Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - JK Rowling does - and I don't own
Clue.
Dedication: This is for Harriet Potter (thanks for all of the great reviews and emails!), Rachel (sorry it's not a Harry and Hermione fic, I don't really believe in what's going to happen with Harry is right, but one of my other favorite couples should emerge in this), Sparkles (thanks for staying true to all of my stories), An Old Bit of Parchment (cliffhangers are fun!). Thank you so much! You all are the best reviewers ever!
~*~Once again I'm sorry that this is up rather late. I've been very busy lately and just haven't found the time. (Perhaps if you email me sometime, I'll put you on a list, and then I'll write back telling you when it is updated.) I hope you all aren't really mad at me for how long it's taken, but please know that I won't give up this story until it is finished. So I finished chapter 4 today, so here you are! Yeah!
*****************THE MYSTERY OF STONE MANSION*******************
Chapter 4: The Rules of the Game
Ron and Harry gaped at her. "W-What?"
Hermione paused for a moment before speaking again, looking down upon Ginny. "This is the full body bind," she repeated. "But, it can't be possible because we gave our wands to Hagrid."
Comprehension dawning upon his face, Harry uttered, "So - So she isn't really - hurt?"
"Oh, of course not. Dumbledore said that nothing would happen to us if we found ourselves in danger. It's all part of the plot."
Numb relief spread through Harry's body, yet his arms still seemed very heavy.
"What's going on then?" Ron asked, though he still seemed rather shaken.
"I'll tell you when we talk to Gabbla," she said.
Abruptly, a faint scream erupted from the top of the stairs. Cho was standing there, gazing down upon Ginny with her hand up to her mouth. She swayed on the spot. Instinctively, Harry jumped up and hurriedly ran up the steps toward her. He caught her just before she toppled over. As he laid her down upon the carpet, he suddenly became aware of the feeling that someone was lurking in the shadows behind him. He turned around and found Malfoy smirking from against the wall. Malfoy seemed completely unconcerned with what was happening around them.
"Nice catch, Potter. If only the snitch were that big, you could actually grab it for once, instead of it flying up your sleeve," he smirked.
"Back off, Malfoy," Harry muttered darkly, turning back to Cho. Heat began to rise in his face, and his arms became even number. What was he to do? Should he try to wake her up? Should he tap her on her face? The very thought seemed to be unreal and impossible. After what seemed to be hours, he decided to compromise by taking her hand. It felt oddly smooth and pleasant beneath his fingers. "Cho?" he asked. After repeating this several times, her eyes slowly opened.
"Harry?" she said, sitting up. "What happened?"
"You fainted - er - when you saw Ginny on the floor," he said. How amazing it was that he could actually say those few words out loud.
"What? Ginny? Oh, my! Is she all right?" Panic was etched across her face.
"I think so, but something strange is going on."
"Harry," Hermione called from below him. "Come on."
"Okay. Do you think that you can get up?" he added, turning back to Cho.
"Yes, I think so," she said, leaning on the banister for support.
"Here, let me help you." He took hold of her arm and shoulder. She looked up and smiled.
"Thanks, Harry."
They slowly made their way downstairs, and into the study. It was a tan colored room, filled with couches and chairs, all of witch surrounded a small coffee table. A fire was blazing in the hearth before them. After Harry helped Cho collapse into a squashy armchair, he went back into the hall to help Ron and Hermoine with Ginny.
Ron grabbed Ginny's feet while Harry took hold of her shoulders, and together, they carried the stiff body into the study. Hermione followed looking anxious. As they leaned her onto the couch, Malfoy entered the room looking very pleased.
There was silence while Harry tried to comprehend everything that had just occurred. Ginny Weasley had been attacked. Yet, Hermione said that Dumbledore had told them that they wouldn't be in any danger, and you can usually count on Hermoine to be right about everything. Had this all been planned?
"Well," Ron said, looking around the room, "what are we supposed to do now?"
"Please have a seat, sirs and misses." Gabbla had walked into the room carrying a tray of tea and cakes. He spotted Ginny lying on the couch and passed right by her. As he placed the tray onto the coffee table, he spoke. "Gabbla sees that the first event in the puzzle has occurred. Tea?" He then proceeded to pour five cups of tea as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Excuse me, but can someone please tell us what's going on?" Ron asked, glancing at his sister.
"Oh, of course, sir, but first, please have some tea."
"I don't want any tea, I want to know what's happening!" Ron roared.
"Ron, calm down," Hermione interjected. "This is all part of the game."
"But -"
"This is the puzzle we have to solve. It's all part of the game," she repeated.
