<3
Hermione Granger
P.S. The gray message in the story was supposed to be a different font to make it look creepier but it won't show up on fanfic. sry!
Chapter 5
The Message From No One
Harry woke up and found that he had slept much later than he meant to. Ron, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigin were already in the Great Hall eating breakfast. He changed into his robes quickly and went down to the common room where he saw Parvati, Lavender, and Lune all talking. He walked past them and out of the common room.
When he went into the Great Hall he saw he was just in time for the mail. Hundreds of owls came in the window. He looked for Hedwig but no sign of her. As he sat down he saw Hermione pick up the Daily Prophet and look at the headlines. "Harry! Look at this," she said handing him the paper.
Rita Skeeter Gone Missing?
Rita Skeeter, reporter for the Daily Prohpet has gone
missing. The last time she was seen was talking to a
young Hogwarts student in London last year. She
had supposedly gone on vacation and never came back.
The Ministry now has a search party out looking for her.
"So?" said Harry. "You should be glad after the terrible stuff she said about you and me last year."
"No, she said she wouldn't write anymore lies. I was just wondering what if this is the same type of thing that happened to Bertha Jorkins last year? We all know You-Know-Who killed her! What if he's getting stronger and killed Rita, too?" she asked worriedly.
"Hermione, calm down," Harry said trying to comfort her. "My scar hasn't hurt in months so he hasn't killed anyone know has he?"
"Oh," said Hermione looking very mad at herself for not thinking of that herself. "I guess your right," she said, put down the newspaper, and finished her bacon.
Just then the course schedules came down the table. "Double Defense Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff first," Ron read. "We've never had Defense Against the Dark Arts with Hufflepuff before. They usually keep the same houses together. Not that I mind or anything," he said seeing that Hermione and Harry were looking at him as though he were insane. Anything was better than with the Slytherins.
They finished quickly and headed upstairs. The room was now decorated plainly but neatly. There was no teacher there so they all sat down and waited curiously. After a few minutes a woman came in. She must be the new teacher. She was fairly pretty but she looked extremely exhausted with large circles under her eyes. She forced a smile to the class and said, "Hello everyone my name is Professor Clotchkey. I must confess to you that I don't know much about Defense Against the Dark Arts. I used to be a Junior-Auror and was very good at it but I don't know all of the little details so I've been reading up on it trying to learn enough to teach you. I thought we might so some little reviews on vampires and things, but then we're going to get into what Professor Dumbledor wants me to teach you. How to block curses mainly. He is very sure that Lord Voldemort is coming back this year." Most of the people flinched at his name and gasped when she said that last part.
Hermione raised her hand. Harry really hoped that she wasn't going to say anything about last year. Professor Clotchkey called on her and she said, "You-Know-Who is almost definitely coming back. Harry saw him return to his body last year and just narrowly missed dying." Harry sighed. She said exactly what he didn't want her to.
"Well uh....Miss Granger," she said looking at the seating chart which had been posted, "some people don't really believe that it's possible for him to come back. They just don't want to believe the truth, that's all."
To Harry's surprise she did not gape at him, or look at his scar, or look at him at all for that matter. Harry was extremely relieved. Finally someone who really doesn't care. She's kind of like Lupin he thought. After that they brushed up on vampires. Hermione helped Professor Clotchkey through the whole lesson, and she was impressed by how much Hermione knew.
She had assigned them no homework because she figured that they all knew everything pretty well thanks to Hermione. When they left the room they saw a group of fifth year Ravenclaws talking very fast. "Did you see what it said?" one said looking absolutely terrified.
"Beware, Harry Potter!," one replied her voice quivering slightly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were catching every word.
"What?!" Ron burst out before Harry could stop him. "What are you talking about?" he said looking at each of them. They were not looking back at Ron however. Their eyes were fixed upon a very confused Harry.
