Disclaimer: *yawns* you know the drill.
Harry Potter and the Elements of Magic
Summery: OotP SPOILERS!!! A 6th year fic. Voldemort's quest for the weapon, which is being protected by the order, continues. Strange events start happening at Hogwarts and the students all suspect the new exchange students are to blame, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione know better... (H/Hr, R/OC)
Rating: PG-13 (just in case)
A/N: Bring out your dead! But I'm not dead yet! Though I might be rather soon with those looks you're giving me... I'd make excuses for my pitiful lack of updates but may as well just get this chapter out.
Ok well, since I'm in a rather comedic mood at the moment (then again, when am I not?) I shall now do a short interview with the character you all love to hate (or love… I dunno I'm getting mixed reviews): Kelly Caraway. So, Kelly, why do you think most people seem to be extremely annoyed by you?
Kelly: well, I really don't know. I don't think I'm annoying *frowns*. You're the one who made me this way though.
Emerald Earth: fair enough. I may as well tell you why I think you're annoying though.
Kelly: What? Now you think I'm annoying too? Why did you purposely make me annoying? What'd I ever do to you?
Emerald Earth: Well, you see, I never intended to make you annoying. I rather like the Kelly I first thought of but somehow you just seem to get on my nerves more and more as I write you. It could help that you're a Mary Sue too.
Kelly: *on the verge of tears* I'M A MARY SUE??? WHYYYYYY?????
Emerald Earth: I don't really know. I don't like Mary Sues and here I am writing one. Ironic, eh?
Kelly: *twitching* evil, evil author you are.
Emerald Earth: perhaps. But hey, you're here now so I can't get rid of you.
Kelly: well that's the first good thing I've heard come out of this.
Emerald Earth: yet.
Kelly: *hyperventilates* WHAT?
Emerald Earth: *rushed* well hasn't this been a lovely chat. I'd love to stay but, as they say, the show must go on! I hope you all enjoy the next chapter and review! *Grins*
Chapter Seven
Clouded Ideas
Harry stood open mouthed in the doorway, gazing intently at the corridor. The water oozed steadily through the walls, glittering serenely in the torchlight. The rough stone floor of the dungeons was an odd sight indeed smooth and glassy, rippling occasionally, and covered in a good two inches of the crystalline liquid.
"I am truly touched that the three of you seem reluctant lo leave my presence but, I do have things to do tonight and none of them involve you," called Snape from behind his desk.
Kelly turned to him and opened her mouth, surely to answer him scathingly, but luckily Hermione responded first.
"It's not that, professor, it's just that…" she paused, frowning. "Well, look."
Snape raised his eyebrows but proceeded to the doorway. As soon as his eyes fell on the scene outside, his eyes widened and, if possible, he became paler than he was already.
After he stared at it for a few moments, either out of fear, shock, contemplation, or a combination of the three, it was impossible to tell, he strode purposely to the fire in the back of his classroom. He opened a discreet clay jar on the mantle, took out a pinch of powder and threw it into the flames.
"Dumbledore, there's something I think you should see," he called into the blaze.
Within a matter of seconds, Albus Dumbledore materialized in the hearth.
"What seems to be the problem, Severus?" he asked calmly.
"It's the corridor," the dark haired professor replied. "It's flooding."
"Indeed," said Dumbledore, joining the three students in the doorway and gazing pensively at the reflections on the water's surface.
"What does it mean?" asked Harry hesitantly.
"I have my ideas," the headmaster answered, "though this doesn't concern you lot, as I'm sure you hate to hear."
As if to confirm his statement, Harry and Hermione frowned disappointedly while Kelly simply looked quizzically at the headmaster.
"And, seeing as it is well past all of your bedtimes, I must ask that you all scoot on up to your dormitories. Off you trot," he continued, ushering them out of the doorway.
It wasn't until the three Gryffindors were out of earshot from the potion's room that they dared to say anything.
"Well, tonight just went from bad to worse, didn't it," observed Kelly, breaking the ice. "I really think Dumbledore's lost it. I mean, he's a brilliant wizard and everything but he needs to brush up on his common sense… who in their right minds would send us out here with potentially dangerous, ice cold, two… wait no… now three inch deep water covering the entire floor of the dungeons?"
"I'm sure he knows it's not dangerous," responded Hermione, who was walking on her tiptoes to prevent the hem of her robes from getting completely drenched. "But it is rather unpleasant."
"Who cares if it's unpleasant? I want to know what's going on! Why does Dumbledore always keep us in the dark? He knows we'll just find out anyway," said Harry, plodding along and becoming more frustrated every step.
