_Author's Note_: Yet another update. I think the story is about half over. I hope to get the next several chapters posted before Friday (06/13/02). There'll be none for a week after that.
Chapter 7: The Spy
The early weeks of November were slow and tedious for most of the students. The Professors had long been settled into the routine of things. Samuel and McGonagall continued working on Samuel's abilities twice a week. His control over his abilities grew stronger each day. He was able to bend light, and heighten his senses, among other things. Neither of them were sure where their mice had gone to on Halloween night, or why there was someone in an abandoned wing of the school. Samuel slipped out of the Gryffindor Tower each night until early in the morning to find the old wing. One night he heard the sound of footsteps in the distance.
"It's a girl." He said quietly to himself. "Who would be sneaking out at this hour."
He silently, but swiftly followed the sound of the footsteps down several hallways and corridors until he came to a solid wall, he backtracked down the hall he was in and looked down the intersection. There were no other passageways leading towards the sound. He carefully examined the wall looking for anything out of the ordinary. On one side of the hall there was a single sconce. Samuel pulled on it, then twisted. Slowly the bricks making the end of the hall started to fold open. The noise of grinding stone echoed through the hallway. Without even thinking Samuel stopped the air around the opening from moving, silencing the wall. The footsteps stopped a moment, then started again. Samuel passed through the opening and the wall closed behind him. He released his hold on the air and made his way towards the footsteps. Quickly he made his way through halls, and rooms all connected. The footsteps grew louder and louder as he closed in on them. Shadows deepened around him and he seemed to blend in with them. Samuel found himself in a long hallway, at the end he could see a large open area.
"A tower" he thought to himself.
He drew near to the door of the tower and hid behind a set of armour that was in an alcove in the wall.
"Take this to the master." A young sounding feminine voice said quietly. "Hurry."
The faint sound of wings flapping was heard for a moment then it faded. After a few minutes the small form of a young girl started walking down the hall way. She was shrouded in a cloak that made her hard to see. Samuel scraped his foot on the floor accidentally. The girl stopped, and almost disappeared entirely. Samuel transfigured a small rock from his pocket into the form of a rat and caused it to run across the hall in front of the girl. Faster then lightning a small spike was stuck into the stone rat, and the girl swiftly ran down the hall, as silently as Samuel had. After waiting until the footsteps were silent, Samuel slipped from his hiding place to examine the rat. He folded shadows around himself as he stepped closer to the rat. Before he even touched the rat, the spike and the fake body disappeared.
"Nasty" he thought as he slowly made his way back to the dormitories. When he arrived at the Gryffindor dormitories he asked the Fat Lady if anyone had come through about half an hour before. The Fat Lady shook her head and fell back to sleep. Samuel made his way to the other House dormitories and talked to their portraits. The other portraits would not even wake up for Samuel. As he started back towards the tower, Peeves, the school Poltergeist dropped a pile of wet towels on his head. Samuel threw the towels down and looked up to see a cackling Peeves hovering over him.
"Hello Peeves, did you see anyone walking about?" Samuel asked.
Peeves shook his head and laughed. "No one you'd know." The poltergeist said.
"So you did see someone?" asked Samuel.
"I won't tell. I won't tell." Peeves sang in an annoying high pitched voice.
"Listen I don't have time for this, I need to know which way she went."
"PEEVES!" screamed Filch, the school caretaker as he came running towards Samuel.
Peeves hovered around Samuel and sang an annoying song about secrets.
"I'm warning you Peeves." Said Samuel. "Tell me or else."
"Or else what?" asked Peeves.
Samuel reached up and grabbed Peeves, as if he were solid and pinned him against the wall. "Now listen you snivelling little apparition. Tell me what you saw or we'll find out real quick of you can die or not." Samuel said. Peeves screamed loudly but no sound came out.
"Let me go I'll tell!" the poltergeist cried.
Filch stared at Samuel for a few moments in disbelief, then at Peeves and started laughing.
"Who was she?" asked Samuel.
"I don't know." Peeves cried. "She was cloaked, and fast."
"Which way did she go?" asked Samuel.
