Chapter Seventeen; Behind The Scenes
The days passed and the warm spring weather had arrived. The grounds were no longer frosty in the morning and the lawns were looking green and fine once more. The pleasant change in weather aptly coincided with most people's moods.
Colin Creevey had come running over Harry, Ron and Hermione one morning in March with all his newly developed photos. Apologising for taking so long, Colin practically grovelled for forgiveness, saying that he didn't think that over twenty rolls of film could take so long so sort out.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were stunned at the photos. Apparently Colin had been taking plenty of pictures when they weren't even aware of him, as well as cooperating with their wish to pose for the camera in certain areas of the castle. Individual shots, group photos, distant shots; there were so many Harry was sure that they would have to make an entire series of albums to accommodate them all. Nevertheless, it was hardily a wearisome chore.
Sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor common room every evening they set about the task of sorting out all the photos, picking and choosing favourites for their very first album.
Taking their cue from the Marauder Album, the three of them had been very persistent in recreating several of the original shots. The best by far was the one of Harry, Ron and Hermione standing in a three-way hug on the front steps of Hogwarts castle. It took pride of place on the very first page of the album, closely followed by photos of them with Hagrid out on the grounds.
There was so many photos that it took over a week to get to the Halloween photographs. Colin had managed to get several nice shots of Harry, Ron and Hermione in their dress robes looking very smart and mature. There was a fantastic overview of the exquisitely decorated Great Hall that Hermione insisted on including, not that the boys objected.
One photo of Sirius and Remus had come out clearly; two large canines running around and wrestling playfully with each other on the front lawns in the starlight, the Forbidden Forest and the Whomping Willow in the distance. Harry hung onto that one.
As requested, Colin had also succeeded in taking a few good close ups up Professor Torr during her solo. Harry stuffed these into a pile of discarded photos, a convenient place to forget about them for the time being.
The half constructed album lay on the table between them. Ron sat on the floor with a mass of photos spread out around him. Hermione was carefully placing a photo on another page of the album, meticulously lining it up with those above it. Harry sat in an armchair by the fire, shifting through a smaller pile, picking out a few favourites and discarding others.
'What about this one?' said Ron, holding up a photograph of Hedwig, Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks sitting together on a window sill, the sun setting behind them.
'Perfect,' Hermione smiled. 'Now, do we put that with the 'group' photos or with the other pet photos?'
'Definitely with the groups,' said Harry, 'We've got loads of individual shots – '
Tap, tap!
They all looked up to see a small barn owl perched on the windowsill, peering inside. Ron got up off the floor to let it inside. The owl fluttered down onto the armrest of Harry's chair. It hooted and held out its leg. Curiously, Harry removed the letter tied to its leg. He didn't recognise the owl. With a self-satisfied hoot, the owl took flight, soaring back out of the window and off in the direction of the Owlery.
Breaking the seal, Harry quickly unfolded it.
Dear Harry,
I've just returned to Hogsmeade and from what Padfoot had told me, the two of you don't seem to be on speaking terms, is that correct? As I understand it, you don't approve of a certain acquaintance of his. Now, you don't have to see Padfoot if you don't want to, but if you'd like to talk, then I'm more than willing to hear your side of the story.
Hope to see you soon,
Moony
*
'Bell with the Quaffle - passes to Butler - no, Montague swipes the Quaffle - speeding towards the goal - dodges a Bludger - yes! Blocked by Spinnet - forced to pass to Pucey - Bell back in possession! Look at her go - but here comes Warrington - watch out! Oh, will you look at that! Fantastic Reverse-pass to Butler! Ducks both Bludgers - almost at the goal - Gryffindor score! 50 - 20 to Gryffindor!'
Three quarters of the crowd were screaming their delight. All the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were anxious to see Slytherin get thrashed, almost as much as the Gryffindors. The green-clad supporters were furious at Gryffindor's lead and urging their team on, who were rapidly resorting to their usual brutal tactics.
'Slytherin in possession - Warrington passes to Pucey - passes to Montague - back to Pucey - forcing their way up the pitch in a Hawkshead! - And here come the Weasleys!'
Fred and George rocketed up from beneath the Slytherin Chasers, smacking the Bludgers upwards.
'Warrington's hit!' Lee Jordan shouted, a little too happily. 'He's going to be feeling that tomorrow! Plummets towards the pitch! Oh, no, pulls up just in time - shame-'
'Jordan!'
'But good news for the Slytherin team,' he added swiftly, if not sourly. 'Pucey still with the Quaffle - HEY! What do you think you're doing?'
Warrington and Montague had both sped into the scoring area, slamming against Ron, almost knocking him right off his broom and ramming him aside. Quick as a flash Pucey flew at the goal hoops and flung the Quaffle through.
Madam Hooch blew her whistle and started yelling at them. Jordan gleefully continued.
