Young Ms.Figg Chapter 11: Wherein things get more complicated


Young Ms.Figg Chapter 11: Wherein things get more complicated

Harry did not feel like going to bed on Saturday night and, as they were determined to keep an eye on him, Ron and Hermione found themselves sitting with him before the common room fire far past midnight and into the next morning. It was no secret that Harry disliked his guardians. Harry was not worried about the Dursleys on a personal level. If they had decided to disappear of their own accord he would be delighted. No, it was the fact they had been MADE to disappear because of him. If they came to harm - and Harry was more and more convinced with each passing hour that they would - it would be on his account. Much though he did dislike them he couldn't find it in himself to wish them harm. It was much worse, therefore, to think of the probability that they might be killed just to make it easier for someone to get at him.

His parents had died for the same reason. Come to that, so had Cedric Diggory. It was hard enough to bear the thought that his life had cost three others their own. Harry wasn't sure his life was worth that. It was a hard burden for a boy of 15 to bear. For, no matter what anyone else said, Harry did feel responsible. He wished he had the chance to stop the death of his parents and of Cedric. He might yet have the chance to stop the Dursleys from dying and he meant to take it.

Harry looked at the mantle clock about the common room fire. Two in the morning. His glance traveled over to Ron and Hermione both heavy-lidded and struggling to stay awake.

"Go to bed," he said

Ron and Hermione shook their heads and sat up.

"Are you going?" Ron asked, yawning.

"No."

"Well then, we'll stay with you," Hermione said in the most reasonable tone she could manage at that hour.

"Afraid I'll slip away while you sleep?"

"Something like that, yes."

Harry sighed. They were determined. Truth be told, he wouldn't mind some company.

"Listen," he finally said, "It would be better if it were just me. Why should all three of us get in trouble?"

"Because," Ron said stubbornly, "we are not letting you go alone. If we can't stop you, we're going with you."

Harry shook his head. "Fine. But I'm not planning to leave until four a.m. Why don't you at least get a couple of hours sleep?"

Hermione regarded at him with a suspicious, appraising look.

"Harry," she said slowly, "Do you swear?"

"Yes, of course," he said impatiently.

"Good," she continued, "Because if we were to wake up at four and find you'd already gone we'd naturally be concerned and have to go straight to McGonagall."

"True," Ron agreed, "If no one knows you've gone it will be supper tomorrow or even class on Monday before they realize you've gone. But if they were to know just a couple of hours after you left, well..."

"You wouldn't get much done before they found you and hauled you back." Hermione supplied, making sure their point was crystal clear.

"I already swore," Harry said darkly.

"Well, then," Hermione said sensibly, "We will meet you back down here at four a.m. sharp."

Hermione was tempted to kip out across the portrait hole just to make sure Harry didn't leave without them. She decided, however, that it was better to trust Harry.

When Hermione and Ron stumbled back down into the common room at four sleepily clutching their wands Hermione was glad she'd trusted Harry. He stood waiting for them, looking tired and irritable himself. Ron yawned and tossed Harry his wand. Much later he would wish he had thought to grab Harry's invisibility cloak. As it was, none of them was thinking very clearly.

The trio crept silently down the corridor heading for the statue of the hump-backed witch which hid the secret passage from the castle to Honeydukes Sweet Shop in Hogsmead. The passage in question would bring them to the basement of the shop.

Harry had decided upon four a.m. as the time they were least likely to get caught sneaking out of the castle. He realized, however, that they would have to wait quite some time in the basement of Honeydukes before the shop opened. Once the shop did open it would soon fill with students. They could then slip out amongst the students unnoticed.

"But why then," Ron asked irritably when Harry explained this during the long journey in the underground tunnel leading to Honeydukes, "Didn't we just go down to Hogsmeade after breakfast with everyone else?"

"Because," Harry said, "If we went with everyone else we would have been checked off the grounds by Filch."

"So?"

"So," Hermione said, "If we were checked out but didn't check back in they would know right at suppertime we'd gone off."

"Ah." Ron said, flatly, sounding as if he'd have taken the risk.

"This way," Harry explained, "There's a very good chance no one will think to see if we're at supper and they may not realize we're gone until class on Monday. That's at least eight extra hours."

Ron's only response was a muffled yawn as they continued the long walk in the dank, cramped corridor.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they started walking uphill and soon faced the rough-hewn stone steps leading up the trap-door in Honeydukes' cellar. Once they were in the cellar Hermione aimed the beam of light from her wand at her watch.

"We've got at least three hours before they open," she whispered, "lets find a place to hide and take a nap."

"Are you kidding? What if we don't wake up?" Harry hissed.

"Muggle watch," Hermione said simply pushing some tiny buttons, "I've set the alarm for two and a half hours from now and I placed a charm on it ages ago to make sure it doesn't fail. It's handy for taking catnaps during all-nighters."

Harry didn't have to see Ron to know he was rolling his eyes.

"Fine," he whispered, "Lets hide behind the crates in the corner, then."

None of them managed to sleep more than twenty minutes at a stretch but, eventually, the time passed and, about half an hour after Hermione's alarm went off, they heard muffled footsteps above. They waited tensely the half hour or so between the time they heard the owners enter the shop and the time it was opened. Fortunately no one came downstairs during that time and the sound of two people walking grew to several more, and several more again.

They had decided to sneak up one at a time in five minute intervals. Harry first. He crept up the steps, and peeked through a crack in the door. When the all was clear his slipped through the door and quickly made his way to the customer's side of the counter. It was actually ten minutes before Hermione joined him, followed soon after by Ron.