"She disappeared. I didn't see."
"Alright" Samuel said. "I'll let you go."
Peeves started to fly off, whimpering but suddenly stopped in midair, unable to move.
"Peeves, I don't have to touch you to trap you. One word of this to anyone and you'll have much worse then the Bloody Baron to deal with." Samuel said.
Peeves nodded. "I promise" he said sullenly. Samuel released him and he floated off and disappeared.
"How did you do that?" asked Filch. "I've waited all my life to see that."
"A little trick I learned." Samuel said. "Do you know the grounds very well?"
Filch nodded. "I do."
"There's an abandoned tower or something on the east side of the castle, somewhere. Do you know what and where it is?" asked Samuel.
"In the closed wing?" asked Filch.
"Yes."
"That was the old observatory." Said Filch. "Closed down when they built the new one. It started falling to pieces so the board had it sealed off."
"Could you take me there during the day?" asked Samuel.
"Why?" asked Filch. "You can't get in."
"I think I caught our spy sending a message, but I don't remember how I got to where she was at." Samuel whispered. "If I saw it during the day perhaps I could figure out how to catch her."
"I'll show you then." Whispered Filch. "When?"
"Tomorrow afternoon while everyone is in class." Samuel said.
Filch nodded. "Tomorrow is Saturday. I'll find you in the Great Hall, in the early morning when everyone is asleep. The kitchen servants will probably give you something to eat."
"Sure thing. I need to get some sleep." Samuel said with a yawn. "See you tomorrow".
Samuel waved to Filch and quietly made his way up the staircases to the Gryffindor tower. The night was short and the and the morning was unwelcome as Samuel sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. After slipping off to the staff wash rooms he dressed himself and made his way to the kitchens. He knocked on the kitchen door, and it opened. A small cheerful looking creature with long ears, and wearing a mismatched suit of clothing greeted him.
"It is a professor!" squeaked the house-elf. "Come in. What can we get you."
Samuel stepped inside the kitchen to see dozens of house-elves manning the stoves and milling about preparing breakfast. The elves greeted him cheerfully, offering him pastries.
"Great. I've entered the land of cheerful morning people." Samuel muttered to himself.
"Professor Green must be hungry. What can Dobby get for Professor?"
"Coffee, strong." Samuel said. "Something sweet, I think. Not too sweet, I'll need my strength."
The house-elf ran off and quickly brought back a mug of coffee and a plate with a large slice of mincemeat pie on it. Samuel thanked the house elf and seated himself at a table and started eating his pie.
"Is it to the professor's liking?" Dobby asked.
"It's wonderful." Samuel said. "Best breakfast I've had in ages. Dobby is your name? Are you the one that helped Potter?"
Dobby nodded. "Harry Potter helped Dobby too."
Samuel nodded. "His friends have told me good things about you. Is it true house-elves know some sort of magic?"
Dobby nodded enthusiastically. "We strong! We are servants though. We only use our powers to benefit our master. Unless we're free like Dobby."
Samuel nodded. "How interesting. Most of you are slaves?"
Dobby nodded. "We like it that way."
"One of my country's bloodiest war was fought over slavery. Thousands upon thousands died, brothers killed brothers, fathers fought against sons." Samuel said.
Dobby stared at the ground. "Did they want to be slaves?"
"Most didn't. It was a hard time. I'm depressing you. Has Filch stopped by yet?" Samuel asked.
"Just got here." Said a gruff voice behind Samuel. "Will one of you fetch me breakfast?"
Samuel turned around to see Filch standing behind him. "Morning how are you?"
"I've been better. You're right, bloody crime it is, keeping slaves." Said Filch as he sat across from Samuel. "Hermione Granger tried to convince them to get their freedom last year. She called it SPIT or some rubbish like that. I think if anyone is dumb enough to want to be enslaved even if they see freedom and it's benefits right in front of them, so be it."
Samuel nodded. "Quite the dilemma isn't it. Freedom is a responsibility though, I can see where they're coming from."
A house elf brought Filch a plate with a small loaf of bread and a slice of ham on it. Filch ate quickly while Samuel sipped his coffee.
