Chapter two: Fragments of Future and Friendship
Hermione Granger looked surprised as she saw Harry and Rod walking down the hall way, whispering short sentences, their eyes moving from side to side as they expected to be caught any minute by a troll. Harry looked pale and his glasses were all dirty. Ron on the other hand was blushing and turned scarlet as he saw Hermione gazing at the two friends. Without saying a word, Harry and Rod approached her. "What happened": she asked as the boys stood in front of her, their eyes black and sadly staring at the marble floor.
"It's Malfoy": Ron stuttered. "That creep placed a sleeping spell on the Gryffindor's dormitory and stole all our wands."
Hermione gasped. Now it was her turn to blush. Her hands formed a wrist. Angriness was piling up inside her stomach. She was ready to explode any seconds. As she noticed a grinning Draco entering the Great Hall, she grabbed her wand out of her suitcase. She coughed loudly and started to walk in Malfoy's direction. Suddenly a cold voice made her freeze.
"Well, well, Mister Potter and his fearsome friends. All ready to start a new year at Hogwarts."
Professor Snape approached the three friends, his black cloak forming a fan of black cloth that seemed to float. He stopped in front of Harry and he clapped his hands together and let out a rather unpleasant laughter. It sounded more of a yell and it echoed through the Great Hall. The sky-shaped ceiling seemed to darken for a second, but then got back its velvet colour. Hermione saw Draco glance her way. He sneered and his mocking, grey eyes were filled with hatred. As he noticed professor Snape, he grinned and turned to his friends Crabbe and Goyle, who were tossing pieces of bread to Neville, who was sitting lonely at the large, wooden table of the Gryffindor's, almost crying. Goyle was the best thrower, as his bread landed perfectly on Neville's head, forming a bread-like hairdo. His friend Crabbe was more pathetic and his pieces of bread got nearly a few inches from where he was standing. Suddenly a flock of owls flew straight towards Neville, picking away the bread. Neville started to scream hysterically as his hair was picked too by the greedy beaks of the Hogwarts' post delivery service. In the meanwhile Draco said something to his friends who were laughing and pointing at Neville, and instantly they dropped the bread and looked at Hermione. With a little click of Malfoy's finger, the two boys conjured a dozen of wands. Evilly they waved with them, making all kinds of purple clouds appear who instantly vaporized, leaving an awkward smell. In the meanwhile Harry could only watch helplessly how his dear wand was being swept through the air, as professor Snape was revising all rules to which pupils must accustom, his voice sternly and slowly trembling, making the three friends feel even worse.
When he finally ended his lecture, Draco and his loyal companions had already left the Great Hall. "Do carry on now, Potter." Snape grinned. Then he turned viciously in Neville's direction who was still sobbing, touching the bold stains on his head and started to terrorise him by telling him all kind of stories about how pathetic it was to weep in front of a teacher.
************************
Harry, Hermione and Ron were sitting in the Gryffindor's room. More and more students found out their wands were stolen. A panic raised in the common room. The scarlet carpet was constantly touched by dozens of feet who were moving rapidly, their owner's crying out curses and nasty words, all condemning the Slytherins for this cowardly act. It was repulsive to think that a Slytherin had entered the common room, but it was even more excruciating to know that the enemy of the Gryffindors' house had touched their precious wands with their foul hands. Repining and showing repentance of the fact that they didn't be more careful, the students paced up and down. Luckily Percy, the Gryffindor's prefect was calm. Carefully he read the note Harry had found. Suddenly he stood up. Everyone stopped and looked at him. Even Neville who was pressed in a small corner of the room, petting his toad looked up.
- "It's insulting how those foul Slytherins have broken into our dormitories and stole our wands! However, we cannot go to professor McGonagall to explain what
happened! It's our own responsibility. We left our wands here, all knowing the risks. Tonight, I'm going to bargain with the Slytherins to get our wands back!"
- "You mean we will not duel them!!!" Ron yelled.
Percy frowned and looked impatiently at Ron.
- 'First of all, RON, we are not allowed after supper to wander around in the school buildings. Secondly professor Dumbledore will not be pleased as he hears that there is a fighting planned. And thirdly, if we get caught, none of you first year students would have a good excuse to be up that late. Tonight there is a prefects' meeting. I will haggle with their prefect and ask to reason. I'm sure they will return our wands."
Harry looked at Hermione. She nodded. There was no way that Draco would give back their wands. He had stolen their most precious possession and he knew it darn well. Perhaps he wasn't as smart as most students, but Malfoy had a nose for evil plans. People rumoured around that Malfoy even betrayed his own Slytherin roommates, yet no one had any proof. If there was one person no one could reason with, it was Draco Malfoy. Harry shivered. He felt Hermione's brown eyes on his face and so he tried to smile. But he failed and his lip was shaking with annoyance. If he could only teach that Malfoy a lesson he would never forget. But how? Harry hadn't got an idea how to deal with this sort of people. Draco was even worse than Dudley. His cousin always bullied him, but at least he could defend in one way or another, but in the case of Draco he didn't know what to do. Harry's glasses were moving again and were ready to drop of his nose, when the door of the Gryffindor's room was slammed open. Professor McGonagall entered.
