11. Panic in the wizarding world.
"Please listen to me everyone. I've been in London at the ministry discussing exactly how we were going to let everyone know about what has been happening. However it now seems that this is the perfect time to explain." The headmistress explained. "Now let's see. It all began when we saw the dark mark written on a wall in one of the corridors near the dungeon. We then found a piece of paper with the Dark Mark on the middle of it, and then Professor Binns went missing. Currently a few people have reported to the ministry that they too have received the bits of paper with the Dark Mark on them-however as far as we can see there doesn't appear to be any sort of pattern of who has received them."
"Is Voldemort back?" Someone near the back asked.
The headmistress shook her head. "No, Voldemort is not back and never will come back. I can assure you of this!" She said firmly.
"So, what's happening?" Another person asked.
The headmistress glanced at Hermoine, Harry and Ron-she'd guessed they had something they knew about the whole thing, but something which they were not willing to discuss!
"I'm afraid we don't know." The headmistress said, with a sigh. "All I can ask is that if anyone gets one of those pieces of paper they report it to the ministry as soon as they can. And tell your friends and family. But most importantly-don't panic!"
As everyone in the room started to discuss what had happened the headmistress spoke softly to Harry, Ron and Hermoine. "Is there anything you three would like to tell me?"
"Tell you? No, nothing that I can think of.." Ron said airily.
Hermoine, however, sighed and pushed her hair out of her face. "Headmistress we weren't going to tell you this-but Malfoy is involved somehow." She ignored the glare Ron was giving her.
"Malfoy." The headmistress said. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Well, spill it all then Miss Granger."
"Myrtle saw Malfoy with a stranger in the bathroom. They had a stack of those papers with the Dark Mark on them. And we overheard Malfoy before speaking about how his father was counting on them. He seemed to be disappointed by the fact that everyone would think it was Voldemort coming back to life when it wasn't!" Hermoine finished.
The headmistress looked thoughtful. "It does shed a little light on it. When I was at the ministry this morning they were telling me that Lucius Malfoy had been spotted at a few places we know are connected with dark wizards, or dark arts."
"So the Malfoys are up to something." Hermoine said. "But what?"
"I don't know Miss Granger." The headmistress said. "But I can assure you that we'll work it out."
After the headmistress had walked away Ron turned on Hermoine. "Good on you! Couldn't keep your big mouth shut could you?"
Hermoine's face went bright red, but she stuck to her guns. "Ron be sensible. If the headmistress is working with the ministry on this we have to let her know what we know. It could be important!" She insisted.
"Come on Harry, let's leave little miss blabbermouth." Ron snapped, and he started off. Harry hesitated. He wished his friends wouldn't always involve him in their arguments!
"Hermoine-" He began, but she interrupted him.
"Just go with him." Hermoine said, tears in her eyes. "I don't care."
"For what it's worth I think telling the headmistress was the right thing to do." Harry said.
Hermoine smiled through her tears. "Thanks Harry, but I wish there was someone else who would realise that I only ever do what I think is right!"
"He'll realise." Harry assured her, and then he went over to where Ron was standing with Sirius and Lupin.
"Where have you two been?" Harry asked. "I didn't see you at all during the feast, and only after the Dark Mark appeared!"
"We've been outside-keeping an eye on things." Lupin replied. "You'll never believe who is here though Harry- Misters Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle!"
Harry's eyes widened. What were they doing there?
"They didn't see us though." Sirius continued. "They were just wandering around and then when all the commotion was coming from inside they started laughing. We came inside then to see what was happening. And when we went back out they were gone!"
"Blimey." Ron muttered.
Sirius smiled tightly at him. "That's one way of putting it Ron." He said. "I don't know what they're up to, but we know they're all in it together."
"In what?" Harry wondered, frustrated.
"We'll find out." Sirius said grimly. "Harry, you don't mind if I stay with you for a bit? I'm going to work with the ministry on this one I think. I am not going to stay in hiding because some families are mad at me for exposing them after the whole thing with Voldemort again. But did they honestly think Voldemort would win, and that Hogwarts would be turned into a school for the Dark arts?" He shook his head.
"Of course you can stay with me." Harry replied.
