Harry Potter and the Crystal Ball
by Hannah
Chapter Eight ~ Strange Goings On
The staff was once again gathered in the dark little rock cavern. The greenish glow still radiated from the walls and the people all had scared looks on their faces. But now a glimmer of hope gleamed in their eyes.
"Well, there's not much we can really do . . . not until an attack comes close to home," McGonagall concluded.
"Exactly."
"Run this by us one more time, Alice?"
She looked somewhat exasperated. "Okay, we need to wait until the next attack to see what's happened, right? So we set out bait."
"What kind of . . . bait?" Harry asked, gulping.
"Well, someone who exasperates him. And there are only a few people who I know who manage that nicely. Harry, Dumbledore, and myself."
McGonagall heaved a sigh. "So what do you propose?'
"That's the only catch. We have to be wily. He'll be expecting something like this. I suggest that we have one of us offer to switch to his side, as long as he promises not to harm a certain person. For example . . . I might walk up to Voldemort and say, 'I know I stand no chance against your power, so I'll switch over to your side as long as you don't harm . . . Harry.' So then, of course, he'll refuse, correct? But he'll also do something else—"
"He'll harm Harry! Or at least, attempt to. Of course. It's so brilliantly simple . . ."
"Just one catch," Frank pointed out.
"What?" asked Dumbledore.
"Well," Alice admitted nervously, "there's always the possibility that something could go wrong . . . horribly wrong . . ."
"It's a risk we have to take," McGonagall stated firmly.
"I'm afraid so. And I'm willing to take it," Alice interjected.
"Good. And you, Harry? You're the other prominent enemy of the Dark Lord."
Harry was hesitant. He bit his lip until it almost bled. "Sure. I suppose."
"Wonderful!" Dumbledore leapt to his feet. It always surprised everyone to see such abundant energy in the little man.
"Well . . .when do we start?" Alice was beginning to look nervous.
"I dunno." At times Snape was so frank that it scared Harry. "It's a stupid idea, you know. What is the probability of making this work exactly as our little genius has planned?"
"Oh, do shut up, Snape," Frank responded irritably. "Don't be so critical. I don't see you making any attempt as saving the wizarding community. You're not risking your life to save others. So please . . . shut up!"
Alice smiled. "Thank you. Well, let's go. I'm so tired . . ."
Harry saw that her customary purple bags were back, faintly covered by Muggle makeup. It must be hard to find makeup that light, he found himself pondering stupidly.
"Yes. I suppose we could all use some rest. We've been pulling this way out of proportion." McGonagall rose and covered a yawn with a tiny pale hand.
Ron rose, after being silent practically the whole meeting. "Harry—" he exclaimed, gripping his friend's arm for support. His face was a ghastly shade of white, like someone had whitewashed him thoroughly.
"Harry, it's Hermione. She's calling me . . . I must go to her—I must . . ."
Harry had to tug his friend backward viciously to keep him from running for the door.
"Hold on, Ron. I said—hold on!" Harry was gritting his teeth to help bear the strain.
He looked at Alice, his eyes wild with bewilderment.
"What's he doing this for? What's going on?"
Alice shook her head, her downcast head veiling her eyes with a wave of golden hair. "Harry . . . act as you would think in your best interest . . ."
"Dammit! He's gotten to Ron too, hasn't he? There's going to be no 'plan!' There's no need for one. Voldemort doesn't even materialize to attack his victims! He's a coward . . . God, what do we do now?"
Everyone looked on in silence as Harry's outburst ended.
"Harry, I'm afraid that there's not much we can do. Just try to keep an eye on Ron . . ."
Everyone looked at Ron, who was still struggling. Frank stepped forward and put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"There's nothing we can do," McGonagall concluded. "Voldemort has him under a powerful spell. I've heard that if keep a person under this sort of influence from following their 'commands,' they refuse to eat or take drink and eventually die. I suggest we follow him where ever Voldemort leads him."
Alice smiled grimly. Standing and removing her golden cloak from the back of her chair, she stated, "Well, I'm ready. What are you all waiting for?"
Ron had led them through the Forbidden Forest and into a clearing that none of them, even Hagrid, had ever before seen.
Meanwhile, they all stood and watched in fascination as he talked to the inanimate rock located directly in the middle of the dusty floor.
"I've never seen anything like it," Lupin breathed. "It's almost as though it's talking right back to him."
"It probably is," Alice added softly. "He's speaking to it in rock- tongue."
"What's he saying?" inquired a curious Hagrid.
She remained quiet, as though she had not heard the question.
"Perhaps he is talking too softly for her to hear," Harry commented in a hoarse whisper. He, as well as all the others, knew that that much was not true; they were all quite certain that she was following the whole conversation in her mind's eye. However, they also knew that this must be one of those times where she could not share her findings.
"This is getting us nowhere," Snape muttered bitterly.
"Not true," Frank quipped. "See, we now know an area that is subject to Voldemort's power. Does this look like an average clearing to you? It doesn't to me. Look at the ground: packed flat. And that round rock in the middle? Is that just some fluke of nature, being perfectly centered like so?"
Everyone examined his or her surroundings. The rock that Ron was whispering to was very flat and almost perfectly round. It was located in the exact center of the small clearing. Meanwhile a very thick wall of trees hedged in the small gathering spot, and no one would find it unless they were looking for it. Harry counted the number of large oaks surrounding the small hollow.
"Thirteen," he said in awe.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You're certain?"
"Most surely that means nothing?" Snape sneered mockingly.
"Of course it does. That is Voldemort's calling card number, is it not?" McGonagall looked very uncomfortable.
"Oh, poppycock!" Lupin hissed. "That's not the sign. The sign is the Dark Mark. Unless we see the skull with the snake as it's tongue, we're fine. Remember? Thirteen is not Voldemort's mark, but Slytherin's."
"Severus would know," Alice hinted darkly.
"We'll just wait and see," Professor Sprout stuttered.
"My God!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed.
"What is it?" Snape asked irritably, glaring at Alice with utmost loathing.
"The Dark Mark," she whispered, her whole countenance blanching.
"No," gasped Professor Flitwick. "You can't be serious . . ."
"But she is." Frank said it solemnly, pointing to the small marking in the middle of the unnaturally rounded stone. Everyone surged forward en masse to examine it.