Hermione sighed.
"I know. But maybe he thinks that if he doesn't tell us, he'll sort it out before we figure out what's going on."
"And why are you so eager to figure all this out in the first place? Dumbledore's right, it doesn't concern us… why make more work for ourselves than we need to?" asked Kelly, stopping at the top of the stairs and dumping water out of her shoes.
"Why do we want to figure it out… why do we want to figure it out? Because somehow, despite what Dumbledore always says, it always has everything to do with us. Let's face it, this obviously has something to do with Voldemort, it always does, and when it involves Voldemort I end up being dragged into the mix. And when that happens, I end up doing something stupid that puts everyone I care about in danger. So, in theory, it would be the best thing in the world to just lock me in a padded room somewhere and toss the key to Fluffy. But even when Dumbledore tries to do that, I always manage to take the hardest way out I can find out and end up right in front of Voldemort's pale, ugly face. So why do we want to figure it out? So we don't get tossed into a huge, inevitable mess with Voldemort blind. It doesn't work out so well when we do."
By the time Harry had finished his tirade, Kelly was gaping at him wordlessly, her shoe dripping limply at her side.
"I… wow… I didn't mean… sorry…"
Harry shook his head and continued walking up the corridor. Exchanging a nervous look between her two companions, Hermione hurried after him.
"Harry, really, it may not be V-Voldemort this time. Who knows, maybe the plumbing's just on the fritz!"
"The plumbing isn't on the fritz, Hermione, and you know damn well it isn't."
"No, I don't. It very possibly is. I mean, the castle is centuries old, I'm surprised it's held up so well."
"Hermione! Look," he said, still frustrated and pointing to a cluster of glowing runes across from what they knew was the entrance to the Slytherin common room. "Is that common with out of date plumbing?"
Hermione gaped at the wall, blinking several times before becoming able to speak. "No I don't think they are. I'll need some paper and a quill to translate them though. There's quite a few."
"No need," said Kelly, timidly coming out from behind the pair, slightly afraid that Harry might explode again.
"What, you're fluent in runes now?" asked Harry skeptically.
Kelly grinned sheepishly. "Kind of. I want to work in Egypt and try to figure out the pyramids and treasure. It's really amazing when you—"
"Lovely," interrupted Harry, "I was wondering if you could read these runes though?"
"Oh, right," Kelly responded, blushing. She stared at them for a moment before she came up with a conclusion. "Not very happy runes.
"Most of the power within still resides,
Though someone implies to turn the tides.
Take this warning, and use it well
To find the reason that's caused nature to quell.
You must block the problem at its source
Even if your assumptions are off course.
Remember the balance; return it quick
Unless you wish time to cease to tick.
"Well that certainly explained a lot," finished Kelly bemusedly. "How can time cease to tick? And what's this balance they're going on about?"
Harry had begun pacing the corridor, combing his fingers through his perpetually disheveled hair out of frustration. "I don't know. Nothing good though, I'm sure. Whenever something's out of balance it can't be good," he glanced briefly back up at the runes before his gaze rested on the concealed entrance to the Slytherin common room. "I bet it has something to do with them."
Hermione sighed out of exasperation. "Honestly, you're getting to be as bad as Ron! You know it has nothing to do with Slytherin. Not all Slytherins at least. You saw how Snape looked when he saw it."
"Maybe he's trying to cover up his tracks, he wouldn't want to lose Dumbledore's trust now would he."
"Harry, you're being ridiculous. I won't argue that this probably has something to do with Voldemort, but I honestly don't think Snape is in on it," countered Hermione, who had taken to pacing too. She abruptly stopped and shook her head wearily. "Let's just get back up to the common room. I'm sure Ron is starting to think Snape boiled us alive."
Kelly nodded and headed off towards Gryffindor tower without another word. Harry gave a small sigh and nodded at Hermione before beginning the trek himself. His head was spinning with unanswered questions and wanted nothing more than to collapse into his four-poster.
Emerald Earth: So… you're fluent in Runes now?
Kelly: Shut up, I'm not a Mary Sue.
Emerald Earth: Right, you keep telling yourself that… And I suppose you can talk to all the furry woodland creatures as well?
Kelly: No, I most certainly cannot.
Emerald Earth: Hmm, ok then. I wouldn't be surprised though. Anyway, on with the Author's Note.
I know Snape's fire is in his office, not his classroom, but it was a lot easier to but it there. If you have a problem with that then… well… I don't care *sticks tongue out*
I apologize that it's such a short chapter but I think this was a good place to break it off. Hopefully I won't be gone so long 'til next time. Heh.
*Emerald Earth*