'Two penalties awarded to Gryffindor for that foul! Those Slytherins must really be worried if they think they can get away with Stooging!'
Harry had been soaring nearly thirty feet above the game when the foul happened, now he dived down to Ron. He looked a bit sore, though insisted that he was fine, glaring murderously at the Slytherins.
'But if you can finish the game,' said Ron bracingly as Katie took their first penalty, diving round Bletchly and scoring before he had a chance to turn, 'sooner would be better than later.'
Harry nodded and rose once more above the Chasers. Draco was using the same tactic but watching Harry closely, obviously waiting for Harry to find the Snitch for him. Harry ignored him.
The crowd cheered as Chris took Gryffindors second penalty.
'70 - 30 to Gryffindor!' Jordan bellowed. 'Spinnet gains the Quaffle - loops round Beater Derrick - passes to Butler - oh, no! Hit by a Bludger and Slytherin steal the Quaffle - bloody hell, will you look at that!'
The entire crowd leapt to their feet, pointing and screaming as Harry and Draco suddenly dove out of the sky towards the middle of the pitch. A tiny glint of gold sparkled in the sunlight, skimming over the grass.
The Seekers were almost ten feet from smashing into the pitch when the Snitch suddenly dashed off up the pitch. Harry pulled his Firebolt up sharply, swung round and pelted after it, the screams of the crowd pounding his ears. Draco swerved off course, almost colliding with the stands and slipping off his broom by turning a tad too fast. The Slytherins howled with rage as Harry rocketed up the pitch, Draco miles behind.
'Look at Potter go! Watch out for the Bludgers! Wow! I don't know about anyone else, but I think that was a little too close!'
Harry rolled over to avoid a speeding Bludger sent his way by Bole, keeping his eyes locked on the Snitch, lying flat to the broom handle, gaining on the little golden ball bit by bit.
Suddenly, the Snitch chanced direction, shooting back past Harry in the blink of an eye, back up the pitch to the other end … and Malfoy. A manic gleam in his eye, Draco shot forward to meet it. Harry flipped right over and sped straight at Malfoy, the distance between them closing rapidly
'This is folks! Here it comes -'
What happened next happened so fast that most of the crowd blinked and missed it, for Potter and Malfoy were quite suddenly lying on the pitch in a tangle of limbs and brooms, caught up in their Quidditch robes. The crowd leaned forward and a hush descended. Even Jordan fell silent. Both teams hovered, watching their Seekers with bated breath.
A hand shot up into the air, a flash of gold in its palm.
A split second silence, and the stands erupted.
'YYEESSSS! Gryffindor are through to the final!' Jordan yelled at the top of his lungs, startling Professor McGonagall, who snatched the megaphone from him. One hurried apology and a pleading puppy-dog eyed look later, Jordan graciously took the megaphone back, aiming it away from McGonagall's ears this time. '220 points to 30! Slytherins lose!'
With a look of utter loathing, Draco scrambled back onto his feet, snatching up his broom and yanking his robes straight, then stumbled backwards as the Gryffindor team swooped down, cheering and congratulating Harry who seemed almost delirious with relief, clutching the Snitch for all he was worth.
'You did it, Harry! You did it!'
'Fantastic catch!'
'Jeez, I thought for a moment that Malfoy'd got the Snitch. Scared the life out of me!'
'We're in the final!'
Fred and George pulled Harry to his feet, slapping him on the back.
'Come on, celebration party, Gryffindor Tower, let's go!'
*
The celebration lasted all day and well into the night. The entire House congregated in the common room, setting off Filibuster Fireworks and feasting happily on the food Fred and George had brought up from the kitchens.
Harry and Ron, both in the limelight for much of the evening, finally seized the chance to slip away under the pretence of sneaking down to the kitchens for more food. Hermione slipped through the crowd to join them, passing Harry the Invisibility Cloak from her pocket.
Keeping all three of them out of sight under the Cloak was becoming difficult, owning to Ron's sudden growth. Harry, too, had grown a few inches but he still felt distinctly vertically challenged beside his lanky friend. It took them a long time to creep down through the castle.
They tiptoed past Argus Filch, the caretaker, who was prowling on the fourth floor, muttering furiously about the state of the pitch after the Seekers' joint crash landing.
'Blinking great dent right in the middle – no respect for the lawns … should have given the little brats detention. Idiotic game… and they call it sport …'
Harry and Ron rolled their eyes at each other. Hermione put a finger to her lips, nudging them in the direction of the stairs. Quietly, they stole down the stairwell and continued on through the castle.
None of them had been inside Professor Torr's office before, but Harry led them straight to it, having visited these rooms under three of its previous occupants.
Checking that the corridor was indeed deserted, Hermione stuck her wand out from the under the Cloak and tapped the lock.