"When you're done we'll go." Filch said as he finished off a tankard of something that one of the elves brought him.
"I didn't think they served beer in a school." Samuel commented as he wiped his hands.
"They use it for cooking. No one knows it's here." Filch said dismissively. "The elves won't bring it to me often, at least not with any alcohol in it."
Samuel wiped his hands and chuckled. "I'm ready when you are."
Filch and Samuel thanked the elves and left the kitchen. Samuel followed the caretaker through the building, watching carefully for anyone that might be awake. Filch brought them to a dead end at the far end of a hall that looked like it was once used for classrooms.
"They sealed it off." Said Filch. "No way through."
Samuel turned the sconce on the wall and the dead wall opened up. Filch shook his head and led Samuel down the halls of the abandoned wing and up three or four staircases.
"How long has it been like this?" asked Samuel.
"Oh it was sealed off shortly before my time I imagine." Filch said. "I don't really know when."
"You seem to know the halls pretty well." Samuel said.
"Aye, when I was a student here the observatory was still here." Filch commented as he slowly made his way down the halls. "I haven't been down these halls in ages."
"I thought you couldn't use magic?"
"I'm a squib, there's no doubt about that." Filch said. "My parents sent me here anyway. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving so I started working for the caretaker at the time. Here we are. The old observatory, and from the looks of it someone has been here."
Samuel knelt down and studied the floor. There were footprints in the dust leading a trail right up to the door of the tower. Filch opened up the door and stared inside the tower.
"Professor, you should see this." Filch said.
Samuel looked inside the tower. He found himself looking in a circular room at least twenty feet across. The wooden floor was spotless; there was no dust on the walls. The hinges of a small hatch in the middle of the room were well oiled and the brass torch holders on the walls had been recently polished.
"I think this has been going on for a lot longer then a few months." Samuel commented as he lifted the hatch. Filch walked around the room examining the fixtures then looked up at the ceiling.
"It gets better." He said.
Samuel looked up at the ceiling. There were hundreds and hundreds of bats hanging from the rafters. A few different species apparently made their homes here.
"Why would someone go to all the trouble of keeping this place up and not clear all those bats out?" Samuel asked.
"That flapping noise you told me about. I'll bet it was a bat used as a message carrier." Filch said.
"Of course. They could send it out when all these guys wake up. No one would ever see them." Samuel said.
Filch nodded. "Someone's coming."
Samuel quickly shut the hatch and the two walked out the door and shut it behind them. Filch pulled Samuel inside an abandoned classroom. They closed the door and Samuel looked through the keyhole. He pulled a small disk from his robes and set it on the floor and tapped it until it glowed blue.
"It's the same girl from last night." Samuel said. "I recognize the footsteps."
"Shh." Filch said.
"She can't hear us." Samuel said. "I hope she doesn't notice our tracks."
"I stepped in her footprints." Filch said.
"Damn. She's wearing that cloak." Samuel said.
"You could catch her."
"No, I want to know what she's sending out on those bats." Samuel said. "That may be far more important. Besides she has those darts, and she may be better trained then I think."
Filch agreed and they waited for the girl to leave the wing before stepping out of their room. Samuel entered the tower and examined one of the windows.
"Fresh droppings, she received a message." Samuel said. "We better leave now."
Filch nodded and the two quietly exited the wing. They made their way towards Filch's office.
"What's the plan?" asked Filch.
"Next week, I imagine she'll go there again. We'll have ourselves a little camping trip and intercept the message."
"How do you know she will?"
"It happened on a Friday. She probably sends weekly reports to her 'master'. This early on a Saturday morning when no one is up is the perfect time to receive a message. Owls and pigeons are always landing on strange parts of the castle. There are so many towers, spires, and third or fourth story wings that no one would think it odd on the off chance they did see one of the birds landing. They probably wouldn't even know what the tower was, even if they knew the castle very well." Samuel commented.
"I see your point."
"You know what else?" asked Samuel. "Whoever she's sending the messages to aren't very far away."
"Yes, if they can reply so quickly they'd have to be within several hours' bird or bat flight from here." Filch agreed.