*****
It was almost a week later, and Harry rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Since the news of the Dark mark's reappearance had got out the wizarding world had been turned upside down. Despite the assurances of the Minister of Magic, Amos Diggery, there were still fears that somehow Voldemort could return. Ron's mother had rung Harry and made him promise to be careful- "Just in case it is you-know-who." She said, ignoring Harry's protests that Voldemort wasn't behind it. With so many sons in different departments of the Ministry, and also her husband, Harry would have thought that she would know that it was not Voldemort. It was well known throughout the higher members of the ministry that the Malfoy's were a suspect, however as Harry, Ron and Hermoine had discovered this they also were a privy to the private information. Harry glanced at the clock on his desk-almost six, and time to go home. He was just putting his coat on when Hedwig arrived with a letter for him. He opened it on his way to the lifts.
"Dear Harry,
I hope you don't mind me writing to you when you're probably quite busy with all this Dark Mark business. I know people are concerned that it is Voldemort's return-which I suppose is logical considering that the Dark Mark was his sign-but as far as I am personally concerned I know that Voldemort can't return again. You stopped him ten years ago!
Anyway, the purpose of this letter is to ask, when this is all over and done with, whether or not we could go out for dinner or something? It was great seeing you at the reunion again!
Fondly Cho."
Harry felt his face redden, and he shoved the letter in his bag, just as Ron arrived at a run to get the lift, panting.
"Harry? Why so red?" Ron managed to ask between pants.
"No reason. You need to get some exercise if running for the lift leaves you short of breath." Harry replied as they got into the lift and pressed down.
"I'm short of breath because I've been on the phone to Hermoine-those things are so ruddy confusing Harry!- and she has been annoying me as usual." Ron corrected.
"What did she have to say?" Harry asked as they reached the ground. The lifts were very quick-probably because they were magical?
"Nothing about the case." Ron replied.
"So, what did she ring for then?" Harry asked.
Ron clamped his lips shut, refusing to tell, but Harry'd had enough of it all by now. "Listen Ron, I'm sick of this stuff between you two. Can't you two just get over it all and be happy together? If I've ever seen two people in love it's you two!" Harry said.
Ron frowned. "If she wasn't so annoying..." he muttered.
Harry and Ron parted company and both went their separate ways towards their homes.
"Please listen to me everyone. I've been in London at the ministry discussing exactly how we were going to let everyone know about what has been happening. However it now seems that this is the perfect time to explain." The headmistress explained. "Now let's see. It all began when we saw the dark mark written on a wall in one of the corridors near the dungeon. We then found a piece of paper with the Dark Mark on the middle of it, and then Professor Binns went missing. Currently a few people have reported to the ministry that they too have received the bits of paper with the Dark Mark on them-however as far as we can see there doesn't appear to be any sort of pattern of who has received them."
"Is Voldemort back?" Someone near the back asked.
The headmistress shook her head. "No, Voldemort is not back and never will come back. I can assure you of this!" She said firmly.
"So, what's happening?" Another person asked.
The headmistress glanced at Hermoine, Harry and Ron-she'd guessed they had something they knew about the whole thing, but something which they were not willing to discuss!
"I'm afraid we don't know." The headmistress said, with a sigh. "All I can ask is that if anyone gets one of those pieces of paper they report it to the ministry as soon as they can. And tell your friends and family. But most importantly-don't panic!"
As everyone in the room started to discuss what had happened the headmistress spoke softly to Harry, Ron and Hermoine. "Is there anything you three would like to tell me?"
"Tell you? No, nothing that I can think of.." Ron said airily.
Hermoine, however, sighed and pushed her hair out of her face. "Headmistress we weren't going to tell you this-but Malfoy is involved somehow." She ignored the glare Ron was giving her.
"Malfoy." The headmistress said. "Why doesn't that surprise me? Well, spill it all then Miss Granger."
"Myrtle saw Malfoy with a stranger in the bathroom. They had a stack of those papers with the Dark Mark on them. And we overheard Malfoy before speaking about how his father was counting on them. He seemed to be disappointed by the fact that everyone would think it was Voldemort coming back to life when it wasn't!" Hermoine finished.
The headmistress looked thoughtful. "It does shed a little light on it. When I was at the ministry this morning they were telling me that Lucius Malfoy had been spotted at a few places we know are connected with dark wizards, or dark arts."
"So the Malfoys are up to something." Hermoine said. "But what?"
