CHAPTER 17: NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM AND VOLDEMORT
"Mister Potter!" Snape exclaimed.
Harry groaned and sat up. He looked around. The Hall was dead silent except for the sound of Malfoy crying and coughing.
Harry looked over at his defeated foe. Malfoy was sobbing; tears were streaming down his blood-streaked face. He had a bloody nose and he was clutching his shoulder.
"Mister Potter, do you understand the seriousness of what you have just done? You have attacked a fellow student. In case you haven't already realized, Mister Potter, wizards fight with wands, not their fists." Snape sounded stern. "Do you understand… can you comprehend how much trouble you are in!? Why, when I'm through with you…"
Harry knew for sure he was going to be expelled…
"Severus!" Professor McGonagall hissed at Snape fiercely, "Enough! Harry and his friends were being badgered by some of the Slytherin students, led by Mr. Malfoy. He merely got angry. Wouldn't you? Get angry, I mean?"
"No." Snape insisted. "I would never take out my anger in violence."
"Liar…" Harry said to himself.
"Well," Professor McGonagall persisted, "I believe we can agree upon, say, 15 points from Gryffindor? And 15 from Slytherin? For the taunting, you know…"
Harry stared up at Snape.
Snape narrowed his eyes, and, without saying a word, gave Harry a look of utter hatred and disgust.
"Good." McGonagall said firmly. She placed her arm around Harry's shoulder and led him out of the Hall and into the Gryffindor commons. When they arrived in the empty room, Professor McGonagall sat Harry down at a table.
"Professor, I'm - I'm sorry, I…" Harry began
"I don't want to hear it, Harry." McGonagall interrupted. She sighed and rested her head in her hand. "Harry…"
There was a long pause. Harry bit his lip and stared at the ground. After awhile, the Professor spoke again.
"You're lucky I did that, Harry, I-"
"I know, thank you, I mean-" Harry cried out. Professor McGonagall held up her hand, as if to silence Harry, who was quiet immediately.
"Harry, you are completely justified in being angry. However, I can not tell you that it is all right for you to use violence." She sighed and rubbed her temple as if she had a headache.
"Professor…" Harry started to say, "Hermione is my friend. I mean, she is… special to me. I couldn't help it… I'm - I'm… I'm sorry." Harry stared at the floor.
The professor sighed again. "Harry…" she said, but then she pursed her lips and merely stood up. She began to walk calmly out of the commons, but turned around again.
"Harry, I hope you understand… It's only fair… you and Mr. Malfoy, detentions." Professor McGonagall didn't wait for a response from Harry. She exited, and Harry sat alone at a table, in complete silence.
After a half hour, Harry began to wonder if they had forgotten about him. He wondered if the dance had continued. He wondered if it would be all right if he went to his dormitory to get a book to read. He wondered if he should go find someone.
But Harry eventually decided to just sit where he was.
After an hour and a half, fellow Gryffindors began to file into the commons. Harry assumed the dance was over. Some of the Gryffindors approached Harry, though every last one looked at him as they entered. Harry felt his face grow hot. He realized that he had acted quite immaturely, but so, too, did the Slytherins!
Ron rushed over to Harry. He looked quite worried.
"Harry! Hermione left the dance, because the Slytherins were making so much fun of her! She said you would know where she had gone. She said…" Ron caught his breath; it was obvious that he had run all the way to the commons, "She said for you to go see her."
Harry nodded. He figured Hermione was on the roof. She had a habit of escaping to the rooftop above the Gryffindor Tower when the library was full and she needed to study, or when she was upset.
Sure enough, when Harry ascended the stairs up towards the door that led to the roof, he could hear muffled sobbing.
When Harry opened the door, it creaked noisily. He heard Hermione gasp, but she looked relieved when she saw it was just Harry.
"Oh… Harry!" Hermione said. Harry smiled at her.
"What's the matter, Hermione?" Harry asked.
Hermione gulped. She had a mug of pumpkin juice, several cookies, and a thick book entitled, "History of Muggle-Wizard Relations" beside her.