"Jumping dragons, he's right," Snape exclaimed. He pulled back the sleeve of his robe to examine the Dark Mark that was tattooed into his own flesh. He had once been a Death Eater, or a follower of Voldemort.
"I want you all to remain calm." Dumbledore announced. Meanwhile," he continued, "I want this area under strict surveillance. If anything, anything at all, happens here, I want to know about it. Now lets head back."
Without a word, the company trekked back to the castle.
Harry found himself knocking on Alice's portrait door at five minutes before midnight.
"Dammit, where is she?" he muttered in exasperation. He was worried; Ron still hadn't returned from the forest, and the castle and its grounds were far too quiet for his liking.
"Yes?" She sounded bone-weary as the door swirled open. She admitted him silently, already knowing whom it was.
"So." She sat back down on the bed, swinging her pale legs slowly. "You're worried about Ron? I'm afraid there isn't much we can do—"
"Isn't much," Harry repeated. "So is there something? Anything?"
She looked grim. "Of course. There's always something that can be done, Harry. There's never a time where a person can lay back and say, 'There's nothing to be done.' In the end, an extreme course of action can always be taken. But, usually, it is better to leave to situation be rather than attempt the near impossible."
Harry's eyes must have been pleading, for she turned away. "Please, don't ask me for help, Harry. Can you not understand the pain that my extraordinary gift often puts me through? If I had it my way, I would like nothing more than to help your friend; he is a good man. But can you not see? I cannot. No matter how much I wish to right the evil that is happening, it is not . . . not . . ." She was at a loss for words as she let out a choking sob.
"I'm sorry," she added sincerely. "Truly, I am. I wish I could. I do, I do—"
"Don't do this to yourself," he reassured her. "I was just hoping—" He cut himself off. "It was foolish of me."
"I cannot blame you in the slightest," she added wistfully. "To be a normal wizard, like you . . . I would do anything. To be a normal Muggle . . ."
"It would be bliss," Harry finished for her.
Alice's eyes met his. In those swirling violet depths, Harry almost wanted to cry out at the extent of suffering and knowledge they possessed. "I'm glad that finally I have met someone who could at least understand in the least way."
"I'm glad I could be that person."
Harry leaned in slightly closer to her, closing his eyes as he did so. He felt her jump slightly as he put his hand behind her neck . . .
"No!" she sobbed as she pulled away. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I . . . I can't . . ."
Harry saw a look of such bewildered pain in her eyes that he almost wanted to cry out himself. She tensed up as though a great hand had been squeezed about her abdomen and then let her go. She drooped in relief, and then said, quite plainly, "I'm sorry. If you want to . . . I'm fine now. Really." She looked into his eyes, and he saw a strange calm there. Almost as though she were being forced—
Harry held back a strong urge to take her word. "Not now," he mumbled affectionately, tweaking her nose. She actually smiled. It had been quite some time since he'd seen that. "Listen, tomorrow—would you—"
"It would be my pleasure." Her voice was full of happiness. "I'm glad that our friendship has worked out this way, Harry."
"As am I." Harry drew a deep, shuddering breath. "Well, I suppose I'll go."
"Wasn't there something else?" Her voice was slightly mocking, but in a pleasant way.
"Hmm . . ." Harry thought for a moment. "Oh yes! Does the palace seem, well—oddly quiet to you? Almost eerily so?"
"Now that you mention it, yes." She smiled. "But I wouldn't think much of it. Good night Harry. See you tomorrow."
She crawled with the grace of a cat under her covers, pulling the gold silk sheets up to her chin.
"Good night," he hissed as he walked through the doorway. It closed behind him without sound.
He leaned against the wall once outside the room and took a deep breath of the rather stale air. Alice could sure be puzzling at times. It was almost as though someone else had control of her. Stop thinking like that, he told himself. So he quieted his thoughts and listened instead. He was still rather unsettled by the unusual quiet of the castle. Listening intently for the slightest noise, Harry heard not even the rats or owls that one would normally be quite capable of detecting.
Suddenly, Harry was scared nearly witless by a large crashing noise a floor or two directly above him. Scrambling for the nearest staircase, he clambered over it as quickly as he possibly could. As he approached the landing, he realized that all had gone quiet again. He searched his mind to remember what rooms this floor contained. The chemistry lab, the janitor's closet, a few offices . . .
But no one should be on that level at this time of night. What was going on?
Harry made a slow round of the floor, but found nothing of the slightest interest. Everything was in its proper place; even the laundry room was filled with neat stacks of clothing that weren't the slightest bit askew.
The dim light made objects much harder to see, but Harry shook his head as he headed back for the staircase. The moonlight from the window above streamed down upon his face and the stone stairs below.
The light was jagged and uneven . . .
Harry jerked his head up and scrutinized the window. His blood went cold and his hands turned to ice as he saw the shattered window located ten feet above him.
But there's no broken glass, he told himself. So it must've—
Sudden realization hit Harry, and he slid down to the floor, feeling ill. Someone must've broken it from the inside. That was the only reasonable explanation. But how? And why?
As soon as Harry could stand again, he tottered down the staircase, headed toward Dumbledore's private bedroom. Dumbledore needed to know. But Dumbledore was not there.
Harry stood in front of the students of Gryffindor, who were gathered in their common room. A fire was blazing in the fireplace; even though it was only September, the snows had begun.
"There are no classes today."
Instead of the expected cheers, an uncanny silence fell over the children. Harry tugged at the neck of his robe.
"Why?" a quiet girl near the front of the room asked.
Alice didn't look at the children, but off into space. "Because there was some sort of . . . occurrence last night, and the teachers want to find out what it was. Meanwhile, none of the students are to leave their rooms, meaning Gryffindor Tower for all of us. Harry and I will stay here, as will other teachers who are Heads of House stay in their common rooms. The others will conduct a thorough search of the grounds."
Ron's sister, Ginny, looked questioningly at Harry. "So what are we to do? How long will this take?"
"I wish I knew, Ginny."
Her eyes brimmed with tears, even though she fought them. "And Ron . . . they haven't found him yet?"
"Not for certain. Perhaps they will find them during their search." Alice walked over to her and knelt beside her, taking her head in one of her hands. She looked directly into her eyes.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," she quoted. "Remember that, and live by it."