"We need to speak with the headmaster." Samuel said.
Chapter 7: The Spy
The early weeks of November were slow and tedious for most of the students. The Professors had long been settled into the routine of things. Samuel and McGonagall continued working on Samuel's abilities twice a week. His control over his abilities grew stronger each day. He was able to bend light, and heighten his senses, among other things. Neither of them were sure where their mice had gone to on Halloween night, or why there was someone in an abandoned wing of the school. Samuel slipped out of the Gryffindor Tower each night until early in the morning to find the old wing. One night he heard the sound of footsteps in the distance.
"It's a girl." He said quietly to himself. "Who would be sneaking out at this hour."
He silently, but swiftly followed the sound of the footsteps down several hallways and corridors until he came to a solid wall, he backtracked down the hall he was in and looked down the intersection. There were no other passageways leading towards the sound. He carefully examined the wall looking for anything out of the ordinary. On one side of the hall there was a single sconce. Samuel pulled on it, then twisted. Slowly the bricks making the end of the hall started to fold open. The noise of grinding stone echoed through the hallway. Without even thinking Samuel stopped the air around the opening from moving, silencing the wall. The footsteps stopped a moment, then started again. Samuel passed through the opening and the wall closed behind him. He released his hold on the air and made his way towards the footsteps. Quickly he made his way through halls, and rooms all connected. The footsteps grew louder and louder as he closed in on them. Shadows deepened around him and he seemed to blend in with them. Samuel found himself in a long hallway, at the end he could see a large open area.
"A tower" he thought to himself.
He drew near to the door of the tower and hid behind a set of armour that was in an alcove in the wall.
"Take this to the master." A young sounding feminine voice said quietly. "Hurry."
The faint sound of wings flapping was heard for a moment then it faded. After a few minutes the small form of a young girl started walking down the hall way. She was shrouded in a cloak that made her hard to see. Samuel scraped his foot on the floor accidentally. The girl stopped, and almost disappeared entirely. Samuel transfigured a small rock from his pocket into the form of a rat and caused it to run across the hall in front of the girl. Faster then lightning a small spike was stuck into the stone rat, and the girl swiftly ran down the hall, as silently as Samuel had. After waiting until the footsteps were silent, Samuel slipped from his hiding place to examine the rat. He folded shadows around himself as he stepped closer to the rat. Before he even touched the rat, the spike and the fake body disappeared.
"Nasty" he thought as he slowly made his way back to the dormitories. When he arrived at the Gryffindor dormitories he asked the Fat Lady if anyone had come through about half an hour before. The Fat Lady shook her head and fell back to sleep. Samuel made his way to the other House dormitories and talked to their portraits. The other portraits would not even wake up for Samuel. As he started back towards the tower, Peeves, the school Poltergeist dropped a pile of wet towels on his head. Samuel threw the towels down and looked up to see a cackling Peeves hovering over him.
"Hello Peeves, did you see anyone walking about?" Samuel asked.
Peeves shook his head and laughed. "No one you'd know." The poltergeist said.
"So you did see someone?" asked Samuel.
"I won't tell. I won't tell." Peeves sang in an annoying high pitched voice.
"Listen I don't have time for this, I need to know which way she went."
"PEEVES!" screamed Filch, the school caretaker as he came running towards Samuel.
Peeves hovered around Samuel and sang an annoying song about secrets.
"I'm warning you Peeves." Said Samuel. "Tell me or else."
"Or else what?" asked Peeves.
Samuel reached up and grabbed Peeves, as if he were solid and pinned him against the wall. "Now listen you snivelling little apparition. Tell me what you saw or we'll find out real quick of you can die or not." Samuel said. Peeves screamed loudly but no sound came out.
"Let me go I'll tell!" the poltergeist cried.
Filch stared at Samuel for a few moments in disbelief, then at Peeves and started laughing.
"Who was she?" asked Samuel.
"I don't know." Peeves cried. "She was cloaked, and fast."
"Which way did she go?" asked Samuel.
"She disappeared. I didn't see."
"Alright" Samuel said. "I'll let you go."
