Disclaimer: As with all the other parts of this story, the characters belong to JK Rowling, except for the few I've invented.
Author's note: Sorry this part took slightly longer than I claimed it would. Too tired, and too much else going on! Thanks for the nice comments so far, and for putting up with the cliffhanger at the end of part 10…
Summary: Harry, Ron and Hermione take an unexpected journey, Blackie helps out, Professor Stoddard arrives, and Malfoy has the worst Potions lesson of his life!
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Part 11
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Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at the statue of the Quidditch player as the lock clicked, but nothing seemed to happen. The statue did not move. No hidden door appeared, as they had been half-expecting.
"Funny," said Ron. "Don't tell me it - ow!"
He had given the statue's hand an impatient push - and had been sent staggering forward as the whole stone arm swung suddenly back under his weight. There was a grating rumble and a black opening in the stone wall of the corridor appeared abruptly. Ron would have fallen headfirst through the opening, if Harry and Hermione had not rushed to grab the back of his robes.
"Blimey!" Ron managed to regain his balance, and stared at the hole in the wall. "Wasn't expecting that."
Harry moved forward. He could feel a cold breeze blowing from the opening, stirring his fringe as he bent to look, expecting to see a tunnel leading into the wall. But…all he could see was utter blackness...no floor, no walls, just - blackness. Cautiously, he put out a hand into the black space, groping around. His hand seemed to be moving in empty air.
"Come on, then, let's take a look," Ron said impatiently behind him.
"Ron - I don't think we should go down there - we don't know where it leads to - "
"Of course we don't, Hermione, that's why we have to go and find out - "
"This is weird," Harry said, interrupting them. He was kneeling down now, still investigating the dense darkness with his hand. "It's not like an ordinary passageway - I just can't see anything."
"Don't go in there, Harry," Hermione said anxiously. "What if you can't get out again?"
Harry turned to look up at her. "Look - Remus and Sirius had the key, didn't they? They wouldn't tell us where it led to, but they let me take the key. If it led to something really dangerous, I don't reckon they'd have let me take it."
"Perhaps they never thought you'd find the place the key fitted - "
"Be cool if we found a secret passageway Fred and George don't know about, wouldn't it?" Ron said, grinning.
"But if it's a secret passageway, wouldn't it have been marked on the Marauders' Map?" Harry asked. He looked at Hermione's worried face. "Just let us have a quick look, and then I promise we'll go back to Gryffindor Tower and your Prefectly conscience won't be troubled any more."
"Well…all right…but we'd better hurry up."
"We?" Ron raised his eyebrows.
"You don't suppose I'd let you go in there without me, do you?" Reluctantly, Hermione smiled at them, and Harry knew she was remembering all the times they had broken rules together in the past.
"I'm going first," he said. "Better stay close."
Harry felt Ron put a hand on his back as he ducked his head to get into the narrow opening.
The blackness seemed to close around him like a cold cloud. Harry took small steps, feeling the floor with his feet to make sure he wasn't about to step over the edge of a stair, or worse, some sheer drop in the darkness. And then - as he was completely plunged into it - the black cloud started to whirl around him alarmingly. He had no time to reach for his wand, was only just aware of Ron's sudden alarmed clutch at his shoulder, when the air started to move at a frightening speed, a cold whirlwind flapping at his robes, and Harry at the centre of it. Throwing out his arms, Harry tried to touch a wall, but there was nothing to touch, only the empty air that continued to spin around him. It wasn't like using a Portkey - or travelling by Floo Powder - or even the magic mist that had upended him in the Triwizard Maze. This time, Harry's body seemed to be staying still, yet everything around him was -
Slowing. The whirling air was definitely slowing. His heart pounding, Harry found himself still standing, the wind dying down, the black cloud still surrounding him. As soon as he was sure the air was still, Harry steeled himself and took two firm steps forward -
- and stepped out of the dark cloud into a stone room that was almost as dark. A faint light from above allowed Harry to see that the room was tiny, with a stone-paved floor, rock walls and a stone bench along one side. There were no windows, but the grey light was glimmering through an opening in the ceiling. A flight of stone steps led up to this opening.