"I will try." Ginny wiped her eyes and blew her nose on the handkerchief one of the Gryffindors nearby offered her.
"Now," Harry announced, "you may either return to your rooms and find something to amuse yourself, or you can stay out here and do whatever you like in here."
Most of the students stood to go to their rooms. A few stayed in armchairs by the fire, reading lesson books or the like.
Harry and Alice retreated to a small table in the corner.
She put her hands out onto the table, looking sullen. "Harry, this doesn't look good at all."
"I know, I know. At least we didn't tell them about Dumbledore, or the fact that someone was hiding in Hogwarts who shouldn't have been here."
Absently, Harry placed his hands over hers. They were icy. "You must be freezing."
"Oh, not really. I'm used to being somewhat chilled." She sounded rather distant. "I feel rather helpless, stuck in here with the students. I would much rather be helping the others."
"I know you would. But if there is any attack on the children, you can help protect them."
"True true." She sighed heavily. "Really, Harry, what are we to do about food and drink?"
"I'm not sure." He frowned in concentration. He hadn't really thought about that.
"Maybe we can Apparate it?" he mused.
"You know that it will just make us hungrier and thirstier." She was very blunt.
"Well, it's already almost ten in the morning. Why not wait two hours or so, and then one of us can sneak down to get the food?"
"All right. Would you rather stay here or get the rations?"
"Whichever one you'd prefer not to do."
She was poised in thought. "I think I will go and get the food," she said slowly. "Then I can check on the teachers in the other houses and try to get them some of the supplies, too. Or at least tell them they may wish to do the same. Thank goodness every house now has one male and one female head in it."
"All right. Until then . . ."
"We wait." She sounded slightly saddened by this thought. "We could organize a game of some sort."
"Like what? Most wizarding games are for two people."
"I know some Muggle games." She stood with a smile. "How about Heads Up, Seven Up? Or Hide-and-Go-Seek? Perhaps Four Corners?"
"Children's games," Harry said while grinning madly.
"Yes, well," Alice managed while trying to act hurt, "you're never too old to connect with your inner child."
"Something us old fogies would know so much about."
"Isn't it though?" She grinned. "I'll go find any interested girls. Meet you back here?"
"Yeah, sure."
They went their separate ways to scrounge up enough students to play the games that were reminiscent of their pasts.
Alice scurried down the corridor, a sack behind her full of food and bottled water. She was headed toward Slytherin House, which was down in the dungeons. She had already visited Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw; both were following the Gryffindor lead and sneaking to the kitchens.
She made it to the entrance of the Slytherin House: a small patch of bare stone wall. "Mudbloods," she whispered, and it swung cleanly open on its hinges.
Several cruel faces turned to glare at her. She smiled slightly. "Is Severus here?"
"What do you want with him, Miss Coward?" one of them snickered.
"Very funny," she muttered under her breath. "Have you any food? Or drink?" she asked aloud.
They hesitated, but only for a moment. "No, and we don't want any that you Gryffindors would offer us. It's probably tainted with something," sniffed a black-haired, pointy-chinned girl in the corner.
"I wasn't going to bring you any," Alice scoffed. "I just wanted to tell you that the kitchen is open and that if either Severus or Ms. Eweling wanted to go fetch rations, they are very welcome to do so." She frowned. "Where are your heads of house, exactly?" she inquired, already knowing the answer.
"We don't know," they admitted. "They must have gone on the search with the rest of the staff. We'd figured that all of the teachers had."
She sighed. "They went, although they weren't supposed to. Harry's going to have a fit." She bit her lip.
"Okay, we're going on a raid of the pantry. Follow me; I'm dropping this food off at Gryffindor, and then I'm going to take all of you to the kitchen. Bring back the food and drink that you can carry, and—I will stay with you all until the search party returns."
"As you say, Miss Oak." At least they weren't as rude as most people expected them to be. Not all the time, that is.
"Or maybe you should stay here . . . I don't know if Dumbledore would want all of you knowing where Gryffindor is located."
"Most of us know."
"Yes, but not all of you. Very well, come along."
The students filed out after the young teacher, who led them on a wild goose chase through the castle and to Gryffindor Tower, where the Pink Lady's portrait was.
She looked rather flabbergasted to see the mess of Slytherin students behind her.
"You know I know the password," she muttered. "Please open, and I will go."
The Pink Lady gulped. "All right, all right . . ."
The portrait swung open to reveal a small group with anxious faces. The looks on their faces turned to those of horror when they saw all the Slytherins behind her.
"You behave, or you'll be awfully sorry that you ever dealt with someone as powerful as me," she threatened as she leapt through the portrait hole.
"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" she teased as she stepped into the room. "Here's the food, dole it out and rationalize . . . the Slytherin leaders left with the search party, so I'm going to stay at their house, all right? Be good for Harry . . . do what he tells you . . . toodles!"
With that, she was already scrambling back through the portrait hole. No one in all of Gryffindor had moved or said a word. Suddenly Harry shouted, "Wait!"
"Yes?" She paused in the space between the walls.
"Take care, will you?"
"Of course. I don't suspect I'll see any of you until tomorrow, all right? G'night!"
The portrait swung into place behind her. Dusting her hands with one another, she glanced them over. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's head out!"
They followed her on another long journey through corridors and over stairways to the Great Hall, and through one last small door into the kitchen. There she met one of the Ravenclaw leaders. She looked rather surprised to see Alice with all the Slytherin students, but said nothing. As soon as the small, stooped woman had left, Alice shooed all the children into the Great Hall where they sat at their normal table. She then began to gather food for them all.
The kitchen was a small, stone room with no windows and only one door. The walls were cluttered with stoves, cabinets, and counters. There was a small water pump in one corner of the room. Alice filled several small barrels with water for later, and then began to fill cups with it. This will take forever, she thought despairingly.
"Miss Oak? May we help?" A few of the seventh years were standing in the frame of the narrow doorway.
"Oh, yes, that would be wonderful." She must have looked exhausted, pushing a lock of golden hair from her eyes as some sweat trickled down her temple, because one of the boys pulled a chair from the corner of the room over to her. She sat gratefully. "Thank you," she exclaimed, leaning back and putting a hand to her forehead.
"No problem. What all should we serve up, Cook?"
"Oh, whatever is lying around. I feel awfully guilty, just sitting here—"
"Well, don't. You've done a lot for us already. Just sit back and relax, for once! We've heard that you'd work yourself to death if people didn't watch out for you."