"Er....uh.....right outside Gryffindor's common room," a boy replied. He seemed to be having a lot of trouble getting his word out. "But, you didn't hear it from us," he continued and they rushed off without another word. They all looked at each other. They had to get going to class fast because they had Potions next and it would be like giving Snape a holiday to show up late on the first day. They rushed down to the dungeon where potions were held and rushed in the door. They were just in time.
"Three points from Gryffindor," said Snape coolly. "You can thank Granger, Potter, and Weasley."
"But we're not even...." Harry started to say but Hermione elbowed him.
"Do you want more points taken?" she whispered as they took their seats. They used the rest of the class to make a very heavy sleeping potion which was pretty advanced. Hermione had no trouble at all as usual but cauldrons were melting everywhere and people were falling asleep every two minutes.
"That's quite enough!" Snape said after the fourth person had fallen asleep. "You may go."
Everyone was very thankful for this. Harry, Ron, and Hermione rushed to Gryffindor common room. The fat lady was on the very edge of her frame looking very frightened and jumped when she saw them coming. Everything was a mess and there was a message written on the wall.
"What happened?" Hermione asked her.
"Well," she said shakily, "a man came and I asked him what he was doing. I couldn't see his face because his head was covered by a long black cloak. He told me to keep quiet unless I wanted to....die! And then he wrote that message in some silvery paint it looked like."
"You-Know-Who?" said Ron.
"No way. There's absolutely no way he could come into Hogwarts without being noticed. My guess is Wormtail," said Hermione.
"I agree," said Harry. They moved over to read what it said on the wall.
And he will get you. You've made the wrong
Decision!!
Harry looked over at Ron and Hermione who looked very pale and worried. "I think we should go to Dumbledore," Hermione said. Harry agreed with her and they set off. When they reached the stone gargoyle they just stood in front of it.
"Anyone know the password?" asked Ron.
"Nope," said Harry. "Last year it was 'cockroach cluster' but I have no idea what it is this year. It's usually some sort of candy." They looked at each other and all of them started saying every candy they could think of. Finally the gargoyle stood up and jumped aside. They gave each other quizzical looks, shrugged, and entered.
When they knocked on the door Professor Dumbledore said "Enter," and they went inside. When they went inside Dumbledore smiled and said, "You never fail to figure out the password do you?" he said his blue twinkling. But then it vanished. "I know why you're here. I don't know what happened. I don't understand the message either. Did you make some sort of decision, Harry?" he asked him.
"Well.." he began, "sort of. I had a dream while I was at Ron's house. Voldemort was saying I could either join his side or he could kill me. I didn't really answer him directly at first and then he told me he got inside my dream somehow. I told him I was going back to Hogwarts soon and he couldn't do anything in front of you and then that was it," Harry said quietly.
"I see," Dumbledore said. "There is a way to get into people's dreams by using dark magic but I don't know what it is. Harry, you know your going to have to be more careful than last year, right?"
"Yes, but it's hard. There was no way I could've prevented being sent to that graveyard last year," he said a little angrily. People always made it seem like it was his fault all this stuff happened.
"I know but you must stop doing those little things your so used to. Sneaking around the castle at night, and visiting Hagrid when your not supposed to. All these little things could put you in great danger this year," he said. "Well, you three need to get off to class," he said and showed them to the door.
They walked silently to Care of Magical Creatures. How am I going to stay out of trouble? Harry thought. Trouble always seems to find me! When they reached Hagrid's hut they explained quickly why they were late and he understood completely.
"I guess yeh saw wha' happened then," Hagrid said to them while everyone was running around trying to grab hold of their Milichias. These were little hairless animals that kept disappearing and reappearing all over the place.
"Yeah," said Hermione. "I guess this is going to be another year like last one. But if you think about it it's all pretty frightening. I mean to think that You-Know-Who will be coming back and plotting to kill Harry again."
Harry said nothing. He was lost in thought. He was thinking about how Voldemort had killed his parents, and how he had thought that Sirius had betrayed them. They helped Hagrid silently until he said, "All righ' Harry?"
"Yeah, fine," Harry lied. Harry was anything but fine.