Harry took in the room at a glance, before turning to look behind him. He saw a rough doorway in the wall, through which he must have come. The familiar black cloud filled the doorway, sending tiny breaths of cold air into Harry's face.
Harry's stomach sank as he realised he was alone. Ron and Hermione had not been whirled here by that cloud, it seemed. When that strange whirlwind had started to spin, Ron must have let go of his shoulder, though Harry had not been aware of it.
Staring at the doorway, Harry wondered what he should do next. Should he wait, hoping that Ron and Hermione would be brought here too? Should he try stepping back into the black cloud and hoping that he would be returned to them? But what if the cloud took him somewhere completely different? He had a strong feeling that he was no longer anywhere near Hogwarts. Harry decided to wait a few minutes, then try to go back, if there was no sign of his friends.
Walking across the tiny room, Harry wondered where on earth he was. Unease was prickling the hairs on the back of his neck, and he kept one hand firmly on his wand. He had all-too-vivid memories of the last time he had suddenly been snatched away from Hogwarts; when a Portkey planted by a Death-Eater had taken him abruptly from school and safety to the heart of Voldemort's secret gathering-place. Could Voldemort have known about the key in Remus's trunk? Surely not - and yet - and yet Harry had learnt, much too young, that nowhere was really safe, and that danger could be anywhere.
Harry's anxious thoughts were rudely interrupted by a sudden stirring of air from the doorway. He jumped up, wand at the ready, staring at the black cloud, as it swirled suddenly, and Ron and Hermione were pitched forward out of the darkness on to the stone floor, where they landed in an uncomfortable-looking heap of limbs and robes.
"Ow!" Ron was rubbing the arm Hermione had been clutching in a death-grip.
"Harry!" Hermione had disentangled herself from Ron already and jumped to her feet, her frantic face clearing as she saw Harry standing there. "You're all right! We thought-"
"We thought you'd had it, mate," said Ron, climbing to his feet more slowly. "One minute you were there, the next minute you were gone - sucked into that black stuff - and we were still standing in the corridor."
"Oh Harry, we were so worried!" Hermione looked as if she would like to have hugged him. "We didn't know where you'd gone - and after last time - " She broke off, biting her lip, and Harry knew she was kicking herself for reminding him of the Triwizard Tournament - as if he had needed reminding.
"Yeah, it was a nasty moment," Ron said more cheerfully. "Wasn't looking forward to going and telling Dumbledore we'd lost you, so I thought we'd better try going after you instead."
"I'm OK," Harry reassured them. "Don't worry, Hermione."
"But where are we?" she asked, peering around the dimly-lit room.
"No idea," said Harry. "And I don't know what that cloud thing was either."
Hermione brightened, seeming to forget her worries for a moment, and Harry recognised her look - the look that meant she had information to impart. "Well, I think it must have been a Portal - I've read about them, but they're quite rare - usually they just transport people in space, but sometimes they can transport people in time -"
"Great, so you mean we could be either anywhere or anywhen," Ron muttered, crossing the floor to the steps and looking up at the opening in the roof. "Hey, I can see stars!"
"Well, you did fall on the floor quite hard," Harry said, deadpan.
"Not those kind of stars, you git - real stars - that's the sky up there!" Ron pointed, and Harry and Hermione joined him, gazing upwards. It was true. Above them, visible through the opening, was a night sky, punctuated with bright stars.
"Let's see what's up there," Harry said, and they climbed out of the underground room in single file, Harry leading. Although he felt better at being with Ron and Hermione again, he was still tense with anticipation, and ready to react to anything they might find waiting for them.
Climbing out of the opening, Harry felt springy turf under his hands and feet. He straightened up, moved aside to let Ron and Hermione climb out, and stared around him with astonishment. Dark though it was, he could make out the surroundings, and they were strangely familiar…
"Hey! I know where we are!" Ron said, his jaw dropping as he too gazed around.
