"Perhaps we'd better sit down," the Minister of Magic suggested, pointing to a wooden bench on one side of the dark corridor. Harry nodded and sat down.
"Harry, this may come as a bit of a shock to you," Fudge said seriously, looking Harry straight in the eyes. "But the Dark Lord...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named...is after you."
"Er-yes, I've sort of known that for a while, sir," Harry said, holding back a grin.
"No, Harry, you don't know." The ominous tone of Fudge's voice surprised Harry. "He doesn't just want to kill you, Harry. He's tried that before and failed. The Ministry of Magic has reason to believe that the Dark Lord wants to..." Fudge trailed off, looking very forlorn.
"What is it?" Harry asked anxiously.
"He wants to use you to make his powers greater than ever. He wants to use you to find the Chest of Promises." With that, Fudge sighed in relief, as if a great burden had been taken off his shoulders.
"But...I don't understand," Harry told Fudge.
"There are certain things that he can't do by himself," Fudge explained. "Getting into Hogwarts is one of them, because of the Chest of Promises. Have you heard of the Chest?"
Harry nodded.
"Well, You-Know-Who has been searching for the Chest since last year, when he returned to power. Do you see what an asset it would be for him?" Fudge asked, staring at Harry intently.
"Well, sir, anyone could just Apparate and Disapparate on Hogwarts grounds, and that way Voldemort could do whatever he wanted, right?" Harry said carefully. Fudge winced when he heard "Voldemort".
"Yes, Harry, but that's not all. There are other things the Chest-"
But Fudge was interrupted by Snape, who came out of Dumbledore's office and trudged through the hallway, elbowing Harry in the process.
"You may come back in now," Dumbledore called. Fudge went into the office reluctantly, and Harry went over and stood next to Fawkes, Dumbledore's scarlet and gold phoenix. Fawkes was resting on a gold perch hanging from the ceiling, and Harry stroked the bird's beautiful plumage affectionately. Although he had been in Dumbledore's office several times, he was still amazed and intrigued by Dumbledore's belongings. There were bookcases and shelves of unusual objects and instruments lining the paneled walls, along with statues, oddly-shaped furniture, and paintings of Hogwarts' past headmasters and headmistresses. One of the headmistresses was waving and winking at Harry. He blushed and took a seat next to Fudge.
"Well, then, Albus, I guess my business is finished here, then...I'll-er-see you in a bit. Perhaps I'll stop by tomorrow," Fudge said, fidgeting with his hands.
"Well, Cornelius, I do hope you'll think about what I said," Dumbledore said sternly, but Harry thought he saw a twinkle in the headmaster's bright blue eyes.
"Goodbye, Albus. Nice to see you again, Harry. And be sure to keep those marks up!" Fudge said with a nervous sort of laugh. Then, with a sudden popping noise, he was gone, having apparated to his next destination.
Harry and Dumbledore sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore finally spoke up, looking at Harry as if he had just noticed him. "I'm actually rather glad that you're here. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised..."
Dumbledore got up from his desk and went over to one of the bookcases. He selected one of the books from the second shelf, and as soon as he tapped it with his wand, the bookcase swung backwards like a door. He stepped through it, and Harry followed. He couldn't believe what he saw. The room itself was extraordinary-it was filled with curious-looking trinkets and souvenirs, colored doorways, furniture and artwork, and a magnificent four-poster bed. But best of all were the four people sitting in armchairs by the fireplace: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and a dark-haired witch and bald wizard whom Harry had never seen before.
"Is this-?" the witch asked, her blue eyes filling with tears as they took in the dark, unruly hair, the lightning-bolt scar, and the green eyes.
"Yes, this is Harry," Sirius said quietly.
"Good to see you," Lupin said, getting up and shaking Harry's hand. They hadn't seen each other since the end of Harry's third year at Hogwarts.
"This is Arabella Figg," Sirius introduced. "And this is Mundungus Fletcher...they were both very good friends of your parents, Harry."
"Hello," Harry said, feeling rather awkward. "Nice to meet you."
Arabella was still staring at the scar, while Mundungus was looking into Harry's eyes.
"Same eyes as Lily...but he's got James' hair..." Mundungus said quietly. "It's good to finally meet you, Harry."
"Remus, you'll be pleased to hear that Harry successfully conjured a Patronus today," Dumbledore said. Lupin gave Harry a curious look.
"During Charms...Madam Pince ran in, there was a dementor at the door..." he explained, looking down at the floor.
"Excellent, Harry," Lupin said.
"Why were dementors at Hogwarts, Dumbledore?" Sirius asked sharply.
