would have the ability to petrify another. You may return to Gryffindor Tower."
As Harry made to turn, he felt a hand land on his shoulder, holding him in place.
"Just a minute, Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall said. "You'd best stay. I suspect the aurors will want to interview you."
"Now, Minerva, there's no need to involve the aurors," Dumbledore stated lightly, his blue eyes beginning to twinkle at her. "You know as well as I that Madam Sprout has a batch of mandrakes growing that can be used to revive the affected parties."
Harry's eyes widened even as Professor McGonagall's lip's thinned.
"No need ….!" She said, shock and anger clear to hear. "Three students have been attacked. It is nothing less than our duty to inform the DMLE so that we can get to the bottom of this!" Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as her glare deepened. "Albus, tell me you informed the DMLE about the attack on Mister Filch and Mrs Norris."
When no reply was forthcoming, Professor McGonagall strode across to the fireplace, stuck her hand into a pot on the mantle and prepared to some powder into the floo.
"Minerva," Dumbledore began, warning clear in his voice.
But Professor McGonagall ignored the old man and, instead, grabbed the entire pot of powder in her other hand before getting down on her knees in front of the fire-place. Harry watched as she threw the handful of powder in, turning the flames a sparkling emerald green before she stuck her head into the flames. A couple of minutes later and her head pulled back, allowing the flames to retake their usual colours.
Within moments, though, Professor McGonagall had thrown another handful of powder into the flames and was once again making a floo call. After the fourth time, she seemed to pause before scowling and muttering under her breath before throwing even more powder at the fireplace, this time rather viciously, to make a fifth and final floo call.
By the time that she'd finished, she'd been kneeling on the floor for close to a quarter of an hour. Seeing her reaching out to brace against the wall and the grimace that appeared on her face as she slowly began to rise to her feet, Harry rushed across to help the elderly witch up.
"Thank you, Mister Potter," she said, a small smile appearing momentarily on her face. "I suggest that you alert Mister Elmsworthy, Albus, we're going to be having some guests arriving at the gate any time now."
Dumbledore's face seemed to be frozen as he glared at Professor McGonagall and Harry knew that if it wasn't for his presence, then some harsh words would be being exchanged right then between the two adults. Instead, Dumbledore withdrew his wand and produced a brilliant silver phoenix that promptly flew out through the window.
The wait over the next quarter of an hour was almost unbearable for Harry. He'd been directed to sit in a hard-backed wooden chair but it was nowhere near as tough to endure as the daggers that Dumbledore and McGonagall were shooting at each other. Glancing around his eyes came to rest on the copy of the Daily Prophet on the small table before him and he briefly considered reading through it to give him something to do.
Finally, a loud booming knock came from the door at the same instant that Dumbledore announced, "Come in, Mister Elmsworthy."
"You've got some visitors," the groundskeeper announced.
"Thank you, Darius," Dumbledore replied.
Harry's head whipped back to the Headmaster. His voice was once more that light, grandfatherly-type of voice that Harry'd come to expect from the old man. Gone was the anger and annoyance that he'd been exuding for the last half hour.
As Harry turned back, it was to see Madam Bones accompanied by a pair of red-robed aurors, two thick, heavyset men and a young-looking couple entering the room. Just as Harry thought that that was everyone, a walking stick preceded a tall, arrogant-looking blonde man that he'd seen once before.
"Thank you all for coming," Headmaster Dumbledore announced, rising to shake the hands of the newcomers. "It seems that an unfortunate event has befallen us this evening. I assure you that everyone involved is perfectly alright."
At this, Professor McGonagall gave an undignified sniff.
"It would seem," Dumbledore continued, "that there has been an incident with three children that has left them petrified."
"That doesn't sound 'perfectly alright' to me, Dumbledore," Madam Bones declared.
"Perhaps not, Amelia, however I assure you that it is only a temporary condition. Madam Sprout is in the process of growing the needed mandrakes to restore them all to full health," Dumbledore countered.
"I take it one of the children is our Lil?" the tall, dark haired man asked as his wife near collapsed into his side.
"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore replied. "Miss Moon was one of those involved, along with Mister Crabbe and Mister Goyle."