"Miss is very clever," Gabbla said, beaming at Hermione. "It is true that this is why sirs and misses have come here. Someone has been murdered, and sirs and misses must discover who did it and how."
"Will Ginny be alright?" Ron asked once again.
"Miss will be just fine. Miss Ruby is merely knocked out."
"But, Hermione just said that someone used the full body bind on her, and wands aren't allowed," Harry said.
"Yes, that is a problem, but sirs and misses will have to figure that out, too," the elf implored excitedly.
"Wait," Harry spoke suddenly after taking in the elf's explanation, "that means that one of us attacked Ginny."
Everyone looked around suspiciously at Harry.
"Yes, it is true," Gabbla said. "One of you, is a murderer."
Wary glances traced the room. Harry's eyes fell on Malfoy who was silhouetted against the bright light of the flame, and then on Cho who's face had turned white.
"I think it is time for sirs and misses to tell each other whom you really are," Gabbla said with firmness now in his high-pitched voice. "This is, or was, Miss Ruby." He indicated Ginny lying on the sofa. "Miss Ruby was an heiress to a fortune. Miss's grandparents made their money by making sweets and later sold them to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. Poor Miss Ruby. Miss's parents are dead, her sister refuses to speak to her, and miss never found love. All that miss had was her gold." He shook his large, bat-like ears. "Would sir like to continue?" he asked, his eyes now on Harry.
Guessing at what he was supposed to do, Harry recited the information concealed in his letter. "I'm Professor Gold, one of the most brilliant and famous people of the 20th century. I'm a teacher at Hogwarts and I support anti-dark arts movements." Glancing around the room, he saw that Hermione had taken out a small pad of paper from a silver handbag and started scribbling frantically on the first page.
Gabbla nodded at Harry, apparently pleased with the way things were going so far, and then indicated for Hermione to introduce herself. "I am Miss Silver, and I'm a very well known writer. I've written a total of seventeen books and novels, been praised for all of my writing, and graduated from Hogwarts at the top of my class. Three of my books are currently on the Hogwarts required reading list," she recited. When she finished, she nodded.
Next came Cho. Though she was still very pale, she managed to whisper a few sentences. "I'm Mrs. Sapphire, an aspiring Daily Prophet reporter. I've written countless articles, yet I'm still competing to become the Prophet's top writer. I do have a family, yet, due to my work, I haven't had the time to converse with them."
Gabbla's eyes now turned to Malfoy who was standing in the shadow of the mantle place. "I'm Mr. Emerald. I'm very wealthy," he said, placing a huge emphasis on the last two words and smirking at Ron. "I'm an inventor of a sweet called Gummy Brooms. I donate large sums of money to St. Mungo's Hospital. I hope to dominate the candy business with a new line of sweets," he finished and then returned to sulking.
From his corner, Malfoy looked across the room at Ron and raised his eyebrows. Ron seemed to be deep in thought, and wasn't aware that it was his turn to speak. "How thick are you, Weasley?" Malfoy muttered.
Coming back to his senses, Ron's ears turned a brilliant shade of red. "I'm - er - the famous retired araur, Colonial Bronze, who has put many dark wizards into the cells of Azkaban." He chanced a glance full of hatred back at Malfoy. "My most well-known achievement is the capture of a dark wizard who attempted to assassinate Professor Gold. I also have a very large family and I support my parents."
There was silence as everyone finished. The only sound that was heard was Hermione's constant scratching on her paper. However, within seconds, she closed the notebook, placed it carefully in her handbag, and the room plunged into silence once more.
"Well," Gabbla said happily, breaking the veil of silence, "now it is time for sirs and misses to find out who done it!" Something suddenly snapped from behind Harry, and he wheeled around reaching for his wand before he realized he didn't have it anymore. A branch of a nearby tree was banging against the window.
Harry turned slowly around, lost in thought. "Gabbla," he said at once, "the six of us came here together. Did anyone else come with you?"
The elf shook his head so violently that his hears shook. "Gabbla is most sure that Gabbla came to the island alone, sir."
"Well," Harry continued slowly, "after Hagrid dropped us off, could someone have come here without any of us knowing?"
"It - it is possible, sir," Gabbla spoke tentatively.
"Then, it might not be one of us who attacked Ginny," Ron said, standing up. "Maybe someone else is here."
"There's only one thing to do then, isn't there," Hermione said firmly. "We need to search the house."
~*~Bum bum bum. I'm going to leave it here and the next chapter will be 'The Search.' So, how's the story going so far? I love hearing from you, so please review!