"Fudge felt it was necessary," Dumbledore said, "for some reason."
"So that's why he was here," Sirius muttered. "Idiot."
"But no one was harmed, Dumbledore?" Arabella Figg asked. Dumbledore shook his head. Arabella turned her attention back to Harry.
"You're a fifth-year, Harry?" she asked him.
"Yes," he said.
"I've heard so much about you from Remus and Sirius-Gryffindor Seeker, one of the top students in your class...and you must have so many friends."
Harry nodded, feeling his cheeks go red. Then a thought suddenly occurred to Harry.
"Professor-we will be having Quidditch this year, won't we?"
Professor Dumbledore chuckled at the alarm on Harry's face.
"I see no reason to discontinue Quidditch matches as of yet," Dumbledore assured Harry.
"But what happened last year--" Mundungus began to say.
"Will not happen again," Dumbledore said, in a rather firm manner. "For now, I think we all could do with some rest. We'll talk more in the morning."
Sirius, Remus, and Mundungus said good night and retreated to the guest bedroom they would be staying in. Then Dumbledore led Arabella to the room she would sleep in. Harry followed, and was in complete awe. The moment you stepped into the room, it felt as if you were floating in midair. The floor was invisible; all Harry could see below him were miles and miles of black, velvety sky, sprinkled with tiny, shimmering stars. Harry couldn't see walls or a ceiling, either. But he could see all nine planets, including the Earth, and the moon. Harry looked back at where he had entered the room from. Sure enough, there was a silver door sparkling through the darkness. A few feet away from Harry, Dumbledore, and Arabella was a bed covered by a lavender canopy and a large, overstuffed pink armchair. They seemed to be suspended in the air by invisible cables.
"I like to sit in here and think," Dumbledore said. "It's very relaxing."
The three stood for a moment, staring at the magnificent view.
"Well, good night, my dear," Dumbledore said kindly.
"Good night," Arabella called. "And thank you!"
Dumbledore and Harry went back to Dumbledore's bedroom, where the headmaster presented Harry with a pair of pin-striped pajamas.
"These should fit..." Dumbledore muttered. "The bathroom's right through that door," he told Harry, pointing to a white door next to one of the bookcases. The bathroom turned out to be circular, and even nicer than the prefects' bathroom at Hogwarts, which Harry had been in the previous year. Dumbledore's bathtub was big enough to fit Hagrid with room to spare, which was no easy feat. It had at least two dozen white marble taps, and Harry tested a few of them before getting in the tub. Soon, different-colored foams, bubbles, and scents were whirling through the air. Harry discovered one tap which made a fountain of blue water shoot up from the center of the tub. Within a few minutes, Harry had relaxed and forgotten about everything that had happened. He must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing he knew he was sitting up with a jolt. He quickly got out of the tub and dressed in the pinstripe pajamas. When he returned to Dumbledore's room, he was surprised to see another bed, next to Dumbledore's. It had a green comforter and a dark wooden frame.
"Ah, Harry," Professor Dumbledore said, looking up from the book he was reading by candlelight in his own bed. "I dare say you look quite refreshed." Harry nodded and climbed into the second bed.
"Good night, Professor Dumbledore."
"Good night, Harry."
* * *
"Time to wake up, Harry!"
Harry yawned. Sirius was yanking off the covers of his bed.
"What time is it, Sirius?" he asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was-then the events of the last night came rushing back to him.
"Here, Harry," Lupin said, handing him some robes and a toothbrush. "I went over to Gryffindor tower and got these from Ron."
"Thanks," Harry mumbled, going into the bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his face, got dressed, and brushed his teeth. When he came out of the bathroom, Lupin was waiting for him along with a large black dog.
"Sirius can't very well go down and eat at the Head Table with the rest of us," Lupin explained, gesturing to the dog. "So Padfoot will be attending breakfast with me." Sirius was an Animagi, a wizard who could turn himself into an animal. He couldn't be seen by the students because they all thought he was a dark wizard and a murderer, when in fact the crime had been committed by Peter Pettigrew, one of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, and the very person who had resulted in the deaths of Harry's parents.
The three left Dumbledore's quarters, walking out into the dark passageway and stepping onto the spinning golden staircase. When they reached the bottom, Harry pushed open the hidden door, and they were back in one of the Hogwarts' corridors.
"So, what do you think of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Harry?" Lupin asked.
"She's alright," Harry said truthfully. "Not as interesting as you, but she seems like she knows a lot."
Lupin chuckled.
"You're too kind, Harry," he said, but the end of his sentence was drowned out by the noise as they reached the entrance of the Great Hall.