"Have you?" She didn't sound at all enthused or surprised by the comment.
"Of course. Now, we'll serve some bread, and some cheese, and perhaps some apples . . ." one of the girls thought aloud.
"And I'll start to pack things up!" another girl exclaimed.
"And I will serve," the boy said with a wolfish grin and an elaborate bow.
"And I'll sleep," Alice moaned. "Wake me when you're done!"
"As the cook wishes," chirped the taller girl, stuffing several loaves of bread into a large burlap potato sack.
"Bring this tray to the table, Jim," the short brunette ordered.
"Yes ma'am!" He took the tray and with mock elegance brought it to the others. "Dinner is served," they heard him announce to his fellow classmates.
"He's a handful," Alice muttered.
"Isn't he? I wish he'd hurry, here's some water for him to carry out . . ."
Alice drifted off into a troubled sleep.
"I hope she's okay," Harry whispered to Ginny.
"I'm sure she is, so stop worrying. Really, Harry, with the way you're worrying about her, one would think you're . . . Harry! Are you? Are you and Alice—"
"Hush! Nothing's official."
Her wild red hair vividly outlined her pale, pointy face, and her eyes that were sparkling with excitement. "Oh, you two would be absolutely darling together! Really, Harry, you should—"
"Would you mind being quieter?" he hissed between clenched teeth. Glancing around the room to see if anyone might be listening, he muttered, "Anyway, I'm not sure she's interested in me."
"How could she not be!" Ginny exclaimed, almost forgetting to keep her voice lowered. In a slightly softer voice, she whispered hoarsely, "If you're worried about her and Frank, don't. Really, Harry. They're not close like that. They're friends."
"All right, all right. Let's change the subject, shall we?"
It was already getting dark. There was no clock in the tower; Harry reached for his pocket watch. "Five o'clock," he muttered. "I wonder when they're returning?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Alice said she'd see us in the morning, most likely. But would they really spend the night out in those wretched woods? That would be insanity, Harry."
"Yeah, it would, but they're worried. Dumbledore has vanished without a trace. Ron—" He cut himself off, remembering with whom he was speaking.
"Continue, please." Ginny sounded slightly choked.
"Well, he still hasn't shown up. And then there are all those attacks, and the . . . occurrence last night."
"What did happen?"
"Someone managed to get inside the castle, and then escaped through a window over fifteen feet off the ground."
"Jumping dragons," she whispered incredulously. Who? Why?"
"Exactly what I want to know," admitted Harry. He finished the water that remained in the cup before him. "How much more food and water do we have, Ginny?"
"Not enough." She grimaced. "Two small barrels of water and a sack of stale bread and cheese. Maybe a bruised apple or two. It will hardly last us through the night."
"As I'd figured. Well, I guess we'll ration it out and people can eat and drink it as they find necessary. Every little bit is precious. I hope the Slytherins are faring better."
"I'm sure they're fine, with Alice in charge. Now don't worry about her anymore, Harry. Think of what's at hand."
"I'll try, I'll try. How many students do we have?"
"Hmm . . . I'm not sure. Shall we call a headcount, and then pass out the food?"
"Yes, why don't we do that."
Ginny couldn't suppress her giggle. "Sorry, I just feel like we're at a military camp or something."
"Perhaps it would be better if we were." Harry was far too worried and somber to be lighthearted.
"Why don't you go lie down and get some rest, Harry? I'll handle everything. You've been in charge since dawn, practically. You must be exhausted . . ."
"Thanks, Ginny."
"No problem," she assured him.
Harry was heading toward the stairs to the boys' dormitories. "Ginny?"
"Yes?"
"I'm glad to see you've finally grown up."
Ginny sensed some truth and some humor in it. She threw it off, saying, "See, you're feeling better already. Now go, before I have to march you up there!"
Alice and the Slytherins were chattering in their rather formidable common room. Only small green lamps hanging on chains lit the roughly hewn stone walls and ceiling. Sitting in the high-backed black chairs before the fireplace, the group was swapping stories and the like.
"I'm glad there were no classes," a very delicate looking girl with black curls admitted.
"Well, aren't we all, in a way?" Alice kindly interjected. Everyone turned to stare at her as though she were crazy.
"Teaching's fun," she continued, "but grading assignments is not. And taking care of trouble makers and the like is not a pleasurable task, either."
"Then why are you teaching?"
"To be around people like you, of course," she replied with a slight smile. "Anyway . . . not to change the topic or anything, but what shall we do now?"
"We don't know," they all mumbled together.
"Hmm . . . well, it's already eleven, isn't it? I don't think the staff plans on coming back tonight. Why don't we retire?"
"Sounds good." The students were far more tired than they would let their teacher know.
"Well, g'night all. Sleep well. If they come back, I'll be sure to awaken you all."
"Yes, do that." They were already heading up the stairs to their dormitories.
Alice sat in one of the armchairs, sighing as she took off her black slippers with their gold embroidery. Her feet ached after trying to keep watch over the students all day long. She leaned back, stretched her arms, and propped her feet up on the nearest chair.
"All I need is some rest," she told herself. "It's been a long day . . ."
All I need is Harry, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Alice awoke to find a very tired looking McGonagall standing in front of her.
Startled, she scrambled to rise to her feet. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep—"
"It's fine, it's fine." McGonagall sat down in the chair next to Alice's. Alice slowly relaxed back into her armchair.
"So . . ."
"Well, as you probably already know, Dumbledore has vanished without a trace, as has Ron. Also, the other victims of the Voldemort attacks are . . . gone. They've disappeared and we don't know where to begin looking. Meanwhile, we're going to need a person sit in for Dumbledore, and I'm going to take the job. We don't think classes are necessary at a time like this. Instead, we wish to teach the importance of defending yourself against the Dark Arts. Of course, you and Harry are our expert residents on the topic. So we'd want each of you to teach two Houses." She looked her over. "Oh, yes . . . Snape is back, so you can go back to Gryffindor now. Somehow he and the other head of house forgot their duties here . . . go on, I'll talk to you later. Today, we rest."