'Alohomora!'
The lock clicked and she slowly pushed open the door.
The office was dark. Hermione lit her wand and shone its narrow beam into the room. Harry and Ron followed suit, adding their lights to hers before slowly stepping over the threshold.
Closing the door over, Hermione stood guard, peering out into the corridor just in case Filch, Mrs Norris or Peeves came along. Pulling off the Cloak, Harry and Ron cast their lights around the darkened room.
They both jumped as two figures appeared in the darkness. Hermione spun round, raising her wand. The light struck the frame of a beautiful, golden-framed mirror. The mirror completely covered the opposite wall from ceiling to floor. Ron and Harry breathed sigh of relief; their reflections in the glass posing no threat. Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to her post.
Looking around the office it was clear at a glance that Professor Torr was rather particular about clutter. The desk was neat and orderly, no personal items anywhere on the surface. Books and sheaves of parchment were neatly arranged on the new shelves. A few small ornaments and a vase of flowers sitting on the window ledge were the only sign of a personal touch. Everything was perfectly clean, not a speck of dust to be found. Aunt Petunia would have been hard pushed to find a fault in the immaculate office, even if she knew the owner of it was a witch.
'Try not to disturb anything,' Harry whispered, sitting down at the desk and trying the drawers.
'I can't believe we're doing this,' Hermione muttered. 'Breaking and entering into someone's office –'
'Hey, we haven't broken anything,' Ron protested. 'We're being careful.' Hastily he seized a delicate china figurine off a nearby shelf, moving away from the edge before he could knock it.
They lapsed into silence as they focused on their search. Harry rummaged through the desk drawers, finding nothing but lesson plans, un-marked essays, quills, ink, parchment, chalk; nothing out of the ordinary. Ron went through the shelves, shining the wand light along the surface, examining every book, file and sheave of parchment.
Nothing. After an hour of searching and double-checking every nook and cranny, they'd found absolutely nothing.
'No good,' grumbled Ron in a whisper. 'It's clean as a whistle.'
Sullenly, Harry cast his wand light round the room again.
'There must be something,' he insisted, making no move to leave the office.
'Harry, whatever it is that we're looking for, I sincerely doubt that Professor Torr would conveniently leave it laying around her office. If there's any evidence at all, she'll probably have it hidden in her private rooms.' said Hermione, closing the door and joining Ron beside the mirror.
'It's getting late,' said Ron, checking his watch. 'Shall we go back, maybe try another time?'
Harry cast a baleful look round the dark office. He'd really hoped they'd find some proof of Professor Torr's deceit, but clearly luck wasn't with them tonight.
'Okay,' he sighed. 'Let's – ' Harry paused, staring over Ron and Hermione's shoulders, looked behind him and back again.
'What?' said Ron.
'The mirror,' said Harry. He walked over and turned his back to the mirror. From this angle the office appeared much smaller, but Harry could have sworn …
'Harry? What is it?' asked Hermione.
'The room's too small,' said Harry, turning to look into the mirror. 'This isn't the whole room. Part of it's missing.'
'Are you sure?'
'Positive. I've been in here often enough.'
Ron raised an eyebrow, casting a sidelong look at Harry. 'So where's the rest of it gone?' he asked, folding his arms and leaning back. 'How could you hide – Arrgh!'
'Ron!'
Ron had vanished. Harry and Hermione swiftly backed away from the mirror.
'Ow!' came a muffled voice from the other side of the glass. 'Where'd the wall go?'
Harry aimed his wand at the floor. The circle of light lit up a pair of large feet sticking out of the base of the mirror.
'Ron, are you okay?' Hermione gasped.
'Course I am,' came Ron's voice. His feet slid through the mirror as he got back up. The glass rippled like water then reformed.
'It's an illusion,' Harry whispered. 'They look real but can't attain a solid form – you can just walk straight them.'
'Well, it certainly looks solid enough,' Hermione murmured. They could hear Ron muttering darkly and brushing himself off.
Then there was a silence, more protracted.
'Guys,' Ron whispered. He sounded shaken. 'You'd better take a look at this.'
Harry and Hermione exchanged nervous glances, and then walked up to the mirror. Closing his eyes, Harry took a step straight into the mirror.
A vague tingling sensation washed over him as he passed through the illusion. Opening his eyes, Harry was relieved to see Ron standing there, looking none the worst for his fall, but staring around him in an awestruck manner. Harry slowly followed his gaze just as Hermione came through the mirror behind him. She pulled up short, staring with wide frightened eyes.
'Oh my goodness,' she whispered breathlessly.
They'd found the missing half of the office and, unlike its immaculate counterpart, this half was strewn haphazardly with all manner of things.