"I'll see you later tonight, Harry!" Lupin called as he and Sirius walked over to the Head Table.
"Okay!" Harry shouted back as he made his way over to the Gryffindor table.
"Harry! Over here!" Hermione was waving her arms. Harry went over and took a seat across from her, and next to Ron.
"What happened last night, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously. "Why's Lupin back? And who are those people at the Head Table?"
"Stop with the interrogation, Hermione. Give Harry a break," Ron said through a mouthful of eggs. Hermione rolled her eyes at him. Harry began eating his own breakfast, which had appeared on his plate the moment he'd sat down. When he was finished chewing, he told Ron and Hermione everything that had happened the previous night.
"So Siri-I mean, Snuggles, is back, too?" Ron asked, using their code word for Sirius.
"Yes. He's sitting next to Lupin at the Head Table right now," Harry told him.
"But Harry, why are they all here in the first place? You never told us!" Hermione said impatiently. Harry realized that he'd forgotten to ask.
"Er-I don't really know, Hermione," he said.
"But you did ask them what they were doing here, didn't you?" she asked.
"Uh, no, not really...It was all really quick," Harry said lamely.
"I can't believe you didn't ask them! It could have something to do with the Chest!" she cried. "We've got to find out right away-I just hope they don't leave today--"
What Hermione said jogged Harry's memory.
"Oh, I almost forgot," he interrupted Hermione. "Fudge told me something about the Chest...sort of." He repeated to Ron and Hermione what Fudge had told him.
"How could you almost forget?" Hermione screeched.
"Oh, give it a rest, Hermione. Does Dumbledore think it was You-Know-Who last night, in our dormitory?" Ron asked worriedly.
"I don't know...I never thought of that," Harry admitted.
"That's ridiculous," Hermione said, but she didn't sound as confident as usual. "How would he get in here?"
"I don't know, Hermione, I'm just saying it's possible!" Ron said. "And besides, if it wasn't You-Know-Who, then who was it?"
"I don't know!" Hermione said. "But I'm sure it wasn't You-Know-Who." And with that, she put her nose into the air and left the table.
"And where are you going now?" Ron called after her. "The library?"
"For your information, that's exactly where I'm going!" Hermione cried without looking back.
Ron turned back around to face Harry.
"What's gotten into her lately?"
* * *
"Harry, this may come as a bit of a shock to you," Fudge said seriously, looking Harry straight in the eyes. "But the Dark Lord...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named...is after you."
"Er-yes, I've sort of known that for a while, sir," Harry said, holding back a grin.
"No, Harry, you don't know." The ominous tone of Fudge's voice surprised Harry. "He doesn't just want to kill you, Harry. He's tried that before and failed. The Ministry of Magic has reason to believe that the Dark Lord wants to..." Fudge trailed off, looking very forlorn.
"What is it?" Harry asked anxiously.
"He wants to use you to make his powers greater than ever. He wants to use you to find the Chest of Promises." With that, Fudge sighed in relief, as if a great burden had been taken off his shoulders.
"But...I don't understand," Harry told Fudge.
"There are certain things that he can't do by himself," Fudge explained. "Getting into Hogwarts is one of them, because of the Chest of Promises. Have you heard of the Chest?"
Harry nodded.
"Well, You-Know-Who has been searching for the Chest since last year, when he returned to power. Do you see what an asset it would be for him?" Fudge asked, staring at Harry intently.
"Well, sir, anyone could just Apparate and Disapparate on Hogwarts grounds, and that way Voldemort could do whatever he wanted, right?" Harry said carefully. Fudge winced when he heard "Voldemort".
"Yes, Harry, but that's not all. There are other things the Chest-"
But Fudge was interrupted by Snape, who came out of Dumbledore's office and trudged through the hallway, elbowing Harry in the process.
"You may come back in now," Dumbledore called. Fudge went into the office reluctantly, and Harry went over and stood next to Fawkes, Dumbledore's scarlet and gold phoenix. Fawkes was resting on a gold perch hanging from the ceiling, and Harry stroked the bird's beautiful plumage affectionately. Although he had been in Dumbledore's office several times, he was still amazed and intrigued by Dumbledore's belongings. There were bookcases and shelves of unusual objects and instruments lining the paneled walls, along with statues, oddly-shaped furniture, and paintings of Hogwarts' past headmasters and headmistresses. One of the headmistresses was waving and winking at Harry. He blushed and took a seat next to Fudge.
"Well, then, Albus, I guess my business is finished here, then...I'll-er-see you in a bit. Perhaps I'll stop by tomorrow," Fudge said, fidgeting with his hands.