"Isn't this where Sirius brought us - his old home?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," was Harry's only response, as he stared at the darkened hillside around them, the mossy tumbled grey stones and gorse bushes - the ruins of Blackdale House. There was no sign of anyone else around. Turning, he saw the dark outlines of familiar trees and hills, and he was sure he could see a glimmer of light from Gatehouse Cottage through the trees. "Remus and Sirius must be just over there."
"Great, let's go and see them," suggested Ron.
"Ron, we can't!"
Harry shook his head, for once agreeing with Hermione's caution. "Sirius would kill me. He's warned me a million times to stay in or near Hogwarts now that Voldemort's back. He'd have a fit if he knew we were wandering around here at night." He looked again at the lights of the cottage - only a few minutes walk away through the trees - and thought with a moment's longing of the place he now knew so well. Were the things he had left in his bedroom still untouched? Was Remus writing at his desk? What were Sirius, Mundungus and Mrs. Figg doing? Harry was conscious of feeling homesick for somewhere that was not Hogwarts, for the first time in his life. "No, we can't let them see us," he said reluctantly. "Sirius would be owling Dumbledore to turn us in before we had time to argue."
"D'you think they used to use this Portal when they were at Hogwarts?" Ron said. "Bet they did. Bet they used it to sneak back here when they wanted anything from Sirius's house, or Remus's house - "
"Then - Wormtail must have known about it," said Hermione, suddenly anxious again. "That could be dangerous - what if he used it as a way to get into Hogwarts?"
"Maybe it doesn't work if the Hogwarts entrance is locked?" Harry suggested. "Anyway, I think we'd better get back before someone notices we're gone. Come on."
Surprisingly familiar though this place was, Harry was still uneasy at being so far from Hogwarts, where Sirius thought he was safe. Some of his unease must have sounded in his voice, because even Ron did not argue when Harry turned to leave. He took one last look across the ruins, at the stars in the night sky, at the distant light from Gatehouse Cottage, before leading the way back through the narrow, overgrown opening and down the stone stairs.
"This must have been a kind of cellar when Blackdale House was still here," Hermione said, when they were all down in the underground stone room again.
"We'd better hang on to each other, if we want to stay together this time," Harry said. "That worked when you two came through, didn't it?"
Hermione nodded, and Ron muttered, "Yeah, I've got the bruises on my arm to prove it."
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, before reaching out to grasp his other arm firmly. She gripped Harry's arm with her other hand.
"Right. Come on, then," said Harry. He took a deep breath as he stepped into the doorway once again. Moments later, standing blindly in the blackness, he felt the air start to whirl again around him. This time, instead of groping for non-existent walls, he reached to clasp Hermione's hand on to his arm more tightly. If they didn't end up back at Hogwarts, he wanted to make very sure they all ended up in the same place.
* * * * *
"Now if we can only get back to Gryffindor Tower without anyone realising we've gone," Hermione murmured as they hurried along corridors and stairways. Hogwarts was very quiet now, their footfalls on the carpets and floorboards the only sound.
Harry felt the key in his pocket banging against his leg once more. What would Sirius say, he wondered, if he knew they had found out the secret of this key and the Portal it unlocked? He would like to hear the story of the Marauders' discovery of the Portal - one more of those stories about his father he had yet to hear.
"Wait!" Ron, who was leading this time, had halted suddenly as they reached a fork in the passageways. He flattened himself against the wall, and beckoned the others to do the same. "Thought I heard something…"
Harry could hear his own breathing as they waited. There was a faint noise, he thought - and then his heart sank into his shoes as he saw a scrawny, dust-coloured cat slinking around the corner towards them, her huge eyes bulging as she saw them.
"That's torn it," Ron muttered gloomily. "Mrs. Norris."
"Oh no," said Hermione, dismayed.
Harry knew that now the caretaker's cat had spotted them, Filch himself would probably appear within seconds. He had a strange connection with his cat. They were sunk unless they got out of here very fast.
"Let's go," he whispered urgently - then stared as he saw another figure coming around the corner. It was not Filch.
"Blackie!"
