CHAPTER - 8 SOMETHING SINISTER ABOUT SINISTRA
"Perhaps," said Harry, his face grim. He grabbed Ron's arm. "Let's go to Dumbledore."
Panting, they reached Dumbledore's office. They stared at each other wondering how to get in (for neither knew the password), when the door opened. McGonagall stepped out and looked at the two.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Can we see Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
"Why?" asked McGonagall.
They glanced at each other uneasily.
"Both of you better come to my office," she said leading the way.
"Dumbledore is not here now," she said sitting down and motioning them to do the same. "What is it that you wanted to tell him?"
"You-Know-Who is in the castle," blurted out Ron, before Harry could say a word.
McGonagall started. "What do you mean, Mr.Weasley?"
"In the Astronomy Tower."
McGonagall looked towards Harry for elucidation when it was apparent that no coherent sentence could be got out of Ron.
"We went to the Astronomy Tower and we heard a voice. A voice addressing somebody as 'My Lord'. I think Voldemort was being addressed. But my scar did not hurt as much as it did the last time Voldemort was near. So I'm not sure," said Harry.
"Whose voice was it?" she asked.
"It was a lady's voice, " said Harry.
The door opened. They turned to see Snape standing at the door.
"Come in, Severus," said McGonagall.
Snape entered. "Something the matter?" he asked looking from the boys to McGonagall.
"They believe You-Know-Who is inside the castle," she replied.
"What?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"They heard a lady's voice address 'My Lord' in the Astronomy Tower and they took that to refer to You-Know-Who."
Before Snape could respond, a house-elf entered. "Professor McGonagall is urgently needed in the Hospital Wing," it said bowing.
"I'm leaving you to deal with this, Severus," said McGonagall hurrying out.
Snape turned to Harry and Ron with an unpleasant smile. "What took the two of you to the Astronomy Tower?"
"I had left behind my Astronomy charts, so we went to get it," replied Harry defiantly. "So," said Snape, a sneer forming, "the great Potter thought that he could leave things behind as he pleased and his servants would fetch them for him. Was nobody obliging enough to get them for you?"
They glared at him but remained quiet.
"I believe it has now become a habit with you to indulge in illusions," continued Snape.
"But You-Know-Who is in the castle. Even I heard him and Harry's scar hurt," said Ron impatiently.
"I believe I heard Professor McGonagall say so. I suggest both of you return to your Common Room and keep your mouths shut over the affair. It is apparent that both of you are blessed with vivid imaginations. But I don't want panic to spread among the students on account of your hallucinations."
Snape looked at them, a sneer forming at the corner of his mouth, leaving them with no other option than getting back to the Common Room.
~*~*~*~*~
"Concentrate, Neville," said Sher patiently. "Look at the cushion and form an image of a baby elephant in your mind. Focus your mind on the task at hand and then say the spell."
Neville closed his eyes and with a determined look on his face, held his wand aloft and cast the spell.
The next instant Sher found himself breathing through a trunk and felt something flapping on his face - Elephant ears. He looked around wondering whether to trumpet or not, when Lavender gave a screech. Hermione looked up from her Charms homework.
"Oh dear," she cried hurrying towards Sher. "This spell is not supposed to be cast on humans."
"No," muttered Sher, his eyes twinkling. "Only Neville didn't know it."
Neville was tearful. "I didn't mean to do it," he said looking from Sher to Hermione.
By now the entire Common Room had gathered around.
"Way to go, Longbottom!" said Fred. "We have human transfiguration only when we do our N.E.W.Ts, but you have managed to master it in the 5th year itself."
"What will happen now?" asked Neville worriedly.
"Help me take him to the Hospital Wing," said Hermione quickly taking charge of the situation.
Together the twins heaved Sher out of his seat and marched him off to the Hospital Wing with Hermione in the lead and Neville following behind.
~*~*~*~*~
McGonagall entered the Hospital Wing.
"Poppy!" she called.
Madame Pomfrey came out from one of the rooms.
"There you are, Professor," she said wiping her hands on her apron.
"What happened?" asked McGonagall. "A house-elf informed me that you wanted me here. Is it anything serious?"
"Not serious," she replied. "I sent for you only because you wanted to be informed if anything happened to the new fifth year student, what's his name?"
"Bertlemon?" McGonagall asked, alarmed.