Lots of love,
Carmen Willows
Dedication: This is for Harriet Potter (thanks for all of the great reviews and emails!), Rachel (sorry it's not a Harry and Hermione fic, I don't really believe in what's going to happen with Harry is right, but one of my other favorite couples should emerge in this), Sparkles (thanks for staying true to all of my stories), An Old Bit of Parchment (cliffhangers are fun!). Thank you so much! You all are the best reviewers ever!
~*~Once again I'm sorry that this is up rather late. I've been very busy lately and just haven't found the time. (Perhaps if you email me sometime, I'll put you on a list, and then I'll write back telling you when it is updated.) I hope you all aren't really mad at me for how long it's taken, but please know that I won't give up this story until it is finished. So I finished chapter 4 today, so here you are! Yeah!
*****************THE MYSTERY OF STONE MANSION*******************
Chapter 4: The Rules of the Game
Ron and Harry gaped at her. "W-What?"
Hermione paused for a moment before speaking again, looking down upon Ginny. "This is the full body bind," she repeated. "But, it can't be possible because we gave our wands to Hagrid."
Comprehension dawning upon his face, Harry uttered, "So - So she isn't really - hurt?"
"Oh, of course not. Dumbledore said that nothing would happen to us if we found ourselves in danger. It's all part of the plot."
Numb relief spread through Harry's body, yet his arms still seemed very heavy.
"What's going on then?" Ron asked, though he still seemed rather shaken.
"I'll tell you when we talk to Gabbla," she said.
Abruptly, a faint scream erupted from the top of the stairs. Cho was standing there, gazing down upon Ginny with her hand up to her mouth. She swayed on the spot. Instinctively, Harry jumped up and hurriedly ran up the steps toward her. He caught her just before she toppled over. As he laid her down upon the carpet, he suddenly became aware of the feeling that someone was lurking in the shadows behind him. He turned around and found Malfoy smirking from against the wall. Malfoy seemed completely unconcerned with what was happening around them.
"Nice catch, Potter. If only the snitch were that big, you could actually grab it for once, instead of it flying up your sleeve," he smirked.
"Back off, Malfoy," Harry muttered darkly, turning back to Cho. Heat began to rise in his face, and his arms became even number. What was he to do? Should he try to wake her up? Should he tap her on her face? The very thought seemed to be unreal and impossible. After what seemed to be hours, he decided to compromise by taking her hand. It felt oddly smooth and pleasant beneath his fingers. "Cho?" he asked. After repeating this several times, her eyes slowly opened.
"Harry?" she said, sitting up. "What happened?"
"You fainted - er - when you saw Ginny on the floor," he said. How amazing it was that he could actually say those few words out loud.
"What? Ginny? Oh, my! Is she all right?" Panic was etched across her face.
"I think so, but something strange is going on."
"Harry," Hermione called from below him. "Come on."
"Okay. Do you think that you can get up?" he added, turning back to Cho.
"Yes, I think so," she said, leaning on the banister for support.
"Here, let me help you." He took hold of her arm and shoulder. She looked up and smiled.
"Thanks, Harry."
They slowly made their way downstairs, and into the study. It was a tan colored room, filled with couches and chairs, all of witch surrounded a small coffee table. A fire was blazing in the hearth before them. After Harry helped Cho collapse into a squashy armchair, he went back into the hall to help Ron and Hermoine with Ginny.
Ron grabbed Ginny's feet while Harry took hold of her shoulders, and together, they carried the stiff body into the study. Hermione followed looking anxious. As they leaned her onto the couch, Malfoy entered the room looking very pleased.
There was silence while Harry tried to comprehend everything that had just occurred. Ginny Weasley had been attacked. Yet, Hermione said that Dumbledore had told them that they wouldn't be in any danger, and you can usually count on Hermoine to be right about everything. Had this all been planned?
"Well," Ron said, looking around the room, "what are we supposed to do now?"
"Please have a seat, sirs and misses." Gabbla had walked into the room carrying a tray of tea and cakes. He spotted Ginny lying on the couch and passed right by her. As he placed the tray onto the coffee table, he spoke. "Gabbla sees that the first event in the puzzle has occurred. Tea?" He then proceeded to pour five cups of tea as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Excuse me, but can someone please tell us what's going on?" Ron asked, glancing at his sister.
"Oh, of course, sir, but first, please have some tea."
"I don't want any tea, I want to know what's happening!" Ron roared.
"Ron, calm down," Hermione interjected. "This is all part of the game."
"But -"
"This is the puzzle we have to solve. It's all part of the game," she repeated.