Larger and sleeker than Mrs. Norris, his own black cat was approaching the caretaker's cat from behind. Her yellow eyes were fixed on Mrs. Norris with a very unfriendly expression. Harry, Ron and Hermione were frozen for a moment as they watched - and then Blackie pounced.
There was a horrible squeal as she landed on Mrs. Norris, claws outstretched. Mrs. Norris shot about five feet off the ground, yowling, before landing, fur spiky with terror, and tearing off down the passageway as fast as her paws could carry her, with Blackie in hot pursuit.
"Good work," Ron said, grinning widely at Harry. "That should keep her busy for a while."
"And Filch will probably be here looking for her, so we really need to get out of here," Harry said, unable to stop himself from grinning back. Like every Hogwarts student, he had a hearty loathing for Mrs. Norris, and found Blackie's routing of her quite funny.
Without saying another word, the three Gryffindors dived into a side passage and made their way towards their common room entrance as quickly and as quietly as they could.
"Where have you been?" asked the Fat Lady suspiciously, five minutes later, as she surveyed the three of them, noticing their dishevelled robes and guilty expressions. "Do you know it's past midnight?"
"Studying," Ron said airily, "OWLs, you know."
"Password?"
"Mackled Malaclaws," said Hermione breathlessly, anxious to be safely inside Gryffindor Tower.
The common room was deserted, much to their relief.
Harry collapsed on to the arm of a chair. "I thought Blackie was shut up in the dormitory. Seamus or Dean or Neville must have let her out."
"She must have come looking for you," Hermione said.
"Lucky she did," said Ron. "Seems like Gryffindor's acquired two good fighters this term - first Parvati's brother, and now your cat, Harry!"
"I hope she's all right," Hermione said, rather anxiously.
"I expect she'll come back to Gryffindor Tower when she's ready," Harry assured her. "She can take care of herself."
"Yeah. We noticed," said Ron. "What a night, eh? Can't believe we've found an actual Portal."
"We really shouldn't use it again," Hermione warned them. "It could be dangerous for you, Harry - especially if Wormtail knows about it."
"I know," Harry said seriously. "I'm not going to make a habit of it, don't worry. I've just - I've just got a feeling it's going to come in handy some day."
"You're not going to let on to Sirius that we've found it, are you?" Ron asked.
"Not yet." Harry yawned, suddenly hugely tired. "I'm going to bed. We can talk about this some more tomorrow. 'Night, Hermione."
Seamus, Dean and Neville were asleep when Harry and Ron reached their dormitory. They had taken the precaution of drawing their bed-curtains earlier, in the hope that their friends would assume they were already in bed.
Harry's thoughts were still whirling like that mysterious dark cloud as he put out the light and lay down to go to sleep. It had been quite a day - a day which had started with him becoming Quidditch Captain and ended with that amazing, unexpected trip to the ruins of Blackdale House. He could still hardly believe that he was Captain - that he would be in charge of the Gryffindor practices, as Wood had been. Fred and George had threatened to throw him a celebratory party after the trials for Keeper tomorrow.
And as for the Portal…Drifting into sleep, Harry remembered the dreams he had had in the summer holidays; the dreams of that grassy hilltop, the tumbled stones, the shadowy figures… Now that he knew there was a Portal leading from Hogwarts to that very place, Harry was more sure than ever that his dreams were going to be significant. His dream about the statue and the key had proved to be true - what did his dreams of Blackdale House foreshadow?
But Harry was not aware of dreaming tonight. He was so deeply sunk in sleep that when Blackie leapt on to his bed, two hours later, and set up a satisfied purring as she warmed his feet, he was completely unaware of her.
* * * * *
Harry and Ron both slept late the next morning, and had to bolt their breakfasts in order to be on time for their first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson of the term. There was an awkward moment at the breakfast table.
"How did you get those bruises, Ron?" Ginny asked curiously, when Ron's sleeve fell back as he reached for the butter, showing the black finger-marks plainly visible on his fair, freckled skin.
Hermione looked rather guilty as she looked at Ron's arm. Ron looked from her to Ginny, obviously trying to think of a convincing excuse, but Harry got there first.