"Harry, why did you get in a fight? You didn't have to. Didn't you know Malfoy can't fistfight? That's a Muggle thing, only us Mudbloods" She said the last word fiercely, sounding bitter. "Would know how to fight."
Harry gave Hermione a mischievous grin, and raised his eyebrows impishly. Hermione laughed through her tears.
"Look, Hermione," Harry declared, "I didn't want to… I just did. It was instinct, I just… lunged." Harry laughed.
Hermione sighed. She laid back on the roof, staring up at the clear sky. Harry looked skyward as well, and examined the bright constellations. It was a beautiful night.
"Well, Harry…" Hermione said about a half-hour later, sitting up, "I'm going in to bed. We do have class tomorrow."
Harry nodded. He headed inside and into the boys' dormitory. He bid Ron a good night, but noticed that Neville Longbottom was nowhere to be found. He wasn't in his bed, nor was he in the Gryffindor commons.
"Ron?" Harry pondered, when he returned to his bedroom. Ron sait up slowly, yawning.
"Wha-" He stifled another yawn.
"Where's Neville?" Harry sounded worried.
Ron thought for a while. He looked over to Neville's empty, made bed. Harry saw Seamus Finnegan sit up as well.
"I dunno…" Ron whispered.
The three boys spent the whole night looking for Neville but couldn't find him anywhere. Finally, at three o'clock in the morning, Harry and Ron decided that they needed to get to bed. They suggested theories like, Perhaps Neville was with Professor Dumbledore, or maybe he's in the hospital wing. In any case, they returned to the dormitory, all of them more than a bit concerned.
Harry decided to open "The Road to Nowhere". The clue was a picture of a snake, surrounded by pure white. Standing above the snake was a man. Harry recognized the man. It was Wormtail, Voldemort's personal assistant. Harry gulped. The memories of the end of last year were still fresh in his mind… the death-eaters in the circle surrounding Wormtail, with his mutilated arm, Harry bound to a tombstone… The Adava Kedavra spell being cast on Cedric, by Voldemort. Seeing Voldemort's rebirth as he assumed a new body, which consisted partly of Harry's blood. The memories were so painful… Harry drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
In the morning, Neville was still missing. At breakfast, though, Harry got a clue as to where Neville might have been, or at least who had taken him.
Harry could tell that the Slytherins were all extremely angry and bitter at Harry for fighting with Malfoy. As he walked past the Slytherin table, Harry distinctly heard several people mumble,
"Longbottom, yeah." and, "It was that horrid Neville boy."
Malfoy wasn't at breakfast either; Pansy Parkinson said he was in the hospital wing, and she looked maliciously at Harry as she declared,
"Because of how you beat him up."
"Madam Pomfrey will fix him up, I have no doubt." Harry stated coolly, refusing to apologize in any way to a Slytherin.
Pansy sniffed and turned her nose up at Harry. She pivoted on her foot and walked away without another word.
Harry sighed and headed for the Gryffindor table. He saw Crabbe and Goyle at the Slytherin table. They were wearing pins that Malfoy had made last year. They originally said "Support Cedric Diggory - the REAL Hogwart's Champion", but since Cedric was dead… well, even thick prats like Crabbe and Goyle knew that that statement was no longer appropriate. However, Malfoy had bewitched the buttons to also say "POTTER STINKS", which is what Crabbe and Goyle flashed at Harry, who merely shook his head and looked back at his friends.
"Where is Neville?" Hermione pondered, more to herself than anyone else. But before anyone could answer her, the screeching of owls filled the Great Hall. The post owls had arrived.
A copy of the Daily Prophet was dropped in front of Hermione, and an envelope was placed before Ron. Harry looked disappointed; no mail had come for him.
Hermione gasped. "Harry!" She exclaimed, "How did they find out! I know it wasn't Rita Skeeter, she's still a beetle!"
"What? What's the problem?" Ron demanded.
"Oh, here it says it's written by Mary Turpertop." Hermione cried, ignoring Ron.
"What was written by Mary Turpertop and who is she?!" Ron yelled.
Hermione pursed her lips and handed the paper silently to Harry. Ron leaned over to get a look as well. Madeline stood up to read over Harry's shoulder. Harry read out loud.