"All right. Sweet dreams." Alice left the room and wandered down the hallway, weaving through corridors and hallways to get back to Gryffindor Tower. To get back to her students. To get back to Harry.
by Hannah
Chapter Eight ~ Strange Goings On
The staff was once again gathered in the dark little rock cavern. The greenish glow still radiated from the walls and the people all had scared looks on their faces. But now a glimmer of hope gleamed in their eyes.
"Well, there's not much we can really do . . . not until an attack comes close to home," McGonagall concluded.
"Exactly."
"Run this by us one more time, Alice?"
She looked somewhat exasperated. "Okay, we need to wait until the next attack to see what's happened, right? So we set out bait."
"What kind of . . . bait?" Harry asked, gulping.
"Well, someone who exasperates him. And there are only a few people who I know who manage that nicely. Harry, Dumbledore, and myself."
McGonagall heaved a sigh. "So what do you propose?'
"That's the only catch. We have to be wily. He'll be expecting something like this. I suggest that we have one of us offer to switch to his side, as long as he promises not to harm a certain person. For example . . . I might walk up to Voldemort and say, 'I know I stand no chance against your power, so I'll switch over to your side as long as you don't harm . . . Harry.' So then, of course, he'll refuse, correct? But he'll also do something else—"
"He'll harm Harry! Or at least, attempt to. Of course. It's so brilliantly simple . . ."
"Just one catch," Frank pointed out.
"What?" asked Dumbledore.
"Well," Alice admitted nervously, "there's always the possibility that something could go wrong . . . horribly wrong . . ."
"It's a risk we have to take," McGonagall stated firmly.
"I'm afraid so. And I'm willing to take it," Alice interjected.
"Good. And you, Harry? You're the other prominent enemy of the Dark Lord."
Harry was hesitant. He bit his lip until it almost bled. "Sure. I suppose."
"Wonderful!" Dumbledore leapt to his feet. It always surprised everyone to see such abundant energy in the little man.
"Well . . .when do we start?" Alice was beginning to look nervous.
"I dunno." At times Snape was so frank that it scared Harry. "It's a stupid idea, you know. What is the probability of making this work exactly as our little genius has planned?"
"Oh, do shut up, Snape," Frank responded irritably. "Don't be so critical. I don't see you making any attempt as saving the wizarding community. You're not risking your life to save others. So please . . . shut up!"
Alice smiled. "Thank you. Well, let's go. I'm so tired . . ."
Harry saw that her customary purple bags were back, faintly covered by Muggle makeup. It must be hard to find makeup that light, he found himself pondering stupidly.
"Yes. I suppose we could all use some rest. We've been pulling this way out of proportion." McGonagall rose and covered a yawn with a tiny pale hand.
Ron rose, after being silent practically the whole meeting. "Harry—" he exclaimed, gripping his friend's arm for support. His face was a ghastly shade of white, like someone had whitewashed him thoroughly.
"Harry, it's Hermione. She's calling me . . . I must go to her—I must . . ."
Harry had to tug his friend backward viciously to keep him from running for the door.
"Hold on, Ron. I said—hold on!" Harry was gritting his teeth to help bear the strain.
He looked at Alice, his eyes wild with bewilderment.
"What's he doing this for? What's going on?"
Alice shook her head, her downcast head veiling her eyes with a wave of golden hair. "Harry . . . act as you would think in your best interest . . ."
"Dammit! He's gotten to Ron too, hasn't he? There's going to be no 'plan!' There's no need for one. Voldemort doesn't even materialize to attack his victims! He's a coward . . . God, what do we do now?"
Everyone looked on in silence as Harry's outburst ended.
"Harry, I'm afraid that there's not much we can do. Just try to keep an eye on Ron . . ."
Everyone looked at Ron, who was still struggling. Frank stepped forward and put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"There's nothing we can do," McGonagall concluded. "Voldemort has him under a powerful spell. I've heard that if keep a person under this sort of influence from following their 'commands,' they refuse to eat or take drink and eventually die. I suggest we follow him where ever Voldemort leads him."
Alice smiled grimly. Standing and removing her golden cloak from the back of her chair, she stated, "Well, I'm ready. What are you all waiting for?"
Ron had led them through the Forbidden Forest and into a clearing that none of them, even Hagrid, had ever before seen.
Meanwhile, they all stood and watched in fascination as he talked to the inanimate rock located directly in the middle of the dusty floor.
"I've never seen anything like it," Lupin breathed. "It's almost as though it's talking right back to him."
"It probably is," Alice added softly. "He's speaking to it in rock- tongue."
"What's he saying?" inquired a curious Hagrid.
She remained quiet, as though she had not heard the question.
"Perhaps he is talking too softly for her to hear," Harry commented in a hoarse whisper. He, as well as all the others, knew that that much was not true; they were all quite certain that she was following the whole conversation in her mind's eye. However, they also knew that this must be one of those times where she could not share her findings.
"This is getting us nowhere," Snape muttered bitterly.
"Not true," Frank quipped. "See, we now know an area that is subject to Voldemort's power. Does this look like an average clearing to you? It doesn't to me. Look at the ground: packed flat. And that round rock in the middle? Is that just some fluke of nature, being perfectly centered like so?"
Everyone examined his or her surroundings. The rock that Ron was whispering to was very flat and almost perfectly round. It was located in the exact center of the small clearing. Meanwhile a very thick wall of trees hedged in the small gathering spot, and no one would find it unless they were looking for it. Harry counted the number of large oaks surrounding the small hollow.
"Thirteen," he said in awe.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You're certain?"
"Most surely that means nothing?" Snape sneered mockingly.
"Of course it does. That is Voldemort's calling card number, is it not?" McGonagall looked very uncomfortable.
"Oh, poppycock!" Lupin hissed. "That's not the sign. The sign is the Dark Mark. Unless we see the skull with the snake as it's tongue, we're fine. Remember? Thirteen is not Voldemort's mark, but Slytherin's."
"Severus would know," Alice hinted darkly.
"We'll just wait and see," Professor Sprout stuttered.
"My God!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed.
"What is it?" Snape asked irritably, glaring at Alice with utmost loathing.
"The Dark Mark," she whispered, her whole countenance blanching.
"No," gasped Professor Flitwick. "You can't be serious . . ."
"But she is." Frank said it solemnly, pointing to the small marking in the middle of the unnaturally rounded stone. Everyone surged forward en masse to examine it.