"We were practising Quidditch yesterday, and nearly crashed into each other. I lost my balance and grabbed him."
Ginny looked unconvinced. "You lost your balance?"
"We must go," Hermione cut in, standing up quickly, "or we'll be late for Defence Against the Dark Arts. I really want to see what Professor Stoddard's like."
Harry and Ron drained their glasses of juice hastily and leapt up to follow her out of the Great Hall, leaving Ginny to stare after them.
The other fifth-year Gryffindors were already waiting when Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived at the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
"Remember last year?" Seamus was saying. "That Moody - what a nutcase."
"Cool, though, when he showed us the Unforgivable Curses," Dean said.
"Constant vigilance," Seamus said, imitating Moody's voice, and there was some laughter.
Harry wondered what they would say if they ever found out that Moody had not been Moody at all. He caught Hermione's eye, and knew that she was thinking the same thing.
The door opened, and a woman in black robes came in. She was carrying a pile of books. As she walked to the teacher's desk, Harry stared at her.
"Good morning," she said, turning to face them with a friendly smile. "I am Professor Stoddard. I'm sorry that we missed our lesson earlier in the week, but I assure you we will be working hard to cover all you need to know. Please sit down."
She had brown hair, with a few grey hairs in it, and rather wistful brown eyes. Harry recognised her at once.
As the Gryffindors took their seats, Ron leaned across to whisper to Harry. "Hey! We've seen her somewhere before - where was it?"
"In the apothecary's shop in Diagon Alley," Harry whispered back. Ron nodded, his face clearing.
"That's it!"
As Professor Stoddard took the register, Harry wondered what she had been doing serving in the apothecary's shop, if she was really a Professor. It was strange, but he could not help thinking he had seen her somewhere else as well…there was something about her face… He had to stop musing about it, and pay attention, as Professor Stoddard began to address them briskly. It was obvious she was not going to let them have much spare time for daydreaming in her class.
* * * * *
"I can't believe the amount of homework she expects from us," Ron said in disgust, after lunch. He had been complaining since the end of the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. "Four rolls of parchment!"
"Well, we have got OWLs this year," Hermione pointed out, as they descended the steps to the dungeons for Potions.
"Don't keep reminding us," said Harry, whose mood had plummeted at the prospect of facing two hours with Snape and the Slytherins.
"And talking of homework," Hermione continued, "we ought to do some work on our History of Magic project tonight, Ron."
"Can't tonight," Ron told her. "Quidditch trials, remember?"
"So you've definitely decided to try out for Keeper?" Harry said, brightening. "That's great!"
"Well, all right, but tomorrow night we must get on with the project," Hermione said. "You and Neville ought to get on with it too, Harry - you haven't even decided on a title yet, have you?"
"Nope."
Hermione opened her mouth as if to say something else, then thought better of it. She contented herself with shaking her head, before hastening her steps to keep up with Ron's long strides.
The Slytherins were already waiting in the passage which led to Snape's dungeon. To Harry's surprise, they were not wearing the expressions of smug anticipation they usually wore before a Potions lesson with the Gryffindors. Instead, they were muttering angrily amongst themselves.
"Something up?" Seamus asked Blaise Zabini, the Slytherin most likely to give him a civil answer. "Where's Snape? It's not like him to be late."
"Professor Snape's not here today," Pansy Parkinson snapped crossly. "Professor McGonagall told us he'd been called away. That Delacour girl's filling in."
"No Snape? And Fleur Delacour's teaching us Potions instead?" Ron looked as though his birthday and Christmas had just arrived at once. Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry.
"I'm going to write to my father about this," Draco Malfoy was saying loudly to his usual audience of Crabbe and Goyle. "How are we supposed to get through important examinations with some teenager teaching us? She probably doesn't know as much about Potions as I do - "
"Shut up, Malfoy," said Harry automatically. He liked Fleur, though he had never been mesmerised by her in the way Ron had. Besides that, as a Potions teacher she had to be a vast improvement on Snape, as far as the Gryffindors were concerned. Harry wondered why Snape had been "called away". He had known since last term that Snape, an ex-Death-Eater, had agreed to spy on Voldemort for Dumbledore. Was he with Voldemort, even now?