"Well, Cornelius, I do hope you'll think about what I said," Dumbledore said sternly, but Harry thought he saw a twinkle in the headmaster's bright blue eyes.
"Goodbye, Albus. Nice to see you again, Harry. And be sure to keep those marks up!" Fudge said with a nervous sort of laugh. Then, with a sudden popping noise, he was gone, having apparated to his next destination.
Harry and Dumbledore sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore finally spoke up, looking at Harry as if he had just noticed him. "I'm actually rather glad that you're here. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised..."
Dumbledore got up from his desk and went over to one of the bookcases. He selected one of the books from the second shelf, and as soon as he tapped it with his wand, the bookcase swung backwards like a door. He stepped through it, and Harry followed. He couldn't believe what he saw. The room itself was extraordinary-it was filled with curious-looking trinkets and souvenirs, colored doorways, furniture and artwork, and a magnificent four-poster bed. But best of all were the four people sitting in armchairs by the fireplace: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and a dark-haired witch and bald wizard whom Harry had never seen before.
"Is this-?" the witch asked, her blue eyes filling with tears as they took in the dark, unruly hair, the lightning-bolt scar, and the green eyes.
"Yes, this is Harry," Sirius said quietly.
"Good to see you," Lupin said, getting up and shaking Harry's hand. They hadn't seen each other since the end of Harry's third year at Hogwarts.
"This is Arabella Figg," Sirius introduced. "And this is Mundungus Fletcher...they were both very good friends of your parents, Harry."
"Hello," Harry said, feeling rather awkward. "Nice to meet you."
Arabella was still staring at the scar, while Mundungus was looking into Harry's eyes.
"Same eyes as Lily...but he's got James' hair..." Mundungus said quietly. "It's good to finally meet you, Harry."
"Remus, you'll be pleased to hear that Harry successfully conjured a Patronus today," Dumbledore said. Lupin gave Harry a curious look.
"During Charms...Madam Pince ran in, there was a dementor at the door..." he explained, looking down at the floor.
"Excellent, Harry," Lupin said.
"Why were dementors at Hogwarts, Dumbledore?" Sirius asked sharply.
"Fudge felt it was necessary," Dumbledore said, "for some reason."
"So that's why he was here," Sirius muttered. "Idiot."
"But no one was harmed, Dumbledore?" Arabella Figg asked. Dumbledore shook his head. Arabella turned her attention back to Harry.
"You're a fifth-year, Harry?" she asked him.
"Yes," he said.
"I've heard so much about you from Remus and Sirius-Gryffindor Seeker, one of the top students in your class...and you must have so many friends."
Harry nodded, feeling his cheeks go red. Then a thought suddenly occurred to Harry.
"Professor-we will be having Quidditch this year, won't we?"
Professor Dumbledore chuckled at the alarm on Harry's face.
"I see no reason to discontinue Quidditch matches as of yet," Dumbledore assured Harry.
"But what happened last year--" Mundungus began to say.
"Will not happen again," Dumbledore said, in a rather firm manner. "For now, I think we all could do with some rest. We'll talk more in the morning."
Sirius, Remus, and Mundungus said good night and retreated to the guest bedroom they would be staying in. Then Dumbledore led Arabella to the room she would sleep in. Harry followed, and was in complete awe. The moment you stepped into the room, it felt as if you were floating in midair. The floor was invisible; all Harry could see below him were miles and miles of black, velvety sky, sprinkled with tiny, shimmering stars. Harry couldn't see walls or a ceiling, either. But he could see all nine planets, including the Earth, and the moon. Harry looked back at where he had entered the room from. Sure enough, there was a silver door sparkling through the darkness. A few feet away from Harry, Dumbledore, and Arabella was a bed covered by a lavender canopy and a large, overstuffed pink armchair. They seemed to be suspended in the air by invisible cables.
"I like to sit in here and think," Dumbledore said. "It's very relaxing."
The three stood for a moment, staring at the magnificent view.
"Well, good night, my dear," Dumbledore said kindly.
"Good night," Arabella called. "And thank you!"
Dumbledore and Harry went back to Dumbledore's bedroom, where the headmaster presented Harry with a pair of pin-striped pajamas.