"Miss is very clever," Gabbla said, beaming at Hermione. "It is true that this is why sirs and misses have come here. Someone has been murdered, and sirs and misses must discover who did it and how."
"Will Ginny be alright?" Ron asked once again.
"Miss will be just fine. Miss Ruby is merely knocked out."
"But, Hermione just said that someone used the full body bind on her, and wands aren't allowed," Harry said.
"Yes, that is a problem, but sirs and misses will have to figure that out, too," the elf implored excitedly.
"Wait," Harry spoke suddenly after taking in the elf's explanation, "that means that one of us attacked Ginny."
Everyone looked around suspiciously at Harry.
"Yes, it is true," Gabbla said. "One of you, is a murderer."
Wary glances traced the room. Harry's eyes fell on Malfoy who was silhouetted against the bright light of the flame, and then on Cho who's face had turned white.
"I think it is time for sirs and misses to tell each other whom you really are," Gabbla said with firmness now in his high-pitched voice. "This is, or was, Miss Ruby." He indicated Ginny lying on the sofa. "Miss Ruby was an heiress to a fortune. Miss's grandparents made their money by making sweets and later sold them to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. Poor Miss Ruby. Miss's parents are dead, her sister refuses to speak to her, and miss never found love. All that miss had was her gold." He shook his large, bat-like ears. "Would sir like to continue?" he asked, his eyes now on Harry.
Guessing at what he was supposed to do, Harry recited the information concealed in his letter. "I'm Professor Gold, one of the most brilliant and famous people of the 20th century. I'm a teacher at Hogwarts and I support anti-dark arts movements." Glancing around the room, he saw that Hermione had taken out a small pad of paper from a silver handbag and started scribbling frantically on the first page.
Gabbla nodded at Harry, apparently pleased with the way things were going so far, and then indicated for Hermione to introduce herself. "I am Miss Silver, and I'm a very well known writer. I've written a total of seventeen books and novels, been praised for all of my writing, and graduated from Hogwarts at the top of my class. Three of my books are currently on the Hogwarts required reading list," she recited. When she finished, she nodded.
Next came Cho. Though she was still very pale, she managed to whisper a few sentences. "I'm Mrs. Sapphire, an aspiring Daily Prophet reporter. I've written countless articles, yet I'm still competing to become the Prophet's top writer. I do have a family, yet, due to my work, I haven't had the time to converse with them."
Gabbla's eyes now turned to Malfoy who was standing in the shadow of the mantle place. "I'm Mr. Emerald. I'm very wealthy," he said, placing a huge emphasis on the last two words and smirking at Ron. "I'm an inventor of a sweet called Gummy Brooms. I donate large sums of money to St. Mungo's Hospital. I hope to dominate the candy business with a new line of sweets," he finished and then returned to sulking.
From his corner, Malfoy looked across the room at Ron and raised his eyebrows. Ron seemed to be deep in thought, and wasn't aware that it was his turn to speak. "How thick are you, Weasley?" Malfoy muttered.
Coming back to his senses, Ron's ears turned a brilliant shade of red. "I'm - er - the famous retired araur, Colonial Bronze, who has put many dark wizards into the cells of Azkaban." He chanced a glance full of hatred back at Malfoy. "My most well-known achievement is the capture of a dark wizard who attempted to assassinate Professor Gold. I also have a very large family and I support my parents."
There was silence as everyone finished. The only sound that was heard was Hermione's constant scratching on her paper. However, within seconds, she closed the notebook, placed it carefully in her handbag, and the room plunged into silence once more.
"Well," Gabbla said happily, breaking the veil of silence, "now it is time for sirs and misses to find out who done it!" Something suddenly snapped from behind Harry, and he wheeled around reaching for his wand before he realized he didn't have it anymore. A branch of a nearby tree was banging against the window.
Harry turned slowly around, lost in thought. "Gabbla," he said at once, "the six of us came here together. Did anyone else come with you?"
The elf shook his head so violently that his hears shook. "Gabbla is most sure that Gabbla came to the island alone, sir."
"Well," Harry continued slowly, "after Hagrid dropped us off, could someone have come here without any of us knowing?"
"It - it is possible, sir," Gabbla spoke tentatively.
"Then, it might not be one of us who attacked Ginny," Ron said, standing up. "Maybe someone else is here."
"There's only one thing to do then, isn't there," Hermione said firmly. "We need to search the house."
~*~Bum bum bum. I'm going to leave it here and the next chapter will be 'The Search.' So, how's the story going so far? I love hearing from you, so please review!
Lots of love,
Carmen Willows