A trip back to Hogwarts.
"Ready Harry?" Ron asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. When he'd been awoken in the morning by his sister Ginny, who was on her way to work herself, and had realised that Ron wasn't up yet, he'd barely managed to get out of bed! He hadn't slept much the night before, and looking at his friend he realised he wasn't the only one!
"As ready as I'll ever be.." Harry replied.
The two were apparating to Hogsmeade, and then going to Hogwarts from there. "It's a pain that you can't apparate in the grounds.." Ron muttered, but it didn't really matter to Harry. He was busily thinking about the night before. After he'd got home he'd just sat on the couch for awhile, the television on, but ignored. Before he realised it the large clock he'd received from Hermoine for his birthday a few years back was chiming midnight! The pain in his scar worried him more than he admitted yesterday and the phone call replayed itself through his mind- that voice! He knew that voice!
******
"Good old Hogsmeade!" Ron said fondly. "It's been awhile, and it hasn't changed a bit! I don't suppose we have time for a butterbeer?"
"Not if we want to meet Hermoine in time I'm afraid." Harry said. Maybe there was time but in reality he wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible! He glanced up ahead, where the castle and grounds of Hogwarts loomed large. In the ten years since they had graduated he hadn't been back, even although Hermoine had asked him to visit for her inauguration, but he made an excuse; not wanting to admit to her-or even himself?- that he wasn't ready to return yet. Not after the incident with Voldemort in his last year there! For that matter he didn't really feel he was ready to return now, but Hermoine, whilst not insistent in her letter, seemed to need them! And he wasn't about to let his friend down simply because of some stupid feeling!
"Ginny wanted to know what we were doing today. She saw I wasn't dressed for work. Luckily Mum is away because you know what she's like, but Ginny's bad enough. I don't know how she managed to get Justin to propose to her!" Ron said, as they walked along the road leading to Hogwarts. Justin Finch- Fletchley had been a classmate of Harry and Ron's at Hogwarts, however he had been in Hufflepuff, not Griffyindor.
"What did you tell her?" Harry asked.
"Just that we had some business at Hogwarts. I gave her the impression that it was something to do with the ten-year reunion coming up next month. Of course her minds in the clouds with the wedding coming up soon and she had forgotten about it..." Ron shook his head. "Where are we meeting her then?"
"She said to come to her office." Harry replied, as they entered the vast entrance to the castle. He looked around. The last time he'd been here it had been filled with chattering, excited students. He realised that he hadn't really spoken to many of his ex-classmates, and he was actually looking forward to the reunion! But first things first..
As they walked towards the Defence of the Dark Arts teacher's office one of the Hogwarts ghosts floated past, and then did a double take in mid-air.
"Bless my soul, it's Harry Potter back again!" He said.
"Hello Nick!" Harry said, remembering the Griffyndor ghost, Nearly-headless Nick!
"It's good your back..I hope it's in time though.." Nick said, and before Harry could question him further he had floated away.
Hermoine was seated at her desk when they entered. "Harry! Ron!" She exclaimed jumping up and running over to hug them. "Thank god you two are here!"
Harry looked at her carefully. Was it his imagination or was she looking extremely tired? And was her face paler than usual? "How are you Hermoine?" He asked.
She hesitated. "I've been better." She said simply. "Ron."
"Hermoine." Ron replied, as formal as she had been.
"Sit down you two...make yourselves comfortable." Hermoine said, and she sat back down behind her desk.
They did so, and as they did Harry glanced around the room. Unlike Ron, he hadn't seen Hermoine's office, and the first thing he noticed was all the degrees on the wall. Trust Hermoine to keep studying even when she didn't have to! The latest were her (HAQ) Highest achievable qualification in dark arts, and her Order of Merlin. The office always seemed to look different, and have a different feel as the school had gone through defence against the dark arts teachers like they were going out of fashion! Harry smirked, remembering Gilderoy Lockheart! Now there was an interesting person! He wondered whether he'd ever gotten his memory back?
"So, what's all this about then Hermoine? We didn't come up here just for a social occasion did we?" Ron asked. He'd been sitting silently during the conversation so far.
"Not likely." Hermoine replied, her voice cool. "Okay Harry, Ron, there have been some strange things happening around here, and to be honest we're all a little at a loss as to what to do..Even Professor McGonagall doesn't know what is happening..."
"Hermoine, if we're going to be honest here why do you need our help? You're the smart one of the group-not us.." Harry said.
"Speak for yourself.." Ron muttered, with a grin.
"I know that I'm more book smart than you-only because I studied more than both of you put together. If the two of you had of-"
"We're not here for a lecture Hermoine." Ron snapped.