"Ah, yes, the one with the queer name. He has grown a trunk and a pair of large ears."
"WHAT!" she exclaimed, disbelievingly.
"You better see for yourself," said Madame Pomfrey leading her to Sher's room.
Sher had his eyes closed, but looked up as the two entered. He smiled at McGonagall and his eyes twinkled, reminding her for a moment of Dumbledore.
"What has been happening, Mr.Bertlemon?" she asked sternly, going towards the bed.
"I was teaching Neville to transfigure a cushion into a baby elephant, but he accidentally transfigured me."
"I will have a word with Mr.Longbottom," said McGonagall grimly.
"Please Professor," said Sher. "It was an accident and wasn't his fault."
Madame Pomfrey entered with a goblet containing a bubbling purple potion. "Drink it up and you'll be fine by tomorrow."
McGonagall got up. "I'll be in my office if you need anything, Poppy."
She went to her office to find Snape there.
"Well?" she asked.
"Astronomy Tower. We might as well check it out," said Snape.
"Sher is in the Hospital Wing," said McGonagall as they hurried down the corridor.
Snape looked at her.
"There seems to have been an accident. He now sports a trunk and a pair of elephant ears."
Snape stifled a laugh. The corners of McGonagall's mouth twitched.
"How did it happen?" asked Snape.
"It seems Longbottom accidentally cast a spell on him," replied McGonagall.
"Ah, Longbottom," said Snape, as if that explained everything.
They reached the Astronomy Tower.
"Do you think You-Know-Who is really here?" McGonagall asked in a low voice.
Snape shrugged. "Difficult to see how he could enter."
They paused outside the door listening for noises. It was quiet. Snape knocked. Receiving no reply, he opened the door. The room was empty.
McGonagall walked around the room, as Snape strode straight to the fireplace. He touched it and felt it warm. The Dark Mark burnt on his skin.
"The Dark Lord communicated through the fireplace," he said curtly.
A/N - To Miriam G- I was just thinking of sending you an email informing you of my new story, when I saw your review. Don't worry, your reviews are GREAT, as are all of the others and it gives me a warm feeling! ;-) Once again, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE REVIEWED and even to those who are reading and NOT reviewed.
"Perhaps," said Harry, his face grim. He grabbed Ron's arm. "Let's go to Dumbledore."
Panting, they reached Dumbledore's office. They stared at each other wondering how to get in (for neither knew the password), when the door opened. McGonagall stepped out and looked at the two.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Can we see Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
"Why?" asked McGonagall.
They glanced at each other uneasily.
"Both of you better come to my office," she said leading the way.
"Dumbledore is not here now," she said sitting down and motioning them to do the same. "What is it that you wanted to tell him?"
"You-Know-Who is in the castle," blurted out Ron, before Harry could say a word.
McGonagall started. "What do you mean, Mr.Weasley?"
"In the Astronomy Tower."
McGonagall looked towards Harry for elucidation when it was apparent that no coherent sentence could be got out of Ron.
"We went to the Astronomy Tower and we heard a voice. A voice addressing somebody as 'My Lord'. I think Voldemort was being addressed. But my scar did not hurt as much as it did the last time Voldemort was near. So I'm not sure," said Harry.
"Whose voice was it?" she asked.
"It was a lady's voice, " said Harry.
The door opened. They turned to see Snape standing at the door.
"Come in, Severus," said McGonagall.
Snape entered. "Something the matter?" he asked looking from the boys to McGonagall.
"They believe You-Know-Who is inside the castle," she replied.
"What?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"They heard a lady's voice address 'My Lord' in the Astronomy Tower and they took that to refer to You-Know-Who."
Before Snape could respond, a house-elf entered. "Professor McGonagall is urgently needed in the Hospital Wing," it said bowing.
"I'm leaving you to deal with this, Severus," said McGonagall hurrying out.
Snape turned to Harry and Ron with an unpleasant smile. "What took the two of you to the Astronomy Tower?"
"I had left behind my Astronomy charts, so we went to get it," replied Harry defiantly. "So," said Snape, a sneer forming, "the great Potter thought that he could leave things behind as he pleased and his servants would fetch them for him. Was nobody obliging enough to get them for you?"
They glared at him but remained quiet.
"I believe it has now become a habit with you to indulge in illusions," continued Snape.
