Heh heh. Sorry this is a little late. Once again I had schoolwork to do, dang it...how dare they…Oh, well. I figure since I've only got one more month of school for the rest of my life, I'd better do something if I plan on graduating…A HA HA HAAAA!!! Uh, heh, sorry. In the past few months or so I've been struck not with Senioritis, but the Senior Plague. Far, far worse, as you can imagine. The symptoms include imagining every regular, boring tree to be a Palm Tree and every paved parking lot to be a sandy, tropical beach. That, and there's also an overwhelming desire to write page upon page of fanfiction until you get carpal tunnel syndrome. Yep. It's that bad…
Anyhoo, this edition of "'riter's Rant" will come to a close now, because I do believe there's a story that needs tellin'. If these recent chapters (and probably the next) seem to be leading up to something, then that's because they are….Mwah ha haaa…Oh, yeah, but first I finally get to respond to some comments. Yay!!!
Iris: Ya know, when Snape had mentioned to Ron that he of all people would know where Draco was, it hadn't even occurred to me that he would be hinting about the Map. I put that in to let y'all know Snape had heard Ron threaten Malfoy after class, but your idea works so very, very much better…D'oh… :] And about "fetch"--you're really really close…like | this | much--Hee hee hee!
Breea: I hope I've done better with this chapter in delineating who's speaking when. I sometimes forget you guys can't see what I'm thinking…unless you can, then you'd be psychic, and you'd already know how the story ends…Eep! Forget I mentioned that last part… :O
Taracollowen: ::Sniff Sniff:: Yep. That last chapter, this, and mayyyybe the next will be the dreaded "connection chapters." I'm going to try and post them twice a week, so I don't feel like I'm ripping y'all off by not giving you a solid chapter, if that made any sense whatsoever…oh, dear. I fear the Senior Plague has already reached the logic area of my brain. It won't be much longer now… ;)
ArchArtist/Writer: Don't worry, no offense taken whatsoever. And although I can't really truly answer your question now ('cause it'll be answered very very soon), I do have one of my own--Duuude! Someone taught you about dopplegangers?! Sweeeet. Who Where and uh, How, I guess is my question. In school? At home? 'Cause none of the good stuff is ever learned in school…even when you have to pay for it… :]
Okay, that be all for now. This is Chapter 13, but if you're super superstitious like my Grandma, then I'll just call this Chapter…14ish. Mmmkay? Mmmkay. ~8]
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Disclaimer: Touch the screen HERE to find out what the Disclaimers are. And if that doesn't work, then lick HERE. If you tried that and it still doesn't work, then might I presume, using my powers of deduction, that you're not a rocket scientist?
Chapter 13/14ish: O Draco, Where Art Thou?
"Hermione! I was wondering how long it was going to take for Ron to wrestle your head out of that book." Harry smiled broadly as Hermione entered, hands on her hips. "Brave words from a man with no place to run," she quipped with a smile, then pulled up a chair to his bedside. He was sitting up and quite awake, a tray with a half-empty plate and a bowl of soup resting atop his lap. Beside him, it was evident by the newly accrued heap of chocolate and sugar-coated sweets piling up on his nightstand that Harry had received many a visit in the past two days.
"How are you feeling, Harry?"
He nodded briefly. "Better, since my main course for dinner didn't consist of a medicinal chocolate bar." Hermione laughed, glad that he was well enough to joke around again. The bandage had been removed from his head, and she saw how his scar was red and more pronounced than before.
"Your scar hasn't been hurting you, has it? It doesn't look so good," she remarked. Harry shrugged, shaking his head. "No, it's been fine. Madame Pomfrey said it would take some time to heal, so it'd be red for a little while. Nothing shifting my bangs over it can't hide for a couple of days." He ate a spoonful of soup, then asked Hermione about Ron.
"Did he tell you about Sirius's wand?" he asked excitedly. Hermione nodded. "He certainly did. Have you got it with you?" Reaching underneath his pillow, Harry then pulled out the wand, still wrapped in its cloth. Placing it on the bed, he rolled it out carefully, as he had done earlier. Hermione gasped in amazement.
"Harry, it's beautiful! I've never seen anything like it. Did Sirius say exactly what would happen once you'd touched it?" she asked. He shook his head. "He just said not to use it unless I needed to. I have a feeling when that would be, but I guess I'll just find out the rest later." Harry then covered the wand back up, sliding under his pillow once more.
Hermione leaned in towards him warily. "Aren't you a bit…nervous about using it?"
Harry's eyes widened. "Of course I am, but I have a feeling that when the moment comes, hesitation won't be an option."
Hermione nodded her head, sharing his thought. She then motioned towards his plate. "Well, I'll let you get back to your dinner before it gets cold. I've got a few leads I want to check up on in the Library."