"Mister Crabbe, Mister Goyle, Mister and Mrs Moon, if you'd care to come with me, I'll take you to your children," Professor McGonagall stated kindly.
The remaining adults waited for the stricken parents to leave before continuing their discussion. It was as he was watching Professor McGonagall leave that Harry noticed a small movement around the feet of Mister Malfoy.
Out of the shadows of Malfoy's cloak came a creature that Harry knew well. Now that Harry could see Dobby the House Elf properly and not shrouded in darkness as he was in the hospital wing, he looked even worse that Harry'd realised.
His pillow case clothing was supposed to be white. In reality, it was a dirty brown with streaks of black and blotches of oil and food stains peppering it. Covering most of his body were dirty bandages. Each finger had one, as well as both of his long bat-like ears. A large one was swathed around his head and one ran the length of his left arm. Peeking out from the tatters of his pillowcase, was a final bandage around his right foot.
Dobby had yet to notice that Harry was in the room with him. The small elf's entire focus was on the dirty cloth in his hand and Malfoy's shoes which he was attempting to polish.
As the space in the office cleared, Malfoy strode forward, incidentally kicking Dobby out of the way before swinging his cane like a club to bat the elf into a backwards tumble, leaving Dobby sprawled on the floor for a second before he scrambled back to his feet to chase after the dirty shoes that he was trying to polish.
"Now, Albus, what has been going on here?" Madam Bones asked.
A roaring in his ears prevented Harry from hearing the conversation going on around him. Image after image flashed through his mind, blocking out all else.
Uncle Vernon's raised hand swinging to knock him flying into a wall. The purple, enraged face of Uncle Vernon screaming at him, spittle flying. A frying pan cracking into the side of his head when he spilled a plateful of bacon when he was six. Dudley's fist punching endlessly into his face and stomach, quickly followed by boots at his ribs after he'd fallen to the floor. Hands tied to a chair as his uncle whipped his belt across his back over and over and over until he fell into blessed unconsciousness. Being flung repeatedly into his cupboard, the door slamming shut behind him, hisses of threats sent through the tiny grate.
Every nasty, horrifying thing that had ever been done to him was relived as he continued to stare at the poor house elf before him. And then, more recent memories invaded. Bars on his window. Locks on his door. A tiny cat-flap in his door. And then Harry throwing a chair against the wall, creating that sliver of hope.
His anger turning to glee as he repeated smashed at the wall to win his freedom. Cutting Hedwig free from her cage. Ripping off the lock to the cupboard under the stairs. Mounting his broom to fly from away from Privet Drive for the very last time.
And then, even more recent, Dobby's quiet, "Dobby is still treated like vermin." Followed by Mick and Hermione's conversation.
"The House Elf is bound to serve their master, no matter what. If the elf is being abused, they can't just leave."
"That's barbaric!" Hermione protested. "Do you mean that there's no way for the bond to be broken?"
"Sure there is, just give the House Elf clothes and they'll be set free."
"Harry? Harry!"
Giving himself a little shake, Harry raised his head to find Madam Bones standing in front of him, looking quite concerned.
"I'm sorry, what was that, Madam Bones?" he asked.
"Harry, I'd like you to tell us what happened this evening," Madam Bones instructed.
Looking around at each of those still in the room, he began almost automatically, even as the back of his mind continued working on a completely different problem.
"I was on my way back to Gryffindor Tower. It was getting close to curfew, so I was hurrying, you know? I came out of one of the passageways on the fifth floor, the one behind the suit of armour and I saw … them …there. They were all frozen in place, although I didn't realise it at first because they had their backs to me."
"Could you describe how they were grouped?" Madam Bones asked.
Absently, Harry picked up the copy of the Daily Prophet that lay on the small table to the side of him and began twisting it in his hands as he continued to speak. "Crabbe and Goyle were standing. They had their wands pointed at Lil. She was on her knees in front of them, facing away from them. I saw that Lil's hands were over her mouth and it looked like she'd been crying."
Madam Bones' face darkened. "Go on, Harry."
"When I got a little closer, I could see them all in the reflection of the window. They looked like they were all looking either straight at me or maybe at something past me. That's when Peeves arrived. He realised what had happened and yelled and that's when Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and the ghosts came running."