"HARRY POTTER'S ANGER TURNS PHYSICAL
In a bizarre incident at the Hogwart's School Halloween Ball, legendary boy-wizard sensation Harry Potter attacked a fellow student, writes Mary Turpertop, Daily Prophet correspondent.
According to several sources, Harry Potter has an immense dislike for the student he attacked, Draco Malfoy. Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, is a respected benefactor of many esteemed charities and causes throughout the wizarding community in England.
"Some kids made a comment about Harry's friend, Hermione Granger," said Hogwart's student Pansy Parkinson, "So Harry just pounced on Draco! He punched him! He beat him up with his FISTS! He didn't even have the decency to duel with his wand or anything." Pansy's eyes welled up as she declared, "I really hope Draco's okay. We all do. We're all really mad at Harry."
Your Daily Prophet reporter researched the Hermione Granger previously mentioned. It was found that Hermione Granger is an ugly, brown-nosing suck up to the teachers at Hogwart's, and that she has a romantic interest in Harry Potter.
"I think Potter's sweet on Granger." Said Draco Malfoy, who was nice enough to give us an exclusive interview from his sickbed in the Hogwart's hospital wing, "That's why he attacked me. He has no sense of humour. He didn't even realize I was just kidding… I just hope justice will brought to the situation."
So does the Daily Prophet, Draco. Until then, one can only hope that no more vicious attacks occur at such a reputable school.
"THAT HORRID WOMAN!" Hermione shouted, "She's just as bad as Rita Skeeter! They must have chosen her to replace Skeeter."
Ron shook his head. Harry stared at his eggs as several Slytherin students approached the table, brandishing their copies of the Daily Prophet.
"Heh, heh… heh!" Crabbe guffawed brainlessly, pointing at the cover story.
"Look… Harry Potter is in the paper again!" Pansy Parkinson jeered, "It never seems like your in there to make you look good, Potter, do you notice? Seems as though every time you're put in the paper, they make you look bad… I almost feel sorry for you… almost being the operative word there." The rest of the Slytherin gang laughed behind her, as they sauntered away.
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As the day carried on, Neville didn't show up. He was simply missing without a trace.
As the hours turned into days, the situation grew dire. Sirius, Dumbledore, and McGonagall seemed especially concerned. However, Harry noticed that Snape didn't seem particularly worried.
Four days after Neville disappeared, Harry and Hermione decided to look for him after lunch. Ron opted to attend class, as he had received a detention just two days prior for calling a Slytherin boy a horrible name, when he didn't know Snape was standing right behind him.
"You do realize we'll get detentions for skipping class, right, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"I don't care." Hermione said firmly. "Finding Neville is more important."
Harry agreed, so he nodded. After the meal, Hermione and Harry waited until everyone was in class to look around for Neville.
They passed through corridors, searching every nook and cranny. They went to the hospital wing, but the only patient there was Malfoy, who was sleeping.
Harry chortled when he saw Malfoy, but, concentrating on the task at hand, the two left the wing and continued searching. As they walked down one particular hallway, the two passed a door.
Suddenly, Hermione stopped abruptly. She backed up, taking Harry with her.
"That door has never been there before." She declared, looked suspiciously at it.
"You're right… we know this place like the back of our hands, too…" Harry reached for the knob tentatively. The door was locked.
Behind him, Hermione said, "Alohomora!" quietly, so as not to disturb any of the classes around them. Harry heard a slight "Click" from inside the door. With a curious glance back at an apprehensive-looking Hermione, Harry opened the door. He stepped inside, followed by Hermione. The door slammed behind him. Harry didn't notice. He was mesmerized by the brightness of the walls, and the floor, for that matter, and the ceiling. There was nothing to distinguish one from the other. The entire chamber was bright white, and dimensionless.
Harry heard an audible "Ahh!" from behind him; apparently Hermione was amazed by the room as well. Harry had no idea how big the room was, because one couldn't tell where anything started or ended.
However, the thing in the room that really astonished Harry was the path leading straight down the middle of the room. The trail seemed to lead on forever. Harry couldn't see the end.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed breathily, "It's - it's! I don't believe it! It's the Road to Nowhere!"