"Jumping dragons, he's right," Snape exclaimed. He pulled back the sleeve of his robe to examine the Dark Mark that was tattooed into his own flesh. He had once been a Death Eater, or a follower of Voldemort.
"I want you all to remain calm." Dumbledore announced. Meanwhile," he continued, "I want this area under strict surveillance. If anything, anything at all, happens here, I want to know about it. Now lets head back."
Without a word, the company trekked back to the castle.
Harry found himself knocking on Alice's portrait door at five minutes before midnight.
"Dammit, where is she?" he muttered in exasperation. He was worried; Ron still hadn't returned from the forest, and the castle and its grounds were far too quiet for his liking.
"Yes?" She sounded bone-weary as the door swirled open. She admitted him silently, already knowing whom it was.
"So." She sat back down on the bed, swinging her pale legs slowly. "You're worried about Ron? I'm afraid there isn't much we can do—"
"Isn't much," Harry repeated. "So is there something? Anything?"
She looked grim. "Of course. There's always something that can be done, Harry. There's never a time where a person can lay back and say, 'There's nothing to be done.' In the end, an extreme course of action can always be taken. But, usually, it is better to leave to situation be rather than attempt the near impossible."
Harry's eyes must have been pleading, for she turned away. "Please, don't ask me for help, Harry. Can you not understand the pain that my extraordinary gift often puts me through? If I had it my way, I would like nothing more than to help your friend; he is a good man. But can you not see? I cannot. No matter how much I wish to right the evil that is happening, it is not . . . not . . ." She was at a loss for words as she let out a choking sob.
"I'm sorry," she added sincerely. "Truly, I am. I wish I could. I do, I do—"
"Don't do this to yourself," he reassured her. "I was just hoping—" He cut himself off. "It was foolish of me."
"I cannot blame you in the slightest," she added wistfully. "To be a normal wizard, like you . . . I would do anything. To be a normal Muggle . . ."
"It would be bliss," Harry finished for her.
Alice's eyes met his. In those swirling violet depths, Harry almost wanted to cry out at the extent of suffering and knowledge they possessed. "I'm glad that finally I have met someone who could at least understand in the least way."
"I'm glad I could be that person."
Harry leaned in slightly closer to her, closing his eyes as he did so. He felt her jump slightly as he put his hand behind her neck . . .
"No!" she sobbed as she pulled away. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I . . . I can't . . ."
Harry saw a look of such bewildered pain in her eyes that he almost wanted to cry out himself. She tensed up as though a great hand had been squeezed about her abdomen and then let her go. She drooped in relief, and then said, quite plainly, "I'm sorry. If you want to . . . I'm fine now. Really." She looked into his eyes, and he saw a strange calm there. Almost as though she were being forced—
Harry held back a strong urge to take her word. "Not now," he mumbled affectionately, tweaking her nose. She actually smiled. It had been quite some time since he'd seen that. "Listen, tomorrow—would you—"
"It would be my pleasure." Her voice was full of happiness. "I'm glad that our friendship has worked out this way, Harry."
"As am I." Harry drew a deep, shuddering breath. "Well, I suppose I'll go."
"Wasn't there something else?" Her voice was slightly mocking, but in a pleasant way.
"Hmm . . ." Harry thought for a moment. "Oh yes! Does the palace seem, well—oddly quiet to you? Almost eerily so?"
"Now that you mention it, yes." She smiled. "But I wouldn't think much of it. Good night Harry. See you tomorrow."
She crawled with the grace of a cat under her covers, pulling the gold silk sheets up to her chin.
"Good night," he hissed as he walked through the doorway. It closed behind him without sound.
He leaned against the wall once outside the room and took a deep breath of the rather stale air. Alice could sure be puzzling at times. It was almost as though someone else had control of her. Stop thinking like that, he told himself. So he quieted his thoughts and listened instead. He was still rather unsettled by the unusual quiet of the castle. Listening intently for the slightest noise, Harry heard not even the rats or owls that one would normally be quite capable of detecting.
Suddenly, Harry was scared nearly witless by a large crashing noise a floor or two directly above him. Scrambling for the nearest staircase, he clambered over it as quickly as he possibly could. As he approached the landing, he realized that all had gone quiet again. He searched his mind to remember what rooms this floor contained. The chemistry lab, the janitor's closet, a few offices . . .
But no one should be on that level at this time of night. What was going on?
Harry made a slow round of the floor, but found nothing of the slightest interest. Everything was in its proper place; even the laundry room was filled with neat stacks of clothing that weren't the slightest bit askew.
The dim light made objects much harder to see, but Harry shook his head as he headed back for the staircase. The moonlight from the window above streamed down upon his face and the stone stairs below.
The light was jagged and uneven . . .
Harry jerked his head up and scrutinized the window. His blood went cold and his hands turned to ice as he saw the shattered window located ten feet above him.
But there's no broken glass, he told himself. So it must've—
Sudden realization hit Harry, and he slid down to the floor, feeling ill. Someone must've broken it from the inside. That was the only reasonable explanation. But how? And why?
As soon as Harry could stand again, he tottered down the staircase, headed toward Dumbledore's private bedroom. Dumbledore needed to know. But Dumbledore was not there.
Harry stood in front of the students of Gryffindor, who were gathered in their common room. A fire was blazing in the fireplace; even though it was only September, the snows had begun.
"There are no classes today."
Instead of the expected cheers, an uncanny silence fell over the children. Harry tugged at the neck of his robe.
"Why?" a quiet girl near the front of the room asked.
Alice didn't look at the children, but off into space. "Because there was some sort of . . . occurrence last night, and the teachers want to find out what it was. Meanwhile, none of the students are to leave their rooms, meaning Gryffindor Tower for all of us. Harry and I will stay here, as will other teachers who are Heads of House stay in their common rooms. The others will conduct a thorough search of the grounds."
Ron's sister, Ginny, looked questioningly at Harry. "So what are we to do? How long will this take?"
"I wish I knew, Ginny."
Her eyes brimmed with tears, even though she fought them. "And Ron . . . they haven't found him yet?"
"Not for certain. Perhaps they will find them during their search." Alice walked over to her and knelt beside her, taking her head in one of her hands. She looked directly into her eyes.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," she quoted. "Remember that, and live by it."
"I will try." Ginny wiped her eyes and blew her nose on the handkerchief one of the Gryffindors nearby offered her.