"Thank you, Harry," she said, giving his shoulder a quick pat.
Rounding on Dumbledore, Madam Bones continued her questioning.
"And you have no idea what did this?" she asked.
"None, I'm afraid," Dumbledore replied.
"And nothing like this has ever happened before?" she asked.
As they talked, Harry surreptitiously bent down as if to scratch his leg.
"Dumbledore!" Madam Bones snapped. "Answer the question!"
"There was an incident on Halloween," Dumbledore finally admitted, "that ended with Mister Filch and his familiar, Mrs Norris, also being petrified."
"Why is this the first that I'm hearing about it?" Madam Bones exploded.
"The Board of Governors will be hearing of this Dumbledore, and I can assure you that they will take a very dim view of these incidents," Mister Malfoy drawled. "Be prepared to face some tough questions and some harsh penalties."
"I saw it as an internal matter that would resolve itself once we could revive Argus," Dumbledore replied.
With her back to him, Harry couldn't see it, but he imagined Madam Bones' eyes narrowing. "And when will you be able to revive those affected?"
"I believe that the mandrakes will be ready for cultivation by the middle of May," Dumbledore replied.
"That's still five months away!" Madam Bones yelled. "You weren't going to do anything for another five months? This is a school, for Merlin's sake! You can't have this danger hanging over the heads of hundreds of school children for the next five months! Believe me, Dumbledore, if the Hogarts Express wasn't due to arrive in the morning to take the students' home for break, I'd be demanding it right now. As it is, we'll have to arrange for alternative accommodation for those that are staying while we shut this school down and scour it from top to bottom to find out what's going on."
"The Board of Governors will fully support your decision, Madam Bones," Mister Malfoy stated.
As she turned to nod to the man, her eye caught Harry's. "Mister Potter, I believe that you're free to return to Gryffindor Tower. Auror Phillips will escort you."
With a nod of thanks, Harry hopped up. Half way to the door, he suddenly stopped, looked down at the paper that was still in his hands and backed up. Wordlessly, he handed it to Mister Malfoy.
The blonde man sneered down at first him and then it before throwing it aside. Harry watched, his eyes sparkling as the paper landed in the lap of Dobby who, once again, had been knocked over when Malfoy had turned around. Harry stared at the paper, or, more specifically, at the slither of cloth sticking out from the middle of it.
Dobby's big green eyes widened as he looked from his lap to his master to Harry, back to his lap, to Harry once again and then back to his lap.
Slowly, almost reverently, Dobby opened the paper, only to have one of Harry's white socks with the red and gold piping of Gryffindor around its top, fall into his lap.
"Master … Master has given Dobby … a sock," he murmured in awe.
"What? Elf, did you say something?" Malfoy snapped.
"Master has given Dobby a sock," Dobby repeated, this time holding the item up for inspection. "Dobby is free!"
"What are you yammering on about?" he asked, before noticing what it was that Dobby was holding. "How did you …? You!" he snarled, rounding on Harry, "you cost me my elf! I'll have you, boy!"
As Malfoy advanced, he whipped his wand out of the top of his cane and pointed it viciously at Harry. For his part, Harry stood his ground, shaking so hard that he didn't think that he actually could move.
"Mister Malfoy!" Madam Bones snapped. "Put your wand away this instant!"
"I don't like bullies," Harry stated quietly. His firm voice seemed to echo around the room. "Especially bullies who beat others. I've had enough of that done to me to know what it feels like. If you want, I'll pay for Dobby, but I'm glad he's free. Free so that you can't hurt him anymore."
"Rest assured, boy, you will pay!" Malfoy promised.
"And I shall arbitrate the matter," Madam Bones cut in. "But not now and not tonight. Right now, we have a school-wide situation to deal with. Auror Phillips, please ensure that Mister Potter arrives safely at Gryffindor Tower."
With a small pop Dobby disappeared from the office as Harry was quickly ushered out of Dumbledore's office, a fact that he was quite glad about.
As they were moving down the spiral staircase, the red-robed auror leant over towards Harry.
"Gutsy move, kid," he said quietly, awe clear in his voice. "Gutsy move."