Harry turned around, wide-eyed. He stared at Hermione. "Do you really think-"
Hermione nodded rapidly and seemed quite sure indeed. Harry turned back around, and was face-to-face with another person. It wasn't Hermione.
It was Wormtail.
"You're here… took you long enough to find this place." Wormtail was very surly.
"You didn't used to be so confident." Harry crossed his arms defiantly.
Wormtail ignored Harry as his eyes traveled onto Hermione. "Oh. She's here. We weren't expecting her." Wormtail dismissed the situation. "No matter. The more, the better, I suppose." He turned back to Harry. "Oh, and, by the way. The reason I am so much more sure of myself is because my master is growing stronger, and therefore, so am I. You will soon learn the consequences of your foolishness. You all will. My Lord grows stronger every day, gains more power. We have been waiting for your curiosity to get the better of you… we began to think you weren't coming. So we took another boy… with a name we recognized… Longbottom."
"YOU took Neville!" Hermione cried out. "We thought it was the Slytherins."
Wormtail laughed a cruel, cold laugh. "No." He declared. "That was my doing. We lured Neville here."
"How." Harry demanded.
"The same way we lured you here," Wormtail verbalized disrespectfully, "Curiosity. Now, My Lord is deriving strength from the foolish boy." He smiled wickedly.
Harry's scar began to hurt. His hand shot up to his head.
"Harry? All right?" Hermione said from behind him.
"My Lord is near!" Wormtail shouted crazily. "He is coming! Follow me."
Wormtail turned around and started down the path. Harry and Hermione tried to make a run for it through the door. But a double curse from behind them made the two stop.
"Crucio!" Wormtail shrieked. Hermione fell to the floor, writhing in pain and agony, screaming louder than Harry had ever heard someone scream. Harry whipped out his wand, prepared to fight back if need be.
"Let her go!" Harry shouted, but to no avail. Wormtail cackled insanely.
"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at Wormtail. Wormtail collapsed.
"Quiesco!" Harry screamed, pointing his wand towards Hermione. Hermione stopped twitching and stood up. Harry rushed over towards her to see if she was all right. But then, from behind him came an icy voice.
"Ennervate." It was Voldemort. He had just revived Wormtail. A dull-looking Neville Longbottom was at his side, silent and emotionless.
Harry fell to his knees in pain. He could hear the voices of Voldemort and Wormtail. Harry's head was searing with pain. It was torture, Harry thought. He thought his head was going to burst with the intense agony he was attempting to endure. Harry couldn't tell whether or not he was screaming.
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When Harry woke up, he was lying on the ground in the white chamber. The door from whence he and Hermione had come was nowhere in sight. Harry looked up. His scar was hurting dully, but most of the pain had subsided. Although, when he looked up, Harry saw Voldemort, with his snake-like face and red eyes. Hermione and Neville were both bound by silver ropes and gags. Neville seemed much more animated than before, which led Harry to believe he had been under some curse or hex that had been reversed.
Voldemort stared directly at Harry. After a pause, Voldemort spoke to Harry - in Parseltongue.
Harry understood what Voldemort was saying.
"Foolish boy… we meet again. Soon you shall be my crushed enemy. You have defeated me before, Harry Potter, but not again. Not again. I am planned this since last year. I no longer need you for strength. But I am returning to power. And I shall be most powerful without you to worry about. Soon I shall not have to worry… you will be dead. You will meet the same fate as your idiotic parents…" He reached for his wand, but Harry got there first.
Harry had a split-second to decide what to do. He could put a simpler curse on Voldemort, but how much trouble would he get in with the ministry for issuing an Unforgivable Curse against the wizard everyone was after? None. He wouldn't be in trouble.
"Adava Kedavra!" Harry screamed.
Voldemort seemed shocked to hear Harry cast such a serious spell. He looked frightened. Voldemort dropped his wand. He was hit with the red beam of light from Harry's wand. There was a flash of green light. Harry closed his eyes and prayed.
Please, he thought, let him die… let the man who ruined so many lives die… let him die…
Harry looked back at Voldemort. He was dead.