Peeves started to fly off, whimpering but suddenly stopped in midair, unable to move.
"Peeves, I don't have to touch you to trap you. One word of this to anyone and you'll have much worse then the Bloody Baron to deal with." Samuel said.
Peeves nodded. "I promise" he said sullenly. Samuel released him and he floated off and disappeared.
"How did you do that?" asked Filch. "I've waited all my life to see that."
"A little trick I learned." Samuel said. "Do you know the grounds very well?"
Filch nodded. "I do."
"There's an abandoned tower or something on the east side of the castle, somewhere. Do you know what and where it is?" asked Samuel.
"In the closed wing?" asked Filch.
"Yes."
"That was the old observatory." Said Filch. "Closed down when they built the new one. It started falling to pieces so the board had it sealed off."
"Could you take me there during the day?" asked Samuel.
"Why?" asked Filch. "You can't get in."
"I think I caught our spy sending a message, but I don't remember how I got to where she was at." Samuel whispered. "If I saw it during the day perhaps I could figure out how to catch her."
"I'll show you then." Whispered Filch. "When?"
"Tomorrow afternoon while everyone is in class." Samuel said.
Filch nodded. "Tomorrow is Saturday. I'll find you in the Great Hall, in the early morning when everyone is asleep. The kitchen servants will probably give you something to eat."
"Sure thing. I need to get some sleep." Samuel said with a yawn. "See you tomorrow".
Samuel waved to Filch and quietly made his way up the staircases to the Gryffindor tower. The night was short and the and the morning was unwelcome as Samuel sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. After slipping off to the staff wash rooms he dressed himself and made his way to the kitchens. He knocked on the kitchen door, and it opened. A small cheerful looking creature with long ears, and wearing a mismatched suit of clothing greeted him.
"It is a professor!" squeaked the house-elf. "Come in. What can we get you."
Samuel stepped inside the kitchen to see dozens of house-elves manning the stoves and milling about preparing breakfast. The elves greeted him cheerfully, offering him pastries.
"Great. I've entered the land of cheerful morning people." Samuel muttered to himself.
"Professor Green must be hungry. What can Dobby get for Professor?"
"Coffee, strong." Samuel said. "Something sweet, I think. Not too sweet, I'll need my strength."
The house-elf ran off and quickly brought back a mug of coffee and a plate with a large slice of mincemeat pie on it. Samuel thanked the house elf and seated himself at a table and started eating his pie.
"Is it to the professor's liking?" Dobby asked.
"It's wonderful." Samuel said. "Best breakfast I've had in ages. Dobby is your name? Are you the one that helped Potter?"
Dobby nodded. "Harry Potter helped Dobby too."
Samuel nodded. "His friends have told me good things about you. Is it true house-elves know some sort of magic?"
Dobby nodded enthusiastically. "We strong! We are servants though. We only use our powers to benefit our master. Unless we're free like Dobby."
Samuel nodded. "How interesting. Most of you are slaves?"
Dobby nodded. "We like it that way."
"One of my country's bloodiest war was fought over slavery. Thousands upon thousands died, brothers killed brothers, fathers fought against sons." Samuel said.
Dobby stared at the ground. "Did they want to be slaves?"
"Most didn't. It was a hard time. I'm depressing you. Has Filch stopped by yet?" Samuel asked.
"Just got here." Said a gruff voice behind Samuel. "Will one of you fetch me breakfast?"
Samuel turned around to see Filch standing behind him. "Morning how are you?"
"I've been better. You're right, bloody crime it is, keeping slaves." Said Filch as he sat across from Samuel. "Hermione Granger tried to convince them to get their freedom last year. She called it SPIT or some rubbish like that. I think if anyone is dumb enough to want to be enslaved even if they see freedom and it's benefits right in front of them, so be it."
Samuel nodded. "Quite the dilemma isn't it. Freedom is a responsibility though, I can see where they're coming from."
A house elf brought Filch a plate with a small loaf of bread and a slice of ham on it. Filch ate quickly while Samuel sipped his coffee.
"When you're done we'll go." Filch said as he finished off a tankard of something that one of the elves brought him.