"But You-Know-Who is in the castle. Even I heard him and Harry's scar hurt," said Ron impatiently.
"I believe I heard Professor McGonagall say so. I suggest both of you return to your Common Room and keep your mouths shut over the affair. It is apparent that both of you are blessed with vivid imaginations. But I don't want panic to spread among the students on account of your hallucinations."
Snape looked at them, a sneer forming at the corner of his mouth, leaving them with no other option than getting back to the Common Room.
~*~*~*~*~
"Concentrate, Neville," said Sher patiently. "Look at the cushion and form an image of a baby elephant in your mind. Focus your mind on the task at hand and then say the spell."
Neville closed his eyes and with a determined look on his face, held his wand aloft and cast the spell.
The next instant Sher found himself breathing through a trunk and felt something flapping on his face - Elephant ears. He looked around wondering whether to trumpet or not, when Lavender gave a screech. Hermione looked up from her Charms homework.
"Oh dear," she cried hurrying towards Sher. "This spell is not supposed to be cast on humans."
"No," muttered Sher, his eyes twinkling. "Only Neville didn't know it."
Neville was tearful. "I didn't mean to do it," he said looking from Sher to Hermione.
By now the entire Common Room had gathered around.
"Way to go, Longbottom!" said Fred. "We have human transfiguration only when we do our N.E.W.Ts, but you have managed to master it in the 5th year itself."
"What will happen now?" asked Neville worriedly.
"Help me take him to the Hospital Wing," said Hermione quickly taking charge of the situation.
Together the twins heaved Sher out of his seat and marched him off to the Hospital Wing with Hermione in the lead and Neville following behind.
~*~*~*~*~
McGonagall entered the Hospital Wing.
"Poppy!" she called.
Madame Pomfrey came out from one of the rooms.
"There you are, Professor," she said wiping her hands on her apron.
"What happened?" asked McGonagall. "A house-elf informed me that you wanted me here. Is it anything serious?"
"Not serious," she replied. "I sent for you only because you wanted to be informed if anything happened to the new fifth year student, what's his name?"
"Bertlemon?" McGonagall asked, alarmed.
"Ah, yes, the one with the queer name. He has grown a trunk and a pair of large ears."
"WHAT!" she exclaimed, disbelievingly.
"You better see for yourself," said Madame Pomfrey leading her to Sher's room.
Sher had his eyes closed, but looked up as the two entered. He smiled at McGonagall and his eyes twinkled, reminding her for a moment of Dumbledore.
"What has been happening, Mr.Bertlemon?" she asked sternly, going towards the bed.
"I was teaching Neville to transfigure a cushion into a baby elephant, but he accidentally transfigured me."
"I will have a word with Mr.Longbottom," said McGonagall grimly.
"Please Professor," said Sher. "It was an accident and wasn't his fault."
Madame Pomfrey entered with a goblet containing a bubbling purple potion. "Drink it up and you'll be fine by tomorrow."
McGonagall got up. "I'll be in my office if you need anything, Poppy."
She went to her office to find Snape there.
"Well?" she asked.
"Astronomy Tower. We might as well check it out," said Snape.
"Sher is in the Hospital Wing," said McGonagall as they hurried down the corridor.
Snape looked at her.
"There seems to have been an accident. He now sports a trunk and a pair of elephant ears."
Snape stifled a laugh. The corners of McGonagall's mouth twitched.
"How did it happen?" asked Snape.
"It seems Longbottom accidentally cast a spell on him," replied McGonagall.
"Ah, Longbottom," said Snape, as if that explained everything.
They reached the Astronomy Tower.
"Do you think You-Know-Who is really here?" McGonagall asked in a low voice.
Snape shrugged. "Difficult to see how he could enter."
They paused outside the door listening for noises. It was quiet. Snape knocked. Receiving no reply, he opened the door. The room was empty.
McGonagall walked around the room, as Snape strode straight to the fireplace. He touched it and felt it warm. The Dark Mark burnt on his skin.
"The Dark Lord communicated through the fireplace," he said curtly.
A/N - To Miriam G- I was just thinking of sending you an email informing you of my new story, when I saw your review. Don't worry, your reviews are GREAT, as are all of the others and it gives me a warm feeling! ;-) Once again, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE REVIEWED and even to those who are reading and NOT reviewed.