"Now," Harry announced, "you may either return to your rooms and find something to amuse yourself, or you can stay out here and do whatever you like in here."
Most of the students stood to go to their rooms. A few stayed in armchairs by the fire, reading lesson books or the like.
Harry and Alice retreated to a small table in the corner.
She put her hands out onto the table, looking sullen. "Harry, this doesn't look good at all."
"I know, I know. At least we didn't tell them about Dumbledore, or the fact that someone was hiding in Hogwarts who shouldn't have been here."
Absently, Harry placed his hands over hers. They were icy. "You must be freezing."
"Oh, not really. I'm used to being somewhat chilled." She sounded rather distant. "I feel rather helpless, stuck in here with the students. I would much rather be helping the others."
"I know you would. But if there is any attack on the children, you can help protect them."
"True true." She sighed heavily. "Really, Harry, what are we to do about food and drink?"
"I'm not sure." He frowned in concentration. He hadn't really thought about that.
"Maybe we can Apparate it?" he mused.
"You know that it will just make us hungrier and thirstier." She was very blunt.
"Well, it's already almost ten in the morning. Why not wait two hours or so, and then one of us can sneak down to get the food?"
"All right. Would you rather stay here or get the rations?"
"Whichever one you'd prefer not to do."
She was poised in thought. "I think I will go and get the food," she said slowly. "Then I can check on the teachers in the other houses and try to get them some of the supplies, too. Or at least tell them they may wish to do the same. Thank goodness every house now has one male and one female head in it."
"All right. Until then . . ."
"We wait." She sounded slightly saddened by this thought. "We could organize a game of some sort."
"Like what? Most wizarding games are for two people."
"I know some Muggle games." She stood with a smile. "How about Heads Up, Seven Up? Or Hide-and-Go-Seek? Perhaps Four Corners?"
"Children's games," Harry said while grinning madly.
"Yes, well," Alice managed while trying to act hurt, "you're never too old to connect with your inner child."
"Something us old fogies would know so much about."
"Isn't it though?" She grinned. "I'll go find any interested girls. Meet you back here?"
"Yeah, sure."
They went their separate ways to scrounge up enough students to play the games that were reminiscent of their pasts.
Alice scurried down the corridor, a sack behind her full of food and bottled water. She was headed toward Slytherin House, which was down in the dungeons. She had already visited Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw; both were following the Gryffindor lead and sneaking to the kitchens.
She made it to the entrance of the Slytherin House: a small patch of bare stone wall. "Mudbloods," she whispered, and it swung cleanly open on its hinges.
Several cruel faces turned to glare at her. She smiled slightly. "Is Severus here?"
"What do you want with him, Miss Coward?" one of them snickered.
"Very funny," she muttered under her breath. "Have you any food? Or drink?" she asked aloud.
They hesitated, but only for a moment. "No, and we don't want any that you Gryffindors would offer us. It's probably tainted with something," sniffed a black-haired, pointy-chinned girl in the corner.
"I wasn't going to bring you any," Alice scoffed. "I just wanted to tell you that the kitchen is open and that if either Severus or Ms. Eweling wanted to go fetch rations, they are very welcome to do so." She frowned. "Where are your heads of house, exactly?" she inquired, already knowing the answer.
"We don't know," they admitted. "They must have gone on the search with the rest of the staff. We'd figured that all of the teachers had."
She sighed. "They went, although they weren't supposed to. Harry's going to have a fit." She bit her lip.
"Okay, we're going on a raid of the pantry. Follow me; I'm dropping this food off at Gryffindor, and then I'm going to take all of you to the kitchen. Bring back the food and drink that you can carry, and—I will stay with you all until the search party returns."
"As you say, Miss Oak." At least they weren't as rude as most people expected them to be. Not all the time, that is.
"Or maybe you should stay here . . . I don't know if Dumbledore would want all of you knowing where Gryffindor is located."
"Most of us know."
"Yes, but not all of you. Very well, come along."
The students filed out after the young teacher, who led them on a wild goose chase through the castle and to Gryffindor Tower, where the Pink Lady's portrait was.
She looked rather flabbergasted to see the mess of Slytherin students behind her.
"You know I know the password," she muttered. "Please open, and I will go."
The Pink Lady gulped. "All right, all right . . ."
The portrait swung open to reveal a small group with anxious faces. The looks on their faces turned to those of horror when they saw all the Slytherins behind her.
"You behave, or you'll be awfully sorry that you ever dealt with someone as powerful as me," she threatened as she leapt through the portrait hole.
"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" she teased as she stepped into the room. "Here's the food, dole it out and rationalize . . . the Slytherin leaders left with the search party, so I'm going to stay at their house, all right? Be good for Harry . . . do what he tells you . . . toodles!"
With that, she was already scrambling back through the portrait hole. No one in all of Gryffindor had moved or said a word. Suddenly Harry shouted, "Wait!"
"Yes?" She paused in the space between the walls.
"Take care, will you?"
"Of course. I don't suspect I'll see any of you until tomorrow, all right? G'night!"
The portrait swung into place behind her. Dusting her hands with one another, she glanced them over. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's head out!"
They followed her on another long journey through corridors and over stairways to the Great Hall, and through one last small door into the kitchen. There she met one of the Ravenclaw leaders. She looked rather surprised to see Alice with all the Slytherin students, but said nothing. As soon as the small, stooped woman had left, Alice shooed all the children into the Great Hall where they sat at their normal table. She then began to gather food for them all.
The kitchen was a small, stone room with no windows and only one door. The walls were cluttered with stoves, cabinets, and counters. There was a small water pump in one corner of the room. Alice filled several small barrels with water for later, and then began to fill cups with it. This will take forever, she thought despairingly.
"Miss Oak? May we help?" A few of the seventh years were standing in the frame of the narrow doorway.
"Oh, yes, that would be wonderful." She must have looked exhausted, pushing a lock of golden hair from her eyes as some sweat trickled down her temple, because one of the boys pulled a chair from the corner of the room over to her. She sat gratefully. "Thank you," she exclaimed, leaning back and putting a hand to her forehead.
"No problem. What all should we serve up, Cook?"
"Oh, whatever is lying around. I feel awfully guilty, just sitting here—"
"Well, don't. You've done a lot for us already. Just sit back and relax, for once! We've heard that you'd work yourself to death if people didn't watch out for you."
