"I'm going straight to Professor Dumbledore," Harry said with firm
certainty. Hermione's eyes widened.
"But Harry, d'you think Dumbledore will have time to listen to us complain about a teacher? He does have other things to do," she said frowning.
Harry was silent and walked faster. His brow creased and his hands shook with anger as he played the scene in Potions over in his mind. "Don't you want to get back at him, Hermione? Don't you want to just get him sacked for what he did to you?"
Hermione nodded, "Yes, but that's not within my power. Harry, I'm really upset, but there's nothing I can do about it. We'll see what happens with Professor Dumbledore, but I don't think HE can do much about it either."
They had reached the front of Professor Dumbledore's office. Thinking quickly into his mind, Harry searched for the right password. "Cockroach cluster!" he shouted, fearing that the password would have changed. However, the gargoyle slowed opened and they were admitted into the hall. A giant door stood in front of them. Harry raised his hand and knocked hard three times.
~~~
There was no answer. Harry, disturbed, knocked again. Still, no one came to answer it. Ron, thinking that perhaps Harry had not knocked hard enough, stepped up to the door and thumped enormous bangs onto it, almost breaking his knuckles. He sucked on his hands for a few minutes as they turned beet red. Yet, there was STILL no answer. Harry was thoroughly worried now. He paced up and down the hall.
"He should be in there, he's always in his office. Where else could he be?" Harry muttered out loud.
"In Professor McGonagall's office?" Ron grinned.
Hermione frowed at him and said, "Well, maybe he went to lunch or something. He'll be back soon."
Harry stopped and shook his head, "No, I don't think that's where he went. Professor Dumbledore's usually in his office or at the Great Hall, but it's not time for lunch yet." He resumed pacing and muttering to himself. The three of them waited for half an hour in front of Dumbledore's office, not caring of the classes they were missing, except for Hermione, who gave occasional groans at the thought of playing hooky.
Finally, Harry stopped pacing and said, as though a light bulb suddenly flashed in his head, "I know! My Maurader's Map!" Hermione was delighted at Harry's brilliance and Ron was slapping Harry on the back as though he had won the Quidditch Cup as they headed back toward the Gryffindor common room.
Harry fetched his map and flicked it open. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he said quietly, careful not to catch anyone's attention. Hermione and Ron leaned toward him as the map slowly came into view. They scanned the page, but found no miniscule dot labeled Professor Dumbledore. Unnerved, they looked over it again. There was still no sign of Dumbledore. For another three times, Harry, Ron, and Hermione searched the map for the headmaster, and three times they failed. The truth eventually dawned upon them.
Professor Dumbledore was not in Hogwarts.
~~~
"Professor Dumbledore is...gone..." Harry said in a dazed voice, "Where did he go?" Harry had a blank expression on his face. He sank into a chair in the corner of the room; Hermione and Ron seated themselves beside him. Hermione looked worried at Harry's uncertainty and frowned gently. Ron looked startled, "He can't just be GONE, Harry, he hasn't just disappeared." Harry didn't reply. He tapped carelessly at his map as he sat deep in thought, wondering where Professor Dumbledore was and why he would pick up his things and leave in the middle of a term. "Bet it's something secret," Harry said dully, quite delirious and not really knowing what he was saying. "Like he went on a mission or something." Harry continued, still tapping at his map with his wand in hand, "Some secret place on earth."
This sentence seemed to create somewhat of an effect. The map that had been sitting on the table suddenly stirred. It gave a twirl in midair and gently floated down. The lines of the map slowly began to fade. Ron gaped at the map, not sure what to make of it. Hermione was quiet as the map began to take shape again. New lines were being drawn over the parchment. Hermione looked thoughtfully at it, thinking it rang a bell. She cocked her head as she continued to observe it.
The lines depicted mountains and grasslands and a shabby looking castle. There was nothing special about this map. Unlike the Marauder's Map, it had no dots or small letters. It was but a map of some faraway country. Harry raised his eyebrow, thinking it was some joke his father and his friends were playing on them and began to take the map away when Hermione reached out her arm and grabbed his hand. "No, Harry. Don't. Wait." She took the map into her own hands and studied it. There were rows of beautiful mountains encircling the grasslands of the castle. It was familiar, like a long ago dream, musty, but still visible in her mind. She thought hard, and suddenly, it hit her like a rock.