"Really? Have you found anything new?" Hermione opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. Yes, but I doubt you'll want to hear that in all probability you're going to die soon. She didn't want to tell him about the connection she had discovered that linked dopplegangers as omens of death. Deep down, Hermione thought that maybe it was because she herself didn't believe it, and that's why she had failed mentioning it to Ron, as well. But, unlike Trelawney's predictions, this one was rife with historical data.
She looked at him sadly, his green eyes now searching hers for an answer. "Hermione?" he asked softly, "Is there something you're not telling me?" The young girl snapped her mouth shut, unaware that it was hanging open. "Of course not, Harry," she lied with a smile, "nothing Ron hasn't already told you." She then motioned towards Madame Pomfrey with her head. "Did she say when you'd be able to get out of here?"
Harry perked up, nodded his head excitedly. "Yep! Tomorrow morning, just in time for the weekend. No doubt Snape's probably pissed about me not showing up for class, but he can stuff it for all I care."
Hermione grinned. "Ron and I'll come by tomorrow morning to help you move all this stuff back to the dorms," she said, eyeing the ever-present pile of candy.
"Great! I'll see you guys first thing in the morning, then." Harry and Hermione said good night to each other as she exited the Infirmary. Once outside, Hermione closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. She was surprised to find a tear leaking down her cheek when the thoughts she had been trying to keep at bay infiltrated her mind once more.
They all died shortly thereafter…
Died…
DIED…
DEAD.
She snapped her eyes open with a shudder. Hurrying off towards the Library, she prayed that just this once, she was wrong.
* * * * * *
Ron was rather surprised to find the Gryffindor Common Room empty for a Friday night. He supposed they were all still in the Great Hall, or practicing Quidditch on the field. He found himself a spot near the fire, in one of the over-sized chairs. Tossing his robe over the back of it, Ron situated himself comfortably before pulling out the Map. Tapping it with his wand and uttering the quick spell, the Map became alive.
Ron searched through the dots until he found Draco's name. It was ever so slowly moving upwards, in one of the underground tunnels. He didn't recognize it, since it didn't lead towards Hogsmeade. Malfoy's dot would halt every now and then, its pace far slower than any of the others present. Ron then began to trace his finger through the intricate maze that was the "blueprint" of Hogwarts, finding a way which would lead out from the passage Draco was in.
Ten minutes later, Ron was nearly ready to shred the map into bits, the task far more frustrating than it initially seemed. He sighed in exasperation, his finger always tracing through to a dead end. When a promising route ended up at a brick wall, Ron fought every urge to crunch the parchment up into a tight ball. It was going to be a long night.
* * * * * *
Outside the Library, Hermione stood dumbstruck. Although it had been nearly five whole minutes, she continued to gape at the sign posted on the Library doors:
Closed until Lunchtime Saturday due to Gnome Infestation.
Maybe the gnomes had misplaced her book…She sighed defeatedly, dragging her feet as she walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione hoped Ron had decided to come back from Dinner early, if was able to tear himself away from whatever mischief his brothers were about to get into next. Remembering that they had brought the Map back with him, she quickened her pace, bounding up the steps. Maybe finding Malfoy'll cheer me up…Hermione laughed at herself, never thinking those words would ever be running through her head.
* * * * * *
It hadn't been long after Hermione had left when Harry began to feel his eyelids begin to slide closed. He didn't realize how tired he was until he finished eating. Pomfrey bustled over to him, quickly pulling his tray away before he pitched forward into it. She then made him get up to brush his teeth and such, although he was nearly half-asleep while doing so.
Harry sank comfortably into his pillow, the Nurse pulling up the sheets around him. "Have a good night, Harry," she said softly. He strained to keep just one eye open long enough to ask, "You're still letting me loose in the morning, right?" She grinned, nodding her head gently. "On the account that you don't wake up screaming, then yes, tomorrow." Satisfied, he grinned back, his eye shutting closed.
Not too long thereafter did Madame Pomfrey notice the rapid movement of Harry's eyes behind his closed lids, indicating that he had already entered into a state of deep sleep. Little did she know, however, of what was going on within.
Clad in his pajamas and alone, Harry hesitantly walked farther into the Forbidden Forest than he ever dared before. He didn't quite know why he was there, aware only of a heightened sense of fear enveloping him. The sound of leaves snapping crisply behind him sent him whirling about. Not until Harry saw the bowtruckle scurry by did he exhale nervously in relief.
Harry's eyes constantly searched his periphery, and he turned to glance behind him every so often. It was only a few yards or so from where he started when Harry noticed the ethereal blue light pulsating on the horizon. He quickened his pace, ignoring the cuts his bare feet were receiving from the acorns and twigs littering the forest floor. The light faded in and out, its rhythm in tune to Harry's heartbeat. Breaking into a full-fledged run, Harry fought to keep up as the light increased in momentum. As he grew nearer, he realized that he was almost to the edge of the forest, a place where few had journeyed before him.