- "What is this fuss about? Go immediately to the Great Hall. Diner will be served any minute now. Come on!!! Oh and Mister Potter, I like to have a word with you."
The Gryffindor students rushed outside. Hermione jotted something down on a paper and she gave it to Harry, before she was hurried out by McGonagall. A sudden quietness overwhelmed Harry as he was sitting all alone in the common room. The fire place was spreading a nice warmth and was crackling lively, painting Harry's face in tints of orange and red. Professor McGonagall took place in the large armchair that was standing in front of the black-haired boy. She closed her eyes and looked through her eyelashes at the boy. Her fingernails ticked nervously on the wooden table that was standing on the left of the armchair, beautifully decorated with a fire breathing Griffon. She coughed, turning her head towards the flames, which were licking the wood that was burned black.
- "Mister Potter, I'm most delighted that you took the challenge and accepted my proposal to become Gryffindor's seeker. Quidditch is as you know a very popular sport and at last we can defeat those howling Slytherins."
Harry blushed. The thoughts were running through his head. What should he do? Should he inform Miss McGonagall about the missing wands? Should he tell her about Draco and his repulsive plan? He didn't know what to do or what the right attitude was to face this sort of problems. He saw that McGonagall was still gazing into the fire, her cat-like eyes absorbing the image of the sweltering image of the bursting flames.
- "I know it's hard to face them, Potter. But I have fate in you. I didn't give you that Nimbus 2000 for nothing! I wish your father was here to taste your success. He was a great Quidditch player. The best I've ever seen. It's in your blood, Potter. It flows through your veins and I am so happy it is. I trust in you, Potter!"
McGonagall turned her face and smiled caringly at Harry. He smiled back, feeling confused. Suddenly the professor stood up, she walked to Harry, pulled him out of his chair and hugged him. The black-haired boy lay smitten in her arms, smelling the strange scent of wild daisies.
- "Remember Harry, many died for you, yet you are the boy that lived. Never forget that your mother and father stay with you, forever.
As sudden as McGonagall had clenched him in her arms, she released him. She nodded at the boy, wished him a nice diner and stepped out of the room, leaving Harry alone. The boy didn't know what had happened. Strange things were occurring recently; first the missing wands, then McGonagall who goes sentimental. It all was too weird to be true. Suddenly Harry felt Hermione's note pressed in his hand. Interested by this discovery, he unfolded the paper. In a neat handwriting, curly letters were saying:
Dear Harry,
I have a plan! Tonight at 9 o'clock at the Entrance Hall. Bring the invisibility cloak.
Hermione.
**************************
Harry was sitting in front of the mirror of Erised. He looked at his parents. They looked happily, but they couldn't cheer him up. The invisibility cloak was hanging on Harry's shoulder, making a tremendous hap in his body, but the boy didn't notice. Down the corridor, he heard the bells of Hogwarts ring eight times. In one hour he had to meet in the Entrance hall with Hermione and Ron. He didn't know what was going to happen. The future remained a dark mystery, he was forced to undergo. Doubting and hesitating he looked at his parents once again. They had leaned over Harry in a comforting way. It seemed like they were really here, but a cold breath of wind, warned Harry that he was dreaming again. Reality was cruel and so he was ripped out of his dream world once again with the acing thought that somewhere far beyond his reach; his parents lived happily bound to eternity. He didn't even have a picture of them; they were part of his memory now. A dark memory of green flashes and the scary knowledge that Voldemort was still alive. The moon cast a blurry light down the window, reflecting in the mirror.
I wonder what Draco must see when he looks in this mirror; Harry thought. He could see Malfoy standing in front of the glass, laughing evilly as he saw himself as master of the Dark Art, making people bow at his eternal will, enslaving the Muggles and enchanting the world so it would become a nightmare. But was the mirror showing the future? It couldn't? Yet it had shown Ron he would become a prefect and leader of the Quidditch club, but the mirror also showed Harry's parent. Could it be the future? Harry sighed. He hoped it was the future, yet something was acing in the back of his mind, trying to find a way through the clouds of confusion that flooded his brains. It would be wonderful to meet his parents again. There MUST be some sort of magic to make them live again.
Harry stood up. There was no time for thinking about the future. There were more important problems now! He put on the invisibility cloak and left the room, the mirror of Erised shining magically and an old man watching the boy leave…
TO BE CONTINUED
*****************************
Note:
Perhaps some people wonder why Harry still beliefs he is seeing the future in the mirror. This scene takes place before Dumbledore's conversation with Harry and the library scene!
Well another chapter is up! Hope you like it! Anyway, review please…
Thomas xxx