"Have you?" She didn't sound at all enthused or surprised by the comment.
"Of course. Now, we'll serve some bread, and some cheese, and perhaps some apples . . ." one of the girls thought aloud.
"And I'll start to pack things up!" another girl exclaimed.
"And I will serve," the boy said with a wolfish grin and an elaborate bow.
"And I'll sleep," Alice moaned. "Wake me when you're done!"
"As the cook wishes," chirped the taller girl, stuffing several loaves of bread into a large burlap potato sack.
"Bring this tray to the table, Jim," the short brunette ordered.
"Yes ma'am!" He took the tray and with mock elegance brought it to the others. "Dinner is served," they heard him announce to his fellow classmates.
"He's a handful," Alice muttered.
"Isn't he? I wish he'd hurry, here's some water for him to carry out . . ."
Alice drifted off into a troubled sleep.
"I hope she's okay," Harry whispered to Ginny.
"I'm sure she is, so stop worrying. Really, Harry, with the way you're worrying about her, one would think you're . . . Harry! Are you? Are you and Alice—"
"Hush! Nothing's official."
Her wild red hair vividly outlined her pale, pointy face, and her eyes that were sparkling with excitement. "Oh, you two would be absolutely darling together! Really, Harry, you should—"
"Would you mind being quieter?" he hissed between clenched teeth. Glancing around the room to see if anyone might be listening, he muttered, "Anyway, I'm not sure she's interested in me."
"How could she not be!" Ginny exclaimed, almost forgetting to keep her voice lowered. In a slightly softer voice, she whispered hoarsely, "If you're worried about her and Frank, don't. Really, Harry. They're not close like that. They're friends."
"All right, all right. Let's change the subject, shall we?"
It was already getting dark. There was no clock in the tower; Harry reached for his pocket watch. "Five o'clock," he muttered. "I wonder when they're returning?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Alice said she'd see us in the morning, most likely. But would they really spend the night out in those wretched woods? That would be insanity, Harry."
"Yeah, it would, but they're worried. Dumbledore has vanished without a trace. Ron—" He cut himself off, remembering with whom he was speaking.
"Continue, please." Ginny sounded slightly choked.
"Well, he still hasn't shown up. And then there are all those attacks, and the . . . occurrence last night."
"What did happen?"
"Someone managed to get inside the castle, and then escaped through a window over fifteen feet off the ground."
"Jumping dragons," she whispered incredulously. Who? Why?"
"Exactly what I want to know," admitted Harry. He finished the water that remained in the cup before him. "How much more food and water do we have, Ginny?"
"Not enough." She grimaced. "Two small barrels of water and a sack of stale bread and cheese. Maybe a bruised apple or two. It will hardly last us through the night."
"As I'd figured. Well, I guess we'll ration it out and people can eat and drink it as they find necessary. Every little bit is precious. I hope the Slytherins are faring better."
"I'm sure they're fine, with Alice in charge. Now don't worry about her anymore, Harry. Think of what's at hand."
"I'll try, I'll try. How many students do we have?"
"Hmm . . . I'm not sure. Shall we call a headcount, and then pass out the food?"
"Yes, why don't we do that."
Ginny couldn't suppress her giggle. "Sorry, I just feel like we're at a military camp or something."
"Perhaps it would be better if we were." Harry was far too worried and somber to be lighthearted.
"Why don't you go lie down and get some rest, Harry? I'll handle everything. You've been in charge since dawn, practically. You must be exhausted . . ."
"Thanks, Ginny."
"No problem," she assured him.
Harry was heading toward the stairs to the boys' dormitories. "Ginny?"
"Yes?"
"I'm glad to see you've finally grown up."
Ginny sensed some truth and some humor in it. She threw it off, saying, "See, you're feeling better already. Now go, before I have to march you up there!"
Alice and the Slytherins were chattering in their rather formidable common room. Only small green lamps hanging on chains lit the roughly hewn stone walls and ceiling. Sitting in the high-backed black chairs before the fireplace, the group was swapping stories and the like.
"I'm glad there were no classes," a very delicate looking girl with black curls admitted.
"Well, aren't we all, in a way?" Alice kindly interjected. Everyone turned to stare at her as though she were crazy.
"Teaching's fun," she continued, "but grading assignments is not. And taking care of trouble makers and the like is not a pleasurable task, either."
"Then why are you teaching?"
"To be around people like you, of course," she replied with a slight smile. "Anyway . . . not to change the topic or anything, but what shall we do now?"
"We don't know," they all mumbled together.
"Hmm . . . well, it's already eleven, isn't it? I don't think the staff plans on coming back tonight. Why don't we retire?"
"Sounds good." The students were far more tired than they would let their teacher know.
"Well, g'night all. Sleep well. If they come back, I'll be sure to awaken you all."
"Yes, do that." They were already heading up the stairs to their dormitories.
Alice sat in one of the armchairs, sighing as she took off her black slippers with their gold embroidery. Her feet ached after trying to keep watch over the students all day long. She leaned back, stretched her arms, and propped her feet up on the nearest chair.
"All I need is some rest," she told herself. "It's been a long day . . ."
All I need is Harry, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Alice awoke to find a very tired looking McGonagall standing in front of her.
Startled, she scrambled to rise to her feet. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep—"
"It's fine, it's fine." McGonagall sat down in the chair next to Alice's. Alice slowly relaxed back into her armchair.
"So . . ."
"Well, as you probably already know, Dumbledore has vanished without a trace, as has Ron. Also, the other victims of the Voldemort attacks are . . . gone. They've disappeared and we don't know where to begin looking. Meanwhile, we're going to need a person sit in for Dumbledore, and I'm going to take the job. We don't think classes are necessary at a time like this. Instead, we wish to teach the importance of defending yourself against the Dark Arts. Of course, you and Harry are our expert residents on the topic. So we'd want each of you to teach two Houses." She looked her over. "Oh, yes . . . Snape is back, so you can go back to Gryffindor now. Somehow he and the other head of house forgot their duties here . . . go on, I'll talk to you later. Today, we rest."
"All right. Sweet dreams." Alice left the room and wandered down the hallway, weaving through corridors and hallways to get back to Gryffindor Tower. To get back to her students. To get back to Harry.