"I don't know Miss Granger." The headmistress said. "But I can assure you that we'll work it out."
After the headmistress had walked away Ron turned on Hermoine. "Good on you! Couldn't keep your big mouth shut could you?"
Hermoine's face went bright red, but she stuck to her guns. "Ron be sensible. If the headmistress is working with the ministry on this we have to let her know what we know. It could be important!" She insisted.
"Come on Harry, let's leave little miss blabbermouth." Ron snapped, and he started off. Harry hesitated. He wished his friends wouldn't always involve him in their arguments!
"Hermoine-" He began, but she interrupted him.
"Just go with him." Hermoine said, tears in her eyes. "I don't care."
"For what it's worth I think telling the headmistress was the right thing to do." Harry said.
Hermoine smiled through her tears. "Thanks Harry, but I wish there was someone else who would realise that I only ever do what I think is right!"
"He'll realise." Harry assured her, and then he went over to where Ron was standing with Sirius and Lupin.
"Where have you two been?" Harry asked. "I didn't see you at all during the feast, and only after the Dark Mark appeared!"
"We've been outside-keeping an eye on things." Lupin replied. "You'll never believe who is here though Harry- Misters Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle!"
Harry's eyes widened. What were they doing there?
"They didn't see us though." Sirius continued. "They were just wandering around and then when all the commotion was coming from inside they started laughing. We came inside then to see what was happening. And when we went back out they were gone!"
"Blimey." Ron muttered.
Sirius smiled tightly at him. "That's one way of putting it Ron." He said. "I don't know what they're up to, but we know they're all in it together."
"In what?" Harry wondered, frustrated.
"We'll find out." Sirius said grimly. "Harry, you don't mind if I stay with you for a bit? I'm going to work with the ministry on this one I think. I am not going to stay in hiding because some families are mad at me for exposing them after the whole thing with Voldemort again. But did they honestly think Voldemort would win, and that Hogwarts would be turned into a school for the Dark arts?" He shook his head.
"Of course you can stay with me." Harry replied.
*****
It was almost a week later, and Harry rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Since the news of the Dark mark's reappearance had got out the wizarding world had been turned upside down. Despite the assurances of the Minister of Magic, Amos Diggery, there were still fears that somehow Voldemort could return. Ron's mother had rung Harry and made him promise to be careful- "Just in case it is you-know-who." She said, ignoring Harry's protests that Voldemort wasn't behind it. With so many sons in different departments of the Ministry, and also her husband, Harry would have thought that she would know that it was not Voldemort. It was well known throughout the higher members of the ministry that the Malfoy's were a suspect, however as Harry, Ron and Hermoine had discovered this they also were a privy to the private information. Harry glanced at the clock on his desk-almost six, and time to go home. He was just putting his coat on when Hedwig arrived with a letter for him. He opened it on his way to the lifts.
"Dear Harry,
I hope you don't mind me writing to you when you're probably quite busy with all this Dark Mark business. I know people are concerned that it is Voldemort's return-which I suppose is logical considering that the Dark Mark was his sign-but as far as I am personally concerned I know that Voldemort can't return again. You stopped him ten years ago!
Anyway, the purpose of this letter is to ask, when this is all over and done with, whether or not we could go out for dinner or something? It was great seeing you at the reunion again!
Fondly Cho."
Harry felt his face redden, and he shoved the letter in his bag, just as Ron arrived at a run to get the lift, panting.
"Harry? Why so red?" Ron managed to ask between pants.
"No reason. You need to get some exercise if running for the lift leaves you short of breath." Harry replied as they got into the lift and pressed down.
"I'm short of breath because I've been on the phone to Hermoine-those things are so ruddy confusing Harry!- and she has been annoying me as usual." Ron corrected.
"What did she have to say?" Harry asked as they reached the ground. The lifts were very quick-probably because they were magical?
"Nothing about the case." Ron replied.
"So, what did she ring for then?" Harry asked.
Ron clamped his lips shut, refusing to tell, but Harry'd had enough of it all by now. "Listen Ron, I'm sick of this stuff between you two. Can't you two just get over it all and be happy together? If I've ever seen two people in love it's you two!" Harry said.
Ron frowned. "If she wasn't so annoying..." he muttered.
Harry and Ron parted company and both went their separate ways towards their homes.