Hermoine's face turned red. "Anyway, have a look at this." She reached into her desk and pulled out a piece of paper. In the middle of it was the Dark Mark; the mark of Voldemort.
Harry felt his stomach lurch.
"That's you-know-who's mark!" Ron said, his voice hushed, as if he couldn't say the name too loud.
"Exactly!" Hermoine said. "I found it in the bathroom- and you'll never guess which bathroom.."
"Moaning Myrtle." Harry replied.
Ron swallowed. "Is that it? A bit of paper?" He asked.
"I wish.." Hermoine said. "We've also found the dark mark on the wall near the entrance to the dungeon-Professor Flitwick found it, and nearly had a heart-attack! But that's not the worst thing! Professor Binns!" She said dramatically.
Professor Binns, the history of magic teacher, was the only ghost to teach a class at Hogwarts.
"What about him?" Ron asked, since Harry seemed to have lost his ability to speak.
"He's disappeared..no trace of him whatsoever!" Hermoine replied.
"Disappeared?" Ron scoffed. "He's probably just gone on a holiday!"
"Without telling anyone? Come off it Ron!" Hermoine replied scornfully. "It's a complete mystery! And we're convinced it's got something to do with the dark mark.of course we're trying to keep it all hush-hush...if anyone got wind of this. Well you know what it's like when people are panicking about Voldemort!"
They knew this only too well having lived through the resurgence of Voldemort themselves!
"Do you think you-know-who is back?" Ron asked, his voice trembling.
"He couldn't be..not after Harry!" Hermoine replied. "But there is definitely something going on here-even if there has been nothing happening for the last few weeks...But somehow it makes me think of the calm before the storm!"
Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had a sudden urge to run from the room! "What do you want me to do Hermoine?"
"Do? I don't think there is really anything you can do..I just thought you needed to know about this all..you know, with your history..and I guess I wanted your support maybe..." She trailed off, lost for words.
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Anyway there hasn't been anything strange for the last few weeks, so maybe it was someone playing a joke, and maybe there's a reasonable explanation for Binn's disappearance?" Ron suggested.
He didn't need the other two to tell him how unrealistic this was.
"I just hope it doesn't ruin the reunion coming up!" Hermoine said.
"I think the reunion is the last of our worries personally.." Harry said. During the conversation he had been debating telling Hermoine about his scar hurting, and now he decided he had better tell her. He opened his mouth and told her!
"Ready Harry?" Ron asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. When he'd been awoken in the morning by his sister Ginny, who was on her way to work herself, and had realised that Ron wasn't up yet, he'd barely managed to get out of bed! He hadn't slept much the night before, and looking at his friend he realised he wasn't the only one!
"As ready as I'll ever be.." Harry replied.
The two were apparating to Hogsmeade, and then going to Hogwarts from there. "It's a pain that you can't apparate in the grounds.." Ron muttered, but it didn't really matter to Harry. He was busily thinking about the night before. After he'd got home he'd just sat on the couch for awhile, the television on, but ignored. Before he realised it the large clock he'd received from Hermoine for his birthday a few years back was chiming midnight! The pain in his scar worried him more than he admitted yesterday and the phone call replayed itself through his mind- that voice! He knew that voice!
******
"Good old Hogsmeade!" Ron said fondly. "It's been awhile, and it hasn't changed a bit! I don't suppose we have time for a butterbeer?"
"Not if we want to meet Hermoine in time I'm afraid." Harry said. Maybe there was time but in reality he wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible! He glanced up ahead, where the castle and grounds of Hogwarts loomed large. In the ten years since they had graduated he hadn't been back, even although Hermoine had asked him to visit for her inauguration, but he made an excuse; not wanting to admit to her-or even himself?- that he wasn't ready to return yet. Not after the incident with Voldemort in his last year there! For that matter he didn't really feel he was ready to return now, but Hermoine, whilst not insistent in her letter, seemed to need them! And he wasn't about to let his friend down simply because of some stupid feeling!
"Ginny wanted to know what we were doing today. She saw I wasn't dressed for work. Luckily Mum is away because you know what she's like, but Ginny's bad enough. I don't know how she managed to get Justin to propose to her!" Ron said, as they walked along the road leading to Hogwarts. Justin Finch- Fletchley had been a classmate of Harry and Ron's at Hogwarts, however he had been in Hufflepuff, not Griffyindor.
"What did you tell her?" Harry asked.
"Just that we had some business at Hogwarts. I gave her the impression that it was something to do with the ten-year reunion coming up next month. Of course her minds in the clouds with the wedding coming up soon and she had forgotten about it..." Ron shook his head. "Where are we meeting her then?"