"Well, I might have known you'd defend her, Potter - Triwizard losers must stick together," Malfoy began, but before a real argument could develop, Fleur's light footsteps were heard in the stone passageway, and she appeared, wearing pale blue robes and shaking back her long, silvery hair.
"'Allo, you are ze fifth-year class? Please go inside and we will begin." She gave Harry a quick smile as she passed him.
The Gryffindors filed into their seats in the Potions room, talking cheerfully. The Slytherins were still muttering sulkily.
"Professor Snape 'as been called away," Fleur began, "but 'e 'as left me notes for zis lesson. We will be learning about cleaning charms, and ze use of Bundimun secretions. You will all know about Bundimuns, I am sure - "
Malfoy muttered something under his breath that sounded like "Child's play."
"Excuse me, Mistaire - ?"
"Malfoy," Malfoy drawled.
"Mistaire Malfoy. Yes, I 'ave 'eard of you," Fleur said thoughtfully. "You 'ave a comment?"
"Well, yes, actually. Surely cleaning charms are a bit basic for us? I mean, we are fifth-years."
Several Slytherins sniggered at this. Fleur remained calm, however. "That may or may not be true, Mistaire Malfoy. 'Owever, zis is the work Professor Snape wishes us to do, so we will do it."
The lesson progressed. Harry thought Fleur was actually rather good at explaining the potion they were going to make. Her instructions were clear, and she did not pause every two minutes to take points off Gryffindor, as Snape usually did. Harry thought she was going to have trouble with the Slytherins, though. Malfoy had continued to make comments under his breath, and when they were asked to set up their cauldrons and unpack their ingredients, he and his friends did it as loudly and distractingly as possible.
"Really," Hermione muttered to Harry and Ron, as they measured out their ingredients. "How childish." Malfoy and Goyle were now flicking bits of dried armadillo's toenails at each other behind Fleur's back, while the other Slytherins were making the kind of noise Snape would never have permitted in his dungeon.
Malfoy was now doing an impression of Fleur, tossing his fair hair around and batting his eyelashes. The other Slytherins were laughing so hard they forgot to watch out. A sudden silence fell as the Gryffindors looked up to see Fleur pointing her wand at Malfoy, her face cold with anger. Malfoy's mouth, Harry noticed, had fallen open in surprise.
"I 'ear you made a verree pretty ferret once, Mistaire Malfoy," Fleur said, her wand aimed at Malfoy's chest. "Well, me, I can zink of much more exotic animal zan zat. Do not tempt me."
Harry had seldom enjoyed anything more than the look on Malfoy's face at that moment.
"I make myself clear, yes?"
Malfoy shut his mouth at last. "Yes."
"Yes, Miss Delacour," Fleur said, and did not remove her wand until he had repeated it.
"Did you see that?" Ron demanded later, as the Gryffindors hurried up the steps from the dungeons, all eager to share the story of Malfoy's discomfiture. "Malfoy was toast."
"Well, he deserved it," Hermione said. Her opinion of Fleur seemed to have risen slightly.
"I bet he'll be straight off to write to his dad, complaining about Fleur threatening him," Harry said.
"Fantastic, wasn't she?" Ron said admiringly.
"Hadn't we better hurry up?" Hermione said, rather coldly. "We ought to get some homework done before dinner, if the Quidditch trials are afterwards." She hurried on ahead of Ron and Harry towards Gryffindor Tower.
Harry and Ron exchanged looks. "Best Potions lesson we've ever had," Harry said, grinning.
"Yeah - and Quidditch tonight!"
Ron and Harry followed Hermione and the other Gryffindors, still discussing the Potions lesson. Harry wondered how the Quidditch trials would go. Would he make a good Captain? Only time would tell.
* * * * *
To be continued…
There, that was a nice long chapter for you. Coming in part 12 - the Quidditch trials, plus, Remus visits Hogwarts and Neville gives Harry some startling information…