A workbench had been shoved up against the wall. A portable cauldron had been set upon it, a set of ladles and spoons lay on the heaps of parchment covering the rest of it. A mortar and pestle, sachets of fine powders, jars and bottles containing strange liquids and components were crammed onto several shelves. From the ceiling hung strings of dark feathers, claws, plant bulbs and withered flowers. The floor was littered with crumbled sheets of parchment. A pot of quills and an inkbottle lay in a box beneath the workbench.
But what really caught their attention were the photographs.
Hundreds and hundreds of photographs were plastered over every inch of the wall and ceiling. The images were all moving; for a moment it had looked as though the wall itself was moving.
Harry, Ron and Hermione tore their eyes away from the photos to stare at each other.
'Anybody else feeling a little creeped out?' Ron whispered shakily.
Hermione slowly went over to the desk, careful to avoid treading on anything. She peered curiously at the mass of jars and bottles, examining the contents.
Edging forward, Harry peered at the nearest photo.
A young girl, probably no more than fifteen, was fiddling with her long dark hair as though she couldn't decide whether she ought to wear it up or down. A boy stepped into view behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, laying his head on her shoulder. The girl stopped fiddling with her hair at once, smiling happily and shyly waving up at Harry. The boy glanced up from nuzzling her neck and grinned.
Harry's gaze shifted to the photo beside it.
The same boy and girl were laying in the shade of some trees, arms around each other, gazing into each other's eyes.
Another one showed the boy presenting the girl with a beautiful bouquet of flowers … sitting together on a squashy armchair, the girl sitting on his lap … dancing together … photo after photo after photo …
Harry's eyes swept the room. Not all the photos were different. Many were duplicates of one another, yet they all contained the same two subjects.
Then one in particular caught his eye.
'Will you look at this,' Hermione said, holding up two potion bottles. 'I knew she was making this stuff herself! She's got all the ingredients stashed here; poppy juice, canary feathers, ylang ylang, passion flower – no surprise there … she's practically got an apothecary's store room in here.' She looked excitedly up at Ron. 'I think we've found our proof.'
'Brilliant! But … er, how do we explain how we found this? I don't think McGonagall will be impressed with our breaking the rules somehow.'
'Oh, I'm sure we'll figure something out,' said Hermione bracingly. 'Harry?'
Harry was staring transfixed at the mosaic of photos. Reaching out a shaking hand, he tugged one off the wall.
Ron cast a wary eye over the other photos. He nodded, 'Yep, figures we'd have a complete loony this time. We've just about everything else; impostors, con men, agents of the Dark Lord, werewolves … why not a reject from St. Mungo's mental ward?'
Harry didn't say anything. He simply stared at the photo in his hands, and then held it up to show Ron and Hermione.
Unlike the other photos, this one they all recognised.
The pretty dark haired girl was once again in the frame, with the same boy by her side, dancing together on a crowded floor with other young couples.
The boy, a handsome teenager with long, raven black hair and a mischievous grin, waved up at the camera, a sparkle in his eyes that Harry could vividly recall reflecting the light of his birthday candles not so long ago.
'Is that …' Ron trailed off nervously.
Harry nodded grimly.
'Sirius.'
*
To Be Continued
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Please review
All comments and constructive criticism are appreciated
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Author's Notes
Elbereth94 – Poor Sirius indeed – the guy's probably just as confused as everyone else!
Evol norgara – Hhm, now how exactly do you plan to put that perfume to good use? *evil grin* Come to think of it, it would be nice to try it out. ^_^
Evil spapple pie – Ah, the explanation for the powder reading was one of the 'missing plot elements' from the original fic; I needed one to clear some things up this time round. Ron and Hermione are both rather confused and unsure, poor guys. Give them some time, maybe they'll try to sort things out.
Von – Time zones are a source of great confusion for me, so unless I happen to know where in the world you are, I have no hope of figuring out how many hours ahead/behind we are. Oooh, Brain Strain! ^_^
Hey, hold your horses, Ron and Hermione are not simply brushing this off – All three teenagers have some relationship issues going on and are having some difficulty keeping a hold on their thoughts and feelings. Hermione took a moment to vent her frustrations but neither her nor Ron are dismissing Harry's situation for any reason. Teenage mood swings abound for a while; they're teenagers – what'd you expect?
MorganD – *blinks* Okay, yes, that is a very complex question indeed, but I will take a shot in the dark at giving a straight-forward answer, so here goes;
Love is more to do with caring deeply about others, while passion is more an 'animalistic' attraction. Sirius loves Harry very much, as a parent would, but as far as Harry knows, Sirius is being forcibly attracted to P.Torr which is causing the rift between them.
Like Hermione said earlier; people can confuse love and passion, so 'love' spells would be used to make another person feel something more for you, rather than have them unable to keep their hands off you. Unfortunately, because people use 'love' to mean both, it really does get very very confusing!
Corrie – Thank you! ^_^