"She said to come to her office." Harry replied, as they entered the vast entrance to the castle. He looked around. The last time he'd been here it had been filled with chattering, excited students. He realised that he hadn't really spoken to many of his ex-classmates, and he was actually looking forward to the reunion! But first things first..
As they walked towards the Defence of the Dark Arts teacher's office one of the Hogwarts ghosts floated past, and then did a double take in mid-air.
"Bless my soul, it's Harry Potter back again!" He said.
"Hello Nick!" Harry said, remembering the Griffyndor ghost, Nearly-headless Nick!
"It's good your back..I hope it's in time though.." Nick said, and before Harry could question him further he had floated away.
Hermoine was seated at her desk when they entered. "Harry! Ron!" She exclaimed jumping up and running over to hug them. "Thank god you two are here!"
Harry looked at her carefully. Was it his imagination or was she looking extremely tired? And was her face paler than usual? "How are you Hermoine?" He asked.
She hesitated. "I've been better." She said simply. "Ron."
"Hermoine." Ron replied, as formal as she had been.
"Sit down you two...make yourselves comfortable." Hermoine said, and she sat back down behind her desk.
They did so, and as they did Harry glanced around the room. Unlike Ron, he hadn't seen Hermoine's office, and the first thing he noticed was all the degrees on the wall. Trust Hermoine to keep studying even when she didn't have to! The latest were her (HAQ) Highest achievable qualification in dark arts, and her Order of Merlin. The office always seemed to look different, and have a different feel as the school had gone through defence against the dark arts teachers like they were going out of fashion! Harry smirked, remembering Gilderoy Lockheart! Now there was an interesting person! He wondered whether he'd ever gotten his memory back?
"So, what's all this about then Hermoine? We didn't come up here just for a social occasion did we?" Ron asked. He'd been sitting silently during the conversation so far.
"Not likely." Hermoine replied, her voice cool. "Okay Harry, Ron, there have been some strange things happening around here, and to be honest we're all a little at a loss as to what to do..Even Professor McGonagall doesn't know what is happening..."
"Hermoine, if we're going to be honest here why do you need our help? You're the smart one of the group-not us.." Harry said.
"Speak for yourself.." Ron muttered, with a grin.
"I know that I'm more book smart than you-only because I studied more than both of you put together. If the two of you had of-"
"We're not here for a lecture Hermoine." Ron snapped.
Hermoine's face turned red. "Anyway, have a look at this." She reached into her desk and pulled out a piece of paper. In the middle of it was the Dark Mark; the mark of Voldemort.
Harry felt his stomach lurch.
"That's you-know-who's mark!" Ron said, his voice hushed, as if he couldn't say the name too loud.
"Exactly!" Hermoine said. "I found it in the bathroom- and you'll never guess which bathroom.."
"Moaning Myrtle." Harry replied.
Ron swallowed. "Is that it? A bit of paper?" He asked.
"I wish.." Hermoine said. "We've also found the dark mark on the wall near the entrance to the dungeon-Professor Flitwick found it, and nearly had a heart-attack! But that's not the worst thing! Professor Binns!" She said dramatically.
Professor Binns, the history of magic teacher, was the only ghost to teach a class at Hogwarts.
"What about him?" Ron asked, since Harry seemed to have lost his ability to speak.
"He's disappeared..no trace of him whatsoever!" Hermoine replied.
"Disappeared?" Ron scoffed. "He's probably just gone on a holiday!"
"Without telling anyone? Come off it Ron!" Hermoine replied scornfully. "It's a complete mystery! And we're convinced it's got something to do with the dark mark.of course we're trying to keep it all hush-hush...if anyone got wind of this. Well you know what it's like when people are panicking about Voldemort!"
They knew this only too well having lived through the resurgence of Voldemort themselves!
"Do you think you-know-who is back?" Ron asked, his voice trembling.
"He couldn't be..not after Harry!" Hermoine replied. "But there is definitely something going on here-even if there has been nothing happening for the last few weeks...But somehow it makes me think of the calm before the storm!"
Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had a sudden urge to run from the room! "What do you want me to do Hermoine?"
"Do? I don't think there is really anything you can do..I just thought you needed to know about this all..you know, with your history..and I guess I wanted your support maybe..." She trailed off, lost for words.
They sat in silence for a moment.
"Anyway there hasn't been anything strange for the last few weeks, so maybe it was someone playing a joke, and maybe there's a reasonable explanation for Binn's disappearance?" Ron suggested.
He didn't need the other two to tell him how unrealistic this was.
"I just hope it doesn't ruin the reunion coming up!" Hermoine said.
"I think the reunion is the last of our worries personally.." Harry said. During the conversation he had been debating telling Hermoine about his scar hurting, and now he decided he had better tell her. He opened his mouth and told her!