"These should fit..." Dumbledore muttered. "The bathroom's right through that door," he told Harry, pointing to a white door next to one of the bookcases. The bathroom turned out to be circular, and even nicer than the prefects' bathroom at Hogwarts, which Harry had been in the previous year. Dumbledore's bathtub was big enough to fit Hagrid with room to spare, which was no easy feat. It had at least two dozen white marble taps, and Harry tested a few of them before getting in the tub. Soon, different-colored foams, bubbles, and scents were whirling through the air. Harry discovered one tap which made a fountain of blue water shoot up from the center of the tub. Within a few minutes, Harry had relaxed and forgotten about everything that had happened. He must have drifted off to sleep, because the next thing he knew he was sitting up with a jolt. He quickly got out of the tub and dressed in the pinstripe pajamas. When he returned to Dumbledore's room, he was surprised to see another bed, next to Dumbledore's. It had a green comforter and a dark wooden frame.
"Ah, Harry," Professor Dumbledore said, looking up from the book he was reading by candlelight in his own bed. "I dare say you look quite refreshed." Harry nodded and climbed into the second bed.
"Good night, Professor Dumbledore."
"Good night, Harry."
* * *
"Time to wake up, Harry!"
Harry yawned. Sirius was yanking off the covers of his bed.
"What time is it, Sirius?" he asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was-then the events of the last night came rushing back to him.
"Here, Harry," Lupin said, handing him some robes and a toothbrush. "I went over to Gryffindor tower and got these from Ron."
"Thanks," Harry mumbled, going into the bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his face, got dressed, and brushed his teeth. When he came out of the bathroom, Lupin was waiting for him along with a large black dog.
"Sirius can't very well go down and eat at the Head Table with the rest of us," Lupin explained, gesturing to the dog. "So Padfoot will be attending breakfast with me." Sirius was an Animagi, a wizard who could turn himself into an animal. He couldn't be seen by the students because they all thought he was a dark wizard and a murderer, when in fact the crime had been committed by Peter Pettigrew, one of Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, and the very person who had resulted in the deaths of Harry's parents.
The three left Dumbledore's quarters, walking out into the dark passageway and stepping onto the spinning golden staircase. When they reached the bottom, Harry pushed open the hidden door, and they were back in one of the Hogwarts' corridors.
"So, what do you think of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Harry?" Lupin asked.
"She's alright," Harry said truthfully. "Not as interesting as you, but she seems like she knows a lot."
Lupin chuckled.
"You're too kind, Harry," he said, but the end of his sentence was drowned out by the noise as they reached the entrance of the Great Hall.
"I'll see you later tonight, Harry!" Lupin called as he and Sirius walked over to the Head Table.
"Okay!" Harry shouted back as he made his way over to the Gryffindor table.
"Harry! Over here!" Hermione was waving her arms. Harry went over and took a seat across from her, and next to Ron.
"What happened last night, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously. "Why's Lupin back? And who are those people at the Head Table?"
"Stop with the interrogation, Hermione. Give Harry a break," Ron said through a mouthful of eggs. Hermione rolled her eyes at him. Harry began eating his own breakfast, which had appeared on his plate the moment he'd sat down. When he was finished chewing, he told Ron and Hermione everything that had happened the previous night.
"So Siri-I mean, Snuggles, is back, too?" Ron asked, using their code word for Sirius.
"Yes. He's sitting next to Lupin at the Head Table right now," Harry told him.
"But Harry, why are they all here in the first place? You never told us!" Hermione said impatiently. Harry realized that he'd forgotten to ask.
"Er-I don't really know, Hermione," he said.
"But you did ask them what they were doing here, didn't you?" she asked.
"Uh, no, not really...It was all really quick," Harry said lamely.
"I can't believe you didn't ask them! It could have something to do with the Chest!" she cried. "We've got to find out right away-I just hope they don't leave today--"
What Hermione said jogged Harry's memory.
"Oh, I almost forgot," he interrupted Hermione. "Fudge told me something about the Chest...sort of." He repeated to Ron and Hermione what Fudge had told him.
"How could you almost forget?" Hermione screeched.
"Oh, give it a rest, Hermione. Does Dumbledore think it was You-Know-Who last night, in our dormitory?" Ron asked worriedly.
"I don't know...I never thought of that," Harry admitted.
"That's ridiculous," Hermione said, but she didn't sound as confident as usual. "How would he get in here?"
"I don't know, Hermione, I'm just saying it's possible!" Ron said. "And besides, if it wasn't You-Know-Who, then who was it?"
"I don't know!" Hermione said. "But I'm sure it wasn't You-Know-Who." And with that, she put her nose into the air and left the table.
"And where are you going now?" Ron called after her. "The library?"
"For your information, that's exactly where I'm going!" Hermione cried without looking back.
Ron turned back around to face Harry.
"What's gotten into her lately?"
* * *