"I didn't think they served beer in a school." Samuel commented as he wiped his hands.
"They use it for cooking. No one knows it's here." Filch said dismissively. "The elves won't bring it to me often, at least not with any alcohol in it."
Samuel wiped his hands and chuckled. "I'm ready when you are."
Filch and Samuel thanked the elves and left the kitchen. Samuel followed the caretaker through the building, watching carefully for anyone that might be awake. Filch brought them to a dead end at the far end of a hall that looked like it was once used for classrooms.
"They sealed it off." Said Filch. "No way through."
Samuel turned the sconce on the wall and the dead wall opened up. Filch shook his head and led Samuel down the halls of the abandoned wing and up three or four staircases.
"How long has it been like this?" asked Samuel.
"Oh it was sealed off shortly before my time I imagine." Filch said. "I don't really know when."
"You seem to know the halls pretty well." Samuel said.
"Aye, when I was a student here the observatory was still here." Filch commented as he slowly made his way down the halls. "I haven't been down these halls in ages."
"I thought you couldn't use magic?"
"I'm a squib, there's no doubt about that." Filch said. "My parents sent me here anyway. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving so I started working for the caretaker at the time. Here we are. The old observatory, and from the looks of it someone has been here."
Samuel knelt down and studied the floor. There were footprints in the dust leading a trail right up to the door of the tower. Filch opened up the door and stared inside the tower.
"Professor, you should see this." Filch said.
Samuel looked inside the tower. He found himself looking in a circular room at least twenty feet across. The wooden floor was spotless; there was no dust on the walls. The hinges of a small hatch in the middle of the room were well oiled and the brass torch holders on the walls had been recently polished.
"I think this has been going on for a lot longer then a few months." Samuel commented as he lifted the hatch. Filch walked around the room examining the fixtures then looked up at the ceiling.
"It gets better." He said.
Samuel looked up at the ceiling. There were hundreds and hundreds of bats hanging from the rafters. A few different species apparently made their homes here.
"Why would someone go to all the trouble of keeping this place up and not clear all those bats out?" Samuel asked.
"That flapping noise you told me about. I'll bet it was a bat used as a message carrier." Filch said.
"Of course. They could send it out when all these guys wake up. No one would ever see them." Samuel said.
Filch nodded. "Someone's coming."
Samuel quickly shut the hatch and the two walked out the door and shut it behind them. Filch pulled Samuel inside an abandoned classroom. They closed the door and Samuel looked through the keyhole. He pulled a small disk from his robes and set it on the floor and tapped it until it glowed blue.
"It's the same girl from last night." Samuel said. "I recognize the footsteps."
"Shh." Filch said.
"She can't hear us." Samuel said. "I hope she doesn't notice our tracks."
"I stepped in her footprints." Filch said.
"Damn. She's wearing that cloak." Samuel said.
"You could catch her."
"No, I want to know what she's sending out on those bats." Samuel said. "That may be far more important. Besides she has those darts, and she may be better trained then I think."
Filch agreed and they waited for the girl to leave the wing before stepping out of their room. Samuel entered the tower and examined one of the windows.
"Fresh droppings, she received a message." Samuel said. "We better leave now."
Filch nodded and the two quietly exited the wing. They made their way towards Filch's office.
"What's the plan?" asked Filch.
"Next week, I imagine she'll go there again. We'll have ourselves a little camping trip and intercept the message."
"How do you know she will?"
"It happened on a Friday. She probably sends weekly reports to her 'master'. This early on a Saturday morning when no one is up is the perfect time to receive a message. Owls and pigeons are always landing on strange parts of the castle. There are so many towers, spires, and third or fourth story wings that no one would think it odd on the off chance they did see one of the birds landing. They probably wouldn't even know what the tower was, even if they knew the castle very well." Samuel commented.
"I see your point."
"You know what else?" asked Samuel. "Whoever she's sending the messages to aren't very far away."
"Yes, if they can reply so quickly they'd have to be within several hours' bird or bat flight from here." Filch agreed.
"We need to speak with the headmaster." Samuel said.