"Harry!" She gasped, "Harry, it's Durmstrang!"
"But Harry, d'you think Dumbledore will have time to listen to us complain about a teacher? He does have other things to do," she said frowning.
Harry was silent and walked faster. His brow creased and his hands shook with anger as he played the scene in Potions over in his mind. "Don't you want to get back at him, Hermione? Don't you want to just get him sacked for what he did to you?"
Hermione nodded, "Yes, but that's not within my power. Harry, I'm really upset, but there's nothing I can do about it. We'll see what happens with Professor Dumbledore, but I don't think HE can do much about it either."
They had reached the front of Professor Dumbledore's office. Thinking quickly into his mind, Harry searched for the right password. "Cockroach cluster!" he shouted, fearing that the password would have changed. However, the gargoyle slowed opened and they were admitted into the hall. A giant door stood in front of them. Harry raised his hand and knocked hard three times.
~~~
There was no answer. Harry, disturbed, knocked again. Still, no one came to answer it. Ron, thinking that perhaps Harry had not knocked hard enough, stepped up to the door and thumped enormous bangs onto it, almost breaking his knuckles. He sucked on his hands for a few minutes as they turned beet red. Yet, there was STILL no answer. Harry was thoroughly worried now. He paced up and down the hall.
"He should be in there, he's always in his office. Where else could he be?" Harry muttered out loud.
"In Professor McGonagall's office?" Ron grinned.
Hermione frowed at him and said, "Well, maybe he went to lunch or something. He'll be back soon."
Harry stopped and shook his head, "No, I don't think that's where he went. Professor Dumbledore's usually in his office or at the Great Hall, but it's not time for lunch yet." He resumed pacing and muttering to himself. The three of them waited for half an hour in front of Dumbledore's office, not caring of the classes they were missing, except for Hermione, who gave occasional groans at the thought of playing hooky.
Finally, Harry stopped pacing and said, as though a light bulb suddenly flashed in his head, "I know! My Maurader's Map!" Hermione was delighted at Harry's brilliance and Ron was slapping Harry on the back as though he had won the Quidditch Cup as they headed back toward the Gryffindor common room.
Harry fetched his map and flicked it open. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he said quietly, careful not to catch anyone's attention. Hermione and Ron leaned toward him as the map slowly came into view. They scanned the page, but found no miniscule dot labeled Professor Dumbledore. Unnerved, they looked over it again. There was still no sign of Dumbledore. For another three times, Harry, Ron, and Hermione searched the map for the headmaster, and three times they failed. The truth eventually dawned upon them.
Professor Dumbledore was not in Hogwarts.
~~~
"Professor Dumbledore is...gone..." Harry said in a dazed voice, "Where did he go?" Harry had a blank expression on his face. He sank into a chair in the corner of the room; Hermione and Ron seated themselves beside him. Hermione looked worried at Harry's uncertainty and frowned gently. Ron looked startled, "He can't just be GONE, Harry, he hasn't just disappeared." Harry didn't reply. He tapped carelessly at his map as he sat deep in thought, wondering where Professor Dumbledore was and why he would pick up his things and leave in the middle of a term. "Bet it's something secret," Harry said dully, quite delirious and not really knowing what he was saying. "Like he went on a mission or something." Harry continued, still tapping at his map with his wand in hand, "Some secret place on earth."
This sentence seemed to create somewhat of an effect. The map that had been sitting on the table suddenly stirred. It gave a twirl in midair and gently floated down. The lines of the map slowly began to fade. Ron gaped at the map, not sure what to make of it. Hermione was quiet as the map began to take shape again. New lines were being drawn over the parchment. Hermione looked thoughtfully at it, thinking it rang a bell. She cocked her head as she continued to observe it.
The lines depicted mountains and grasslands and a shabby looking castle. There was nothing special about this map. Unlike the Marauder's Map, it had no dots or small letters. It was but a map of some faraway country. Harry raised his eyebrow, thinking it was some joke his father and his friends were playing on them and began to take the map away when Hermione reached out her arm and grabbed his hand. "No, Harry. Don't. Wait." She took the map into her own hands and studied it. There were rows of beautiful mountains encircling the grasslands of the castle. It was familiar, like a long ago dream, musty, but still visible in her mind. She thought hard, and suddenly, it hit her like a rock.
"Harry!" She gasped, "Harry, it's Durmstrang!"