Harry had been right. No one gave them a second glance, the other students naturally assuming they'd walked down with everyone else. The three friends quickly slipped out of the shop and headed for the Hogsmeade train station, stopping only briefly to buy some Floo Powder on the way.

Once in the station they went straight to the large hearth that served as a Floo Port. Each, in turn, threw in their powder, stepped into the now green flames, and shouted "Diagon Alley!" Harry was first out, finding himself in The Leakey Cauldron. He quickly ducked into a nearby booth and motioned for Hermione and Ron to do the same as soon as they came out. Ducking his head behind the menu he whispered,

"We've got to get out of here before Tom, the landlord, notices us!"

Tom was busy at the bar with a large Hag. It was now or never. With a nod of agreement, all three slid quietly out of the booth and sidled toward the back door. Suddenly Ron hissed "Run!" and they were pelting out, Harry scrambling to find the right brick to tap and finding himself being pushed through the arch when it appeared.

"This way, quick!" Ron said, pulling Hermione toward a corner.

"Did he see us?" Harry panted when they were around the corner.

"Dunno. Hope not," Ron said between deep breaths, "It was the Hag, started to look at us and say something. Didn't think it wise to stick around."

Hermione had her hand on her stomach as she took a few deep, steadying breaths.

"We need to get to Gringotts as quickly as possible before things pick up around here," she said anxiously, "the fewer people around the fewer there are to notice that three teenagers are wandering around Diagon Alley when they should be at Hogwarts."

"Come on, then," Harry said and he lead the way.

Getting a Gringotts goblin to take them to Harry's underground vault so he could retrieve some wizard money was no real problem. It was when they asked that it be converted to muggle money that they thought they were done for. The Goblin at the counter suddenly stopped and gave them a very suspicious, appraising look. All three held their breath until, at last, the Goblin shrugged and began to count Harry's gold.

When they finally emerged onto the Muggle street outside the Leakey Cauldron Harry realized he'd never been so relieved to be back in the Muggle world before. Ron was both fascinated and mystified as an impatient Harry and Hermione dragged him to the nearest underground station.

"Tell me, again, why we don't just take the Knight Bus." Ron said grumpily as they made the transfer to get the correct line to Paddington Station.

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, sourly, "Because we'd stand out a bit on it, wouldn't we? Besides, once they figure we're gone it would take them about three minutes to catch up to us if we're on the Knight Bus."

"Fine." Ron grumbled. But he fell silent as they entered Paddington station. His attention was immediately arrested by the giant "Paddington" teddy bear in the midst of the main part of the station. Hermione left Harry with Ron and went to purchase tickets to Surrey. When Hermione returned with the tickets Harry had to give Ron a little shove to get him moving toward their platform. It had already been a long day and it was beginning to feel surreal.

Minerva McGonagall walked into the great hall for lunch and turned her eyes toward the Gryffindor table. Like the rest of the hall, the table was more than two thirds empty as most students in the third year and beyond were in Hogsmeade. As her eyes scanned the table she saw no signs of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, or Ron Weasley.

"Good." she said, not realizing she had spoken aloud.

"Pardon?" Argus Filch said, turning toward her.

"Argus?"

"Yes, Minerva. You said 'good' and I said 'pardon?'"

"Heaven's, Argus, I had not realized I was speaking aloud... I must be more tired from things than I thought!"

Filch nodded sagely. "Well, then, anything good is welcome news. Isn't it?"

"Indeed," sighed McGonagall taking a seat next to Filch at the staff table, "Although this is a little enough thing."

"Really?"

"Yes. I was simply pleased to note that Potter, Weasley, and Granger are not here which means, I trust, that they are in Hogsmeade. Perhaps a day there will take their minds off things."

Filch raised both brows. "They are not in Hogsmeade, Minerva. I checked the students off the grounds and they were not among them.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I noted it particularly in light of the recent events concerning Potter's family."

McGonagall's brows knitted. "They're nae in Hogsmeade and they're nae here. This does not bode well."

"Ah, well, Minerva, no use jumping to conclusions. The little troublem- Ah, the students may be studying in the library and may have lost track of time."

"I just came from there."

"Well, then, they're likely in their common room. I could understand if Potter wasn't hungry."

"That does not bode well, either. I think I should go check on them." McGonagall said rising sharply. Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, chose that moment to come bounding in to twine herself about Filch's ankles.

"Ah, my sweet, excellent timing... go and look for Potter, Weasley, and Granger," Filch said sending her off. "I'll let you know what she finds, Minerva," he said, but McGonagall was already sweeping out of the hall heading for Gryffindor Tower.

Exactly one half hour later McGonagall and Filch were in Dumbledore's office explaining that the three students were not in the castle (a fact confirmed by Mrs. Norris) and were not in Hogsmeade. Dumbledore sighed heavily, shaking his head in consternation.

"I should have anticipated this," he said, self-reproach clear in his voice.

Any assurances from either Filch or McGonagall were cut off my the entrance of Alastor Moody.

"What is it, Albus?" he asked grimly

"Potter, Weasley, and Granger are all unaccounted for. It seems most likely they have run off to try and locate Potter's Aunt and Uncle."

"Aye," Moody said, "And what of them? Have we word from Figg or Snape?"

"Nothing since Severus joined Ella yesterday."

"Well, then, I'm off to Hogsmeade to apparate," Moody said, "Send a school owl or two on to meet me there."



Meanwhile, like his nephew, Vernon Dursley felt he was having a very surreal day and he was not happy about it in the slightest...



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