Harry was no more than an arm's length away from the light when the ground began to give way beneath him.
Crying out in surprise he looked down. Below him was a chasm, a border he supposed was meant to demarcate the boundary of the Forbidden Forest, and Harry was unfortunate enough to find himself teetering precariously on its edge. Looking up quickly he saw that the light hovered over the chasm for only a moment more before it blinked out of existence entirely. Harry grabbed for a tree on his right, but not before he felt a hand on his left shoulder.
He turned, and briefly saw his doppleganger glower at him with crimson eyes before it shoved Harry into the infinite abyss below.
Inside the Infirmary, Harry's eyes snapped open, his mouth poised to scream. He relaxed upon realizing where he was, Pomfrey's back to him as she straightened the sheets on the bed next to him. Closing his eyes before the Nurse caught him awake, he silently thanked the Gods for not having screamed. Had he issued even a single utterance, Harry was quite sure Pomfrey would let him out of the Infirmary only after Hell had frozen over, were there such a place.
He tried his best to forget the nightmare that had just occurred, thinking only of his release in the morning and being able to go back to enjoying quality time spent with his friends.
* * * * * *
Ron was still sitting in his chair when Hermione arrived, plopping down on the cushioned seat next to him. Startled, he shifted the Map from her view none too subtly, thinking it was another student. He cautiously looked askance at the chair beside him, checking to see if the other Gryffindor had noticed.
He sighed in relief upon seeing Hermione, a blush slowly spreading on his cheeks. "Sorry, didn't know it was you."
She gave him a lopsided grin, raising her eyebrows high. "Good thing, too, because I doubt anybody else would have been fooled by your sly 'secret agent' tactics over there."
Ron crooked an eyebrow, looking quite confused. "Secret what?" Hermione laughed, shaking her head. "It's a Muggle thing." He shrugged his shoulders. "Riiiiight…So did you get to see Harry yet?"
Hermione nodded. "Mmm hmm, I just came from there…well, actually I just came from the Library, but it was closed because of a slight gnome problem. It should be open by tomorrow afternoon, though," she finished, "right after we help Harry move back into his own bed."
Ron smiled broadly. "Really? Pomfrey's freeing him so soon? That's great! This way he can help us search for Malfoy tomorrow night, if he's up to it. You're coming too, right?" The young witch shrugged. "If I'm out of the Library by then, I will. Even if I don't make it, I can still help you find him first." Ron then brought the Map back into her view. They leaned into it closely, watching the hundreds of dots moving about Hogwarts. With the tip of his wand Ron pointed to one on his right.
"See that one, right there? That's Malfoy. I'm not too familiar with these tunnels over on that side of the school, because Hogsmeade is over here," he noted, his wand pointing to the opposite side. "Fred and George should know," he continued, "but I haven't seen them since I left Dinner. They shouldn't be much longer, though."
"Well," Hermione sighed, "I guess we'll just have to keep looking until--" Both Ron and Hermione jumped as a large furry paw suddenly flattened itself down on the parchment. Somehow Crookshanks had managed to sneak up and perch itself on the top of Hermione's chair, and was now furiously trying to swipe the 'ants' off the Map.
Ron exhaled in frustration. "Aw, Hermione! I thought you said that you'd gotten rid of that damned cat!" The feline responded to Ron's comment by growling at him, its eyes mere slits as it settled back onto Hermione's lap. "Ron! I would never do such a thing! I said he was lost. I could never get wid of my widdle kitty cat." Crookshanks purred loudly as Hermione stratched behind its ear, the cat never taking its eyes off of Ron for even an instant.
"'Widdle kitty cat'? Great Merlin, what has that cat done to you?"
Hermione rolled her eyes as she stroked the cat, motioning towards the Map. "Like I was saying, just because your brothers aren't here doesn't mean we can't get a head start." Ron nodded in agreement, cautiously placing the Map on the arm of his chair, eyes locked with the cat's. "Right. Well, here's what I've narrowed it down to so far…"
As Ron explained one route or another to Hermione, he thought back to something that had crossed his mind earlier. With that possessed kitty watching his every move, Ron vowed that it was going to be a very, very long night. ____________________
Ta-Da! The end of yet another chapter. And there's one last thing I forgot to mention: Forty-five Reviews! Woo-hoo! And here I was honestly expecting five…okay, four ;] (Ah, emoticons. Where would I be without them?)
And now, this installment's edition of "The Bold and the Beautiful"!
Rolllllll Calllllll: Lady Foxfire! Raven! Allocin! Loopy! Lily Malfoy! Taracollowen! Iris! Zahrah Thomson-Radcliffe! Guess! Beccy! The Female Vampire Lestat (sorry I missed you!)! Amerkat! Mouse! Lili! Lady of Arundel! ArchArtist/Writer! Breea! Lassy D! AAAANNNNNDDDDD Kim!!! Yay!!!! ~8]